Paralyzer || Barry Allen (The Flash) Fanfiction

Chapter 48: Costly Mistakes

I swear, if Patty called Barry one more asking if she could bring him soup I was going to punch something.

Since we were both unable to walk — and Captain Singh obviously didn't know we'd been injured fighting off super villains — we'd come up with the excuse that we were both seriously ill. It made sense that if one of us had gotten sick, then the other would follow suit seeing as we worked around each other all the time.

Unfortunately, that meant Patty thought to take it upon herself to nurse Barry back to health. Which, of course, would be a sweet gesture — if she meant it in a friendly manner. Which she didn't, obviously. I didn't even need to sense her emotions to know that one.

It had been about nine days now since the attack. Barry was almost able to run again, which was fantastic. I, however, was still wheelchair bound. If my legs could feel anything, I'm sure they'd be itching to just get up run again. Even walking would do, honestly. Being glued to a wheelchair gave me a whole new respect for people who couldn't move without their chair. Who knows? Maybe I'd be joining their ranks officially soon enough.

Last night, I had formally been dismissed from STAR Labs by the lovely Dr. Caitlin Snow and was now resting at home. Barry had just left for STAR Labs about ten minutes ago — the exact moment Patty called and practically began professing her undying devotion to being Barry'y soup slave — and I was staying behind back at the West household, watching some rom com movie that I found on Netflix because what else could I do? The team had literally banned me from entering the lab for one full day, claiming I needed a short break from that part of my life even though I'd just been in a weeklong coma.

Good thing they forgot my awesome power of controlling my ethereal form.

I closed my eyes and summoned my secondary form. After a minute or two of concentration, the figure appeared before me. I still wasn't used to seeing myself from this perspective, but at least I was getting better at conjuring up the projection of me. Smiling, I created a portal and closed my eyes once more as I concentrated on controlling the other figure and forcing it through the opening.

The portal led me into one of the spare rooms in STAR Labs, exactly where I'd wanted to be. Honestly, I hadn't been able to get myself to relax all day knowing I was purposely being held out of loop with the discussions that would take place today. And that just didn't settle well with me. I've always been one of those people who absolutely despised being kept in the dark about something, and the information being thrown around today in the laboratory was no exception.

Thankfully, my ethereal form was soundless when she walked. It was basically like controlling a ghost, only I was actually still alive, I could be felt, and I wasn't an evil spirit. So, I guess it was nothing like controlling a ghost...

Still cautiously aware of my surroundings, not wanting to get caught and be forced to listen to some lengthy speech from Cait, I stealthily maneuvered myself through the halls. After traversing the labyrinth-like hallways, I finally made it to the cortex. I peered around the corner just enough so that I could see in, and I listened in on the conversation.

Strangely, I only saw Barry and Caitlin in the room. I had been expecting something more grand, something that involved everyone else, but this smaller meeting had me even more intrigued.

"I'm not sure how willing she'd be to agree to that," Barry mumbled as he ran his hands over his face in response to a statement made by Caitlin that I hadn't caught. He was obviously frustrated with something, thought I wasn't sure what that something was yet.

"Well, if you just tell her that you want to try and take away the dark side of her powers, then of course she's going to refuse," Caitlin reasoned with his statement. "But if you explain why, then I'm sure she'd be more understanding."