Reverse Rebirth Series Book 1: Restoration {COMPLETED}

Chapter 2: The Reality of All -

Hours later, after darkness had fallen over the Watchtower, and the younger teammates were sound asleep, Artemis snuck out of her dorm room, where she stayed now, during patrol, and silently headed for the Med-Bay. She didn't care at all that Dick wasn't going to help her see her boyfriend. If he was going to a stubborn Bat, then she'd just have to break curfew to see how bad Wally was for herself. Passing the lunch hall, she saw Flash and his grandson, the new Kid Flash, standing and munching on the array of snacks from the large pantry. Walking into the lunch hall, she asked, "Flash, can you please do me a favor and let me see Wally? I am his girlfriend and therefore, I am pretty sure I have the right to see him." The older speedster chuckled, "Sure thing Artemis, but I'm sure, as Nightwing has already probably told you, he's not awake yet. I'll be taking my shift to keep an eye on him in a few minutes, though, and I can let you in then." The younger speedster, who was standing off to the side, said, "Flash, I thought we were gonna do a breeze race through Central City." The red dressed hero explained, putting his hand on his grandson's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Kid Flash, but the race will have to be postponed. I promised Superman that I'd take the next shift, and besides, aren't you up past your curfew?" The young brown haired boy whined, "Aww...Come on, Gramps! You promised a race before we even knew he was still alive. And hey, if I'm late for curfew, isn't Artemis the same way? She is a member of the Team." The blonde female smirked, "Yeah, but I am older than you, Bart. You are a kid. I've reached my peak, and this is about as tall, as I'm going to get." Flash laughed at the comment, then smacked his grandson on the arm playfully, saying, "She's right, Bart. Wouldn't want you to be too exhausted for that mission practice with me on how to take down the Rogues tomorrow, so you'd better hit the hay. Besides, it's almost midnight." Giving the pouty face, that made Bart look younger than he truly was, the boy reluctantly zoomed off to his dorm, which was located next to Superboy's. Artemis hoped, in huge ways, that the easily angered clone was in a good mood, before the sound of Bart's racket disturbed him. She had taken notice that Superboy had resorted back to his irritated personality after Wally's 'death' from the chrysalis energy hitting him, and she had even heard that he and Bart hadn't really gotten off on the right foot. Coming back to the reality, Artemis saw Flash give a grin, and say, "That got him off to bed faster than I thought. Then again, he's a Flash, so he's gotta be quick on his feet, to evade getting caught easily." Nodding to the speedster, Artemis asked, "Can we please get going? I've been waiting since Nightwing told me earlier today, about them finding Wally." Flash noticed the blonde's impatience, and removed his scarlet cowl, revealing thick, blonde hair and sparkling bluish green eyes. He said softly, "Artemis, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it would make more sense if you came back when he was awake, so you two could talk about whatever you want to talk to him about." Artemis demanded, "Flash, I was scared for two whole weeks that he was dead! Now that we all know he's alive, I have to be there when he wakes up. I have to fulfill what you told me he wanted to tell me. I have to tell him I love him." Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, the speedster replied, beginning to head to the Med-Bay, "Alright, but you need to know that he probably won't respond to anything and he looks very different than he did, when he left. They put him on some pretty major painkillers for the frostbite, and are trying to warm him slowly and steadily." Artemis gave another nod, as they came to the Med-Bay, and slipped in through the door. Heading to the room they had established as Wally's, Artemis grew more nervous with every step. She wondered just how bad everything was, with frostbite, hypothermia, and malnutrition all as symptoms. When they got to the door, Flash turned the knob, and opened the door. He stepped into the room, and acknowledged Superman, before taking a seat, and asking, "Is everything going fine, Clark? Any movement from my nephew?" The Kriptonian shook his head 'not really' silently, then replied, "Barry, he was shaking pretty badly, and it wasn't him vibrating his molecules. I'm sure he's still freezing, despite the heat blankets we've been gently putting on his body, in an attempt to bring him back consciously." Artemis stared at Superman, trying to figure out what his face was really saying. She watched Flash put his hand on Wally's white, closed fist, and immediately, the truth came to her, at just how bad things were, and how much Superman was trying to hold back on letting her and Barry know. Looking at his skinny frame and pale white face, the blonde wouldn't even have noticed that it was her spitfire, lying comatose in the bed in front of her, if she had not been told by Flash that it indeed was Wally. The only thing that she could recognize was his flaming red hair, but even that was lying limp and damp on the pillow, and it was startling, compared to the white bony cheeks, where a smile used to dance playfully, and where his childish freckles used to be, as well. Artemis looked at Flash, and felt a wave of fear play over in her mind. How could the amount of damage be this bad? Why didn't she think to look for him further than the location itself? Slowly, more fear drenched her heart, and Artemis began to fear even more intensely that her Wally would never wake. She began to fear that Batman would say they couldn't do anything else. She began to fear that everything good in her life, had been stolen by her, in a heartbeat, and she didn't want the only thing good in her life, to be gone, just because of the stupid mission to save the world.