Rocky Raymond //Book One\\ COMPLETED

Chapter 9- Things You Can't Outrun

MacKenzie's POV

"What's going on?" I ask as Caitlin and I sprint down the halls of STAR labs.

"It's Barry." Caitlin says and we run faster. "Barry!" Caitlin yells as Cisco starts working on him. Barry was laying in the hospital bed, gasping for air.

"Barry." I whisper.

"Cut me open." Barry wheezes. "The poison's still in me."

"He brought us a sample." Dr. Wells says. "Caitlin we need to do a pulmonary biopsy, extract an active portion of that gas." He commands.

"I can't give you any anesthetic your metabolism will burn right through it." Caitlin tells Barry and just looking at him makes the ground under me start to shake a little.

"I heal quick, remember." Barry gasps.

"Do it." Dr. Wells says and the shaking becomes a little stronger. "Mack, you have to get out of here." Dr. Wells tells me and I look over at Barry.

"I'll be okay. I promise." Barry wheezes to me and I run away as Ronnie's voice flashes through my head again.

I run out of STAR labs, bringing the quakes with me.

Sitting down against the brick wall of a building, I close my eyes and something happens.

The quakes stop.

And I have no idea why.

But I turn around and go back into STAR labs to find no one in the cortex. Maybe I actually passed out instead of just closing my eyes...

I walk through the cortex and find Caitlin in the room with the treadmill. I walk in and sit down next to her, leaning my head on her shoulder as she plays with her engagement ring.

Barry walks in the room next and sits next to Caitlin.

"I'm sorry." Barry says. "I didn't mean to scare you guys leaving like that."

"It's okay. I get it. You had to go." Caitlin says. "It's just...that's the last thing that Ronnie said to me that night." Caitlin says, looking down and I start to cry.

"My mother died 14 years ago. I used to think that the further away I got from it, the less it would hurt. But some days the pain, it's worse than the day that it happened." Barry says. "Some things you can't fight."

"For so long..." Caitlin says, grabbing my hand. "I have been terrified of going into that hole."

"What if I went with you?" Barry suggests and Caitlin nods. They stand up and start to walk out when they both stop at the door. "Mack, you coming?" Barry asks me.

"I don't know." I say in a quiet voice, looking down. Barry comes over and squats down in front of me, lifting my chin up so I was looking at him.

"I know it hurts." Barry says.

"No you don't." I tell him in a quiet voice. "Barry, Ronnie was all I had left. I had already lost my parents and then Ronnie--" I choke out but am cut off by my sobs.

"Hey. You know, I was around your age when I lost my mom and dad." Barry says quietly. "So I know how much it hurts someone as young as you. And I hate to see you hurt."

"Come down with us, Mack." Caitlin says in a fragile voice. "Do it for me. Please. I'm scared."

"I don't wanna see it." I say, shaking my head. I lift my arms up and Barry picks me up and carries me on his hip as we walk down to the accelerator, my arms around Barry's neck and my head lying on Barry's shoulder so I didn't have to see the accelerator.

The last place I want to go in this world was right under my feet.

And we were going to see it.

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-MC