Message in a bottle

Chapter 5 - Losing Hope

"You look like you need another coffee," Joe commented, coming back in the medical bay with a cup in his hand and his coat on his back, "should've grabbed you one on the way, want mine?" He kindly offered seeing the doctor badly yawning while absently reviewing the same test results over and over again.

"Thanks, but I don't think caffeine as much of an effect on me anymore.'' She answered back, declining the offer as she reluctantly moved her glance away from the computer screen. She hadn't had a single minute of sleep during the whole night and it was really starting to take a stroll on her.

The intensity of the lights diminishing outside the room had both person tensing up, with that last turn of event still fresh in their minds.

"How's Barry?" Inquired the detective, nervously looking down at the hero who was back at his seemingly peaceful sleep, with the crucial assistance of all the medical equipment.

"He's... stable again," she answered, biting her bottom lips and slightly turning her head back toward the computer.

An hour earlier, Wally came back with the portable generator and in a matter of seconds to stabilize the situation. Quickly and efficiently, the team managed to hook all the medical equipment to the generator, including the ventilator, before Barry's heart would stop beating once more, and they managed to get the speedster breathing again. Except, Barry was still completely comatose and unable to give a single response to any outward stimuli.

"Is it going to take 9 months again?"

The hesitation in the doctor's face and the way she clenched her fists on the desk were lost on the detective as he only had eyes for the unconscious man, but it wasn't lost on Cisco who frowned as he was entering the room.

"It could... take some time," Caitlin finally answered, tensing up at the way Cisco was suspiciously looking down at her, but regaining her composure for Joe who took back his place on the white chair next to the bed, "he... we're still trying," she quietly said, almost whispering, doubting the man even heard her.

Getting up from her post, especially now that the speedster wasn't alone in the room, she joined her other friend outside as Cisco was gesturing at her to come over in the cortex.

"Mind telling me what's wrong?" He instantly inquired as his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's no-" she tried to dismiss, only to get cut in the middle of her sentence.

"Caitlin, I know you, don't lie to me."

That he did, she couldn't get away with lying so easily, so instead she just wiped her nose and tried changing the subject in a not so subtle way, "Just, not now, Cisco. Please. Just tell me you figured out what's wrong."

The glare Vibe sent to his friend was clear, even if he did comply with letting the subject go, for now, you won't get away for too long with that.

"I managed to find the anomaly, it's like nothing I've seen before-"

"Which say a lot coming from you."

"-but I think we can get rid of it by doing a complete reboot of the system," stated Cisco with clear confidence, "and once we done that, we'll get our boy back on his feet."

"Yeah..." Caitlin trailed without enthusiasm, biting her bottom lips, "how sure are you that it will work? It can't be a coincidence that this thing, whatever it is, tried to kill Barry, twice now."

Cisco ran his hand through his hair as he looked down at the tablet he was holding, "Look, I don't know exactly what it is and what's causing it, but, right now, I don't care. The only thing that matter is destroying that thing before it makes another attempt on Barry's life. We need to save our friend and we can do that if we cut the power everywhere at the same time, before rebooting."