Hold Steady ⚡ The Flash

Under the Skin

Rowan rubs at the crease in her arm, small bruises caused by needles forming constellations on her skin. 

Getting the samples for Dr.Wells was more complicated than the two originally thought. Inserting the needle was easy but the longer the metal stayed in the girl's arm, the hotter it got to the point that the metal needle started to melt into her skin. In total, they went through fifteen needles and ten syringes. 

Dr. Wells also got a nasty burn on his hand but he assured Rowan that the team wouldn't know about it. The last thing the girl needed was Caitlin and Cisco's trust to decrease any further. 

Coming to a stop on the side of the road near S.T.A.R. Labs, Rowan leans against a nearby wall. She pulls her pocket notebook out, flipping to the slightly singed page. Going down the list again, she sucks on her teeth, growing frustrated. 

Staying in Central City was a big risk. Six months of work was about to go down the drain if Rowan didn't pick up her slack and get a hang on her powers. She was falling behind on her list and leads were slipping through her fingers. 

Already, due to a gas attack, three of her informants were out of the picture. 

If she couldn't get a hang of her powers soon she would have to follow through with Wells' plan and get rid of them. It was too much of a risk. People were counting on her to finish her work. 

Sighing again, Rowan ventures back onto the sidewalk, continuing her route to the CCPD where she told Barry she would meet them. That is until Caitlin comes rushing past. A frantic look glued onto her face. 

Curious Rowan follows the woman, not that Caitlin notices. Not wanting to scare the woman, Rowan calls her name as they enter S.T.A.R. Labs. "Caitlin! What's going on?"

Despite her announcing her presence, Caitlin still jumps nearly a foot into the air. "Rowan! Goodness. You scared me." 

"Sorry." Rowan's eyes dart down, her face burning but not because of her powers. 

"Barry darted off without a plan. I think he's in trouble." With that, the auburn-haired woman rushes further into the lab towards the cortex. 

Rowan follows suit, muttering under her breath. "When is he not?"

Wheezing is all that can be heard as Caitlin and Rowan enter the med-bay of the cortex. Caitlin is the first to rush to his side. Rowan hangs in the shadows, not wanting to get in anyone's way. 

"Barry!" 

"Cut me open!" Barry groans, gesturing to his exposed abdomen. "The poison's still in me."

"He brought us a sample." Wells realizes. Rowan quirks an eyebrow as she thinks that this man has some sort of fetish for samples. Perhaps it was just a scientist thing. She couldn't be sure but in the past couple of hours, Wells had been going off about his samples. "Caitlin, we need to do a pulmonary biopsy. Extract an active portion of that gas."

"I can't give you any antiseptic. Your metabolism will burn right through it." Caitlin warns. 

"I heal quick. Remember?"

"Do it." Wells urges. 

"Cisco, give me the syringe. This is gonna hurt a lot." 

"It's a small needle. You probably won't even feel it." Cisco looks down at the incredibly long but skinny needle. Rowan herself didn't have any aversions to needles but just seeing the thing made her skin prickle. 

"You're definitely going to feel it." Caitlin disproves right away. She takes the needle from Cisco and finishes the prep for Barry. And in one fell swoop, she stabs it right into his chest eliciting a large gasp from the speedster.