Snow Falls

Chapter Seven

Barry's heart skipped a beat as he stared at his son in the incubator; engulfed in a sea of wires and tubes. The new father had been advised that it was best not to hold him just yet; not until he could consistently breathe on his own. Barry nodded his understanding. At this point, even laying so much as a finger on the infant through the cage's circular windows was risky. Barry nodded his understanding as he settled for placing a hand on the surface.

The forensic scientist had spent most of his life watching someone he loved live life behind a transparent wall and when he went to work, it was more or less the same thing. He could only hope that unlike his father and those metas, his son's time there would be much shorter.

"Hey, slugger" Barry whispered in amazement as he watched the baby's chest rise and fall. A small smile crept upon his face as the circle of life shone down on him and he realized how fitting the nickname was.

Henry had only started referring to Barry as 'slugger' after the young boy had come home from school, having gotten into a fight. Barry felt it was only fitting to continue tradition, seeing as his son was born fighting for his own life. He also couldn't help but wonder what Henry would tell him in this moment.

"People are going to tell you a thousand stories about me as you grow up; most of them will probably come from your Uncle Cisco. But I want you to know the truth. I wouldn't be half the person I am today if it wasn't for your mom. She brought me back to life, she always believed in me; especially when I found it hard to believe in myself" he revealed.

He found the strength to continue as he had gotten a little choked up. The gravity of the situation suddenly hit him harder than a punch from Tony Woodward.

"I know you're both in a tough spot right now, but I need you to get better, okay? I've lost a lot in my life already and- I'm afraid of the person I'll become if I lose anyone else."

Just as he tried to imagine a life without Caitlin; his mind conjuring every possibility of what could have happened to cause her to flatline, his heart jumped as he was startled by the presence of a short, attractive blonde nurse in pink scrubs. Her ID bore the name: Violet Cavanagh. A soft and subtle Irish accent sounded as she spoke; which could only associate it with the comfort of watching honey fall.

"Mr Allen" she said dreamily. "Dr Cooper has asked me to inform you that your wife is okay. She's resting but you're free to see her now if you'd like".

"Thank you" Barry sighed with relief. "What happened, exactly?"

He only asked out of reflex, but he'd had a pretty decent idea.

"They're still trying to figure that out. We don't know for certain, but we believe it was cardio-pulmonary failure" Violet answered.

Barry nodded his understanding. He then looked between his son and the nurse before he thought to rush to see Caitlin.

"Will you stay with him?" he asked.

"Yes, of course" she replied.

                ~

As he made his way to recovery, Caitlin's voice echoed through his mind.

"Hey, Barry. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked after he brought her home from the karaoke bar, gotten her dressed and tucked in for the night.

"Stay with me, Barry please. Stay with me" she begged as he lay battered, bruised and unconscious on the floor after nearly being beaten to death by Zoom.

They had saved each other so many times, that they'd officially lost count after Killer Frost's powers had broken him out of the one way mirror; which he only learned about in the middle of wedding planning. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something he could have done to save her today had he been fast enough.

Dr Cooper stood at the door to let him in.

"Her vitals are steady. She's been asleep for an hour and a half, but you can still see her" he said.

Barry nodded his thanks as he slowly stepped into the dimly lit room. His gaze went from the ironically lifeless, grey walls to his slumbering wife in the bed. He saw great comfort in the screen that monitored her heart rate; steady neon lines, accompanied by rhythmic beats. Her hand was cold and limp as he gently took it into his. Just this once he wished he could talk to Killer Frost without Caitlin needing to melt away, but he decided it was best to wait.

"Cait, I don't know if you can hear me" he whispered. "But our boy is going to be just fine. He's as strong as you are"

Meanwhile, in the recesses of Caitlin's mind, she and Killer Frost were deep in conversation. It had been quite some time since they'd spoken face to face. The last of their recollection was on Earth 2.

In this dream like state, they were no longer in the recovery room. Instead, they were standing in the middle of the baby's nursery, admiring the crib; which was still empty.

"What happened back there? I thought you said you would be dormant until the baby came?" Caitlin asked, holding back tears.

"I'm sorry, Caity. It just got so real watching from the stands. I guess I was more terrified than I've let on the past few months. I guess I just... froze up" Killer Frost confessed. Even as the chilling echo of her voice remained, there was some emotion infused there.

It seemed that the more time they had spent working together instead of against each other, the more Killer Frost got in touch with her own emotions. Much like Caitlin, she was strong but she let her guard down for the people she cared for.

"I understand. But we really had Barry worried" Caitlin replied.

"Eh, he's a tough guy" Killer Frost shrugged. "Besides, it's not like he doesn't go through the same thing. The doctor might have been concerned but for us, it's just another Tuesday".

Caitlin chuckled lightly. The briefest of smiles found its way across her face before she felt a pang of worry in her heart; although this time, it wasn't about Barry.

"My... I mean, our baby" Caitlin panicked as she looked from the crib to the last ultrasound photo she'd gotten; which sat in a frame on the dresser. "What happened to him? Where is he?"

Both women were startled and confused as Barry's voice unexpectedly came though, as if on cue. A comforting whisper against the blue-grey walls; which were themed to resemble outer space.

"Cait, I don't know if you can hear me. But our boy is going to be just fine. He's just as strong as you".

Caitlin and Killer Frost looked at each other with tremendous relief.

"Well, I guess this means we should start thinking of a name" Killer Frost said.

"What did you have in mind?" Caitlin asked.

Killer Frost's eyes shifted in thought. She then leaned into Caitlin's ear; her cold breath sent a chill down the brunette's spine.

"It's... perfect" Caitlin whispered in astonishment.

"Now, go be with our boys. If you can't get to them, I've got your back" Killer Frost said, putting a gentle hand over top of Caitlin's; just this once, it wasn't cold.

Comment what you think the baby's name is. It will be revealed in the next chapter!