Our Broken Pieces

21

The Next Morning
"Hey guys," Cisco announced himself as he entered the Cortex with Mel beside him, holding his hand. "Have any of you guys seen Caitlin?"

"Nope, haven't seen her," Barry replied, "why?"

"She went out for a walk last night before bed and when I woke up she still wasn't back," Cisco replied.

"What really?" Barry said, sounding increasingly concerned.

"Yeah, no message, nada," Cisco added.

"Where could she have gone?" Iris asked.

"Mommy's probably working again," Melony said.

"Working? What do you mean Mel?" Cisco asked, kneeling down to his niece.

"Mommy has to step out at night time sometimes for work and isn't back until morning or the next day. She always looks and smells funny when she is back though," Melony replied. "Aunt Ramona use to watch me until she got back."

"Oh, okay honey," Cisco looked up to Barry and Iris with confused and concerned face. "Why don't you go sit in the Med Bay and play on your Ipad," Cisco told her, as she skipped away.

"Anyone else know how to react to that?" Cisco asked the couple.

"What did she mean 'looks and smell funny'?" Iris asked.

"Who looks and smells funny?" Caitlin asked as she walked into the Cortex. Her hair was a bit undone, her eyes tired and baggy, and wore the same outfit as last night. She did, as Mel said, smell funny too.

"Caitlin!" Cisco exclaimed, "where have you been? I didn't see you this morning."

"Oh, uh after I got back but woke up early to run some errands," she replied. "Is Mel here?"

"Yeah, in the med bay," Barry replied, as Caitlin left to see her daughter.

"What was that?" Barry asked as the trio discussed.

"She's lying. She didn't come home, she's wearing the same outfit as yesterday," Cisco replied.

"She smelt too, like rum or vodka," Iris added.

"Cisco, you don't think..." Barry turned to his friend.

"Think what?" Iris questioned.

"I really hope not, especially since she's a mom," Cisco added.

"Think what guys?" Iris asked again.

"The week after Ronnie died, for the second time, and before Caitlin left Star Labs to work at Star Labs she fell into a really dark hole," Barry replied.

"Caitlin usually uses working as a way to deal with her grief. Like after the first time Ronnie supposedly died she spent all her time working and taking care of Barry while he was in his coma," Cisco continued. "But that week after the singularity took Ronnie, she couldn't come back to work or set foot in Star Labs since it reminded her of Ronnie. I went to check up on her in her apartment once and it was completely trashed. And I found her passed out of the couch surrounded in wine bottles."

"You think she fell into those habits again?" Iris asked.

"I hope not," Cisco replied, "it was hard to watch her like that."

.............

"Heeeyyy girls," Cisco exclaimed as he walked into the med bay.

"What's up Cisco?" Caitlin asked. She was sitting on the gurney as Mel cuddled against her, playing on her tablet.

"What do you mean?"

Caitlin sighed, picking up Mel, setting her down on the ground, and telling her to run along so that her and Cisco could talk.