Diabetes is a problem for many people. It can change lives or shape lives. But to people born with it, they may notice how "normal" people act, but only know how to be a person with diabetes. That is there norm. They check their insulin and also limiting their food intake.

~._.~

"Wally!" yelled a voice. Wally sped down the stairs and into the kitchen. His dad was sitting there with a cup of coffee (which Wally was most defiantly not allowed to have) and a small pharmacy bag. Wally winced as he picked up the small bag. Fifteen years of experience, but five years of those were filled with uncertainty.

He looked at the bag. Clear as day, it said,

Wallace West

Take when needed

Check daily

Was it wrong to hate something that was supposed to help you? Years ago he didn't mind. But that was before he met Robin. Before he knew who his uncle was. Before he was a hero. Now that he was supposed to save lives on a daily basis, shouldn't he not have to worry? If he was so smart, shouldn't he be able to find a cure?

He slipped the bag into his pocket. It wasn't very big so no one would notice. It was his shame. His stigma. One that he would take to his grave. His parents didn't approve but respected the fact that they and the doctors would be the only people to ever know about his stigma. He grabbed his Kid Flash costume and ran to the mountain. One day without checking couldn't hurt. What's the worst thing that could happen?

When he arrived at the mountain, he saw M'gann baking, Kaldur reading, Supey (well, now Conner) watching static, and Robin and Artemis were sparring. Wally put on a huge grin and ran to the kitchen. He felt hungry.

"Hey beautiful," he said to M'gann as she was removing cookies from the oven. They were burned all over the edges. Wally grabbed one right up.

"HOT! HOT!" he yelled as he tossed the cookie between his hands.

"Good doing Baywatch," snarked a voice. Wally turned to see Artemis. He triumphantly ate the cookie in front of her, showing he wasn't a wimp. He polished it off soon enough. Kaldur and Conner walked in soon after.

"We've been asked to learn about each other," said Kaldur.

"How?" asked a voice behind Wally. He didn't jump; he put the small mini-bats in a headlock.

"Let go!" cried Robin.

"Never little ninja!" laughed Wally. He gave Robin a noogie and smiled. Robin was eventually able to slip free of Wally's grip. His hair was all messed up.

"I call Wally!" said Robin with a devious smile.

"Batman already gave us who we were going to learn about," said Kaldur handing everyone an envelope. Everyone opened theirs up.

"I have Robin," said Artemis.

"I have Kaldur," said Robin.

"I have M'gann," said Kaldur.

"Really? I have Artemis," said M'gann. Wally quickly ripped into his.

"I have Conner!" he said with enthusiasm.

"And I have Wally," said Conner with a blank stare. Wally got a devious idea. The point was them to find out something. Not for him to tell his teammates. He got a huge smile.

"Later!" he said speeding off. He already had something on Conner. He hated the news reported by Clark Kent. Every time he read something by that guy he'd rip up the paper. He was going to spend the rest of his day eating and playing Black Ops.

Conner however walked up to Robin.

"Tell me what you know about him," he said. No one else was in the room.

"Why?" he asked. He was using his hacking skills to find out about Kaldur.

"I want to make sure I get something no one knows. That is our assignment after all. I want to succeed."

Robin gave him a look and an evil smile.

"When he first got his powers, he didn't realize he had them. He was being chased by bullies so he ran. He ran so fast that he ended up in the bat cave. He actually ran into Batman knocking him off his feet. It was my first night of being Robin. Ever since, I've learned everything about him. Me, and Roy know everything about him."

Conner cocked an eyebrow.

"May I borrow a computer then?" he asked.

"Sure. Oh, if you want to find something I don't know… I'd check his medical files."

"Medical files?"

"From before his powers. Any unique feat."

Robin slid him a laptop. Conner took it to his room. It took him a while to find his medical records. He clicked on it once and a huge firewall. It had multiply layers to it. He would've gone to Robin, but the g-gnomes did teach him how to by-pass a firewall. It took him about half an hour. His record was pretty bare. The justice league had only team records. He was able to see where Wally was born though.

He went to there website and found Wally's file. It had an even bigger firewall. It took him an hour to actually get in. He heard a knock on the door. It opened.

"Five minutes until we share the information," said Kaldur shutting the door. Conner looked at the screen. He didn't want to use his birthday, so he used the next thing on the list. He logged off the computer. Then proceeded to the living room. Everyone was waiting.

"Me first!" cried Robin.

"Alright," said Kaldur who sounded concerned.

"When you were eight you accidentally sat in an undersea volcano," said Robin. Kaldur hung his head.

"M'gann hates pickles," said Kaldur.

"Artemis loves spiders," said M'gann.

"Robin's favorite dog is a Chihuahua," said Artemis. Wally stifled a laugh.

"Dude!" he laughed. Robin turned bright red.

"Okay. Supey here hates Clark Kent's articles," said Wally. Everyone looked at Conner, now knowing why the paper was ripped in the morning. Conner sighed.

"When Wally was three months…"

Wally looked at him with frightened eyes.

"..he was…"

Wally zipped up and covered his mouth.

"Let's talk for a minute alone Conner," he said sheepishly. Everyone stared at Wally. Wally grabbed Conner and guided him out of the room. Wally had a dead serious face. He looked Conner in the eye.

"That is something that you will never tell anyone if you know what's good for you," said Wally. Conner looked at him confused.

"But what's so wrong with…?"

"Don't even say it. It would be the death of me."

Conner looked confused.

"It would kill you?"

"Well… Not literally. But I can't stand it getting out."

"Could you explain?"

"No! Never. Don't tell anyone," he hissed.

"Then what do I tell…?"

"Tell them that when I was seven, I first met my uncle Barry. We went skiing and ended up breaking my big toe, my middle toe, and my pinkie toe."

"Okay."

They walked back into the room with the team. Wally sat next to Robin. He closed his eyes. His stomach hurt. Badly.

"When Wally was seven he broke his big, middle and pinkie toe skiing."

After about ten seconds everyone but Wally and Conner were laughing.

"Really?" laughed Robin.

"You really are an idiot!" laughed Artemis.

"I'm sorry Wally," said Wally who was stifling laughter. Even Kaldur was having trouble hiding his amusement. Wally then got up and left. It was over.

"I have a question," said Conner.

"What?" said Robin starting to recover from laughing.

"What's diabetes?" he asked. Robin looked at him.

"Where'd you here it Supey?" he asked. Conner thought about what Wally had said.

"Television," he lied.

"Oh," said Robin.

"Diabetes?" asked M'gann.

"I've heard of it but…," began Kaldur.

"It's a little tricky to understand," said Artemis.

"Let me pull up a dictionary definition," said Robin who for once didn't know how to explain it. He typed away on a computer and finally found a solid definition. (For those of you who know, you can skip ahead. If not… read it please.)

Diabetes (medically known as diabetes mellitus) is the name given to disorders in which the body has trouble regulating its blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder of the body's immune system - that is, its system for protecting itself from viruses, bacteria or any "foreign" substances. Type 1 diabetes diagnosed in adults over 30 may be Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), sometimes known as Type 1.5 diabetes. LADA is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes because of age; however people with LADA do not have insulin resistance like those with type 2. LADA is characterized by age, a lack of family history of type 2 diabetes, a gradual increase in insulin requirements, positive antibodies, and decreasing ability to make insulin as indicated by a low C-peptide. A fourth and very rare form of diabetes, called monogenic diabetes, is also sometimes mistaken for type 1 diabetes but typically strikes newborns.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand that is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These cells – called beta cells - are contained, along with other types of cells, within small islands of endocrine cells called the pancreatic islets. Beta cells normally produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body move the glucose contained in food into cells throughout the body, which use it for energy. But when the beta cells are destroyed, no insulin can be produced, and the glucose stays in the blood instead, where it can cause serious damage to all the organ systems of the body.

For this reason, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin in order to stay alive. This means undergoing multiple injections daily, or having insulin delivered through an insulin pump, and testing their blood sugar by pricking their fingers for blood six or more times a day. People with diabetes must also carefully balance their food intake and their exercise to regulate their blood sugar levels, in an attempt to avoid hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, which can be life threatening.

The warning signs of type 1 diabetes include extreme thirst; frequent urination; drowsiness or lethargy; sugar in urine; sudden vision changes; increased appetite; sudden weight loss; fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath; heavy, labored breathing; stupor; and unconsciousness.

Type 1 diabetes is generally diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. Scientists do not yet know exactly what causes type 1 diabetes, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved.

Conner's eyes widened.

"People have problems like that?" asked M'gann with sadness in her voice.

"Yeah. And this is just juvenile diabetes. You can also get it when you're older."

As Robin finished, they heard a crash in the kitchen. They all ran there to see Wally on the ground. His body limp and helpless. Kaldur and Conner picked him up and dragged him to the medical wing. Artemis looked at Robin who was making a call. M'gann followed the boys.

"Hey Batman. Wally fainted… No I don't think it was hunger… Because he was unconscious in the kitchen… He was fine a minute ago… You sure?... Okay… See you soon," he said hanging up. Artemis looked at him.

"Batman's coming over?" she asked. Robin nodded his head somberly.

"He asked me to call the Flash too," he said going to make another call. Artemis went to the fridge and grabbed a pudding cup. If he fainted due to lack of food she was going to torment him. She walked down to the medical room.

About an hour later Batman and Flash were at the mountain. Wally looked as though he was in pain.

"What's wrong with him?" Robin asked Batman. Flash was busy with the other members so he wouldn't create a hole in the floor again.

"I don't know," said the dark knight.

After another hour Barry decided it was time to call Wally's parents. He didn't want to. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Hello?" said a voice over the line.

"Rudolph," said Barry. Not the guy he wanted to talk to.

"What Barry?" he asked rather annoyed.

"Wally's unconscious and won't wake up," said Barry who was near tears. He was shocked to hear a sigh over the phone.

"Kid's gonna be so mad about this later… Look in his pocket. If I'm right, he still has them there."

Barry hung up rather confused. But he ran in right next to Wally.

"Flash. I haven't learned anything. You need to lea…"

Barry put his hand in Wally's pocket and pulled out a small bag. He read it clearly.

Wallace West

Take when needed

Check daily

He showed it to Batman.

"What would this be for?" he asked. Batman took it and opened the package. Inside were needles and pills.

"Insulin readers. For diabetics," he said dryly. It took a minute for Barry to realize what he said.

"But he doesn't have diabetes. He's… No," he moped.

"I'll tell the team. He probably needs this," he said handing Barry an insulin shot. Batman then left the room so Barry could give him the shot.

"So what's wrong!" said Robin leaping in front of Batman. The rest of the team waited behind with anticipation. Except for Conner. He looked downcast.

"Its type one," was all Conner said. Batman nodded. No one understood.

"He's diabetic," Batman finally stated. Everyone just stood there. Then Robin started laughing.

"No way! Wally's no diabetic!" he laughed until he saw the infamous Bat glare. He then realized it wasn't a joke. He ran into the medical wing. Wally was sitting up. His face as red as his hair. His uncle had a sad smile.

"Hey Robin," said Wally.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" he asked sheepishly. Robin walked up to the bed he was in.

"You're a diabetic."

Wally's face fell.

"When did this happen? I can help you transition! We'll work together as a team," ranted Robin.

"I've had it since I was three months old."

Robin stopped.

"What?"

"That's what I stopped Conner from saying. It's death for a speedster. I'm used to being diabetic. Not so much a speedster. You realize how hard it is for me?"

Robin looked at him.

"No. But starting today I'm going to try," he said leaving the room. Everyone was waiting outside. Even Batman.

"Can we all start carrying insulin shots?" he asked. Batman nodded his head.

Kay. It's long, it's informative, it's late, and it's done. I wrote this because I have a relative with diabetes. I figured that this would be by far, the hardest thing for a speedster to go through. Especially alone. Please review.