Author's Note: After writing the scene in 2x23 of Snowbarry-Season 2 where Barry has a panic attack, I reeeeeally wanted to explore that idea a little more. So yet another 5+1 came into existence.
If you have any ideas for chapters (different places/reasons that Barry or Caitlin would have a panic attack), let me know in the comments!
Barry had never had any trouble with claustrophobia before. He was fine in tunnels, in elevators, in caves (not that he had gone into many of those), and had been his whole life.
Then a meta came along and changed all of that.
The meta -named "Mold" by Cisco- could bend glass. It didn't seem like a particularly powerful ability, until said meta got ahold of bulletproof glass and trapped Barry in a sphere of it. Every second his friends tried to get him out, the sphere got smaller and smaller, until Barry couldn't squeeze into any tighter of a ball.
Finally, when he thought he might be completely crushed, Caitlin transformed into her alto-ego. Killer Frost froze and then shattered the glass within seconds, saving his life.
Barry probably should have considered the fact that he may have some lingering effects from nearly being crushed to death, but he had gone through some very trying experiences before, and none of them had ever had long-term effects. And, again, he had never suffered from any -even minor- sort of claustrophobia before in his life.
That was, that is, until he walked into the STAR Labs elevator on Friday evening.
He pressed the button to go down, per usual, but as soon as the doors slid shut something odd happened.
Barry felt trapped.
He hurried over to the button, jamming his finger against it so hard it almost hurt. It didn't make the elevator moved any faster, so Barry backed away from the door, hands trembling.
What was happening to him?
He turned around in a slow circle, wondering if the elevator had always been that small.
Then it started to shrink.
Barry let out a muffled cry, falling back on the ground as the walls starting pressing in and the ceiling began to lower. It was the same thing that had happened two days ago, with the metahuman and the glass. How was he here? How could he suddenly bend metal, too?
Barry felt his chest starting to tighten. It was a painful sensation, and he wondered if he was having a panic attack. Was he dying? Barry felt panic rising and his hands clenched into fists, pressing hopelessly against the walls.
Then the elevator doors slid open. Barry let out a small gasp, throwing himself foreword in what felt like slow motion. He scrambled to his feet and collapsed back down, legs trembling too badly to hold his weight.
Before he could reach the doors, they started to slide shut again. Barry tried to get up again, but then they closed with a metallic clang and he was once again stuck in tiny lift.
He shut his eyes and curled into a ball, rocking back and forth in the corner of the elevator.
That was about how Caitlin found him. She had come back from her car, having forgotten her tablet in the Cortex and needing to go back for it. She pressed the elevator button and it opened immediately, revealing someone curled in the corner.
"Barry?!" Caitlin gasped, dropping her purse and hurrying inside. "Barry, are you okay?"
He was trembling all over, face pressed into his arms and whimpering softly. Caitlin knelt in front of him and laid a hand on his bicep.
Barry flinched violently, and Caitlin quickly drew her hand back. The reaction worried her immensely. In all the times that she had patched Barry up, regardless of the immense pain he was usually in, he never flinched at her touch.
"Barry," she said again, trying to get him to stop rocking and look at her. She couldn't see any blood on him, but that didn't mean he wasn't injured. "Barry, are you okay?"
Barry let out a moan, looking up at her with wild eyes. "The walls- the walls-" he panted.
Caitlin hurriedly glanced around. The elevator seemed completely normal. Could it be that there was a meta nearby that could cause hallucinations? But if that was the case, why wasn't she being effected?
"There's nothing wrong with the walls, Barry," she said calmly.
He shook his head, sucking in a few more quick breaths. Caitlin eyes him closely. Shortness of breath... trembling... sweating... panic...
Barry Allen was having a panic attack.
Understanding clicked into place. She had never known Barry to have panic attacks before, but they could start up at any moment without an obvious reason. There must have been some sort of phantom trauma from getting stuck in the glass dome a couple of days ago. Claustrophobia, maybe. She needed to get him outside.
"Come on, Barry," Caitlin coaxed, gently grasping his arm again. He jumped a little, but didn't flinch quite as hard as he had a bit ago. "Let's get you out of here."
He was practically dead weight as he leaned against her, letting her help him up off of the floor and out of the elevator. She felt him breathe a little easier as they got outside, his trembling hands on her waist stilling just a little bit into a sort of calm.
Barry sucked in a breath of the air in the parking lot, feeling like it was the sweetest, nicest thing he had ever felt. He leaned against Caitlin as she continued to tug him foreword, out the side door of the parking lot and outside.
It was positively dreary outside. Grey clouds and a heavy mist, cars splashing up water as they raced past, wipers working double-time on their front windshields. Barry tilted his head back, inhaling deeply, feeling the rain drip onto his face.
It was glorious.
Once he had recovered himself a little bit, he turned back to Caitlin. She was standing in the doorway, protecting herself from the wet, but she came out onto the small lawn rimming the side door as soon as he met her gaze.
"What happened back in there?" Caitlin asked softly, resting her hand on Barry's arm.
Barry shook his head, shuddering faintly. "I.. I'm not sure. One second I was completely fine and the next... it was like it was the end of the world."
Caitlin nodded, rubbing his arm. "You had a panic attack."
"A..." Barry trailed off, rubbing his forehead. "I've never... I've never had one of those before. They can just... start like that?"
"Yes," Caitlin told him. "I think that getting trapped in that glass a couple of days ago messed with your head more then we had thought."
"But it's just- it's just claustrophobia, right?" Barry asked nervously. "So if I just stay out of small spaces I'll be fine?"
Caitlin bit her lip, hesitating. "I don't know, Barry," she admitted. "I mean, you've never had panic attacks and this one was caused by claustrophobia, but there's still a chance that you could get them at other moments. Keep me posted, alright? If this happens again, don't be afraid to tell me. I can help you though this... you just have to trust me."
He smiled at her, face a little pale a lingering flash of worry coloring his eyes. "I promise to tell you."
"Okay," Caitlin nodded. "I'm guessing you're going to run home...?"
Barry shivered a little. "Um... yeah. Not really feeling a car right now."
Caitlin smiled and gave him a quick hug. She reached up, rubbing his back gently and he let out a sigh, body going lax.
After a long moment, Caitlin forced herself back. "Call me if you need anything, alright?"
He nodded, and she reluctantly turned to walk away. She didn't like leaving him, but she didn't want to be overbearing.
She just hoped he would be okay.
Author's Note: And so it begins! I have a ideas for most of these chapters, but let me know what you want to see!