The simulated particle accelerator wave cleared and everyone picked themselves up off the floor. Henry slower than the rest; an obvious concussion from a nasty fall into the machines behind him. Cisco had just run into the room ecstatic that the wand did as it was supposed to. But excitement turned to fear as everyone slowly realized Barry was gone. Without anytime to process Zoom came crashing through and mocked Harry for trying to give Barry his speed back, confirming what they already knew that the simulated explosion had killed him.
After Zoom sped away; reality took hold and Henry collapsed forward against the railing fighting hard to keep from vomiting. Harry and Cisco stood frozen in place while Iris collapsed into the arms of her father bringing him out of his own trance. He took her in his arms with tears in his eyes and comforted her as best as he could. His own heart was breaking. All were left wondering what to do now that Barry was gone.
It was only few minutes before a grief stricken Henry broke the silence by rushing from the room. Still stunned everyone turned to watch him go not knowing what to do. Joe being the closest to Henry let go of Iris and was the first to follow while everyone else began to pick up the pieces of what remained of the failed experiment. Joe found Henry stumbling out of Star Labs, taking note that his dear friend probably suffered a head injury during the explosion. As he caught up with Henry he took hold of him at the shoulder and put Henry's arm around his neck. All Henry could say was that he needed to get out. So Joe helped his friend outside, once outside Henry gave into the nausea he was feeling. His grief combined with dizziness from his head injury becoming too much. Joe stood off to the side with one hand on Henry's shoulder in case he needed steadying. Once Henry was finished Joe led him to a nearby spot to sit. Henry setting his head between his knees.
Taking a few deep breaths Henry finally met Joe's eyes; "My Son is gone Joe, I just got him back and now he's gone." He said as a fresh wave of tears began to fall.
"He spent so much time to save me and I couldn't save him. "I don't know what I am going to do without him."
Joe lost in his own grief wiped away the tears from his face but had no answer. Zoom was now free to terrorize Central City. What were they going to do now? They had no way to stop him, deep down Joe and Henry both knew that it was a bad idea to allow Harry to attempt to recreate the accelerator explosion and they knew they should have talked Barry out of it. Two men lost in grief didn't see Zoom watching from a distance. The man he was still remained inside, but his hate for the world overpowered any small feelings he still possessed.
Joe looked over and saw that his friend was still in bad shape; he had put his head back between his knees and each deep breath Henry took, he could hear small sobs escaping his chest. Joe knew enough to recognize the effects and symptoms of a concussion coupled with deep grief. He managed to get Henry off the ground and seated in the passenger seat of his car. Henry sat with his legs outside the car as Joe returned to Star Labs to retrieve his grieving daughter and his son.
All three rode back to the house in silence; Henry with his eyes closed took deep controlled breaths to try and still the remaining nausea that lingered. The only sound was the occasional sniffle from Iris in the back seat as more silent tears fell. Henry made it to the house and Joe and Iris got him settled into the guest bedroom. They took turns watching over Henry that night and he was only sick twice more before finally falling into a fitful sleep. The next morning when he awoke the concussion symptoms had subsided a bit. He at least wasn't as dizzy and his head didn't hurt as it had previous day. He refused breakfast as he wasn't hungry; Iris and Joe didn't push. Even though Joe didn't want to he had to return to CCPD to make a statement regarding what had happened. So Henry just stayed at the house looking through old photo albums trying to remember the good times with his son. Tears fell once more as he came across photos from the last holiday he shared with Barry, not knowing that somewhere out there Barry was still around. He sat in silence for the rest of the day. Zoom was still watching cloaked in the shadows outside the house. Henry fascinated him, how could a man love his son so much. His father never even said he loved him or showed him any affection. He didn't know what love was. Only hate, even though he cared for Kaitlyn it wasn't love. So he waited and he watched.
When Joe came home that night he had a look of utter shock and had tears in his eyes. Henry immediately took notice asking him what was wrong. Joe had gotten word from Star Labs that Harry didn't think that Barry was dead; that he had been thrown into some alternate dimension. That Harry thought he could get Barry back. Both men rushed to Star Labs and met up with Iris and the rest of the crew. Harry had theories, but had no way to prove them exponentially. Henry wanted to punch him in the face. After all that had happened and thinking his son was dead. Only to find out that he may actually be alive and well.
"You knew this whole time that Barry might still be alive?" "And you didn't say anything?" Henry yelled lunging for Earth Two Harrison Wells. He managed to get a punch to Harry's jaw before Joe was able to restrain him. Harrison recovered and began to explain more of his theory. That if he could figure out where Barry was in time and how to get a lock on his location he may be able to bring him home. It was a waiting game, and it could take days. There was at least hope once more.
In the deepest parts of Central City; Zoom waited with Kaitlyn still in tow. He waited plotting and planning his next move. On how to make Central City is playground. Star Labs would be the first to fall. Now, he just had to wait. Soon Central City would be his and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
Only he didn't know what was currently happening inside Star Labs, soon he would find that Barry wasn't really dead and that he would again have competition equal this own. He was naïve in thinking Barry was really gone. He would soon find out just how wrong he was.
Thank for reading.
***Sorry for not including anything pertaining to the accelerator explosion as it has to do with Jessie and Wally, I'm not super clued into the DC Flash universe, I do however understand the Wally is Kid Flash in the Comics.
