'Your face, I see it in my slumber shapes
Don't change, just keep me in a locked embrace
I'm safe'
"Sometimes they get away, Barr," Joe said, leaning against the table on one end of the lab, tossing a round piece of tech underhanded to Barry who sat on a workbench on the opposite end of the room. "The important thing you got everyone out safely."
"I know," Barry sighed, catching the device in both hands, rotating it a couple times before tossing it back to Joe with his uninjured arm. "But what were they even after?"
"Not sure. I called Singh on my way in and he said it didn't look like they took anything," Joe responded, catching the metal orb. He tossed it a few times up and into the air, catching it as he spoke. "But that was the third break-in at Stagg in six months. First time taking hostages though."
"Okay guys, first, this is delicate equipment, not a softball," Cisco said, grabbing the orb from Joe's hands before pointing accusingly at a laughing Barry. "As a scientist, you should know better. Second, apparently after the death of Danton Black and Simon Stagg, they've dedicated a portion of their research facility to analyzing Meta-Human biology and are allegedly getting some serious government funding. They're like the leading experts now."
"You mean leading expert second to S.T.A.R. Labs," Barry scoffed, hopping off the workbench and peeling off his zip-up hoodie.
"Well they kinda get top billing since our work is kinda secret here and we spend more time trying to stop metahumans than we do studying them," Cisco shrugged, tossing the orb overhand like a basketball into a nearby bin, arms raised in victory as it surprisingly went in.
"Delicate, huh?" Joe smirked at Cisco before looking to Barry. The smile dropped, however, moving away from the table as he saw his son first take off his sweatshirt, then pull at the collar of his t-shirt as if it was too tight. "Barr, you okay?"
"Yeah, I just got really warm all of a sudden," Barry raised a hand to his head, pushing back his hair and looking up as Joe and Cisco neared him. "I think I…better go to the med..bay…and…and…"
Barry's knees buckled suddenly, eyes rolling back into his head. Joe and Cisco both lunged to catch him before he could hit the floor, each quick to grab one of his arms and support his weight between them. Joe moved behind Barry, sliding his arms under Barry's while Cisco gently helped him from falling forward as they eased him to the floor.
"Barry!" Joe cried out as he knelt on the ground behind Barry. He could feel the heat radiating from the speedster through the t-shirt as he propped Barry back against his chest. "Cisco, he's burning up." Cisco kneeled in front of them, taking Barry's face in his hands.
"Barry, talk to me," Cisco said, patting his cheeks. Barry just groaned, eyes half open as his head lolled side to side against Joe's shoulder. Cisco called out to him again but all they received in response was a ghost of a whisper from the near-unconscious man that sounded a lot like the word 'help'.
"Guys, the stretcher!" Joe called out as they came into view carrying the limp speedster between them. Cisco's hands were grasping Barry by the calves while Joe's arms were under Barry's and wrapped around his midsection, Barry's head lolling back against Joe's shoulder, eyes barely open.
"What happened?" Caitlin called out, running over to them as Harry and Ralph helped in hoisting Barry up onto the cot.
"We were down in Cisco's lab when all of a sudden he said he felt too warm and then collapsed," Joe responded as Harry and Caitlin lifted the guardrails on each side of the bed as Joe, Cisco and Ralph steered the stretcher into the medbay.
"Cisco, get a reading on his blood pressure," Caitlin ordered as she placed a thermometer into Barry's ear, proud when she saw that Cisco had already started, them having become a well-oiled machine at this part over the last four years. "Temp is 105.7. Harry, are you comfortable hooking him up to an IV?"
"On it," Wells said, running for the IV stand.
"Barry? Can you hear me, Barry?" Caitlin immediately placed an oxygen mask over Barry's face, his eyes looked like they were struggling to stay open. Barry was not responding to her questions and didn't even seem to be registering what was happening around him.
"He normally runs high though, right?" Ralph asked.
"Normal body temperature for an adult is 98.6, Barry runs about 100 normally," Iris supplied. She had taken upon herself to know Barry's vitals when she took on the role of team leader and had been shadowing Caitlin since she returned to the team. Barry was always putting himself on the line, she thought Caitlin could use backup for these type of situations.
"Anything above a 104 is a dangerous fever for a human without super speed. He came in today at a 103 which is not life-threatening for a speedster but it's not ideal. But he was steady," Wells answered as set up the IV into the crook of Barry's arm.
"Barry? Barry, can you hear me?" Caitlin called out again but once again received no response from her patient as she and Iris maneuvered him out of his t-shirt, motioning to Joe to remove Barry's sneakers and sweatpants, leaving Barry in just his boxers. "Cisco, what's his pressure?"
"BP 310 over 220," Cisco moved out of the way as Caitlin grabbed a penlight and started to peer in Barry's lids. Barry's normal blood pressure when he was running was 290 over 170. Right now he was at the speedster equivalent of hypertension.
"Iris, can you check his temperature again?" Caitlin said as she connected electrodes to Barry's chest to monitor his heart, motioning to Wells to connect the EKG.
"It's 106.2 now. 106.8! Caitlin, it's rising!"
"Okay, we need to get him on ice, now! Cisco, Ralph!" Caitlin barked as she ran to the freezer at the far end of the med lab.
"Couldn't you use your powers?" Ralph asked as he and Cisco followed to help.
"To lower his temperature externally he needs ice packs where large blood vessels lie close to the skin," Caitlin said as she distributed two ice packs to each of them, grabbing two for herself. "I think this will be more effective and I'd rather rely on my medical abilities than my meta ones."
While they got the ice, Joe moved to the sink, grabbing a small towel and soaking it with cool water before returning to Barry's side.
"Barry," Joe called out gently but firmly, laying the folded damp towel across Barry's forehead whose brow furrowed at the sensation, eyes closing. "I need you to look at me, son."
All Barry could hear was chaos and confusion. He tried to open his eyes but after several attempts, he realized it was useless. He was only dimly aware of the mask on his face forcing air into his lungs, glad that it was there, without it he didn't think he could even breathe.
Caitlin, Ralph, and Cisco returned with the ice packs. Cisco placed two on the inside of Barry's thighs while Ralph wedged one under each of Barry's armpits.
"Barry, I need you to stay awake!" Caitlin called out as she packed one on each side of Barry's neck. "Harry lets get another IV moving. We have to get his temperature down. Iris, can you try keeping him awake?"
"Barry, it's Iris. Can you hear me, hon?" Iris spoke as she came to stand by the head of the bed. Barry felt cool hands slide on either side of his face, cradling his flushed cheeks gently, recognizing the feel of Iris' hands. To Barry, Iris' voice was muffled and sounded far away but it pierced through the fog surrounding his awareness, thinking to himself that she sounded frightened. "Look at me, babe. Stay with me."
Wanting to make sure Iris was okay, Barry gathered enough strength to peel his eyelids open. As Iris saw his eyelids flutter, momentary relief washed over as she smiled down at him, face just inches above his. He said nothing but his eyes were beginning to focus for the first time since they'd brought him in, the oxygen mask fogging as he panted for air.
"Hey," she smiled as he blinked up at her. The heat radiating from his body was terrifying and she spared a glance up to her father who was standing behind the head of the bed, still holding the wet towel to Barry's forehead. His concern mirrored her own as they both looked back down to Barry, who was still trying to focus on Iris.
"We have to try to get your fever down but you need to stay awake for me, okay? Just keep breathing," Iris' voice was soothing as her hand moved to gently stroke the side of Barry's face with the back of her fingers. Barry just blinked up at her through half-lidded eyes.
"Caitlin, what's wrong with him?" Cisco asked the doctor, coming to stand behind where she was studying the computer screen.
"The metabolic panel test came back normal. Kidney function, blood acid-base balance, glucose and electrolyte levels all within the normal range for Barry," Caitlin responded, pulling up the results of the blood test, examining them closely as she spoke.
"So then what?" Joe responded as he moved to the sink to ring out the warmed towel and re-soak it with cool water.
"A fever is not an illness in its self. It's a physiological response to something else," Caitlin punched a few keys on the computer. "The Speed Force levels in his cells have dropped precipitously. I'm only showing 86% in his system."
"Snow, his temperature is coming down," Wells called out. "105."
"Okay, let's remove the ice packs before he starts to shiver," Caitlin crossed the room, removing the ice packs at his groin while Ralph pulled away the ones under his arms and Iris took away the ones from his neck. Cisco replaced the now depleted IV as Joe came over to lay the damp towel across Barry's brow once more.
"His heart rate is still high but it's slowed down a bit," Iris announced, watching her father move to the right of the cot, leaning over Barry. She had wanted to rush to his side but was glad to let her father take care of Barry. She may be his wife but Joe had a lot of practice being his dad.
"Hey, Barr, can you hear me, son?" Joe whispered, gently dabbing the cool, damp cloth against the heated skin of Barry's forehead. Barry moaned softly, eyes looking up at Joe as he spoke.
"Joe," Barry's voice was barely above a whisper beneath the oxygen mask.
"That a boy," Joe smiled at him. "Stay with me, okay Barr?"
Barry slowly nodded up at Joe as his father pressed the cool cloth up to his hairline, sighing in the relief of the sensation it provided. From the corner of his eye, Joe saw Barry sluggishly stretch the fingers of his hand, the one closest to Joe. Without hesitation, knowing, Joe grabbed Barry's clammy, shaking hand in his own, squeezing it tightly.
"Caitlin," Joe called out, the young woman rushing to the other side of Barry's bed. "He's responsive."
"Barry, I'm going to replace the mask with a nasal cannula, okay?" Caitlin asked, flashing the penlight into Barry's eyes again and satisfied with their responses as Barry nodded. Caitlin prepped the oxygen tubing and then lifted the mask from over his mouth and nose. She watched him breathe for a few moments, satisfied with the steady if not slightly shallow breaths, and then placed the cannula in his nose, tucking it over and behind his ears.
"Thank you," Barry's voice was a whisper, eyes slowly blinking up at her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Not great, actually," Barry spoke, quiet and slow. "Something's wrong."
"I know," she gave his bare shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "but we're going to figure this out." He nodded at her before looking back up at Joe who began talking soothing and comforting words to his son.
"Caitlin," Cisco called her over where he was huddled with Ralph, Wells, and Iris.
"Before Cisco and Joe brought Barry in, I was analyzing the sample from the swab I took from the inside of Barry's wound. There was a foreign component in the blood. A cytotoxin," Harry spoke in hushed tones as Caitlin joined them.
"A what?" Ralph asked.
"A cytotoxin. It's a toxic compound that can impact the cells in a number of ways when exposed, including causing the cells to die off," Caitlin explained. "But how did it get in his system?"
"I recognized some of the chemical compounds from my own speed dampening serum, albeit less refined," Wells continued. "Theoretically, whatever was on or in that bullet could be used to poison his mutated cells when it came in contact with his blood."
"But Barry's blood causes his cells to regenerate," Cisco brought up. "Shouldn't this not affect him?"
"Yeah, but Barry isn't immune to illness or poisons, right?" Iris countered. "His body just works through them quicker."
"Which could be the reaction we're seeing right now. Remember, a fever is just a response. Whatever this is, because his body is working so hard to fight off the toxin, his metabolic rate is being increased and causing his life-threatening hyperthermia," Caitlin was about to say more but Joe calling out to her interrupted them.
"Caitlin," Joe's voice was shrouded in concern as Barry's brow furrowed. Joe could feel the tremor in Barry's hand begin and slowly sweep through his body.
Suddenly the alarms from the heart monitor began to beep loudly as Barry's pulse skyrocketed. Barry's head pushed back against the pillow as his back arched up against the cot. His body began to convulse, legs kicking out, muscles locking as he seized. Harry, Ralph, and Cisco rushed to help Joe hold Barry down while Iris moved to the head of the bed.
"Barry!" Iris shouted as Barry grunted, head thrashing from side to side, limbs twitching at unnatural angles. "Caitlin, what do we do?"
Caitlin hesitated for a minute before turning on her heel to run through the cortex to the med supply room. She shuffled through the stacked drawers on the shelves, rummaging until she found the vial she was looking for. Grabbing a hypodermic needle she withdrew some of its content and moved back to the med bay towards where Barry was seizing on the bed. She sterilized the flesh on Barry's collarbone and inserted the needle into the deltoid muscle in his shoulder. After a minute, Barry stilled and the heart monitor quieted, showing a steady heartbeat.
"Is that…" Cisco started to ask, panting from the exertion of holding Barry down.
"Yes." Caitlin looked up at her friend. "That shouldn't have worked."
"Caitlin?" Iris asked, combing fingers through the now unconscious man's hair.
"This is the blend of medicines Dr. Wells, or rather Thawne, and I created for Barry when he was in the coma. After he was struck by lightning and was hit with the dark matter from the particle accelerator, Barry suffered from seizures. Medically, we know seizures are a sudden change in the brain's normal electrical activity, and in Barry's case from the Speed Force bonding to his cells," Caitlin explained, hands shaking slightly as she held the empty needle in her hands, looking up at the confused faces. "After a month of tests and trials, Thawne and I came up with this blend of sedatives, anticonvulsants, and beta blockers to treat his seizures as well as treat his tachycardia and block the impulses that were causing his increased and irregular heart rhythm that made it look like he was flatlining."
"But Barry's metabolism burns right through medications," Harry countered.
"It does," Caitlin nodded. "That's why that shouldn't have worked."
"Then why try it?" Cisco questioned. "Cait, we stopped using that five months into his coma when the seizures stopped."
"Because that episode was just like when Joe and Iris first brought him to S.T.A.R. Labs. We didn't know at the time that the seizures were his body responding and adjusting to the Speed Force. Five months in, we didn't need to use this anymore. The seizures stopped, the tachycardia stopped, we took him off the ventilator, his muscles went from atrophy to a chronic state of cellular regeneration, and we started having to change the IV bag more frequently to keep up with his metabolic needs. His body had begun assimilating to the Speed Force."
"And then four months later he woke up," Iris added before a thought struck her. "You said it shouldn't have worked. If he's responding to medication, what does that mean? His powers are gone?"
"They're still here," a soft voice from the bed stole their attention, causing all of them to look to Barry. Joe moved to adjust the bed to elevate Barry slightly when he saw the young man start to squirm.
"You okay, Barr?" Joe asked, holding Barry's hand between both of his. Barry smiled up at him slightly, nodding and squeezing Joe's hand reassuringly.
"I can still feel my powers," Barry looked to his team surrounding him as they came to gather around the bed.
"So this cytotoxin. Is it like Harry's speed dampening darts?" Cisco asked. "Just some time and it'll wear off and he'll be fine?"
"I don't think so," Wells shook his head, grabbing his tablet to show the findings to the team. "Looking at his cells, they're still charged. He's still showing traces of the Speed Force but his cells are losing integrity and the Speed Force is dying off rapidly."
"It's not that they're dormant like with dampeners. I think the cytotoxin is causing Barry's cells to undergo necrosis," Caitlin added. Looking at some of the blank stares she was receiving she elaborated. "The cells will stop actively growing and dividing, stop recharging and regenerating unless we can find a way to stop it."
"Or what? He loses his powers for good?" Iris asked, her hand moving to Barry's shoulder, gently rubbing the muscle beneath her hand.
Caitlin exchanged a look with Wells before glancing at Barry who leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Between their knowledge of medicine and science, the three of them shared a mutual understanding of the weight of Caitlin's diagnosis.
"It means the cells won't regenerate, which means Barry can't heal and fight this off," Caitlin responded hesitantly.
"Which means-" Cisco said as the realization hit, eyes meeting Barry's as his friend looked to him as he finished Cisco's sentence.
"Which means this will kill me."
