12-31-13
Hello again, Barry.
New Year's Eve. This is exciting. Ringing out the old year, that is. Here's to next year being much better than this one, the city coming out if this on top, and to you waking up next year. Fingers crossed.
Another particle accelerator update: there are 17 confirmed deaths from the explosion. One of which was Detective Chyre. West is taking it hard, and I can only imagine how Fred's children are doing. My extreme condolences. From what I understand, you grew up knowing him from him working with Det. West. I didn't know him well, but he seemed like a great guy.
There are many other people still missing and countless people injured. Animals missing, too (pets and zoo. It's a little concerning).
There is talk of Harrison Wells being sued or STAR Labs being shut down indefinitely, but it doesn't seem like it'll take. Wells, himself, is now paralysed from the waist down. I think this has placated the general public as some kind of "punishment" for his actions. Although, it was just an accident. He couldn't have known the destruction the particle accelerator would have wrought.
I started going in for coffee runs for everyone in the morning (West just wants me to check in on Iris and report back without making it to obvious. Despite him being on leave, he texts me to get daily updates about what's going on in the precinct's police station, too). She told me you were really hyped about the accelerator and the clean energy it could have provided for the Gem Cities, not to mention the scientific and medical advancements. She, however, isn't science savvy like you are (her words) and I have to say, neither am I, so we couldn't get too deep into the implications it could have had. I think talking about it just made her sad and now, thinking back on it, I kinda feel bad for bringing it up.
She covered half of the order today. Which was sweet. I hope she doesn't feel obligated to pay me back for stepping in for West and his partner. I honestly did it because I want them to be able to be by your side and to...recuperate, I guess is the word I'm looking for.
And you deserve to have someone by your side when you wake up. Especially someone who cares about you. I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶w̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶a̶l̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶o̶s̶p̶i̶t̶a̶l̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶. I mean, I understand what it is to be in your place. That and I hate hospitals. They're cold, impersonal, and the food sucks. Technically you're in a lab. I can't tell if that's better or worse. All the machines you're attached to remind me of a big science experiment or something. I wonder what they're tracking? Not everything you're being monitored with is what I recognise as purely medical.
So like I said in the beginning. New Year's Eve. I'm the last one in the building. Besides janitors, that is. Wells went home forever ago, Hartley and Caitlin are having a slumber party, and Cisco has family in Central he's partying with. ...is it sad that I'm in a lab with a comatose guy? I actually don't have anywhere else to be.
Whatever. I put a little party hat on your head. You look adorable. I put on the countdown to the ball drop on my phone. I don't know if you hear it or not. It's playing music. (Thankfully not Lady Gaga. Cisco has been playing her non-stop. He swears that you're going to wake up because of it.)
How do you feel about New Year's resolutions?
I think they're rubbish. At least, the outlandish ones. I feel like some people make unattainable resolutions and just kinda wish every day that it was getting done instead of doing it. And the only reason I say "unattainable" is because they don't have the drive to get up and do something about it or they're too broad. And they push off to the next year. And the next year-you get the picture.
I, myself, set smaller specific manageable goals by rule of thumb. Like learning self defense, or staying away from corn syrup, or losing weight in that you're toning your body, etc (some of my past ones, that I have completed thank you very much).
But I do have sort of a broad goal this year-it's to make a place for myself here in Central. Maybe a bit out there. But I don't want to "fit in". I tried doing that in Keystone when I got detective status. I felt like I wasn't being true to myself, you know?
You're easy to talk to. Write to. Whatever.
I guess because you're comatose and can't judge me. What does that say about my social skills?
"Breaking news: Edmund Malcolm Thawne can only open up to unconscious people! Back to you, Fred!"
15 minutes. I think I'm going to do a cleanse. And not just for the past year. I really just need to put Keystone and everything in the past behind me and move on. Fresh start. I can do this. I'm going to do this. If I never set foot in that city again it'll be too soon.
As for a general update on how you're doing… well, I think I can maybe get Caitlin to write down more details with medical jargon later. Your breathing sounded rattling when you first came in-probably from how hard you hit the shelves when you were flung into them. You got some fractures from it, too. But she says your breathing sounds relatively normal now, aside from some wheezing. Speaking of you being flung into the shelf-man, you are bruised, cut, and like...some of those chemicals got on you and into your cuts and made your skin bubble and turn weird colours and… yeah. Caitlin had to cut off some stuff but she stitched it up real nice. The good thing is, miraculously, you didn't get any cuts or chemicals on your face. But your face is pretty bruised. It's more yellow-green toned now...kinda makes you look more sickly and frail. At least you'll probably have some really cool looking scars. We could start a club. Maybe I'll show you mine some day. You'll have to wake up first.
5 minutes. I'm feeling really relieved. It's l_v^v^ ….Ignore that random squiggle.
Lord, the lights shut off. Apparently the staff is gone. Thankfully I have a flashlight on my belt. Came here straight from my shift-so haven't changed yet.
And it's midnight. Happy New Year. This is actually a pretty great spot to watch fireworks from. And because the lights are off it's really nice over here.
I think I'm gonna head home now.
-x-
Update: I have been locked inside the building. Now that the fireworks have stopped it's pretty creepy. And the only noises in this room is your breathing and all the machines. (And the other creepy noises I can't account for so I'm going to casually ignore them.)
There's a cot over there so I guess I'll use it. I have to be back at the precinct in 5 hours anyway. Oh well. Night, Barry.
Your mildly terrified watch-dog, Eddie.
