A/N: Big thanks to Airsay58259 for requesting this! It was really fun to write :)

The Worst Patients

"I hope you realize that this is entirely unnecessary."

Cue eyes rolling. "I hope you realize that you're being entirely unreasonable."

Caitlin crosses her arms over her chest; from her perch on the examination table, she's for once able to look down at Barry, a perk she's taking advantage of.

"There is no need to 'play doctor' with me!" Caitlin says, exasperated. Barry stares at her, eyes wide, and she seems to realize what she's just said.

"Did I just hear what I think I just heard?" Cisco asks, popping his head in from the room next door.

"No you did not," Caitlin snaps. Cisco holds his hands up in surrender. His head disappears back around the corner. She sighs, briefly covering her face with her hands. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I'm fine. There's no need to be worried about me."

Barry looks at her as though she were no longer speaking English. "You realize that I'll always worry about you, right?"

Caitlin feels warmth seep through her chest, but stubborn as she is, she refuses to let it go that easily. "Well you don't need to baby me then. I can handle myself."

Barry snorts. "I'm all too aware of that. I just think that sometimes," he says, gently taking her hand. "It isn't a terrible idea to have someone look after you for a change."

Caitlin sighs and looks pointedly away, but the expression on her face is relenting.

"Now," Barry prods gently. "Let me see your arm."

Without another complaint, Caitlin stiffly stretches out her left arm and shows him the gash, courtesy of their latest meta- human barging unannounced into the labs. The underside of the sleeve of her shirt is sticky with blood.

Barry winces and lifts up the fabric of her shirt so as to get a better look, and breathes a sigh of relief. He's no doctor but she doesn't appear to need stitches.

Carefully, he cuts the material around the wound away (just like he's seen her do a thousand times to his suit, all while Cisco would protest in the background), cleans it to the best of his abilities- meaning Caitlin was giving him soft instructions every once in a while- and wraps it in a bandage.

"Well, Doctor Snow," he says, straightening up. He sets the bandage roll on the small table at his side. With a very straight face, he says, "I think you'll live."

Caitlin finally cracks a smile. "Thank goodness."