Here we go 28, here we go!
I do not own DC.
And as always, thanks for reading!
...
Wally's head thumped back against the pillow. He let out a breath and counted, slowly regaining his composure. He could feel the panic rising, his heart monitor loud in his ears, everything else seeming silent.
You're fine. Everything's okay. He came and he got you and the man who did this to you is dead. You saw it with your own eyes Wally. You're fine. Everything's okay…
He continued the mantra, the beeping slowly returning to his normal, erratic rhythm. He reached for his water cup, hand shaking and wet his dry lips.
He knew the road back from whatever path to hell he'd been on was going to be hard. He just hadn't imagined talking the little bit he had with Dr. Richards would seem like such an undertaking. He gulped down the rest of the tepid liquid and looked around the room, looking for more water. He saw the pitcher on the rolling tray at the foot of his bed and huffed, pushing up into a sitting position so he could grab.
A lance of pain through his body stopped him, his fingers fumbled for the nurse call button.
A trim, and fit brunette came through the door, her stance ready for action as her worried eyes glanced for any emergency problems before Wally smiled at her. She smiled back, her blue eyes sparkling. His smile had always been contagious.
"What can I do for you, Flash?" She asked, hands on her stethoscope, rocking on the balls of her feet. A fidgeter.
Wally smiled, glancing at her name tag, "Hi, Kate, is it?"
She smiled a nodded, "Yes, sir."
He chuckled, the small rumble causing a twinge in his ribs. "You can drop the, sir. Could you get me some water please?"
"Sure thing, sir." Wally rolled his eyes. She walked to the end of the bed, pouring him another glass and sliding the tray closer. "There, so you can pour more if you'd like."
"Thanks, Kate."
She smiled, "Anything else?" She glanced at her watch, "The doctor on call should be in soon to administer your next round of medications in about a half hour."
She walked to the end of the bed, lifting the chart, jotting a few things before checking his vitals and recording those.
Wally sat patiently, knowing it was going to be like this for a while and he might as well get used to it now. Patience was never a virtue he had.
He varied between watching Kate hustle around, making adjustments here and there, and staring at the ceiling. There wasn't a TV in this room, mostly because he was still in the Intensive Care Area so televisions weren't often used here, but now he getting bored.
He started tapping his hand on the mattress, Kate quirked a brow and looked up as she finished her chart, setting it back in it's holder on the end of the bed.
"Okay, Flash, you're all set!" She said, washing her hands. "Anything else I can do for you?"
Wally smiled, his fingers now moving so fast on the bed he was vibrating. In the back of his mind, something sparked. He just couldn't grab on. Shaking his head, he stilled his hands. "Could you find Dr. Richards for me? When he gets a chance I'd like to speak with him."
She nodded, leaving the way she came. "Careful not to overwork your nerves there, Flash."
He looked at her, puzzled. She just nodded at his hands, his hands drumming against the sheets, "You'll burn a hole through your mattress."
She chuckled, but stopped when his face looked like he'd just been doused in cold water.
"Flash?"
He jolted upright, his legs swinging off the bed, his face scrunched in pain as he furiously latched his IV drip to the rolling stand.
"Flash!" She shouted, running to his side to try and get him back into the hospital bed, "What–"
He brushed past, her smiling apologetically, but his eyes were determined. "Sorry, Kate. I gotta go, please get word to Superman and Batman to meet me in the prisoner wing, immediately."
She floundered, not really knowing what to do, but followed after him anyway, wanting to make sure he didn't worsen his injuries. Quickly, she told the head nurse to tell Superman and Batman what Flash had just told her, but she ran to keep up with the injured speedster.
She jogged next to him, his brows rose as he saw her keep a steady pace. She just chuckled, "I run marathons...this is easy enough."
He just snorted back and continued down the hall.
She shrugged, picking up her pace when Flash hustled further along the hall, "Besides, I don't relish being torn to shreds by the line of people that would come knocking on my door if they found out I let you walk around here all by yourself."
He chuckled as they walked into the secondary medical wing, this one had three times the amount of guards and heroes milling around. He looked around, his eyes searching and eventually finding his target.
His face fell, settling in a grim line. He glanced over at Kate, who was paging the good doctor, "You need to stay here. I'm not about to give him any opportunities."
She clipped her pager back on her belt and glanced at him, puzzled. She finally looked to where his eyes had settled and paled. "If you think I'm going to let you in there, you're out of your mind!"
Wally just smirked, his eyes twinkling as he zipped out of her reach and past the other heroes in the area before they could even think of stopping him. He closed the door behind him, locking it and shouting at Kate to make sure Batman and Dr. Richards knew where he was.
Sputtering, Kate ran down the hall, frantic in her search for Dr. Richards or Batman, anyone who would talk some sense into Flash.
Flash turned from the window, carefully waddled over to a chair against the far wall and slid the metal against the floor. The sleeping patient in the bed groaned. Cold eyes fluttered open and formed into slits.
Wally watched him cautiously, "Lex."
Luthor coughed, his mouth curving into a dead smile as he adjusted his bed into a sitting position. "Flash."
Wally leaned back, biting back a groan, trying to look as calm and collected as he possibly could. He knew what he had to do was going to piss just about everyone off, except maybe Luthor, and it could end badly.
Very badly.
"So," He said casually, the bald villain shooting him a glare, "I hear you're in a bit of a predicament."
Luthor let out a snort, "Hardly what I would call a predicament."
Wally crossed his arms, the flurry of activity and gawking stares outside the window occasionally catching his eye. Luthor looked to his left, seeing the chaos outside his door and raised his brow to Flash sitting in the chair.
"Seems you may have caused quite a predicament." He drawled.
Wally shrugged, trying not to think about the morphine drip he'd told Dr. Richards he didn't want during the day.
He was regretting that decision.
"I usually do." He smirked, eyeing the bandage around the criminal's waist, "But you know that already."
Luthor frowned, but it was quickly replaced by an odd look in the villain's eyes. Luthor leaned back against the pillow on the bed, Wally noticing for the first time the sweat on his brow and hollowed look in his face.
Luthor didn't look good.
"I must admit," Luthor said softly, "I did not expect you to shoot yourself to shoot me. It wasn't even remotely on my list of top possibilities."
Wally smirked, "I like to surprise people."
"It seems that way, doesn't it." Luthor gestured to the heroes trying to get in outside. "Why is the door shut?"
Wally looked resigned. "Because."
Luthor rolled his eyes, his exhaustion clearly leaving no room for patience in the evildoer's head. Luthor trained his calculating gaze on Wally, his eyes assessing the clear devastation the past week or so under his "care" had done to the hero.
"You wouldn't die."
Wally stilled, his eyes wide.
Luthor softened, his face revealing a little behind the mask just long enough for Wally to see he was exhausted, too. Luthor seemed almost lost, his head shaking as he stared at his adversary.
"I didn't understand that." He paused, glancing over at his heart monitor before some of his indifference crept back into his demeanor. "I never told Dr. Kryvonis to do the things he did."
Wally glared, "You never told him to stop."
"True," Luthor shrugged, but the smirk didn't reach his eyes. Slowly it faded, his face serious when he looked back at Wally, "But you never died. And I didn't understand how you could last through all of it and make it to this point. Even when you shot me I had to give you some credit for it."
Wally's mouth fell open, his chest sore from the lack of air in his lungs. "What?"
Luthor sneered, rolling his eyes, "Oh don't look so surprised. I know when I've been outmaneuvered, it is rare, but I recognize it. Though not always out loud." Luthor glanced at the door again, people were waiting for Batman and Co. to arrive before they did anything. "So, how did you shut them out?"
Wally snapped his mouth closed, biting back, "I'm clever."
"Why?" When Wally didn't answer, Luthor huffed, "Fine. Hold your secrets."
Wally just gave him a 'well-duh" expression, making the villain squirm in the hospital bed.
Suddenly a commotion caught the speedster's attention. Wally moved forward in his seat, he couldn't stop the small wince on his face as he sat up in the chair. His eyes found Luthor's, the villain already preparing his egomaniacal facade, "Lex."
Luthor's eyes slid to Flash's, turning cold at the use of his first name in such a familiar way.
"I'm trying to save your life. That's why I came here like this, so you better fucking behave yourself or I swear to God, you will die. You will die because you were stupid and you know it." Wally spoke harshly, leaving no room for argument. He remained steady, waiting for Luthor's rebuttal, but it never came. Instead the villain relented, nodding slightly before turning his false bravado towards Superman, Dr. Richards, and Batman.
Wally took a calming breath, knowing he was hurtling into another battle. One he was determined to win.
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