Caitlin sighed as Barry helped guide her into the cortex, limping the whole while. She couldn't believe she had gotten herself hurt. On a mission at that. She knew her powers had been the reason they deterred their meta from following through with his act, but it didn't come without consequences. Like, a bullet being shot into her leg for example.
"I have to lift you up onto the bed," Barry murmured, and Caitlin sighed.
"Alright," she muttered. He lifted her up, and she cried out.
"Sorry," he murmured as he placed her on the bed. Eyes squeezing shut, she gritted her teeth, inhaling shakily.
"It's fine," she muttered. Breathing deeply through the pain., she leaned back onto the pillows. Barry tried to be as gentle as possible when straightening out her leg, she could tell, but the movement still caused her to hiss in pain.
"Easy," Barry soothed, and she nodded her head.
"Alright," she said. He went about digging the bullet out, and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. Luckily, the bullet didn't seem to puncture anything vital, not from the amount of blood she had lost. So, there was that.
"You were very reckless tonight, you know," Barry said quietly, eyes on her leg as he worked. Caitlin frowned.
"What do you mean?" Caitlin demanded, then hissed as Barry turned her leg.
"Oops," he murmured, and she rolled her eyes. She got the sense that he wasn't sorry about that. She waited for him to continue explaining his previous statement.
Sighing, he nodded his head. "You got yourself shot when I explicably told you to stay behind me."
"Barry," Caitlin frowned. "You had your hands full with three different guys. Our meta was about to get away. I couldn't let that happen."
"And, look at the price you paid," Barry said softly, eyes and hands still working in sync with her each other against her leg.
Caitlin's expression softened. "I'm sorry."
"You have to be more careful, Cait. You may have powers, and you may be in control of them, but that doesn't mean it makes it any less easy to see my best friend, who is also my girlfriend, get herself hurt," he stated.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, ducking her head down in shame.
They fell silent then, each absorbed in their thoughts. Guilt swam in Caitlin's veins as Barry worked on her leg. She knew he was right: she had been reckless. She just wasn't sure if it was because he had his hands full, or if there was an underlining reason behind her actions.
"I think," she began a moment later, choosing her words with care. "It was because I was determined to prove myself."
Barry never stopped his work. "Explain that, please."
"I think that I wanted to know I was utilizing my powers for good. That Killer Frost was actually going to help the team," Caitlin murmured, thinking about everything that led her to being on the bed, with a gun shot wound.
"Sweetheart, you always use your powers for good. You don't have to prove that to anybody," Barry said quietly.
"I think I was trying to prove it to myself," Caitlin admitted.
"You don't have to prove it to yourself, either," Barry murmured. He finally withdrew his hands.
"Bullet has been removed. Wish I could've gotten you to the hospital; a doctor would've done a better job," he muttered with a frown, and Caitlin smiled tiredly.
"We both know I'm not allowed in a hospital," she reminded him.
"Something that is utterly unfair," he sighed deeply, and she laughed gently.
"The price you pay when your doppelganger takes over the police station," she shrugged, and he frowned.
"Still, it's not fair that Caitlin Snow must be the one to pay the price for Killer Frost's choices," he said bluntly, and she smiled, touched at his frustration on her behalf.
"Barry Allen, I think I'm in love with you," she murmured.
"Caitlin Snow, I know I'm in love with you," he replied without hesitation, and she smiled, the sentence warming her from head to toe. Nothing else was said just then as Barry wrapped her leg. The support it provided was nice, and she found herself warm, and comfortable in the bed.
He stood up from where he had been bent over her leg.
"No more stupid decisions, alright baby?" Barry asked softly, and she nodded her head.
"No more stupid decisions," she agreed, and he smiled.
"You should get some sleep," he murmured, but she shook her head.
"I want to be here, with you," she mumbled. He bent down and kissed her forehead, and her eyes fluttered closed upon contact.
"I'll still be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart," he said.
"Promise?" Caitlin asked softly, timidly.
"Promise," he replied with conviction, and that was enough to soothe the worries that planted themselves in her mind. Yawning, she nodded her head tiredly once more.
"Sleep now, sweetheart," were the last words she heard before succumbing to her tiredness. She felt safe.
Author's note: Prompt I got. Hope you like it! Couple more to get to. XOXO
