Chapter 14: Changes - 20 December 2013 - morning
Caitlin paused as she approached the hall which led to Doctor Wells's room. She'd kept it together the past 8 days by trying to stay logical. The accelerator exploding was completely unexpected and the fall out seemed to be continuous and unpredictable. The fight with Doctor Wells to get him to stay in hospital had triggered some emotions she was having problems controlling. Now she stopped to clamp down and gain control before she went in to see him.
Doctor Disco had advocated starting serious treatment and getting the patient up and moving as soon as possible. Caitlin had agreed. Studies showed that the sooner patients like Doctor Wells started treatment and therapy the better the results. She agreed with Disco and knew he had scheduled Doctor Wells through to mid-day, expecting the recovering man to be worn out quickly. So, Caitlin fully expected to find her boss asleep in bed after an exhausting morning. Still, just in case she was wrong, she took several slow breaths and readied herself.
"Gathering your courage?" Cisco asked, coming to stand next to his best friend. At least he hoped they were still best friends. It was hard to be certain given her recent frosty exterior.
"Yes," Caitlin answered honestly. "He will have gotten a full report on the extent of his injuries as well as started treatment. We don't know how he'll handle it all."
"I don't know how to handle it all," Cisco countered. He stared down the hallway, trying to imagine what was going to happen when they entered that room.
"Take your cues from Doctor Wells," Caitlin advised. They exchanged a look and then strode down the hallway shoulder to shoulder. It was comforting for them both to know the other was there.
They walked down the corridor trying to summon courage and as they did a loud voice carried to them. It sounded like a very angry woman's voice and vaguely familiar. Confusion clouded Cisco's face as Caitlin glanced at him. Closer to Harrison's room, they realized that the angry shouts were coming from their boss's room. They entered just in time to see Doctor McGee haul off and punch Doctor Wells. He was sitting up in bed with his legs dangling over the side so the blow knocked him back but luckily not out of the bed.
"Chris," Doctor Wells called out as the woman stormed out of the room. He struggled but managed to get himself upright. She didn't slow, yelling over her shoulder as she went.
"All you had to do was wait like I asked! Now you sit there without a scratch and my life is ruined! Don't bother calling me." The door slammed and Doctor Wells let out a long sigh, a hand to his injured face.
"Doctor Wells, are you okay?" Cisco asked, watching Caitlin go to their boss's side and immediately start checking his injury.
"I'm fine," the older man responded, trying to wave Caitlin away. "Pretty sure I deserved that." He pushed himself into a better position with one hand and gently probed his injured occipital with the other.
"I guess the wedding is delayed," Cisco mused, gazing at the closed door.
"If it happens at all," Doctor Wells countered. He took in the look Caitlin was giving him. It was one of concern but also anger. "I'm fine, Doctor Snow. There was no additional damage and I'm cleared to sit up. I was fitted this morning and I'm wearing my brace under my shirt." He was dressed in a loose fitting blue tee shirt and black sweatpants. If Cisco hadn't known better, he'd have thought the other man was ready to go home.
"Why was Doctor McGee so angry?" Caitlin asked, happy that Harrison hadn't injured himself more but angry that he didn't seem bothered by his new injury.
"Maybe because I put her fiancé in the hospital when I blew up the city," Doctor Wells replied, sounding more angry at himself than anything else. "After I ignored her requests to delay the accelerator activation until after their wedding." He took a deep breath. "If I had listened to her, she and Monroe would be on their honeymoon and not in the city for the explosion. Instead," he trailed off. Taking another deep breath he continued. "Instead I put the man she loves into a coma and he may never wake from it."
"Monroe?" Cisco asked, confused and certain that Caitlin was confused as well.
"The man Chris is engaged to marry," Doctor Wells clarified. "Sorry. I forgot that his name isn't public knowledge. When the accelerator blew it knocked out traffic lights and Monroe's car was t-boned by a semi. He's in a coma. They aren't sure he'll wake up." He fell silent for a moment, completely unaware of the confusion his guests were experiencing. "I actually really like Monroe, too. He makes Chris so happy." He sighed and then took in the very confused looks on Caitlin and Cisco. It seemed to puzzle him, a frown deepening on his face.
"Doctor McGee is engaged to some guy named Monroe who was injured the same night as the accelerator explosion?" Cisco summed up, uncertain he had it all correct.
"Yes. Hence her anger at me. Still, I'd rather she be angry with me than with Monroe for getting in the accident. At least this way there's a chance they can get married, if he wakes up." Letting out a long sigh, Doctor Wells glared at his pillows. "She needs some way to channel her feelings."
"I'm sorry, Doctor Wells," Caitlin finally managed. It felt like too much to process. She watched as her boss pulled his legs onto the bed. His movements were slow and pained but she could tell he didn't want any help.
"Doctor Snow, the amount of damage done to this city was massive. If it takes the city hating me to survive, then I am okay with that. It is probably the very least that I deserve. I should have done more safety tests. I should have listened to Chris." There was a bitterness to his voice which told the two younger scientists exactly how he was feeling.
"But you didn't tell her the truth," Cisco said, mentally reviewing what the older woman had yelled as she left. "She said you weren't hurt."
"I didn't want to add to her worries," Doctor Wells informed them. "And I did tell the truth. She asked me if I was badly injured and if I would be in the hospital long. I told her I didn't have a scratch on me and was mostly just in for observation." The usual mirth was gone from his blue eyes, replaced with concern and worry. Caitlin and Cisco could tell that none of it was for their boss's own well being. Clearly Doctor Wells did not consider his situation concerning. Instead the older man was worried about the fallout of the explosion and he was blaming the explosion on himself.
"Doctor Wells, " Caitlin began, but he held a hand up, stopping her.
"Doctor Snow, I was not badly injured. I have clearly survived it and will continue to live a relatively healthy and productive life, despite the damage my body sustained. As for being in hospital much longer, I have spoken with Doctor Disco and he has agreed that a private environment might be better for the rest of my recovery."
"Why would he agree to that?" Cisco asked, worried for both Doctor Wells and Caitlin.
"Because his patient is a bloody single-minded fool and he felt at least this way he may have some influence over care and treatment," Doctor Disco said from the doorway. The trio all looked to him.
"Mr. Ramon, Doctor Snow, lovely to see you both here." The grumpy Scot strode into the room and stopped at the bedside, appraising the swelling and darkening eye of his patient. "That's not from last night," he stated.
"No," Doctor Wells agreed, stealing a glance at Caitlin and Cisco. Doctor Disco noticed and arched an eyebrow at the two visitors.
"Haven't told them yet, have ya'. Well, I'll step out and come back once you've had that particular discussion." Leveling a serious look at his patient, the doctor then did an about face and left the room.
"Oooookaaaay," Cisco drawled, wondering what was going to happen now.
"Doctor Wells," Caitlin began, turning a stern look on the man in question. "What happened last night?"
"Somebody snuck into my room and tried to suffocate me with my pillow," he answered, holding her gaze. Her brown eyes widened and filled with worry. "Luckily Mr. Allen was coding in the other room so his father was in the hallway and heard my struggle. Detective West came to my rescue before returning to his vigil over his son." He was intentionally assuming they knew who he was talking about. Harrison was hoping he could divert their attention from him to the young man coding in correspondence with the blackouts and brownouts the hospital was experiencing.
"I call bullshit," Cisco declared. Harrison's blue eyes blinked in surprise. "Stop trying to change the subject." The young engineer shook his head and crossed his arms. "Somebody tried to kill you last night?"
"Yes," came the resigned response. "Security isn't sure how he got past them. The father of the young man down the hall is a detective. He was in the hallway because his son was coding." The lights flickered and went out. "I'd wager that Mr. Allen is coding again." He waved at the door, indicating that he wanted his two employees to go investigate.
"We can't change the past, but maybe we can help ensure Mr. Allen has a future. Shall we?" Harrison was already moving as he spoke. It startled his employees, as he was out the door faster than either had expected.
In the hallway, a man Cisco and Caitlin had seen intermittently throughout Harrison's hospital stay was leaning against the wall. His face was filled with sadness and horror as he gazed back into the room he was across from. As the trio of scientists approached, the man looked up. "Detective West," Harrison greeted him, before turning to look into the room.
"What do you want?" Joe West demanded, angry at the world but hating the man he'd saved.
"To see if I can help." In the room they could hear the doctor's confusion. "If he's seizing, he can't be coding," Harrison mused softly, watching the thrashing, seizing body in the bed. Caitlin followed his gaze, frowning. "Thoughts, Doctor Snow?"
"Equipment malfunction?" Caitlin mused, glancing from the flickering lights to the body in the bed.
"That could explain the power issues," Cisco agreed.
"Ah, but that doesn't explain why Mr. Allen has a seizure every time the power fluctuates," Harrison countered.
"You did this to him," Detective West muttered, barely understanding the strange short hand the trio was speaking.
"Not intentionally," Harrison replied, looking into the other man's eyes. "We'd like to help. If you're okay with that."
There was a long drawn out silence as Detective Joe West sized up the man before him. Harrison Wells had been one of Barry's heroes. Joe hadn't understood much of what Barry said when he started talking science, but the detective could tell just how highly his foster son held Harrison Wells. It also helped that Joe had spent a lifetime as a cop and come to trust his feelings about people. Harrison Wells genuinely wanted to help Barry from what Joe could tell. Letting out a long sigh, the cop nodded his consent.
"Fine, but he's not a Guinea pig, he is a human being. Remember that," the detective finally declared.
"At all times," Harrison agreed sincerely. He glanced back into the room, where Barry Allen had stopped seizing and the heart monitor was no longer reading a flatline. "Well need to make arrangements with the hospital and get a treatment room ready at the lab. It might be a few days before we can move him."
"Not like he's going anywhere at any kind of speed," West grumbled. He pushed off the wall and stood tall as doctors and nurses exited his son's room, Mr. Allen apparently stable once more.
"Indeed," Wells agreed. Spotting Doctor Disco striding down the hall, he continued. "I need to make arrangements for my own release, but I'll speak with Mr. Allen's doctors before I leave. Hopefully once we see his medical records my team and I can come up with a comprehensive and effective treatment option for your son."
Before the detective could reply, Doctor Disco had arrived, a scowl on his face. "What are you doing out of bed AND yer room? I know we talked about transferring you home and into private care, but no agreement was reached," the gray haired doctor lectured Harrison.
"My apologies, Doctor Disco. We were just trying to ascertain if we could help stabilize Mr. Allen," Harrison answered as Disco herded his patient back into the hospital room. They left Joe West in the hallway, Doctor Disco closing the door once Harrison, Caitlin, and Cisco were all back in the private hospital room.
"Did you tell them about last night?" The Scot jabbed a finger towards Cisco and Caitlin. The trio nodded. "Good, so they understand why I'm willing to let you go home and continue in private care. You'll be able to control who provides your care and when." He locked water blue eyes on the two younger scientists. "I'll be by every day before the start of my shift."
"My lawyer has been making arrangements at my home," Harrison added. "So I should be cleared to head home on the 21st and hopefully we can get Mr. Allen transferred before the 25th."
"Uhm," Cisco interjected, glancing at Caitlin. "The 25th is Christmas. I was going to visit my folks." An odd look crossed Harrison's face.
"Right. December, Harrison," the older man muttered to himself. Shaking his head as if to clear away the wave of emotions that realization had brought, he locked his blue eyes on Cisco and smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes. "Not a problem, Mr. Ramon. I've no family so I can easily spend the holiday monitoring Mr. Allen."
"Not unless you can prove to my satisfaction that you are indeed capable of adhering to my orders for home and private care," interjected Doctor Disco. "You'll be staying here at least a few more days. I don't know how exactly you sustained your injuries or are bouncing back so quickly from them, but you're not even 2 weeks out from the day we believe they happened. Keep making the progress you are making and I might consider letting you go home Christmas day. Might."
There was silence for a moment as the doctor paused to take in some air. He continued before Caitlin, Cisco, or Harrison could speak. "I cannot believe that I am even considering releasing you into private care after only two weeks. Most cases like yours are in some sort of treatment facility for at least two months. At this point, though, there are very few medical aspects of your treatment. Almost all of it going forwards will be physical therapy. Please, remember that you suffered a severe trauma. Can you even remember how you came to be buried under the remnants of that desk?"
A frown furrowed Harrison's brow as he tried to remember the night his world blew a hole in the city. "I remember heading down towards the accelerator ring. I don't remember why and everything after I left the cortex is a blank," Harrison grudgingly admitted. His right hand strayed to his head and he frowned, struggling to pull something from his memories that wasn't a hallucination from the darkness.
"I concede your point," he softly agreed. Looking worried and upset, his blue eyes flitted from room occupant to occupant. "I will, of course, stay as long as you deem necessary. I'm just not used to being confined."
There was silence for a moment. It seemed that despite his win, Doctor Disco wasn't going to gloat. Instead he turned his gaze to Cisco and Caitlin, as if to make sure they were paying attention. "That's normal," he finally broke the silence. "Trauma like you must have gone through usually results in loss of memory in the moments prior to the events causing the injury. You may never recover those memories. I'm not worried about those as much. We've established that over all, your mental faculties are intact. I'm more concerned with the physical aspect of your trauma. Yes, you are doing markedly well."
"I concur," Caitlin interjected. She expected Disco to silence her. Instead, he stopped speaking. "But, Doctor Wells, you know that this isn't going to be easy. No need to rush." As she spoke she set her stance, as if getting ready for a fight. Doctor Wells sat with his hands in his lap. After a long moment, he looked up and nodded.
"Fine, I won't rush out of here," he declared. "I'm aware that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but at the same time, I don't want to endanger others." He looked around the room. Cocking his head to one side, Cisco pushed off the wall he had been casually leaning against.
"Doctor Disco, where's the best security in the hospital?" As he spoke, Cisco studied their boss, trying to determine the condition of their relationship. Was this the almost-no-nonsense work relationship, the hanging out drinking while folding laundry friendship, or was it entirely new territory?
"Other than maternity, where the small humans are remotely linked to their mums, I would say here. Of course, the incident from last night would suggest a lack of security here."
"The news reporting last night that Doctor Wells is here probably didn't help anything," Cisco mused.
"How did they find out?" Caitlin asked with a frown. Doctor Disco mirrored her expression with a scowl of his own.
"I am looking into that," the doctor answered seriously. "I suspect a staff member let it slip."
"You can't transfer him to maternity," Cisco began, earning him an eye roll from both Harrison and Doctor Disco. "And he's not ready to go home," the engineer continued, ticking each statement off on his hand. "What do we do?"
"I could always have him released," Disco declared. It earned him an "uhm" from Cisco. "I can fill out release forms for Harrison Wells and transfer my patient Nick Snowden into this room."
"How does that help Doctor Wells?" Cisco demanded, completely confused.
"You'll see," Disco said as he turned his attention to checking his patient, loudly announcing that he was sending Harrison home that evening. Cisco watched in confusion until Caitlin whispered in his ear. Understanding dawned and he nodded, wondering if it would work.
Did you like that big reveal? I've been writing it that way this while time! Mwahahaha! Mine is an evil laugh! - Troll