Barry hears a knock on the door. He smiles when he sees its Iris. "Hi, baby." He says. She kisses him soundly on the lips. "You ready to go eat lunch?" She asks. "Yeah just let me shut down my computer." She waits for him and then he gets up and they hold hands. They walk down the stairs, he wonders why there are so many cops down in the lobby. He remembers that four high profile prisoners.
Suddenly one of the prisoners grabs the gun from one of the officer's back pockets. He shoots the cop and takes another one hostage. Iris gasps. Barry stands in front of her protectively. "I want every cop out of here, or he dies!" The criminal says nudging the cop he's holding. He sees Joe start backing towards the entrance. The criminal nods to his associates and they grab guns which makes the cops leave.
"Barry you have to do something," Iris whispers to him. "I'll try to talk some sense into them." He whispers to her. Now all the cops have been pushed out and all that's left are civilians. Barry walks slowly up to the criminals and Iris follows. "Stop where you are!" One of the criminals yells. The other criminal pushes them both to the ground and duct tapes their hands behind their backs. "Just hear me out." Barry stands up. "You come any closer and we shoot her." The leader motions towards Iris. Barry gulps.
"Why are you doing this?" Barry asks. "We want money and soon we'll be calling the outside world for our requests." The man says. Barry takes a small step forward. The leader grips the gun tighter. "Let these people go, their innocents." He says. The man smirks. "If innocents have to die then so be it." The leader says. Barry takes another step forward and the man aims the gun at Iris. "Barry," Iris says. He can already see the terror on her face without turning around. "I told you to not move." The leader growls. Barry takes another step forward, not believing the man. The man grips the trigger and shoots.
In a few milliseconds, he jumps in front of Iris. The bullets go through his stomach and in the middle of his chest. "Barry!" Iris screams. Barry falls limply on the ground. He coughs up blood. "I told you to not move!" The leader yells.
"He's my husband!" Iris screams. "Cut the tape." The leader motions to Iris. One of the criminals cuts the tape off of Iris' hands and she rushes to Barry. "Barry you're going to be ok." Iris sobs. He breaths quickly. "I-Iris." He whispers. She lays his head in her Lapland cards her fingers through his hair and presses one hand against the wound in the middle of his chest. His pale face watches her. "We're gonna get you help." She says as tears pour down her face.
The leader picks up a phone and calls the cops that Iris knows are probably stationed outside. "I'd advise you get me my one million dollars by 8:00. THE CSI has been shot is bleeding pretty badly. Thankfully he was shot in an area where no vital organs were hit." The man growls. Iris presses her lips against Barry's forehead. His eyes flicker open and closed. The civilians around her look at her with pity and terrified eyes. "Iris," Barry whispers. She looks at his face. He weakly smiles at her.
"D-Do you remember the day we met?" He asks as coughs up blood. Iris smiles as tears fall down her face. "I do." She whispers. Barry squeezes his eyes closed as he fights for breath. Blood has already soaked the ground beneath him, getting all over Iris but she doesn't care. "P-Promise when I'm gone that you'll go on living." His eyes are closing. "I can't promise you that." She sobs. "You have to stay awake. Please. You can't die." She sobs. His lids open back up. He brings a hand up to her face.
Barry stares at her with so much overwhelming love in his eyes. Iris holds that palm that is on her face. "I love you." He says in a voice he can barely muster. Iris leans down and kisses his lips. It's a slow kiss and she puts every emotion she's feeling that she can muster in it. She then grips his hand tight and squeezes it back. She listens to his raspy breathing and nearly misses the ringing from the phone that the leader of the criminals has. She feels hands on her dragging her back. "No!" She screams and bites and scratches at the people dragging her.
"You're going to hand me the money." The leader growls once she's been restrained. She stares daggers at the man. "Iris." She hears a whisper. Barry scratches at the ground beside him. "Let her go." She says weakly. The sinisterly chuckles and kicks him. Barry gasps in pain. "Let's go." He tugs on Iris. "Please let me tell him goodbye." She sobs. She knows this won't be it, it can't be it but just in case. The leader grumbles but allows it.
She crouches over Barry and holds his hand. "I love you." She whispers to him. He whispers it back, barely audible. "Please stay awake. I can't lose you." She sobs into his shirt. She looks at his eyes. His glassy eyes hold back pain and tears. She kisses his lips softly then she's dragged away. The leader leads her down the hallway and outside, the gun pressed against her back.
She holds back tears as her father sees Barry's blood on her. His face falls. "Iris." He says. "He's alive for now dad." She tells him. "Where's the money?" The leader says. She sees her dad speak to someone. "We don't have the money!" Her dad yells. "THEN SHE DIES!" The man yells. "Wait! We'll get you the money!" Her dad yells. "Too late!" The man yells.
The man pushes her forward and she hears the gun being cocked. She hears the bang and white-hot pain going through her abdomen. She struggles to take a breath and collapses to her knees. She looks down and sees the blood beginning to spread. She flops onto the concrete and struggles for breath. "No!" Her dad screams. She hears the gun being unloaded and hears the man collapse beside her. She can't move and she feels her senses dulling. "Iris!" She hears her dad scream through the fog. "We need the paramedics!" Her dad screams. Her eyes slide shut and she remembers Barry. She forces her eyes open. "Barry. He needs helps." She slurs. Her eyes slide shut and she falls into darkness.
The sounds of the emergency room bring her back to slight consciousness. She sees the ceiling go by quickly. She sees the doctors over her, holding an oxygen mask to her face. Their voices sound distant. "You're going to be ok - Allen." She hears. "My husband." She whispers. The darkness then pulls her under.
Iris starts coming to as she hears beeps. She feels a tight grip to her hand and a pinch in the crook of her arm. She squeezes the hand back lightly. "Iris?" She hears. Iris' eyes flutter open and she turns her head to the voice. Barry is right beside her. "Barry." She gasps. He lays his palm on her cheek and she leans into its warmth. "Where am I?" She asks. "In the hospital." He says. "You nearly died." You were so close to death." Iris says quickly, "I healed." Barry says and brings her palm to his chest and feels his heartbeat. "How long have I been unconscious?" She asks. Barry's eyes shift. "You were in a medically induced coma for three weeks." His eyes have tears in them. Iris can barely believe it.
"Three weeks?" She breathes. He nods and tears fall down his face. "What happened to me?" She tries to sit up. He keeps her from sitting up all the way. "Why can't I feel my legs?" She asks and feels tears burning her eyes. "I'm going to get the doctor and tell everyone you're awake." He says. He comes back a few minutes later.
"Ahh Mrs. West - Allen, you're finally awake." The doctor says as she walks in. "Why can't I feel my legs?" She asks the doctor panicked. The doctor sighs and pulls up the chair. "Well the bullet hit a part of your spine, it just barely misses your heart." She says. "Will, I ever walk again?" Iris hears her voice crack. The doctor smiles sadly. "It's unlikely but it's possible with physical therapy." The doctor says. Iris feels numb to the news. "I'll leave you two alone." The doctor says. The doctor leaves and Iris finally breaks down.
"Please don't let this be true." Iris sobs into Barry's shirt. "We'll get a second opinion. I won't stop until you walk again." Barry says determinedly. "Hey look at me." He says. He tilts her chin to look into his eyes. She nods. "Ok." She says. What she didn't know was that this would be the start of a long journey.