Part 13

An alarm sounded in the cortex of Star Labs. The particle accelerator had been turned on just over 30 minutes ago. Ronnie went to one of the computers and hit a few keys on the keyboard.

"It's overloading! Can't shut it down from here. Got to go down there and try and shut it down manually." Said Ronnie

Caitlin looked at her cousin in alarm.

"Ronnie it's too dangerous!" said Caitlin

"If I don't everyone in this building is going to die. Half the city will be destroyed. Cait, I got to try." Said Ronnie

"You could be killed."

"Cait, if I don't come back tell everyone I love them."

"Don't make me keep that promise cuz."

Ronnie gave Caitlin a hug then ran for the pipeline with Cisco on his heals. Caitlin followed only moments later. By the time she reached the pipeline Cisco had already sealed the blast door. Ronnie wasn't able to shut down the accelerator. But was able to vent the explosion up rather then out. The explosion rocked the building. The force caused one of the cooling lines filled with liquid nitrogen to break. The pipe hit Caitlin knocking her out and covering her in the subzero liquid. Cisco who had been knock to the floor by the force of the explosion crawled to her side and pushed the pipe off of her. He checked her pulse letting out a sigh of relief feeling it was still there. He then checked to make sure that his friend was still breathing. He sat back when he was able to see her chest rising and falling. Caitlin was alive but unconscious. That was good. While he was a mechanical engineer he did know not to move his friend. He had no idea if she had a spinal injury or not. He didn't want to risk hurting her any more. He stayed by her side still thinking about what she had said. She referred to Ronnie as her cousin. That was the first time he had heard that. He wonderer why they kept that to themselves. He was a little hurt. He wondered if Barry knew that Ronnie was Caitlin's cousin.

"Caitlin, I thought that you and I were best friends. You could have told me that you and Ronnie were family. I know you don't like to talk about your family. But I wouldn't of said anything."

Just then he heard what sounded like voices coming towards him.

"Down here! She's hurt!" yelled Cisco

The next thing he saw was Alex leading two firefighters over to them.

"Cisco what happened?" asked Alex

"One of the cooling pipes broke and hit Caitlin. She is covered in liquid nitrogen." Said Cisco

"How is she still alive?" asked one of the firefighters.

"No clue. But she is one of my best friends. Please help her." Said Cisco

"She is cold to the touch. But has a strong pulse." Said the first firefighter

"Let's get her out of here." Said the second

"What's her name?" asked the first one

"Caitlin Snow." Said Alex

Alex and Cisco followed the firefighters that were carrying Caitlin who was strapped to a backboard out of the building and into a waiting ambulance. It drove off with their friend heading for the hospital. They were sent into another one with two other Star labs employees to be taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Quinton Lance was finishing some paperwork on a case when his phone rang.

"Detective Lance."

"Dad?"

"Laurel what is honey?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"No why?"

"There was an accident with the Star Labs particle accelerator. It blew up."

"You ok? Your mom ok?"

"We are both fine. But Caitlin was injured. So was her boyfriend Barry."

"Are they going to be ok?"

"I don't know much else. I ran into some friends of theirs at the hospital."

"What are you doing at the hospital if you are ok?"

"The explosion knocked me down and I might have hit my head. Mom brought me here to be checked out. The doctor cleared me. But dad, I called because her family should hear about her in person not from a phone call."

"I will head over to the Queens now. I never thought I would be glad you left my grandbaby with her father."

"Dad, Mandy needs to spend time with her dad. Ollie and I are working things out."

"Yeah I know. Love you baby girl."

"Love you dad."

"Let me tell you what I overheard about Barry and Caitlin."

After listening to what Laurel knew Quinton hung up and headed for the Queen Mansion just outside of the city. It took nearly half an hour to reach the mansion. He got out of his car and walked up to the door and rang the bell. It only took a few minutes for the door to open.

"Quinton, what brings you by this late?" asked Robert

"Can we talk inside? Maybe you should get your wife and Oliver and Thea. It's about Caitlin."

"We saw the news about the particle accelerator. Carla has been going crazy trying to reach Caitlin and Ronnie."

"I don't know anything about your nephew. But Laurel was at the hospital when they brought some of the people from Star labs in."

Robert nodded. He gathered his family in the living room.

"Ok as you know Laurel is visiting her mother in Central City. When the particle accelerator exploded she hit her head. So her mom took to the hospital just to make sure she was ok. While Laurel was there she saw both Caitlin and that boy Barry brought in. She couldn't get any information not being family. But did over hear that Barry was hit by lightning. As for Caitlin she over heard something about it being a miracle that she was alive. Apparently a pipe carry liquid nitrogen broke and covered her in the stuff. I no nothing but that science mumble jumble but I do know that stuff should have killed her." Said Quinton

"I need to get to Central City." Said Carla

"Carla, you will never make it to the hospital with what is going on. I will have the company jet take all of us first thing in the morning. We can drop Amanda off at Dinah's and then go to the hospital." Said Robert

"Well I am going to call and see if I can find anything out." Said Carla

"But Caitlin is alive right Mr. Lance?" asked Thea

"As far as Laurel was able to find out. I wouldn't worry to much Thea. I may not know Caitlin that well. But I do know that she is pretty tough. She will recover and be at Oliver and Laurel's wedding. Yours too I bet."

"Thanks Mr. Lance."

"Thea, don't let what your sister is going through make you relapse. You know she wants you to stay clean and sober."

"I know."

"Thanks for telling us Quinton."

"Let me know when you find out how Caitlin is."

"I will."