After a major chunk of my life, this story is finally complete! I think I brought some satisfaction to this story for all I was able to write here. I'm glad that I was able to bring this plot line conflict for Flash and Rick to light, and I want to thank everyone for all of their reviews.

The character mentioned in the start of this chapter is April Gordon and she belongs to fellow DoE fanfiction writer Marzena.

Without further ado, here is the conclusion of this story!

Chapter Four. Healing

Eighteen Years Ago

Flash entered the Delivery Room in a haste. He looked up to see his beloved wife Dale cradling their newborn baby in her arms, who was making soft wails with a mop of reddish blonde hair on his head.

"What is it this time?" Flash asked in awe, staring at his second child for the first time.

"It's a boy." Dale answered, cradling her son, who was laying on his mother's chest.

"A boy!" Flash exclaimed happily, "I have a son. Please, tell me about him."

"He's beautiful." Dale stared down at the small child, giving a small warm smile, "I believe April is going to be happy meeting her little brother for the first time."

"I'm sure she will." Flash nodded before he asked her, "What are we going to call him?"

"We can name him after your father." Dale answered.

"Lawrence?" Flash looked up as he appeared to be unsatisfied with the answer, "Are you kidding me? No, not that I have anything against the name."

He sighed before giving out a suggestion of his own, "Let's name him after your father. Let's call him Richard."

"Richard." Dale chuckled before agreeing to the suggestion, "Okay. Richard it is. Richard Steven Gordon, or Rick Gordon for short."

The parents looked as the baby cooed.

"Yeah." Flash sighed in delight as he walked to his wife and his newborn son, "I love you, Dale and I love our son too. I can tell our son is going to be great."

Flash and Dale shared a kiss before the former leaned to look at his son, "Hello Rick, welcome to existence in this universe. I'm your father."

Present Day

Flash entered the room to see his son lying in a hospital bed, hooked on oxygen. This saddened him to no bounds as the blonde hero felt guilty for putting his own beloved son in this situation. It hurt him so much seeing Rick like this. The blonde hero would never forgive himself for placing his son in this position in the first place. Rick almost died from his father pushing him too hard the entire week and he could still die. Possibly, but Flash had hoped not.

Sighing, Flash walked over to a chair and he scooted it to where he could sit by his son's bed side. He looked at his unconscious son laying in the hospital bed, hooked on a ventilator, his head and chest covered in stickers that were monitoring his heart and brainwave activity.

"Rick," Flash spoke to his sleeping son, "son, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for what I have put you through. I know I expect the best from you but that is no excuse for me pushing you as hard as I have been this past week. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I love you."

-Defenders-of-the-Earth-

Rick was relieved to be feeling better. He found that he was no longer feeling that sharp intense pain that he was going through. However, he felt something strange covering his face, and what felt like stickers covering his temple and his chest. A slight sting could be felt on his left hand and his middle finger was abnormally heavy and he felt someone holding his hand.

Slowly, Rick opened his blue eyes and immediately discovered that he was breathing through a ventilator. An IV was hooked to his hand along with a sensor on his middle finger. Electrodes were measuring his heart rythms covering his bare chest that was only covered by a blanket and electrodes were also measuring his brainwave activity as well. Rick also saw his sleeping father holding his hand.

Moments later, the door opened and Jedda and LJ came into the room with the former holding flowers.

"Rick," Jedda whispered as she and LJ came to their friend's side, "you're awake!"

Rick nodded before he asked with his voice still sounding weird, "How long have I been here?"

"For the past two days." Flash answered as he woke up, happy to see that his son was finally awake.

"What?!" Rick exclaimed in surprise as he sat up, "Oh no! My finals at school!"

The young blonde boy winced in pain at the sudden movement.

"Take it easy, son." Flash gently grasped his son's shoulder and laid him back on the bed, "You're still in pain."

"The school knows what happened." LJ explained, "They said they'll let you take make up exams once you are released from the hospital."

"Everything will be fine, Rick." Jedda added.

Rick sighed with some relief, and then he asked, "I had a heart attack, didn't I?"

"Yes." Flash nodded with regret in his voice, "Yes, you did. They had to put stents in you because the heart attack was so bad it given you massive blockage in your arteries."

"That's awful." Rick replied, "Scary at the same time."

"I'm just glad that you're alive." Flash smiled at his son. Rick then laid there to let all of the information sink in, and then he nodded and yawned.

"We see that you're tired," LJ told his best friend as Jedda nodded in agreement, "you should go back to sleep if you're tired, buddy. Welcome back."

"Thanks." Rick nodded before looking at Jedda, "And thanks for the flowers."

"You're welcome." Jedda replied, "They're from all of us as we hope you get better soon."

"Thanks." Rick fell asleep as Jedda and LJ left the hospital room. Flash smiled as his son was going to be okay now. The blonde hero knew one thing for certain, he was never going to take his son for granted again. Ever.

The End