Hal rockets through the Anti-Monitor's fortress, ring honing in on Barry like a bloodhound chasing its prey. He bursts into The Room, Barry an indistinct blur racing in neverending circles, whirling and whirling and dying.
He reaches out, beam stretching and elongating and grasping and he's SO CLOSE he can FEEL it and somehow he knows that he's almost out of time that he has to do this NOW but he's so SLOW…
Hal gasps as his beam wraps solid life around Barry's form, shielding him and protecting him and everythingwillbeokaynow
And he YANKS Barry away from the awful blood-red center, and Barry smiles at him, eyes filled with relief and life and happiness
'I knew you would save me, Hal-'
And the churning blood-red center explodes, and Hal has just enough time to see Barry impaled on a jagged skewer of golden metal before everything goes black-
Hal doesn't make it over the bed before he throws up this time.
Just once. Why can't he save Barry just once.