Summary: [2x23] Barry has suffered from severe anxiety since his mother's death. Now, it has been two days since his father's death.. and Team Flash collectively decide to lock in him the pipeline.. in a cell.. a tiny cell. Nothing too bad could happen.. right?

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE FLASH; THE CHARACTERS, THE PLOT OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY :)

TRIGGER WARNING: PANIC-ATTACKS, SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS

So, if you don't follow me on Wattpad (ifeellikeiamamidget) then I posted this in the book, 'My One-Shots', and a lot of people on there demanded a second chapter of this so here it is. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you all enjoy this :)


Barry and Iris were in the Pipeline for a really long time. The entire time they were there, they were both silent. It had been over an hour since Barry's panic attack, and Iris knew if she didn't get him talking soon, didn't get him opening up, she would lose the boy she fell in love with all those years ago. Iris had already lost a big part of Barry after his dad died. He wasn't happy, (rightfully so, considering his dad is dead), and he was just exhausted all the time. He couldn't sleep, barely ate and he just lost the life behind his eyes.

"Bear?" Iris asked the speedster softly, stroking his cheek softly with her right hand. After Cisco had left, Iris had gathered the man into her arms, letting his head press up against her chest whilst she wrapped her arms around the top portion of his head. The reporter sat back on her legs, no longer balancing on her knees. She looked Barry in the eyes as his eyes fluttered open, his focus hazy with exhaustion. The speedster lethargically unwrapped his arms from Iris' waist and placed them in his lap, looking down at the ground.

"You haven't had one of those in awhile," Iris spoke gently, not wanting to startle Barry, "I thought you weren't claustrophobic?"

Barry simply shrugged. Even that seemed to take up a lot of energy, so Iris watched Barry slump against the wall.

"Barry," Iris said, her voice much more demanding, "Talk to me. Please"

"Do you know what it's like to feel alone?" Barry began, his voice hoarse, "Do you have any idea what it's like to be left alone with your thoughts after something traumatic happens? Do you know how mentally and emotionally damaging that is?"

Iris was taken aback from the questions she was hearing leave his mouth. As much as she wanted to interrupt him, contradict the statement and tell him that he could always talk to them, she knew it wasn't the right time. He needed this just as much as she needed to hear it.

"Being trapped in here, it just made all of those thoughts worse," He cried softly, "You all could've died, and that would be my fault. I should be able to protect you all without letting my emotions get in the way," Barry paused for a moment and wiped a stray tear away from his cheek, "My father just died, Iris.. and instead of helping me get through it, you do the worst, most damaging thing you could ever do to someone who is grieving and struggling to keep themselves together," Iris watched as more tears began rolling down his cheeks as he spoke, but she wasn't judging him for crying, she was seconds away from doing so, too, "I felt so alone in here. I felt anger, sadness and then numbness, over and over again because my mind was battling with itself on your true motives for locking me in here. You all could've died... and I-I wouldn't have been able to stop it"

The pair lapsed into another silence as Barry tried to control his emotions, but Iris knew better. She could see the way his thoughts were starting to spiral and how his hands were starting to shake again. The lightning was flickering on and off in his eyes. This is what it had been like for him for the three hours they had left him trapped in here. She had done this to him. Her and the rest of the team had broken him... no, Zoom had broken him, but they had scattered the pieces so far that he couldn't find them. They had just destroyed the Scarlet Speedster.

Instead of apologising verbally, because she knew that it would get her nowhere, she gathered the speedster into her arms once more and just rocked them both as they cried together. She couldn't speak for the rest of the team, but she could speak for herself, and this hug was telling the speedster everything he needed to hear. As she rocked the speedster, she could hear him mumbling, "I'm so tired" over and over again, which in turn, broke her own heart.


Unknown to both Barry and Iris, after Cisco had came back from the Pipeline, Harry had activated the sound on the security cameras. Caitlin and Cisco had both looked at the man in shock. Barry was allowed some privacy, and they, at least, deserved to give it to him after they betrayed him like that. Just as Cisco was about to shut it off, Barry began crying out, and it made all of them freeze. Jesse turned to her father as she listened to what Barry was saying. With each word Jesse could hear the amount of pain he was in increase. She could tell just how much this had taken out of him. After her mother had died, she had watched her father change from the pain and the emotional stress it put him through. She just hoped that Barry wasn't as far gone as his father had been all those years ago.

"Hold yourself together, Snow" Harry said, a frown on his face as he started at the doctor, who had tears running down her face. Cisco was trying to comfort Caitlin but it just wasn't working, he was just as upset as Caitlin was. That was their best friend.. and they just sat back and helped contribute to the sobbing mess in Iris' arms. The duo had no idea how their friendship with Barry would bounce back from this. It had slipped all of their minds that Joe had been injured in the mission until 15 minutes later when Wally ran in, demanding to know where his father was. At that same moment, Barry and Iris had just entered the hallway outside of the Cortex. They were both just in time to hear Wally yell;

"Where's my dad?" The teen looked around the entire room until his eyes landed upon Caitlin, who nodded towards the Med-Bay. Barry stopped walking once he and Iris had entered the Cortex. His mind was on over-speed. Why was Joe in the Med-Bay? What had Zoom done? What had they done? Why couldn't he save Joe? Why did he fail another parent? Iris stared at Barry and Wally before grabbing them both by the arm and silently dragging them into the Med-Bay. The team all looked at each other before entering the Med-Bay too, wanting to support their family.

Stopping Zoom could be done at a later date, but right now, all they needed to do was stay calm and united in their fight.


Leave a review if you're mandem... kidding, lil british joke n dat. But on the real, leave a review if you enjoyed it n if you want more stuff like this