Chapter Text
When he jolts awake, his head feels fuzzy, pounding from the sound of Poker Face.
That’s not exactly out of the ordinary for them. But it's different from their usual dissociation.
There's some sort of beeping around him and loud overlapping voices. He looks around disoriented.
"He's up!" the woman beside him gets too close to comfort and she shines a light into his eyes. "Pulse 120, pupils equally reactive to light."
He pulls back from her, barely hearing her insistence that he look at her as he holds back his urge to snap at them to back the fuck up.
"Hey, hey, whoa, whoa, relax," the young man with gorgeous hair says as he approaches the two. He can't help but do a quick once over of him. The man places what he assumes what is supposed to be a calming hand on his shoulder which is pulled away when he tenses beneath his touch, though something cold and plastic is inserted in his ear by the woman. "Everything's okay, man. You're at STAR Labs."
He's not sure if he's supposed to know who these people are and considering the setting, he's guessing they're doctors of some sort, though they're definitely not dressed like it. Did something happen? Who did it happen to and when?
The man's words catch up to him and he frowns with confusion. "STAR Labs?"
"I'm Cisco Ramon. She's Caitlin — Dr. Snow."
She holds up a small plastic lidded cup. "I need you to urinate in this."
Cisco snatches it from her hand. "Not this second."
With the opening, he pushes past them and creates the distance he's been trying to make between them. Based on context clues, he's guessing that this is the first time they've woken up from… from whatever happened, so he feels that it's safe to ask: "What happened?"
"You were struck by lightning, dude," Cisco says.
He feels the world blur around him, ears ringing, and he shakes his head, trying to will the feeling away and stay present. When he turns around, he gets a glimpse of his reflection.
"No lichtenberg figures," he points out.
"You had them, once," Dr. Snow says. "But by the time you were put in our care, they had healed."
"Healed?" he repeats. "Lichtenberg figures don't just… heal."
"They do for you," she says. "Your body is in an unexplained state of cellular regeneration."
His jaw drops as he drops down on the cot again. "I don't understand."
"You were in a coma."
His face goes carefully blank. "A coma? For how long?"
"Nine months."
At the sight of Harrison Wells, Barry is forced to the front, his awe and disbelief sending him forward. Though, his excitement dies down when his mind starts to clear and he realizes that he has no idea where he is or how he got here. Of course he's used to finding himself somewhere he wasn't last but how the hell did they get here?
"Mr. Allen?" Dr. Wells says, brow furrowed with concern.
"Sorry, sorry, I— uhm." His words stick together like molasses on his tongue, the buzz in his brain not yet faded. His lips smack together for a moment as he tries to find the right words.
"You should sit down."
When did he start standing?
He can still feel Sebastian's presence lingering and his headmate offers a wave of comfort. Barry takes a deep breath and focuses on Dr. Wells who still is looking at him expectantly.
"Welcome back, Mr. Allen. We have a lot to discuss."
After being told a tale that is hard to believe, of explosions and dark matter and impossibly fast heartbeats, Barry feels exhaustion tugging at him as they make their way back to where he had been before.
"I, I'm sorry. Would it be alright if I just, took a second before heading out?"
"Of course," Dr. Snow says. "I'd like to do some more tests, make sure everything is alright before we discharge you."
"We can reach out to your family in the mean time," Dr. Wells says.
"Thank you," Barry says, sinking into the cot and allowing himself to drift to sleep…
…and when The Chemist wakes up, it's to something sharp poking into the crook of his elbow. He immediately lashes out but stills when he realizes that he's in some sort of hospital. Iris and Joe are standing behind the woman with the needle and he relaxes just slightly, knowing that they wouldn't let any harm come to them.
"Sorry, Mr. Allen," she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"You're alright," he says, voice a little too low before shifting to emulate Barry's tone. "What…"
"It's completely expected for you to have some post-traumatic anterograde amnesia and confusion after waking," she says. "We had spoken earlier when you had first came to. I'm Dr. Snow,” she greets, her hands politely clasped. "You were in a coma. For nine months."
"Nine months?!" he repeats sharply. He turns to Iris and Joe and they both stare at him with an anguished kind of relief.
"You were struck by lightning," the man says.
"Am I going to recover?"
"Your vitals are all good," Dr. Snow says. "You're in good health."
"That… doesn't make any sense," Chem says, frowning. "I was in a coma. For nine months. There was no muscle atrophy? Fine motor skills and mobility are fine?"
"It seems there is quite a lot you forgot from the last time we spoke."
Chem turns around and freezes. Dr. Harrison Wells. He knows Barry idolizes the guy and was so disappointed when he had to head back to CCPD instead of staying at the launch of his new… something. What the hell was he doing here with…
The man must sense his question because he begins to explain science jargon that he thankfully understands plenty and a story that sounds straight out of the comic books that Max likes to read. He wouldn't believe it if not for the others in the room corroborating the story.
"Well," Chem says. "That's…" He holds his tongue, knowing whatever is about to come out will not be as articulate as he wishes it to be. "Am I free to go?"
"I'd like to see you back again," Dr. Snow says. "Next week, same time if possible. Just to keep an eye on any changes."
"Of course," Chem says with a stiff nod.
"C'mon," Iris says, nodding towards the door. "Let's get out of here."
The Chemist and Iris have never been the closest, not the way she is with Barry or Sebastian. He has an inkling she would be more excited to reunite with one of them first, but he feels firm in his spot at the front of their mind.
"Hey, Chem," Iris says with a soft smile. One thing about Iris is that she's always been able to tell the difference between them all. Well, maybe not at the beginning, but after the years spent with them, she's said that it's clear who is who. "Could I… Would you mind…"
"Yes, you can hug me."
Iris jumps at the opportunity and pulls him into a tight embrace and he returns it, though not as enthusiastically.
"We were so worried about you guys," Joe says. "We didn't know if you'd wake up."
"Well, we did," Chem says. "And our body feels at optimal health. Cellular regeneration as Dr. Snow said."
"I watched you die," Iris says. "You kept dying. Your heart kept stopping."
"Well, it's beating now. I wouldn't be here talking to you if it wasn't." He guides her finger to his pulse point.
"It feels fast," Iris says. "Maybe you should go back in and get that checked just in case—" When she reaches out for him, the world suddenly goes still, as if it has been frozen. And just as soon as it started, it's over.
"You're right," Chem says. "I should go back in. I'm feeling… off."
Joe's brows shoot up. "I'll take you back in—"
"I'll manage," Chem says. "I think I may need to stay overnight. I'll call you in the morning?"
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay with you?" Joe asks.
Chem just cocks a brow.
"Right," Joe says, dejected. "I know you'll take care of…" He falters, pausing on the wording. "You know what I mean."
"Call us if you need anything," Iris says. "And leave a note for the others so they know the same."
"Will do," Chem says with a curt nod. When he makes his way back inside, he feels a jolt within him, like there's electricity crackling beneath his skin. His steps grow quicker and in what feels like minutes and moments, he's back where he started. An unruly anticipation bubbles in him and it's like his body is moving on its own, only satiated by the glide of his feet going faster and faster.
When he finally comes to, the three are all staring him with wonder and shock.
"I don't know what's happening to me," Chem mutters to himself, feeling woozy.
"It seems," Dr. Wells says, "that the dark matter has effected you more than we could possibly have known."
Chem is nothing if not a man of science and he subjects himself to the humiliation of the suit that they put him in to test his newfound speed.
"You thought the world was slowing down but it wasn't," Cisco explains. "You were moving so fast, it only looked like everyone else was standing still. Dr. Wells will be monitoring your energy output and Caitlin your vitals."
"What is your role in this?" Chem asks.
"I make the toys man. Check it. This is a two-way headset with a camera I modified. Designed to combat battlefield impulse noise or in your case, potential sonic booms. Which would be awesome."
Chem feels a grin grow on his face, always intrigued by invention. Before he can continue to pick his brain about his inventions, Dr. Wells makes his way over and beckons him closer.
"Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells says. "While I am extremely eager to determine your full range of abilities, I do caution restraint."
Chem nods in understanding and grounds himself as he lowers himself to the track. With one deep breath, he feels the electricity spark once again and he runs.
It's a feeling so freeing that it's indescribable. He gets lost in it, feeling the way the wind encompasses him and the delicious ache in his legs and his mind begins to wander.
Memories of that night suddenly flash before him and he feels the edges of his mind start to blur, the hurt that has never quite healed gripping at his heart and clawing through his lungs.
Chem has enough sense to bring them to a harsh stop, tumbling into the grass as he feels himself slipping away.