Within Seconds: Sylas & Allen

Baby Allen Announcement

No one had ever seen Barry cry in the way that he did when he carried Parker's lifeless body into the Cortex. He was physically shaking. One could have seen it from a mile away. Tears poured out of his eyes. He was forced to continuously lick at his lips, clearing the tears from his mouth. Anything that came out of his mouth was a dry croak. 

"What happened?" snapped Harry.

"Zoom, h-he..." stuttered Barry.

"Barry, breathe," ordered Iris, "you have to tell us what happened so we can help."

Barry laid Parker down on the medical bed Joe wheeled in. 

"Please, you have to help..." sobbed Barry.

"I will, and I need you to help me," said Harry. 

"I'll do it," volunteered Iris, pushing up his sleeves, "His hands aren't steady enough for whatever you're about to do."

Harry looked at Cisco. A single second told him he was also inconsolable. Iris was his next best shot at saving Parker. He nodded his head. The two whisked the bleeding girl off into the medical bay of the Cortex. On purpose, for Barry's sake, they let down the blinds. A precaution, he figured, in case...

"Barry," whispered Henry. He nodded, encouraging his son to speak. 

Eventually, he was able to recite the story. He paced the length of the room, hands tangled in his hair. If he wasn't careful, he was going to rip it out. The pain hadn't mattered to him. The only thing that hurt was his heart. 

What felt like hours only took a mere forty-seven minutes. Barry counted each one. His eyes hadn't left the clock on the computer screen. He was more than sure that if he averted his eyes, a solid breakdown was going to occur. He couldn't. Not until he knew.

"Barry," said Iris softly.

His neck cracked when he snapped it up. 

"She's okay. Harry got her heartbeat going. We got her. We've got her back."

Harry exited the bay a couple minutes after Iris. Purposely, he hid his hands behind his back, shielding the blood from the optimistic room.

"More importantly, she's awake, and asking for you," he said.

Barry sprinted into the bay. He slowed to climb on the bed, but then he grabbed her face, kissing all around her face and on her lips and her bandages, whispering just how much he loved her on a repeat. 

"Barry," choked Parker.

"I love you so much. I'm never letting you out of my sight, ever, again. You're staying here for the rest of eternity, I'm keeping you under lock and key, and--" he was forced to stop when her heart rate monitor spiked. He quickly leaned back. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me I was smothering you?"

"She tried," giggled Iris.

"Where's Cisco?" mumbled Parker.

"Tell them they're free to come in," said Barry. 

Iris and Harry didn't need to tell anyone anything. Joe, Henry, Jesse, and Cisco were listening in just outside the door. At Barry's word, the three rushed in and hugged on any part of Parker they could. Cisco laid his head on her stomach. 

Harry caught her wince. She shook her head. 

"Okay, I'm not dead, get off," begged Parker, "We need to talk."

"Not ten minutes back from the dead..." fretted Joe.

"There are bigger things at hand than zombie-Parker," she said.