Rocky Raymond //Book Two//COMPLETED

Chapter 17- Gorilla Warfare

MacKenzie's POV

Caitlin, Cisco, Iris and I watch Barry try to walk. Joe helps Barry walk with a cane.

"All right, I got you." Joe says.

Then, Joe lets go of Barry and he walks by himself for a few steps and then he hunches over.

"I can't do it right now, all right?" Barry says, sitting back in Wells' wheelchair with Joe's help.

"Oh, yes you can, Barry." Joe says.

"No, no, no." Barry says.

"We've been making so much progress." Joe says.

"Yep, six whole steps. Someone get me a Bozo button." Barry says.

"Hey, give yourself some credit. You just broke your back." Cisco says.

"Yeah, a normal person would've been paralyzed the rest of his life." Iris says from next to me.

"How long until I'm fully healed?" Barry asks.

"The initial MRI I took a week ago showed a complete dislocation at the T12-L1 interspace of the thoracolumbar junction." Caitlin says, putting the MRI to the screen. "But this is the MRI I took this morning. It's remarkable, but you're almost completely healed."

"I'm still having trouble breathing." Barry says.

"That's totally normal with a spinal injury. It should clear up soon." Caitlin tells him.

"We're going to get you back in that suit, Barry. Real quick, trust me." Joe tells Barry ask he looks at his suit.

"What are we gonna do about Zoom?" Barry asks.

"No sign of him since Cisco nailed him with that tranq dart." Joe says.

"And I haven't vibed since then." Cisco says.

"Maybe Zoom's not coming back." Iris suggests.

"I highly doubt that." Harry says, walking into the room. "Which is why I'm gonna go do something about it."

"What do you mean, go do something about it?" Caitlin asks him.

"I need access to your breach room and your speed cannon." Harry says, shouldering his backpack.

"Why is that?" Barry asks.

"Because, Barry, it's time to go home." Harry says.

"So, you show up on our Earth, you screw everything up, and now you want to go home? Sounds very familiar." Joe says.

"Again, that wasn't me." Harry says. "I need to go take care of Zoom once and for all before anyone else gets killed."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Barry asks.

"I'll think of something. Ramon, if you'll escort me to the speed cannon." Harry says.

"No, no, you can't go through the breach." Caitlin says.

"Yeah, he can. Jay taught us how to send people." Cisco says.

"That's not what I mean." Caitlin says. "Look, if you can figure out how to stop Zoom on your Earth, you can figure out how to do it here. We need you to stay here until we defeat Zoom, Dr. Wells."

"What I need, Dr. Snow, is to return home." Harry says. "And I'm going to that with or without your assistance." He leaves the cortex.

"What are you doing?" Cisco asks Caitlin. "If Harry wants to go...bye."

"Look, like it or not, Cisco, we need his help." Caitlin says.

"I'm not sure another plan from Wells is what we need." Joe says.

"Yeah, I mean, the last bright idea he had nearly got Barry killed." Iris says.

"I know, but Jay's gone, and Dr. Wells knows Zoom better than anyone, so until Barry is back on his feet again, we need to keep Wells around in case Zoom returns." Caitlin says.

"Caitlin, if he doesn't want to be here, then we're better off without him." Barry says. "Let him go."

"I can't do that. Not yet." Caitlin says.

An alarm goes off and Cisco runs over to the computer.

"Oh, snap, meta-human attack." Cisco says. "Nope, nope, my bad, that is just an alert for me."

"For what?" Iris asks.

"Oh, it's just a reminder. I have a date in an hour, so..." Cisco says.

"Oh, with who?" Iris asks.

"With the lovely Kendra Saunders, the barista at Jitters. Oh, she makes a mean latte." Cisco says. "I think we're gonna go out for dinner and a movie, and then, I don't know, maybe some breakfast." Joe laughs.

"Wait, breakfast? Why breakfast?" Barry asks. "I don't..."

"Yeah..." Iris says.

"Cause, you know, you go home..." Cisco tries.

"Cisco. He's messing with you." Joe says.

"Go." Barry says and Cisco leaves. Barry's phone buzzes in his pocket.

"Patty." Barry says and he wheel away into a different room.

"Well, see ya later." I say and I crawl through the vent.

***

Nothing was really happening the rest of the day. Cisco went on his date, Caitlin went to go talk to Dr. Wells, so I'm skipping to the next day.

Iris, Joe and I are behind the glass watching Barry walk on the treadmill. I sit on the desk facing towards Barry.

"Faster, Barry!" Joe says and Barry speeds up to a jog. "There you go. Push yourself!" Barry runs a little faster and then he falls, getting thrown back.

"Barry!" Iris exclaims. I jump off the desk quickly and we all run over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, you know, I'm not great right now." Barry says, holding his back and walking back up to the treadmill.

"What happened?" Joe asks.

"It's nothing. I'm good, all right? Just forget it." Barry says.

"Barry..." I say.

"Talk to us. We can help you." Iris says.

"No, you can't help me. Not this time. I'm sorry. You just... you wouldn't understand." Barry says.

Barry sits down on the treadmill and Joe looks at him and then at us.

"Um, come on, Mack." Iris says. "Let's leave them alone for a little." She grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room and we watch from behind the glass again.

Joe sits down next to Barry.

"What up, Barry?" Joe asks.

"Zoom destroyed me." Barry says. "He showed everyone in Central City what he can do and that I'm powerless to stop him. They gave me a key to this city, Joe. I'm supposed to be their hero. I'm supposed to be the guy that can protect them from something as evil as that, and I failed in front of all of them." He stands up. "When they think of The Flash, all they see now is someone not strong enough to protect them."

Barry grabs his cane and walks out.

"Barry..." I whisper after hearing how defeated he sounds.

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Hope you guys liked that chapter. Vote and comment. Next chapter up TUESDAY

-MC