While She Was Gone {DISCONTINUED}

Answers

Four hours have passed and Caitlin hasn't made a sound since she fell into unconsciousness. Barry and Cisco haven't left her side, both worried about their best friend. They both jumped when they heard Caitlin groan.

"Guys she's waking up!" Cisco yelled a bit too loudly, and motioned for everyone to come into the medbay.

"Ugh, why are you so loud Cisco?" Caitlin replied hoarsely. "Wait, what happened? Why am I in the medbay?"

"You collapsed screaming in pain Cait, then passed out, I brought you to the medbay and we took an ultrasound.." Barry's voice trailed off, "Cait you are covered in bruises and cuts, you need to tell us what's going on with you. And don't say nothing. I know something's up."

Caitlin sits up, ignoring the obvious protest from Barry and avoids eye contact with everyone as she stares at the floor, "I can't."

"You can't? You can't what Snow?" questioned a puzzled Harry.

"I can't talk about it" Caitlin responds quietly.

Barry seemingly getting angry responds "Well you need to Cait! You are in so much pain, and you won't tell anyone!"

"Because I'm scared Barry! I don't want to die!" looking up at him with tears welling in her eyes. "I don't want to die." she whispered.

"What do you mean you don't want to die? Cait I will always protect you, we will always protect you. No matter what. So Cait you need to tell us so we can protect you." Barry stated matter-of-factually.

"Fine. I will tell you but none of you can get involved, or tell anyone else about it. My life depends on it, okay? " she said with a seriousness that no one had ever seen from her before.

Everyone agreed to Caitlin's terms and she began explaining.

"When I joined Amnunet she gave me an injection, she said it was to keep me from getting addicted to all the drugs I was running..."

Iris interrupted her "You ran drugs? God Caitlin, what happen to you that you had to run drugs. How low will you go?" obviously still angry at Caitlin for betraying the team to work with Savitar last year.

"Iris we asked her to tell us what happened, we can't judge her or the decisions she's made." Barry scolded "It's okay Cait keep going."

She finally made made eye contact and smiled at Barry, "So the injection did prevent me from getting addicted, but it apparently also had some type of tech in it that attached to my blood. Amnunet has some type of controller that she can shock me at any time she wants and she can control how powerful the shock is. I've tried to disable it without alerting her that I'm messing with it, but I haven't had any luck."

"Well that's explains you collapsing, but why do you have so many bruises and cuts on your abdomen?" Harry asked.

Caitlin looked down in shame and was quiet for a moment, then said "A few days ago I went to go meet Amnunet in The Warehouse. It's just a warehouse that she has turned into a Metahuman fight club, nothing fancy. Anyways in the club you can choose whether you fight with or without powers, long story short someone challenged me to a fight, without powers, and I got my ass kicked. Rules of the club are that you fight to the death but Amnunet stopped the fight before I bled out and let me live. Then I-"

"You came back to S.T.A.R Labs to patch your self up" Barry said completing her sentence.

Caitlin looked up at him in confusion, "Yes, how did you know that?"

"Cisco and I found a bloody bandage in the medbay after we came back from Big Belly Burger."

"And that's why you were acting so weird when you said you had to leave. You were going to meet Amnunet! And you didn't fall and cut your lip it was from the fight!" Cisco exclaimed "God it's all coming together. In the worst way possible!"

Everyone chuckled at that comment, even Caitlin. She glanced at her watch. "So are there any other questions because I have to go to work." Caitlin said while picking up her purse and getting up from the gurney in the medbay."

Barry grabs her arm startling her, "No Cait what are you doing? You can't go back and work for her! What if one night you need help and I don't know where you are to help you?"

The Cortex was silent. No one knew how strongly Barry felt about Caitlin, and apparently Caitlin didn't either according to the look of shock written on her face.

"Barry I appreciate your concern but I have to go back, at least until I figure out how to disable the tech in my blood." Caitlin explained

"We." Barry said angrily.

"What?"

"You said I. You are not just by yourself Caitlin. I'm here for you. We're all here for you." he said while gesturing to everyone in the Cortex.

"Thank you Barry."  Caitlin stated as she left. Leaving those in the Cortex in shock, still processing everything Caitlin had just explained.

Do you like the direction the story is going? Vote and comment for more updates! -Pip