Barry stood idly by as Caitlin and Julian both worked frantically to address Y/N's injuries, the fear that Barry felt grew more and more by the second.
"They said that she-"
"We know, we heard everything," Julian said cutting Barry off. Julian was quick to remove her jacket, the bruising across Y/N's chest was prominent against her skin. "She has at least two or three broken ribs in the fifth intercostal space," Julian told Caitlin. "As well as a tibial break in the left leg."
"She took a hard impact," Caitlin replied.
"You think?" Y/N groaned as Caitlin and Julian continued to exam her injuries, pushing in places that hurt more than words could even begin to describe.
"I think we should get a spinal scan. If I'm right, this isn't a dislocation, but rather a build-up of spinal fluid around the base of Y/N's spine, the swelling is causing the pain and the paralysis in the legs. I also suspect that it is causing a disruption in the blood flow from her spine to her legs, if we don't move quickly and restore blood flow, she may never use her legs again," Julian explained.
Minutes later Barry stood by Y/N's side, still holding her hand, his knuckles were white from her squeezing them, though Barry found the squeezing justified, so he didn't say anything.
Julian came back into the room with a grim look on his face, "Well," he started. "You don't have a dislocation of T10 through T12, rather like I thought earlier, you have a build-up of spinal fluid around the base of your spine."
"Okay," Y/N replied, "What are you going to do about it?" she asked.
"We think that a spinal tap should work, it should drain the excess spinal fluid and relieve the pain and symptoms of paralysis quite well," Caitlin explained.
"Okay, then just knock me out and get on with it," Y/N groaned.
"That's the thing," Julian said. "Caitlin and I need you to be awake during the procedure, we need to know if we hit the right spot with the tap, if we do then you should feel an immediate relief of pressure and pain, but you do need to be awake," he explained.
"You want me to be awake while you insert and 18-gauge needle into my spine?" Y/N asked as she continued to wince in pain.
"Yes," Julian replied timidly. "If we insert the needle into the wrong place you will not feel a relief in pressure, instead we risk damaging your spinal cord further and risking total paralysis from the waist down," he explained.
"Okay this just sounds crazy," Barry intervened.
"Just do it," Y/N practically shouted.
"Y/N," Barry said pulling her eyes back to his own, "Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"Eliza has already taken so much from us, I'm not going to let her take my being The Flash along with it."
Barry nodded, Y/N squeezed his hand a little harder as Julian turned her on her side and began prepping the area. Y/N breathing became fast and heavy as she laid her head down in Barry's arms, Barry laid his head next to her, gripping both of her hands in his own.
"Look at me," Barry said looking into her eyes, all he saw was panic, fear, and pain. "Look at me," he repeated.
Y/N cried out in pain as Julian inserted the needle into her spine, tears fell down her cheeks as he continued to push further and further until...relief, Y/N felt an immediate relief of pressure, the pain not near as severe as before, her breathing slowed.
"Please tell me it's over," Y/N panted as Julian stopped moving the needle. Barry looked up slightly at Julian, he gave him a simple nod. Letting Barry know that the worst was now over.
"Yeah," Barry nodded, "It's over," he said as he gently stroked her hair, whispering comforting things in her ear.
"You did good Y/N," Julian said rubbing her shoulder, "Most people could not have done what you just did."
"I'm not exactly most people," Y/N replied, forcing a laugh and faking a smile as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
"Are you still in pain, you should have felt some sort of relief," Julian said sounding concerned, he was sure that the spinal tap would work.
"Don't worry," Y/N said, "Your spinal tap worked. The pain is not as bad as it was before, but keep in mind that I still have an 18-gauge needle in my spine, at least two broken ribs, a tibial break in my left leg, and I just got thrown into a brick wall," Y/N groaned. Barry continued to hold her hands, his head still laid next to her own, her tear stained cheeks were evident. He gently brushed her hair out of her face in an attempt to comfort her. "Thank you," she said making eye contact with him.
"For what?" Barry asked.
"For being here when I needed you most, for letting me squeeze your hand half to death, just thank you," she said still forcing a smile.
Barry smiled, "You don't ever have to thank me, I chose to do this, I love you," he said squeezing her hand back.
"I love you too," she replied.
--
"And that should do it," Caitlin as she finished bandaging Y/N's back where Julian did the spinal tap, and also wrapping her ribs which would heal within the next few hours, Julian had set her leg in a brace earlier.
"So, she's good to go home?" Barry asked.
"No," Y/N said shaking her head, "Because if you take me home then that also means that will spend the rest of the day with me, you said earlier that you have that super important meeting with Captain Singh today, you are not going to miss it because of me," Y/N explained.
"Y/N, I could care less about some meeting, you are more important than that to me," he said cupping her cheek in his palm.
Y/N sighed, "Barry, sometimes you need to be Barry Allen, not my husband, not The Flash, sometimes you just need to be you, and you are a forensic scientist with a very important meeting in two hours," Y/N said while squeezing his hand reassuringly.
"I'll leave you two to discuss this," Caitlin said as she walked out of the med bay and back into the Cortex to talk with Cisco and Julian.
"Y/N it's fine, really. I'm okay with missing a meeting," Barry said as he tried to persuade her.
"Yeah, you might be, but I'm not. I'll go with you to CCPD but you are going to that meeting," Y/N replied.
Barry smirked, "What would I do without you?" he chuckled.
"I don't know, you'd be so lost without me," Y/N said with a smile.
Barry shook his head as he leaned in to kiss her.