Tough Love

There had been many times after a blowout of her power, that Reyna would snap awake, startled and frightened. Unsure of how much time had passed or of what might have happened. This wasn't one of those times.

Reyna woke up slowly with a heavy groggy feeling that was holding down her eyes. That same feeling also seemed to be holding down her entire body from moving. So instead she laid perfectly still, not yet awake, but not deep enough to dream.

As more time passed, more things became familiar. There was a rhythmic beeping next to her ear, and the warm smell of a heater kicking on and off. Both were enough to keep her mind busy while she tried to think of where she was. The room she was in began to take shape, as her eyes cracked open, and her body still unable to move.

The blinds in the room had been closed, but the daylight that could reach the room was weak. Her mind began to slowly turn on, as she assumed it must be night or dusk. The tips of her toes and fingers were cold, and the heater finally kicked off as she took a deeper, fuller breath.

The heart monitor next to her bed picked up some, and the louder it became the more it drew her attention. Reyna had finally managed to open her eyes almost completely. She still blinked slowly and for a few moments, thought she was going to go back to sleep.

That's when the nightmare started.

Reyna's heart rate picked up even further, accelerating from a steady slow rise and fall to an astonishingly fast pace. Her breathing becoming quick and irregular, and she couldn't help but fidget in her bed, remembering what had happened.

Cisco had died.

There was blood everywhere.. All of over her hands and clothes, some had even gotten into her eyes. She tried to focus her energy to bring him back, to heal what Wells had destroyed, but she wasn't having any luck. The light slowly faded from his eyes, as the open hole in his chest continued to pump pints of blood all over her and onto the floor.

It was too much; she wasn't going to be able to save him.

Reyna's eyes filled with tears as they poured down her face, her mouth mumbling on and on incoherently, as her mind refused to believe what was happening.

Reyna's body threw itself off the hospital bed at Central City General, her knees buckling for a moment, as she pulled the IV from her arm and yanked any wires from her body.

" Woah-woah-woah, hey. "

A soft voice rang from behind her, as someone tried to grab her arm. Reyna instinctively pushed the nurse off, still using the hospital bed to crutch herself up.

Another nurse entered the room, insisting that she calm down and get back into bed, but Reyna pushed her away, frantically trying to look around the room for something to cover herself up with. She had to leave the hospital to find him, and the hospital gown she was in would leave her frostbitten in minutes.

Both nurses grabbed her again and Reyna became more delirious, frantically swatting them away as her mind began to spin.

She'd let him die.

" I let him die."

Reyna's voice was hoarse from not using it for a few days, her uneven breathing and lack of strength were adding to her anxiety attack, as she refused to listen. She held onto the hard plastic support of the bed, fighting back tears, unsure of where she was or how she had gotten there.

" Who, Reyna? "

Reyna's lips pursed together as her jaw trembled, she couldn't even say his name.

" Reyna, who? "

The voice pushed again, putting two reassuring hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

" Cisco."

The Nurse in front of her bed looked at the man standing behind Reyna, confused, before saying that she'd be back in a minute to give them some space.

Reyna didn't move for a few moments, not knowing what was real or what was a dream.

" Reyna, I'm fine.. "

The voice from behind her became more familiar, as Reyna realized it wasn't a nurse earlier, who had been next to her when she woke up.

She turned slowly, unsure if her mind was playing a cryptic trick on her, or if he was unscathed by Harrison Wells's attack.

Cisco stood behind her, in a red zip-up hoodie and some jeans. Reyna didn't move at first, her mind needed a moment to process everything.

His shoulder length black hair was a mess, and he had stubble on his face. She took in his features before her heart caught up with her brain and she threw herself from the Hospital bed and over to him.

" Hey-hey, everything's okay, alright.. I'm okay. "

Cisco's voice reassured her that everything was okay, but she didn't move, not convinced that her lucid nightmare was over.

Cisco had both arms under hers, as Reyna tightly clutched his neck and buried her face into his chest.

" But.."

Her voice cracked as she pulled away, trying to wipe any tears she had on her face, ashamed that she looked like a drama queen.

Without notice she pulled up his sweatshirt and the shirt under it, needing further proof that he was alive. The only thing that might give hint that he'd been impaled, was a small, white, star-shaped scar on the front of his stomach.

Reyna had finally gotten her legs back, and let go of his shirt before turning to wipe her face a clear her throat.

" What.." Reyna paused, composing herself before finishing her question, " Happened? "

Cisco had her sit back down onto the bed to relax before he started talking to her. She had remembered almost passing out, and then Barry came..

" He tried to jumpstart my heart, I guess after you healed me, my heart wouldn't start beating.. So he tried to jump me and accidentally shocked you too. "

Reyna didn't make eye contact with him. Instead, she zoned out, facing the far corner of the room.

" Barry's okay? "

Reyna's response to Cisco's answer caused him to laugh, which startled her.

He immediately stopped, still smiling, and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

" How about you're okay. "

Cisco tried to change the mood of the room to a positive note, highlighting that at least she was alive.

" And Wells? "

Cisco laughed again, but this time it was much quieter.

" Arrow got him, Barry finished him off, but we have him back at Star Labs. "

Reyna became silent again, taking in all of the information, before asking another question.

" Um.. how many.."

" Three days.."

Cisco answered her question before she had a chance to ask him.

The nurse from earlier knocked before entering, she checked Reyna's blood pressure and told her she was still a little dehydrated. She informed Reyna that she could be released in the morning if she'd like, but that they wanted to keep her the rest of the night to be safe.

" I'm going to be fine. "

Reyna's cold, blatant voice shot at the Nurse like an icicle.

" You do have a habit of healing, very quickly. "

Cisco's sarcastic tone made Reyna smile, as she tilted her head to face the nurse.

" Lot's of vitamin C. "

Reyna egged on the nurse with Cisco, and within the minute she was gone, not in the mood for their giggling or inside jokes.

" Did you go home? "

Reyna spoke to Cisco, scanning her bed for a blanket, before finally trying to cover herself up.

" A little. "

Reyna shot him a disgusted look and he returned the favor, but he was much more pleasant.

" There you are. "

Reyna pulled the blanket over her head and laid down smiling.

She was so happy he was alive.

Cisco had left the room when she fell back asleep. Her body was too exhausted to push through another long night, and with the relief of Cisco being alive now fresh in her mind, she was sure the nightmare would stop.

For the night it was gone, but the moments leading up to his death were forever burned into the back of her mind.

She'd woken up to a sensation that felt warm and familiar. At some point during the night, instead of going home, or handing off 'Reyna' duty, to someone else, Cisco had come back into the room. But instead of sitting uncomfortably in a chair or sleeping in the neighboring bed, he had somehow managed to fit into the same bed as her.

She wanted to wake him up and ask why, or what had prompted him to choose to lay next to her. But she wouldn't dare wake him.

Reyna's forehead rested against Cisco's warm chest, her heavy eyes trying to stay open, determined to take this moment in for as long as she could.

She could feel his chest slowly rise and fall, time after time. His clothes smelled like cold air and fresh laundry, and Reyna couldn't remember what she had done to deserve something so intimate and close like this.

She wouldn't speak or move, wanting to enjoy this for as long as she could, before falling asleep next to him. Knowing that this moment she shared with him was better than any dream she could possibly have.