Scars

                                    

                                          
Barry's POV. 
                          
After Barry had taken a beating from Atom Smasher he came back to STAR Labs and passed out onto the floor. 
                          
Barry woke up and didn't remember anything that happened after fighting Atom Smasher. He realized he was in a room. Barry jerked and felt a hand on his arm. "Your good. I got you." Joe's voice filled the room. Barry looked to his left side to find Joe sitting there. 
                          
Barry looked around and realized he was at STAR Labs. Embarrassment washed over Barry. "Where is everyone?" "I figured you wouldn't want an audience when you cane too." Barry looked up at the ceiling and scoffed. "Yeah, thanks." 
                          
"Iris is right. Your not gonna do this anymore." Barry looked over at Joe. "For the last six months I've let you have your space. Work all this out, come back to us, but today you just proved you'd rather get yourself killed." Joe said in disbelief. Barry scoffed and looked back at the ceiling. "It's better than getting my friends killed or hurting the people I care about." Barry said. 
                          
"You want me to tell you it wasn't you fault? I can't. It was. Guess what? You weren't the only person making decisions that day. All of the rest of us were there too. Eddie and Ronnie. They chose to help you stop Wells and stop that. . ." "Singularity." Barry said helping Joe. Joe continued. "Singularity thing. It's on all of us, Barry. So stop with the hogging all the blame and regret. We gotta live with it. Move on." Joe instructed. 
                          
A tear fell down Barry's cheek. "How can I move on? How can-I don't. . .without her I-"Barry tired to speak and fight through the on coming tears, but couldn't. Yet Joe understood every word. He shook his head. "I don't know, Barry." Barry stared at the ceiling and breathed a disgusted laughed. 
                          
"Take from a man who lost the only woman he was ever inlove with. You never heal. You can never just move on. When you loose them, you loose a piece of your heart as well. And you will never get it back, Barry. Ever." Barry closed his eyes. Joe's words hurt him, because they were all true. "Instead you will be left with a scar. And it will always be there. Some days you may feel like you can't go on. Like life's not worth living anymore, but you can't just stop living, Barry. You can't." 
                          
Tears streamed down Barry's face. For six months he had felt that way. Like his life was not worth living. For six months he had been alone. Without Ella he always felt alone. "You have a responsibility. To your city, to the people, to your friends, your family, and most importantly you have a responsibility to yourself." Barry looked at Joe. 
                          
"Barry, you were struck by that lighting. Now, I know Wells set the whole thing up. That he designed this plan to make you the Flash, but that doesn't change the reason why you run. Why you do what you do. You are the Flash, Barry. There's no changing that now. As soon as that lightning hit you and you put on that suit. . .you excepted the responsibility of that title." Joe told him. 
                          
Barry knew he was right. Joe sighed and shook his head. "You have to keep living, Barry. Never give up, never stop fighting, and never stop running." 
                          
Barry nodded. "What do I do now?" He asked. "Well, I've heard you've been. . .re-building Central City at night." Barry wiped his eyes. "But that's just bricks and paint. Maybe you should start re-building things that really matter." Joe told him. Barry nodded. He knew what he had to do. 
                          
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
                          
After he had healed Barry ran to Mercury Labs and found Caitlin looking at something under a a microscope. He leaned against the doorway and watched. He hadn't realized just how much he had truly missed his friend. He knocked lightly. Just then she turn around and saw him. She smiled. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "Sorry I should have called or something. I just. . .I wanted to see you." He told her walking in. "It's been a while." Caitlin said.