Jemma Simmons is a terrible liar (needanewplan) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-02-11 17:32:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, barry allen (the flash), iris west, jemma simmons |
Who: Barry Allen, Iris West, Jemma Simmons
What: Checking in on post-4 day coma Barry, taking samples
When: 11 January 2018, night
Where: Barry’s apartment
Warnings: Low
Status: Log | Complete
Barry had many plans for his day off. None of which had come to fruition. There was supposed to be food with Iris, than much netflix binging, and probably a movie theater experience. Instead it was nearing evening and he’d spent the entire day in bed. By the time she’d come around, he apologized and ended up not feeling well enough to even get out of bed.
Days past, and it was the same. The second day he didn’t even stir, the third more of the same, though he did respond briefly if Iris shook him hard enough. However he was still foggy, still exhausted. He didn’t realize what the concern was, and his eyes closed heavily again.
On the fourth night however there was a slight change. A flicker of red light touched his jawline, and that was when his eyes finally opened of their own accord. There was still exhaustion laced in them, but this time he felt like sitting up finally. He struggled to, but found it profoundly difficult.
He realized he wasn’t alone. There were two women in his room, and one of them had a needle. Where the hell was he? Speech wasn’t quite working yet, but his eyes were obviously startled. The light that touched his skin also touched his pupil where it faded as quickly as it came.
--
The second Barry had mentioned that he had dreamt of being in the coma for nine months, Iris had been worried. How could she not be? Especially as the day before that she had been told that Dream injuries could cross over. So while Barry had said he was just tired, Iris had felt there was something more to it. So she had gone to check on him. When he said he wasn’t feeling up to doing anything and that he didn’t feel well, she nodded and promised to bring by some of Grandma Esther’s chicken soup the next day. After all, it was that time of year when people got sick, there was always the chance that was all it was and not to deal with the Dreams.
But then she’d gone by the following day and gotten no response. And then the day after that. And here she was today. She’d already told her dad that Barry was sick and so he had told the sheriff that, but they’d need to get him a note. She also remembered that the scientist she met at the OCSD had commented on Barry’s post and so had contacted her. Even if Barry had shown some movement the previous day, Iris wanted answers.
She was only relieved that he wasn’t constantly flatlining like he’d been in the Dreams. Iris wouldn’t have been able to watch him die again.
As for Jemma? Well. The day Barry had posted, she had gone to his flat and gotten some initial readings even though he had been quite out of it. Nothing really out of the ordinary there, nor any signs of infection. That was good. She had meant to do some follow up with him in the following days, however there had been some issues at the lab with Nathanson and Bernard and then just paperwork in general. She hadn’t heard anything so figured it was a matter of no news is good news.
Then she had gotten the call from Iris and realized her mistake. No matter. Heading back to Barry’s flat, Jemma had packed her travel test kits and computer for analysis purposes and once let in by Iris, had set up and was preparing .
Which was when it seemed that Barry was coming to.
“Why look who’s decided to join us. Hello.”
Hearing Jemma’s comment, Iris looked over to Barry and let out a breath.
“Hey, Barry.”
--
Both women finally came into view a bit more clearly and he looked up at Iris in confusion. She was upset? What’d happened? “Mm hey.” He said groggily as he moved his arms to stretch and winced at the odd amount of soreness that’d caused. It felt like he’d been asleep for ten million years. “Ow.” He grimaced as he went to run a hand through messy dark hair.
“Where am I and why are you holding a needle?” He was confused. His brain had been inactive for quite some time so it was likely just normal, what he didn’t realize had happened was four days of pure sleep.
That wasn’t normal.
---
Well, he was responding more, so that was a good thing. Definitely more than he had when she’d been there before. So Iris just gave him a reassuring smile.
“You’re at home.”
“As for why I’m holding a needle? Well, you’ve been asleep for four days so I was going to take another sample to see if something’s changed since I was last here. You do remember that, don’t you? I’m not going to have to do the ‘who is the President’ test on you, will I?”
Because four days of sleep on top of dreaming about being in a coma for nine months. Jemma wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She just knew that something was off and if she could help then she wanted to do so.
--
“Uh...I don’t remember that, but unfortunately I do remember the current president. So no. I think I’m fine? Groggy...but fine.” He began to sit up even, glancing up at Irs. “You okay?” He remembered how freaked out she’d been recently by the dreams, and if she was dreaming the same thing-chances were she remembered the coma. It was probably a bit of a shock to her.
Barry ran a hand through messy hair but it really didn’t do much good. He was probably going to need a real comb for that mess That happened sometimes after sleeping and he’d slept for a long time.
The brunette managed to stretch an arm and sit at least half way up before the world went out of focus and he was forced to lie down again. “Okay maybe not getting up yet. Wait, shit. I should be at work right now?”
---
“I can work with that.” Given how out of it Barry had been at the start of the week, Jemma wasn’t entirely shocked that he didn’t remember her being there before. But he knew who the current head of state was, so that was a plus. Well. Not really given the tragic state of who had been elected by the Electoral College. At least in England the popular vote got it. “Groggy makes sense with how long you were unconscious.”
As for Iris? She nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine. You’re the one who wouldn’t wake up.” Yes, she’d already dreamt through the whole coma thing. But as his heart hadn’t stopped or anything like that? She could handle the sleep thing. Especially given it was a much shorter time frame than it had been in the Dreams.
And then the comment about work, “I told dad you were sick and he covered for you.”
Jemma meanwhile waited until Barry was laying down again before she prepped him and drew blood, while answering.
“I’ll write you a note to cover your absence.” The OCSD didn’t need to know she wasn’t technically a GP and her doctorates were more in research and biochemistry. It would still have weight. Blood drawn, she moved back to the computer to put the samples through as Iris went to sit next to Barry on the bed.
---
“How long was I out?” Barry had no idea, but the way his head felt it had to be a while. He was confused, but not abnormally so. He remembered his name, and he remembered Iris. It didn’t seem like there was any permanent damage done. When Jemma took the blood sample, Barry didn’t even flinch. When it came to pain he had a high threshold at least. Who knew that would come in handy later on down the line.
Needles weren’t scary, what was scary was the potential of not seeing Iris again. But there she was, sitting beside him. His hand touched hers and he sat up a little better finally. “I’m okay. Killer headache, but still here.” He gave her hand a little squeeze as he rubbed some sleep from his eyes and glanced over at the scientist with the blood drawing kit.
“I’m more in disbelief that she has a portable blood testing kit in her purse.” What kind of woman was this?
---
Iris was definitely relieved that Barry had woken up, and only after a few days as opposed to months. Because really, not going through that again would be great. Stupid fights in Dreams that were bound to be cleared up? That was one thing. Barry in a coma? Not so much.
“Like Doctor Simmons said, four days.” She didn’t think much of the question given the fact that Barry had just woken up, it wasn’t exactly odd to miss questions and the like. Still, Barry talking and seeming more aware and coherent than he had before was enough to make Iris feel better.
“You have your hobbies, I have mine.” The comment was said with a slight smirk as she looked over to the two, “Though to be fair I did know I was doing a house call and decided to be prepared.”
And then she noticed the readings. Which were...definitely odd and not the same as they had been the first day she had shown up. It wasn’t Inhuman or the X-gene or any of the alien biology she had studied in the Dreams, it was… in flux? Or she needed to recalibrate the computer but even that she knew was more rationalizing than anything.
---
“...She said that already? ” He must have been pretty out of it. It caused him to glance over at Iris with a bit of a frown. His body was starting to listen to him again, that was promising. Rather than before when it had outright refused anyway. Barry was able to sit up and talk. No coma. He was pretty sure Iris dreamt of that part if they were already in dreams together and she was having them too. Of course he worried about her, him being the unconscious one or not. That’s what friends did.
Now they were dream friends?...What did it mean? Did it mean anything? He remembered crushing hard on her before he moved in with the Wests after his life crumbled, but that had been put on hold considering everything that’d happened. Now they were back together and he was dreaming of her. Vividly. So much so that he shook his head a little to clear it and glanced over at Jemma and gave her a smirk at her comment about the hobbies,but it faded the longer he watched her. That look on her face wasn’t exactly comforting the way she was watching that computer. “Something wrong?” The way she was squinting at the machine made him worry.
---
Iris nodded but given Jemma hadn’t seemed too worried when he had asked how long he’d been out, she was just going to go with the idea that it wasn’t that big a deal that he’d missed it in the haze of waking up. Goodness knew Iris missed things her dad said after waking up before she had her coffee so it was what it was.
While Barry might not understand what it meant for them to be friends in the Dreams as well, to Iris it made all the sense in the world. She had even told someone that it would just be wrong if she and Barry weren’t friends in them. So she didn’t put too much thought into it. Yes she had worried after she dreamt of him in the coma and then the frustrating emotional crossover because of the fight. But she wasn’t going to worry about it.
Until she noticed Jemma’s expression and Barry’s question.
“Hmm?” Realizing she had two people looking at her, Jemma brushed some hair aside. “I don’t believe so… it may just be the computer acting up, sensitive equipment and all. Luckily when I put the sample in, it also got sent to my lab.” So she’d be able to double check. Even though she knew it wasn’t the computer but she would rather have all the answers before saying anything.
With the current state of results being confusing and having no other tests to run at the moment, the biochemist nodded to Iris.
“I’ll get out of your hair then. Please don’t hesitate to to call me if anything changes.”
As for Iris? She was paying attention to what was going on and still worried but unless told otherwise, she was going to assume that Barry and Jemma would let her know if something were wrong. So she would accept (currently) what Jemma said.
“Of course. Thank you again for coming over.”
With her things packed, Jemma smiled and nodded then said her goodbyes before leaving as Iris turned her attention back to her best friend. It was fine. It was all going to be fine.
---