Chapter Text
Dinah woke up to her pup shaking her shoulder, his scent sharp and distressed. For a moment, she thought he must have had a nightmare, so she moved over to let him crawl in beside her. Instead, Roy pulled at her arm.
“Wake up.” He said, tugging on her again.
“What is it baby?” She asked.
“Wally’s really sick.” Roy told her.
“Sick how?’ Dinah asked, getting out of her nest.
“He threw up. He’s been at the door for a while and he threw up.” He said.
Dinah hurried around the room, wrapping her robe around her and putting her slippers on her feet. Roy followed her closely, likely to settle his own distress. Once she was ready, she followed Roy into the sitting room and to the door, where she did indeed find Wally.
The pup was leaning against the barrier, weakly pawing at it while he cried. Once she’d turned on the light, Dinah saw that he was sitting in a puddle of vomit and that his shirt was covered in it.
“Roy, go get your dad for me.” She instructed, her son hurrying to fetch the other adult.
Wally hadn’t acknowledged her at all, still fussing at the door and crying. He was still in his pajamas and it was clear that he had gotten out of bed to get to where he was.
“Hey honey.” She whispered, sitting in front of him. “What’s going on?”
“I want out.” He whined, “I just want out.”
“Oh puppy, I know you want out.” Dinah whispered.
Wally just dipped his head and kept crying, ignoring but not pulling away from Dinah when she put a hand on his shoulder. Soon enough, Ollie joined them in the sitting room, humming with sympathy when he saw the sorry state Wally was in.
“Do you wanna get him cleaned up while I get a mop?” He asked, wiping his eyes.
Dinah nodded at him gratefully, moving to the side to let him out into the hallway. Roy stayed to look at Wally for a second before his mom gestured for him to return to his nest. With the audience out of the room, Dinah scooted forward and reached out to the boy.
“Hey sweet boy, let's get you cleaned up and back into your nest.” She said.
Wally pawed at the barrier again but didn’t fight Dinah when she picked him up and brought him into the bathroom. The first thing she did was plug the drain and turn on the water, adding some eucalyptus and lavender bubble bath to it, hoping that something nice and relaxing would help him fall back to sleep. Once the bath was running she undressed the pup, tossing the soiled clothing into the hamper and helped him into the tub.
“You just relax baby, Auntie Dinah’s gonna take care of you.” She said with a smile.
The smell of the bubble bath was having its desired effect, both on the pup and Omega. Wally’s sobs turned to sniffles, which turned into the occasional whimper while Dinah washed the sweat, vomit, and tears from his small body, all while Dinah whispered sweet words and praise to him. Even once Wally was cleaned up, Dinah kept him in the warm water for a while, letting it work it’s magic to keep him down for the rest of the night.
Soon enough, Ollie slipped into the bathroom long enough to put a fresh pair of pajamas, a glass of water, and half of a gravel tablet to help settle Wally’s upset stomach. Personally, Dinah thought that the reason Wally had gotten sick was because he’d cried and gotten himself so worked up that his body had no other way to deal with it other than to make him sick. Still, gravel wasn’t something that would hurt Wally to take the tablet, and the water would definitely help him rehydrate.
“C’mon baby, let’s get you back to bed.” Dinah whispered.
Lifting Wally out of the tub was very easy, given that he was completely quiet and still in her arms. Drying him off properly wasn’t much of a challenge either, she just dried off his front and then leaned him against her shoulder to dry off his back. Dressing him was a little harder but doable once Wally picked up what was going on and moved enough to help her out. After he was dressed, she had him take the pill and drink some of the water Ollie had brought her.
“Alright you, it is very late.” She mumbled, “It’s time for little boys to be in their nests and asleep.”
Wally nodded against her and he even grabbed ahold of her robe when she lifted him up into her arms. She carried him into the living room and settled into an armchair with him on her lap, stroking his hair and rubbing his back.
“I know that I haven’t had the chance to know you for very long, but I care for you very much.” She whispered, “And I hate to see you so upset.”
Wally whimpered and nuzzled closer to her, tucking his nose against her neck.
“I don’t want to go to bed.” He said.
Sighing, Dinah nodded and moved to the sofa and laid down with Wally curled up into her side. She grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around them to keep them warm. If Wally really didn’t want to be in his nest, then she would stay on the couch with him, so long as he actually slept, then she could live with it.
It took a while to actually get him to sleep, spent mostly rubbing his back and holding him close. Ollie came out to check on her and see why she hadn’t come back to bed, when she explained why she was spending her night on the couch, her mate had grabbed an extra blanket and her pillow, then settled into the armchair to keep an eye on them. Eventually, Wally finally fell asleep for good, which gave Dinah a chance to fall asleep herself, hoping that the pup would sleep late into the morning to compensate for the lack of sleep he’d gotten already.
~~~
Wally didn’t sleep for long and he didn’t sleep often, the next few days proved that to everyone. It got to the point where Clark would come and spend the night with Wally on the couch so Dinah and Ollie could get a full night's rest. What made it worse was how the pup spent his days, sitting at the barrier and trying to get past it, even when he was told time and time again that he couldn’t.
He hadn’t eaten much since before Barry had gone into bond withdrawal, either poking it around on his plate or throwing it at Ollie or Clark in fits of anger. To save on cleaning up the mess and laundry, they had switched Wally to foods that weren’t saucy or wet, making his foods mostly dry cereal, precut fruits and veggies, cheese, and pepperettes. It was sad that his diet had become so limited but it was even worse to see him avoid it so fiercely.
A part of Dinah wondered if the sleep deprivation and food aversion was a sick form of rebellion or a way to force their hands into letting him go back to slamming on his dad's door. So far, she had been spared from Wally’s anger and food throwing, but she wasn’t sure if she would remain in his good graces for long. When he wasn’t sulking at the barrier, he was hiding himself away in the closet in Roy’s room, curled on his side with his face covered. It was depressing to see him looking so lifeless and unwilling to be comforted, even Roy couldn’t drag him out to play, the things they'd brought for him untouched.
Currently, Dinah was sitting beside the closet where Wally was hiding, Roy cuddled up in her arms. It was starting to get late and Dinah was hoping that tonight would be the night that Wally would sleep in the nest she had made for him, though that hope was waning with every passing minute.
“Wally honey, Roy and I are gonna read a little before bed.” She said gently, “Why don’t you come out and join us?”
Unsurprisingly, Wally didn’t say anything. He was still curled up on the floor of the closet, trying to completely ignore the two near him.
“You can pick one of the books I read.” She added, trying to sweeten the deal.
There was still nothing, there wasn’t even any noise of Wally moving in the closet. Knowing when she was beaten, Dinah sent Roy off to fetch the book he wanted her to read and settled herself on his bed.
~~~
The next day, Dinah decided she couldn’t just sit around and let a child mope until he passed out every single day. She got up early in the morning, got her slippers on and wrapped herself in her robe, then stepped out of the room to find Wally settled near the door again. Without hesitation, she scooped him up and said the phrase that would allow Wally to pass the barrier. Once they were out of the room, Wally perked up, looking more lifelike than he had in the past three days.
“Okay kiddo, I have a deal for you. You and I are gonna go for walks twice a day, we can walk by your dad’s room and you can whisper at the door. But you have to stop throwing food at Ollie and Clark.” She offered. “And you have to come back into our quarters
Wally looked at her quizzically, checking to see if she was lying to him at all. When he decided that she was telling the truth he nodded slowly.
“Can I walk?” He asked slowly.
“As long as you hold my hand and promise not to run off, then yes, you may.” She agreed, setting him on his feet and taking his hand.
For the first few steps of their walk, Wally was unsteady on his feet after three days of minimal physical activity. Once he reacquainted with the movement however, he started skipping and jumping a little, making up a game with Dinah where he had to jump from one spot on the carpet to another. It was amazing for Dinah to see and only solidified in her mind that she was doing the right thing for the pup Hal had entrusted her with.
When they neared the hallway where Barry’s room was, Dinah pulled Wally to the side and knelt down in front of him.
“Okay kiddo, you and I both know that your dad's room is close by, and I want to walk you by it, but you have to promise me that you aren’t gonna scream or yell.” She said.
“I promise.” Wally agreed seriously.
When Dinah raised an eyebrow at him, he reached out his pinky finger to her.
“Pinky promise.” He offered.
Smiling, Dinah accepted his pinky and shook it with her own, then gave him a kiss on the head. Standing up, she took his hand again and they walked down the hallway and stopped outside of Barry’s door. Wally stood up straighter and glued his eyes to the shut door, not even tearing his gaze away when Dinah stroked his hair and knelt down next to him again.
“How about we just whisper well wishes to your dad?” She asked, “We can tell him really quietly that we want him to get better soon.”
Wally nodded and sat down on the floor.
“I love you daddy.” He whispered as quietly as he could. “And I really, really miss you. I want you to get better so I can hug you again.”
Dinah rubbed his back, both to sooth him and encourage him while he whispered to his dad. For five minutes, Wally just whispered to the door how much he loved his dad and wanted him to get better. Once he’d run out of things to say, Dinah blew a kiss at the door and watched Wally copy her, then they both stood up and started their walk back to their rooms.
Now was the real test to see how serious Wally was about his promise. He had promised to go back into their rooms, but Dinah also knew that he’d promised to not go bother his dad again, only to run off at the first opportunity. Holding her breath, Dinah opened the door, waiting for the breakdown.
Instead, Wally stepped through the barrier without any fuss or complaints and waited patiently for Dinah to follow him. Overjoyed at the boy’s behaviour, Dinah celebrated with him by giving him a tight hug and a kiss on the head. It melted her heart when Wally returned the embrace, holding onto her robe gently.
When they broke apart, Dinah brought him over to the table and gave him a bowl of cheerios with strawberries and actual milk rather than dry. Immediately, Wally dug in and started eating his breakfast, barely chewing as he finally acknowledged his hunger. Dinah made herself a cup of coffee and sat beside him, keeping him company while he ate.
“We’ll go for another walk tonight, okay?” She said, “And we’ll make sure that we do that twice a day until you can go back to your dad.”
~~~
Meanwhile, within their bedroom, Hal was working on keeping Barry as comfortable as physically possible. His fever hadn’t fallen below one hundred and two degrees in three days and he couldn’t keep down anything they fed him except some water. The Omega had been skinny to begin with but he looked emaciated and on the brink of dying now. Because of how often he had vomited and had to have his clothes changed, Bruce, Alfred, and Hal had agreed to just leave him naked and covered in a thin sheet.
There wasn’t much of a reprieve from taking care of Barry, so they took shifts catching a quick nap on the cot in the corner. The rest of the time they were working on making sure Barry was on a good path to recovery and drinking sinful amounts of coffee, courtesy of the coffee machine Clark had brought up to them.
Hal had personally vowed to take the least amount of breaks so he didn’t have to leave Barry alone for too long. He wasn’t entirely sure if Barry knew where he was or who was with him, but it helped him keep sane through the whole thing. When he did have to sleep, he usually just took the chair beside Barry and held his hand through his nap so he’d know if the Omega needed him.
Fortunately, they were already more than halfway through the bond withdrawal, four days through the process and only three days left to go. Unfortunately, that meant that the worst was yet to come, with delirium and worse pain in his neck as the bond bled from his body. The itching had come into effect and to prevent him from scratching himself bloody, Alfred had wrapped his fingernails in scotch tape.
~~~
Barry’s fever finally broke four days later, at almost ten thirty at night. He was sweating and starting to become more aware of his surroundings, clinging to Hal’s hand while Alfred started cleaning him up and washing his wounds. The Omega was physically and mentally exhausted, he was in pain, his brain wasn’t functioning well, and he just wanted to sleep. Nonetheless, Barry didn’t have the energy to push Alfred away when he started cleaning his neck and legs, so he had no choice but to squeeze Hal’s hand through it all.
“It’s alright baby, just a little longer.” Hal soothed, kissing Barry’s hand gently.
Once he was cleaned up enough for Alfred's liking, Hal scooped him up out of the messy nest and carried him naked to the bathroom. The air was apparently too cold for Barry’s liking because he tried to reach for the blankets from Hal’s arms.
“No no Omega. Those are filthy and I want you cleaned up properly.” Hal said, moving away from the bed. “But Bruce is gonna make you a new nest with clean blankets, and then you can go right back to sleep.”
Sulking, Barry clung onto Hal while the Alpha drew a hot bath and wrapped his injuries in the green socks and bowtie again. Hal had to be very careful with him this time, he was too weak to hold his head up, so Hal was supporting it with his arm. It also seemed that no matter how gentle he tried to be, he couldn’t stop hurting the Omega, every place on his bony body was hurting.
“I know Bar, I’m so sorry.” He apologized after making the Omega flinch for the fifth time.
Barry just nodded and held onto his Alpha’s arm, tilting his face into the crook of Hal’s elbow where he was cradling his head. Alfred stopped into the bathroom to deposit a nightgown beside Hal and request to speak with the younger Alpha in private once he was through with taking care of Barry. If the Omega had heard, he just ignored it in favour of enjoying the warm water.
Hal frowned when he lifted the other man out of the water and he pouted, immediately trying to warm himself up once the warmth the bath was giving him was gone. Moving quickly, Hal dried him off and dressed him in the nightgown, scooping him back up and holding him close. Once he was being held, Barry wrapped his arms around Hal’s neck and curled himself up closer to Hal.
Slowly, Hal carried Barry back into the bedroom, where Bruce was putting the finishing touches on the nest. The bed was covered in fluffy pillows, soft blankets, and a few heating pads to make it warm for the other Omega. Looking to his packmate for the invitation, Hal started to settle his Omega into the clean nest, only for him to cling tighter.
“C’mon Barry, I just need to talk to Alfred and then I’ll be back to hold you.” He bargained.
Barry shook his head and tried to pull Hal into the nest with him, looking up at the Alpha with big, pleading eyes. It was a rare occasion for Barry to make eye contact of his own free will, but when he did it always made his heart swoon, the Omega had the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen. To calm him down, Hal let a purr rumble in his chest and ran his fingers through Barry’s hair, feeling his grip loosen on his neck.
“There we go love, you just get comfortable and I’ll be right back.” He whispered, laying Barry back against the pillows and kissing his head.
Reluctantly, Barry laid down and started getting himself situated among his nest, pushing things around and adjusting them to make them more to his liking. Bruce climbed into the nest with him and started helping him get situated and ready for sleeping in. While the two Omega’s nested, Hal stepped out with Alfred to speak privately.
“What’s going on Alfred?” He asked once the door was shut firmly behind him.
“I am extremely concerned about the state of your Omega.” Alfred said, getting straight to the point. “There are signs of infection in his legs, the infection in his neck is getting worse, and from the blood on the sheets, the injuries to his hole are getting worse.”
Biting his lip, Hal nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted Barry to be able to heal properly and then be able to scent with his pup again, but it seemed the universe had other plans.
“So what should we do?” He asked.
“Personally, I would call Dr. Cho to see if she would be willing to set up either here or at Omega Starks tower.” Alfred admitted, “His immune system is weak and I’m worried about the infection in his neck spreading to his spine and up to his brain. He needs medical intervention quickly.”
“I asked him about the surgery almost two weeks ago and he said no, but I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.” Hal said.
The older Alpha nodded and opened his mouth to say more when both of them noticed Dinah approaching, Wally sleeping in her arms.
“Hey!” She whispered, “I got a text from Bruce that Barry’s out of withdrawal and I figured that father and son should reunite as soon as possible.”
With that, she bounced Wally gently in her arms, making the pup whimper in his sleep and curl in closer to her. Hal felt some tension drain from his shoulders looking at the little boy, innocent and soft in Dinah's arms. No matter how stressed he’d been the past week, he’d always had Wally in his thoughts, knowing that Clark had made the decision to keep him sealed in Ollie and Dinah's suite for his own safety and for the sake of Barry’s recovery. He hated that the magical barrier had been used, but he respected his Head Alpha enough to know that it must have been very needed.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Hal agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the puppy. “Here, if you’ll give him to me, I’ll take him to Barry.”
Carefully, Dinah transferred Wally from her arms into Hals, stroking his hair and giving him a kiss on the forehead once he was settled with his Alpha. Right away, Hal could tell that Wally had lost weight, worrying him quite a bit.
“How was his week? I know he was a little difficult for you three.” Hal asked, accessing his pup.
“He… Struggled quite a bit. Toward the end he would eat more if I was there giving it to him, but he wasn’t really happy. I’ll admit, I got a little fed up with having to keep him locked up in three little rooms and I’d take him for a walk twice a day. Once we started doing that he got a lot better.” Dinah said, pursing her lips.
“Clark agreed to take him out for a walk?” Alfred asked.
“I didn’t really ask.” She admitted, “He needed the movement and if it got him eating I would have done anything.”
Nodding his appreciation, Hal embraced her with one arm, bid both Alfred and Dinah good night, and went back into his room. Barry had gotten comfortable in their nest and was dozing off while Bruce fussed with the blankets on the end of the bed. Once the Alpha was in the room, the other Omega hurried off back to his mate and pup, leaving the trio alone.
Getting straight to the matter at hand, Hal settled Wally against Barry’s side, wrapping the Omega’s arm around his pup. After that, he grabbed a pair of his own pajamas and headed into the bathroom to clean himself up. He took his time in the shower, washing his hair twice and leisurely shaved the beard that he’d been growing during the week. Once he was cleaned up, he tossed his filthy clothes into the hamper and changed into his clean pajamas, then headed into the bedroom.
Settling in on his side of the nest, Hal pulled Barry and Wally closer and laid a claiming and protective scent over them. Mentally, he was preparing for the conversation he’d have to have with Barry about the surgery tomorrow, as well as getting both the Omega and his pup on a heavier meal plan to push them up into a healthy weight. He was hoping that Barry would be more agreeable to the whole thing than he had been before, if only for the sake of getting him healthier quicker, but that would have to wait for tomorrow. Giving Barry a kiss on his forehead, Hal held him closer and quickly let sleep pull him under.
~~~
The next morning, Hal brought their breakfast up to their room so they could eat together in peace. He had put an extra portion of shake in Barry’s glass, hoping to get him eating more. He and Wally were eating pancakes with sausage and maple syrup, along with a side of fruit. The pup had kept to Barry’s side all morning after he had woken up beside him, followed by a joyous reunion between the pair, filled with lots of hugs and kisses and a few tears by both of them.
Hal knew that he was going to have to talk to Barry at some point about the surgery, but he didn’t want to do it before breakfast. Barry was slowly working his way through his mush, as though the weight of the spoon was too much for his body to handle. Hal didn’t rush him, he’d rather just let him eat at his own pace than make himself sick by eating too fast.
Once breakfast was finished, Hal sent Wally off to play with Roy in the living room, allowing him to have a private conversation with the Omega. Barry had pushed away his bowl, which was more than half full, but he had kept the shake within reach so he could keep sipping on it. Hal moved them to the rocking chair with Barry on his lap, tablet in hand so the conversation would go smoothly.
“Barry, I had a conversation with Alfred last night and we’re both worried about you.” He opened, “There’s infection in your legs, the damage in your breeding hole is getting worse, and the infection in your neck is spreading. Alfred is seriously concerned about the infection spreading to your spinal cord or brain.”
Barry dipped his head and played with the corner of his tablet, the eye contact he’d graced Hal with yesterday nowhere to be seen. Hal tried to comfort him, knowing he’d scared the Omega, so he held him closer and rocked him a little.
“Don’t worry though, because we can fix this.” He said, “I’ve talked to Stephen and he’s willing to call Dr. Cho to get the cradle set up so we can heal everything. We can have you in the Cradle and getting fixed up by tomorrow evening. I just want to know your opinion on it.”
Barry started typing on his tablet, head resting against Hal’s shoulder. The Omega had been shivering like he was freezing all morning and he suspected that a lot of it had to do with how skinny he was now.
“I don’t want a surgery Alpha.”
Hal felt his stomach twist at those mechanical words, he had certainly been hoping for a different answer.
“Barry, I want you to understand how serious this is. You are at serious risk of getting an infection in your brain because of how damaged your neck is. The surgery is basically risk free.” Hal said, “If you got the surgery, we could have your neck completely healed and you walking within four days.”
The perks didn’t sway Barry, who just hit repeat on his tablet and let the words ring out again. Hal sighed deeply and stroked his hair, letting the Omega snuggle close to leach his warmth from him. He didn’t know what else to say to him, it was clear that Barry had made up his mind and didn’t want to change it, despite the fact that it would be better for him to reconsider. It put Hal in between a rock and a hard place, because he wanted Barry to get healthier, but it was obvious that Barry wasn’t interested in the extreme measures needed to get there.
~~~
“I don’t know what to do, Clark, he doesn’t want the surgery but his injuries are getting worse.” Hal ranted, pacing around Clark’s office like a mad man.
The other Alpha was leaning against his desk, letting him get his emotions out in a safe place. Hal had left Wally and Barry snuggled together in the nest after breakfast, The Omega had wrapped himself and his son up in as many blankets as he physically could, till only his face was poking out of his cocoon.
Ollie had joined them in the office, sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey in his hand. His best friend had been the one to suggest that he talk it out among the Alphas of the pack, so they could all bounce ideas off each other.
“Have you told him that it’s minimally invasive for a surgery and really low risk?” Ollie asked.
“I have but he doesn’t care. I don’t know why he doesn’t want to get into the Cradle, but he won’t change his mind.” Hal answered, finally stilling.
“He doesn’t want to protect his brain from the infection?” Clark asked, “I know Alfred has talked with him about how much danger he’s in, does he just not care?”
“I have no idea, I don’t know if he’s scared or if he doesn’t trust me enough to get him healthy, but he doesn’t want to do it.”
Clark furrowed his brow, clearly concerned and thinking of answers.
“He could die.” Ollie said gravely. “If the infection reaches his spine and brain, his immune system won’t be able to fight it. He can barely fight it now when it’s just in his neck.”
“And he’s got a child.” Hal added.
“I wonder if that’s part of his fear. You get him put under and then take his kid away for good.” Ollie said.
Hal massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on from all the stress. He couldn’t figure out what to do, Barry didn’t want the surgery and he couldn’t convince him otherwise, and that was making him nervous.
“I hate to say this, but from a legal standpoint, you don’t need Barry’s consent to get him the surgery. As long as you have the papers to prove that he’s under your guardianship, the doctors can do the procedure.” Clark sighed, head down in defeat.
“Clark!” Ollie cried.
“Ollie, it’s either that or we all watch him die.” Clark countered, “And then we’ll have to try to find his son a new space to live and get him through the very preventable death of his father.”
Turning to Hal, Clark looked him in the eye.
“I understand that this is uncomfortable, and under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have even brought it up, but this isn’t a normal case. Barry is getting sicker and if we don’t do something then he’s going to die in front of his son. We need to remember that you aren’t just responsible for Barry’s wellbeing, but for Wally’s too, and he needs his dad.” Clark said.
Feeling numb, Hal stalked over to the couch and collapsed beside Ollie, head in his hands. The other Alpha put a hand on his shoulder and handed him the glass of whiskey, which Hal downed in a single gulp, savouring and embracing the burn on the way down. He was desperately wracking his brain for another option, knowing that Barry wasn’t going to like being ordered to do something, even if it was for his own good.
“He’ll hate me.” Hal muttered.
“He’ll get over it. But it’s better than watching him die and doing nothing.” Clark said.
“Have you ever forced your Omega into anything he didn’t want to do?” Hal asked.
“Not to this extent, but I have insisted that he get medical attention.” Clark admitted. “But this is different, because Bruce wasn’t dying during any of that.”
With a defeated sigh, Hal stood up and handed the tumbler back to Ollie. Sweeping a hand through his hair, Hal pulled out his phone and headed to the hallway.
“I’ll call Strange.” He said.
~~~
After the phone call, Hal went down to the gym to work off some steam, hitting the punching bags until his knuckles were bruised and cracked. He was dreading going up to tell Barry about the decision he had made, knowing that the reaction wasn’t going to be pretty. He had been instructed to only give Barry a light lunch and then nothing afterwards so he could have the surgery as soon as possible. Clark had agreed to lend him a car so he could drive to New York with Barry in the early morning, with the two set to leave at four o’clock the next morning.
Finally, after enough delays, Hal crept up to their bedroom and hurried into the bathroom to take a shower. Once he was finished, he dressed and splashed some cold water on his face, steeling himself. He was quick to send Wally down to the kitchen to get a snack so he could tell Barry what was happening, not wanting the pup to see the incoming breakdown.
“Barry, I know that you don’t want it, but I’m afraid that I’ve had to make a decision regarding your health. You and I are heading to New York early tomorrow to get you the surgery.” He said, watching the look of horror appear on his Omega’s face.
He spoke up again when Barry reached for his tablet, desperately trying to type something, either to beg or bargain his way out of the treatment.
“The plans are already in motion, Dr. Cho is on her way to set up the Cradle now. You have the rest of the day to snuggle with your pup before the surgery.” He said, “We leave at four o’clock tomorrow morning and we’ll be back in five days.”
Barry started crying and shaking his head, grabbing onto the hem of Hal’s shirt and looking up at his Alpha with tear-filled, pleading eyes. Hal took his hands and sat down next to him, wrapping his arms around the Omega as he spiralled into a panic attack, holding him to his chest and whispering to him until his breathing evened out.
“I know baby, I know you don’t want this, but I can’t just sit by and let you die.” He whispered, “I promise you, I am going to be with you in New York the entire time. And Wally will be perfectly safe staying with Oliver and Dinah again.”
Somehow, Barry started crying harder, alternating between trying to get away from Hal and pressing himself against him for the warmth. All the while Hal just rubbed his back and soothed him, letting the Omega cry himself into a light doze. When Wally got back, Hal got him settled in beside his dad with a quick kiss.
“Wally, I need to talk to you. Have you noticed how much pain your dad is in?” He asked.
“Yeah, he can’t even lift his arms above his head.” The pup stated.
“Okay. Well, I have called a doctor who can take that pain away from him entirely. He and I need to leave really early in the morning tomorrow to get there though, and I think it would really help your dad if you stay with him today to keep him calm.” Hal said.
“How long will he be gone?” Wally asked nervously.
“Less than five days, but when we come back, your dad will be able to walk and talk again.” Hal said.
“Will he be able to scent with me again?” Wally asked, perking up.
“I don’t know. I can talk to the doctors about it tomorrow and see what we can do.” Hal admitted. “But I can guarantee that he won’t be in any pain anymore.”
“What’s gonna happen to me?” Wally asked quietly. “Am I going with you?”
“I’m afraid not kiddo, Dinah and Ollie are going to take you again. But I’m gonna call Dinah twice everyday to talk to you so I can update you on how your dad’s doing.” Hal told him.
“Okay.” Wally muttered, snuggling closer to his dad. “But after this, I don’t wanna be away from dad anymore.”
“I know puppy, I’ll do my best to make sure you two stay together from now on.” Hal soothed.
Getting them both settled, Hal got up to start packing clothes for himself and Barry for the next five days. Barry would be asleep for the majority of it, and when he was awake his legs would be healed enough to wear pants of his own, so he had plans to get Barry his own clothes while in New York. What he packed for Barry was a few blankets that smelled like himself and Wally, some nightgowns, a simple skirt and blouse, and his toothbrush. Barry had turned away from him entirely and was clinging to his baby. The next day was going to be a strain on himself and his Omega, but hopefully, once he could walk and talk again, Barry would forgive him. That was his hope at least.