Seeing it on T.V. was one thing.

Seeing it in person was another.

It was on the front of all magazines, the talk of the news, for at least a week.

Is the Flash dead?

The Flash, demolished by Zoom?

Scarlet Speedster no more?

No one at the precinct will ever forget the way Zoom held Barry's body like a rag-doll over the railing. No one will forget the way Zoom ripped off Barry's mask and chucked him off the side of the railing.

No one knew what what happened after Zoom left the precinct. No one processed Joe screaming in a way a father does when their child is hurt.

No one realised they formed a circle around the shattered (literally) hero until they were there.

No one knew it was the CSI upstairs until a detective, Patty Spivot said something.

"Oh my god... Barry?!"

Upon hearing this, the officer's immediate reaction was to check to see if she was right. Not that that's the correct reaction, but they're human. They couldn't help it.

It was hard to tell if she was right with all the blood on his face, but looking closer, they all realized Detective Spivot was right.

Barry Allen was the Flash.

The next reaction was to get help.

One of their own was hurt, officer or not, and they needed to do something.

Joe was already a step ahead of them. He was on the phone with someone names Caitlin, whilst trying to get Barry to wake up.

The fear in Joe's eyes was hard to look at when two people from S.T.A.R. Labs rushed in and took Barry.

Joe felt like he was going to pass out. His only son was just lying on the floor, unresponsive, barely breathing, pulse feeling slow - even for Barry.

Captain Singh went over and put a hand on Joe's shoulder. He could deal with the fact that his best CSI was not only a Metahuman, but a superhero later. Right now, Detective West needed him.

Patty was staring at where her boyfriend just was a minute ago. Or, where his blood was spread on the tiles, marking where Barry just was not five minutes ago.

Her boyfriend was the flash.

How did she not see this before?

That's why he had to cancel all these dates. That's what all the "science things" really were. That's why he always acted so weird. Because he was off saving someone's life.

She just wished he trusted her enough to tell her this huge secret.

At the CCPN, Iris practically fell back into her chair. Seeing her best friend like that, like a lifeless body, a rag-doll, had taken a toll on her. What if he was dead now?

She got a call from Joe not five minutes later telling her to meet him at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Iris got there faster than the flash could.

His back is broken.

Those words brought grief and tension to the room.

Not to mention the amount of broken ribs he has, how many fractures he has in his arms and legs, the fact that both his ankle and wrist is completely shattered. Not to mention he has a neck fracture.

Barry was unconscious when they cleaned the dried blood off of him. Barry was unconscious when they reset his bones. Barry was unconscious when they put him in a neck brace.

Barry was out for the next 3 days. No movement, no spike in brain activity.

The precinct has never been so quiet. The only time it's come close was the 9 months Barry was in a coma.

It was a very uncomfortable silence.

When Barry woke up, word got back to the precinct that Barry couldn't walk, that his back was broken. That he wouldn't be returning to work for a few weeks.

In all honesty, Barry was scared to go back to work. Everyone knew his secret now. They would shun him, for sure.

What he wasn't expecting was the mini welcome back party the precinct through. No one brought up the fact that he was a metahuman the week of his return.

Captain Singh offered him as much time off as he needed, whenever he did, which Barry was grateful for. You never knew true pain until you go to work hiding a broken wrist. Healing, yes, but nonetheless.

Things may never be the same for anyone at the CCPD, but Barry never felt more at home at the precinct than he did after that week.