Bernadette remained in a deep sleep, she tried her hardest to wake up but couldn't. The memory sat in the back of her mind. She had been here before, had this feeling before, but she couldn't bring it to the forefront. She couldn't bring anything to the forefront, it felt like she was lost in a black void only hearing the vague echoes of thoughts and memories. Thawne killing Hal, Thawne standing in the puddle of blood from the innocent people he murdered while she watched Iris engulfed by the explosion. Oh no. Iris. She was gone. What after? The Speed Force. Barry tried to fix it but she... Wasn't Barry anymore. Thawne had followed her and done something. But as soon as the thoughts hit, they faded back into the mist and Bernadette was once again adrift in the voice but then a voice.
"If you can hear me," That was Iris's voice. "I'm sorry for not visiting. It just-" and it faded again, Bernadette tried to focus on it. Iris, Barry's lightning rod. The thing that brought him back from the edge of oblivion more times than he could remember. Did he still save her? Bernadette fought through the emptiness, Iris's sobs coming clear. It was like Bernadette felt her feet touch the ground and she began to run, with each step her consciousness returning to her, everything becoming clearer. She wasn't Barry Allen, but she still knew Iris, Iris still cared for her. Were they friends? Bernadette remembered where she'd felt this semi-conscious emptiness before, when Barry Allen went into a coma after his accident. That was it. She'd been struck by lightning. Thawne set it up. But why would he let her get her powers again? She wasn't supposed to remember the previous timeline, that's what Thawne said, the memory would set. She had to reach Iris before that happened.
She opened her eyes, it was blinding, the light. There it was, the face she had fallen in love with, Iris West, reporter for Central City Picture News, as beautiful as the day they met. Wearing the years since they'd met with mastery, only growing more brilliant, confident, and beautiful from the fledgling journalism intern Barry had met when he was starting his career in forensics. He could see in her eyes that she still cared, the Speed Force had started to work through Bernadette's system, her perception of Iris's reaction was slowed enough to see all of the emotions on her face. She wasn't quite looking at Bernadette like the love of her life, but she was still crying tearfully at the sight of Bernadette trying to move, she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around her before hesitantly letting go and backing up. "I'm sorry, I got worked up. Did that hurt? Berni, oh my God I can't believe it."
"N-" Berni had to clear her throat while Iris opened the water bottle in her purse and held it to her lips, tipping, letting the cool water slide past her lips. She swallowed. It was tough to get down, even tougher to gather up the strength to sit up. Iris pulled out her phone and urgently sent a text before returning attention to Berni. Berni used the time to consider, she wasn't particularly fond of being referred to by any name that wasn't her own, but she strongly preferred Berni to Bernadette. "It's OK, Iris." She smiled and wiped away the joyful tears on her face before sitting back down. Berni felt overwhelmed and wanted nothing more than to kiss Iris, but didn't have the strength or context on their current relationship, it would be a bit odd for a friend to do that. Her hand in Iris's and the eye contact had to suffice for now, Iris's thumb absent-mindedly stroking the top Berni's hand was comforting. They enjoyed the moment. Then her eyes shifted toward the door. Berni turned her head slightly, it felt like a jumpscare but Berni didn't have the strength or energy to move so it wasn't a visible reaction, but she felt it.
Eobard Thawne stood in the doorway, dressed in an outfit that it looks like he pulled out of Barry's closet. He was pretending to be Berni's adoptive Father, she remembered now. He smiled smugly, hands in his pockets. bastard. Berni knew she shouldn't remember who he was before and emotions were too high to force a smile, so she could just stare at him, her mouth hanging slightly open while he smirked and said "hey, kiddo."
"E.O., baby. How did you get here so fast?" Berni's ears began to ring as the woman he'd planned to spend his entire life alongside, walk up to the man who had dedicated himself to making his life Hell through multiple timelines. Killed his Mother. Framed his Father. Killed Iris. She kissed him. Berni's heart dropped and she let out a gasp as Eobard turned his attention toward Berni, Iris understandably moved aside and smiled as if she were watching a Father and Daughter reunite after a long separation. Eobard looked back and muttered something about already being in the lobby for a lunch break visit when she texted him. Typical Flash excuse, did it seem so mean and dishonest when Barry did that before revealing his identity to her? He hugged Berni tightly, not taking the same care to be delicate like Iris did and kissed the top of her head before pulling back, a hand tightly gripping her shoulder.
"What do you remember, Berni?" He said, a clear double meaning in his intention. Berni inhaled, then shook her head and finally found the energy to pretend.
"I... I don't know. What happened?" The word were fake, the tears were genuine.
"There was an accident when you came to visit my lab. I'm so sorry. I never thought you-" Eobard sobbed. "A lightning bolt just crashed through the window. It ignited the chemicals and-" He started to lose his composure. He usually wasn't this subtle. Iris had moved in to start rubbing his shoulders to comfort him before the doctor entered and started to examine Berni as he remarked how remarkable Berni's physical recovery was going already. She was cleared to return home while the loving couple proudly hugged near the entrance.
On the ride home, Berni was filled in about the goings-on since her accident, telling her it was now October as she noted the leaves changing color. Iris drove as Eobard sat in the back, his arm around Berni who still didn't quite have the strength to hold herself up for the entire ride and had to rest her head on his shoulder. They broke the news that Iris had moved in, initially staying over to keep Eobard company, but their daily routines worked so well together that there was no reason not to live together. Especially now, that Berni might need care until she can get around on her own and can start making the trip back to Central City University for classes. Eobard said that he took the liberty of removing her from the forensics program she was in so she wouldn't have to relive her accident. She could pick a new major when she was ready to go back in January. Eobard knows that Barry pursued forensics to help clear his Father's name, Berni was sure it was the same for this version of herself. He's trying to cover his tracks.
Memories resetting for a new timeline happen naturally and without the knowledge of everyone but the time travelers themselves. If it's their original timeline, it presents itself as a migraine followed by a fleeting knowledge of your memories being drained from you and overwritten by new memories. It usually happens within the first 24 hours of your consciousness inhabiting the new body, before that it's like everything has been running on auto-pilot in the rest of the world. But it had been months that Berni was in a coma and she still remembered being Barry, being in his 30s, now stuck in the body of a 21-year-old young woman, those memories shouldn't be there. They arrived at the house. It was Barry's childhood home, a place that Thawne knew Barry avoided due to the bad memories they bring flooding back into his head. E.O. and Iris helped Berni inside, taking her upstairs to her bedroom. It was the same basic layout, but looked more like a modern, suburban young woman decorated. She could only breathe in and sigh as she drowned out Eobard and Iris telling her about all the things they had planned once she had her full mobility back. That they were at last one happy family.
The loving couple expressed their affection, their happiness at having Berni back home by getting perhaps a little too touchy-feely in the presence of her. She could only roll her eyes, biting her tongue so they'd think it was the typical second-hand embarrassment most young women experience around their parents and not disgust at seeing who was once her beloved in the arms of her mortal enemy. They took the hint and made their way out of the room, offering Berni privacy. She immediately walked to the cell phone on the night stand, plugged in and charged, having collected dust in the time its owner has been incapacitated. She thought to try and contact another hero, she had memorized Hal's number, Clark's number, Bruce Wayne never shared his. That is, if they even exist in this timeline. She started to dial Hal's phone number then stopped and closed her phone. Eobard probably pays for her phone, he could have access to it and her cover would be blown, she'd have to find a way to reach out that he can't monitor.
Berni made her way downstairs to see E.O. and Iris cuddled on the couch, celebratory wine in their glasses. "I'd like to see my Dad..." Berni said, cutting between their tension like a Batarang. E.O. sat up, Iris patted him on the shoulder, like she thought me referring to my actual Dad as my Dad would somehow upset him. But he gave himself time to think about his reaction, earning himself more brownie points with Iris by acting like he wasn't phased and completely understood his fake Daughter's plight.
"Yes. Of course. He's excited to see you too. Grab your coat and we could-"
"I don't think I have the energy today. Tomorrow?"
"I have work but maybe we could-"
"Could Iris take me? Please? Just us girls?" Iris put a hand to her chest, like it warmed her heart. Barry and Iris never had kids, but she did always have excellent maternal instincts when it came to her nephew Wally, his home life wasn't the best. Parents had him young then split up. That's someone else that Berni would have to check on when she had the freedom to research this new timeline, make sure Wally's OK.
"I'd love to. A Girls' Day. I like that." Berni nodded and turned to walk upstairs, but caught Iris hop with excitement and high-five E.O. Berni wondered what their relationship looked like before the coma. She closed her door and stretched out across her bed, staring at the ceiling, finally alone, she started to cry.
