Busted

[run_barry]

After things go wrong at the end of the universe, Barry heads back to his lab to finish his job.

He doesn't get much done before Iris shows up wondering why he isn't ready for an event he'd promised to go with her to for an article she's writing. He forgot, and seeing her disappointment makes him immediately feel guilty.

"How fast can you get home and change?" Iris asks, and Barry has to school his expression hard before he answers.

"Pretty fast."

Before he can go, though, Eddie shows up not only to harp Barry on Joe's behalf about the evidence Barry's working on, but also to make out with Iris.

*****

Things don't get much better when Barry and Iris finally make it to Iris's article event; an award ceremony for a scientist named Simon Stagg. Barry's supposed to explain the 'science stuff' to Iris, but what he really wants is a chance to talk to her and finally get some things off his chest. Just when he has her attention and the nerve to do it the whole event is held up by armed gunmen.

In his attempt to stop the thieves Barry finds out how it feels to go from trying to save the day to being found passed out against a dumpster because he fainted in the process of running after the bad guys.

It's not a great feeling, in fact it's embarrassing, and not helping anything is Joe who shows up and takes Barry aside yet again to lecture him and lay down another rule, 'no heroics'.

*****

With his spells going from dizziness to straight up passing out Barry finally gets himself over to S.T.A.R. Labs for a check up. Caitlin rips into him, this time for not sharing that he's been having problems, and then he faints again while running on a crazy Cisco-rigged treadmill.

Forty IV bags later Barry regains consciousness to find the team has uncovered why he's been having issues. It turns out having a hyper-metabolism comes in handy for running and fast healing, but it's also causing acute hypoglycemia. The solution; eat more, a LOT more.

Barry is just absolutely done with this day and of course that's when Joe shows up again, not only having tracked Barry down to S.T.A.R. Labs, but after doing some detective digging, he's now aware of Barry's activities while in costume.

"Joe, I can explain," Barry says trying to diffuse the ticking-Joe-time bomb.

Joe's having none of it, and doesn't let the audience of Wells, Cisco and Caitlin stop him from bearing down on Barry. "You already have a job in law enforcement, Barry. I suggest you get back to it."

Dr. Wells speaks up from the sidelines, telling Joe, "Detective, we all want what's best for Barry."

"If you wanted what was best for Barry you'd try and talk him out of this lunacy instead of encouraging him; going out there and risking his life."

Barry is incredulous, not understanding why Joe doesn't get it. "You saw a man control the weather," Barry says, shaking his head. "What are the police going to do against someone like that? Since the Accelerator explosion we suspect that there may be more like him."

"And you're going to do what? Catch them? Are you insane?" Joe counters, crossing his arms. "You think because you can run real fast that you're invincible? You're not. You're just a kid. My kid."

That's all Barry can take. This is something he needs to do, and if Joe can't understand that then to hell with him.

"I'm not your kid, Joe," Barry says, finally snapping. "And you're not my father."

Joe stiffens, but Barry ignores the man's reaction and pushes on, standing up from the gurney he's been sitting on. "My father is sitting in Iron Heights, wrongfully convicted. You were wrong about him, and you're wrong about this. Now I may not be able to help him, but if I can save someone from a burning building or stop some armed thieves I'm gonna do it, and you can't stop me. So don't try."

Joe looks like he's taken a blow, and Barry can't help feeling somewhat satisfied with that, up until Joe finally musters a reply and Barry hears the falter in the man's voice.

"You think you're so smart, all of you," Joe says, casting a look around the room that settles on Dr. Wells. "But you don't know what you don't know. And I hope that you're clever enough to figure it out before somebody gets killed."

Barry watches Joe leave without another word, sitting back down on the exam table and exhausted all over.

Joe is wrong, Barry knows it. He just wishes telling himself that made him actually believe it.

[dialogue taken from episode 1.2]