Pride was a hard thing to swallow when you knew you were right, even harder to admit when you're wrong. Cisco sat staring at the closed door, even months later still finding it hard to admit even to himself that with his crush on Caitlyn, had he locked the door a few seconds to soon? Had he caused the death of his best friend's fiancé? Could he ever look her in the eyes again with a straight face and tell her he did all he could that night?

Questions raced around his mind in the echoingly silent halls, the guilt just as heavy as the silence around him. He knew he should say something, but the pride in his chest held him back. Pride was stronger when words went unsaid, because if you said nothing, then nothing could be hurt all over again.

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With a sigh he closed the door behind the devastation and with it the guilt, the pride, and the hurt, ready to face a new challenge of what the world would be like when everything was dragged out from the dark recesses of the world into the light.

Pride was a delicate creature that had to be nurtured and tended, but it could grow too quickly and overpower the one who held it in high regard. His boss had a healthy amount of pride and look what it cost him, assuming he survived the injuries brought about by the particle explosion.

Going forward was the only way to leave the pride behind and move on…but would it ever become easier?

Next up: “Unprofessional”