Chapter 1
Oliver weaved a furious zig-zag pattern through the forest covered road with his motorcycle, Felicity clutching his abdomen fiercely with her helmeted head pressing in between his taut shoulders. Another gunshot rang off behind them and he felt Felicity's hold on him tighten as a small whimper escaped her lips.
They had been out that evening riding the streets of Starling City, enjoying the cold night air and the serenity that came from being alone together. Felicity had suggested they drive out of the city and find a quiet spot by the lake to sit and stargaze. By the time they reached the edge of the city limits, their peaceful night out turned into a life or death driving frenzy as a few of Damien Darhk's Ghosts pulled behind them, shooting.
Now they were in the middle of nowhere, nothing but woods surrounding them as Oliver did everything in his power to keep the men shooting at them as far away as possible. If I just had my bow, he thought dryly.
Yet another shot rang off, and Oliver hissed in pain as he felt the bullet graze his left bicep. He sped up even more, making more chaotic zig-zags through the street.
"You're shot!" Felicity yelled hysterically.
"It just grazed me." He called back, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible for her sake. Off some ways in the distance he spotted a secluded dirt road off to their right. "Hold on tight!" He yelled as her grip tightened ever more.
He waited until the last possible moment before jerking to the right, the bike bouncing at the sudden change of texture in the road. For a moment the headlights behind them disappeared, but soon they shone brightly as the car pulled onto the dirt path. Damn.
The road they were on now was significantly more narrow than the main road, and Oliver wasn't able to make any drastic weaves like he had previously been doing. He frantically searched for any break in the treelines beside them that might allow for a safe entrance for his bike but too narrow for the SUV.
Another gunshot boomed, hitting the dirt beside his front tire, narrowly missing them. The road was so dark, making it desperately hard for him to navigate. Despite the difficulties the darkness provided, he spotted just what he had been seeking about fifty feet ahead on their left: a break in the trees.
Accelerating wildly, he began to turn his wheels toward the small entrance in the wooding. But not before the Ghosts shot at them one last time, this time shooting out the front tire of his bike. He lost control quickly, the speed he had gained working against him as he barely managed to break through the trees.
Felicity shrieked as the bike began to wobble. He was going to lose complete control soon. Just as he began to hit the brakes in an attempt to lessen the impact of their inevitable crash, their wooded safehaven morphed into a steep drop off, a shallow creek about 15 feet below.
Within a second, Oliver slammed his foot on the brakes, tried to turn the bike away from the fall, and then they were soaring over the edge, their bodies lifting from the seat as they descended down. Oliver reached for Felicity as she screamed out, trying in vain to wrap his body around hers to take the brunt force of the impact.
Before he knew it, they were crashing harshly. The bike had fallen quicker than their flailing bodies, landing crooked on its side. The impact caused the kickstand to jolt upwards, standing straight in the air.
Oliver had managed to knock Felicity's body far enough to the side that she missed the bike, her body hitting the creekbed loudly, her screams falling silent as she fell unconscious, her head just barely out of the gently rushing water. Oliver, on the other hand, fell directly onto the bike.
He felt the kickstand first, the narrow metal spike breaking off as it speared just above his right hipbone. His ribs collided roughly with the metal front of the bike, the hot engine burning his skin as the impact caused him to bounce off and flip on his back as he landed in the creek. His head smacked against a rock protruding from the wet ground, his scalp tearing open.
He lay there for a moment, his vision beginning to blur as he gasped for breath against the agonizing pain ripping throughout his body. He faintly saw the SUV's headlights far above them as the car slowly turned around, disappearing off into the distance as they drove away, assuming their job was done. As their lights faded, so did Oliver's consciousness.
Oliver felt water flowing beneath and around him, but it sounded so far away. His eyes suddenly flew open as his memory came back, along with the unbearable pain he was hit with upon his consciousness. He struggled to find his breath as his eyes moved down, taking in the sight of his ripped and blood-drenched shirt, the kickstand jutting from his hip.
The sky was dimly lit, providing just enough light to take in the sight of their crash. He weakly lifted his right hand, noticing how it trembled. He wrapped his fingers around the jagged edges of the kickstand, wheezing painfully as he tugged as hard as he could on it, just barely managing to pull the long shard of metal out of his body.
He let out a strangled cry, unwelcome tears welling in his eyes at the crippling pain that radiate through him. Three of the four inches of the bar were dripping with his blood, and his shaking hand dropped it into the water beside him. He quickly pressed the palm of his hand against the wound as it bled profusely down his side, the water he lay in beginning to run red.
A few painfully long moments passed before he remembered Felicity. He instantly made to sit, roaring in agony as he did so. The world tilted as the pain in his ribs and hip protested wildly at his change in movement. He shook his head to straighten things out, wincing hard as he realized his head had also been badly damaged by the rock he hit. A warm trickle flowed softly down his neck as the clotted wound on the back of his head opened back up.
He pushed past the pain he was in, his focus immediately turning to Felicity. He searched frantically for her, and after a moment he spotted her a few feet to his left, her body eerily still, head still helmeted and elevated by the side of the creek.
He quickly scrambled to his feet, hand pressed tightly to the wound in his hip. His knees nearly buckled as he made it to a standing position, but he caught himself before he collapsed back into the water. He stumbled stiffly and clumsily over to the love of his life, his breath hitching as he saw a crack in the helmet's screen. Surely it had still managed to protect her from most of the crash. He had to believe it had.
Oliver dropped to his knees gracelessly beside her, water splashing around them. "Felicity! Felicity, wake up!" He reached out and shook her shoulder gently.
His eyes looked her up and down, seeking out any noticeable injuries. The lower half of her body was soaked from the creek water, but he didn't see any blood running into it. Her arms had a few nasty looking cuts and bruises, but he couldn't see any of her limbs twisted at unnatural angles, meaning she probably hadn't broken anything. Realizing her lower extremities were probably fine for the most part, he turned his attention to her sheltered head.
He was afraid to remove the helmet, fearing any movement could worsen whatever possible injuries she had obtained. He jostled her shoulder again as softly as he could manage.
"Felicity, wake up, baby!" He begged her to sit up, moan, anything.
After what felt like a thousand lifetimes, Oliver finally heard a weak cough from inside the damaged headache as Felicity slowly stirred beneath his touch. He nearly laughed out as relief flooded his heart.
"Oliver..?" Her voice was soft and muffled by the helmet, but he heard her all the same. He smiled weakly as she stiffly sat up and reached up to remove the helmet.
Once the helmet was removed her gaze darted to him, her relief clear in her bright blue eyes.
Oliver took in the sight of her beautiful face, which was covered in cuts and dried blood. He sighed inwardly as he determined they all seemed fairly superficial.
Felicity let out a little moan as she shifted closer to him, wincing slightly.
Oliver's fear immediately skyrocketed. "Where are you hurt?" The hysteria in his voice was apparent as he reached out to hold her.
She shook her head at him, silently telling him she wasn't hurt seriously. "Just bruises. Nothing seems broken." Her tone was gentle, allowing him to slow his ever increasing heart rate.
Oliver sighed and gave a swift nod. Now that he was certain Felicity would be fine, his own pain creeped back into notice. He let himself fall back against the raised side of the creek next to Felicity, a small gasp escaping his lips as he jostled his injuries.
Felicity seemed to suddenly realize how hurt he was, and she quickly inched closer to him, her eyes taking stock of his wounds.
"Oliver…" The panic in her eyes was very real as she darted them to meet his half-lidded gaze. He pressed his lips into a hard line and shook his head minutely. "It's not as bad as it looks." He lied weakly, hoping she wouldn't notice the way his body had begun to shake as shock set in.
She moved her gaze to the gaping hole in his hip, her eyes widening as she saw blood oozing between his fingers as he applied pressure.
"Oh, my God. Oliver, you're stabbed." She gently pulled his hand away from the wound so she could get a better look at it. He winced visibly at the movement.
"The kickstand jabbed me when we fell. It's really not that bad." Oliver tried for a shaky smile to sell her on the lie, but she shot him a fierce look that silenced him immediately.
Felicity's hand fluttered across his body softly, as if trying to heal him with her caresses. She let out a shaky breath before saying, "We have to get out of here. You need to get to a hospital bad." She emphasized the last word strongly, letting him know she wasn't joking around.
Something lit up in her eyes and she immediately stood up, searching for her purse. She spotted it five or six feet away in the water and quickly made her way to it. Oliver followed her with his suddenly very heavy eyes, his hand finding its way back to his hip.
Felicity dug through the contents of her bag frantically, mumbling unintelligibly. Her eyes widened as she found what she had been looking for. She pulled out her phone and whooped in triumph as she hobbled back to Oliver's side.
"I'll call John. We'll be out of here in no time." Oliver barely heard what she said, his head swimming with the shock that was beginning to take hold of his body. His injuries were starting to fade away from his mind, the only real feeling standing out in his mind being his rapidly beating heart, thrumming wildly in his ears.
Felicity tapped the screen of her phone a few times, frowning as the screen failed to light up. She pressed on some buttons on the side, her frown deepening as still, nothing happened. A realization hit her like a train, and she cried out in frustration and desperation as she dropped her phone back in the purse.
"It's dead. Of course it's dead. Because what would this awful day really be if it wasn't dead?" She growled in anger and dropped carelessly beside Oliver once more.
"'S okay. John will be here soon." Oliver croaked as he gave her a small, comforting smile. Felicity stared at him in confusion, her brow furrowing slowly. "No… My phone is dead. I can't call John. I just told you that." The confusion was evident in her tone.
Oliver frowned. "Oh." The shock was starting to mess with his head, he realized. He said nothing to Felicity, knowing she was scared enough.
Felicity frowned at him again, but didn't push it further, probably assuming he was just exhausted and too focused on his pain to listen to her. She sighed and glanced around, taking in their surroundings. The sun was fully up now, allowing for a complete view.
Felicity thought for a moment, her brow knitting together as she thought about what to do. She shivered involuntarily, just realizing how cold she was from lying submerged in water for so long. She glanced up, calculating how hard it would be to climb the hill back towards the road. She groaned, realizing it would be nearly impossible for Oliver to make such a steep climb in his condition. They needed to find some kind of shelter, take some time to rest, and then they would make for the road.
"Can you stand?" Felicity turned her attention back to Oliver, who had let his eyes slip shut without her noticing. They fluttered open at her direct question, and he gave her a look expressing his lack of understanding. Of course I can stand, I have legs, he thought confusedly. When he didn't respond past the look of confusion, Felicity narrowed her eyes at him and spoke slowly so he couldn't possibly misunderstand her. "Are you too hurt to stand?" She annunciated every syllable as if speaking to an invalid. Oliver raised his eyes slowly in understanding and smiled lazily at her. "Oh. I think I can stand."
Felicity just looked at the crooked smile on his battered face, raising an eyebrow at how strange he was acting. Suddenly it hit her. She had read about shock before, the signs flying into her head in a rush. Another wave of utter fear washed over her. His injuries were serious enough, but shock was deadly.
Felicity darted her eyes over him, hoping there was some other explanation for Oliver's strange behavior. His entire body was trembling badly, his eyes were half-closed, and his skin was absolutely ashen. At a closer glance she now noticed just how much blood he had lost, his abdomen and thighs covered in the sticky liquid. His breathing was slightly erratic, coming in short wheezes. She had no clue how to deal with shock.
"Oliver, I think you're going into shock." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, shaking him carefully so he would focus on her again. His eyes slowly met hers, but he didn't seem to hear what she'd said. "You're going into shock, Oliver." She reiterated, raising the concern in her voice so he'd grasp the seriousness of the situation.
Oliver blinked at her once before finally getting it. He just looked at her for a moment before managing to focus enough to take charge of the situation. "We need to move, find somewhere to recuperate." Felicity nodded in agreement, watching him closely as he moved to stand back up. She winced sympathetically as he whimpered at the movement.
Somehow he managed to make it to his feet, hunching over slightly as he desperately kept a hold on his hip and pressed his arm tightly to his side in an attempt to feign off the shrieking pain now radiating from his ribs. Felicity quickly stood with him, moving to his side quickly to help if he needed it.
They began walking through the shallow water, heading towards the flat edge a ways down. From there they would be able to move into the trees and hopefully find a temporary dry shelter to rest at.
Felicity stayed close to Oliver, her eyes watching him closely to make sure he didn't keel over at her feet. His skin was now completely devoid of color, his hand shaking more violently as he kept it pressed into his hip in a failed attempt to stop the flowing blood.
They reached the flat edge of the creek finally, and as they stepped out of the water onto the thick bed of leaves, Oliver stumbled over a rigid stone hidden partially from view. His knees immediately gave out on him and he failed to stave off a cry as he began to fall. Felicity managed to catch him just in time, slowly helping him regain his footing. Once he was able to stand on his own, they began moving again.
They had been walking for about ten minutes with no incidence when Oliver suddenly stopped. Felicity began to turn towards him to ask why he stopped when he hastily stumbled away from her, a hand clutching his stomach as he reached a tree and leaned on it for support. His stomach wrenched ruthlessly and he spilled the contents of his insides onto the leaves at his feet. He gagged painfully, his knees sagging beneath him as he vomited everything he had in his stomach.
Once he was finished, he stood on wobbly legs, trying desperately to catch his breath. He stared at the mess beneath him, noticing spots of blood throughout it. He groaned weakly as he pushed off the trunk of the tree and turned to face Felicity. She gaped at him, her eyes expressing every ounce of terror she was feeling.
Oliver held out a shaky hand towards her, motioning for her to come help him. "Could you...-" He hadn't even finished the sentence before she was rushing to his side, ducking under his shoulder to help support his weight.
They began walking on at a slow, steady pace. Every so often Oliver would let out a soft moan and slow to a stop for a moment or two before moving on, leaning heavily on Felicity.
After about half an hour they stumbled across a small clearing bathing in warm, gentle sunlight. Felicity practically sobbed with joy, eager to get Oliver to a decent resting area. His eyes were drooping significantly and she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to support this much of his weight.
Practically dragging Oliver at this point, Felicity sped up their pace and inched closer to a large tree near the center of the clearing. As soon as they reached it, warm sunlight beat down on their shoulders and Oliver moaned contentedly at the feeling.
Felicity gently positioned his back against the tree, careful as she untangled her body from his. Oliver instantly slid down the trunk of the tree, thudding as he hit the ground. Felicity lowered herself to sit beside him, sighing and closing her eyes for a moment, soaking in the sunshine.
Oliver took the hand covering his hip and reached for Felicity's hand, leaning his head back against the tree as his eyes slipped shut once again. They sat there for a moment, eyes shut, fingers tangled together loosely. For a brief second, everything felt completely normal. Just two lovers sitting in a beautiful field, enjoying a lovely sunshiney day.
Unfortunately, the reality of their situation came back to them full force.
Felicity regretfully opened her eyes, glancing over at Oliver. His eyes were closed, the hand holding hers shaking relentlessly.
"Oliver, you have to keep your eyes open. Oliver!" She shook him a bit harder than she intended, and his eyes shot open as pain coursed through his bones.
"Where are we?" He asked, his throat achingly dry. He glanced around, taking in their surroundings. He struggled to remember how they had gotten here, but everything was fuzzy.
Felicity moved so that she sat in front of him, her eyes searching his carefully. "We walked here. Do you remember what happened?" Her voice was hesitant, afraid he might have forgotten everything.
Oliver was silent a beat before softly responding. "We were chased and crashed in the woods." His eyes closed for a second as he let out a shaky sigh. "I thought you had been hurt." His voice wavered with emotion, and when he opened his eyes, Felicity caught the tears welling.
This Oliver was scaring her. He had let his guard down in front of her before, but this was so different. The shock setting in his body was making him seem like a mere ghost of his real self. She wasn't sure how to handle him in this state. Felicity wished he would just snap back to his typical brooding self and take charge of the situation so she could blindly follow him back to safety. But she knew that probably wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
"I need to… lie down." Oliver's skin looked awfully sallow, and he was just so damn tired. He stiffly shifted his body into a lying position, barely managing to keep his eyes open.
Felicity opened her mouth to stop him, but then a thought popped into her head. A beautiful, life-saving thought. She remembered what she had read about people going into shock. You were supposed to lie them down and elevate their feet to allow the blood to flow through their organs and aid their blood pressure.
Felicity squealed happily, causing Oliver to widen his eyes and turn his head up to look at her. Smiling brightly, Felicity inched closer to him and gently lifted his head to rest in her lap. He hissed at the movement and she made a sympathetic noise in the back of her throat.
"I need you to lift your feet up and rest them against the tree, okay?" Oliver gave her a questioning look, but he did as he was told and raised his feet up, placing them flat against the trunk of the tree.
"A little higher, baby. I know it hurts, but we have to get your blood flowing." Oliver grunted with the effort, but managed to raise his feet a few inches higher.
"Good, good. Okay, now we need to stop that bleeding." She looked down at his hip, blood still flowing freely from the gaping hole. She thought for a moment, and then moved to take off her shirt to use as a makeshift bandage. Before she could even lift it up, Oliver stopped her.
"No, it's too cold. Help me sit up." She gave him a disapproving look, opening her mouth to protest, but he had already swung his feet down and was starting to sit up. Noticing her look, he said, "I should take it off, anyway. The fabric's rubbing against the wound too much." She hadn't thought about that. The friction it caused was probably a factor in the consistent bleeding.
Unable to lift his hands above his head due to his surely broken ribs, Felicity stepped in and took over, gingerly lifting the tattered shirt over his head and slipping it off his shoulders. He made a few sounds of discomfort, but she was so delicate that the pain was bearable for the most part.
The fabric of the shirt was worn and stiff in several areas due to dried blood. It wasn't much to work with, but it was certainly better than nothing. Oliver gently laid himself back down and readjusted his feet so they were elevated once more. Felicity leaned over to apply pressure to the now exposed wound, but stopped short when she took in the sight of his skin.
A small gasp escaped her lips. The wound in his hip was far worse a sight than she had expected, the bloodied edges of the hole jagged and frayed. Blood oozed out at a steady pace, seeping in rivulets down his side and up towards his chest. There was dried blood caked across his entire abdomen from where the shirt had smeared it. Moving upwards, she took in the many shades of bruises smudging his ribcage, some blue, others yellow swirled with dark green, with a dash of purple around the edges. And to top it off, a nasty puckered burn that stretched from his breastbone to his bellybutton. His body was so abused she could hardly make out half of his scars, which usually stood out clear as day.
"Oh, Oliver…" Her voice failed her then, the horror of the moment hitting her hard and fast. How are you alive? Her mind finished the sentence for her mouth.
Oliver looked down at his frame, grimacing at the sight he was greeted with. He met her eyes once more, and she almost rolled her eyes at what she saw. Guilt. He was actually apologetic about his own injuries. At least he's seeming more like himself, she silently told herself. That feet trick really works.
Felicity shook off the shock of the moment and leaned back down, gently pressing the wadded shirt onto his hip. He winced slightly at the touch, but relaxed again once she planted a soft kiss to his lips.
They stayed like that for a while, Oliver's feet against the tree, Felicity pressing a completely destroyed shirt against his bleeding hip, their foreheads rested against each other. Felicity wasn't sure just how long they had been there like that, but she suddenly became aware that Oliver's eyes had closed again, his breathing much slower than it had been before.
She sat up quickly, panic shooting through her.
"Oliver! Oliver open-" She fell silent as she became aware of the sound of a car engine somewhere nearby. She twisted around, eyes frantically searching the surrounding woods to locate the source of that magnificent sound. We're saved! We're going to get out of here and Oliver will be fine and we'll be able to- Her frenzied thoughts went cold as she spotted a glimpse of the car she had heard far off through the thick forest.
A black SUV. Just like the one the Ghosts had chased them in last night. They must have decided to come back and make sure the job was finished for good.
Felicity's heart stopped cold in her chest. She turned back to Oliver's still form beneath her, her eyes wild.
They had to move quick. Or Oliver really would be dead.