Sorry about the length between updates, I'm super busy. Warnings for references to violence.

Forgotten Dreams

It took a long time for the pain to let up, and for the images to end. For what seemed like days Oliver was bombarded with memories and fears that he couldn't distinguish from reality, while his body felt like it was on fire. But eventually the images started to fade, and the pain lessened to a degree. He realised that he was on a soft surface, and that his eyes were closed. There were restraints against his wrists, but testing them he could tell that they had some give. He could also hear somebody breathing beside him.

Oliver didn't open his eyes – he didn't want to alert anybody to his presence. He very carefully manipulated his wrist, keeping his breathing rate the same. Moving his wrist brought up a flare of pain – he had rubbed off most of the skin already. But he ignored it and managed to free his hand from the soft binding. He prepared himself. Then he moved.

In a split second Oliver simultaneously opened his eyes and moved forwards towards the breathing sound – within a moment he had his arm around the neck of the man sitting beside him.

"Oliver..." The man choked out. Oliver blinked and let his surroundings really come into focus. After a few seconds he let his arm relax, freeing Diggle.

"Sorry," He rasped – his voice sore and not sounding like his voice at all. He realised that he was lying on a sofa, wrapped in a blanket. Somebody had tied his wrists to the sofa with a sheet like material, presumably to try to do the smallest amount of damage to his already ruined skin as possible. The sudden adrenalin rush had left him exhausted and he flopped back down against it, panting slightly. His head was pounding and he felt like he wanted to throw up. His nerves were all tingling slightly, like pins and needles over his whole body; occasionally becoming sharp.

"I'm glad you're awake," Diggle said with small smile. "You're not looking too pretty though."

"That has replaced Vertigo as my least favourite drug" Oliver returned, truthfully, trying to bring the rest of his surroundings into focus. Everything was blurring and he was finding it difficult to stay awake. "Where's Felicity?" He managed to get out.

"I'm right here," Felicity said, and there she was beside him. Oliver could feel himself losing consciousness, and he tried to fight against the blackness. He wanted to stay with her.

"Go to sleep Oliver," He heard Diggle say in his no nonsense tone. Oliver could feel himself drifting, but even so he managed to pick out Felicity's voice.

"Can we give him the painkillers now? He's got the lines on his face that mean he's in a lot of pain and doesn't want to admit it."

"Not until the drug is completely out of his system," He heard Sara say. Oliver felt safer knowing she was in the room.

"At least he's semi lucid now," Oliver heard Quentin Lance say, but before he could listen to any more he felt himself slide away. His sleep was dreamless but not without pain.

When Oliver came to the second time Felicity was holding his hand. He knew it was hers because of how soft it was, and how warm and comforting. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around him, not wanting to move and startle her. Even with the pain he felt at ease.

He had been untied and recovered with the blanket – he was also very heavily bandaged. Across from him Sara, Laurel and their father were sitting on another sofa, sleeping on each other. Felicity had sat herself down on the floor next to him, presumably just so he wouldn't have to wake up alone. Diggle was sitting (possibly sleeping), his head resting on his elbows, on an armchair to the side.

"Good morning," Felicity said, noticing that he was awake and surveying the room. "I mean it's not actually morning, but that's what people tend to say after a long sleep." She handed him a glass of water and he gratefully drank the whole thing before speaking.

"How long was I out for?" Oliver asked, pulling himself upright and swinging his legs over to the floor. The action hurt, and he couldn't fully hide his wince of pain from showing.

"Well you were asleep for maybe eleven hours, which is pretty much the longest I've ever seen you sleep. Not that I watch you sleeping or anything. But before that you were sort of out of it for a good few hours. You were awake but I'm not sure how aware you were. Do you remember?" Felicity said, fairly fast. She seemed nervous for some reason.

"Sort of," Oliver said, staying uncommitted. "I was hallucinating a lot."

"So you don't remember saying anything?" Felicity asked, rather hesitantly.

"I think I was saying a lot..." Oliver replied equally hesitantly. "I was seeing a lot of things..." There was something vague tugging at the back of his mind, but he was having trouble freeing it.

"Oh..." Felicity said, and she looked like she was hurt but trying to hide it (she could never lie well). "I guess you weren't really yourself." She was about to say something else, but at that moment Oliver's body rebelled against him and he threw up – the water he had just drunk coming straight back up. The action was agonising because of the condition of his ribs, and he had to clench his jaw for a long time before he trusted himself to speak.

"Sorry," He said eventually. The pain bled through into his voice a little, but not much. He had woken up everybody around him, and they were all looking at him with some relief. Oliver realised that Felicity had distracted him and that he needed to focus – for now. Not for the first time, he put his personal relationship with her second to his job.

"What happened to Marcus?"

"Waller took him in. She seemed eager to speak with him," Diggle said evenly. "But you didn't give him anything."

"You can't be sure of that Dig. Nor can I. My memory's shot to pieces. Even with Marcus in ARGUS custody it's important that Waller doesn't get the intel. He was filming-"

"I got the tape man. I've checked the whole thing. You didn't tell him anything," Diggle said reassuringly. Once the idea of somebody else seeing him vulnerable would have horrified Oliver, but now Dig knowing some of his secrets didn't concern him.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Better," Oliver said honestly. "Where's my mom and Thea?"

"Upstairs, with Roy," Sara said. "They're worried, but we haven't told them anything."

"I should go talk to them," Oliver said, and tried to stand up. It didn't go well – his feet were heavily bandaged and as soon as he put weight on them he remembered why. He couldn't help the low groan that slipped out, but he did manage to balance upright eventually. Quentin Lance was staring at him with his mouth slightly open, while Sara, Felicity and Diggle did not look surprised.

"I don't think them seeing you like this is going to calm them down," Lance commented. "You look like..." Lance tailed off.

"Like you've just been tortured-" Sara finished bluntly.

"I can't wait for my finger nails to grow back," Oliver pointed out. "They have to see me eventually, it might as well be now." He took a step forwards, which was difficult but manageable.

"Shouldn't I get them to come downstairs?" Lance asked, looking at Oliver with concern.

"It's better if I come to them. Less frightening," Oliver replied. Nobody tried to dissuade him – they all knew how stubborn he was.

"I'll help you upstairs," Lance said. It was clear that Oliver needed the help. Lance also wanted the chance to speak to Oliver in private. The two of them slowly made their way out of the room.

In the silence they left behind, Felicity spoke first.

"He doesn't remember. And even if he did- he probably didn't mean it," She said, close to tears. Diggle sat beside her and squeezed her shoulder gently.

"He meant it Felicity," He said simply.

"He's been in love with you since I got back," Sara added. "He's just afraid of admitting it."

"I can't believe all of this has happened and you're talking about Ollie's love life," Laurel said bitterly, speaking up for the first time. Everybody stared at her.

"Oliver doesn't need pity, Laurel. He just needs life to go on," Sara said. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Oliver will be training by tomorrow, and back in the hood as soon as physically possible."

"Or possibly before," Diggle added, making Felicity smile slightly despite her despair.

"Oliver told Felicity he loved her. He doesn't say things like that often," Sara continued. "That is important. And if he's forgotten we need to make him remember."

I hope you enjoyed this! It was a really tricky chapter to write. Please leave me a review letting me know what you thought!