Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN1: THANK YOU SO MUCH TO Mocking_point who has helped me more than I can put into words, and thanks to changingdestiny40 who has also helped me.
AN2: Thank you so much for the support. So, it might be a little while before the next chapter as there is a part of it that's not written even though I've written up to chapter 18 and am currently working on 19
Having speed in his car to the location that Roy sent him Ted has gotten out of his car and run down an alley where he sees a figure lying on the ground near a dumpster, with what looks like a fallen air conditioner on her. As he runs he realises that it is Laurel and that she isn't moving so he runs faster.
"D, D, Laurel, can you hear me?" Ted asks, his voice full of fear as he gets to Laurel's side, and he quickly lifts off the air condition and moves it out of his way, "Laurel, open your eyes."
"Oh god, I hurt." Laurel says, her voice full of pain, opening her eyes as she hears her best friends voice, though it hard for her to focus.
"Okay, don't move. I'm going to pick you up." Ted tells Laurel, "I'll get you to the hospital."
"I can't go like this." Laurel reveals, it being clear that she is trying her best to hide her pain, and she isn't succeeding.
"I know. I'm going to get you to the car, and once you're there I'll take the wig, mask, and your weapons and change your jacket for the one you keep at the gym. Roy and Sin are going to make it look like you crashed your bike outside my gym. Thea will meet us at the hospital." Ted explains,
"Thea." Laurel says worried and as she does she notices her coms which are on the ground a little way away from her, having fallen out after the air-conditioner hit her, so she tries to reach, but because of what is clearly a dislocated shoulder she can't get to it.
Seeing what Laurel is trying to get to Ted grabs it and puts it in Laurel's ear, activating it.
"Speedy?" Laurel asks.
"Laurel. Are you okay?" Thea asks, more relieved than she can put into words to hear Laurel's voice, as Ted picks up Laurel.
"I don't know Speedy." Laurel admits, feeling tired as she struggles to keep her eyes open, "I love you." Laurel tells her, "Always and forever."
"I love you too, Laurel, so much." Thea says, completely meaning that, "I'll see you at the hospital."
"Yeah." Laurel responds as they get to Ted's car.
"If I lean you against the car do you think you could remain standing?" Ted asks worried.
"Maybe." Laurel says and Ted gently lowers Laurel so that she is leaning against his car, but even as he does so it is clear to Ted that Laurel isn't likely to be able to remain standing long.
"Just hold on for a couple of minutes." Ted tells Laurel as he quickly takes Laurel's wig, mask, weapons, and holsters, which he hides in his car before grabbing the jacket he brought from his gym, "Laurel, keep your eyes on me." Ted says as he notices that Laurel's eyes are flickering and she looks like she is starting to slide down the car.
"I'm trying." Laurel says, it being clear that she is having difficulties with that.
"Okay. I'll be quick." Ted says as he unbuttons Laurel's jacket, but as he takes it off she screams in pain, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Ted says worried as he carefully, but quickly removes the jacket, "We'll just tell the hospital I took your jacket off to check your injuries." He says, not wanting to even try to get another jacket on Laurel with how much pain she is in.
"Okay." Laurel says.
"Let's get you in the car." Ted says and he helps Laurel into the car where he lays her on the back seat, on the jacket he brought from his gym.
Once Laurel is lying on the backseat Ted runs to the front and starts to drive, focusing on trying to get to Laurel to the hospital as fast as possible.
It takes twenty minutes for Ted to get Laurel to the hospital and in those twenty minutes Laurel lose consciousness. So once he gets to the hospital Ted doesn't even care that he stopped in a no parking spot he just hides Laurel's Black Canary gear under the seats, including the coms which he took out of her ear, and once more picks her up, and because of the way he picked her up the jacket that he brought is now around Laurel's shoulders.
Once he has Laurel in his arms travels as fast as he can into the hospital.
"Help, I need help!" Ted says as he hurries into the hospital.
"Put her down here." A Doctor says wheeling a gurney over to him, "What happened?" he asks as Ted puts Laurel down on the bed.
"She crashed her motorbike outside my gym. She lost consciousness about ten minutes ago." Ted explains, completely lying.
"Okay. We've got her here, come through the waiting room." The Doctor tells Ted.
"TED." A voice yells and Ted turns to see Thea running towards him.
"Thea." Ted says and as he does Thea looks at Laurel and is shocked by what she sees.
"Oh god." Thea says worried and Ted walks towards her.
"Miss, who are you?" The Doctor asks.
"Thea. Laurel's my guardian." Thea explains, tears coming to her eyes, "Is she going to be okay?" she asks worried as Ted puts his arm around her shoulders.
"It is too soon to tell. If you go and wait in the waiting room. We can update you as soon as we can." The Doctor says.
"Come on, Thea." Ted says, leading out of the room, away from Laurel even though he knows they would both rather stay with her.
"Have you called anyone else?" Thea asks as she lets Ted leave her away.
"Not yet." Ted calls, "I should call Quentin. He needs to know." Ted realises, as they get to the waiting room.
"I'll call him." Thea says.
"Are you sure? Because I can make the call if you'd prefer that." Ted tells Thea.
"No. I got to do it." Thea says, pulling out her phone and dealing Quentin's number.
"Detective Lance."
"Quentin…" Thea says, but from the tone of her voice Quentin can tell that something is wrong.
"Thea? What's wrong?" Lance asks worried.
"Laurel crashed her bike near Ted's. She's in Starling General." Thea explains.
"I'll be right there." Lance says before hanging up, it being clear that he is terrified.
"Thea." A voice says just as she hangs up with Lance and she turns to see the doctor who is was with Laurel walking over, and as she does Ted walks over too.
"Is Laurel okay? What happened?" Thea asks worried.
"We know that Laurel has a dislocated shoulder, but we've discovered internal bleeding, and because of that we're getting her to surgery right away. We'll asses her for other injuries as we repair that damage." The Doctor explains to Thea and Ted.
"How bad is that? I mean I know Internal bleeding isn't good, but how bad is Laurel's internal bleeding?" Thea asks worried.
"Severe. There are signs of internal bleeding already which means Laurel is losing blood rapidly. So, we need to get in there quickly and repair what is causing the bleeding." The Doctor tells Thea and Ted, "We'll update you soon." She says before leaving.
"Oh god." Thea says, sounding horrified.
"Hey, it will be okay." Ted says to Thea, trying to convince Thea as much as himself.
"We both know that you can't be sure of that." Thea reminds Ted, looking down at her phone. Looking down at it Thea calls another number, "Ollie." Thea says, her voice breaking.
As he has been cleared of any suspicion of being the Hood Oliver is in his lair, what Diggle calls The Arrow Cave, with Diggle. As his phone rings Oliver picks it up from the desk where he sees his sisters name on his caller ID.
"Hey." Oliver answers.
"Ollie." Thea says, and the second he hears her voice Oliver knows something is terribly wrong.
"Thea? What's wrong?" Oliver asks, becoming panicked.
"Laurel, she's been hurt, it's bad." Thea says, saying words that cause Oliver's heart to stop, "She's in the hospital, and she's been taken to surgery, and I don't know if she's going to be okay." Thea says, it being clear to Oliver that she is trying not to cry, and honestly it kills Oliver to hear that Laurel is so hurt, "I need you Ollie."
"I'll be right there." Oliver promises her, "What hospital?"
"Starling General." Thea answers.
"Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can Speedy, promise." Oliver says before hanging up, fumbling with his phone as he does.
"Oliver, what's going on?" Diggle asks once Oliver hangs up because he knows something is wrong.
"Laurel's in hospital, in surgery." Oliver explains, and Diggle can tell how much it is hurting him, which tells him all he needs to know, "Thea said it's bad."
"I'll drive you." Diggle tells him, feeling that Oliver can't drive himself right now, and the two of them head out.
It has been a little while since Thea hung up with Oliver and ever since then Thea has been sitting next to Ted, the two of them waiting for news on Laurel.
Hearing footsteps Thea looks up and sees Lance hurrying into the waiting room.
"Quentin." Thea says, getting up and running towards him, and once they are close enough Quentin hugs Thea.
"Thea. What happened?" Lance asks worried, once they break apart, looking between Thea and Ted.
"I was in my gym and I heard a crash. I hurried out and saw that Laurel had crashed her bike, went flying." Ted lies, "I'm not sure what happened. All I cared about was getting Laurel help." He explains.
"What are they saying?" Quentin asks as he and Thea walk back over to the seats near Ted.
"Internal bleeding, that's why they've taken her to surgery, and I noticed a dislocated shoulder when I brought her in." Ted explains, "The Doctors said they'll give us updates." He explains and as he does Roy and Sin arrive and hurry straight to Thea.
"How's Laurel?" Roy asks.
"She's in surgery." Thea answers as the three of them sit down, Roy and Sin sitting down either side of Thea while Lance sits down on Ted's other side.
"We did what we had to." Roy whispers to Thea.
"Thanks." Thea whispers back and the group of five drift into silence while they wait for news on Laurel.
A few minutes after Roy and Sin arrived the group of five who are waiting news on Laurel once more hear footsteps and they look up to see Oliver walking in with Diggle behind him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Lance asks angrily.
"I called him." Thea explains, getting up and running towards her brother, and hugging him.
"Are you okay?" Oliver asks worried.
"No." Thea admits as they break apart.
"What happened?" Oliver asks confused, having tried to pull himself together on the drive as he knows he has to be strong, for Thea.
"There was an accident. Laurel crashed her motorbike. She's in surgery right now." Thea once more explains.
"Laurel has a motorbike?" Oliver ask surprised, as while he knew that Laurel knew how to ride a motorbike, as Tommy taught them both when they were teenagers, he didn't know she had a bike.
"Not for long. She's getting rid of that thing." Lance says, "I never should have let her build it." He says and as he does Thea, Roy and Sin exchange looks, all thinking that there is no way that Laurel is going to get rid of her bike.
"If I remember correctly Laurel didn't react well last time you tried to get her to give up her bike." Ted points out.
"I'm not giving her a choice this time." Lance reveals as Thea and Oliver walk over and sit down, Sin having moved next to Roy to make room for Thea and Oliver, while Diggle sits across the room, and together the now quite large group, sit and wait for news about Laurel.
For a couple of hours Thea, Quentin, Sin, Roy, Oliver, Ted, and Diggle sit and wait for news on Laurel. As the group waits it is more than clear that everyone is terrified about how Laurel is.
As the group once more hears footsteps they all look up and see The Doctor who was working on Laurel walk in. As she walks in Thea and Quentin are up on their feet quickest and get to her first.
"How's Laurel? How's my daughter?" Lance asks worried.
"Laurel lost a lot of blood caused by a damaged spleen, which we had to remove part of." The Doctor explains, "He start also stopped for fifteen seconds." He reveals
"Oh god." Thea says, sounding horrified.
"Her heart restarted and we replaced her lost blood." The Doctor explains, not going into details as she can't explain how Laurel's heart re-started itself fifteen seconds after it stopped, without intervention, nor can she explain the interference there was with all the medical equipment when it did, "As well as the internal injuries she sustained four broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured wrist, and a minor concussion." The Doctor explains.
"Is she okay? Will she be okay?" Thea asks urgently worried as Oliver puts his arm around Thea's shoulder, focusing on his sister rather than how much it kills him to hear that Laurel is so hurt.
"Laurel's stable, but will have to be watched for a few days because of her concussion. Her wrist and ribs will take a two to three weeks to heal, her wrist will be a cast until then, and she'll have to keep her dislocated shoulder immobile for three weeks." The Doctor explains, "For a month Laurel will have to take thing easy, but after that she should be able to slowly return to her usual activities, but with a portion of her spleen having needed to be removed Laurel will be slightly more susceptible to infections in the future."
"Can we see her?" Lance asks.
"Of course, she's being brought into recovery right now. Follow me." The Doctor says and she leads the group to Laurel's room. While they all feel some relief at hearing the doctors' explanations for Thea and Lance at least they won't feel better until they see Laurel.
A couple of minutes later the group are lead into Laurel's hospital room. Thea, Lance, Roy, Sin and Ted hurry in the room while Diggle stays outside and Oliver hangs back a bit, though still walks in the room, honestly he is afraid to see Laurel so hurt as even after everything he has been through in the past five years he isn't sure that that is something he can handle.
In the room they see Laurel lying on the bed, awake but clearly weak, with her left wrist in a cast as well as her entire left arm in a sling.
"Laurel." Thea greats, hesitantly walking over to the bed.
"I'm okay, Thea." Laurel assures her.
"Can I hug you?" Thea asks, trying to force down tears as while she is thrilled to see Laurel okay, she hates that she is hurt so much and honestly she was so terrified of losing her.
"Of course." Laurel tells her.
"Just be careful." Lance warns as Thea bends down and hesitantly hugs Laurel, being careful so that she doesn't hurt her.
"I love you. Always and forever." Thea whispers as she hugs Laurel.
"I love you too, Thea. More than anything." Laurel responds, and the two of them break apart.
"I'm really glad you're okay, Laurel." Sin says as Thea and Laurel break apart.
"Same." Roy adds, and as she looks at her two other kids, Laurel can tell how scared they are. Even though they are trying to hide it.
"Come here, both of you." Laurel says, and Roy and Sin walk over, so that they are standing right next to Thea, "I know I must have scared you three, but I'm okay. I'll heal." Laurel assures them, knowing that the three of them have lost so much that they wouldn't be able to handle losing anyone else.
"Good, we kind of still need you." Sin admits, and as she does Laurel tries to move to hug them, but just winches in pain, and so Roy, Sin and Thea lean in and hug her.
"And that is exactly why you're getting rid of that bike of yours." Lance reveals.
"Dad…" Laurel starts to object as she, Roy and Sin break apart, and Thea sits down on the edge of Laurel's bed while Roy and Sin stand.
"That thing could have killed you." Lance tells her, "I almost lost you Laurel, and I can't go through losing my daughter, not again." He says, his voice full of pain.
"I know Dad." Laurel says, giving her father a comforting look, "I'll be more careful in the future." She says, giving a subtle look to Roy, Sin and Thea, as they know exactly what she is really saying.
"We'll talk about this later." Lance tells Laurel, "I should call your mother." He says and Laurel gives him a surprised look. "She deserves to know." Lance says, before stepping out of the room and as he does Laurel notices who else is in the room.
"Ted…. Ollie." Laurel says, more surprised to see Oliver than Ted, though she is really glad to see him, "Thanks for getting me to the hospital Ted."
"I'm just glad I was close." Ted tells Laurel.
"Didn't Laurel crash her bike right outside your gym?" Oliver asks, finding something off about Ted's words.
"Yeah. That's what I meant. I was glad I was in my gym not somewhere else." Ted explains, completely lying.
"Right." Oliver says, not sure that he believes that it was a simple bike crash, "I'm really glad you're okay." He says, stepping forward.
"Thanks Ollie." Laurel responds.
"What exactly happened? How'd you crash?" Oliver asks, watching carefully so he can try to determine whether Laurel is telling him the truth.
"It's kind of fuzzy." Laurel admits, "But um, a cat ran out across the alley, I swerved to miss it. I'm not really sure what happened after that." She lies as she knows she can't tell the truth.
"Ted said that he found you on the other side of a dumpster." Roy reveals, lying as that's what he made the scene look like.
"Really?" Laurel asks, using her confusion to allow Roy and Ted to explain the lie they set up.
"Yeah, and from what I heard it sounded like you hit the dumpster when you swerved, and went flying over the front of your bike. I think you might have hit it and rolled off it." Ted explains, "It was a good thing you were wearing a helmet." He says, knowing that that is the only explanation as for why Laurel didn't have a very serious head injury.
"Yeah, guess it was." Laurel says, her eyes flickering.
Listening to the story Oliver becomes pretty sure that the complete truth is not being told, but what he doesn't know is what the real truth is, or why they are lying. Either way he really doesn't like it.
"You look like you need some rest." Oliver realises, noticing Laurel's eyes.
"I'm okay." Laurel lies.
"Oliver's right, Laurel. You should get some rest. We'll be back later." Ted says and he and Oliver both go to leave but Thea, Roy and Sin make no effort to move.
"Thea?" Oliver asks.
"Roy? Sin?" Ted asks.
"We're going to stay a little longer." Roy says as he and Sin sit down in a chairs that are in the room.
"Okay." Ted says, knowing better than trying to get them to leave Laurel, "But remember Laurel, needs rest." He says, before he and Oliver leave.
As they walk out of the room Oliver and Ted exchange looks and then go different directions, and Diggle walks over to Oliver.
"How's Laurel?" Diggle asks.
"Hurt, but she's going to be okay." Oliver explains, through the truth is that he plans to come back as The Hood to keep an eye on her from afar, to protect her.
"Lucky the crash wasn't worse." Diggle comments.
"I don't think she was hurt in a crash." Oliver admits, telling the complete truth as he and Diggle walk.
"Oliver…." Diggle starts to say and Oliver stops walking and stands right in front of him.
"Broken wrist, broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, minor concision, and internal bleeding from a damaged spleen. What does that sound like to you?" Oliver ask Diggle.
"That she was in motorbike crash." Diggle says.
"Without any serious head or leg injuries? And she said she can't really remember the crash but a minor concussion wouldn't have caused that much memory loss." Oliver explains.
"What are you saying Oliver?" Diggle asks.
"I'm saying I think someone hurt her, and I'm going to figure out who." Oliver says before walking away from Oliver. As he watches Oliver go Diggle can't help but become worried about this obsession of Oliver's as it seems like he's making all the details fit his suspicion, rather than the truth.
"I'm sorry you three had to hear what happened. You shouldn't have had to." Laurel says, looking between Thea, Roy and Sin.
"You don't have to apologise." Thea assures Laurel.
"She's right, you don't." Roy says, "We're just glad you're okay."
"Same." Laurel admits, "I need you guys to do something for me." Laurel requests.
"Sure, whatever you need." Sin says.
"Get the information we have on Charles McTosh to the police." Laurel requests, "They probably won't do anything, but if they have it maybe they'll surprise us for once."
"Okay." Thea says, knowing that now isn't the best time to suggest what she is thinking.
"Your Mom's going to be here in the morning." Lance says, walking into the room.
"Really?" Laurel asks, sounding a little surprised by that.
"Really." Lance says, walking over, "You look tired sweetie." Lance realises, looking at his daughter.
"I am, a little." Laurel admits.
"Then you should get some rest." Lance tells his daughter.
"I'm okay." Laurel tells her father.
"Broken and bruised isn't okay." Lance tells his daughter, it being more than clear that he is worried about her.
"I'll heal, Dad." Laurel assures him.
"I know." Lance tells her, "I love you." He says, bending down and kissing her on the head.
"I love you too, Daddy." Laurel responds.
"Now you need some rest, so I'm going to go." Lance tells her, "I'll give you three a lift." He says, looking between Thea, Roy and Sin.
"I going to stay." Thea comments.
"You don't have to Thea. You should go home." Laurel tells her.
"I want to stay with you." Thea informs Laurel.
"I know you do." Laurel says, reaching out with her right hand to take Thea's, "But you should go home. I'll be okay, and you can come back in the morning."
"Okay." Thea says, still sounding hesitant, "I'll be back first thing in the morning." Thea says before leaning in and hugging her, "I love you."
"Love you too." Laurel responds and once Thea and Laurel break apart Sin moves in and gives Laurel a quick hug too.
"Glad you're okay." Sin whispers and once she and Laurel break apart Roy hugs her too.
"Don't worry. I'll look after them." Roy whispers as he hugs Laurel, his hug being quicker than the hugs that both Thea and Sin gave Laurel.
"I know you will." Laurel assures him.
"Come on you three, Laurel needs rest." Lance says to the three kids who are so important to his daughter.
"We'll see you tomorrow." Thea promises Laurel, squeezing her leg as she pasts and Thea, Roy, Sin and Lance leave, leaving Laurel to get some rest.
After a night where none of them got much sleep Thea, Roy and Sin have gotten up early and after stopping for breakfast the three of them have headed to the hospital, having brought Laurel food too.
"Hey, Laurel. We have your favourites." Thea says as she, Sin and Roy walk into Laurel's hospital room, but when they walk in they see someone sitting on Laurel's bed, someone who only Thea recognizes.
"Mrs Lance." Thea says, surprised to see her as she is pretty sure that Laurel hasn't seen her mother since she left Starling City.
"Thea?" Dinah asks surprised, turning to look at her, "And?" she asks looking at Roy and Sin.
"Mom, this is Roy and Sin." Laurel introduces, "Thea, Roy, and Sin are my kids." Laurel explains.
"You're kids?" Dinah asks confused, being pretty sure that she is missing a lot.
"Laurel saved us." Roy explains.
"A few months after I took in Thea we met Roy and Sin." Laurel explains, "We became close and when I discovered how much Sin and Roy were struggling, when I realised that they needed someone, I took them in, and I've been there for them whenever they needed me ever since." Laurel explains, "Of course you would have known all that if you had stayed in contact." She says to her mother, sounding a little bitter about that.
"I am sorry, Laurel." Dinah tells her daughter, "And it's nice to meet you both." She says to Roy and Sin.
"We brought breakfast, but we can come back later." Thea explains, "Give you some time with your Mom."
"You don't have to go." Laurel says, it being more than clear to Thea, Roy, and Sin that Laurel doesn't want them to go.
"Laurel's right, stay. I would love to get to know you all better." Dinah reveals and Thea, Roy and Sin exchange looks and slight nods, once they do they walk over to Laurel.
"Breakfast." Thea says, handing the bag off food to Laurel, "And a hug." She says, haggling Laurel.
As Laurel and Thea hug Dinah sees something she is familiar with, the love between a mother and daughter, and in that moment Dinah realise that in the past five years she has missed a lot of things, including her daughter becoming someone else.
"Are you feeling better this morning?" Roy asks curious, as Laurel and Thea break apart.
"Yeah. I'm sore, but okay." Laurel assures him, though she has a feeling that something is different, but she doesn't know why she has the feeling or what it could mean.
"Good." Sin says, it being clear that both she and Roy are glad about that, as Thea sits down on Laurel's bed, right next to her, and Sin and Roy sit down on chairs either side of the bed.
"Do you know how long you're going to be in here for?" Roy asks curious, as Laurel opens the bag off food.
"About a week, give or take." Laurel says, "You three going to be okay until then? Because if not I'm sure I can ask Dad, or Ted, or even Oliver, if you can stay with one of them."
"We'll be fine Laurel. Don't worry so much." Sin tells her, honestly feeling like the last thing Laurel should be worrying about right now is the three of them.
"Yeah, we'll be fine." Thea says, as she steals one of Laurel's fries.
"Good." Laurel says, sounding relieved and together Laurel, her three kids, and Dinah start to talk and Dinah starts to get to know both her daughter, and the people who are so important to her daughter, a bit better.