Earth 1, Star City
Sara was angry as she paced back and forth in the hospital corridor, waiting for Leonard to come out of surgery. Angry with him for extending himself so much that he could no longer see that he was walking into a trap when he went to help Mick/Chronos. Angry that he had an apparent blind spot where that individual was concerned.
She was angry at the way Dinah Drake had taken charge - the ex-girlfriend rushing in to try and save him - then arranging this alias to keep him off the police radar - when she was a ranking officer herself. Those didn't seem like the actions of someone who saw themselves as - or wanted to be - an ex. Sara was not only angry, she was worried and - yes, she was jealous. Resentful.
She was angry with herself, for reasons that weren't clear to her. She might have been stupid enough to give her love to someone who would abandon her. Much as she'd done with Nyssa. Even in a way with Oliver. She'd certainly betrayed Laurel's love and trust years ago. The other part of her was angry with her for over-reacting. Hadn't she known that Leonard had a deep personal loyalty to Mick? Didn't she realise that Dinah Drake must have encountered many people who'd been shot and was only doing what her professional training had taught her to do? Oliver trusted her not to betray the Arrow team, she'd simply extended that protection to a Legend.
The fact that a third person had come on the scene was something she virtually ignored.
''Which you is Mrs Stuart?'' the nurse asked.
When the pacing Sara didn't immediately respond, Laurel pointed towards her sister.
''You're husband's conscious, Mrs Stuart. You can see him for a short while. Then the doctor would like to talk to you.''
Which didn't sound too good, Laurel thought. She'd called Adrian and told him she was likely to be caught up in this for a while. Whatever happened, it was going to be difficult for Sara.
Sara followed the nurse down the corridor, giving a somewhat brusque ''Thanks'' as she slipped through the door that the nurse was holding open.
The room couldn't have been called quiet, with the background hum from the medical equipment around his bed, but there was a subdued feel to the room. The man in the bed was the cause of that - or rather the absence of his usual vitality was the cause. Even when he was in some of his silent moods, he was a definite presence. But not today.
''Hi'' his eyes were open and he moistened his lips before continuing. ''Did you bring them?''
'''Yes'' she reached into her pocket, where Ray had secreted the hypo containing the nanobots. ''Are you sure you're up to this?''
''I'm pretty sure I can't manage without them.'' he got out.
''It's your ass'' she said.
It wasn't really funny, but he did manage a ragged laugh. That might be one of the few parts of him that didn't hurt or feel weak.
Here, in this room, Sara couldn't be angry. In the back of her mind, she acknowledged the unfairness of her feelings. Again, she remembered the time in her life, when she had - apparently - come back from the dead and resumed her old relationship with Oliver, her sister's boyfriend/ex-boyfriend. Laurel had forgiven her despite having good reason to feel hurt and betrayed. Dinah Drake had simply taken charge in a difficult, dangerous situation, one that her professional background qualified her to deal with. It was little more than coincidence that she was helping to save a man who'd once been her lover. But that was logic speaking, not emotions.
''How do you feel?'' she asked, dragging her thoughts way from Drake.
''Do you really want to know?''
The nanobots must be working, if he could manage humour.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, knowing that she shouldn't blame him for being loyal to someone he saw as an old friend - even if it had got him into this situation.
There the door opened slightly and there was a discrete cough. The nurse was back - or maybe she'd just been hovering outside.
She let herself be ushered out and taken to see the doctor.
''Your husband was lucky, Mrs Stuart the bullet didn't hit any major organs and Captain Drake - as you know - was able to staunch the bleeding quite quickly.'' he paused. ''However, I'm concerned about the Parkinson's symptoms he's displaying. How long have they been present?''
She told him, using the date at which he'd first displayed his new abilities.
She got a surprised look in return. ''I'm surprised it's developed so quickly. I can make a referral to a specialist?''
''I'll certainly talk to my husband about it'' she hedged, thinking that the doctor was going to have another surprise when the symptoms disappeared.
Released from the interview, she went back to where Laurel was waiting.
''I'd like to go home'' she said bluntly.
Laurel looked at her for a moment, then decided it probably was for the best.
''I''ll drive you'' she insisted.
Sara didn't really want to disagree. What she had seen when she and Laurel had come out of the room where she'd been protecting her sister was beginning to play through her head. The central tableaux - Leonard and the battered looking Chronos both flat on the ground. Dinah Drake kneeling beside Leonard, plainly applying pressure in an attempt to stop him bleeding. On the other side of Chronos, Lady Midnight had a tight hold on Mick, who was glaring down at Chronos.
Once they arrived, Sara began to wander around the flat in a slightly distracted manner and Laurel realised she couldn't simply leave her there. She called her own apartment to let Adrian know she'd be staying over with her sister.
'''How are you?'' he wanted to know. ''Shall I come -''
She almost said 'No', then realised that she could do with some comfort. ''Mick' had knocked her out and she'd been only semi-conscious for much of her kidnapping but realised that there were unsettled emotions lurking behind her concern for Sara.
''Yes, please'' she told him.
Between them, they got Sara settled and finally into bed, having been a mild sleeping draught. Laurel hovered by the bedroom door until she was sure her sister had drifted off, then went to sit beside Adrian. He put his arm round and she leaned against him, grateful for the comfort.
Slowly, she began to tell him what had happened.