Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN1: I want to thank everyone who has left reviews so, so much, there have been problems with FFN so I haven't been able to respond to them but please know that I am so thankful and I read every single one of them.
"That was a rather nice speech that Oliver gave." Sara comments when she, Laurel and Thea arrive back at Laurel and Thea's apartment about an hour and a half after they left the Arrow Cave.
"Yeah, he's gotten rather good at them." Thea comments as she closes and locks the door behind them.
"You've written a couple of the speeches he's given." Laurel reminds Thea.
"Yes, but when I have I've used what he's told me. They've been his words I've just written them down." Thea explains as all three of them head over to the couch.
"I still can't believe he's running for mayor, I never thought I would see it." Sara comments.
"I think he'll be a good mayor." Thea tells Sara as the three of them make themselves comfortable, Sara on one end, Thea on the other and Laurel in the middle.
"Honestly, so do I. I'm just surprised that he decided to run." Sara explains.
"Good point." Thea says, "So, it's still early. What should we do?"
"I don't know; all I know is that I'm hungry so whatever we do has to include food." Laurel says and before either Sara or Thea can answer there is a knock on the door.
"Can we order food by just wishing it now?" Thea asks curious, her tone of voice joking.
"It would be handy if we could, but I don't think so." Sara says, "Who's going to get it?" she asks, being pretty sure that they are going to spend at least a few minutes debating who is getting up.
"Thea's closest." Laurel comments.
"So, she is." Sara realises, "Looks like it's you Thea."
"Fine." Thea says and she gets up and heads to the door, when she opens the door she finds Lance holding several bags of food on the other side, "Can you read minds now? Because Laurel just said that she's hungry." She informs Lance as she lets him in.
"No, I can't read minds. I just figured that you could use some food." Lance says as he heads over to his daughters.
"Hi Daddy, sorry about running out on you earlier." Sara says when she sees her father, "I just needed to see Laurel."
"It's okay." Lance informs his daughter, as he puts the food down on the coffee table, "I'm sorry about running out too." He says to Laurel.
"It's okay, but Dad you need to know that I'm not doing the chemo or radiation, I've made up my mind and you're not going to change it." Laurel says, "But I haven't given up, if Sara or Oliver or Thea, or the friends we have at STAR labs who are looking into my condition, find another way to treat or cure me then I'll do it. What I won't do is something that will just give me a few more months of misery, I can't do that." Laurel tells her father, "Please say you understand that Daddy." She requests.
"I don't, and I never will." Lance says, "You're my baby girl, Laurel. So, I don't understand why you won't have the treatment, but I'm not going to let that come between us." Lance tells his daughter, a tear coming to his eye, "Because if you really have only got a few months left then I don't want to spend those months fighting with you, I want to spend them with you." Lance informs his daughter, "I love you sweetheart."
"I love you too, Daddy." Laurel says walking over and throwing her arms around her Dad, hugging him.
"So, what you bring us?" Sara asks curious as she looks into the bags.
"Italian, I thought that it was something that you all like." Lance explains as he and Laurel break apart.
"Sounds good." Laurel says and the four of them sit down and eat, having pleasant conversation as they do.
After spending a few hours together Sara, Thea and Laurel headed to bed while Lance headed home. Due to lack of room Laurel and Sara shared her bed while Thea slept in her room. In the morning both Thea and Sara wake up relatively early, but Laurel continues to sleep in.
"I heard from, Ollie." Thea tells Sara as she walks out into the living area, "He said meeting in half an hour to talk about the different ways to save Laurel."
"Good. Do you think we should wake Laurel up?" Sara asks curious.
"No. Her Doctor said that she needs longer to recover from activities so some sleep could do her some good." Thea explains.
"Okay. I'll leave her a note then." Sara says before heading back to Laurel's room to leave her a note on the bedside table. A few minutes after Sara left the note she and Thea leave, heading to the Arrow cave.
Not too long after Sara and Thea leave Laurel wakes up due to an excruciatingly bad headache, worse than those she has experienced in the past four months. And so, even though she is awake she doesn't even open her eyes, knowing that it will make things worse, instead she closes them even tighter and curls up into a ball putting the blanket over her head, trying to block as much light as possible, knowing that at some point in the next twenty-four hours she is going to have a very bad nose bleed as that's what always happens.
As she tries to block out as much pain as possible Laurel becomes very glad that there are no pills in the apartment and that the only alcohol is hidden and locked away in Thea's room because right now if it stopped the pain Laurel isn't sure she could stop herself, though the fact that she had to get up would hold her back.
"No, don't think about it." Laurel tells herself as she forces herself not to scream out in pain, "It's just a few hours, you can hold out." She tells herself as she knows that the headaches only last a couple of hours, "Think about something else, anything else." Laurel tells herself and she starts to recite legal code in hopes of distracting herself from the excruciating pain she is in and what she knows could help with it.
Fifteen minutes after Thea and Sara leave Laurel's apartment they arrive at the Arrow Cave when they walk in they find Felicity, Oliver and Diggle are already sitting at the table waiting.
"How's Laurel?" Felicity asks as soon as she sees Sara and Thea.
"Still sleeping." Sara answers, "So, has STAR labs gotten back to you yet?" she asks Oliver as she sits down.
"Not yet." Oliver answers, "So, I think the first thing we should do is go to Nanda Parbat to talk to Malcolm, get his help because he has connections that we don't have, he might know something."
"Why would Malcom help?" Sara asks, "It doesn't seem like something he would do." She says as after everything she knows she suspects that the last thing Malcolm would do right now is help Laurel.
"He'll help because I'll ask." Thea says, "And because it's his fault." She informs Sara.
"What do you mean?" Sara and Felicity both ask, neither having any idea what that means.
"Laurel's doctor suspects that her cancer was caused by what she inhaled when CNRI collapsed, which was Malcolm's fault." Oliver explains, "Right after Christmas we'll make the trip." He says looking at his sister, knowing that it wouldn't be fair to any of them, Laurel especially, if they were gone for what could very well be Laurel's last Christmas, "See what Malcom knows."
"I'm coming." Sara says, "I want to talk to Malcolm for myself, and I want to see Nyssa." She explains as there are a few things that wants to talk to Nyssa about, one of which is thank her everything she did for Laurel, and of course she really wants to see Nyssa.
"Okay." Oliver says, not even surprised by that.
"Seeing Nyssa might be difficult. When Laurel and I were there to bring you back Nyssa destroyed the pit and Malcolm was pissed." Thea informs Laurel
"Even more reason to see her." Sara says, not being able to help her worry, and a little annoyed as the pit was going to be her first suggestion, "Laurel should stay here, if Malcolm has something we can bring it back or the three of you can come." Sara explains looking at Felicity and Diggle.
"Would be best." Oliver says approvingly. "But we need other plans in case Malcolm has nothing, or what is more likely, refuses to help." Oliver says.
"I've heard about a few Sharman and medicine men. One of them might know something. It might take me a little bit to track them down though." Sara tells everyone.
"I know a few too, let's see if they overlap." Oliver says and together the group of five start to talk about all the people and ways there are that might save Laurel.
Unknown to him half an hour after Laurel woke up in excruciating pain Lance arrives at his daughter's apartment. When he arrives Lance knocks on the door but because he suspects that Laurel, Thea and Sara are still sleeping Lance uses his key to enter.
"Laurel? Thea? Sara?" Lance calls as he walks in.
"In here, Daddy." Laurel calls out and the second she does she really regrets that as it makes things so much worse.
"Laurel?" Lance asks walking into Laurel's room, turning the light on.
"Turn the light off, turn the light off." Laurel says from underneath her blanket, her voice full of pain.
Hearing that Lance quickly turns off the light and hurries over to his daughter, "What's wrong?" Lance says as he sits down on Laurel's bed.
"Headache, bad." Laurel explains, as Lance moves the blanket slightly so he can look at his daughter.
"What can I do?" Lance asks his daughter worried as she winches from the light even though she doesn't open her eyes.
"Nothing, it will pass eventually." Laurel tells her father.
"Maybe I should call your Doctor." Lance suggest, not being able to help his worry, especially when he sees the pain that is on his daughter's face.
"No need, I know what he'll see, plus I'll tell him when I see him at my regular appointment on Monday." Laurel explains, needing to force herself not to scream in pain.
"There has to be something I can do." Lance tells his daughter, hating to see her like this as he can tell that Laurel is in excruciating pain and he hates that.
"Cover the window, close the door." Laurel requests, "Block the lights." Laurel says as tears of pain come to her eyes.
"Of course." Lance says and he quickly gets up and covers the window and closes the door.
"Thank you." Laurel says and Lance sits down on the chair watching his daughter, who continues to do everything she can to ignore the pain that is getting worse.
For half an hour Lance has been watching his daughter attempt not to scream in pain, feeling his own heart break ever second that he watches, when he hears the front door open and Thea and Sara's voices as they walk in.
"I'll be right back." Lance tells Laurel before once more leaving the room, opening the door as little as possible as he does.
Once her Dad leaves Laurel turns and slightly screams into her pillow as she needs to do something to deal with the pain.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sara asks when she sees her father.
"I came to check on you girls and found Laurel almost screaming in pain." Lance explains, "I had to block all the light out of her room." He explains.
"Headache?" Thea asks as Lance nods, as soon as he does Thea hurries to the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Sara asks having followed Thea, as Thea puts the kettle on the begins to search the cupboards.
"There are chocolate in the fridge that Diggle buys every time Laurel has headaches, it actually helps and camomile tea helps too." Thea says, "There the only things that can considering Laurel won't take pain medication." She explains as she puts a tea bag in a cup, honestly as she has sat with Laurel when she was having really bad headaches Thea really admires Laurel for the strength she has to resist taking pain pills.
Hearing that Sara heads straight over to the fridge, "The box in the bottom?" Sara ask as she looks inside.
"Yes." Thea answers as she adds the water to the tea and Sara grabs the chocolates.
"Laurel's almost screaming, I don't know if tea and chocolate will help." Lance tells Sara and Thea, looking distressed, "Maybe we should call her doctor."
"There is nothing he can do right now, her headaches last two hours on average. If it hasn't passed soon I'll call and see what he has to say." Thea says, "Here take this and the chocolate in, try and get her to have some, it might just help." Thea explains handing the tea to Lance.
"Okay." Lance says and he takes the tea into Laurel's room while Sara takes the chocolate, Thea stays outside as she knows what Laurel having headaches caused by her condition is like and so she knows that Laurel doesn't need to be crowded.
When Lance and Sara walk into Laurel's room they both head to Laurel's bed, where Laurel, unknown to both Lance and Sara has just stopped silently screaming into her pillows, having done so as soon as she heard the footsteps approaching her door.
"Laurel, the tea and chocolate that Thea said helps is on your bedside table." Lance tells her daughter. While he does that Sara climbs in the other side the bed and moves so that she is under the blanket too, right near her big sister.
"Thank you." Laurel says from where her head is buried beneath her blanket.
"When did your headache start?" Sara asks her sister, keeping her voice as quiet as possible as even with how dark it is she can see the pain on her sister's face, the pain that she is trying to hide.
"An hour ago." Laurel answers, squeezing her eyes to try and prevent the tears that are forming,
"I got you, I'm right here." Sara says as she reaches out and takes her big sisters hands, "Squeeze my hands as you hurt, I can take it." Sara tells her sister.
"Okay." Laurel says and she squeezes her sister's hands, but not too hard as doesn't want Sara to hurt as much as she is hurting.
"Come on I know it's hurting you more than that. I'm pretty tough, I do take after you after all." Sara tells her sister and hearing that Laurel squeezes a little tighter.
Even though he can't see what Laurel and Sara are doing Lance can hear what his daughters are saying and he hates that Laurel is in so much pain and that Sara is hurting so much for her sister.
For a little over an hour Lance sits by his daughters bed while both Laurel and Sara lay under the blanket Laurel desperately trying not to cry and scream in pain while Sara holds her sister's hands, trying to get Laurel to squeeze them harder if it helps her, not caring about how much it hurts her.
"It's easing." Laurel tells Sara.
"Really?" Sara asks, being very glad about that fact, as she has hated ever second of the last hour, she has hated watching her sister being in so much pain.
"Yeah." Laurel confirms.
"Are you in that much pain whenever you have headaches?" Lance asks his daughter.
"Not that much. That was worse than usual." Laurel says as she moves the blanket from over her head, "But I was told that they would get worse." Laurel explains as she reaches over and turns on her bedside lamp, and surprising the light doesn't hurt, "Much better." She comments as her head doesn't hurt as much as it did a little while ago.
"Do you get headaches like that a lot?" Sara asks worried.
"A couple of times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less." Laurel tells her sister, as she moves the blanket off and sits up.
"Maybe you should rest more." Lance tells his daughter.
"No need, I'm fine now." Laurel says, deciding not to mention that her head still hurts, just not as much as it was.
"You were almost screaming in pain five minutes ago." Sara points out, being amazed at how fast her sister seems to be bouncing back.
"I know, but I feel better now." Laurel explains as she stands up, and both Lance and Sara watch her in worry, "I'm not going to spend all day in bed, not when I don't have to." Laurel says before she heads out into the living room.
"Wow, Diggle was right." Sara comments as she watches her sister go.
"What do you mean?" Lance asks his daughter.
"Thea and I were at that lair this morning, that's where we were coming back from. We were there as we were discussing all the ways that we're going to try and save Laurel. Before we left I talked to Diggle and he explained that while he thinks Laurel has accepted that she is going to die if we don't save her she hasn't accepted that being sick stops her from doing things, and I think he's right." Sara realises.
"So do I." Lance says and he and Sara head out of Laurel's room, walking out to see Laurel and Thea hugging.
For the rest of the day Laurel has a small amount of pain in her head, but it is a small enough amount that she is able to hide it from her father and two sisters, even managing to do so during the lunch they went to together and the hours they spent together afterwards.
"We should head to the lair. See if anything come up." Laurel says as she comes out of her room after a shower later that night, a couple of hours after Lance left.
"Nope." Thea says, "We've got the night off. The boys are handling things tonight."
"I've told you, I'm fine." Laurel says then she notices all the food that is on the table, "What's going on?" she asks, looking between Sara and Thea.
"Felicity will be here soon; we're having a slumber party." Sara explains, "Or if you prefer we're going to be watching a lot of movies and eating a lot of bad food." Sara informs her sister.
"What movies?" Laurel asks curious.
"Mean girls, legally blond, parent trap, clueless and cheaper by the dozen." Thea answers.
"And I'm guessing that the fact that they are all movies that I really love is the point." Laurel realises.
"Of course." Sara says as there is a knock on the door, "That would be Felicity." Sara says as she heads to the door.
"You hid my musicals didn't you?" Laurel asks Thea as Sara heads to the door, being sure that Sara would have included them in the movies they are watching if Thea didn't.
"Yeah, I figured that after your headache this morning you could do without Sara and I singing along." Thea explains, knowing that both her and Sara used to sing along to musicals all the time, to the annoyance of Laurel, Tommy, and Oliver.
"Thanks." Laurel says gratefully as Sara and Felicity walk over.
"So, are we having anything other than a lot of food that we're going to regret in the morning?" Laurel asks curious.
"Pizza's on the way." Sara explains.
"So, that's a no." Felicity realises.
"Let's grab blankets and pillows to put on the floor and then get started on the food and movies." Thea says and the four of them do just that.
While, Thea, Laurel, Sara and Felicity are enjoying themselves Oliver and Diggle are just returning to the Arrow cave after dealing with some ghosts when Oliver's phone starts to ring.
"It's Felicity's Mom." Oliver says surprised, "Hello." Oliver answers.
"Oliver, I wasn't sure who else to call. Felicity is with Quintin's daughters and I don't think if it would be good if they knew." Donna's voice says rather quickly.
"Donna, what is it?" Oliver asks confused.
"It's Quintin. He's drunk six scotch's in the last hour and he keeps muttering about how he can't lose his baby girl and I don't know who else to call." Donna explains, sounding worried.
"Where are you?" Oliver asks.
"The pub by the train station." Donna explains.
"I'll be right there." Oliver says before hanging up.
"What's going on?" Diggle asks concerned once Oliver hangs up.
"Apparently Lance has decided to deal with the news about Laurel by drowning his liver in scotch. I'm going to go drag him home." Oliver explains, not blaming Lance for doing that but at the same time not believing that he would do that to Laurel considering everything knowing the affect it would have.
"Want a hand?" Diggle asks curious.
"No, I'll be okay." Oliver says, "Go home." Oliver says, planning on getting changed then heading straight there.
Completely unaware of the call that Oliver just got at Laurel's apartment Thea and Sara are sitting on the floor while Laurel and Felicity are sharing the couch all four of them watching movies and eating food.
"How many times have you seen this movie?" Felicity asks, looking between Sara and Laurel who are quoting along with the movie.
"About a thousand time." Sara answers with a smile as it was one of the movies that she and Laurel loved to watch the most when they were younger.
"When we first got it on video Dad hid it after about a week because of how many times we watched it." Laurel explains, smiling fondly as she remembers.
"Really?" Thea asks amused as she didn't even know that.
"Really." Laurel confirms with a laugh.
"Wow." Felicity comment, being surprised by that.
"You know I think the fact that you trying to pierce my ears had more to do with Dad hiding the movie than anything else." Sara informs Laurel.
"You did ask me to try." Laurel tells her sister, remembering.
"I thought it looked cool!" Sara explains, her way of defending herself.
"Did it hurt a lot?" Felicity asks curious.
"We didn't get that far, Dad caught us." Laurel explains, remembering that she was just about to stick the needle into Sara's ear when Lance walked in, "He was pissed." Laurel explains with a laugh.
"Really pissed." Sara confirms causing everyone to laugh as they do Felicity looks at Laurel and notice something.
"Laurel do you feel okay?" Felicity asks concerned.
"I feel fine, why?" Laurel asks as Sara and Thea turn around.
"Nose bleed. You must have been expecting it considering the pattern." Thea says a she gets up to grab a box of tissues, not reacting as much as Sara and Felicity as she has been with Laurel when she has nose bleeds caused by her condition, and so she knows just what to do.
"Yeah, I have been." Laurel admits, "After I have bad headaches I get a nose bleeds within twenty-four hours." Laurel explains to Sara and Felicity, as Thea hands her a box of tissues, "Thanks."
"So, this is normal for you?" Sara asks, wanting to understand just what her sister has been going through.
"In the last four months, yeah." Laurel says, "Focus on the movie, not me, things are getting good." Laurel says as it is the part of the movie where the twins realise what is going on.
Fifteen minutes after getting a call from Donna Oliver arrives at the pub where she is with Lance.
"I've got him. Head back to the loft. I'll see you later." Oliver says to Donna.
"Are you sure?" Donna asks concerned.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Oliver says and as Donna leaves the pub he heads over to Lance, "Captain."
"Queen, what are you doing here?" Lance asks bitterly.
"Donna called, she was worried. Let's get you home." Oliver says, putting money on the bar to pay for Lance's bar tab.
"I'm fine here." Lance comments, taking another mouthful of his drink.
"No, you're not, and I don't expect you to be." Oliver tells him, "I can't imagine how much you're hurting right now after finding out about Laurel, but what I do know is that the last thing Laurel needs right now is for you to crawl into a bottle." Oliver says as even though his promise to Laurel was to look after her family after she was gone he also promised her months ago that he would be a better friend so that's what he's doing.
"Don't you dare tell me what my daughter needs." Lance says angrily as he turns to look at Oliver.
"Someone has to." Oliver says, standing his ground, "You know Laurel, you know that if she knew you were drinking right now then she would blame herself and that she would spend the time she has left worrying about you rather than looking after herself, and I can't believe you would hurt her like that."
"How dare you." Lance says, throwing a punch at Oliver which he dodges, which causes Lance to fall onto the bar.
"Look, listen to me, Captain." Oliver says, standing next to Lance and putting his hand on his back, "Laurel needs you more than ever, you can't do this to her, she doesn't deserve this." He says, "Let me take you home and help you sober up, and then you can really think about what you're doing." Oliver asks and Lance gives him a nod and so Oliver helps Lance out of bar. As they leave Oliver is thinking about whether he can hide this from Laurel while, through his drunken haze, Lance is thinking about whether or not Oliver is right.