Chapter 7
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AN1" Thank you everyone who supports this story. PLEASE, PLEASE, leave a review.
More than a few hours after Doctor Wilson asked to talk to Laurel in private Oliver, Sara, Thea, Felicity and Diggle are back in Laurel's room all trying to make the fact that she is stuck in a bed in a hospital room as enjoyable as possible for her. Lance would have been with them but he got called to the station with an emergency.
For at least an hour Thea, Laurel, Sara, Oliver and Diggle have all been throwing a ball around while Felicity is doing work that she needs to get done on her tablet.
"You know it's good that we all have good aim and reflects, otherwise we would have broken a lot of things by now." Thea comments as she throws the ball.
"It is good." Sara answers as she catches it then throws it at her sister.
"We're good." Laurel corrects as she catches the ball and throws it at Oliver.
"How's this working as a distraction?" Oliver asks curious as he throws the ball at Diggle.
"Pretty good." Laurel answers as Diggle catches the ball and throws it at Thea.
"Um, we've got a problem." Felicity says as Thea catches the ball.
"What is it?" Oliver asks.
"Ghost's sighting, seem to be heading downtown." She explains and everyone exchanges looks.
"Go." Laurel says, "I'll be fine." She assures them and because she knows Oliver which means she can tell that he is still hesitant "Or if you're worried I could sneak out of here and go with you." Laurel suggests, "It would be fine with me. Actually I would be more than happy to go." Laurel admits, telling the complete truth.
"No." Oliver, Sara and Thea say together, as Thea throws the ball into Laurel's open bag.
"You've got to rest before your surgery, plus the nurses will come in to check on you, which would make you suddenly disappearing hard to explain." Oliver reminds Laurel, "Look, I know you're bored here, but the best thing for you right now is to stay behind, even as much as you hate to hear it."
"I know." Laurel says with a sigh, "You should get going." She tells her friends and Thea walks over to give her a hug.
"I'll stay." Sara tells the others once Thea and Laurel have broken apart.
"You don't have to. I have the gun. I'll be fine." Laurel tells her little sister, "You should go, they could use your help." She says, looking right at Sara, who looks hesitant, and right away Laurel realises why, "I believe in you Sear-Bear, I believe that you can control the bloodlust, but I wouldn't say no to your company if you want to stay."
"I'll help." Sara says and she gives her sister another hug, only doing so because Laurel said she believes in her and she doesn't want to let her down.
"Here. So, you can hear what's going on." Felicity says to Laurel as she hands her a spare coms device.
"Thanks." Laurel says with a smile, "Go." She tells the others and they all head out of the room.
"Damn it." Laurel says angrily, punching the bed, once the others have left as she can't help the frustration she feels as she hates that she's not going to go and fight the ghosts, she hates that she is stuck in a bed getting sicker, while the people she cares about are out saving the day, "No, no self-pity." Laurel tells herself and she takes a deep breath and puts the coms in her ear, planning on helping in any way she can from her bed.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Oliver ask Sara as they make their way through the hospital.
"No, but Laurel believes I am, I'm doing this for her." Sara explains.
"Really?" Oliver asks, not being able to help but be a little surprised by that.
"Really." Sara confirms, as she wants to make Laurel proud of her, and she walks faster so that she can catch up to Thea, "Any tips on how to control this?" Sara asks.
"Don't think about it. Just do your thing, and I'll have your back." Thea assures her.
"I don't doubt it." Sara responds and the group of five continue to walk through the hospital.
While Sara, Oliver, Thea and Diggle are on their mission with Felicity providing tech support, Laurel is lying in her bed at the hospital listening to the whole thing, and talking to the others too.
"Where did you get this motorbike? It's great." Sara ask her sister through the coms as they drive to the location.
"I brought it from a private seller who customised it for me." Laurel explains, "So don't you dare crash it." She tells her sister, her voice stern.
"I won't." Sara promises her sister.
"You better not." Laurel mutters bitterly and everyone becomes quiet, the only sounds that anyone can hear through the coms are the sounds of everyone breathing.
For the next half an hour Laurel listens through the coms and as she does she knows, without a doubt, that just listening is horrible, she hates not being there with them, she hates that she is so useless to them right now.
A few hours later Laurel is alone in her hospital room, both Thea and Sara offered to stay, but Laurel convinced them that she would be okay alone so they went back to the apartment, and so Laurel is sitting in her bed, knowing that she should be sleeping, but not being able to.
"You don't have to stand in the shadows, Ollie. I'm awake." Laurel says as she notices a figure standing in the darkened doorway, a figure she immediately recognizes so she doesn't even go for the gun.
"You should be sleeping." Oliver says as he walks in.
"Probably." Laurel admits, "But I can't seem to manage that." Laurel admits.
"No surprises there." Oliver says as he pulls a chair over and sits next to Laurel, "How you doing?"
"Fine. How'd Sara go? Was she okay out there? I couldn't exactly tell through the coms." Laurel comments, it being clear that she is worried about her little sister.
"She was great, didn't lose control once." Oliver explains, not surprised that Laurel is worried about her little sister as he is just as worried about his.
"Good, I'm glad." Laurel responds, "Why are you here Ollie?" she asks curious.
"I know you told Thea and Sara to go home, but I also know you. Know that you could use some company even if you didn't admit it." Oliver explains.
"I don't want them to worry. I don't want anyone to worry." Laurel informs Oliver, and that doesn't surprise him one bit.
"That's not going to happen, and you know it." Oliver tells her.
"Yeah, I do." Laurel confirms and the two of the drift into silence.
"So, your Dad said that your Mom is coming on Wednesday. What are you going to tell her?" Oliver asks curious.
"The truth, or at least as much off it as I can tell her without it raising too many questions." Laurel explains.
"Good plan." Oliver responds and they both drift into silence once more, and for a while they just sit in comfortable silence.
"Do you remember Christmas break, our senior year of high school?" Laurel asks Oliver curious, finally breaking the silence, as it was something she started to think about when she couldn't' sleep and was staring out of the window.
"Yeah." Oliver says with a nod, wondering where Laurel is going with this.
"You and Tommy convinced me to sneak out Christmas eve." Laurel says, remembering.
"After bugging you for a week. Tommy told you that you didn't always have to follow the rules, that breaking the rules can be good." Oliver says, looking amused at how different that is now.
"We went to Tommy's house, Malcolm was gone as usual, and you had somehow gotten your hands on fireworks." Laurel says, "We laid on blanket, on the frozen pool, watching them go off." Laurel says, smiling fondly as she remembers.
"Until our weight broke the ice. We fell through." Oliver remembers, "We all almost got hyperthermia."
"And Dad grounded me for two weeks."
"And you didn't talk to me or Tommy for two months." Oliver says remembering.
"I did really did hold a grudge about that, sorry." Laurel admits, feeling bad about it.
"It's okay, we deserved it." Oliver says with a shrug.
"I think I was madder at myself, I couldn't believe I had let you two talk me into it." Laurel reveals, "Though, it wasn't the first time, so I probably should have learnt my lesson by then."
"It wasn't the last either."
"No, it wasn't, guess I never leant." Laurel confirms and for a few seconds they are both silent
"I miss him, every day." Oliver informs Laurel, wanting her to know that.
"So do I." Laurel says sadly, "I'm sorry, Ollie. I know what it feels like to be the one left behind and I'm sorry that you're going to have to feel that too." Laurel says sadly, looking at her oldest friend.
"No, don't." Oliver says, reaching out and taking Laurel's hand, "This isn't your fault, none of this." He tells her, "You have cancer, that's not your fault. Not in any way."
"Yes it is, Ollie. I choose to stay at CNRI to save evidence for people, and Tommy died because of that choice. Maybe this is my punishment." Laurel says, avoiding looking at Oliver.
"No. Look at me Laurel." Oliver says moving so that he is sitting on Laurel's bed so that he can really look at her, "You stayed because you wanted to save people's livelihoods, because that's who you are and Tommy came back for you because he loved you, he made that choice for himself. It's not your fault, none of this, the only one to blame is Malcolm." Oliver tells her, "And because of this I will get him to help. I will get him to save you."
"You'll try, and I'll always be thankful for that, but we both know that Malcolm isn't likely to agree to help, not after how many times I've tried to kill him." Laurel tells Oliver.
"Thea is going to be the one to ask." Oliver explains as they both know that that means the chances of Malcolm saying yes is more likely, "and if he still says no then I will make him." Oliver promises Laurel as he can't let her die without doing everything he can to help her, no matter what it is that he has to do.
"No, you won't." Laurel tells Oliver, "I'm so proud of you, Ollie, so proud of everything you've done and how far you've come and I won't let you to go backwards, to slip back into your old ways, because of me." Laurel tells Oliver.
"I don't care. I won't let you die without doing everything in my power to save you, I can't." Oliver stresses, looking upset.
"I care!" Laurel says angrily, "I'm going to die, within six months, I'll be dead. Unless you find a way to save me. I desperately want you to find a way, but I don't want my life to cost you your soul." Laurel explains, looking both upset and angry.
"I don't have a soul anymore." Oliver tells Laurel, "Not after everything I've done." He says, completely believing that.
"Yes, you do." Laurel says forcibly, "I've seen it, Ollie. I've seen in the last three months in the way you've been doing things, I see it when you're with Felicity and when you're with Thea, and I know that you still have good inside of you and I will never forgive myself If I become the reason why you lose that goodness." Laurel informs Oliver,
"Laurel…." Oliver starts to say but before he can say much more his phone rings, "Hello." He answers, "Yeah, everything's okay, she's okay. Sorry about worrying you, I'll be home soon." Oliver says before hanging up, "Felicity, she thought that there had been another complication because I have been gone for so long." He explains.
"You should go home, Ollie. I really should get some sleep, I'm getting my chest cut open tomorrow after all, I could probably use the rest." Laurel comments, trying to get Oliver to leave as she doesn't want to argue with him anymore.
"We're not done with this conversation." Oliver informs Laurel, realising what she is trying to do.
"I know, but I also know that we're both too stubborn to be the first to give in." Laurel reminds Oliver, "Go home to Felicity. I'll be okay, like I said I should get some rest." She informs Oliver.
"I'll be back before you go into surgery and I'll sneak you in decent food for after." Oliver promises Laurel, giving her a grin.
"My hero." Laurel says with a playful smile and Oliver gives her a grin.
"I'll see you later." Oliver says before giving Laurel a hug before he leaves. Once Oliver leaves Laurel double checks where the gun that Sara brought her is before she makes herself comfortable and attempts to fall asleep.
After a couple of hours of restless sleep Laurel wakes to nurses running through the final things that they have to do before her surgery. As that is being done Lance, Sara, Thea, Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle all arrive.
"You didn't have to come." Laurel says, as the nurse who drew her blood walks out of the room.
"Of course we did Sweetheart. You're having surgery." Lance tells his daughter.
"And we have some news too." Felicity informs Laurel, "Good news for a change."
"Oh? What is it?" Laurel asks curious.
"We heard from STAR labs. There are a few experimental procedures that Caitlin is looking into, things that might help." Felicity explains, looking at Laurel.
"That is good news." Sara says happily.
"Yeah, it is." Laurel says, forcing a smile as she won't get her hopes up, not until there is a real reason to.
"So, how long will the surgery take?" Oliver asks curious.
"A few hours, and you don't have to wait here while I'm in surgery." Laurel tells everyone.
"Of course we're staying." Lance tells his daughter.
"You'll just be sitting around for a few hours, doing nothing, I know you all have more important things to do." Laurel tells her friends and family.
"Staying here with you is important." Sara tells her sister, but before Laurel can respond the door opens and Doctor Wilson walks in.
"Laurel, we've got to take you into pre op now." Doctor Wilson says.
"Okay. Guess I'll see you later." Laurel tells her friends and family.
"Yeah, we'll be right here when you wake." Lance promises his daughter and everyone gives Laurel a hug before they leave, as she hugs her sister Sara steals the gun that Laurel has stashed and hides it in her pants to make sure that the nurses or Doctors don't find it while Laurel is gone.
It has been several hours since Laurel's surgery begun and ever since Oliver, Lance, Sara, Thea, Felicity and Diggle have been waiting in the waiting room, hoping for news about how Laurel's surgery went and how she is doing.
Laurel's surgery has finished but because Doctor Wilson wants to talk to Laurel about everything before her family he is sitting by her bed in post op, waiting for Laurel to wake up.
"Laurel, it's Doctor Wilson, can you hear me?" Doctor Wilson says when he notices Laurel's eyes start to flicker.
"I can hear you." Laurel says as she opens her eyes and looks at Doctor Wilson, "It's bad, isn't it?" Laurel asks.
"How do you feel?" Doctor Wilson asks, standing up.
"Fine." Laurel answers, her voice a little horse.
"Do you have a headache? Chest pain? Are you finding it hard to breathe?" Doctor Wilson asks.
"No headache." Laurel asks, swallowing to take a breath, "Just some soreness in my chest, the same I felt after the last surgery it's not too much, no problem with breathing." Laurel explains to Doctor Wilson, "What happened?" She asks, being sure that it's not going to be good news.
"I was able to remove all the tumours in your lungs, but we weren't able to resect as much of the ones in your nasal cavity as we were hoping to." Doctor Wilson explains, "The size and the position of the tumour has now made it too difficult to attempt another surgery." Doctor Wilson explains, "It's going to keep growing, Laurel, expand into other areas. But, attempting to shrink it is still an option."
"What would that do now, realistically?" Laurel asks as after the research she has done she suspects that it won't be much and even with her outlook looking bleaker chemo and radiation isn't something that she wants to subject herself too considering the little help it will give.
"It would give you a few more months." Doctor Wilson says, "I know that that might not seem like much, but with your outlook that is a lot of time. You should give Chemo and Radiation another consideration, things won't be pleasant, but it will give you more time."
"I don't want more time like that." Laurel tells her Doctor, trying to think of a way to explain what her friends are doing, "I'm not giving up. I have friends looking into other ways, but I'm not doing Chemo and Radiation."
"Other ways?" Doctor Wilson asks confused.
"Yeah, that's complicated." Laurel says, trying to come up with a lie in case he asks more questions.
"Okay." Doctor Wilson says confused, "I don't understand that, but it's your choice." He says.
"So, four months?" Laurel asks.
"Four or five, yes." Doctor Wilson answers, "I'm sorry, Laurel." He says and she nods, "Now, you'll be moved back to your room surgery and if you are okay with it I would like to go and update your friends and family." He says.
"Yeah, that's fine." Laurel says, knowing that everyone will be worried.
"I'll come back to check on you later." Doctor Wilson informs Laurel before getting up and leaving.
"Four months." Laurel says to herself once Doctor Wilson leaves, "I have four months to live." Laurel says to herself quietly and as she does she feels tears well in her eyes, because she doesn't want anyone to see her cry Laurel turns, winching in pain thanks to her surgical wounds, away from where the nurses are, and allows silent tears to roll down her face.
Ever since Laurel has been in surgery Oliver, Thea, Sara, Lance, Felicity and Diggle have been sitting in the waiting area, waiting for some kind of news.
"It shouldn't be taking this long." Lance says as he worriedly paces the room, "We should have heard something by now." He says.
"Captain." Oliver says as he notices Doctor Wilson down the corridor.
"What?" Lance asks, turning to face him.
"Doctor Wilson's coming." Oliver explains as he stands up.
Hearing what Oliver said everyone stands up and walks over to where Doctor Wilson is walking in the room.
"How's Laurel?" Lance asks as soon as Doctor Wilson is standing before them.
"She's out of surgery and doing well, I just left her and she has a bit of pain, but it's how much is expected, and is doing quite well." Doctor Wilson explains.
"How'd the surgery go?" Thea asks.
"We were able to remove all tumours in Laurel's lungs, but we weren't able to resect the one in her nasal cavity as much as we were hoping to." Doctor Wilson informs everyone.
"What does that mean?" Sara asks worried.
"It means that it would be too dangerous to try and preform any more surgeries on the tumour in Laurel's nose and sinuses." Doctor Wilson informs everyone, "I'm sorry, this isn't good news." He says.
"What exactly does that mean?" Oliver asks as he puts an arm around Thea and Lance puts an arm around Sara.
"It means that four, maybe five months is what Laurel has left. I can't perform any other surgeries on the main tumour, but if Laurel wishes I will continue to perform surgery on any other ones that occur, if they can be safely operated on." Doctor Wilson explains, "No, Laurel will be moved back to her room soon and when she is I'll send a nurse back to get you." He says before leaving.
After Doctor Wilson leaves everyone just sits back down with looks of both shock and pain on their faces, everyone thinking about how they can't lose Laurel.
"We need to find a way." Felicity says quietly.
"We will, I will." Oliver promises and the group drift into silence.
Half an hour after Doctor Wilson came to talk to everyone they are all allowed into Laurel's room. When they enter Laurel's room everyone finds Laurel lying on her side, tears rolling down her face.
"Laurel?" Lance asks concerned as he hurries to his daughter side.
"I'm fine, Daddy." Laurel assures through her tears
"No, you're not." Thea says as she climbs onto the bed and lies against Laurel's chest, as soon as she is lying Laurel puts her arms around Thea.
"And that's okay." Sara says as she climbs onto the bed too and lies behind Laurel, putting her arms around her big sister and rests her head on Laurel's shoulder.
As Sara does that Oliver walks over and squats down next to where Lance is sitting, looking sadly at his daughter, hating that Laurel is in so much pain.
"You don't have to be strong all the time, Laurel." Oliver tells her, "It's okay to allow yourself to feel what you're feeling." Oliver says as he pushes Laurel's hair out of her face, "And we'll figure out a way to save you, we will." He promises.
"You'll try." Laurel corrects, "And that's all I could ask." she says.
"I'll do more than that." Oliver promises, his voice being only loud enough for Laurel to hear, before he gets up and walks back over to where Felicity is and puts his arm around her as she looks close to tears to.
After Oliver's words the room drift into silence, the only sounds being that of Laurel, who is nestled between Thea and Sara, crying, everyone watching her with looks of worry on their faces, no one sure what to say or do to help her pain.