Author's note: Just a short little update for today, but I think you guys will like this one. The chapter title comes from Christina Perri's "The Words." Let me know what you think and what you want to see. Oh, and we're coming up on the birth so what do you think Felicity will name her little one?
Chapter Two: Love Has A Quiet Voice
"Good job tonight, guys. Roy, your aim is getting even better." Oliver set his bow in its place in the display against the wall. He flipped his green hood down and turned to his team – Diggle, Roy, and Laurel.
"Yeah, it's almost like breaking my leg left me better than ever." Roy chuckled. Diggle just rolled his eyes.
"We're still no closer to figuring this out, though. Yeah, we know the company is a front, but we have no idea what they're up to. Or if they're even active, considering their "CEO" is supposedly dead." Laurel pointed out, pulling the blonde wig and mask off. "Palmer, I think his name was."
"We'll figure it out eventually." Oliver simply said. "We have to."
"Agreed." Diggle nodded. "If even half of the things I've heard are true then California is in dire straits."
"Hey who's running the company, if the CEO is supposed to be dead?" Roy chimed in.
"I couldn't find anything." Laurel shrugged. "All information about him, his family and employees, has disappeared. It's almost like someone was able to pull it all offline."
"What about hard copies? Human resources, court filings, public documents?" Oliver said.
"That's all gone too." Laurel told him. "These people are good."
"Police records?" Diggle said.
Laurel shook her head. "My dad won't admit to knowing anything – I'm pretty sure he's on the case but he can't say anything."
"Which means this could be bigger than just the police." Oliver guessed. "Didn't you say the company is based in Central City?"
"Yeah – they have an office here too though. I guess it's closed up, though – the building was cleared out, empty." Laurel said.
Oliver let out a breath. "Okay – well, why don't we call it a night, back to it tomorrow? Dig, maybe A.R.G.U.S. can scrounge something up for us, maybe?" Diggle nodded. Rory and Laurel left, leaving the other two alone.
"How's your mom doing?" Diggle inquired.
Oliver ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "It's not good, John."
"Man, I'm sorry." Diggle sighed.
"They're already talking about wills and DNR's and last rite's . . ." Oliver shook his head. "It's just . . . bullshit. All this modern technology and medicine and all they can do is make her "comfortable" – whatever that means."
Diggle was quiet, letting Oliver say what he needed to.
"Thea's in denial, pulling attitude like always. Mom wants to baby her about it – she doesn't even know how sick Mom really is." Oliver let out a breath. "And when something finally does happen I'm the one who's going to have to take care of her, explain what happened, and everything else."
"You'll get through it, both of you. You're both strong." Diggle said.
"I hope so." Oliver sighed. "I was really hoping to find something more to hit tonight . . . ease some of this stress."
"We'll find something soon." Diggle assured him. "You need a ride home or to the hospital?"
"I've got the bike," Oliver said. "Mom's stable for the night so Thea and I are actually sleeping at home for once. I'm not really sure how tomorrow's going to go – depending on how mom is feeling."
"Okay." Diggle said. "You need anything, you give me and Lyla a call, okay? Even just to get Thea away from the hospital for a few days. Sara likes having her aunt Thea over." Oliver nodded. "'Night." Diggle ascended the Foundry stairs.
Oliver stayed behind for a few moments, just to savor the quiet. So much to do, so much on his mind, so much . . . too much. Saving Starling City, taking care of Thea and his mother, being Oliver Queen . . . just – too much.
He finally left the Foundry and picked a cranky Thea up from the hospital before the two headed back home to the Queen family mansion. Thea stomped her way upstairs, passing on dinner, and slammed her way into her room.
Oliver stood in the doorway of the house as Raisa came up to him, demanding both he and 'Miss Thea' eat their dinner. Also not hungry, Oliver declined. He took a shower and crashed early where his nightmares kept him company.
The next morning, the hospital called to inform him that his mother was feeling much better and asked that her children join her for an early lunch. After much fighting from both Raisa and himself, Oliver finally managed to shuffle Thea out of the house (and surprisingly, her mood was slightly improved.)
He left Thea and his mother in her room while he wandered down the hall to get some air. While his mother was feeling better, the previous conversation with her and the doctor the day before about her will still hung on his mind. It was hard to process that the woman who greeted them for brunch today, ordering the hospital staff around and complimenting Thea on her new outfit, was really so sick. The doctors told him that this was likely not to last – that many patients often have a sudden burst of energy before their last days.
He just couldn't do this anymore.
A few steps into the hall and around the corner and he stopped in his tracks. It was her – the sad, blonde, woman from the cafeteria months ago. He should really get back to Thea and his mother . . . but his feet remained planted.
She was right there, right in front of him. It had been months since he'd noticed her in the cafeteria and her stomach was quite a bit bigger but he still recognized her. She had stirred something within him that day – something no one had been able to for a long time, if ever.
She was holding on to a rail against the wall near the vending machines in the corner, leaning over and mumbling under her breath. A red robe was draped over her shoulders, partially open to reveal a light pink hospital gown over her growing bump. A look of distress graced her features and his face twitched.
Why was she alone again? He looked around – no one in sight. Where was the father of the baby she was carrying? Didn't she have any family with her? She seemed like she was in pain. At the very least, there should be a nurse with her or something.
Letting out a breath, Oliver continued forward toward her. He passed her and stood in front of the vending machine, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. Did he really need anything, no – but he didn't want to leave her alone.
Now that he was closer, he could hear how heavy she was breathing. She didn't acknowledge him, lost in her own little world. He wanted to say something, but what? He didn't want to scare her. He pretended to focus on the vending machine, like he couldn't decide what he wanted, hoping she'd say something or reach out to him.
She still wasn't wearing a ring of any kind – not that that meant anything these days. People didn't have to be married to have a child together. Still, he'd been standing there with her a while now and no one had come up to her or checked on her. No one even walked by. The hospital staff were so attentive to his mother – sometimes too much so – so why weren't they checking on this obviously distressed pregnant woman?
After a few moments, she finally looked up at him – almost startled but seemingly annoyed too. There was a look of feistiness in her expression that almost had him laughing but he didn't want to ruin the moment. Her body relaxed a little, at least she didn't seem like she was in so much pain anymore. He wanted to ask her if she was okay but somehow it didn't feel right.
Electricity sparked in the air between them as their eyes met. A slight blush swept across her cheeks and the slightest smirk peaked Oliver's mouth. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off:
"Mrs—"
The woman's head whipped to the side toward their interloper (a nurse, finally!), a furious glare on her face.
"Right, sorry – Felicity, we should really get you back to bed. The doctor wants to discuss a few things with you." The nurse rested her hand on the woman's – Felicity's – shoulder.
"Um . . . maybe the chair would be nice?" Felicity blushed again, glancing back and forth between the nurse and Oliver.
"How are you feeling? Any cramps?" The nurse crossed the few steps to where a wheelchair rested against the wall. She unfolded it and wheeled it behind Felicity.
"Uh uh." Felicity shook her head. The nurse raised her eyebrow. "Okay, maybe just my back. And my knees." The blonde rolled her eyes. "And everywhere."
"We'll see what the doctor will let us do about that, okay?" The nurse nodded, helping Felicity lower herself into the chair.
The nurse started wheeling her patient away before the blonde turned back. "I highly suggest the animal crackers – they're the only edible thing in there!" The nurse smirked and the two of them disappeared around a corner.
Oliver still stood in front of the vending machine, speechless.
"Ollie!" Thea appeared down the hall, rolling her eyes. "Come on, the food's here!"
OFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFO
"Who was that?" Her nurse Susan asked Felicity as she wheeled her back to her room.
Felicity shrugged. "No clue. Just some guy. He seemed lost."
"Well he certainly was delicious." Susan chuckled.
"He wasn't bad, yeah." Felicity blushed, happy that the nurse was behind her and couldn't see her. He was the man she'd seen the day before down the hall from her room - the sad and broken looking one. He certainly was 'delicious', gorgeous even. And . . . she was pretty sure he was only standing there to make sure she was okay and wasn't interested in the vending machine at all. But . . . she wasn't going to tell the nurse all that. "Any chance I'll get out of here today? I am dying to sleep in my own bed. The service here really is great, but you guys could use a different mattress supplier."
Susan laughed. "I'll have to agree with you on that one. Even the beds in the on-call rooms are uncomfortable. Although, whether or not you go home is up to the doctor." Felicity sighed as they entered her room where the doctor was already waiting for them.
"Come on, doc – let me out of here!" She pleaded. "Or, for god's sake, induce me and let's get this show on the road!"
Her doctor smirked, tapping his pen on the chart in his hand. "Unfortunately, we can't induce yet. We'd really like to give that baby of yours at least another week in there if we can. With the stress, the high blood pressure, and everything else the extra time in the womb will really give your baby a great head start once you do finally go into labor. If it happens sooner than that, then we'll know the little one is ready."
"Ugh, you're killin' me here doc." Felicity sighed as Susan helped her back into the bed.
"Trust me, once your little one is in your arms you'll forget all about this." The doctor assured her.
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Felicity narrowed her eyes. "So . . . if you can't induce me can I go home?"
The doctor let out a breath. "Well . . . your blood pressure's dropped, you're not dilated at all, and your numbers are all good. I might be inclined to let you go home." Felicity squealed, clapping. "If, and only if, you promise to stay off your feet." Felicity nodded. "No salt and no stress." Felicity nodded again. "And if anything changes – your water breaks, your cramps get worse, bleeding – anything, I want you to call me straight away and then come in. Okay?"
"Got it." Felicity nodded, ready to grab her phone and call her mother.
"Okay then, before we get you discharged let's go over the birth plan one more time and we'll get the room and everything set up so that it is ready when you are." The doctor said.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Felicity nodded, ready to get the hell out of there – back to her bed and her precious computers.
to be continued . . .