Chapter 6: The Clock King

Sunday, September 10, 2017

"When Felicity said there would be chocolate cake, she better have meant it," Thea noted to her brother as he worked his key into the lock of the Loft. Oliver paused with the door unlocked but still closed to shoot Thea an unamused look.

"My wife is due in less than two months. If she bought you a cake from the gas station, you are going to eat it, and you are going to be grateful," Oliver stated, sounding so much like a parent that it nearly caused Thea to roll her eyes.

Roy snorted in amusement. Thea tried to hold onto her composure, but she let a smile slip.

Felicity had invited Roy and Thea over to the Loft for a 'welcome home', home-cooked meal. She had told Thea that she figured Thea was probably completely over the Bulgravian hospital food of the past week. Thea could admit that if she didn't see dairy for a month, she probably wouldn't miss it. The number of yogurts, cheeses, and cream-based soups as Thea had eaten in the past week …

Thea and Roy had just returned home on the PalmerTech jet, getting back in the wee hours on Saturday and had proceeded to spend the next 24 hours sleeping and vegging on the couch. They were finally feeling a little human again – enough, at least, to come out for dinner.

"You didn't have to pick us up," Thea added. "We could have taken the bus or a cab."

"Nope," Oliver dissented. "We are not letting you out around anything infectious for at least a year."

He pushed the door open ahead of him, and Scully, who had been sitting at Thea's feet, took off in a flash of color into the Loft, releasing a tiny 'woof' of joy. "Good to know how we stack up," Thea said drily. Oliver stepped back, letting Thea walk in first with Roy directly behind.

As Thea stepped foot into the Loft, she suddenly felt that something was very, very wrong. Thea reached a hand out to stop Roy from walking further inside.

"Surprise!"

Thea's eyes widened, as from behind the kitchen island, the table, and the couches, people leapt into sight. Sin and McKenzie held up a sign declaring, "Welcome home, Rob and Thea!"

Thea's eyes filled as Felicity rushed out in front, her pregnant belly leading the way, and drew Thea into a hug. Thea looked over Felicity's shoulder to see the room filled with her favorite people: Quentin and Donna; Digg, Lyla, and little Sarah; Curtis and Paul; McKenzie, Shanique, and Sin; Josh and Laurel. Even Alex was standing there with a relaxed smile on his face.

Roy was accepting hearty handshakes before being pulled into an unexpected hug by Digg. Thea laughed in surprise, as tears began welling in her eyes. "You guys!" Thea said, acknowledging the gesture.

Felicity said, her own eyes swimming, "We just needed you both to know how much we missed you." She added softly, "It's not like we were worried or anything."

Thea laughed and allowed Felicity to pull her back into a hug.

After greeting each of her friends and colleagues, Thea allowed herself to be settled onto a seat in the middle of the couches with a plate of food. Collections of two or three people made their way to sit beside her and chat at a time. Shanique, McKenzie, and Sin excitedly filled Thea in on some high profile RSVPs for their upcoming Bicentennial Gala; Alex told Thea about the girl he had just begun seeing; and Sarah stole food from Thea's plate and sang a chipper song that seemed to be called 'Good Morning to You,' which Lyla explained was something Sarah had learned in preschool.

Thea was surprised when Curtis settled next to her, eyes wide and excited. He darted a look back and forth and then leaned over to say quietly, "So you're Arae!" He then leaned back to let out a little excited squeal at the back of his throat. He added, "That is so frickin' cool! Do I get to see you in action some time? Felicity says that, besides Oliver, you're, like, the best hand-to-hand fighter on the team!"

Thea laughed, "Well, I guess Felicity got her way and you are the newest team member?"

Curtis' eyes widened and he nodded quickly. "I can't even tell you how honored I am. It's still like a crazy dream."

"I get that," Thea said with a smile, remembering her own inauguration into her brother's secret. "That said," Thea cautioned, "We don't really bring it up around the …" she thought for a moment, "uninitiated among us."

Curtis looked around, like he was realizing that there were people in the room, including Paul, who didn't know about Team Arrow. "Ohhh, yeah," Curtis said. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'm just super excited to be included."

Thea smiled genuinely. "We're happy to have you. Felicity puts a lot of stock in your abilities."

Curtis beamed. Then, like the thought just crossed his mind, he added, "And I'm really glad you didn't die. Or, like, have major brain-damage."

Thea was startled by the sentiment, but then laughed. "You and me both," she agreed.

"Curtis," Quentin chided, walking over with a glass of coke in his hand, clearly having overheard Curtis's awkward comment. Curtis looked up, embarrassed. "Go on, get outta here," Quentin urged with a roll of his eyes, and Curtis scrambled away.

Quentin dropped heavily onto the couch perpendicular to Thea. He reached out and patted her knee affectionately. "How ya holding up, kiddo?" he asked.

Thea smiled, "Better now that I get to see you!" She leaned over conspiratorially and said, "Did I hear you got a boat?"

Quentin chuckled, "It's just a little fishing boat. The motor barely gets the thing moving." He added, "But, I've been able to take a few trips out with Donna to the cabin to test it out. Even convinced Donna to go out at the break of dawn one morning to fish."

Thea said, "It sounds lovely."

"Nothing like Europe!" Quentin noted. "But, if you ever want, you are welcome to come out on the lake with me. It'd be like our old road trips – you and me, stuck in an aluminum tube, listening to some audio book."

Thea felt the affection in her chest for this man who had taken her on like one of his own daughters. "You name the day, and I'm in," Thea said warmly.

"I think we'll keep you close to home for a bit," Quentin added, looking at her with emotion swimming in his eyes. "We're just not ready to let you go." Thea's eyes filled to match his and she reached out to grasp his hand, giving it a squeeze.

As the party wound down, guests stopped over to see Thea and Roy before taking their leave. Digg had surprised Thea by pulling her into a hug and saying, "It's good to have your home. This team wasn't the same without you here." Thea pulled back to smile at him as Digg added, "And Sarah is expecting some 'Auntie Thee' time, so you had better clear your calendar. That girl has been in withdrawal."

When there were only a handful of friends remaining, Roy made his way over to her. He asked softly, "Are you still feeling like you want to go to the hospital tonight?"

Thea sighed lightly and looked at him. "Yeah, I think it's better to be on the safe side."

Roy nodded in agreement. "Okay – I'll ask Laurel if she and Josh can take Scully home tonight. Hopefully you'll get fixed up and released quickly."

When Laurel and Josh were the last remaining, Josh stood by the door with Scully at his side, her leash in his hand. Laurel had given Thea space all evening, Thea assumed due to the fact that they had spent the past five days together. But now, Laurel walked up to hold Thea tightly in a hug.

"I love you, Thea," Laurel said gently. She pulled away and said, "Once you get settled in a room or get discharged and are back home, can you text me to let me know?"

Thea nodded agreeably, downplaying, "It's really just a tune-up. Just to make sure I can get on the right antibiotic and top me off with some fluids." Thea thought about it, then added, "And it might be kind of late before we know if they're keeping me or releasing me. I'd hate to wake you up."

Laurel's eyebrows lifted as she said, "Honestly, I won't be able to fall asleep until I know you're okay." She shook her head and noted heavily, "This week kind of sucked and I don't really feel up to doing it again any time soon."

"I know," Thea assured sympathetically. Thea hadn't had a lot of fun recovering from toxoplasmosis, but she knew that for Roy, Oliver, Laurel, and their friends at home, the week had been far worse. "I'm sorry."

Laurel walked over to Josh and Josh gave a little wave as they headed out the door with Scully.

Oliver said, "Let me grab my keys and we'll head out."

Thea said quickly, "Ohh, no." Oliver stopped to look at her. "You have spent too much time looking after me this week. Right now, you need to stay with your wife. We will take a cab."

Oliver's eyebrows went up as he prepared to argue, "Thea, I don't want you-"

"Ollie, I know this week was terrible, but you can't hold on so tightly all the time. I will be fine."

Oliver studied her, then let out a long puff of air. "Fine. But if you are still admitted at lunchtime tomorrow, I am coming by with food."

"Oh, please bring Big Belly Burger," Thea pleaded. "I would kill for a juicy burger."

Oliver snorted. "It's a deal." He leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I will see you tomorrow."

Thea turned to look at Roy. With a sarcastic grin, Roy stated, "Well, back to the hospital!"

Thea said, "Yep – but this time, I get to talk your ear off."

"Nothing in this world would make me happier," Roy said, a touch too somberly. Thea gave him a sympathetic look and Roy shook his head, telling her not to worry before taking her hand.

Roy consoled that the hospital was unlikely to keep Thea for long. "One more night," he soothed as they stepped into the Loft's hallway.

As Oliver prepared to slip into bed next to Felicity, he had a realization. He stopped, looking at his bedside table, feeling disappointment roll over him.

"What is it?" Felicity asked.

"I meant to -" Oliver waved at his table, "give Thea the hōzen back." Felicity's eyebrow raised, seeking more explanation. "She gave it to me when she left. I wanted to give it back to her as a sign of reconnecting. You know, to welcome her home."

Felicity walked up and wrapped her arms around him from his back. Leaning her face against the back of his shoulder she said, "You and your sister are so cute." Oliver huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes, knowing that Felicity didn't feel the importance of the sentiment behind the hōzen. "Just give it to her tomorrow when you bring her lunch."

Oliver sighed before agreeing. "Yeah – I can get it to her tomorrow."

Thursday, November 24, 2016 – A year ago

William Tockman sat in stunned silence. Around him, the merry sounds of inmates joking after eating the slightly better than normal Thanksgiving day lunch and returning from phone calls with their families filled the rec room.

In his hand was a letter. The words were already seared into his brain.

"Mr. Tockman,

"I regret to inform you of your sister's passing. Beth died on Tuesday, November 22nd at Starling General Hospital. Beth's foster parents have kindly agreed to hold onto her personal effects until your release. Please reach out to our agency and we will provide their contact information.

"Aurora County Child Protective Services"

The numbing grief shifted as he stared. The injustice filled his throat and began to choke him. She shouldn't have been in foster care. He should have been there.

The quiet rage began to take over his mind. He thought of all those that had wrenched him from his sister, causing her to die alone. The doctors who had misdiagnosed him. The judge who sentenced him. The mayor and those he had pleaded with to use their power to allow him to be by her side.

His hands shook. He had nothing left. The only thing he had was to count the days until his release and then … he would make them all pay.

Friday, October 13, 2017 – one year later

"Laurel stopped by earlier," Oliver said to Felicity. "She said the DA's office is launching an investigation into Helix for insurance fraud and sale of stolen items."

Felicity said, "I can't say I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like Dr. Love has not only been stealing from sick people, but the lawsuit by Arak Wind-Walker noted at least seven other pregnant women who were treated as his mother was, resulting in birth complications for six of the seven. Five women died in childbirth and their children lost into the system. Unfortunately, Wind-Walker was unable to locate them for the lawsuit."

Oliver felt a chill down his spine. The idea of something like that going wrong with Felicity's pregnancy; losing her – losing their child. Oliver couldn't take any more loss. His heart was still sore with fresh grief.

He felt the sudden need to be close to his wife and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. Felicity turned her head up to look at him in surprise and he gave her a half-smile.

"Guys!" a voice called out before the elevator doors had fully opened. Curtis pushed through the metal doors as soon as he could, nearly jogging towards the Hub. "I found something! I found someone else who has it out for Dr. Love and Helix!"

Sin, who had been training with Digg, turned around, calling out, "You mean other than us?"

"Yes," Curtis sputtered, trying to catch his breath. "And other than the Clock Watchers." Curtis pulled a video up on one screen, sending it to the screens around the Bunker so they could all see.

The paused video showed an unassuming man wearing glasses with shaggy brown hair and a mustache. Oliver turned quickly to look at Felicity and asked, "Why do I know him?"

Felicity shook her head that she didn't know.

Curtis hit play.

"My name is William Tockman. I am here today to tell you the story of a little girl named Beth."

The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat, before focusing back at the camera. "Beth was born with Down Syndrome. She was full of light and love. All she ever wanted was to put a smile on the faces of those around her – everyone was her friend. And what she wanted, more than anything, was just to be close to her family." He paused, eyes soft behind the lenses of his glasses. "- usually watching her favorite movie on repeat."

A memory shimmered at the edge of Oliver's mind. A memory of a five-year-old Thea watching "Spirit: the Stallion of the Cimarron" - over and over. She couldn't get enough. The much older, and much more mature thirteen-year-old Oliver had only appreciated that Jason Bourne was the narrator. Beyond that, he would groan when he would walk into the living room to hear the sounds of Bryan Adams singing from the TV screen. The memory stung.

"Her parents were older when they had her," the somber man on the screen continued, "and she was only a few years old when her father died. Fortunately, she still had a loving mother and a doting big brother. When their mother passed away when Beth was just thirteen, her brother became her guardian, promising she would never be alone. He would always take care of her."

The somber look faded, and a sharpness crossed Tockman's eyes. His voice became cold as he said, "Then came the news. Her brother was sick too – he was sick with cancer and he wouldn't be able to keep his promise. He wouldn't be able to be there for her," he said slowly. "– but he could make sure that he would take care of her."

Oliver felt his heartrate quicken as he realized. In a low voice, he announced, "This is the man from the Town Hall."

Felicity turned her chair to look at him. "The one who wrote you the letter for compassionate release?"

Oliver nodded numbly, continuing to watch.

Tockman continued, his visage on the screen unaware of the shock of his viewers, "Her brother began looking into group homes for Beth, where she could live in a real home with people who could maybe become like family. But her brother didn't have the money." Dread pooled in Oliver's stomach at the statement. "The only place Beth could go was to a state-run nursing home - a place which was rife with rumors of staff misconduct and abuse of residents.

"That's awful," Sin said vehemently. "Who would hurt people who can't defend themselves?"

On the screen, Tockman explained, "Her brother was dying anyway – and he had promised her he would care for her. So, her brother did something stupid. He planned the heist of a jewelry store and located a partner. The proceeds would enable Beth to move into a group home," Tockman noted factually. He tilted his head ironically. "Unfortunately, the partner shot and killed a guard, and her brother was sent to prison as an accomplice."

"Beth now had nothing. She didn't have her brother. She wasn't going to a group home." Oliver could hear the note of desperate frustration in Tockman's voice. "The state took custody and placed her in a foster home; then, months later, Beth was found to have leukemia." Oliver heard his wife murmur, "No," beside him.

Tockman stated wildly, "While her brother was confined behind bars, Beth was confined to a bed, fighting for her life, surrounded by strangers."

Oliver took a deep breath at the description. Unbidden, an image of Thea, unconscious in a hospital bed, filled his mind. The image felt like a stab to the heart and he willed it away.

Tockman continued, spitting out, "Her idiot brother, pleaded with every powerful man and woman in his city to allow him to be by her side, but not one listened." He paused to wipe at his mouth. Straightening his back, Tockman declared, voice shaking, "On November 22, 2016, Elizabeth Tockman died in Starling General Hospital, alone. And her brother, William Tockman, lives on – misdiagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, while he was actually perfectly healthy.

"Oh god," Felicity murmured in horror.

"You may ask, who was it that diagnosed me with terminal cancer and set Beth on a trajectory to die alone?" Tockman demanded fiercely. "That man, ladies and gentlemen, is Dr. Benjamin Love – director of Helix.

Oliver's eyes slid closed – the story was all coming together.

"Dr. Love – may God judge you for what you have done to an innocent child. She suffered and died alone, instead of in the arms of her brother, in her home. For those of you who hear this story and believe that Dr. Love should be held to account, please donate to the link below. All funds will go towards the legal fees to charge Dr. Love for medical malpractice."

Digg called up from the practice mats where he stood beside Sin, watching the nearest screen, "This is our guy. Tockman is the Clock King."

Oliver nodded heavily – the corny villain name suddenly made sense. A man obsessed with the past - obsessed with time. "It sure sounds like it."

Sin stormed towards the Hub, her face twisted with fury. "We can't go after this guy! He didn't do anything wrong! He was just trying to do the best he could for his sister." Oliver's eyes slammed shut as his mind wrenched him away from Tockman back to Thea. He had tried to do his best and she had still died. He knew he had tried, but the guilt within him accused him that he could have done more. His eyes snapped open as Sin insisted, "We should be going after Helix!"

Felicity said somberly, "Normally I would agree – but we're forgetting that Tockman and his Clock Watchers attacked Roy and they killed one of the armored truck guards."

"That did seem like an accident," Curtis noted nervously. "The guard had a heart condition. His heart just reacted badly to their stun tech."

"Felicity's right," Oliver said heavily, even as he felt for the reasons behind every move Tockman had made. "Regardless of why they are stealing Helix's supplies and robbing banks, innocent people are being caught in the crossfire."

Oliver spoke with more firmness than he felt. "Felicity, work on finding Tockman, or finding Tao Jones. She likely returned to work with him after she was released by the police. We find and stop Tockman." Sin opened her mouth to protest. Oliver held his hand up to ask her to let him finish. "In the meantime, we continue digging into Helix. Anything we can do to ensure that justice is done and to help the police and the DA with their case, we will do."

Digg nodded, but added, "I hear you Oliver. And I think you're right, but-" he paused and his eyes searched Oliver's face. "To be honest, what Tockman is doing sounds a whole lot like what you did when you came back to Starling from Lian Yu. And also a lot like what you were willing to do with the people who hurt Thea."

Hearing his sister's name said out loud – especially when it was tied to the circumstances of her death – stole Oliver's breath.

Once he could draw air back into his lungs, Oliver spat out, "And I did everything I could to keep innocent people out of the way, John!" Oliver said sharply, "Tockman's heist killed an innocent guard and it got him sent to prison so he couldn't be there when his sister needed him. And his recent robbery did the same. There has to be a line somewhere and people getting caught in the crossfire is it."

Digg's eyes rested on Oliver in that way that said he thought Oliver was full of it. But all he said in response was, "I'll head out as Spartan. Check out some of Tockman's known haunts."

Sin looked between them both, eyes wide. Digg asked Sin, "Do you want to suit up and join me?"

Oliver flinched again, and this time turned away. Sin had taken on the mantle of Arae prior to Thea's death, and with Thea's blessing. Sin had been Arae the entire time Thea and Roy were in Europe. But Thea and Sin had planned to share the role upon Thea's return – something that had never happened. Oliver had staunchly avoided seeing Sin in the Arae suit since then.

Oliver could feel Sin's eyes on his back. She said softly, "Sure." Oliver could hear Sin and Digg's steps retreat.

Oliver felt a hand on his shoulder. Felicity asked softly, "Are you okay?"

Oliver turned to his wife and shook his head 'no' slowly, letting his eyes tell her what he was thinking.

Felicity nodded in response and sniffed slightly. "Good," she agreed. "Because neither am I."