Chapter 8: William
Monday, September 11, 2017
Oliver knocked on the door before opening it to lead Felicity into Thea's hospital room. Roy sat off to the side, looking relaxed and reclining a bit in his seat. Thea sat on her hospital bed with the back raised nearly as high as it would go, playing Roy in a game of Battleship spread on the bed between them. Both Thea and Roy were fully dressed, like they were just waiting for the word that it was time for discharge. In spite of that, Thea still had a line of tubing running between an IV bag and the port in her chest.
Oliver held up the paper bag before him in offering. Thea let out a dramatic groan of gratitude. "You brought me a burger!"
"And fries," he added. He set the bag on the table next to her and then dropped a kiss to her head. Oliver turned around to grab a seat for Felicity before finding one for himself.
"Who's winning?" Felicity asked, amused at the two playing a children's game.
"Thea cheats," Roy noted, rolling his eyes.
"Which is his way of saying that I am," Thea added pleasantly.
After burgers, fries, and onion rings had been passed around, everyone fell to eating. Oliver appreciated the reprieve of peace after another panic-filled start to their week. Seeing Thea up and bright-eyed, acting like herself made everything else – the stress of those 48-hours – worth it.
Between bites, Felicity demanded, "Okay, I need more stories from your time in Europe! The pictures and text updates were not nearly enough. I particularly need the story behind that photo of you two 'running from the bulls'."
Roy said, "That was Thea's idea - it's a statue of Apollo in a fountain at Place Massena in France. Thea said we had taken too many nice photos and we needed an action shot."
Thea said, "But, what I think you might find more interesting than the fake 'running of the bulls', is a photo tour of Amalfi. Felicity - you would have loved it. It's a gorgeous summertime paradise." Thea pulled her phone off a charger next to her, and after messing with it for a moment, handed it to Felicity. Felicity, after flipping through about ten pictures, turned to Oliver with wide, pleading eyes, "Can we go? Seriously, look at this view!"
Thea laughed and reassured, "When you do, we've got a few restaurant recommendations."
Oliver shook his head. "Let's revisit this after our child is here, okay?"
Felicity sighed dramatically. "Fine, I suppose I can birth your bowling ball first."
Thea cocked her head, looking between Oliver and Felicity. "I take it we're at the point that pregnancy has lost its shine?"
Felicity groused, "I have an alien kicking my bladder when I try to sleep!"
Thea winced in sympathy, "Yeah, that doesn't sound fun."
"But never mind me and my giant stomach and my swollen feet," Felicity said quickly. "I need humor. I need joy. What's the funniest thing that happened on your trip?"
Thea said, looking at Roy with eyes sparkling with amusement, "Okay, I know I said we didn't have to tell anybody, but please can we tell them?"
Roy whined, "Thea, really?" Thea gave him a little sad pout. Roy crumbled almost immediately and said, "Fine. Have a laugh at my expense. Just remember this the next time you try to learn a new language."
Thea grinned triumphantly. "So, you know I learned Spanish in Corto Maltese, so I focused on learning a little Italian before our trip. For some variety, Roy started working on picking up French." Roy raised a hand to scrub at his brow. Thea added, resting a comforting hand on his arm, "Which I think you did super well with!"
Oliver leaned back, crumpling up the rest of his burger wrapper and dropping it into the Big Belly Burger Bag as she spoke.
"Okay, so," Thea said, priming herself for her story. "We go into this little pastry shop. The shop girl was probably twenty-years-old or so." Roy nodded in affirmation, looking a little pained.
"Roy decides to wield some of his new French knowledge. It's gotta be close to 95 F and Roy says, 'Je suis chaud!'"
Roy choked a little at the story's retelling. Thea, trying to contain her humor, said, "When I tell you this woman looked shook! So I ask Roy what he said. Roy just tells me he told her that 'it's hot'! Like, it's hot outside!"
Thea snorted in laughter, trying to regain her composure. "This woman hears us explaining in English, so she, very kindly - all the while blushing like someone dumped red paint on her cheeks - tells us that what Roy should have said was 'j'ai chaud!' – because 'Je suis chaud!' means, loosely, 'I'm so horny'!"
Felicity started laughing so hard, tears slipped down her cheeks. "Roy, no!" she cried out between guffaws.
Roy noted, a little humor in his voice, "Well, at least I tried!"
As he chuckled, Oliver had the niggling feeling that something was off. His eyes were drawn to Thea, who had suddenly grown still. Oliver stared in confusion as Thea's eyes lost their humor and became vacant. Thea slipped backwards, falling only a foot or so to lean against the raised back of the hospital bed.
Oliver regained his feet, calling out, "Thea?"
Roy's eyes widened. "It must be another seizure. They said she might still have them while the infection is clearing her system." He nodded at Oliver's hand. "Hit the button."
Within moments, a nurse entered. She took one look at Thea and then slammed the alert button on the wall. She told Oliver, Felicity and Roy to stand back as she popped a finger pulse oximeter onto Thea's finger.
Oliver noticed in shock that Thea's skin had begun to pale and her lips grayed. When a second nurse poked their head in, the first nurse called out, "I need a Code Blue and crash cart in here!"
Moments later, a team of doctors and nurses crowded into the room. Thea's shirt was cut open and a heart monitor attached – as soon as it was, the stomach sinking sound of one long, droning note pierced the room.
Oliver stood, unable to draw in a breath. Thea was … flat lining? But she was just talking!
Next to him, Felicity let out a horrified cry.
A nurse broke off from the crowd of medical professionals working on Thea, approaching them. "Can I have you all step out, please? We need to work."
Oliver shook his head, and said, "No – I need to stay."
"Please," the nurse said firmly. "Step outside. Let us help her."
The next moment, without feeling his legs moving beneath him, Oliver found himself in the hall beside Felicity and Roy. Felicity collapsed onto a bench nearby, tears falling down her cheeks at the sudden crisis. Roy rested his hand on the wall that separated him from Thea.
Oliver stood in the middle of the hallway, unable to move. Unconsciously, his hand made its way into his jeans pocket, where he found the hōzen. Numbly, Oliver realized that he had never given it back.
And as a somber eyed doctor approached them twenty minutes later from the door to Thea's room – somehow, Oliver knew that he never would.
June 3, 1995, 21 years ago
"Master Tommy! Master Oliver's ride home is here!" the voice of Tommy's housekeeper wafted up the stairs. Oliver and Tommy groaned in annoyance – they had only just finished setting up a lengthy run, filled with loops of track, for Tommy's Hotwheels. They hadn't even had the chance to test it out.
Oliver instantly knew that Tommy would obey – anything he could do to try to please his dad, Tommy would do.
Tommy shrugged to Oliver and said, "We can test it next time you come over. I promise, I won't use it without you." Oliver nodded reluctantly, still eyeing the track and wondering if it was really such a big deal to try it just once. He wanted to know if the car would stay on the track when it sped through the giant loop.
Even as he thought it, the voice from below added, "Now, Master Tommy!"
"Come on," Tommy said, turning around. Oliver followed. Oliver could have gotten away with not listening at his own house. His mother always understood, even when his father didn't. But Tommy's father … he was cold. With Tommy, anyways. He was nice enough to Oliver.
As they walked down the stairs, Oliver could see Raisa standing in the entryway with a stroller, holding a bassinet. Mr. Merlyn was bent over the top, staring at Oliver's baby sister. Oliver felt something protective stir within him at Mr. Merlyn's unwanted intrusion.
Mr. Merlyn pulled back and murmured, "Huh. Cute. Looks like Moira."
As Mr. Merlyn turned away from Oliver's sister, he noted darkly, not even looking at Tommy, "Next time you are called, I expect you to listen the first time." He stepped off, down the hall past Oliver and Tommy, ruffling Oliver's hair as he walked past. Oliver glanced at his friend and saw the hurt look on Tommy's face as he gazed after his dad.
Tommy tucked his hands in his pockets and walked towards Raisa. As he got close enough, he said in a higher-pitched voice, "Hi Thea!" Thea, who was only four-months-old and scarcely did anything interesting, blinked at him.
Oliver, who didn't want Tommy to be offended by Thea's disinterest so soon following his own father's, said, "That's all she does. She just sleeps, cries, and poops."
Tommy lightened slightly as he joked, "That's still all you do!"
Oliver made a move towards Tommy to tackle him for the insult, but Raisa easily slipped a hand between them, pulling Oliver her way. "Mr. Oliver," Raisa scolded. Then she added, "Your sister won't be like this forever. She's growing and changing every day." As she turned the stroller towards the door, expecting that Oliver would follow her, she added, "Someday, you might actually find you enjoy being around her."
Oliver snorted to himself at the thought. Unlikely.
October 10, 1995 – five months later
Oliver scampered lightly through the Manor's hallways, backpack still on his back, heading towards the kitchen for the afternoon snack he knew Raisa would have waiting for him. As he passed the living room, he heard his mother's voice calling out, "Oliver! Come here, son!"
Oliver stopped and changed direction. It wasn't every day that he saw his mom after school.
His mother was seated on the couch with a book as Thea played nearby in her standing activity center. Oliver dropped his Buzz Lightyear backpack to the ground and accepted a kiss to the cheek from his mother as he dropped to sit next to her on the couch.
"How did your science test go today?" his mother asked.
Oliver was pleased she had remembered. "It was good," Oliver said. "I remembered the difference between a mammal, a bird, and an amphibian. Most of them were really easy. Mrs. Nussbaum tried to trick us with the platypus, though!"
"And what did you say?" his mom asked with an amused smile.
"It's a mammal!" Oliver said confidently. "It's got fur and it feeds its babies milk!"
"You're very smart, Oliver. I'm sure you'll receive top marks."
Oliver grinned. His mom suddenly looked past him and gasped. Oliver looked at his mother, confused.
"Oliver, look!" His mother said, laying a hand on his arm, and directing him to look behind him. Oliver turned to see Thea.
She was held upright by the activity center seat, but she was bouncing herself up and down by her toes. Her entire being seemed focused in Oliver and Moira's direction. Her mouth was open wide in a nearly toothless smile and her eyes were bright with tiny tears. She held her arms wide, pointed towards him and his mother.
Oliver smiled at the attention and popped up from his seat. He reached Thea and dropped to his knees in front of the activity center and began to make silly faces at her. Usually, he could get her to belly laugh, or even just giggle with his goofy expressions, but today, her expression didn't waver, even while her hands pointed straight towards Oliver and she made little crooning noises.
Confused at her reaction and assuming Thea wanted out of her seat, Oliver turned to his mother. "Can I pick her up?" he asked for permission.
"Of course, sweetheart. Just make sure you hold on."
Oliver reached down and lifted her out and into his arms. As soon as she was close, Thea dove forward, burying her face into Oliver's chest. Oliver laughed in surprise, saying "Thea!" He turned back to his mom and asked, "What is she doing?"
His mom looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Darling, she is telling you that she loves you."
Oliver grinned, patting Thea's back with one hand. "I love you too, Thea!" He thought for a minute, then turned away so his mother couldn't hear. "But if you ever do this to Tommy, I am going to sell you to the circus."
His mother, who definitely still heard, chided in shock, "Oliver!"
Oliver said to the baby clutching onto his shirt, "Kidding!"
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Oliver stood next to his wife's head, staring in awe at the fragile, pink infant in his arms. His son. He – they – had a son.
Oliver felt a hand brush at his leg and he looked down to see a very weary Felicity looking up at him with a proud smile. Oliver said breathlessly, "You were incredible." Felicity's cheeks flushed a bit at the words and she smiled.
The baby had been swaddled into a thin receiving blanket and a delicate green hat placed on his head. He looked a little less wrinkly than he had five hours ago, when he had entered the world. But now he and the room around him had been cleaned up and the little family basked in the newness of life together.
There was a light knock on the door. Oliver didn't bother looking up, assuming it was another nurse until Felicity called out softly, "Oliver."
Oliver turned around to see Roy standing there, eyes wide and lost. Oliver was just glad he had come at all.
Seeing Roy knocked Oliver back for a moment. The image of Roy standing alone felt like viewing a picture with a chunk ripped out. Oliver had to clear his throat around the sudden choking feeling to say, "Come meet your nephew."
Roy looked between Oliver and Felicity, a question on his face. Felicity interpreted Roy's silence, saying softly, "You are absolutely still his uncle. You will always be his Uncle Roy."
Roy's eyes became brighter. He stepped up slowly, one hand awkwardly at his side, holding a small, wrapped package.
As Roy got closer, his eyes filled again, but this time his expression softened. "Hi little guy," he said gently to the sleeping baby. He looked between Oliver and Felicity and said with sincerity, "He's just beautiful. You guys did good."
Oliver glanced at Felicity, and Felicity's eyes filled with tears. She nodded once at Oliver.
Oliver cleared his throat again. "The baby's name isn't official yet. We - Felicity and I, we – wanted to talk with you first." Roy listened, wide-eyed as Oliver offered the planned name for their son.
Roy sniffled and said, "I think it's perfect." Roy smiled down at the infant and asked, "Would you mind if Felicity takes him for a moment?"
Oliver was surprised by the request, but willingly settled the baby into his wife's arms. Roy brushed at his cheeks with his shirt sleeve and handed Oliver the wrapped gift.
Oliver was thrown by Roy's emotion – until he caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the card attached to the front. He would know the handwriting anywhere - it belonged to Thea. Oliver gently pried the envelope off of the gift and opened the card.
"Welcome to the family, baby Queen! We couldn't be happier to have you as a part of our team!
"Love Auntie Thea and Uncle Roy."
Oliver was so startled by the sudden shot of loss through his chest that he released a puff of air. Tears in his eyes, Oliver handed the card to Felicity without a word. Oliver could hear the sharp, watery gasp from Felicity next to him as Oliver worked at the tape at the edges of the gift.
Pulling the lid off of a box, Oliver's eyebrows shot up. He pulled out a Green Arrow onesie. "No," Oliver stated in shock. The gift was just so very Thea. Thoughtful with just a dash of impudence.
Roy's amused smile shook with pent-up emotion. Roy whispered, as if unable to raise his voice any further, "Thea … would have loved to be here." He shook his head, as if unable to express the depths of his thoughts.
Oliver swallowed back the roiling pain and reached out to grip Roy's shoulder in solidarity. The baby was so perfect. This moment was so perfect. Except for the profound hole in their midst.
Later, Digg, Lyla, Laurel, Josh, Donna, and Quentin gathered into the room to meet the infant and to congratulate Oliver and Felicity. Oliver looked over these men and women he loved and cherished. These people who had become his family. In the face of his recent loss, they felt all the dearer.
Swallowing back emotion from his voice and envisioning the face that he wanted to see amongst this group the most, Oliver spoke:
"I'd like to introduce you all to our son – William Theo Queen."