Black Canary

Roy nodded at her words, glancing briefly at the door before turning back to Laurel. Quentin had been overworked with all the problems in his city, it probably wasn’t helping his nerves any that he had barely any time to visit his own daughter. “He’ll be relieved to see you. Sara too. Though they’re probably going to be even more stubborn about you staying in bed and resting than I am.” He warned her jokingly.

Laurel laughed the best she could at his little joke. “Usually it is me helping them not get into trouble. Guess I should take my own advice.” She said though he did have a point. Her father would be so adamant about keeping her in bed. “Hopefully they won’t keep me here forever.”

Jason nodded gravely at her words. Darhk was a wickedly manipulative creature, the kind Jason would have no regret about taking out. The man was pure evil, and he had hurt someone who was basically family now. There would be no forgiveness. “Everyone has a weakness, even men like Damien Darhk. We’ll find it, we’ll bring him down.” He promised her.

Laurel looked back to the ceiling as she fell into deep thought. There wasn’t much else she could do right now and it annoyed her to no end that she was practically bed ridden. “Not much I can do from this damn bed.” She croaked quietly.

“Yeah, but you had us worried there for a bit.” Roy muttered, offering her a small smile before shaking his head. “You kept me from doing a lot of stupid shit. You helped, Laurel.” He insisted, giving her another concerned once over. “Near death experiences are kind of a thing in our team. Guess you’re not really a vigilante ‘til you think you’re about to die.” He muttered, giving a weak chuckle at his own poor joke.

“Sorry about that.” She said with a slight laugh before sitting up, hissing a little as she adjusted her position. “I think that is why they keep me around.” She humored a little. “Could say that again.” She sighed a little. Of course she didn’t want it to happen but it did. “I just...can’t wait till I can get up from here. See my dad.”

“No she wouldn’t.” Jason conceded with a small laugh. “But she might for bringing you ones that look about a day away from dying. Sorry… I’m not great at the whole bedside manner thing.” He told her with a small shrug before moving to help prop up her head, raising the glass to her lips. “Yeah, I know it’s hypocritical of me to say, but there’s no way you’re going out in the field like this.” He scolded. “That, Sara would definitely kill me for. Darkh’ll get what’s coming to him. Hell, I’ll deliver the bastard hogtied to you myself. But when you’ve recovered.”

“It is fine. It is appreciated.” She murmured as she looked at him. She sipped from the cup as she let it flood her mouth and relieve her from dehydration. “Maybe not now. But I will.” She said, not letting her injury weaken her determination. “He has the whole city in his pocket.” She murmured.

Thea just smiled at Laurel. She was so glad that she was okay. Thea really couldn’t deal with losing anyone else. She’d practically lost everyone that she loved in her life. Sure she had gotten most of them back, but that didn’t mean she wanted to lose her other friends. “You could look better….” She mused with a little smile. “How are you feeling?”

Laurel made a weak sound that was as close to a laugh as she could get. “Yeah...all that sleep and nothing.” She humored lightly as she looked over at Thea. “Like I’ve relapsed back and then hit by a truck. Other than that, I think I’m okay.” She assured her with a small smile.

Thea hadn’t wanted to leave Laurel’s side. The older girl was like her sister. The older girl was her sister. Laurel, Felicity and Sara were the closet thing she had to Sisters, and she’d been so scared that she was going to lose Laurel. She’d been pryed away to eat and sleep, but she’d spent as much time at her bedside as she could. “Laurel…” the girl murmured, stepping closer to her friend. “Laurel… Can you here me?”

Laurel slowly turned her head and looked at Thea. She was glad to see Thea was safe. “Hey.” She smiled weakly. “You can tell me if I look horrible.” She knew her situation was serious but she didn’t know what sort of feelings the others had been going through. How they were feeling now. 

Jason discarded the flowers he’d been holding a little too reflexively like a weapon on one of the guest chairs, moving towards the jug of water and glass on the nightstand. “Hospital in Star City. It was uh… a bit touch-and-go there for a little while.” He muttered the last bit under his breath, pouring a glass of water before holding it out to her. “Doctors say you’re in the clear for now though. On the way to a full recovery.”

“I don’t think Sara will berate you for bring me flowers.” She joked, albeit weakly as she was on her near deathbed. “Darhk.” She rasped as she tried to reach for the water. “I’m going...to need a little help here.” She admitted though she hated being so dependent on someone. “I have to be.  I need to get back...on the field.”

Roy frowned in confusion briefly before realising what she meant. He smiled, shaking his head with a soft laugh, sitting on the edge of the mattress next to Laurel. “You never are going to worry about yourself for once are you?” He questioned with a raised eyebrow. “I did. She’s… as good as can be expected considering. But she’s fine. Thank you, for helping me find her.” He muttered, moving to give her hand a squeeze but stopping short when he saw the IV plugged into her hand. “Sorry… how are you feeling?”

Laurel made a small sound that was as close to a laugh as she could get. “I’m still here right?” She said to him. She appreciated his concern but her energy was low. “I didn’t really do anything. Sorry I couldn’t do much.” Laurel murmured before she hissed a little. “Don’t...worry about it. I’ve had worse.” She assured him the best she could. “Alive...barely.”

It hadn’t been easy, sneaking his way into Star City General. But the right thing never was easy, and he owed it to Laurel to be there for her when - when, and not if, he insisted - she woke up. Oliver had done… God knows what, but the Green Arrow had abandoned the streets for another night. If he found out the other man hadn’t even bothered to visit Laurel, regardless of what was going on with him, he was going to be pissed.

She could see the outline of someone. She felt a sudden sadness. Like she had been at peace somewhere else and now she had woken up in this cold and forsaken place she could not work out. Worst of all, she felt weak and helpless. Something she had tried to work against for so long. The very people she tried to defend. Her family and friends. This city. She had failed them. She wasn’t strong enough. “Did you find her?” Was her first question. She was helping him find Lian the best she could until she was stabbed by Darhk.

Jason paced a little awkwardly at Laurel’s bedside, not sure what to do with himself or the cheap gas station flowers in his hand. He’d known he should have joined the hunt for Darhk properly, but he’d ignored the threat, convinced himself it wasn’t his fight. Maybe he didn’t know Laurel all that well - he was half-convinced she might even hate him, understandably, considering he was probably the last kind of person she wanted around her sister - but she was a good person. That was more than he could say of himself. She didn’t deserve to die for this stupid business they had all mixed themselves up in. He was about ready to ditch the flowers at her bedside and bolt, when he saw her stirring, pausing in his efforts to wear away at the linoleum floor. “Huh… welcome back to the world of the living, I guess.” 

Laurel blinked slowly, like she was just waking up because the sunlight was peeping through her curtain but no. It was not the sunlight though. It was the fluorescent lights on the ceiling that were over her bed. She heard a voice and she couldn’t work it out for a moment, still groggy from sedatives. She turned her head slowly, finally working out who it was. “Where am I?” She asked, her voice hoarse.