A/N: This takes place in the same universe as 'Caught in the Act' but approximately six months before events of that story. Enjoy!

Sick Days

Felicity ground her teeth as the nurse probed at her side. It hurt like hell, as Diggle always said – hurt to breathe, actually.

"Sorry, sweetie," the nurse told her, sympathy evident in her voice. "You really got banged up. The officer said you tried to stop an assault?" Her name tag read 'Penny' and it was apt because of her shiny, copper colored hair pulled into a low ponytail.

"It wasn't exactly like that," Felicity replied, wincing. "I had just finished shopping, I was walking to my car, and I heard a noise. I'm not sure why I followed it. I saw a girl being forced against the side of her car and I just reacted – hit him with my bag and tazed him. The problem was that I didn't see the other guy."

"So I see. Still, you probably saved that girl from worse than a mugging."

"How is she?"

The younger woman, probably no more than eighteen or nineteen, had been semi-hysterical when mall security intervened. Looking back, Felicity knew she had been in shock. They both had, though Felicity had been quieter for a change. She hadn't even felt her various bumps and bruises until after she was in the emergency room.

"She'll be fine. Her parents are here now, so she's calmed down. Should we call someone for you?"

She thought about her sort-of boyfriend, Eric, a computer science professor at Starling City University. They hadn't been dating long – just over a month – but he probably wouldn't mind the call. Unfortunately, he was away visiting his parents this weekend. And she certainly wasn't going to call her parents and worry them since they weren't close enough to really be of help.

There were only two people Felicity could call – Oliver and John. She really didn't want to call either of them because they would likely both be upset that she'd intervened in an assault and gotten herself hurt in the process. She didn't want them to think that her limited training had given her some kind of hero complex – she knew she was no fighter. But she hadn't been able to walk away, either.

Plus her head was killing her. If she had to listen to Oliver yell, it would probably explode.

So she shook her head. "No, thanks."

"Okay." The nurse patted her shoulder. "Your x-rays should be back soon and then the doctor will be back in to see you." She walked out of Felicity's ER room, leaving her to consider what to do next.

All she wanted to do now was go home, crawl into her bed, and sleep for the next week. Luckily it was Saturday night, so she wasn't expected to be at the foundry since Oliver had one of his mother's functions to attend that night. But based on the throbbing pain in her head and side, she was going to need at least a couple of sick days to recover.

Reaching for her phone, she bit her lip. She didn't want to lie to Oliver, but she didn't want to tell him everything, either. She thought about it for a few minutes before typing out a message and sending it.

Felicity: I'm not feeling so well this weekend. If I'm still not a hundred percent tomorrow, I may take a couple of sick days.

There – not exactly a lie, but still vague. When her phone chimed a few minutes later, it was Oliver.

Oliver: Flu maybe? It's going around.

Felicity: Maybe

Again, not exactly a lie. For all she knew, the flu could currently be incubating and she'd be sick tomorrow. Her phone chimed again.

Oliver: Do you need anything?

Felicity: No, but thanks. As I'm sure you remember, I prefer to be sick in peace

Also truth. She hated people hovering over her when she was sick. The last time she'd been sick it had been caused by a nasty bout of food poisoning, and she'd thrown up on Oliver - actually puked on him. It ranked as the most embarrassing moment of her existence to date. He hadn't been thrilled either, though she had to admit he'd been pretty decent about it. Still, she figured the threat of more vomit would be enough to keep him away for at least a few days.

She set her phone aside when the doctor came in. "What's up doc? Sorry, that's kind of cheesy and you probably hear it all the time, huh?"

Dr. Walker smiled but didn't comment. "How's the head?"

"Still attached, but I almost wish it weren't," she quipped, though her answering smile was weak. "So can I go home now?"

"I'm afraid not." He sat in the chair beside her bed. "I've reviewed your x-rays and in addition to your concussion, which alone is cause for concern, you have a couple of cracked ribs and a hairline fracture in your right ankle."

Damn. No wonder she felt like crap. When he smiled again, she realized she'd spoken aloud. "So I have to stay here? For how long?"

"We'll reevaluate tomorrow," he advised her. "My other concern is that the nurse said you don't have anyone coming to help you?"

She shook her head, suddenly feeling depressed. Being alone while home sick was one thing, but being alone in the hospital? That sucked.

The doctor stood and examined a small gash near her left temple. "I think this could do with a couple of stitches. I've already called the plastic surgeon – no need to worry about scarring. They're getting your room ready now."

Felicity was quiet when Penny came back, not in the mood to talk anymore. All of her various aches and pains suddenly seemed amplified. She knew from being around Oliver and Diggle that adrenaline was the best drug. She could definitely believe it based on this experience since it looked like it was wearing off now, a heavy weight of exhaustion descending to take its place.

The plastic surgeon came and went, stitching her wound with quick, efficient motions. Three stitches, but he'd assured her that she likely wouldn't even be able to see it after a few months. Penny helped her pull off her blouse so she could wrap her ribs. It was something Felicity had been dreading, but it actually did make them feel better. Then her ankle was wrapped and Penny checked all of her vitals once more.

"Here." Penny handed her a loose pair of scrub pants and a t-shirt. "I had these in my locker. They're new and clean, and I think you could use them more. It's better than the hospital gowns – those rooms get cold."

She could feel tears stinging her eyes. It was a small thing, but it made her feel better. She changed quickly and then sighed in relief when she was allowed to relax against the pillows. "Thank you – really."

"No problem. Just try to rest. We'll be taking you up to your room sometime in the next hour." Penny smiled and left.

Felicity raised her hand to feel the bandage over her stitches and then reached for her bag. Pulling out a small mirror, she got a good look at herself for the first time. "Oh my God!"

The left side of her face was bruised – she essentially had a black eye that extended halfway to her jaw. Vaguely she remembered punk number two punching her; that was what sent her reeling back against the car before hitting the ground hard. It was the kick he'd aimed at her rib cage that she remembered the most, so she hadn't even registered this other injury.

She was screwed. There was no way that bruise would be gone before she saw Oliver and Diggle again. The stitches she might have been able to hide by wearing her hair down, but this? Her pale skin tended to show every mark, and most bad bruises she sustained took up to two weeks to be completely gone. Unless she had some deadly strain of flu, her earlier excuse wasn't going to hold water for long.

Glancing at her phone, she was surprised to find that it was still relatively early – only about 8:30. It seemed like an eternity had passed, but it had really only been a few hours. Placing her phone back in her bag, she closed her eyes and tried to just let it all go. She was more tired than she could ever remember being, her body stiff and sore. She'd worry about what to tell Oliver tomorrow.

Thea stood near the nurse's station with Roy, tapping her foot impatiently. One of their bouncers had been injured that night, and she wanted to make sure everything was fine before heading off to her mother's charity auction. They were already late, and standing around the hospital in her evening wear was not her idea of a good time. Then again, her mother's benefit wasn't her idea of a good time either.

She looked up when Roy walked over. "Did you find out anything?"

"He'll be fine," Roy replied. "They said he can go home and his family's here now. There's really nothing for you to do."

"Cool."

They were turning to go when Thea heard one of the nurses say, "That room is ready for Felicity Smoak, Penny – she's on three. Do you want me to take her up?"

"No I'll do it," Penny told her, moving away from the nurse's desk and towards one of the cubicles.

Thea paused. Felicity was in the hospital? She seriously doubted there was more than one Felicity Smoak in town. Her brother's sassy and sometimes hilarious assistant was definitely an individual. She followed the nurse, ignoring Roy's questioning look. When she walked into one of the cubicles on the end, Thea stepped in behind her.

"Holy shit," she muttered, her hand covering her mouth as she got a good look at her.

The usually vibrant and extremely chatty blonde looked like hell, a massive bruise on the left side of her face. She was pale, and she could also see her bandaged foot poking out from under the blanket. Since she wasn't moving, Thea assumed she was either sleeping or unconscious, her money being on the latter based on her appearance.

Turning to the nurse, she demanded, "What the hell happened to her?"

The nurse moved back and herded Thea out of the small space. "I'm sorry, but you can't be in here."

"I know her," Thea retorted. "She works for my brother. Is she okay?"

"Unless you're family, I'm not allowed to release any medical information on a patient," the nurse told her firmly. "Especially one who's not even awake at the moment."

"But…" Thea protested, only to be ignored by the woman. The nurse motioned for an orderly and went back into the room.

A few minutes later they were quietly wheeling Felicity towards the elevators.

When she looked at Roy, his concern was clear. "Do you think your brother knows she's here?"

"No. Because if he knew, I think he'd be here." Thea pulled out her phone and called Oliver, only to get his voice mail. "Come on, it'll be easier to just go down there. They're not going to tell me anything anyway."

Oliver fought to keep the pleasant smile on his face, but he could tell it was slipping. He didn't much care for charity balls and galas and auctions – he never had. But he also knew it was part and parcel of being a Queen, and now more than ever he had to make an effort.

They had certainly made strides toward improving the Queen family image since his mother's acquittal, but he knew they also still had a long way to go. Society hadn't exactly snubbed Moira Queen, largely due to Oliver's place at the helm of Queen Consolidated, but they hadn't really welcomed her back with open arms either. And yet his mother soldiered on and continued to go to attend benefits and parties while planning several of her own. It was a testament to her perseverance that they were always so well attended.

Tonight's auction was benefitting a rehab center in the Glades, and it had been very successful so far. With the auction completed, the guests were now mingling, eating and talking about things Oliver had no interest in. But he still circulated with his date, a woman named Jillian whom he'd met on a business trip to Central City a few months previously. It had seemed like a good idea to invite her tonight after running into her again the week before. However, her clinginess was beginning to irritate him.

To complicate matters, they were standing with Laurel and his mother. The tension between the other two women had faded a little since Moira's trial, but it hadn't disappeared completely. Oliver could understand his mother's position – in her eyes it had been highly inappropriate for Oliver's ex-girlfriend to be second chair, much less lead prosecutor. He had tried to understand Laurel's position as well, knowing how important her job was to her. But the fact that she had gone forward with prosecuting his mother in a death penalty case had soured his emotional attachment to her.

He supposed that was inevitable considering all the water under their particular bridge. He still cared about her and always would, but he wasn't living in a fantasy anymore, thinking he could turn back the clock, erase the years, and go back to being the person she had wanted him to be. He knew now it was his desire for a simpler time that made him cling to the Laurel of the past, and it hadn't been fair to either of them.

He supposed that began to change after Felicity and Diggle brought him back from the island the year before. Thoughts of Felicity had him glancing at his phone again. He'd checked it every so often throughout the evening to make sure he didn't have any messages. Jillian had even commented on it, apparently displeased with not having his full attention. So far he only had a missed call from Thea, who had advised them she would be late.

He wondered again just how sick Felicity was. After what happened the last time he checked on her while she was ill, he knew she wouldn't appreciate him showing up at her apartment. He'd tried to tell her that her throwing up on him wasn't that bad – he'd certainly survived worse. But she'd been mortified, so he knew she wouldn't appear at the foundry if she was so much as nauseous anymore.

Oliver's attention was caught by Diggle, who nodded towards the entrance. He turned to see his sister barreling in their direction a lot faster than was safe in the kind of heels she wore.

He smiled at her affectionately. "Where's the fire, Speedy?"

Thea rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Since you're in such a cheerful mood, I assume you haven't been to the hospital yet."

"The hospital?" Oliver asked. "Is Ricky's condition that bad?"

"No, he's going to be fine. But Felicity was in the emergency room, too. When I left they were admitting her. Have you heard from her?"

Oliver felt a funny, clenching sensation in his chest. "She told me she might need a couple of sick days. Is it the flu?" She couldn't have been at the hospital when calling him earlier.

Thea looked confused. "The flu? Ollie, she looked like she'd gone a round with Mr. Biceps over here – black eye, big bruise on her cheek, bandaged head. I'm not even sure she was conscious. It was definitely not the flu. Maybe a car accident?"

Oliver's phone was out before she'd even finished talking, and he hit 1 on his speed dial only to listen to it ring. His heart was pounding as he finally gave up, pressing the end button with more force than necessary. He looked at Diggle, who nodded and left to bring the car around.

He turned to his mother. "Mom, I'm sorry, but…"

"No, it's fine. Let us know how she's doing." Moira glanced at his date. "Jillian, I'll have my driver take you back to your hotel whenever you're ready."

Jillian looked at Oliver, a very unhappy expression on her face. "Who is Felicity?"

But Oliver was already halfway to the exit. Thea looked at her brother's date, barely suppressing an eye roll. She was another of his plastic princesses – Jesus, it was like they were mass produced from a mold somewhere - long hair, perfect features, perfect bodies, perfect makeup, and zero personality.

They didn't seem to make him very happy, and he never dated any particular woman for more than a few weeks. It was more like a show he put on. She just wasn't sure if he was trying to fool himself or everyone else by embracing the playboy schtick that everyone expected of him.

The first time she'd really noticed the difference had been the night Felicity came to a party Thea hosted at Verdant. Thea knew who she was, of course. And she vaguely remembered the woman bringing flowers to Walter's hospital room. But she'd been very surprised by how Oliver kept Felicity close most of the evening, and she'd made him laugh. Like really laugh, the way Thea rarely saw him laugh anymore. For a moment it was like having pre-island Ollie back, only a better and more responsible version.

But her subsequent and pointed questions about Felicity's status in his life had either been ignored or met with the standard 'We're friends' label that Oliver tossed around whenever the topic of his blonde assistant came up. She supposed they were actually friends. Felicity certainly didn't put up with the same crap his girlfriends did, and more than once Thea had seen her handle Oliver's moods with practiced ease. More shocking was the fact he allowed himself to be handled.

So it wasn't that she doubted they were friends. It was just the way Oliver looked at her sometimes that made Thea think it was something more than he wanted to admit to himself or anyone else.

Moira put her hand on Thea's arm. "Was it really that bad or were you exaggerating?"

"I would not exaggerate on that topic. She looked pretty banged up, Mom."

When Moira glanced at Roy, he confirmed Thea's version of events. "She definitely had bruises on her face, and she wasn't awake when we saw her."

"I'll call the florist and make sure they deliver some flowers to her tomorrow," Moira said.

"I'll take them," Thea told her. "Actually, I think I'm going home. I'll get a bag for Oliver, and Roy and I can take it to him. I'm not sure if they'll tell him anything if she's not awake – they were pretty rigid about the rules earlier – but ten to one says he stays until she wakes up."

Thea noticed that Laurel had drifted away during the conversation, and her brother's date was looking unhappier by the moment. But that was the beauty of not being the hostess – Jillian was her mother's problem.

Hugging her mother, she grabbed Roy's arm and left, making a mental list of things to do. She wanted to drop by the mansion and get a change of clothes for Oliver since black tie was bound to be conspicuous as hell at the hospital. Then she'd put together a care package for Felicity. She had a feeling the woman might appreciate things like wipes, moisturizer and deodorant when she woke up to find Oliver hovering at her bedside.

A/N: Next part up soon – at least by the weekend. Thanks for reading :)