The Emerald

Chapter 10 - Treatment

Diggle drove back to the lair as quickly as he could, while Oliver instructed Felicity how much water to mix in with the herbs to counteract the effects of the Vertigo. He also told her to put it in a syringe as Roy was out cold and wouldn't be able to drink the mixture. Oliver simply hoped that they weren't too late to avoid any permanent damage to Roy's body from the drug.

"Felicity, I need you to do one more thing for me." Oliver said to her as they closed in on the lair.

"Yeah?" Felicity asked worriedly.

"I need you to call Thea." Oliver calmly requested.

"Why Oliver? You don't think..." Felicity cried. Surely he doesn't think Roy's going to die from this! She thought even as Oliver reassured her.

"No! Felicity, Roy is going to be fine." Oliver interrupted her, knowing where her thoughts were headed. "I just think he would like to have her around when he comes to." He explained. He knew that when he was injured simply having her there when he woke up helped calm him. He had a feeling that Thea could do the same for Roy. "Don't give her details, just let her know we need her at the lair. We will fill her in when she gets there."

Felicity turned back to the task at hand. She couldn't describe how worried she was for Roy, especially after she had heard, and seen, how Vertigo had affected both Diggle and Oliver. And they are the strongest guys I know! She thought as she dialed Thea.

"Hi Felicity!" Thea answered her cell on the second ring.

"Thea, hey." Felicity replied, as calmly as she could manage.

"Oh hey, how's it going?"

"Oh, it's going." Felicity took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Hey, Oliver needs your help with something. Can you come down to the lair?"

"Yeah, sure. Hey, since Sin's here can she come too?" Thea asked, clearly pleased that they had asked her for help.

"Not just yet Thea. Maybe later though." Felicity answered noncommittally.

"Okay, I'll head right over." Thea sounded slightly disappointed but Felicity knew she would understand.

"Thea! One more thing." Felicity remembered just before they hung up. "Make sure you bring one of the security team with you. They need to escort you to Verdant but can go back once you've made it here safely."

"Felicity, is that really necessary?" Thea almost whined into the phone.

"Absolutely! You do not leave the mansion without one of them!" Felicity ordered, smiling a bit at the sigh of irritation from the young woman on the other end of the line.

"Fine! But you tell Oliver I'm not happy about it!" Thea grumbled before hanging up.

Felicity was happy that she had talked the younger woman into following Oliver's orders, even if he hadn't spoken the words himself, and knew that once Thea was aware of what was going on with The Dealer she would be more understanding. She heard the lair door open just seconds after she hung up with Thea and Felicity spun around towards the stairs.

"Oliver?"

"It's me Felicity." Sara called as she jogged down the stairs, two large cases in her hands. "Where is everyone?"

"Roy went to meet his dad." Felicity answered.

"Oh, okay. Did Oliver and John go with him?" Sara asked as she set the cases down next to the new display cases in the lair.

"Not exactly." Felicity said hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked, suddenly worried about her Teammates. However, before Felicity could answer the door to the lair swung open again.