Late night surprise with dl_greenarrow.

[chloesullivan]

It was around four in the morning when she finally managed to stumble into her apartment. Her vision was blurry, her breathing shallow and pained and the front of her shirt was soaked in her own blood. She hoped it was only the front.

She felt weak, but forced herself to remain as quiet as possible. Just a few more steps.

That was what she kept telling herself over and over all the way from the facility where it had happened. The place she'd been looking into when her attacker came out of nowhere. There was struggle but the other woman was faster and she knew exactly what she was going for.

Chloe fought her back as well as she could, but she hadn't been expecting a visitor in a location that had been abandoned supposedly for nearly a decade. She should have known better, especially while dealing with Lex Luthor, but she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

A struggled noise escaped her but she forced herself to stay quiet. She didn't want to wake up Oliver and especially Maddie. She just needed to make it to the bathroom and stitch herself up, she had done it before.

But her knees kept wanting to give on her so as she started down the hallway toward the bedrooms, she had to stop, leaning her side heavily against the wall, a hand covering her wound and adding pressure to it as she tried to catch her breath.

It should have stopped bleeding by now.

Comments

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

"I'll bring you another shirt, Chloe. Lie down." His voice was gentle, but firm.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

"I need a shower," she insisted, looking over at him, "I don't want her to know something is wrong."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He met her eyes. "You can barely stand up right now," he reminded her, raising his eyebrows.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

Chloe stared at him for a moment then sighed. She'd rest for a little bit and then shower, hopefully before Maddie woke up, "I need water." Her mouth was dry and she knew she had lost a lot of blood.

She also needed drugs, a lot of them, but she didn't want to risk passing out and not showering and changing before Maddie saw her.

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

"I'll get you a glass," he told her, watching her warily for a moment, then rising to his feet. He made his way down the hallway and toward the kitchen.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

She watched him go and sighed, looking down at herself and picking up the wet towel Oliver had left. She wiped her hands clean then ran it over her face, sighing softly. She was still in pain but the burning was being replaced with the numb once more.

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He returned a moment later with a glass of ice water, and a bottle of tylenol. "Here," he murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Aspirin's a blood thinner, so I don't think that's a good idea. Tylenol, on the other hand..." He sighed softly, shaking a couple out and holding them out to her.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

Chloe took the water and sipped on it then shook her head, "leave them over there, I don't want to knock myself out until I'm clean."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

"Chloe, it won't knock you out. It's just regular Tylenol," he said with a frown. "It won't do a lot either, unfortunately, which is why I still strongly believe I should take you to a hospital."

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

She sighed and took another sip of water then took the tylenol from him, she knew the pain was only going to make her heal slower so she swallowed both of them and took another sip of water, "I'm not leaving her for days, Oliver. Even if you're here."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

"What if I got someone to come here?" he asked.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

"Like who?" She asked, "because I don't trust anyone to come into the building, let alone in here and risk seeing her."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He rubbed his hand over his face, starting to grow annoyed. "Look, I get that you're scared about people finding out about her, Chloe. But what's going to happen if you die because of some infection that I can't treat because I'm not a doctor?"

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

Chloe blew out a breath and placed her half empty water glass on the bedside table, laying back down, "if I'm not better in a couple of days, I'll let you call someone."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

His jaw tightened a little. "Great." He rose to his feet. "I'm gonna go check on Maddie." He headed toward the door.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, watching as he walked away then shaking her head. She had been doing this on her own for four years, she wasn't going to change it just because he said so.

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He returned a few moments later, looking a little less upset than he had when he'd left. "She's still out," he said softly. "So we should be good for awhile."

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

"Thank you." She told him, she had finished cleaning herself and had managed to grab one of the old t-shirts she used as pajamas from the dresser drawer next to her bed, which she was wearing now.

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

Oliver watched her for a moment. "It's not a problem," he said softly, rubbing a hand over his face.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

"I know," she said tiredly, keeping her eyes on him, "but this would be a lot harder if you weren't around."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

"Chloe..." He shook his head a little. "How have you managed to do all of this all these years?" He met her eyes, worry in his.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

She took a deep breath and shrugged a little, "it was easier when she was younger," she admitted, "she didn't notice things or ask questions. The last thing I want is for her to know what kind of thing I work with and have her be worried about me. She's a child, her biggest worry should be where she left her crayons last."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He swallowed hard, falling silent for a moment, then hesitantly moving to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. "You're right," he said very quietly.

[chloeas.livejournal.com]

Chloe sighed softly and nodded, "I have a friend, Veronica. She helped me with Maddie when I needed. When Maddie was about sixteen months, I broke my arm and couldn't even pick her up for long, she helped me then."

[dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com]

He looked down at his hands. "Chloe, maybe...you should ask yourself if this life is worth it."