Technical Assistance

Chapter 14: Video Interface Setup

Felicity sighs as she examines the book she received from Walter once again, frowning.  She's performed every analysis she can think of, all to no avail. Whatever the book's secrets, it's clear that they're going to remain secret for the time being.  She doesn't like to feel like she's been bested by a book, but the inanimate object seems to be winning the fight.  Frustrated, she flips through her instant streaming catalog for a movie that will make her feel better.  Her cursor lands on The Princess Bride, and she figures it's fate.  A few clicks later, it's loading, and she returns the book to its hidey-hole (that loose floor panel under her bed is finally good for something).  Now the challenge is to find something to eat, and a raid of her fridge shows few viable options.

Her doorbell chooses that moment to ring, and she frowns.  Felicity pushes the sleeves up on her shirt (well, not hers—it's the ridiculously warm one the Arrow told her to keep) and grabs the remote, pausing the now-loaded movie before it can play too long.  Then, she starts toward her door, stopping halfway as she realizes she's going to look utterly ridiculous in her oversized shirt and colorful pajama pants.  But then she continues on, deciding, well, screw it; they're the one who chose to interrupt her at home on a Saturday night.  And if it's her downstairs neighbor—the suspicious one that sometimes peeks into her bedroom from the fire escape—she's going to tell him about this thing called the Internet to help with his voyeuristic fantasies.  And if she finally ends up losing her cool, well, she doubts even Detective Lance would arrest her for that one.

A look through the peephole causes her eyes to widen, and she unlocks three deadbolts before opening the door.  "Oliver!" she says in surprise, her voice a little higher than she'd like.  "Thank God you're okay!"  Without thinking, she hugs him, and then she freezes as her actions catch up to her brain.  To her surprise, he doesn't tense up, but instead places a hand between her shoulder blades in some semblance of an awkward hug.

Trying to recover from her awkwardness, she asks, "What are you doing here?"  She realizes the way she sounds, and recovers by adding, "I mean, I'm glad to see you and all, but I thought you were supposed to be in the hospital.  Thea told me that motorcycle accident was pretty horrible."  She opens the door wide.  "Sorry I'm such a spaz—come in.  Please."

The call from Thea had come on the Twenty-Seventh—apparently she'd had trouble getting Oliver's cell phone away from him to get Felicity's phone number.  He had been in the hospital since early Christmas morning, and Felicity couldn't help but feel sorry for him.  She had asked Thea if she should visit him in the hospital, and her answer had been an adamant, "No!  He'd be pissed if he knew I even called you—he didn't want you to worry."

Oliver's eyes narrow in anger—thankfully at Thea and not Felicity—as he walks into the room.  "I told her not to call you," he says, affirming what Thea had said.   "It wasn't a big deal, and I knew you'd be concerned."  He hesitates.  "I didn't want to drop by unannounced, but my well-meaning family has been smothering since the accident.  I was hoping you'd let me hide out here."  He holds up a bag from Big Belly Burger.  "Can I bribe you with food?"

She wonders for a moment if he's just blessed with good timing.  "The food fairies work in mysterious ways," she replies with a sagely nod.  At Oliver's puzzled—but amused—expression, she explains, "I was just trying to find something to eat in my fridge that didn't have fuzzy green stuff growing on it.  I wasn't succeeding."  He chuckles, and she motions toward the couch.  "Have a seat.  I can't promise you an exciting evening, but you're welcome to stay."

"Thank you," he replies earnestly.  "It's nice to escape from reality for a while."  At the sound of his voice, Saphira charges into the room, but seems torn between greeting Oliver and trying to devour the fast food.  When Felicity swats her away and carries the food into the kitchen, Saphira jumps onto Oliver's lap.  "Hey, girl," he greets her in a soft tone, probably hoping Felicity won't notice the interaction between the two.