Paula Crock groaned as she tried to shift positions as she woke up following her surgeries, though she still felt immense pain from it. A pain that wasn't helped when she felt a smaller mass practically throw itself on top of her before she was even fully awake, though the pain from the impact definitely helped her wake up to see that it was her daughter who'd jumped on her.

"Artemis." Paula said as her daughter realized that maybe the way she'd chosen to hug her mother wasn't the best choice.

"Sorry." Artemis said as she gently moved away.

"It's okay Artemis. There's not much you could do that hasn't already been done." Paula assured her as she kept a grip on her daughter's hand.

"I was just so worried. I wasn't sure if I'd get to see you again and when they told me you were ready for visitors, I couldn't resist." Artemis said, but Paula just shrugged her off.

"I'm just happy to see you with no plexiglass, regardless of the reasons." Paula said as she tried to move to face Artemis, but for some reason, she couldn't use her legs.

"Mom, take it easy, you're still on a bunch of different pain meds." Artemis said, since she didn't want to be the one to tell her mother that she was paralyzed.

And fortunately, it was that moment that Dr. Schwartz walked in.

"Ah, Ms. Nyugen, I see you're awake." Dr. Schwartz said happily.

"Why can't I feel my legs?" Paula asked and the happy look on her doctor's face faded.

"There's no easy way to say this Paula, but during the attempt on your life, one of your attackers hit your spinal cord in the wrong place multiple times, not to mention the injuries you took on in the ensuing riot. We did what we could, but unfortunately, medical science has its limits. You'll never walk again." Dr. Schwartz said.

To Artemis's surprise, her mother didn't seem too upset about this.

"Perhaps, it's what I deserve after everything I did before I saw the light." Paula said.

"No mom, you don't deserve this, dad does, since I'd bet anything he's the one who put the hit on you as payback for leaving him." Artemis said as Dr. Schwartz left them alone.

"Actually, it wasn't dad who put the hit out on mom." a new voice said from near the window and Artemis was stunned when she saw her older sister Jade Nyugen standing there in her full Cheshire getup, minus the mask.

"What the hell are you doing here Jade? Did you come here to finish mom off after your friends did this to her?" Artemis asked and Jade actually looked offended.

"You actually think so little of me to think that I'd actually kill my own mother?" Jade asked her.

"Have you given me any reason not to think that?" Artemis asked.

"Fair enough." Jade admitted.

"Enough you two. Things for me are bad enough without having to listen to you two snipe at each other." Paula said before things could get anymore tense.

"You know it's a big risk for you to be here, since Green Arrow and Black Canary are out in the waiting room, not to mention a police captain." Artemis said.

"I think that Arrow and Canary would give me a pass this time, since for once, I really am just a concerned daughter checking on my mother." Jade said.

"Still, it sounds like you know who did this." Oliver said as he walked into the room.

"Oliver, how did you know she was here?" Artemis asked her foster father.

"Did you really think we wouldn't be keeping tabs on your mom while she was in the hospital. The only reason I'm not throwing Jade out the window right now is because I believe her when she says that she's just here to look in on Paula and I do have a respect for family. So I'm giving you a pass this time and only this time as long as you don't cause any trouble." Oliver said and Jade nodded.

"I understand and yes, according to my sources, the attempt on my mom's life was your fault." Jade said.

"Excuse me?" Oliver asked, though it didn't take him long to put the pieces together.

"Slade." Oliver said and Jade nodded.

"He leaked the intel that mom was an informant and used the chaos caused by the riot for a prison break. At least 60 inmates are now free and are likely your ex pal's new muscle." Jade said.

"Great, that's all we need now." Oliver said, closing his eyes.

"Oliver, it's not your fault. Word was going to get out sooner or later, I'm honestly amazed I made this this far in my sentence without anyone finding out." Paula assured him.

"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that another person is suffering because I injected Slade with that serum. If only I could get my hands on a sample of it." Oliver said.

"Wait, you want to take the Mirakuru?" Artemis asked, since she never thought Oliver would go that far.

"Of course not, but it can be used to reverse engineer a cure that would make him a normal, although deadly human." Oliver said.

"Where did you find the original serum?" Jade asked.

"Don't bother, it was destroyed years ago on the ship the AMAZO." Oliver said.

"Is there any other way to get a sample?" Artemis asked.

"Not unless you can get a blood sample from Slade. We might be able to separate the mirakuru from that." Oliver said.

"Consider it done." Jade said and before anyone could stop her, she vanished like the Cheshire cat.

"Think she can do it?" Paula asked.

"I don't know. But it's a good thing that she didn't seem to notice the tracker I planted on her mask, so I can make sure she doesn't get herself killed." Oliver said.

"Thank you." Paula said.

"I promised you I'd protect your family and that doesn't just mean Artemis. The only one it excludes is your ex-husband." Oliver said.

"I hope so. He doesn't deserve your protection." Paula said.