Becoming Olga

Summary: Life is a precarious wheel. Where one person ends, another begins. For Rebecca, her end is just the beginning of Olga's life.

AN: The universe and characters of Hey Arnold belong to the wonderful and talented Craig Bartlett. I do not own them. All I own is this story premise and the changes that I make within my story.

guest: Thank you for your kind review. I hope you like this chapter.

Chapter Two

When we got 'home', or rather, where the Pataki's lived. I swear I recognized their building. In fact, this whole town looked sort of familiar. It was a purple bricked building with brown windows and a dark green door. It was a tall slim building squeezed in between two shorter brown bricked buildings. There wasn't any sort of greenery on the steps and it, honestly, looked a little old. When Bob parked in front of this house and told us that we had to get out, I was hesitant. I had hoped, during the car ride, I would wake up, however, that wasn't the case. I gingerly got out of the car and followed after Miriam's waddling body. I looked around and I couldn't pull away the pinpricks of familiarity. Where had I seen all of this? I couldn't have visited here before, could I? Did I see this place in some sort of show?

When I entered through the doorway, my heart dropped. I remembered. Wasn't this...a cartoon? I whipped my head around and took in the hallway. The purple stripped wallpaper, the blue walls, the wood floors...it was all like the ones that I recalled from the show Hey Arnold. I shook my head. This was impossible. This had to be some sort of sick dream my mind had created up during the anaphylactic shock. That must be it. That was the only possible reason why I landed in one of my least favorite characters in what could only be nicely called as a dysfunctional family.

I wandered through the house. Bob and Miriam were upstairs; their yelling argument gave away their location. I sighed as I continued snooping around. The kitchen had the same purple flower stripped wallpaper from the show, with the green paint on the other walls. The laminate floor was a faded yellow. It smelt like stale trash and vodka in here. I wrinkled my nose. If this wasn't a dream, I would definitely have to make some changes.

The fridge was rather big, but that might've been because I was so much smaller than I was before. The stove was smaller than I was used to, but it would do. I was happy to see that there was a microwave here. There was a large kitchen table with four wooden chairs near the stove. I spotted a dishwasher and let out a relieved sigh. Washing dishes were my least favorite chore, and I was glad I didn't have to do it in this weird place either. The cupboards weren't particularly high, nor was the ceiling, but I figured I would still have to use the little wooden stool that was sequestered in the kitchen corner.

I walked out of the kitchen and wandered back into the hallway. While I walked through the hallway, I noted that they had those old school rotary phones. I rolled my eyes and sighed. That meant that there weren't any smart phones. Miriam and Bob were still yelling at one another. I think it was about the problems about having another daughter. I sneered at them and let out a disgusted huff. They should've had that conversation when it wasn't about to pop. That would be murder now. I heard Miriam cry and my face crumpled into a frown. I was tempted to go up and try to help her...but then I recalled all those infomercials about abused women. I hoped that she wasn't being physically abused...I hoped that she wasn't being abused at all. I could be totally wrong. Pregnant women could cry on a drop of a hat, right? I shook off the dread I felt and continued in my exploration.

The living room was a light green, with beige carpets, and plush green couches. The wall was covered with Olga's achievements and shelves full of trophies lined one wall beside the rather large TV. I let out a deep sigh. I wouldn't be participating in any of these competitions. Maybe the original Olga liked these things, but I certainly did not. I found a piano shoved in a corner near a bay window and smiled to myself. I had always wanted to learn how to play, but with five siblings, there was never any money to go to classes. I idly wondered if this body knew how to play because I certainly didn't.

I quietly made my way to what I assumed was the dining room. It was a green with flowered wallpaper. There was a large round table in the middle of the room with four chairs. The walls had purple china cabinets with delicate expensive looking pieces. The only pictures on the walls, that I spotted, were of Olga winning competitions. Did they not own any art? I shrugged. I don't suppose it mattered in any case.

The yelling and crying had stopped. I listened and heard Bob's thunderous steps trampling down the stairs before a door slammed shut. I poked my head out of the dining room and heard Miriam's sniffles from upstairs. Bob must've gone to work, or out to do something. From what I had spotted on the clock in the kitchen, it was only two in the afternoon.

I creeped up the stairs and wandered into the nearest door to the stairs. It turned out to be a full bathroom. It smelt of urine and dirty sinks. I recoiled inwardly and vowed to clean it after I had found some gloves and bleach. I looked into the toilet and almost gagged. A lot of bleach.

I hurried out of the disgusting bathroom and walked into the nearest room nearby. It looked like a guest bedroom. This would probably become Helga's room. It didn't look like a nursery though. There was a twin bed, a dresser and a desk here, but no baby furniture. A deep frown pulled on my mouth. A frown furrowed my brow. I would have to find out how to fix that up too. Surely there had to be some sort of storage place that had Olga's old stuff. I poked my head into what I assumed was a closet. There was a pull light in the closet and it was rather spacious for a closet.

I walked back into the hallway and found that Miriam had fallen asleep, if her snore were any indication. I hoped that she wasn't drinking again. Did she not know how babies could get fetal alcohol syndrome? I shook my head and spotted stairs that led to the third floor. That probably meant that Bob and Miriam slept on the top floor. I went to the door beside the guest bedroom. There didn't seem to be any other room on this floor so it had to be Olga's room.

I tilted my head and stared at blue walls with the pink and orange flowers. I think they were flowers. The ceiling light was round and gave the entire room a bleached sort of look. I don't think they had fluorescent lights yet. I walked towards the double bed on a wooden platform. It was squeezed right up against the wall under the window with flimsy pink curtains. There was a weird looking lamp, I think it was a wall lamp, on one corner of the bed. Beside the bed was a wooden side table, it had an old school radio with a clock on top of it. There was a desk pushed up against one wall near a dresser. The closet was as big as the one in the guest room. It was full of pink, green, white, and black clothes. I made a face. It wasn't as colorful as I had hoped. A frown puckered my face when I realized that there weren't any toys. I mean, there was one single stuffed animal on the bed, but that was it. Did they think she was too old for toys. I snooped around Olga's room further.

It didn't seem like a kid's room, but I wasn't much of a kid really. What thirty year old woman stuck in a child's body would be a kid? I shook that strange thought away. There was a bookcase shoved with various novels and picture books. I was glad that it seemed like Olga was at least childish in that sense. I didn't bother looking through her other things. I wanted to get the full lay of the house while Miriam was sleeping and Bob was away.

I creeped up the stairs and I spotted a door that was directly down the hallway facing the stairs. It was ajar, and I could spot Miriam's engorged belly from that room so I assumed that was where Bob and Miriam slept. I disregarded looking into that room and instead went for the only other door that I saw in this level. When I opened it up I found that the only thing there was a dark set of stairs that led upstairs. It was probably the attic. I flicked up the light switch and looked up the stair well. It was dimly lit despite the lights being turned on. When I walked up the steps they creaked and my spine tingled. I wished I had some sort of flashlight or at least a bat.

Once I reached the top I found that there were a ton of dusty boxes. There was an old stroller shoved up against a stack of boxes. I blew away the dust and sneezed for a moment. The light from the one window streamed through the attic, lighting up the dust motes. I pulled a face and stared down at the boxes that had made me sneeze. In black marker the box clearly said it was all of Olga's baby things. I hummed. It was neat that they didn't throw any of Olga's things out. I looked around and decided that the dust wasn't very good for me. I would have to come back up and clean this place before I could rummage through their things.

I hurried out of the attic, flicked off the light and gently shut the door behind me. I let out a relieved breath when I heard Miriam's continued snoring. I quietly hurried down to 'my' room. I slumped down onto the bed. Olga's room smelt like pea blossoms and baby powered. It was odd and it reminded me of my little sister Francesca. I let myself fall onto my back and I let my eyes droop. If this wasn't a dream...I'd be a kid again. A kid in a bad sort of household. I would have to figure out how to skip as many grades as possible. I didn't want to go back through the school system. The first time was hard enough. Kids could be real beasts and I didn't want to prove that again.

My eyes closed and I drifted off. My bones felt heavy and my breaths slowed. I hadn't realized how tired I was. If this was a dream, then...I would wake up. If this wasn't...I guess I would just have to adapt. I shrugged and let sleep drag me away.

opopopopopopopo

I jolted awake, my eyes flew open, as I heard Miriam's screams. Bob was yelling and I blinked open my eyes rapidly. I rubbed away the sleep that clung to my lashes. I shook my head and hurried out of my room, sleep still fogged my mind. So this wasn't a dream.

Miriam was waddling down the stairs with Bob supporting her when I spotted them. She was heaving in and out rapidly and Bob looked pensive, maybe a little disgruntled even. It dawned on me that she was probably going to have the baby now. I followed behind them and picked up a set of spare keys from the hallway. They hurriedly exited their home and I locked the door behind them.

We got into the Lincon and drove towards the same hospital that saw me in the morning. The sky was dark and peppered with stars when I looked out the car window. Bob had rolled down the windows at some point and I smelt the dry cold air that swirled through the car. Miriam keened now and again during the journey. I shot worried glances at her. I hadn't ever had to be apart of the birth of any of my siblings, but I wasn't about to complain now.

It didn't take long to finally reach the hospital. We scrambled out of the car and one of the attendants got Miriam a wheelchair. Helga's birth took eight hours, by that time the sun had already come up. Bob and I were herded into Miriam's room. I heard Helga's first cries and I melted. I loved babies. Bob moved his weight from one foot to the other as he kept glancing back at his watch. I guess he had somewhere more pressing than here. Note the sarcasm.

The doctor smiled as he handed Miriam, Helga. One of the nurses asked, "What are you going to name her?"

Miriam looked doped up. I think she was still reeling from whatever drug they gave her. I think they did epidurals. At least that what my mom had when she had me.

They looked at Bob when Miriam listlessly shrugged. Bob grunted and glanced at me, "Whatever the other name it is for Olga. I have to go to work." He left a couple bills on Miriam's bedside, "There's some cash for a cab for you and the girls. I'll be home after eight." He ruffled my hair and hurried out of the room. The doctor glared after his back and huffed as he attended to my clearly drug addled mother.

The nurse that was doing the paper work frowned. I tugged at her scrub pants. She shot me a curious look, "Yes, sweetheart?"

I looked over to the limp hold that Miriam had over Helga. I inwardly resolved to do something, right here and now. I cleared my throat, "Could her name be Helga Geraldine Pataki?" I knew that if her name was anything else, Miriam, and maybe even Helga, would face Bob's verbal lashing.

The nurse looked at my mother and rose her brow. She glanced back down at me and a soft smile blossomed on her face, "Sure, sweetheart. It doesn't look like your mom is going to object any ways."

I nodded. They took Helga away for a little bit, but came back and deposited her back into Miriam's arms. She was bundled up like a little pink burrito. After the paperwork was done and Miriam's vital signs were taken, the hospital staff dispersed out of the room. I was left alone with Miriam and my new little sister. I gently lifted her out of Miriam's limp hold. I was afraid that if she dozed off any more, she might just drop her by accident.

I secured my hold on my new little sister and stared at her downy blonde hair. She had a dark uni brow and I couldn't help but giggle under my breath. I pulled both of us onto a chair and sighed. How was I going to feed you? I looked around the room and found that the kind nurse had left a couple bottles full of baby formula. I don't think she thought that Miriam was going to feed Helga. I sighed. Helga peacefully slept in my arms and I inwardly sighed. She was adorable. I wasn't able to have kids of my own in my original life. I didn't have a husband or boyfriend, and my uterus was titled like squished doughnut. I supposed that this was one way to have the daughter that I had wanted. What a way to get what you wish for though.

I hummed under my breath when Helga blearily opened her eyes at me. She had lovely little blue eyes lined with blonde lashes. I smiled at her and pecked her little button nose. Helga might not have gotten the love she deserved in the show throughout her childhood, but this one would. This one would because she was my Helga. I would make sure of it.

Helga grunted at me and sneezed slightly as we stared at one another. I grinned and gave her another Eskimo kiss. She sighed and I ambled down off the chair and pulled one of the warm bottles of milk towards me. Miriam was snoring away and I knew that she really wouldn't feed Helga now.

It was awkward trying to get to latch onto the nipple of the bottle, but she eventually got the hang of it. She contentedly closed her eyes and suckled on the bottle's nipple hungrily. I swayed from side to side. What have I gotten myself into?

Was I really ready to be a child mom? I glanced back at Miriam and the money that Bob had left her, and I scowled. It looked like I would have to be. These people certainly didn't look like they were up for it. They were stupidly lucky that I was a thirty year old in a ten year old body. Otherwise...I shook off that thought. I'd just have to find out how to make it work. I would have to.