SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER IS - It's not easy tonight by Five for Fighting. Do Not Own just recommend. It's a great song, and it reminds me very much of someone I once knew. So, give it a listen while you read.


When Arnold woke up his entire body ached from sleeping on the cramped couch, but Helga was nowhere to be seen.

"Just a dream." He said to himself.

He drug himself to his closet pulling on his warn dark blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. He moved down the stairs into the kitchen. Grandma was humming some old jazz tune, and he could smell the pancakes.

"Well look who's awake." Grandpa said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Morning Grandma, Grandpa." Arnold sat down at the small table. picking up a glass of juice.

"Morning Football head." Her voice jolted through his body, and he splashed orange juice all over himself, and the table shooting to his feet.

"Helga?" He called out aware that Grandpa was staring at him.

"Right here. Where else would I be?" She asked hopping down from the counter where she was sitting watching Grandma bake.

He eased back down into his chair trying to look normal. He glanced at Grandpa who shook his head, and took a drink of coffee.

"I thought I was dreaming." Arnold said under his breath so Grandpa didn't hear.

"Believe me I wish you were. I woke up to Grandma singing, and...I just wanted to watch her for awhile." Helga said moving to sit in the vacant chair to his right.

He didn't say anything as Grandma set a plate stacked with pancakes infront of him. He grimaced, and glanced at his Grandpa who was digging into his own food.

"I really have a lot to do today. I might skip school." Arnold said.

"Can I ask what you're doing?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah I want to go see Helga. She's uh...in the hospital." Arnold said glancing at her.

"Well, alright Shortman. You really need to eat your breakfast though. You don't eat enough to keep a bird alive." Grandpa said.

"I'm really not hungry." Arnold said.

"Your grandpa said eat. So eat." Helga said from her chair.

He looked over at her, and saw she was leaving no room for argument. He couldn't really argue anyway, and still look sane so reluctantly he began to eat the pancakes. Helga watched him for a minute before moving to read the paper over Grandpas shoulder.


It was an hour later when they walked out onto the street. Arnold pulled his black hoodie closer, and zipped it.

"Okay, so where's your car?" Helga asked.

"You're looking at it." He said, motioning to the beat up blue dodge parked in front of the boarding house.

"Are you serious?" She looked at him, and he shrugged.

"It gets me where I'm going." He said.

"Whatever, let's just go." She said walking to the drivers door.

"What are you doing?" He asked following her around the car.

"I can't open doors. I'll just climb over the seat." She said motioning at he door.

He opened the door and motioned her inside. She stepped into the car and he tried not to check her out, but as she scrambled over the seat his eyes roamed. He was a man after all, and he had a thing for long legs.

"Are you coming or what?" She asked, and he realized he'd been staring.

"Sorry." He slid in behind the wheel closing the door, and starting down the road.

"So, what's the plan?" She asked looking at him.

"I don't know...Helga, I'm not even sure you're real at this point. You could be a figment of my imagination. Maybe, I'm going crazy." He said.

"Why me? If you're really crazy why are you seeing me?" She asked crossing her arm over her chest.

"I don't know." He said shaking his head.

"So, What's the plan?" She asked again.

"We go to the hospital, and find out what the doctors are saying then we...try, and put you back." He said.

"Do you think this will work?" She asked.

"I don't know Helga. I've never exactly done this before, but it makes sense." He said. He sounded irritated, and she frowned.

"Okay." She said with a sigh.

They rode in silence and he felt guilty for the way he snapped at her. As confusing as it was for him, it must be terrifying for her. She was staring out the window now, but he knew she had to be scared.

"I'm sorry I snapped." He said with a sigh.

"It's fine, I'm sorry." She said.

"Look, we'll get you to the hospital. We'll figure this out." He said.

"Thank you." She said with a sad smile.

"Hey, at least you're not flickering today." He said taking in her solid looking appearance.

"Yeah, I always thought when I was dead I wouldn't need sleep, but it turns out I was exhausted." She admitted.

"Hopefully once we get you back with yourself everything will be okay." He said.

"If it's not I understand." She said.

"It will be." He said wondering how he knew.


They pulled up in front of the hospital, and Arnold climbed out holding the door for Helga to get out as well. They walked into the hospital together, and he approached the desk.

"I'm looking for Helga Patakis room." He said.

"Floor 6 room 621." The nurse said.

"Thank you." He started down the hall, and Helga followed him silently.

They stepped onto the elevator and as it slowly made it's way up he glanced at Helga. She wasn't flickering, but she looked weary. He wished he could help her, but he didn't know where to begin.

"I'm going to try to help you Helga." He said.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He stepped off, and Helga forced herself to follow him. They walked down the hallway, and Helga saw herself. The room she was in was at the end of the hall, and there was a small glass window. She took off at a run towards her body and Arnold followed her.

"Helga!" He ran down the hall and straight into Big Bob.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked grabbing Arnold by the back of his hoodie.

"Hello Mr. Pataki."He said softly.

"Alfred? What are you doing here?" Bob asked letting go of him.

"I came to see Helga." Arnold said motioning into the room where Helga stood staring at her lifeless body.

"I don't think so." Bob said.

"Please Mr. Pataki I have to see her." Arnold begged.

"B just let him go in." Miriam said rising from a nearby chair.

"Alright, but make it quick boy." Big Bob said, and Arnold nodded before going into the room.

He stepped up beside Helga to glance at her form laying in the bed. Wires, and tubes went everywhere and the gentle beep was the only thing that let him know she was alive. He moved a little closer to the bad. Helga stood staring at her self equally as still as her body. He was aware of Miriam stepping into the room.

"How bad is it?" He asked her.

"I really shouldn't tell you." She said.

"Please, I need to know." He said glancing at Helga who was still staring at herself her mother behind her.

"Four broken ribs,a broken arm, and the impact fractured her skull. She's in a coma. the doctors said if she doesn't wake up in the next 12 hours then...as of right now the machines are all that's keeping her alive." Miriam said.

He glanced at Helga where she was standing. Her eyes filled with tears and she put a hand over her mouth as if she would throw up. He could see her breaking bit by bit until she let out a strangled sob, and he turned back to Miriam.

"Thank you. I'll be done here in a minute." He said.

"Take your time." Miriam said she left closing the door behind her.

"Helga, come on now. Keep it together." He said.

"I'm dying...I'm dying." She said.

"No, You're alive just calm down." He said.

"I don't know what to do." She said looking at him with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Just concentrate, breathe." He said moving closer to her body he reached out and gently touched her hand.

"I can feel that." Helga said.

"You can feel me touching you?" He asked looking at her.

"Yes." She said.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"I don't know..."She looked back at her body.

"Just try and get back in." He said motioning at her body.

"Okay, yeah." She climbed onto the bed and he looked at all the IVs and tubes.

Her face was bruised completely on her left side, and there was a tube going down her throat. Her head was wrapped in gauze, and her eyes were black and swollen. He looked at her arm one arm had an I.V. the other had a cast. Her body was a mangled mess and he wondered how she was alive at all.

"It's not working." Helga said as she moved behind him and he turned to face her.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm not sticking I'm just passing through myself. It's not working." She said and he saw tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry. I'll figure something out." He said.

"Maybe this is it for me...maybe, I'm suppose to die." She said.

"No, don't think like that." He said.

She looked at her body and he felt bad for her. The misery was all over her face.

"Can we leave?" She asked suddenly.

"Yeah, let's go." He said.

His initial plan was to let her there with herself, but seeing her broken body, and her broken spirit he couldn't let her alone struggling to get reconnected with herself. He was stuck with her for a little longer at least.

They stepped into the hall and Big Bob approached him.

"Did you get to say your goodbyes?" He asked.

"No, I just talked to her a little." Arnold said.

"If she doesn't wake up...we're taking her off the machines." Bob said.

Arnold tensed, and he heard Helga whimper beside him.

"Mr. Pataki...please...just give her some time." Arnold said.

"We are..four days." He said.

"When the time comes to make the decision...please... call me first." Arnold said.

"Look Alfred..."Bob began.

"We will call you...I promise." Miriam said from a nearby chair.

"Thank you." Arnold said.

Arnold started down the hall and Helga followed him. She was quiet the entire elevator ride, and by the time they reached his car his nerves were on a tightrope. He opened his door and after she climbed in he got in shutting his door.

"Helga..." He began.

"They're going to kill me in four days." She said.

"I know..."He said.

"What am I going to do?" She sobbed covering her face with her hands her blonde hair falling forward.

"I don't know." He said honestly.

She kept crying and he wished he could help her, but he didn't even know where to start. Instead he started his car and drove home. He parked in front of the boarding house and she climbed out of the car suddenly silent. She moved soundlessly up the stairs to his room, and sat like a statue on the couch.

"I'm going to work for a little bit, are you going to be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just need some time." She said.

He sat down at his desk pulling out his maps. His obsession with his parents dissapearence had grown with him, it molded him, built him into who he was. The only thing that fueled him was the maps and knowing that as soon as he was out of college he would follow them. He would find them.

He missed Lunch and dinner not for the first time, and Helga sat silent on the couch all night. When it was time for bed he motioned her off the couch and took his place she moved silently to the bed, and lay down. He tossed and turned for a full two hours pictures of her broken twisted body haunted him., and Helgas soft crying echoed in his room.

He tried to forget the way her mangled form lay in that bed, so still. It was like a bad movie playing over and over. The sound of her cries echoing over her own mothers voice as she listed her injuries. Even, if she found a way back what was a head for her? Her body didn't look like much anymore. She was pretty had been pretty for awhile now. He would pass her every so often in the hallways, and he noticed the way she had changed. He was too busy to date much and she didn't care about anything but her studies.

Her beautiful face was black and blue, Her perfect mind was slowly giving up and the fiery soul that was Helga was crumbling right before his eyes,and he was powerless to stop it.

He fell into a fitful sleep plagued by nightmares of his parents.

He woke up somewhere around three in the morning. He staggered half asleep down the stairs and used the restroom. His back and legs ached. He had fallen asleep on his couch again. He ran a hand through his hair as he climbed the stairs to his room. He collapsed face first onto his bed. Every muscle relaxed at the comfortable mattress and warm blankets. He fell into a deep dreamless sleep and for the first time in years he wasn't plagued with nightmares about his parents.


All readers who are interested you can now head over to a brand new Hey Arnold forum. I am usually in there and you can talk to me there, or meet other writers. As of now there aren't many people, but the more who stop in the more fun it will be. There is also a section where you can mention your favorite fanfictions for others to read. I mentioned some of mine, and Sandra Strickland has already kicked things off! Stop on in and you might find a new fiction to love.

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