Twisted Paths
Part 11
"Okay Gerald… Why did you call us out here now? Are we having another party?" Harold asked, sitting on the bench in Gerald Field.
"Please Harold… not right now man…" Gerald said humorlessly, "How many of you know what happened last night with Arnold?"
No one raised their hand. Gerald sighed and continued, "Alright then… just so everyone knows, last night, Arnold's mom collapsed and they took her to the hospital… when they admitted her, they ran some tests, and unless something big happens soon with her… she's not gonna be around much longer."
Everyone started muttering to themselves, finally, Curly spoke up.
"That's sad and all… but what does this have to do with us?" he asked.
"Arnold has always been there for us." Gerald said, staring straight at the weirdest kid in the group, "I think it's about time we repaid the favor… His dad and him are going to be at the hospital for most of the next week. I want us to all agree to help out however we can to make it easier for them. This might mean helping his grandparents run errands, bringing Arnold and his dad some food… just anything really… we need to try and help him out for everything he's done for us."
There was a general agreement that his suggestion sounded reasonable, but unfortunately, no one could think of anything to do to help aside from the occasional food run. Nevertheless, everyone agreed to help out however they could. With the group consensus, Gerald let them all go. As they left, he noticed a missing face.
"Where's Helga?" he asked Phoebe.
"She's at the hospital." She answered.
"Still?" Gerald asked.
"I think so… I went to her house this morning to see if she was up, and Bob said she had called from the hospital."
"Did she even go home last night?"
"I doubt it… I asked the same question, and her parents didn't know she had left for the party last night."
"Jesus… Do her parents even care?" Gerald wondered out loud. "Okay… so she's probably going to stay there for awhile then?"
"I believe that would be her intention." Phoebe agreed, "Should we check on them today? Maybe one of us arrange to stay with them while she goes home to rest for a bit?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll take the first shift." Gerald said, getting up and walking to his house to leave a note. Phoebe meanwhile, went home to try and sleep. She had been awake since they left the hospital last night. It was already close to noon, and the fatigue was getting to her… she could only imagine what was happening with Arnold and his dad…
Arnold woke up from a nightmare that hadn't plagued him for years… in it, he was a small child, about five, and he was walking in a strange dark forest. There was a path in front of him, and a light in the distance where the path opened out of the woods. He walked towards it, but every step made the exit grow smaller. Still he ran towards it, trying to escape… suddenly, two silhouettes, one male and the other female appeared in the exit. He called out for them to help him, but all they did was stand there, their unseen eyes burning into him. He cried out for his Mom and Dad to help him, but slowly, like the exit from the evil forest, hey too faded out of sight, leaving him alone in the forest, surrounded by shadows that slowly engulfed him, smothering him in a dark heavy atmosphere that suffocated him. He lurched forward in his sleep and woke up back in the hospital, relief that the nightmare was over short lived as the reality of where he was came crashing down around him.
"Mom… what happened?" he asked the quiet room, everyone still asleep. He was distinctly aware of a warmth at his side, and when he looked to see what it was, he could make out a blonde head of hair. When he tried to get out from under her arms, she stirred.
"Arnold?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What are you trying to do?"
"Uhhh…" he stammered, trying to come up with words that could accurately describe everything going through his head.
"Oh… sorry… you probably have to get up huh?" Helga said, removing her arms from around him and getting up so that he had space, "Do you need anything?" she offered.
"No… it's fine Helga… I think I just need to be alone for a little bit… where's my dad?" he replied, looking at the empty seat his dad had occupied last night.
"I think he's already up." She guessed, shrugging, "Are you sure you don't want me to bring you something to eat?"
"Seriously Helga… leave me alone for a bit." He snapped, making her jump slightly.
"Okay Arnold… I'll be outside if you need me…"
When the door was closed after her, Arnold immediately felt guilty about snapping at her, then he looked back to his mom, still unconscious and breathing shallow… he looked at some of the machines she was hooked up to and watched her heart rate on one of the screens. It wasn't fair… they had barely had time together… now they were going to be torn apart….
His dad came into the room a few minutes later to find his son sitting and staring at Stella. He sighed and walked over to him, handing him a cup of coffee.
"She's going to be okay." he promised, "We've been through worse together… she'll beat this, you'll see…"
"Do you mean that dad?" Arnold asked, not moving his gaze, "Or are you just trying to give out false hope?"
"I don't even know anymore Arnold…" Miles sighed, drinking from his own cup, "We're both doctors… and we've each seen some pretty nasty stuff… but this is new."
"Should we start making plans?" Arnold asked, angry at himself for suggesting something like that.
"I wouldn't start counting me out yet…" Stella said quietly, startling both of the boys in the room, "I'm not dead yet."
"Mom!"
"Stella!"
Both Arnold and Miles rushed the bed, hugging her tightly.
"Oooff… Boys, boys… air!" she gasped, trying to breathe through the smothering show of affection.
"Sorry mom." Arnold apologized, loosening his grip, "I didn't know if you were going to wake up."
"Well sweetie…" she whispered, "I said I'd always be there for you…. and I'm not letting a little bug get in the way of that… I actually woke up early this morning. You were both asleep, and honey, your little friend Helga was keeping you company… you should thank her."
"Sure mom… I'll go do that now." Arnold said, leaving the room at least a little less concerned.
When the door shut, Stella turned to Miles, "I want you to promise to take good care of our son." She said sternly, grabbing his arm.
"Babe, I'm not letting you off this rock that easily. You're going to pull through this and we're both going to see him grow up together. Do you understand?" he replied, not letting her give up on herself.
"I read the report on the tests… systematic organ failure Miles. Let's face it, I'll be under some heavy medication for the pain the next few days, and if I'm not already dead by then, they'll be sure to do something so I won't have any last moments with Arnold… I want you to promise."
"Fine… I promise to take care of him, not that I should have to promise, you're getting out of here soon Stella. And it'll be with Me and Arnold in a car ride home."
"Thank you Miles…" Stella said, leaning back onto her mattress
"Now you promise me something… I want you to fight this every moment until you're better."
Stella grinned up at her husband and laughed weakly, "Fine… I just hope that it's worth the strain."
They shared a tense laugh and got quieter as Arnold came back in to tell them that Helga had already left.
"Well go invite her back silly." His mom chided, smiling, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon… I promise."
"Alright… I'll be back later." He said, leaving the adults to talk about what would happen next…
"He's really taking this hard Phoebe…" Helga said over the phone, thinking back about an hour at the hospital when she had seen the usually cool Arnold completely snap.
"I'm sure it's perfectly normal given the circumstances" her friend replied, "I mean… now would you react if you found out your mother may die within a week?"
"Hmmm… Not sure if I'd even notice to be honest." Helga answered, "But that's not the point… what are we going to do?"
"Gerald and the others have agreed to bring Arnold and Miles food while they're at the hospital with Stella, and Rhonda said something about calling in a few favors after most of the group had left… I think that what he needs right now though, is a friend just to be there."
"He has Gerald for that though… how can I possibly help him out?" she wondered out loud, just as someone knocked at her door, "I'll have to call you back later Phoebe, someone's at the front door…"
Hey Helga…" Arnold said when she opened the door, "Sorry about this morning. I was just… I don't know…"
"Hey, it's okay football head." She said smiling, "I totally get what happened… but I'm worried about you, you know?"
"Well thanks for the concern… but I think I'm fine for now… oh, and my mom wants you to come back and visit." He said, trying to change the subject from his feelings to something less awkward.
"No problem… I don't have any plans until school starts… I can visit everyday if you'd like. I'll keep you company, make sure you guys are comfortable… or I could just be there to talk to if you need it." she offered, rubbing her arm nervously, looking down.
"You know… I think I'd like that… and mom seems to really like you." Arnold answered, surprising her.
"Really? Well that's good… your mom has actually been more of a mom to me than Miriam…" she admitted, immediately wishing she hadn't spilled that little tidbit of her personal life.
"That's too bad… for Miriam… mom always says you're a sweet girl who should come over more often…" he said, also looking down now, "Anyway, I'm heading back to the hospital now… want to come with me?"
"I think I'll go with you." she said smiling, "Now let's get going and keep your mom company in that creepy hospital."
They took off for the bus stop and talked about the crazy events at the party the entire ride to the hospital. When they got there, they found out that only family was allowed to stay in the rooms for more than two hours, but that problem was solved when Miles came out of the elevator and told the nurse that Helga was family.
"Where are you going dad?" Arnold asked.
"Your mom wants me to run a few errands, she said not to worry when you go into the room either, she's just taking a nap… You kids take care okay?" he, hugging his son and rushing out the entrance.
Arnold and Helga walked up to Stella's room to find her asleep in her bed. They weren't sure what to do, but ended up playing cards in the room quietly until she woke up a couple hours later.
"Mmmmm… Oh, hey you two." She said, stretching and smiling, "And how are you doing Helga? It's been a while since you came over for dinner."
"Sorry about that Mrs. Shortman… If it helps, I plan on having dinner with you a lot more." Helga said apologetically, shooting a questioning look at Arnold.
"I think that sounds great." Arnold agreed.
"Well… I'm afraid your dad won't be able to come to dinner tonight…" Stella said, "I have him running some… errands… But your grandparents said they'd watch me during lunch, so why don't the two of you take a break from this creepy place and go have some fun until about five?"
"Are you sure about that mom?" Arnold asked worriedly, "What if something happens to you?"
"I have a button I can press if something happens. I'll be fine honey, just go have some fun… you're about to start school again, go make the most of your summer." Stella pressed, shooing the two of them out of the room smiling. Arnold gave her a hug and a kiss before leaving and closing the door behind him.
"Think we should actually leave?" Helga asked, looking at Arnold's worried look.
"She wants us to leave the hospital for a bit… and there's no changing her mind about some things… we may as well do something." he said defeatedly. "Besides… she slipped me a ten, so let's go get some real food."
"Okay…" was all she could say when she realized that Arnold was taking her to lunch.
The next few days continued much the same. Helga and Arnold would meet at the hospital in the morning, sometimes his dad would be there, and they would all keep Stella company by talking, or playing board games or cards. Helga tried not to talk too much, after all, it wasn't her family, even if she was treated like it was. Every day though, Stella seemed to grow weaker and be in slightly more pain… Her happy smile grew dimmer, and her eyes were now barely open even when she was wide awake. The P.S. 118 gang stopped by at least once a day to bring them some food that didn't taste like it was sterilized in bleach, and sometimes they would stay and tell stories about all the crazy things that Arnold had done while his parents were in San Lorenzo. Five days after Stella was admitted, she seemed to make a slight improvement, but that was only because they had her on a different set of painkillers. Dinner that night consisted of Arnold, Stella, Miles, and Helga sitting around a small table in the corner of the room eating a ham Mr. Greene had donated.
"I still can't believe that your dad was more interested in your sisters piano skills than getting you to school." Miles said, after Helga had told the story of how she first met Arnold.
"Yeah… that was one of the worst days in my life… but Arnold was there just smiling away." She said, nudging him with her elbow and making him blush.
"Well I think it's sweet that he turned out to be so chivalrous while we were away." Stella said, taking another bite of ham, "And this is delicious… you said Mr. Greene smokes these himself?"
"As far as anyone knows, he kills the animals himself." Arnold joked, getting a laugh out of everyone.
"I doubt he kills them." Miles said, still laughing a bit, "But it is good food… What do you think Honey?" he asked, turning to his wife.
"Mhmm…" she agreed, "I'm just glad you all are here every night… it gets really quiet sometimes… and I hear the other patients talking about how sad it can be when you don't have any visitors."
"We'd never let you eat alone Mrs. Shortman." Helga said, smiling, "Don't forget to drink lots of water…"
"Yes mom." Stella joked, suddenly frowning, "but dang this stuff is kind of dry…"
"Dry? Mom, it's dripping juices… are you feeling alright?" Arnold said, looking concerned, "Mom?"
Stella never answered, instead, her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and she slumped over the table, spilling the pitcher of water. Arnold and Helga rushed out the door to call for a nurse, and Miles dashed to his wife's side to sit her up and check her vitals. A pair of doctors came rushing in, followed by several nurses, they lifted her up back onto her bed and hooked her up to a mobile machine with a tiny readout screen. The doctors looked at it, frowning, for a few seconds. They then called out some kind of code on the intercom, moving her to a mobile cart and rushing her out the door. Arnold and Miles tried to follow, but the nurses said to wait here until they were called by the doctor. This left Miles, Arnold, and Helga alone in an empty room to only guess at what had happened.
"Come on Arnold…" Helga prompted, "I don't think it's a good idea to just wait around here."
"I can't leave… what if something happens?" he said back angrily, pulling his arm from her grip, "I'm not leaving her!"
"Son…" Miles said quietly, putting an arm on his shoulder, "I agree with Helga. I'll wait here if something happens… but I want you to take a breather for a little while… go with her and don't worry… your mom promised she'd be fine…"
"Dad…" Arnold said sadly, looking up into his face, "I don't want to leave…"
"I'm telling you Arnold… take a break… she'll be fine."
"Come on…" Helga said gently, putting her arms around his shoulders and steering him slowly towards the door.
The door closed behind them and Arnold saw his dad sit on Stella's bed through the window, cupping his head in his hands and hunching over as if in pain. Helga steered him towards the elevator and walked him out the main entrance, directing him on a path to who knew where. They walked down the sidewalk in silence for awhile, finally, Helga stopped and pulled Arnold into a small alley.
"She's going to be alright." She said, quietly, "But I know how much this has got to be hurting you… if you need to let anything out, this is as good a place as any." She said, gesturing to the empty space lined with bricks and trash.
"I can't…" he said, slumping against the wall and sliding down, "I can't be sad right now… that means I've given up… I can't give up Helga." He said, looking at her with tears starting to form in his eyes. she knelt in front of him and grabbed his hands away from his face.
"Hey… look at me Arnold Shortman… If you think you're the only one hurting right now, you're wrong. But you're the one probably hurting the most… even your dad probably can't guess how you must be feeling… and I won't pretend to… But I know that when a parent leaves you, it hurts like a bitch… and I know that sometimes, it helps a lot to just let out whatever you're feeling…" She told him firmly. "It doesn't mean you're weak, or that you give up… it means that you're human… and it means you can feel."
Arnold's face was streaked with tears at this point, listening to Helga, it was like she could see inside him and feel what he did… "I-I don't want her to go…" he said, his voice cracking with emotion… I barely know her… She's my mom, and we barely spent time together… She can't leave me!" he yelled, standing up and slamming his fist against the bricks. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"
"I know it's not fair… but she'll be fine, you'll see…" Helga said, trying to comfort him. "Just let it all out."
"I LOVE HER! EVERYTHING I LOVE IS TAKEN FROM ME! THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME GOING WHEN THEY WERE GONE WAS THE THOUGHT THAT WE'D BE TOGETHER SOMEDAY. BUT NO! NOW SHE'S DYING AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO!"
He was breathing deep and ragged by this point, red in the face form screaming at the top of his lungs, his fists were red and raw from hitting the bricks, and his tears had left shiny trails down his cheeks. He sat down and pulled his knees to his chest, weeping. "I don't want to lose her again…" he whispered hoarsely.
She knelt on the ground next to him and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame, pulling him close and rocking gently, trying to calm him down…
"I know you love her… I'm worried too… but you have to trust me when I say that she's going to be alright…" she murmured, stroking his hair and holding him tightly, completely aware of his every heartbeat and his warm body pressed so close to hers.
"How can you say that?" he asked, looking up slightly, trying to see her face, "How can you keep telling me she'll be fine when she could be de…dead…tomorrow?"
"Because I know your family… if your mom is anything like you, she can get through anything…" she whispered in his ear, still rocking him while he calmed down and actually nuzzled closer to her, his head on her shoulder.
"What if she's not? What if she… can't keep fighting?" he asked, finally showing just how worried he was, "I don't know if I could handle losing her again… either of them…"
"You won't have to… I don't know what will happen, but I know that it's all going to be alright… come on now football head. You're the one who always sees the silver lining…" Helga said, standing up and pulling him up with her, "Now let's get back and see how your mom's doing."
They walked back in silence, but this time, Arnold seemed much calmer, and just to let him know that he wasn't alone, she held his hand gently. He seemed to draw strength from the gesture, and before they knew it, they were standing outside the door to Stella's room once again. The light was on inside, but when they went in, it wasn't Stella, but someone else in her bed.
"Uhhh… who are you?" Helga asked the stranger, "This room is supposed to be Stella Shortman's…"
"Oh… I think the woman before me was moved to a different ward." The stranger replied, smiling weakly, "I think I heard the doctor talking to a tall blonde man a few minutes ago about some kind of observation… they mentioned the Critical Care ward… I'm sorry…"
"Thanks for your help." Helga replied, steering Arnold towards the door, his whole body stiffening at the words Critical Care. "Let's go ask the receptionist where she is now…" she suggested.
The pair walked to the front desk and they were indeed referred to the Critical Care ward. The nurse on duty told them how to get there, and off they went. Arnold knew they were in the right place when he saw Miles pacing outside a closed door with a neon sign lit up with the words Examination In Progress.
"Dad?" Arnold choked out, "What's going on with mom?"
Miles sighed and sat his son down on a bench with him, "Son… I don't know how to say this… but your mother's condition suddenly deteriorated. She's being given a new batch of drugs… but they said that it was just for making everything feel better… I'm sorry Arnold…" was all he could say before he started crying and hugging his son, who just stared off into space, stunned by the horrible news.
"Can we say goodbye?" Arnold finally asked, fresh tears streaking down his face.
"I think that would be for the best…" a doctor said, coming out of the room, "She's conscious… but we don't know for how much longer…"
Arnold and Miles went into the room, leaving Helga outside leaning against the wall. After about an hour, Miles poked his head out and said that Stella wanted to talk to her.
"Helga… come here sweetie." Stella said, sitting up in bed, the only things about her that indicated she was sick were the pack of tubes sticking out of her arms.
"What did you want to see me about?" Helga asked, looking at Arnold, who sat in the corner watching his mom and not moving.
"Girl things…" she said laughing, "Boys? I'm not going anywhere for a while still… could we have a moment of privacy?"
Miles nodded and helped Arnold up, steering him towards the door, "We'll be right outside." He said before closing the door.
When the door was shut, Stella turned to Helga and smiled warmly. "So do you want to tell me what's going on between you and my son?"
The sudden question caught Helga off guard, and all she could do was open and close her mouth, looking amazingly like a goldfish.
"Heheheh… I'm not trying to scare you I promise… I'm just trying to understand why you spend so much time looking after Arnold." Stella said, trying to ease the tension.
"Well… I guess I… I don't know… It just feels right… being around him feels nice." She stammered out, glowing a bright red.
"Heh, I know what you mean… I still get a fuzzy feeling from Miles… It's a good thing that you two are so close already. It's a good sign." Stella said, "Anything else you want to say? I promise to keep it secret."
"You promise?" Helga asked, wanting to share her secret with Stella, but still nervous.
"I swear, I won't tell a soul." She promised.
"Well… you remember the story I told you about meeting Arnold for the first time?"
"Yes… that was cute…" Stella commented, still smiling.
"My family doesn't really notice me…. They watch my sister and they love her… but I never got any recognition, not even if I was getting in trouble, and having someone care about me… your son was the first person to really give a damn about me… and I love him for it. Actually, I just love him… it's the way he's always cared for others before himself… the way he never gets angry… he's just always been the person to calm me down… and I feel awful about the years I picked on him to hide it." Helga admitted, making Stella the third person in the world who she'd confessed to.
"That's beautiful…" Stella said quietly. "I hope you two can have a future together… I think he feels better when you're around."
"You really think so?" Helga asked
"Definitely… I just hope I'm around to see it."
"Should I go get the boys from outside?" Helga offered, trying to end the awkward moment.
"I think that would be good…" she agreed.
Helga opened the door, trying not to show the blush that was still playing across her cheeks. She sat in the corner of the room while the family talked among themselves. Sometime later (there wasn't a clock in the room) a doctor entered the room and asked to speak to Miles and Stella, so Arnold and Helga were shooed out into the hallway.
"What did you guys talk about?" Arnold asked, once the door was shut behind them.
"Oh you know… things…" Helga bluffed, avoiding the question, "What do you think they're talking about?"
"I hope it's good news." Arnold muttered.
They sat the rest of the time in silence, the doctor eventually coming out with a clipboard and walking over to Arnold.
"Arnold Shortman?" he asked, checking that he had the right person.
"Yes?"
"I was instructed by your mother to tell you what's going to happen. A specialist in the very disease your mother has, has just arrived in the city yesterday. He heard about your mother's illness, and he is coming over tonight to perform a very difficult and new procedure. If it works, she should recover in a matter of weeks, but if it fails… well… I don't think I need to tell you how urgent it is. Your parents have agreed to the procedure, but they wanted your opinion. Will you consent?" He spilled out, handing the clipboard over, which held a legal document with both Miles and Stella's signatures.
He thought about it for a second, and then signed his name next to Stella's. the doctor thanked him and told him that now would be a good time to say goodbye to Stella as she would be anesthetized shortly.
Helga and Arnold walked back into the room to see Miles hugging his wife and crying softly. For the first time, Helga even saw Stella cry a little.
"Arnold." She said, holding out her arms, "Come here baby… just in case…"
He didn't need any prodding, Arnold practically ran into his mom's arms, holding her tightly and kissing her on the cheek one last time before a group of orderlies came in with the moving table and an IV drip of sedative. As she was leaving, Stella reached out an arm towards Helga and said, "Remember what I said… take care…" and with that, she was whisked out of the room and off to the O.R.
Arnold and Helga were told that the operation would most likely last for hours. So they decided to go home. Helga asked if she could spend the night, to which Miles just nodded and drove them all back to the boarding house. The hospital said that they would call if there was any development, but the first hour after surgery was critical, so Miles told Arnold and Helga to go to bed while he waited for news from the hospital.
Helga agreed to sleep on the couch in Arnold's room, and she tried not to look while he changed (not that she hadn't already seen him naked while trying to kill a parrot years ago)
"Helga?" Arnold said from his bed when the lights were off.
"Yeah Arnold?" she replied, turning towards his bed.
"Thanks for being there for me this week… I knew you were alot nicer this year, but I really appreciate what you did for us…" he said, yawning, trying to fight off sleep.
"I was happy… I know what it's like to need someone there for you." she said, nodding off. Falling asleep before he could respond to her cryptic statement.
They woke up the next morning to Miles screaming at the top of his lungs downstairs. Both kids jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs to the main room and saw him on his knees, crying, the phone dropped only feet away from him. Arnold ran forward trying to help his dad up and find out the news. When they finally got him sitting up on the couch, he looked at his son and grabbed his shoulders.
"They just called… Mom's going to be fine!" he yelled, a broad smile tearing across his face, and tears of joy streaming down his cheeks.
"It worked?" Arnold asked stunned, but a huge smile of his own working its way slowly into existence.
"Yes! They said she's already showing huge improvement… she's going to come home in a week or so…" Miles said, hugging Arnold tightly, then motioning for Helga to join them.
When he finally released them, he got up to run and tell Phil and Gertie, leaving the kids alone to celebrate.
"Well football head… I guess this means OOOHH"
She was interrupted by Arnold rushing her and wrapping her in the tightest hug she had ever experienced. He squeezed the breath out of her and didn't ease up until she tapped his shoulder for air. But even loosening his grip, he didn't let go. She realized eventually that he was weeping, his tears soaking into her shoulder as he held her close, and despite the odd thought of his tears soaking into her clothes, her heart rate sped up and her cheeks flushed.
"Thank you so much…" he whispered into her ear, "I can't thank you enough…"
"Don't mention it football head." She replied, smirking and returning the hug finally, drawing his warmth closer to her heart, "I'll always be here for you…"
Well… quite a lot happened there didn't it? Sorry about the sudden change from a short chapter to this behemoth, and for any tears that may have welled up if any… I don't know, you guys let me know what you thought about it.
This is the final chapter where Arnold and Co. are preteens… the next chapter will take place at the end of summer, and they will 16 years old… actually, Arnold will be 17. Helga and the others will be close to 17… just roll with it.
Til then,
musicalreader