Chapter 26: Empathy

The next morning, the two of them awoke, knowing they were halfway through the week. After Arnold's normal shaking routine of getting his wife to open her eyes, the two of them got up to grab their clothes.

Seeing the sour look on her face, he couldn't help but say "You might have been right about us not needing a kid. You're a big enough baby as it is in the morning."

Ready to throw something at him, she scowled "I never said we didn't need one, I just said it wasn't the right time to have one. Sheesh!"

Knowing she was right, he went over to hug her. "You're right. I won't bring it up anymore. At least I'll try not to." he smiled.

"Pttss...yeah right!" she scoffed.

Heading for the kitchen, Helga watched Arnold throw some pancakes in the microwave, while he watched her take a seat at the table. "Are you not eating?"

"I think I'll just grab a doughnut when I get to work. I don't feel like making myself anything." she sighed.

"Yeah, dealing with a bowl and a spoon. What a pain that is." he teased her.

Standing from the table, she scowled "I don't HAVE to give you a kid ya know!"

"We'll see about that." he said, winking at her.

"Whatever, I'm going to work." she sighed, walking out the door.

Arnold hated when she didn't care to say goodbye to him, but he knew she didn't mean anything by it.

After finishing his breakfast, he went down to find Jason. "Hey Jason. Ready for work?"

"You bet! How was your class yesterday?"

"Well, the kids don't seem to be afraid to share their thoughts. The only problem is they're always negative. I mean, I don't expect them to be full of self esteem, but they're not very supportive towards one another." Arnold explained.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes kids are mean or don't take the time to be empathetic just because they're covering up for their own insecurities."

Hearing these words made Arnold think about what he had told Patty about Helga in grade school. It was obvious Hilda was hiding her emotions. Perhaps some of the other kids were as well.

While thinking this through, Helga had stopped by the breakroom to grab herself a doughnut. Stuffing her face with a chocolate glazed one, she turned to see Mark walking in.

"Hey Mark. You come to grab a snack too?"

"I just needed some coffee. Have you spoken with your witness recently." he asked.

Rolling her eyes at the idea, she replied "No, I guess I can do that this afternoon. Crimity!"

Smiling at her remark, he said "It wouldn't be a bad idea. You have chocolate on your face."

Not thinking it was a big deal, he licked his finger to get it off for her.

Her eyes widened, thinking about what Matt did for her at dinner, and what Arnold's reaction would be if he knew about this.

"There, it's gone."

Trying not to shake, she replied "Uhh thanks."

"No problem. Should we go get started on today's agenda?" he asked, watching her nod her head.

While the two of them headed to his office, Arnold was sitting in his with a group of familiar faces. "How is everyone this morning?"

"What do you think?" Hilda scoffed.

"Looking great as always!" Harry exclaimed.

"Not too bad I wreckin" said Fifi.

"Uhh Okay. I think." Gerard guess.

While smiling at all of them, Arnold said "I thought we could try a new exercise."

"What kind of exercise? There isn't going to be running is there? I'm not good at running!" Gerard exclaimed.

"No, it's an empathy exercise." Arnold replied.

"Empathy? What in the heck's that?" Fifi wondered.

"It means putting yourself in another person's place so you can understand how they feel." Harry sighed, not excited about the exercise.

"So let's get started. Hilda why don't you listen to a problem of Fifi's and try coming up with a solution for it."

"Oh brother! What good will this do us?" she scowled.

Ignoring the remark, Arnold turned to Fifi "Go ahead and tell her something Fifi."

"Well, I wreckin' I don't do too well in English."

Rolling her eyes, Hilda scoffed "Go figure!"

"Hilda, to come up with a solution to the problem, you have to understand the frustration this must be putting Fifi through."

"I'm already frustrated! I'm stuck in a room with you people an hour a day, five days a week!" she scowled.

While Arnold was working with the kids, Helga could still feel the wet spot on her face from Mark's finger.

"If you don't have more new data on the case, the only thing we can do is contact your witness or start reviewing constituent services. I believe the mayor suggested saving that for next week. You're welcome to call your witness now if you like?"

Helga froze at the thought a moment. She would easily lose her patience with Harold. Was that something Mark should see?

"Uhh okay. I guess I could call him."

Handing her the phone, Mark said "I'll be right here listening."

Helga nervously dialed, thinking to herself Pick up you idiot!

Eventually, she heard "He...Hello?"

"Harold? It's Helga."

"Oh hey Helga."

"Listen, I'm just calling to keep in touch about the whole court scenario. You haven't forgotten about it have you?"

"Uhh I don't think so."

Crimity!

"You still got that sheet of paper?"

"Yeah, it's in my backpack."

Yeah right!

"Are you sure?"

"Hold on, I'll check."

Five minutes later

"I've got it!"

"What does it say?"

"It says 'Urgent notice. Parental meeting required!'"

What an idiot!

"That's not the note Harold."

"Okay then I don't have it."

I'm going to beat his face in!

"Meet me outside of Slausens this afternoon."

"Okay."

Hanging up the phone, Mark noticed Helga clenching her fists. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, this guy just wasn't the best one of our friends to have seen witness the fight if you get my drift." she sighed, leaning against the desk.

"I understand. That's why it's best to keep in touch."

While Helga was doing a bit of self-loathing, Arnold was wrapping things up with his patients. "Well, I think that's all the time we have for today. See you next week. Practice as much empathy with others as you can. It doesn't just have to be in here."

"Pttss...yeah right!" Hilda scoffed.

After gathering his things and exiting the building, Arnold noticed Helga heading in the opposite direction of the apartment. Racing over to her, he was suddenly stopped by "Hey Arnold!"

Arnold turned to see Gerald waving at him. "Huh? Oh hey Gerald, how's it going?"

"Not bad. You set things straight with Amanda and Arnie?" Gerald asked, hoping to stay up to date.

"I told Arnie to stay away from Amanda and Helga. Telling him how dangerous Amanda was and that she has no interest in him just seemed to push him closer to Helga." Arnold sighed.

" .mmm! Arnold, what is with that kid? I mean I know Helga's special to you...in her own Helga type way...but what makes that kid think a fireball like her would go out with a gumball like him?" Gerald asked, crossing his arms.

Rolling his eyes at the remark, Arnold sighed "I don't know. All I know is, he's starting to bug me even more than he is Helga."

"Not to mention now that he knows Amanda was just using him, there's nothing to distract the two of them from hitting on you and your lady." Gerald pointed out.

Sighing deeply, Arnold replied "I gotta go. See ya Gerald."

"Later man." he replied, giving his best friend their secret handshake.

Looking back in the direction Arnold was heading before being interrupted, he saw Helga was no longer in sight. Maybe I'll just go home and wait for her.

While Arnold was making his way home, Helga was approaching Slausens. There she saw Harold waiting for her. Amazing! Pink boy actually remembered!

"Hey Helga." Harold said, holding a Mr. Fudgey in his hand.

"Look Pink boy, you're the only chance Arnold and I have of keeping out of jail if those psychopath classmates of ours decide to go after us!" she scowled.

"I am?" Harold said, holding his popsicle while the chocolate dripped down his hands.

"YES! Now I have written you another note with the information pertaining to the fight you saw. I'd tell you to memorize it, but I know there's a fat chance of that happening! Find a safe place to keep it, or I'll make your face a safe place to keep my fist! Got it?!" she threatened him, while handing him the information.

"I uh think so." Harold said, taking the note with his sticky hands.

"Oh brother! See ya around Pink boy!" she scowled, heading for home.

Once she made it home, she saw Arnold sitting on the couch in front of the tv. Arnold turned his head to see her handing him a burger and soda.

"Uhh thanks. Didn't feel like cooking tonight either?" he laughed.

"I stopped to yell at Harold in front of Slausens. Figured I earned myself the right to some fast food." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I saw you heading in the opposite direction of the apartment. What were you talking to him about?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Mark insists we keep in touch with him. Not all witnesses remember the scene of the crime like it was yesterday. He must see a lot of Pink boys in his practices!"

"So, you went to make sure Harold still remembered everything. Did he?" Arnold asked.

Helga cocked her brow, while shoving her burger into her mouth. "What do you think hairboy?!"

"Even after we wrote the information down for him?" Arnold asked shockingly.

"Arnold, the guy's an idiot. He believed shaving cream was whipped cream. What makes it so hard to believe he would lose an important piece of paper?" she scowled, shoving the last of her burger into her mouth.

"I guess that's true. What did you do?" he asked, expecting the worst.

"Wrote it down again and threatened to punch his lights out if he kept losing it." she said calmly, knowing it wasn't unusual to act that way.

Rolling his eyes at her behavior, he replied "Well, nothing too serious has happened yet. I don't think we have much to worry about."

Crossing her arms, she replied "Except your lame-o cousin now text-stalking me! Sheesh!"

Wrapping his arm around her, he sighed "Don't remind me."

"Don't blame me. You're the one who got him the phone." she reminded him.

"His parents needed to know where he was?" Arnold said defensively.

"Why do you always have to make everyone's problems your problems?" she said, looking up at him.

"Because it was one of my wedding vows." he smiled, rubbing her face.

"Yeah, to ME not HIM!" she glared.

As he continued to stare at her, he said "You've got some food on your face."

Helga's mind immediately flashed back to that morning when Mark wiped her face for her.

Before letting Arnold touch her, she replied "That's okay, I can get it."

Raising an eyebrow, he replied 'What's wrong?"

Leaning over the couch, rubbing her arm, she replied "Uhh it's just that..."

Listening to her gulp, Arnold asked "What? Tell me."

"This morning, Mark noticed some chocolate on my face after I finished my doughnut. Instead of telling me, he licked his finger and wiped it off for me. What is it with you men and insisting on taking care of that for women? I mean, all you gotta do is say 'You got something there. Have a napkin!' Sheesh!" she scowled.

Arnold didn't like hearing about this, but just knowing Helga wasn't happy about it brought relief to his heart. Leaning her head against his chest, he said "We need to get you a bib."

Sitting back up to glare at him, she scowled "You're not the cleanest guy I've ever met either!"

Raising an eyebrow, he asked "What are you talking about?"

"I don't see you standing at the sink, doing the dishes every night!" she scoffed, watching him roll his eyes at her. "I don't see you doing them either."

The two then took their debate to the bedroom, deciding they'd been in their work clothes long enough.

Laying on the bed together, Arnold asked "What do you think our kids will look like?"

Rolling her eyes, Helga replied "Crimity! Not this again. Aren't you rushing into things?"

Propping his head up, facing in her direction, he replied "We can fantasize about it. It doesn't have to happen anytime soon."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "I guess. I don't know what they'd look like. They better not have your head when I go into labor!"

"I can't promise anything." he smiled, winking at her.

"Whatever. I'm resting my eyes. If I'm lucky, I'll forget about Harold ever touching me when I wake up." she sneered.

"Alright sweetie." he replied, kissing her softly on the lips.