Chapter 5- Sweet Dreams
Arnold looked around. Everything was white. "You're not dead." Arnold turned. There stood Helga. Golden curls framed her face and flowed down her shoulders, ending in a torrent of ringlets. Two eyebrows replaced the unibrow, and her eyes were a clearer blue, but it was still Helga. She wore a long sleeved pink dress that ended past her ankles and showed off her best curves. "Why did you try to kill yourself?"
"ME!?! What about you? Why did you kill yourself?" Arnold shot back.
Helga raised an eyebrow. "You didn't read my letter, did you?"
"Not fully. I just got to the, 'Arnold I'm going to kill myself,' part and where you were. Then, I ran off to stop you."
Helga took Arnold's hand. "I was dying anyway. There was nothing you could do."
"What?"
"Darling, my family disowned me, I was homeless, jobless, three months pregnant, and to top it all off, I had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."
"Leukemia?"
"Yes. Why do you think I was gone for two years after fourth grade? Surely not to 'bond' with my sister. I was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The doctors said it was gone, but a year or two later, the symptoms returned. Bob wouldn't pay for another treatment because it was too costly. I couldn't afford treatment. And since my baby and I were going to die, I decided to kill myself instead of the leukemia killing me."
"Helga, you could have come to me. I could have paid for your treatment."
"It wouldn't have mattered. I love you, Arnold, but you need to move on. I'm sorry it had to come to this. As soon as you can, go back to P.S. 118, I left something in Mr. Simmons's old classroom for you. It is in a box under his desk, you can't miss it. You need to wake up, Arnold," Helga dropped his hand.
"Helga, I love you, too," Arnold said before he kissed her on the lips. Helga gently kissed him back, and then broke apart.
"Arnold, I'll always love you, don't forget that. I'll always be in your heart, if not your mind," Helga turned and walked away.
"No, Helga, wait! Helga! Helga! Come back! Come back!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No, Helga, wait!"
"Doctor! Nurse! He's talking! Arnold's talking!" Gerald shouted from the chair beside Arnold's bed. Phoebe, Brainy, and a doctor ran in. Phil and Gertie hobbled in a few seconds later.
"Arnold!" Phil said.
Arnold opened his eyes. "Grandpa? Grandma? Where am I?"
"You gave us quite a scare, there, Short Man. You're in the hospital."
"Arnold, why did you try to commit suicide?" Gerald shouted at his best friend.
"Because, Helga died. Don't worry, though. I won't do anything like that again. You may think I'm crazy, but Helga came to me while I was out of it. She said I needed to move on. So, I'm going to listen to her."
"Whatever you say, Arnold," Gerald said.
Phoebe spoke, "Arnold, did you realize that Helga was three months-"
Arnold cut her off, "Pregnant. Helga told me when I was out of it. Phoebe, did you realize Helga had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?"
Phoebe covered her mouth in shock. "What?" she cried as soon as the shock passed.
"Ask her parents or Olga if you don't believe me." Phoebe turned and ran from the room.
"I'd better go after Phoebe. I'll see you later, Arnold." Gerald left the room. Brainy nodded at Arnold and followed after Gerald.
Finally, the doctor spoke. "Well, young man, you are lucky to be alive. We'd like to monitor you overnight, and then you'd be free to go." He turned to Phil and Gertie. He motioned for them to follow him out of the room. Once outside Arnold's room, he shut the door. "I recommend you place your grandson in an.... um..... psychological institution."
"Listen here, sonny. Kimba's not going to an asylum. He's not crazy." Gertie half yelled at the surprised doctor.
"He's not, but you are," Phil muttered.
"Then, I highly recommend he sees a psychiatrist."
"We'll find one for him to see." Phil told the doctor wholeheartedly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the morgue...
Bob parked the car in front of the morgue. He and Miriam went inside to speak with the coroner, Mr. Cathell. By the time they got there, Gerald had called to tell the coroner about Arnold's dream. Mr. Cathell checked, and sure enough, she had leukemia when she died.
Mr. Cathell told Bob and Miriam that Helga had leukemia and the cause of death was overdose. The couple took the news rather hard, wishing they could turn the clock back and be better parents. After signing some release forms, Bob and Miriam headed to the Hillwood City Funeral Home. There, they picked out a coffin and made the funeral arrangements. The coffin was a Providence 18g with mahogany grain finishes and champagne pipe panel. They scheduled the funeral to take place a week later. On the way to the tombstone engravers, Miriam spoke up.
"Bob, I think we should wait to have the tombstone engraved."
"Why, Miriam?" Bob asked gruffly.
"So that Olga, Helga's best friend, and boyfriend can have a say in the engraving."
"I guess you're right. Besides, we should go through the remainder of her things before choosing an engraving."
Bob and Miriam drove home. Once there, they walked solemnly to Helga's room. They entered the threshold. Bob walked to Helga's closet, opened the squeaking door, and peeked inside. Inside were several books, colors ranging from black to pink. Bob picked up a few and came out. He tossed one to Miriam, then, sat on the bed. He opened a pink book and began to read out loud.
Arnold looked around. Everything was white. "You're not dead." Arnold turned. There stood Helga. Golden curls framed her face and flowed down her shoulders, ending in a torrent of ringlets. Two eyebrows replaced the unibrow, and her eyes were a clearer blue, but it was still Helga. She wore a long sleeved pink dress that ended past her ankles and showed off her best curves. "Why did you try to kill yourself?"
"ME!?! What about you? Why did you kill yourself?" Arnold shot back.
Helga raised an eyebrow. "You didn't read my letter, did you?"
"Not fully. I just got to the, 'Arnold I'm going to kill myself,' part and where you were. Then, I ran off to stop you."
Helga took Arnold's hand. "I was dying anyway. There was nothing you could do."
"What?"
"Darling, my family disowned me, I was homeless, jobless, three months pregnant, and to top it all off, I had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."
"Leukemia?"
"Yes. Why do you think I was gone for two years after fourth grade? Surely not to 'bond' with my sister. I was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The doctors said it was gone, but a year or two later, the symptoms returned. Bob wouldn't pay for another treatment because it was too costly. I couldn't afford treatment. And since my baby and I were going to die, I decided to kill myself instead of the leukemia killing me."
"Helga, you could have come to me. I could have paid for your treatment."
"It wouldn't have mattered. I love you, Arnold, but you need to move on. I'm sorry it had to come to this. As soon as you can, go back to P.S. 118, I left something in Mr. Simmons's old classroom for you. It is in a box under his desk, you can't miss it. You need to wake up, Arnold," Helga dropped his hand.
"Helga, I love you, too," Arnold said before he kissed her on the lips. Helga gently kissed him back, and then broke apart.
"Arnold, I'll always love you, don't forget that. I'll always be in your heart, if not your mind," Helga turned and walked away.
"No, Helga, wait! Helga! Helga! Come back! Come back!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No, Helga, wait!"
"Doctor! Nurse! He's talking! Arnold's talking!" Gerald shouted from the chair beside Arnold's bed. Phoebe, Brainy, and a doctor ran in. Phil and Gertie hobbled in a few seconds later.
"Arnold!" Phil said.
Arnold opened his eyes. "Grandpa? Grandma? Where am I?"
"You gave us quite a scare, there, Short Man. You're in the hospital."
"Arnold, why did you try to commit suicide?" Gerald shouted at his best friend.
"Because, Helga died. Don't worry, though. I won't do anything like that again. You may think I'm crazy, but Helga came to me while I was out of it. She said I needed to move on. So, I'm going to listen to her."
"Whatever you say, Arnold," Gerald said.
Phoebe spoke, "Arnold, did you realize that Helga was three months-"
Arnold cut her off, "Pregnant. Helga told me when I was out of it. Phoebe, did you realize Helga had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?"
Phoebe covered her mouth in shock. "What?" she cried as soon as the shock passed.
"Ask her parents or Olga if you don't believe me." Phoebe turned and ran from the room.
"I'd better go after Phoebe. I'll see you later, Arnold." Gerald left the room. Brainy nodded at Arnold and followed after Gerald.
Finally, the doctor spoke. "Well, young man, you are lucky to be alive. We'd like to monitor you overnight, and then you'd be free to go." He turned to Phil and Gertie. He motioned for them to follow him out of the room. Once outside Arnold's room, he shut the door. "I recommend you place your grandson in an.... um..... psychological institution."
"Listen here, sonny. Kimba's not going to an asylum. He's not crazy." Gertie half yelled at the surprised doctor.
"He's not, but you are," Phil muttered.
"Then, I highly recommend he sees a psychiatrist."
"We'll find one for him to see." Phil told the doctor wholeheartedly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the morgue...
Bob parked the car in front of the morgue. He and Miriam went inside to speak with the coroner, Mr. Cathell. By the time they got there, Gerald had called to tell the coroner about Arnold's dream. Mr. Cathell checked, and sure enough, she had leukemia when she died.
Mr. Cathell told Bob and Miriam that Helga had leukemia and the cause of death was overdose. The couple took the news rather hard, wishing they could turn the clock back and be better parents. After signing some release forms, Bob and Miriam headed to the Hillwood City Funeral Home. There, they picked out a coffin and made the funeral arrangements. The coffin was a Providence 18g with mahogany grain finishes and champagne pipe panel. They scheduled the funeral to take place a week later. On the way to the tombstone engravers, Miriam spoke up.
"Bob, I think we should wait to have the tombstone engraved."
"Why, Miriam?" Bob asked gruffly.
"So that Olga, Helga's best friend, and boyfriend can have a say in the engraving."
"I guess you're right. Besides, we should go through the remainder of her things before choosing an engraving."
Bob and Miriam drove home. Once there, they walked solemnly to Helga's room. They entered the threshold. Bob walked to Helga's closet, opened the squeaking door, and peeked inside. Inside were several books, colors ranging from black to pink. Bob picked up a few and came out. He tossed one to Miriam, then, sat on the bed. He opened a pink book and began to read out loud.
