The arms of an angel

Chapter 9:

When you lose a part of yourself to someone you know

~New Found Glory, Sorry

" Trent, Jenna, stop running through the house with that dog! Uh why did I get that dog for them anyway?"

Rocky barked and leapt on Helga covering her mud. " TRENT JENNA get in here now!"

Slowly the two children walked forward. " Look at this mess. I just mopped the floor like two seconds ago. You both know I'm not suppose to be moving around a lot with my bruised ribs. And I can't half see with a this stupid eye being swollen shut and…."

" Mommy we're sorry. We'll clean it up." Trent said and Jenna nodded in agreement.

" What…no I don't want you to…"

" No mommy we want to."

" Okay I need to sit down thank you both."

****

Chad stood across the street from Helga's house. " How dare she send me to jail." he fumed. Oh but he would get even. He had a plan formed and everything. With one more evil glance toward the house he walked away.

*****

Around dinner time Arnold had came over to help Helga fix the food. " So how are your ribs?"

" They're okay. I mean at least he didn't break them…again."

There was then a knock on the door. " No Arnold, don't worry about it I'll get it."

She walked carefully to the door and opened it. There was an officer there.

" Yes may I help you?"

" Helga Brooks?"

" Yes that's me."

" I'm officer Bennett and this is Officer Hanson where are your children?"

" In the living room with that blasted dog. Why? What's wrong?"

" We have a court order ma'am. We have to take them."

" Take them where?"

" We have to put them in protective custody."

" WHAT why?"

" We have reason to believe that they have been abused."
" You what. No please don't take them. Wait who told you I did this?"

" Helga what's going on?"
" These people think I've been abusing the twins. No wait you can't just come in here and take them like that."

" MOMMY…help me." Jenna screamed trying to squirm her way out the officer's strong grasp.

" Stop put them down. No please don't take them…" Helga cried running after them and completely ignoring the pain.

She banged her fists against the car windows, "No please don't take them!"

She fell to her knees as the car sped off with a crying Trent and Jenna in the back seat.

" Helga. Come here." Arnold said wrapping his arms around her. " It's okay we'll get them back."

" He did this."

" Who?"

" Chad. He did this. I know he did. He's mad that I sent him to jail. He had them taken from me."

" Don't worry we're gonna get them back. I…we know the best lawyer in town."

" We do? Who?"

" You'll see right now we got to call Gerald and Phoebe."

*****

"CURLY! You're putting my case in the hands of CURLY! I'm never going to see my kids again."

" Calm down Helga. Curly is really good at this. He'll get your kids back."

" This is going against my better judgment. But okay."

At the Curly's office Arnold and Helga sat in front of Curly's desk as he read a file.

" I did a little off hand research about your life during the past five years," he said taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, " And it seems you have had a number of trips to the hospital. You've had six broken ribs. Your arm was broken in 3 places. You've had a third degree burn. You've had a concussion. You were in ICU three times each one longer than the other. You were in the emergency room 7 different times. You've had a 12 stitches in your neck… and in all the police reports they are classified as accidents."

" What does this have to do with me getting my kids back?"

" I need to know that you are capable of taking care of your children without anymore of these…accidents. I've already proven that the children haven't been abused but the prosecution will argue that you are mentally unstable because of this," he said pointing to the folder.

" What you think I did all those things to myself?"

" That's what the prosecution will say. That you are a threat to yourself and your children."

" Here look at this, " She reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of the whole family when the twins were born. Helga was holding Jenna and Chad was holding Trent. "Do you see that man? That's my husband. He did all that stuff to me. There is so much that he's done to me that isn't in that little folder of yours. You want a threat…there's your threat. You should prosecute him not me."

" I need you to tell me everything, anything that will help the case."

" Helga wait are you sure about this." Arnold asked.

" Positive…Oh Curly how are you at divorce cases?"