Chapter Two: My Dear Friend
The silence between them was maddening and Helga was hoping for anything--ANYTHING to happen. Some words. A carcrash. Or at the very least, let them get to the hospital already. She felt stifled and Brainy wasn't helping matters any. He wouldn't even look at her. There had been a silence like this between her and Brainy before, but it was good. It was right. This was utterly wrong.
Sighing loudly on purpose, Helga looked over at Brainy who was still avoiding her gaze. "How about some music then?" she asked him, but Brainy made no move to turn on the radio. "OK..." Helga looked out the window. "Nice wheather we're having." It was dark outside. Not a cloud in the sky unless you counted the smog that came from the city. Exasperated, Helga through off her seatbelt and turned so that she was totally facing him. "Brainy, I know you're pissed but this is driving me mad. Can you say something please?" Her hazel eyes were blazing and she crossed her hands over her chest.
Brainy slammed on the breaks, surprising Helga as she hit the dashboard. A loud "oomf!" spat out of her and she used her hands to heave her back into her seat. "What the hell is going on, Brainy?" She asked her voice rising now. Her blonde hair was down and messy around her pale face. Brainy's face was even more pale, sallow even.
The frightening thing was, Brainy didn't even look angry. In fact, he looked very scared, disturbed. This was unnerving to Helga because she'd never seen that look even cross his face, let alone stay plastered to it. And suddenly, Helga knew there was more to Phoebe's story than Brainy was telling her. Everything in their past now was gone. Helga knew that Brainy wasn't caring right now that Helga had hurt him. All he cared about was what could happen to Phoebe.
Placing a shaky, tentative hand on Brainy's shoulder, Helga's eyes widened as she asked him, "Brainy...what happened? What's wrong with Pheebs?"
They were stopped right out in the middle of the street at an ungodly time in the morning. It didn't matter. There were no cars out. Helga felt trapped in a little world that was Brainy's car, as though she were frozen in time until the answer escaped his lips.
Brainy hesitated for just a moment, struggling with the answer. "Helga..." he began, grabbing the hand she had put on his shoulder and holding it within his own grasp. "Phoebe had an abortion...but not the good kind."
Helga's mouth dropped as she stared at him, incredulous. "What the fuck do you mean, 'not the good kind'?" She was shaking with anger now, pulling her hand back, out of his grasp. "Brainy, you fucking tell me where Pheebs is right now and what's wrong with her!"
Brainy's solemn gaze only worsened. He was obviously trying his hardest not to cry and Helga felt bad for only a moment at her callous words. "She's in the hospital--now," he tried to explain, his voice shaking awfully. "But she had an illegal abortion done...she--she didn't want anyone to know. Especially her parents. She was going to say it was a miscarriage. But then something went wrong...I don't know. I only know that she's in the hospital now." Tears were streaming down Brainy's face yet, but the information had apparently not fully registered with Helga. She was still fuming.
"How did you know all this, Brainy?" she asked her, her voice just above a whisper, though dangerously so. "How could you have known this when I didn't?"
"Helga, you know Pheebs and I are close now! Probably closer than you and her are. She's been telling me everything.You don't even know the whole story about her and Iggy! She didn't want to tell you, especially after what happened...at the party..." Brainy's voice faded away and he started up the car again. "The hospital's right up here..." he added, though his voice sounded hollow and dead now.
They pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and Helga jumped out, quick as lightening. She was still raging with anger but she'd decided not to say anything more to Brainy. She wondered how Phoebe or him could keep something like that from her. Sure, her and Phoebe had been drifting apart, but why couldn't it have been said at the party? Helga didn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew it was because Phoebe didn't quite trust her enough as a friend yet to disclose such information. And chances are, Helga probably would have gotten pissed at Phoebe for even suggesting getting an abortion. She had blabbed everything at the party when she was drunk. It could have been a lot worse if she was telling everyone that Phoebe was a baby killer.
Brainy and Helga entered together at the main entrance of the hospital going up to the front desk and asking the woman at the counter for Phoebe's room.
"Yes...Ms. Hiyerdahl. She asked for you to come," the woman said, looking at them both. "She doesn't want to see her parents yet, but she does want to see you. Visiting hours are over, but she's a very adamant little girl. I'll give you both five minutes." And she directed them down the hall and up the stairs to the left to Phoebe's room. Number 287.
Walking up there, Helga's anger was diminishing and she was actually growing more and more frightened. Instinctively, she clung into Brainy's arm. In some perverse way, she was glad that he wasn't mad at her for the moment. Helga knew it couldn't last for long. She'd hurt Brainy deeply for what she'd done with Sid, making him believe that their was a future between them. Helga wanted a future between them, didn't she? Right now her mind was too clouded with other pressing matters to dote on it for long.
They paused outside room 287, and Brainy finally took the initiative to rap lightly on the door. A male nurse answered, not much older than them it seemed. He smiled saying Phoebe was expecting them. Then he quietly let himself out, shutting the door as Brainy and Helga stepped inside.
Helga almost crumpled at the sight before her. Her dear friend Phoebe was lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and other machines that Helga couldn't even identify. Her eyes were closed and her breathing seemed regular, but she looked so frail. Helga slowly walked up to Phoebe's bedside, while Brainy stayed behind. "Pheebs?" Her voice quavered when she said it, hoping her friend was unconscious.
But Phoebe's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Helga and then over to Brainy then back to Helga. "What...no flowers?" she asked faintly and a smile came over her face.
There were tears in Helga's eyes as Brainy came up to join her at the bedside. "Sorry, Pheebs. You know I'm cheap," Helga answered, the tears streaming down her face now. "How--how are you?" The room was so white and sterile, and such a drastic change from outside that it was blinding Helga. It was no wonder Phoebe had had her eyes closed.
"I'm fine...fine," Phoebe answered, though she didn't sound fine. "I was able to get ahold of the police before I bled to death." For an instant, Helga thought her friend was joking, but the look in Phoebe's eyes showed nothing but pain and seriousness. Phoebe looked up at Helga. "Helga...I want you to know," she began. Helga couldn't tell if Phoebe was still angry out not, so she interjected before Phoebe could say more.
"Pheebs, I'm really sorry about all that's happened. I really didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I had one too many drinks and...things just got out of hand." But Phoebe gave her a look that told Helga to stop.
"I want you to know," Phoebe continued, looking down at the white sheet with floral print that covered her lithe body, "that I'm not mad at you anymore." Her eyes averted back up to Helga's. "In fact, I'm glad you told everyone about me...and what happened with Iggy." Phoebe's voice was choking up as though it was painful to recall such things, and perhaps it was. "My parents know now, too...and I talked to a lawyer. What Iggy did was wrong."
Helga wanted to say, "I could've told you that, Pheebs." But she kept silent as Phoebe continued on.
"So I'm bringing his ass to court," she told both Helga and Brainy, trying to sound as ruthless as possible, which sounded so out of place coming from Phoebe.
"Good for you, Pheebs," Brainy said encouragingly. "We'll be there every step of the way." He tried to smile, but he was still having trouble showing any sort of happy emotion. Same for Helga.
"I'll beat him bloody, Phoebe," Helga said, her fists already balling up with rage. "I'll make sure he pays." And Helga was dead serious.
"No, Helga," Phoebe reprimanded her friend. "You can't do that. Iggy will get what's coming to him in court...if I get out of here fast enough." With those words, Phoebe began to sob horribly. Helga sat down on the bed and enveloped her in a hug.
"Phoebe, what is it?" Helga asked, trying to calm her down.
"I--I didn't want to do this!" Phoebe choked, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were already red and puffy and her breathing was becoming irregular. "He threatened me, Helga. He said he'd kill me if I--if I didn't kill this baby. He set up where I'd get it done and everything."
Brainy looked very surprised at Phoebe's words. He'd had no idea that Iggy was behind the idea of her getting an abortion. "Phoebe why would you listen to him?" He asked as Helga continued to hug her.
"I was scared," Phoebe said. "I still am. I don't know what Iggy's going to do now that I'm bringing him to court. If he finds me before then..." And Phoebe broke down, not able to say anything else.
Helga hugged her friend, for Phoebe was her friend again now, for what seemed like hours until the girl had calmed down considerably. Sitting back up, Helga saw that Brainy was still standing there, unsure of what to do.
"Thank you," Phoebe sniffed. "I guess I'm just a little emotional." That was an understatement. But the girl had a right to be. "You see...the doctors are giving me these hormone drugs. Because of the abortion...and how it went wrong...I--I'll probably never be able to have children." Phoebe's face scrunched up again like she was about to cry, but she held it in. "Thanks, you guys for stopping by...but you should go. My folks are going to be here any minute and I don't want them to see me like this."
Helga stood up so that she was by Brainy again. "Are you sure, Pheebs?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, of course. It's late. Go home and get some sleep. I'll be here in the morning. I'll be here for awhile." She tried to smile at the words, but it was an empty smile. She let her face drop quickly.
"We'll be back as soon as we can, Phoebe," Brainy promised, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "You take care. We and your parents will make sure nothing happens to you."
Phoebe nodded, but said no more. Brainy and Helga made a quick exit, Helga being rather silent. The cogs in her mind were turning and she had a plan.
Once outside the hospital, heading for the car, Brainy looked at Helga. "Helga, listen...I'm willing to put aside what's happened between us and just be friends for now. For Phoebe."
Helga nodded. "Yes, I supposed that would be best. Criminy. Poor Pheebs..." Helga shook her head, her blonde hair falling across her face.
Brainy reached out a hand, tucking a lock of Helga's golden hair behind her ear. It was the first gesture of kindness he'd made towards her that wasn't just about Phoebe. He smiled at her. "Good. Now, where to? I'm not much up for sleeping."
"Neither am I," Helga replied and suddenly, the flame was coming back into her eyes. "No, Brainy. I have a better idea. I say we pay Iggy a little visit."
"Helga, we can't do that. You heard what Phoebe said." His dark eyes were utterly serious, but he couldn't hide the intrigue that he had for Helga's plan.
"Don't worry," Helga told him. "We're not going to hurt him...just give him a little message."
Brainy wanted to protest, but he said no more. Just nodded and got into the car as Helga got in on the other side. Brainy surprised Helga by turning on the radio station. He tuned it until it came to something really loud and really angry.
They were out of the hospital parking lot in ten seconds flat.
Sorry it took so long to update. ^^
The silence between them was maddening and Helga was hoping for anything--ANYTHING to happen. Some words. A carcrash. Or at the very least, let them get to the hospital already. She felt stifled and Brainy wasn't helping matters any. He wouldn't even look at her. There had been a silence like this between her and Brainy before, but it was good. It was right. This was utterly wrong.
Sighing loudly on purpose, Helga looked over at Brainy who was still avoiding her gaze. "How about some music then?" she asked him, but Brainy made no move to turn on the radio. "OK..." Helga looked out the window. "Nice wheather we're having." It was dark outside. Not a cloud in the sky unless you counted the smog that came from the city. Exasperated, Helga through off her seatbelt and turned so that she was totally facing him. "Brainy, I know you're pissed but this is driving me mad. Can you say something please?" Her hazel eyes were blazing and she crossed her hands over her chest.
Brainy slammed on the breaks, surprising Helga as she hit the dashboard. A loud "oomf!" spat out of her and she used her hands to heave her back into her seat. "What the hell is going on, Brainy?" She asked her voice rising now. Her blonde hair was down and messy around her pale face. Brainy's face was even more pale, sallow even.
The frightening thing was, Brainy didn't even look angry. In fact, he looked very scared, disturbed. This was unnerving to Helga because she'd never seen that look even cross his face, let alone stay plastered to it. And suddenly, Helga knew there was more to Phoebe's story than Brainy was telling her. Everything in their past now was gone. Helga knew that Brainy wasn't caring right now that Helga had hurt him. All he cared about was what could happen to Phoebe.
Placing a shaky, tentative hand on Brainy's shoulder, Helga's eyes widened as she asked him, "Brainy...what happened? What's wrong with Pheebs?"
They were stopped right out in the middle of the street at an ungodly time in the morning. It didn't matter. There were no cars out. Helga felt trapped in a little world that was Brainy's car, as though she were frozen in time until the answer escaped his lips.
Brainy hesitated for just a moment, struggling with the answer. "Helga..." he began, grabbing the hand she had put on his shoulder and holding it within his own grasp. "Phoebe had an abortion...but not the good kind."
Helga's mouth dropped as she stared at him, incredulous. "What the fuck do you mean, 'not the good kind'?" She was shaking with anger now, pulling her hand back, out of his grasp. "Brainy, you fucking tell me where Pheebs is right now and what's wrong with her!"
Brainy's solemn gaze only worsened. He was obviously trying his hardest not to cry and Helga felt bad for only a moment at her callous words. "She's in the hospital--now," he tried to explain, his voice shaking awfully. "But she had an illegal abortion done...she--she didn't want anyone to know. Especially her parents. She was going to say it was a miscarriage. But then something went wrong...I don't know. I only know that she's in the hospital now." Tears were streaming down Brainy's face yet, but the information had apparently not fully registered with Helga. She was still fuming.
"How did you know all this, Brainy?" she asked her, her voice just above a whisper, though dangerously so. "How could you have known this when I didn't?"
"Helga, you know Pheebs and I are close now! Probably closer than you and her are. She's been telling me everything.You don't even know the whole story about her and Iggy! She didn't want to tell you, especially after what happened...at the party..." Brainy's voice faded away and he started up the car again. "The hospital's right up here..." he added, though his voice sounded hollow and dead now.
They pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and Helga jumped out, quick as lightening. She was still raging with anger but she'd decided not to say anything more to Brainy. She wondered how Phoebe or him could keep something like that from her. Sure, her and Phoebe had been drifting apart, but why couldn't it have been said at the party? Helga didn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew it was because Phoebe didn't quite trust her enough as a friend yet to disclose such information. And chances are, Helga probably would have gotten pissed at Phoebe for even suggesting getting an abortion. She had blabbed everything at the party when she was drunk. It could have been a lot worse if she was telling everyone that Phoebe was a baby killer.
Brainy and Helga entered together at the main entrance of the hospital going up to the front desk and asking the woman at the counter for Phoebe's room.
"Yes...Ms. Hiyerdahl. She asked for you to come," the woman said, looking at them both. "She doesn't want to see her parents yet, but she does want to see you. Visiting hours are over, but she's a very adamant little girl. I'll give you both five minutes." And she directed them down the hall and up the stairs to the left to Phoebe's room. Number 287.
Walking up there, Helga's anger was diminishing and she was actually growing more and more frightened. Instinctively, she clung into Brainy's arm. In some perverse way, she was glad that he wasn't mad at her for the moment. Helga knew it couldn't last for long. She'd hurt Brainy deeply for what she'd done with Sid, making him believe that their was a future between them. Helga wanted a future between them, didn't she? Right now her mind was too clouded with other pressing matters to dote on it for long.
They paused outside room 287, and Brainy finally took the initiative to rap lightly on the door. A male nurse answered, not much older than them it seemed. He smiled saying Phoebe was expecting them. Then he quietly let himself out, shutting the door as Brainy and Helga stepped inside.
Helga almost crumpled at the sight before her. Her dear friend Phoebe was lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and other machines that Helga couldn't even identify. Her eyes were closed and her breathing seemed regular, but she looked so frail. Helga slowly walked up to Phoebe's bedside, while Brainy stayed behind. "Pheebs?" Her voice quavered when she said it, hoping her friend was unconscious.
But Phoebe's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Helga and then over to Brainy then back to Helga. "What...no flowers?" she asked faintly and a smile came over her face.
There were tears in Helga's eyes as Brainy came up to join her at the bedside. "Sorry, Pheebs. You know I'm cheap," Helga answered, the tears streaming down her face now. "How--how are you?" The room was so white and sterile, and such a drastic change from outside that it was blinding Helga. It was no wonder Phoebe had had her eyes closed.
"I'm fine...fine," Phoebe answered, though she didn't sound fine. "I was able to get ahold of the police before I bled to death." For an instant, Helga thought her friend was joking, but the look in Phoebe's eyes showed nothing but pain and seriousness. Phoebe looked up at Helga. "Helga...I want you to know," she began. Helga couldn't tell if Phoebe was still angry out not, so she interjected before Phoebe could say more.
"Pheebs, I'm really sorry about all that's happened. I really didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I had one too many drinks and...things just got out of hand." But Phoebe gave her a look that told Helga to stop.
"I want you to know," Phoebe continued, looking down at the white sheet with floral print that covered her lithe body, "that I'm not mad at you anymore." Her eyes averted back up to Helga's. "In fact, I'm glad you told everyone about me...and what happened with Iggy." Phoebe's voice was choking up as though it was painful to recall such things, and perhaps it was. "My parents know now, too...and I talked to a lawyer. What Iggy did was wrong."
Helga wanted to say, "I could've told you that, Pheebs." But she kept silent as Phoebe continued on.
"So I'm bringing his ass to court," she told both Helga and Brainy, trying to sound as ruthless as possible, which sounded so out of place coming from Phoebe.
"Good for you, Pheebs," Brainy said encouragingly. "We'll be there every step of the way." He tried to smile, but he was still having trouble showing any sort of happy emotion. Same for Helga.
"I'll beat him bloody, Phoebe," Helga said, her fists already balling up with rage. "I'll make sure he pays." And Helga was dead serious.
"No, Helga," Phoebe reprimanded her friend. "You can't do that. Iggy will get what's coming to him in court...if I get out of here fast enough." With those words, Phoebe began to sob horribly. Helga sat down on the bed and enveloped her in a hug.
"Phoebe, what is it?" Helga asked, trying to calm her down.
"I--I didn't want to do this!" Phoebe choked, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were already red and puffy and her breathing was becoming irregular. "He threatened me, Helga. He said he'd kill me if I--if I didn't kill this baby. He set up where I'd get it done and everything."
Brainy looked very surprised at Phoebe's words. He'd had no idea that Iggy was behind the idea of her getting an abortion. "Phoebe why would you listen to him?" He asked as Helga continued to hug her.
"I was scared," Phoebe said. "I still am. I don't know what Iggy's going to do now that I'm bringing him to court. If he finds me before then..." And Phoebe broke down, not able to say anything else.
Helga hugged her friend, for Phoebe was her friend again now, for what seemed like hours until the girl had calmed down considerably. Sitting back up, Helga saw that Brainy was still standing there, unsure of what to do.
"Thank you," Phoebe sniffed. "I guess I'm just a little emotional." That was an understatement. But the girl had a right to be. "You see...the doctors are giving me these hormone drugs. Because of the abortion...and how it went wrong...I--I'll probably never be able to have children." Phoebe's face scrunched up again like she was about to cry, but she held it in. "Thanks, you guys for stopping by...but you should go. My folks are going to be here any minute and I don't want them to see me like this."
Helga stood up so that she was by Brainy again. "Are you sure, Pheebs?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, of course. It's late. Go home and get some sleep. I'll be here in the morning. I'll be here for awhile." She tried to smile at the words, but it was an empty smile. She let her face drop quickly.
"We'll be back as soon as we can, Phoebe," Brainy promised, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "You take care. We and your parents will make sure nothing happens to you."
Phoebe nodded, but said no more. Brainy and Helga made a quick exit, Helga being rather silent. The cogs in her mind were turning and she had a plan.
Once outside the hospital, heading for the car, Brainy looked at Helga. "Helga, listen...I'm willing to put aside what's happened between us and just be friends for now. For Phoebe."
Helga nodded. "Yes, I supposed that would be best. Criminy. Poor Pheebs..." Helga shook her head, her blonde hair falling across her face.
Brainy reached out a hand, tucking a lock of Helga's golden hair behind her ear. It was the first gesture of kindness he'd made towards her that wasn't just about Phoebe. He smiled at her. "Good. Now, where to? I'm not much up for sleeping."
"Neither am I," Helga replied and suddenly, the flame was coming back into her eyes. "No, Brainy. I have a better idea. I say we pay Iggy a little visit."
"Helga, we can't do that. You heard what Phoebe said." His dark eyes were utterly serious, but he couldn't hide the intrigue that he had for Helga's plan.
"Don't worry," Helga told him. "We're not going to hurt him...just give him a little message."
Brainy wanted to protest, but he said no more. Just nodded and got into the car as Helga got in on the other side. Brainy surprised Helga by turning on the radio station. He tuned it until it came to something really loud and really angry.
They were out of the hospital parking lot in ten seconds flat.
Sorry it took so long to update. ^^