Author's Note: Longest. Chapter. EVAR. It seemed that I got carried away in writing the previous chapter by making Bob a real unlikable character in this story - Which unfortunately has strayed a bit from my original intention of making him a more caring and thoughtful father. Hopefully I will try to get his character back on track again. His love for his family is shown in Chapter Five, to justify his love, just so you know. This chapter marks as the second act of the story, as chapters 1-11 being the first act and 12 being the transition chapter of this story. And because this is the second act of the story, there are some minimal changes in the format. For example, for now on, every chapter will start with a brief explanation of a certain theme that more or less ties with the chapter, just to make it more understandable. Well, enjoy.

Legal junk: I don't own Hey Arnold, but Nickelodeon does and Mr. Craig Bartlett created it. But this fic belongs to me. Clear? Good.


Chapter 13: Conflict

Name of country: San Lorenzo. Full Name: República Independiente de San Lorenzo. Official Language: Spanish, English is sparsely spoken. Capital: Bolivar. Form of Government: Democratic Presidential System (Unstable and Fragile). President: Ernesto Monzano – elected (De facto leader). Independence: From Spain (Dec. 11th 1898) Area: (Land) Roughly around 250 square km. (Water) Negligible. Climate: Tropical. Terrain: Mountainous. Population: (Before Genocide) 21500 est. (After) 12000 est. Religion: Roman Catholicism, Bokononism, Protestantism and non-religious. GDP (nominal) per capita: 451 Dollars. Economy: Tourism, agriculture, logging, mining. Natural resources: Oil, gold, zinc. Currency: Peso. Life expectancy: 51.54 years. Birth Rate: 40.67(births)/1000 Population. Infant Mortality Rate: 21.23(Death)/1000 live births. Population below Poverty Line: 83 percent. Dictatorship Period: 1905-1961. Communism Period: 1961-1984, 1989-1995. Military Junta: 1984-1989. Democratic Period: 1995-present.

-- The World Fact Book (revised edition - 1999)

---

The Next Morning…

"So basically that's what happened to her." Arnold summarized the story about Helga to his mother, as he stared blankly at his bowl of cereal, which was the only thing edible on the table than the other food items that his mother had prepared for breakfast. And on that moment, he remembered the sweet smell of syrup on the soft, warm, tender, yet flaky pancakes that his grandmother made when he was just a little boy. He really missed his grandmother's cooking. He snapped back and turned his attention from food to Helga's problems. He really wanted to help her out. "I really need some advice here, mom. I'm really lost here."

"My goodness, really?" Stella replied as she put the slightly burned pancakes onto a plate, "Your dad did hear some parts of her story, mostly at the end… but now is all clear now thanks to you." After hearing that from Arnold, she felt like she could no longer stay idly by and left Helga alone with her problems. She must act quickly. If she continued not to take any kind of action at all, it would get more complicated and even more conflicted."I'll try to talk to her at the camp today." His mother added.

She then placed the plate of pancakes in front of Arnold. He widened his eyes in horror. If only Abner was still alive, he could've given some of them to his pet since he'd eat anything. And because of his pet's absence, he put the plate away from him and tried to ignore it. "Thanks. Uh… speaking of dad, where is he? Still in bed?" Arnold asked.

"He went out early to welcome the new American ambassador arriving at the airport today." She took a seat in front of her son. "Oh, before I forget, I need you to go the airport too. Your grandpa's shipment is arriving today."

"Already? Man, that's fast." He said with a mouthful of cereal.

"All the food products are ours, except for the five tons of grain that needs to be delivered to the Red Cross Camp East. It's not much, but it should last for at least a month." Her eyes then shifted elsewhere, particularly on that plate of pancakes. Why wasn't his son eating that pancake she just cooked for him?

"Five tons? That's odd. It is a donation? You and dad donate to them or something?"

"Yes, we are. The situation at that camp is in desperate need for food. The Red Cross only gives limited amounts of them and waiting for some charity organization to send aid is like waiting for death to come. Oh, and bring a few peacekeepers along with you to help with the delivering and the distribution process. Once the aid arrives at the camp people will flock around your jeep and take everything that they can get their hands on. It'll be chaotic."

"I know mom. I've been doing this for nearly a year and I know what I'm doing." He nodded. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay, that settles your agenda for today." Stella replied back as she nodded. "Hey, why aren't you eating those pancakes I just cook for you?"

"Oh…" he looked nervously at those ugly things that his mother called 'pancakes', and replied back to her, "I just… want it to cool down… for a while… yeah." He grinned nervously at her back.

"I'm pretty sure it's already cool enough for you to eat." Stella placed both of her elbows on the table, clamped her fingers together and placed her chin on them as she beamed at her son. "Go ahead. I really want your opinion about it."

He gulped down uneasily. He looked at the pancakes again. He thought he just saw something malicious oozed out from them. What was his mother trying to feed him actually? He looked back at his mother and beamed back awkwardly.

"Arnold, there are thousands of people in this country who lives on every day without getting any sufficient nutrition in their diet. Those starving people get barely enough food as it is." She said to her son, while still having that sardonic smile on her face, "And here you are with breakfast already available in front of you, while those people outside would be happy just to have a bite of what you're having right now. Think about them for a while Arnold. They're desperate for food, and you waste yours. Doesn't that sound very thoughtless to you? So are you going to tell me…" she brought her face close to him, as Arnold recoiled back, looking at her fearfully, "that you're not going to eat this? That you're going this waste this? I don't think so mister."

"N-No ma'am…" he replied back timidly. It seemed that the guilt piling that Stella just did to Arnold worked. He hated it when she did that to him. He then slowly picked a fork up and carefully poked the pancake, and cut a portion of it away. Stella was still smiling. The texture and the smell of this so called 'pancake' were extremely foul, that brave men cower in fear and wet their kilts just by looking at it. Arnold reluctantly brought the food closer to his mouth and unwillingly opened his mouth. As he just took his first bite…

A loud sound of a horn blaring was heard from outside. It was Stella's and Helga's carpool van to their sick camp. Saved by the horn.

"Oh, time to go." Stella got up and reached for her stethoscope and her patient logbook on the counter. "Bye, honey." She kissed Arnold on the cheek. "And make sure you get grandpa's delivery at the airport, okay? Helga? Are you all set? Time to go!"

"But I haven't had breakfast yet!" she shouted back from her room. She woke up late due to the emotional stress yesterday that made her sleep late last night and right now, she just finished up putting her clothes on after her shower.

"Oh, just pick up whatever's on the table and hurry up!" Stella replied back as she walked out hastily from her house. Helga then quickly got out from her room and went to the table to pick up whatever was on the table. She changed her mind upon looking at the unrecognizable food-like things on the table.

"I think I'll just have my breakfast at the camp." Helga said to Arnold nervously.

"I strongly recommend that." Arnold replied back, in accord with her. "So… feel any better today?"

She sighed, "Can't say that I am." Helga replied weakly. "I really don't know what to do next. Maybe I have to stay at Salma's place after all."

"Are you sure about that?" Arnold asked again. "I really enjoy having you as a guest."

Helga smiled a bit at him, "Thanks, but I think I don't want to burden you guys anymore. Oh Arnold… I forgot to tell you something yesterday."

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell your parents about everything that I said to you last night, okay?" she asked. "I don't want them to worry." Arnold was stunned, and the fork he was holding in his hand dropped onto the plate. Problem was, he had already told everything about her predicament to his mother. He wanted to tell her that he already told his mother, but he was too stunned to give any sort of reply to her back. The van blare the horn again, asking her to be quick.

"I'm sure you'll understand. Thanks." After finishing her orange juice that tasted like apple juice, she quickly ran out and jumped into the waiting van. Arnold still had that stunned look on his face while gazing at the door where Helga just ran out.

"Oh, CRAP…" he threw himself to the chair as he smacked his forehead.

---

After a few hours in the sick camp, Stella decided to take a rest for while and went over to her table. She picked her thermos up and drank the coffee from it. She let out a sigh and began to scan around the camp. So much had changed these past several years. This place used to be a huge refugee camp and hordes of displaced people, young and old, came here for seek help and shelter from the internal fighting in various places of the country many years ago. The number grew so sharply each and everyday that they had to erect tents outside and people even had to sleep on the ground, without any kind of protection at all. And due to that, many cases of scorpion and insect stings were reported almost daily, in the midst of broken bones, massive blood lost due to being caught in a crossfire, and many illness too unbearable and was left untreated due to lack of medicines, staffs and equipment.

Stella was glad those days were over. Still, she was sad because there were so many people untreated at that time and were left to die. If only she had sufficient people and medicine like she had right now at that period, things would be very different. Lives would be saved. But as for the dead, they left no tales or identification, so there were a lot of unmarked graves at the back of the sick camp, and that was a painful reminder for Stella on why she must keep on helping these people.

She then looked at Helga, and saw her not being a good help like yesterday, or the day before. Her hands were visibly shaken, she was hesitant when a doctor or a nurse asked her to do something, and always not doing it correctly when they asked her to do it. Maybe she was still traumatized about the incident yesterday with that dead patient. Stella then took a last sip from her thermos, and walked to her patient. "Helga, I need your help here." She summoned her. After Helga did her last instructions from another doctor, she then walked up to Stella.

"Five millimeters of ALPs." She asked Helga, and she quickly opened the box that contained the medicine that Stella requested as she grabbed a syringe. Helga wasn't calm when she did that, judging from the visibly shaking hands that Stella had noticed as she observed her.

"Just calm down, Helga." She said.

Helga nodded, and finally she managed to do it. She then gave to Stella and after she inspected whether the medicine was in the correct dose, she then injected it into the patient. "Helga, I'm sorry you had to see that yesterday… you know, that man who died yesterday. I know it's very violent the way he died and freaked you out… but—"

Helga raised her hands and stretched her palm outwards as to say no to her, "Yeah, I was terrified by that… but I'm trying to forget it now. No use remembering it again."

She was awfully strong to say that for a person who was still traumatized, Stella thought to herself.

"So… how come he died like that?" Helga asked, "Was he infected by some sort of a disease or something?"

"Do you remember the Sombra disease? You know; the sleeping disease that I told you about when you were here for the first time?"

Helga nodded weakly.

"He died because of the complications derived from the second strand of the disease. The symptoms are fever and muscle weaknesses at the first stage of the disease. You will see confusion, violent behavior and convulsions on the second stage, and lastly on the final stage –and also known as the fatal stage, the patient will have irregular sleeping patterns which will lead to coma – where the sleeping disease obtains its name from, few instances of convulsions and ultimately, death."

Helga widened her eyes in horror as she gazed at Stella tensely. She began to feel fearful for her life. "Uh… can I get an immunization?"

"There isn't any immunization for the sickness Helga, but we do have the cure and extensive treatment for it. And even if we had one, we wouldn't give it to you."

She furrowed her eyebrows in shock, "Why not?"

"Well… look around you and tell me what you see."

Helga nodded and looked around the camp. "People?" she said.

"What kind of people?" Stella asked back.

"Sick, poor people?"

"Exactly. Medicine for it is scarce, so it's reserved for those who really need it. These people are given priority first. You already have your health Helga, so it would be inexcusable to give the immunization to you. Which brings a question that I've been meaning to ask you: you did undergo a vaccination process before entering this country, didn't you?"

Helga was stunned as she stared at her back blankly. She didn't know a medical checkup was required to enter the country. And why she was let in anyway at the airport in the first place?

"Prophylactic medicine for malaria? Smallpox? You did take them, didn't you?" she asked again, this time with an alarmed tone. Helga could only stare at her back nervously. "Oh my God… you didn't, did you?" Stella asked again.

Helga could only nod weakly at her.

Stella sighed in disbelief, and said to her, "What were you thinking Helga?" she crossed her arms, "Coming to this country without any proper vaccination at all? Did you make any preparations before coming to this country? You're lucky they didn't put you in an interrogating room for not showing your health certificate to them."

"Well, uh… I—" she stuttered nervously.

"This trip is all unplanned, isn't it?" she grilled her, "Your parents have absolutely no idea that you're here, haven't they?"

She began to feel tense and nervous, and beads of sweat began to develop on her forehead, "Uh… um, please… please don't tell—"

"You ran away from home, didn't you?" she accused her blamefully. Helga could only go silent after that as she stared at her fearfully. Stella scoffed, and said, "Arnold's right, you—"

"Wait." Helga cut her off, "A-Arnold told you about this?"

"Yes, he did—"

"I can't believe it." Helga said to herself disbelievingly. "I can't believe he told you after he promised me!" she raised her voice. Stella sensed something was amiss. She knew her son well: he would always keep his promise regardless of the situation. And hearing this from Helga, it was totally out-of-character for her son to do that.

"Wait… Helga, it wasn't Arnold's fault, Miles—"

"Oh, so now you're going to tell me that he eavesdropped on me and Arnold, huh? Way to gain my trust back, DR. STELLA!" By now everyone in the camp was looking at them with an incredulous look. What was the commotion about, they thought to themselves. And the most worrisome of all was Mona, as she looked at Helga with a sympathized gaze. She could see a tear rolled down from Helga's eyes, as she threw a tantrum at Stella and blamed everything on her. Stella just kept her cool and let Helga continue on her emotional outburst to her. "You know what? I'm tired of this crap! I'm outta here!" it was yet another unthinkable move from Helga as she stormed out from the camp. Stella quickly went after her, "Helga, wait!"

Some of the old patients could only shake their heads and said to the person next to them, "Americanos… ellos nunca respetan a sus mayores."

"Sí…" the person agreed with him.

"Helga, wait!" Stella ordered her. "Where the heck you think you're going?"

"Away from you!" she cried back angrily at her, as she made her way to the dirt road down the hill.

"And where do you think you'll be going next?" Stella stopped pursuing after her and yelled back. "The nearest village is 20 miles away from here and Bolivar is a five hour journey on foot passing through mountains, dense jungles and rivers. And don't get me started on the wildlife here. Snakes and wild boars are just a few things that you'll have to face along the way. You won't survive without a proper transportation."

Helga stopped on her tracks when she heard that. She realized that she was very naïve about this country and Stella could be right about it. But yet she denied it because she felt that Stella was just scaring her and might just have exaggerated about it.

"Besides, do you have any idea which way it is to the nearest village? And even if you managed to get there, can you speak Spanish to ask them to bring you to Bolivar? Assuming of course, they agreed to send you there."

And at this moment, logic stated that she couldn't win against Stella reasoning. She broke down, sobbing again.

Stella continued her hardcore grilling on Helga to brutally dishearten her, "And just assume, hypothetically, that somehow you managed to get to the capital. How much money do you have? Where are you going to? The next plane out of this country is leaving on this Sunday and there aren't any ferry boats to take you out. This is an island, Helga. You're virtually trapped in this country."

"Shut up…" she said, sobbing.

"And consider this just for a moment: You're a young girl Helga, and a Westerner at that. Just because the rebels are weak doesn't mean they aren't active. They have spies everywhere, even in Bolivar. And people like you are usually their target for kidnappings. They'll bring you to their place bounded and gagged and they'll demand ransom money in return for your safety. Or they'd just skip the whole ransom thing and do the most unthinkable thing on you… which I dare not speak."

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" she burst out brokenly as she cried. She knew she was wrong. There was no need for Stella to demoralize her when she was completely miserable right now. Stella was very well aware now that Helga understood the repercussions and she quickly came to her and hugged her tightly to calm her down. Helga embraced her. She really felt lost right now.

"I want to help you Helga… I really do." Stella said to her softly, almost whispering to gain her trust. "But it's really hard for us when you keep dodging yourself away from us. Please, let us help you. Me, Miles, and Arnold especially, are really concerned about you. Give us a chance, please?"

"Help…" Helga weakly said it brokenly.

---

"You're okay now?" Stella asked as she gazed the sad child in front of her. Helga nodded weakly back, as she adjusted her position on the folding chair she was sitting on. Stella crossed her legs, took a sip of coffee from her thermos and said, "First off, let's be honest, girl-to-girl, and I want to tell you this: Miles didn't eavesdrop, he just came back from the dig site and just so happened to walk by the computer room when he heard your conversation with him. And as for Arnold… when did you ask him to keep this a secret?"

Helga sniffed, and replied, "Right before I walked out from the house this morning… after breakfast… you were already in the van at that time."

She placed her thermos on her table, "And there lies the problem: he told me about your situation when you were in the bathroom showering. Now, are we clear here? Are there any other misunderstandings that need to be rectified?"

Helga shook her head weakly. No misunderstandings were present at this point.

"Okay." Stella responded back, nodding. "I'll spare the details since I already know why you ran away from home. Well, I as much as want I support your decision due to your conditions back home, I can't." she shook her head. "You were ill prepared, you made this decision abruptly in a span of just a few minutes, and you made everybody you know worry about you."

"Where else would I go to?" she defended her actions, "Bob's acting like a maniac in the house. My friend shunned me—"

"What about your sister? Why couldn't you just wait at her house for a while until she got back?"

"Mrs. —" a medicine tray across the room accidentally fell down, "This really isn't helping me at all. You're like… blaming me for making a stupid decision or something."

"It is a stupid decision, Helga." She replied back. "Think about it. Although this country is getting better each and everyday, it's still volatile." She pointed a finger at her, "You came here without any proper vaccination at all, you ignored our country's travel advisory, you—" she stopped abruptly, made her hand into a fist and withdrew it away from Helga and shook it in disappointment, "I can think up a hundred of things that you disregarded Helga, but I'm not going to because I don't want to upset you even more."

Helga lowered her head, sighing, while wondering where Stella wanted to lead her to. Stella looked at her back, and she could understand that Helga was growing weary of her condemning her every action, judging from those tired, watery eyes. Stella let a breath out a little, and asked her, "Last question: How did you managed to get here? How did you find out where we live?"

"I have the money."

"You didn't steal them or anything, did you?" Stella asked back accusingly, yet with a comforting tone.

Helga was a bit hesitant to replied back, since she still felt guilty of using most of her sister's money to cover her travel expanses, "N-no, of course not." She lied.

Stella didn't believe her even the slightest. She knew she was lying, judging from the hesitant reply and the nervous tone she gave to her. Still, she let her continue. "Okay. Go on."

"Arnold wrote to me when he arrived in this country many years ago. Then I… just jotted them down on my address book."

"Mm-hmm." Stella nodded.

"When I first arrived here, I actually didn't know where should to go to. I saw a soldier at the airport, asked him and he showed me the way."

"Well, you got lucky Helga." Stella replied back. "Spies usually disguised themselves as peacekeepers so they can wonder around freely and look for victims, like you."

Helga widened her eyes in terror, horrified by the explanation given by Stella.

"Look Helga…" she said, "I cannot understand what are you going through now, but I can relate myself to your actions, because when I was around your age I ran away from home too."

Helga scoffed disbelievingly, "Why? Was it because your parents were fighting too?" she asked in rather skeptical, discontented tone.

"No actually." Stella took a deep breath, and continued, "I was a fervent opposition of the Vietnam War and I wanted to attend a rally in Washington with my…" she was a bit hesitant to say it, "new boyfriend… at that time. He was the one who actually coaxed me to go there. My father forbade it of course, and then, the dispute began soon after that."

Helga raised her eyebrow, suddenly becoming interested in hearing her story all of the sudden, "Oh?"

"Well, there was plenty of fighting and arguing between me and dad… and when the time came, I left no notes… or anything at all to tell the folks that I'm leaving for the rally. Mind you, I just met this guy and I really didn't know much about him, and yet, I left home. I admit it, I was stupid."

In her mind, Helga was quite amused by her story. In comparison between her story and Stella's, Stella was actually the one who made the more abrupt and dumber decision than she did.

"When we arrived at Washington, he began to show his true colors to me. He was… very abusive. He was… well," she shook her head in disbelief. Helga could see her hand trembling visibly, and became quite tense and nervous than before, "Just forget it. It's a very old story, and I shouldn't have brought it up." She scoffed in disbelief, and tried to give a bit of smile at Helga, despite being traumatized right now. "My point is, Helga: by running away from home you've made the ones who are close to you worry about you, and they are eager for your return back home."

"Yeah right…" Helga replied with a somewhat tense, disbelieving tone. She was a bit disturbed by Stella's story. She also wondered whether Stella had shared this story with his husband. "Like Bob would want me back."

"What about your mother Helga?" She asked back, "Arnold told me that your mom defended you from Bob, and you wanted to defend her back. You shouldn't let her worry Helga. She still loves you."

"Well… maybe I'll—"

"And your sister too. She cares about you. She also sent an email to us on behalf of your parents – Miriam and Bob." She then placed a hand on Helga's shoulder. Helga was stunned a bit. Miriam and Bob? Why was she stressing his name? As far as she knew, Bob didn't want her back.

"Your family: Olga, Miriam and Bob all love you, and they'll do whatever it takes for you to give them a chance."

"I don't believe it." Helga shook her head. "I could understand mom and my sis, but Bob? Tch." She scoffed, "Like I'm going to believe that. Bob rather see me on the streets than in the comforts of his house."

"On the contrary: He phones the San Lorenzo's Foreign Affairs Office at least five times everyday asking whether there any developments of finding you. I've heard him, Helga. He really misses you, and he's awfully scared to learn that we've got nothing to report to him."

"You knew this all along, didn't you? So why didn't you tell me that he called?"

"Because I saw fear in your eyes Helga. Maybe you did left home for a real reason instead of those silly teen angst outbursts. Thank God I was right. But now… after numerous phone calls and letters from your family begging and pleading for us to find you, we think it's about time that you have to come clean with your family Helga. Trust me, they still love you." Stella said, smiling. "Besides, they're kind of angry at your family for pestering them each and everyday and disturbing their work." Stella made a joke, and both of them laughed softly. "They want you to be found as soon as possible."

Even after the weak humorous moment and the numerous attempts from Stella to ask her to open up, Helga was still hesitant to contact her parents, "I'm sorry but… I still don't believe you. It's hard for me to believe that Bob suddenly cares about me. I don't trust him anymore."

"Well… could you at least contact your mother?" she then lifted the phone and gave it to Helga. "Tell her that you're all right, safe and sound?"

Helga was a bit hesitant to contact her mother as she stared at the phone in her hands. After much contemplation, she replied, "Okay… but you better be right." Helga then dialed her number. After that Stella pressed the speaker button so both she and Helga could listen and interact with the person on the other end. Helga then placed the receiver back on the phone and patiently waiting for someone to answer the call. Helga was very nervous and edgy right now, as she crossed her arms and tapped her leg to calm herself up.

"Hello?" finally somebody answered. Judging from the tone, the answerer sounded very weary and tired, as though she didn't sleep for days.

"Hi, is this the Pataki residence?" Stella asked her.

There was a slight pause, "Yes… this is Miriam. Who shall I say is calling?"

"Miriam? Hi, this is Stella. Remember me? I lived at Vine Street several years ago."

"Stella?" Miriam said to herself as she tapped her chin with her index finger. She was a bit familiar with the name. "Stella… Stella…"

"You know, the Sunset Arms Boarding House?"

Then it hit her, "Oh…! Y-You're Arnold's mother, aren't you? My daughter told me that you guys moved… to…" and then she just snapped, "Omigod! Y-You live in San Lorenzo, don't you?" she asked excitedly, knowing that she could at least have a few bits of information regarding her daughter. "My… my daughter went over to that country several days ago! We've been in contact with the local government and—"

"Just… just calm down, okay?" Stella looked at Helga and winked at her. Helga then smiled a bit as a mark of understanding that Stella kept her promise and had proven her wrong. And judging from her mother's voice on the phone, she knew that Miriam was concerned and worried about her wellbeing. She also felt bad a bit that she made Miriam all weary from searching for her.

"Is your husband there?" Stella continued. Helga raised an eyebrow and her heart skipped a beat.

"He's at the airport right now with my daughter, trying to find an earlier ticket to San Lorenzo."

Helga was stunned. Stella was right again: Bob was concerned about her. But still, she found herself hard to trust her father again.

"Okay, I…" she spoke slowly, yet in a happy voice, "have your daughter with me right now."

And Miriam jumped up and was extremely delighted to hear that and euphorically shouted on the phone to hear that her daughter was safe and sound and in the company of a group of people she knew. "Would you like to talk to her?" Stella asked again.

Miriam replied without hesitation, "Oh, thank you kindly!"

Stella then gave a satisfied smile at Helga, as she looked at her back. With the phone in her hands, clinging tightly to it as she thought of what should she respond to her mother. Helga then put it on her ear, and said, "Hello? Mom? It's me, Helga."

---

"You said you've booked tickets to San Lorenzo on the next Friday, is that it? Oh… I see." Stella replied, nodding. "Well, I'm leaving for Geneva this Sunday and my flight is scheduled to stop at Hillwood for a few of hours." Stella then stopped a while to hear from Miriam. She then replied back, "I don't know. Refueling, I guess. Yes, they'll let some passengers out. So it's okay then?" Stella then looked at Helga. She had this uncertain, yet skeptical look on her face to know that everything in her house suddenly went fine just all of the sudden, despite of the horrific and traumatic argument between her parents a few days before. "Helga? Are you sure you've made your mind? Or do you have to think more before you made your decision?"

Helga made a final contemplation. After much thought she replied in a reluctant tone, "Yes… I have. I'm going with you. But tell her I want to stay at Olga's for a while... I don't want to live under one roof with Bob for the time being..." She hoped that by Sunday, which was about three days from now, she'd confessed her love to Arnold. If she was brave enough and not missed another opportunity like yesterday.

Stella nodded, and said to Miriam, "She agrees to come with me, and she hopes that you're willing to let her stay at your eldest daughter's place for a while. Okay?" she asked, and Miriam replied after much contemplation, and agreed to the proposal, "Okay. I think you can cancel your tickets now."

"Thank you Stella." Miriam said in full gratitude, "Thank you so much for helping us finding our daughter."

And then suddenly, "Miriam? Who's that on the phone?" Miriam turned around and saw her husband and her elder daughter at the front door. Apparently they just got back from the airport.

"Could you hold on please?" Miriam said to Stella. She then looked at her family and happily said, "You wouldn't believe this: It's Helga, she called us!"

Bob and Miriam looked at each other in disbelief. Then a smile developed on their faces and both of them hugged each other joyfully, realizing that Helga was safe, "Oh my goodness! That is such wonderful news indeed!" Olga said to her father. Bob then nodded at her daughter and turned to Miriam.

"H-Hey, can I talk to her for a while?" he asked. And all went silent for a moment, and the smile from their faces began to dim down to a weak frown.

Miriam nodded weakly and asked, "Uh… Stella, Bob is here and he wants to talk to Helga for a moment. Could you put her on the phone for a while?"

Helga's expression changed drastically and she could feel blood rushing through every part of her body in fear. Her heart skipped a beat and she began to hyperventilate. Stella could see fear in her eyes again. She shook her head feverishly. Stella nodded weakly, and understood that it would take some time, a long, long time for Helga to trust her father again. "She's… busy attending a patient right now…" she lied to them, "I think it could take some time before she finishes her task."

Miriam and Olga looked back at Bob. All of them knew that Stella made that story up because Helga didn't want to talk with him. Bob understood, and started to blame himself as he rubbed his forehead in disappointment and embarrassment. Miriam understood it. She then replied to Stella. "We understand. I'm glad to hear that she's being awfully nice there, helping those people and all."

"Yeah…" Stella agreed, "She's a good helper." Stella looked at Helga again, and her face was brightened up a bit from the comments her mother and Stella made about her, and in relief that she wouldn't have to talk to her father. "So…" Stella continued, "The plane should arrive at Hillwood on Sunday night. Check the plane the schedule."

"I'll be in touch." Miriam replied. "Again, thank you very much."

"No problem." And then the both of them hung the phone up. Miriam looked at Bob, who was sitting on one of the stoop of the stairs and his hands clasping his face. He was hiding his embarrassment from his wife and daughter. His eyes were brimming with tears and he tried to minimize the sound his sobbing voice. "Helga doesn't want to talk to me…" he said with sad, melancholic and dejected voice. "I'm a horrible, horrible father…"

Stella looked at Helga with a worrisome look and said to her, "Helga, I could book the tickets for later weeks' flight in advance… if you're not sure you want to leave—"

"I'm sure…" she replied in a somewhat calm voice, after been shook up a bit, "I trust you when you said that my dad has changed. I heard his joy on the phone just now, and I'm… kind of convinced. Still, it doesn't mean that I trust him. I'm still skeptical, and I hope that he really is what you say he is… I don't want it to happen again…"

Stella nodded at her explanation. She sympathized with her for going through this ordeal. Suddenly the phone rang again. "That was fast…" she thought to herself. She then picked the phone up and said, "Hello." The person on the other side of the line spoke in Spanish, and Stella replied back, "¿Què?" her voice became worried and concerned all of the sudden."¿Què quiere decir con que su abuela està muerta¿Està seguro?" she put a hand on her mouth in shock as she listened to the caller telling her the terrible news, "Gracias, vamos en camino."

She put the phone down again, and took a deep breath. She was totally in disbelief. She then looked at Helga and said, "Helga, follow me to Marcelo's house for a while."

"Why?" she asked back.

"I'll tell you on the way. Come on."

Is it too early for Helga to contact her family? I'll justify it by this explanation: It's nearly a week now and I think both sides of the family are starting to crack. Obviously Helga still has faith in Miriam and her sister, but not for Bob, as I explained earlier where she wouldn't want to talk to him on the phone. Tell me if you found any errors when you were reading this story. Any input is much appreciated. And oh, I find this very interesting - found it on Doctors Without Borders Website:

Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is a fatal parasitic disease that affects 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: 60 million people are at risk. Nearly eliminated in the 1960s, HAT has been making a comeback of epidemic proportions due to war, population movements, and the collapse of health systems over the past two decades.

The parasite causing sleeping sickness is transmitted to humans through the bite of the infected tsetse flies breeding in warm and humid areas. Inhabiting the vast savannah across sub-Saharan Africa, tsetse flies come into contact with man, cattle and wild animals, all acting as reservoirs for the parasites.

The first stage of sleeping sickness presents with non-specific symptoms such as fever and weakness. This stage is difficult to diagnose but relatively easy to treat. If no treatment is given, the parasite will invade the infected person's central nervous system and the second stage sets in. This stage may be characterized by confusion, violent behavior or convulsions. Named after one of its most striking symptoms, patients with sleeping sickness experience an inability to sleep during the night but are overcome by sleep during the day. If left untreated, the disease inevitably leads to coma and death.