A/N: Ok, so in this chapter we find out how Helga's doing!
Seriously peoples, "Hey Arnold!" is not mine.
Chapter 3: What She Lost
"Ugh…criminy…why do I feel like I got hit by a truck? Oh wait, I guess that's because I did," I chuckle darkly as the memories come back to me in random pieces.
I was thinking of giving up on Arnold, well trying to at least. Then I hoped I had the chance to apologize before I went under…and now I'm here. That's pretty much what I remember clearly, basically the beginning and ending. Everything else, that giant middle part, is what's fuzzy but I think I'm starting to get a clearer understanding, especially now that I'm becoming more alert.
Here's what I do know. There was a truck that hit me. At the time, I thought it was coming head-on and maybe it did and perhaps tried to swerve out of the way but it still got me. Oh, it got me alright. The impact was partly head-on and partly towards my side, like I got hit twice. I remember fading in and out of consciousness several times. The first time I passed out happened after the second time the truck hit me. I don't know how much time passed when the ambulance showed up. When they did, they must have been waiting for the fire department to come and help and I passed out again for a bit. When I came to, I awoke to the sound of machinery whirring and sawing at the roof of my car. Moments later, I was freed from my car and placed securely on a stretcher. As the paramedics wheeled me to the ambulance, I remember trying to say something to them but whatever it was, I don't think I was successful. I faded out again on the way to the hospital. And that's it. That's where my side of the story ends. I'm sure there is more to know but I was out cold during that time.
"Ms. Pataki? Oh good, you're awake," a female voice suddenly pours into my room, hesitant at first but more sure of herself now, whoever this person is. I look to the direction of the voice and find a young nurse walking up to me. Her smile is genuine and warm. Most of her features are warm and calming too, like her dark brown curly hair and chocolate eyes.
"Good morning, Miss Pataki. I'm Jessie, she introduces herself with a kind smile, "Glad to see that you're more alert now. That's a good sign. How are you feeling?" she asks me with a small hint of worry in her voice.
"I'm not sure…I guess I'm fine. Sorry. I just woke up," I admit apologetically. Normally, I would probably snap at my nurse but Jessie seems so sweet and honest. She doesn't deserve that, just like somebody else I know who doesn't deserve my torture…Besides, I'm not quite back to my normal self, or more accurately, the self that I actually show others. I guess that accident shook me up.
"That's quite understandable, Miss Pataki. It's quite common for cases like yours to feel rather out of it when they wake up in the hospital," Jessie responded honestly, her smile unwavering, "We're actually going to find out more about the status of your condition. Your doctor wasn't able to assess you when you were first admitted last night so he's on his way to do that now. I wanted to explain what's going on to you first and to keep you company before he shows up," Jessie explains to me, that warm and kind smile still there, as real as real could get. I nod and give a small smile back in understanding. Though I hate this situation, at least my nurse is cool.
"Hello, Miss Pataki," the doctor says in greeting as he suddenly enters the room and walks up to my bed. He's tall and older with salt and pepper hair. His smile is almost as genuine as Jessie's but it's also a tired smile, like he's almost approaching the end of another long shift or maybe this is the result of being a doctor for several years. I'm not sure about which it is, could be both for all I know.
"Hi, Doc. It's Helga by the way," I respond back, my usual right-to-the-point way of handling things is returning.
"Helga, I'm Dr. Harris. I'm just going to check on your present level of functioning post-accident. It'll just be quick tests of things like your physical and mental state, ok?" the doctor asks then looks at me for my answer.
"Go right ahead," I reply with a shrug.
"Alright, can you tell me where you are at right now?" Dr. Harris asks.
Is he serious right now? This is obviously the beginning of his little series of tests, but it doesn't make that first question feel any less ridiculous. If the situation was different, I would have probably started laughing.
"Doi, I'm in the hospital," I answer, feeling like I'm stating the obvious with that one. The doctor seems to be fighting his own urge to laugh.
"What is your name?" Dr. Harris asks next.
"Helga G. Pataki," I answer. The one and only.
"What's the G stand for?" Dr. Harris asks, clearly wanting me to tell him though he probably knows. After all, he's holding my chart for Pete's sake!
"It stands for 'Get out of my business'," I answer a little curtly but after getting a confused look back I decide to change my answer a bit, "I mean, I know what my middle name is but I would rather not say it and it's probably in my chart anyways," I elaborate with a small smirk, to which Dr. Harris seems to find that answer more acceptable and just reacts with a small chuckle before moving on. The test on my mental state continues with Dr. Harris asking me several different questions and tasks, like having to remember three words and then telling him what they were about five or so questions later. He even asks me math problems and then gets me to explain how I would make a sandwich! Criminy, I get the point of this test but to me it's a bit silly. I guess that means the accident hasn't screwed up my brain.
"Well, Helga, neurologically, you seem to be fine," Dr. Harris answers while writing something in his clipboard before continuing, "Now onto the physical portion. Helga, can you turn your head for me?" Dr. Harris asks, beginning the second test.
I move my head around with no issue until I turn my head to the right. There's a small pain that shoots up. I wince in reaction. The doctor writes more stuff in his clipboard.
"That slight crick in your neck is pretty common," Dr. Harris assures me, "It should be gone soon but we can monitor it just in case," he tells me as he continues with the test. He asks me to move my body, one part of it at a time and in a top-to-bottom fashion. I feel parts of my hands and arms getting poked to see if I can feel each sensation, which I do. Upon command, I then wiggle my fingers, flick my wrists, bend my arms up to my shoulders, make small then large circles with my arms…everything seems to check out alright so far. Then Dr. Harris moves on to assessing my lower body.
Dr. Harris begins by slowly moving a scalpel up and down one of my feet to see if I can feel it. My eyes widen as alarm bells ring off in my head. This is definitely not good.
"Did you feel that, Helga?" Dr. Harris asks, obviously misreading my expression, not that I can blame him though.
"No…" I answer truthfully, my tone is laced with worry.
"How about this?" Dr. Harris asks as he moves onto the other foot.
I shake my head, the only response I am able to give. Nothing. I feel nothing. I see what the doctor is doing but I can't feel it. Why can't I feel it?! Why can't I move my legs? Why can't I move anything below the waist?
I then hear Dr. Harris sigh, rather long and deep.
'Well, that's obviously not a good sign,' I think to myself, preparing myself for what the doctor is about to say because it's probably anything but good news.
"Helga, I'm afraid that you are experiencing some paralysis right now. I'm going to recommend more testing later to determine the extent of it," Dr. Harris answers truthfully, his tone sympathetic.
"For how long will I be like this?" I ask rather abruptly that I nearly startle the doctor but I need to know.
"At this point, it's hard to say. It could be temporary or permanent. But I don't want you to think about that now because we don't know yet, ok?" Dr. Harris assures me, or is trying to. All this stuff is easy for him to say, especially since he's not the one lying here being told news like this.
"Ok," I manage to agree. Outwardly, I seem fine but inside I'm a nervous wreck and just full of worry about what my future holds. Was yesterday the last time I'll ever get to do things like walk and run?
Dr. Harris writes some more in his clipboard. Before leaving, he tells me that he'll be back a little later to inspect my condition further.
Jessie and I watch the doctor leave my room. She then turns to look at me, her smile is gone and is replaced by a worried look.
"I am really sorry this happened to you, Helga," she says empathetically and I just nod in response but not in a rude way. I am still numb but I think she understands. Her expression is still warm and compassionate.
"By the way," Jessie adds, "Your parents have been here all night. They went home earlier this morning to freshen up and they'll be back when visiting hours start up again," Jessie explains. I nod and thank her for telling me.
"Is there anybody else you want me to contact for you?" Jessie asks, her tone sincere.
"Yes," I answer, "My best friend, Phoebe, who's probably worrying herself crazy," I shake my head in brief amusement over that but inside I was truly grateful for Phoebe always being there for me.
I give Jessie a minute to get out a small notepad and a pen before I tell her Phoebe's number.
"Is there any kind of message in particular you'd like me to tell her?" Jessie asks me next, her pen fixed right at the writing pad in preparation for what I would say for her to tell Phoebe.
"Just tell her I've been in an accident and where I am and that I'm fine. That's it. I don't want her to hear about this," I pause to gesture to my legs for emphasis, "Besides, I'm not ready to say it out loud yet," I explain, nearly choking on that last bit.
After promising to get the message out right away, Jessie gives my shoulder a squeeze and flashes me a sad but caring smile before leaving the room.
Now that I'm alone, the tears are threatening to come out all the more but I fight them back. I don't have a reason to cry…yet. Deep down though, I know the answer. Further testing or not. Thanks to the accident, I'm now paralyzed from the waist down.
A/N: I didn't plan on making an OC but it was kind of fun! By the way, the neurological/mental testing was about a combination of orientation, memory, language and other things. I condensed it a bit here but this is what I did last semester. I got to put some of my own experiences and knowledge into this, which is pretty cool! Haha. I am not majoring in physical therapy though so that's why I breezed through that part and that might not have been entirely accurate but oh well.
Also, in real life, Helga would've probably had some neurological trauma too. So basically, it's a good thing this is fictional!
Chapter 4 is about half done. I don't like to give timeframes because I could be wrong but I think that a week tops might be a good estimate about when the next chapter will be up!