My Angel
A Hey Arnold FanFic
Authors note: Special thanks to AdventureGirl6. I do not own Hey Arnold and make no attempt to profit from it.
Chapter Five: An Old Adversary
Chaos erupted before her, yet her body remained still, calm and unmoving throughout the hurriedness of the world around her. Nothing so far had made much sense; every now and then someone would wonder over and ask her if she was ok, if the accident hadn't hurt her in some way. And time and time again, Helga wanted to say yes, to respond in some manner that would not only calm her troubled heart, but relieve her of the tension, fear and guilt she stored within herself.
How had it come to this? Another streak of hot tears rushed down her face, her body unable to hold in the pain and remain strong. She had never been good at this sort of stuff. But as time had come and gone, so too had the hope many held out for her friend. It was all her fault; if only she had been more careful, paid attention when it mattered and shown more care towards her friend, maybe it would not have come to this.
Worst of all was her attempt to try and explain what had happened to them. She couldn't bear to try and comprehend how she might start to explain her actions, how she could have prevented this from ever occurring…but nothing came to mind. For all her attempts to right the horrible wrongs, she was here, trapped by the decisions that have now not only confined her but denied her the chance to live out a life beyond the shackles of pain and despair.
The ward was lined with people moving in and out, a constant blur her eyes could not shake despite her plea otherwise. A man in bandages moved through the room without assistance, the carer watching him closely for any sign of struggle in his movements. Helga could not help but watch the man push on in his quest to be free of the caring environment of the hospital. Somehow, watching the remainder of the people in the room made her envious; he could leave, move on with his life and choose to forget all who had helped him in his time of need. But Helga was trapped, withheld by the lack of direction and hope her life so sorely needed.
As the light flashed red once more, Helga finally stood and walked towards the room she had avoided for so long now. Each footstep was one she could never take back, a death she wished for more than anything. How could she face them? How could she begin to explain that this whole accident, this whole problem and ordeal they now faced was entirely on her shoulders? But she knew that they needed to know; she had to try and free herself of the guilt she had forever concealed in her heart. Room 22 stood silently, the contents of the room hidden from view by the blind. I must do this; they must know those last words, she thought as she steeled herself for the encounter on the other side.
Opening the door, she felt her world begin to break apart once more, a middle-aged man comforting his sobbing wife as Helga looked upon the person lying still on the bed, the breathing long since disbanded and lifeless form awaiting the inevitable. Helga's legs collapsed, her heart unable to bear the sight before her as she bowed her head and cried out, the grief swelling in her again.
"Phoebe!" she cried out in pain, as the two parents watched on helplessly…
A constant beeping sound gently awoke her from her slumber, its soothing rhythm easing her from the sleepless night she had spent beside his bed, watching and waiting for any sign that the young man before her would awaken. There wasn't a high hope that he would wake up, but she clung to it…it was all she had to hope for. Somewhere amongst all the pain and torture she placed herself through, she wanted so badly for him to wake up.
She had already decided that she would tell him; time was getting away from her and she needed to tell him now before anything else changed. Her eyes wondered over to Arnold's Grandpa, his snoring causing her to giggle momentarily as his sleeping form reminded her of some of her rather restful nights spent in bliss before waking up to find herself tangled in a mess within the sheets. He had allowed her to stay without a hesitation, his manner confusing her as he had chuckled to himself.
But Arnold's injuries worried her most of all. His left arm had been fractured, a few of his ribs cracked and a head concussion that had left him in a coma. When he would wake up was anybody's guess. She could feel his chest rise and fall gently, the obvious pain and discomfort to his body from the injuries making Helga wish all the more she could help him get past it all. For Helga, this was all she could do; she would have to wait patiently for him to awake, for his time to come when she could finally tell him how she truly felt.
D & F
"I'm not so sure that's such a great idea Pookie," Grandpa mumbled as Gertie began to hang up pictures from Arnold's childhood around the room, the blown-up images surely to be embarrassing for Arnold if he ever woke up.
Helga's face turned red at seeing some of his pictures; a few of them included his shirt being removed, much to Helga's delight but also to her embarrassment as Gertie caught her looking at them every now and then, smiling when her face once more turned red. But for now, she had to be content with sitting beside Arnold's still form, her heart yearning with every ounce to heal his injuries.
A few people had been in and out to monitor his condition, but no one had turned up mentioning to be in a relationship with him. It was odd. Phil and Gertie whispered quietly to Helga they were just going to get something to eat before the Thursday lunch rush, Helga nodding politely as they left her alone with Arnold. She was sure she had gotten the impression of Arnold being in a relationship with someone, yet no one had turned up to confess their undying love to Arnold. And she rather liked that. But a gentle knock on the door shattered any hopes of being alone with the boy.
Hair tied back in a single long pony tail, a rather tall young woman glared daggers at Helga as she entered the room. No longer resembling the sweet beloved girl of P.S.118, Lila now resembled a strong, confident woman who appeared to dismiss Helga from her very presence without a second thought. Well, that's how Helga saw her. But the dress she wore did little to hide her true nature from Helga; white with black streaks down the side, Lila looked like the typical hot girlfriend she'd watched on television. Something Helga found more than difficult to swallow.
"Hello, whatever are you doing here Helga? I'm ever so sure you don't date Arnold," she smiled, the anger in Helga's veins burning as she tried not to rise to her taunt.
"I'm here trying to help Arnold recover from his injuries," she replied coolly.
"I didn't know you were a doctor Helga? Perhaps you could be better suited helping one of the other unfortunate souls in this hospital?"
Helga couldn't mistake the smirk this time, or the sarcasm dripping from her voice. Two could play this game. "What are you doing here little miss perfect? Come to gloat about your good health?"
"How could you say this when our dear friend is ill? But, how could you really help him recover from his injuries? That must surely be the task of his girlfriend."
Girlfriend? Helga did not like where this was going. She turned her attention back to the sleeping form of Arnold and wished so dearly for him to wake up. "Just leave us alone Lila," Helga mumbled, the fight in her turning to worry only for Arnold.
Lila laughed. "Oh Helga, you are just ever so dull and strange. What makes you think Arnold is going to wake up and confess his feelings for you? Especially when they already belong to someone else?"
Helga's fists tightened; if there was no one else in the hospital right now, she was sure she could perform any kind of operation on Lila and extract the most painful delight on her. "What makes you think he will give them to someone else?"
"Because he loves me."
Looking up, Helga's heart shattered. She could feel the small parts falling inside her, the pieces melting as they moved, her eyes crying before she could even register what was going on. Her legs were moving of their own accord; fist balled, she could see the smirk on Lila's face turn to fear as her fist moved in slow motion towards Lila's stomach, connecting powerfully and sending a shock through her own body as she felt the wind leave her delicate frame. And suddenly time caught up with her.
Lila remained on the floor, her whimpers of pain awakening her from the dream she had been living. What had she done? She turned back to look at him; his eyes were still closed, his chest rising and falling peacefully as she felt the tears build within her once more. He didn't need her; she had to go. Thundering through the hospital, Helga ran, trying to forget her love and remove the pain she felt every time she thought of him.
D & F
Her bags were packed and she sat waiting, knowing full well that her time was coming. The bus stop wasn't her most favoured place, but she had to wait. Beside her, Phoebe gently played with her jumper, every once in a while, trying to start a conversation as Helga sat numbly to the world around her. Cars sped past her as her mind drifted to the bar across the street. She could have done with a drink now; maybe this was why her mother drank all the time…
"You won't find it at the bottom of a bottle Helga," Phoebe whispered, earning an angry glare from Helga.
"Why don't you just buzz off and leave me alone? I was fine before you had to come and ruin everything."
"Of course; placing the blame unto your best friend will make it so much better."
Helga snorted. "You died, don't you remember?"
Phoebe paled and slumped down in her chair. Helga peered at her and sighed sadly. "I do."
Neither spoke as the bus arrived at the stop, the whining of the engine hurting her ears as she stepped onto the steps of the bus. Phoebe followed in tow as Helga paid the toll and moved to the back of the bus, relieved to find it was nearly deserted save for a few old people at the front. Holding her bag tightly, Helga moved towards the back of the bus and slumped down into the seat, her heart pounding as the bus began to take off from the stop.
"I never wanted this Phoebe," she cried softly to herself, unable to comprehend where she was meant to be going. She had dashed home and packed her things without a word to Bob, leaving her home behind to try and find somewhere she could belong.
"I know you never did Helga…but why run away now?"
Helga did not respond. Her bag was packed with her medication on top…dark thoughts began to play like fire in her mind. "Helga!"
Eyes darting to the girl beside her, Helga shook her head and tried to ignore it. "Don't even begin to think of that Helga; I'll kick your butt from here to eternity if you do," Phoebe grinned, earning a soft smile from Helga.
"Thanks Phebs; but you have it so easy now," she mumbled as the bus roared to life.
Houses and faceless figures passed her by as she sat still, watching the ever-greying skyline change to black and begin to rip apart to allow the rain to flow down from the heavens. Although she could return, Helga had no desire to do so. She had waited too long to leave and now as Arnold lay resting alone in the hospital with…her…Helga could feel the need to vanish from the view of the world.
Another short stop and Helga eyed a bar across the road. She wasn't able to drink yet, nor had she developed a desire to try it. But after everything had happened…
"You will not find it at the bottom Helga," Phoebe smiled, earning a playful punch from Helga.
"I know Phebs; but can you leave me alone for a while? I think I need to sleep."
"On the bus? Helga that's not a good idea…statistically- "
"Never mind the stats; the only thing worth mentioning to me is how often I get to rest these days. Criminey; after watching the football head rest, maybe he has the better idea. You don't have to worry when you sleep."
Brushing aside Phoebe's continued pleas for her to not do this, Helga grabbed some of the medication from the top of her bag and popped out one of the pills. Designed to help her sleeping patterns, Helga grabbed a hold of the small pill and slipped it into her mouth, swallowing quickly before resting against the window. After a while of staring blankly out the window, Helga felt her drowsiness begin to grow and desire to close her eyes reach critical…time began to slow down as the bus came to another stop…a man got on…a younger woman followed behind him…the change clanged loudly, but her ears were already shutting down…
"OUCH!" a man screamed out.
Her heart beat was slow, her mind fuzzy as she opened her eyes gingerly. No longer lying against the window, Helga was now lying down in the aisle between the back seat and the seat in front of her. How she had gotten there was beyond her for now; meanwhile she could hear the sickening crack of cartilage and woke up. Alert, she stood up to see a young woman with black hair spin around in one fell swoop and land her left foot perfectly into the side of the man's face. Another muffled cry greeted Helga's straining ears, earning a wince from her as the man dropped to the ground, whimpering softly from the blows.
As the woman adjusted her clothing, Helga couldn't help but wonder how her jacket had been taken off. It was still cold even on the bus, and she wouldn't have needed to remove it even if she had been sleeping. But the murderous intent in the young woman's eyes as she spun around did not go unnoticed by Helga; sporting a crimson red coat tightened around her waist, the young woman looked about her age. Noticing that she was standing, her face turned to worry as she hurried up to Helga and checked her face over carefully.
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, with a voice Helga was sure she had heard a thousand times before.
Nodding, Helga tried to place her face but couldn't. But the groaning grew as the man stood up again, smirking devilishly towards the two women. Sickening was barely the word she could describe him licking his lips and raising his hands towards them. Paling, Helga tried to hold her stomach contents in. Turning to expect the young woman to be worried too, Helga was shocked to see a smirk growing ever so slightly.
"Obviously I didn't put you down hard enough then. Figures," she shrugged, flipping her hair sideways as the man lunged for her.
Watching in slow motion, Helga saw to her horror the man begin to swing for the young woman with his right hand; instead of worrying, she calmly dodged it, instead swinging from down low and up with all her might striking him just under the rib cage. A soft crack greeted their ears and before he could react to clutch his stomach, another blow from the woman struck him cleanly in the ribs again, the impact causing him to fall backwards clutching himself in pain. As time caught up to her, Helga watched the body fly back down the aisle and land in a heap, his moan soft and forced as blood trickled from his mouth.
Looking down, Helga caught a glance at the shoes and nearly fainted. Designer labels; only one person in the whole town would have worn these shoes, no doubt imported from France or somewhere in Europe.
"Never ever miss with a Wellington Lloyd!" she proclaimed happily. Helga's mind clicked and felt her body slump. That confirmed it.
Turning back around, Rhonda helped Helga back to the seat and gathered her things together. "Come on; you can stay with me until you have recovered. He won't be bothering us again"
The bus came to a halt outside an apartment complex, but one of immense quality and taste. How long had she been asleep? Helga couldn't tell. But with Rhonda leading her quickly off the bus and onto the path, she was left alone for a moment as Rhonda quickly explained the problem to the bus driver. Rain dripped onto her, each drop sending a chill through her spine as Rhonda re-joined her, leading her through the doors and into the foyer. Greeted by what she assumed was a butler, Helga and Rhonda were lead to an elevator at the end, the room lit brightly and decorated with red and gold.
Her bag was carried by Rhonda and they collapsed into the elevator. Helga could feel the drug still taking hold of her mind; she mustn't have slept off all the effects yet. Pressing buttons, Helga slumped herself into the corner as she watched Rhonda press the numbers, the metal door closing itself tightly as Helga felt the elevator begin to move upwards. For a while she sat and watched as Rhonda looked her over carefully. By the judgement she was carrying out though, Helga was positive she didn't recognise her.
"Why did you help me?" Helga mumbled through her sleepiness; it wouldn't be long till she would drift off once again.
Rhonda smiled as she completed the last of her checks. "You reminded me of someone I knew from school; she looked a lot like you, except she had a mono-brow."
Helga wanted to rage against Rhonda as she laughed, but the drug was already taking its toll; her eyes were heavy and her breathing struggling to keep her awake once again. "If I could swing it, I'd give you a taste of the five avengers," Helga groaned as she began to sway and close her eyes.
Rhonda paled as Helga felt her eyes shut themselves tightly and lose herself in the bliss of sleep.
"Helga?" Rhonda asked, shocked as the elevator stopped and doors opened to the darkened hallway.
