(A/N: Hey one and all, K.C.W.L in the hiz house offering you a brand new spankin' chapter :)
Waking up in a room filled with bright lights, hindering her vision, Eleanor tried to focus on where she was. She yawned and stretched her tense muscles as her blurred vision began to clear. She sat up, looking around her and all she saw were white padded walls…everywhere. Trembling with rage as realization of where she was sunk in, Eleanor growled lowly until her voice rose up to a roar packed with immense anger, " no, no, No, NO, NOOOOOOOOO!"
She ran to the door banging on it violently, her arms flailing aimlessly and her hair whipping about her face as she took her anger out on the inanimate object, separating her from the outside world. In the midst of her temper tantrum, she took a look into the window slit to see nurses and orderlies walking about on their daily assignments, paying her no mind.
Frantically yelling out, she stared at them with fiery eyes, her face pressed against the tiny square window. "You can't do this to me! You can't! Let me out of here NOW! You here me! Let me out of here!" But her angry outburst proved to be of no use. She was back to square one.
Eventually, the pounding on the door gradually stopped.
Frustrated at her misfortune, she pushed herself violently away from the door with annoyance and viciously hissed, "What the hell happened?"
Growing more furious, she spat out. "I am so fed up with this situation. I leave for a moment and everything goes to shambles. These two losers can't do anything right."
She mumbled to herself. "I am so sick and tired of getting these two out of jams only for them to mess it all up again."
Eleanor's frustration were expressed as she screamed into thin air. "I'M TAKING OVER COMPLETELY YOU HERE ME… HELGA…CECILE, THAT'S IT! THE LAST STRAW, YOUR LAST HURRAH, ADIOS MUCHACHAS." She blurted out, her chest heaving from intense aggravation.
All of a sudden, the door opened, and Arnold quietly entered the room with a bag in hand. He calmly made his way to the box chair and sat with a stern look upon his face. Glaring at the woman before him, Arnold examined her closely.
"Glad we meet again...Eleanor" he said his tone showing some slight amusement at the fact that he beat her at her own game for once. Like Helga, this woman had a tendency to bring out the bitterness in him, but… it never lasted. He still cared for her, and he would like to see her condition improve.
Another reason that Arnold felt pleased was the fact that he was getting better at identifying Helga's personalities based on observation. Somehow, he mentally gave himself a pat on the back for this small achievement despite only being there a week. He knew first-hand that being a psychiatrist was not an easy job. Most of the time, he had to play it by ear. His attention turned back to Helga awaiting her response.
Without a care in the world, Eleanor plopped down on her cot.
Her mood quickly shifted from anger to smug. "Likewise sweet thang" she uttered as she winked and smirked at him with the intention to wipe that smile off his face… and it did!
"Enjoyed yourself much?" she mentioned as she blew him a kiss. Arnold frowned and slightly blushed at the hinting of the intimate moment they shared in the tunnel, but then rolled his eyes.
"Eleanor 1, Dr. Shortman 0" she thought as she noticed his reaction. But he quickly responded, "Well… yeah, until you stabbed me with the syringe and rendered me unconscious." Eleanor couldn't help but chuckle at his reply, she grinned. "Eleanor 2, Dr. Shortman still 0!"
Not wanting to hear her rebuttal, Arnold spoke once more. "Anyway...I see we're right back where we started." He mentioned as he looked around him sending her an obvious message.
She casually replied shrugging her shoulders, as if unaffected by her current dilemma. "I guess so!"
He sighed giving up the back and forth bantering. "Look… I'm not mad about what happened back there… in the tunnel, okay? I just...wanted to know why? Why did you lie to me? Why would you do something like that?"
"There he goes again with the questions, and the poking around. Can't this man just stop trying to figure me out? Sheesh!" She thought. Eleanor grew annoyingly angry and sat up, "Look Pal, stop...trying...to analyze me!" Eleanor looked at him in disbelief.
She examined him carefully, attempting to turn the tables on him. She then laughed humorlessly while shaking her head. "I mean, who are you anyway? You think you're really something don't you?"
Arnold was about to speak, when she cut him to the punch. "I really don't understand how those two just go gaga all over you. Well…I can see why Cecile is swooning over you cuz she sounds kinda like a flake based on the crap the nurses tell me about her in comparison to me, but Helga? It's like you're her kryptonite or something."
At that moment, she held on to her head, as if a strong headache came on. "Ouch!" She cried out.
From where Arnold sat it looked like she had pain in her skull, but before he could say or do something she went back to normal and continued to speak.
"Where was I? Oh yes, Helga! I mean… she's as tough as nails when facing others, but with you there she crumbles to pieces. I don't get it! I just don't! And that...is why I hate you."
As she declared her hate for the football headed man, she looked him dead in his eyes, trying to get that message to penetrate him. "I always hated you. I mean…" She huffed in frustration. "you're like the densest person I've ever… met, and yet…she loves you for it. It baffles me how she can devote herself completely to you. All the sacrifices she's made, all the dangers she's faced, all for… you. And the worst part of it is… that for years you never even noticed. I don't understand it...I just don't understand what makes her so attached to you?"
By some means, Eleanor's words stung Arnold. He felt hurt. A part of her really hated him. In retrospect, he knew what she was saying was true, and he often scolded himself for his one-dimensional way of thinking when it came to how Helga felt about him. Shamefully, it took him till high school to realize that he loved her. Arnold furrowed his brow a bit in frustration.
She narrowed her eyes as she stared him down. "That is why I ran away from you earlier. You're a weakness. You make them vulnerable and...dependent. And honestly, I can't tolerate that."
She clenched both of her fists as it rested on her lap and kept on speaking. "When her parents wouldn't even give her the time of day, I did my best to make sure she took care of herself. I made sure she didn't need to depend on anyone's pity or charity for her in order to survive, because if she did she could only expect disappointment. But with you there it proved to be a challenge at times. You kept giving her hope, and a need to believe in people. The same people who turned on her, and what she got in return...more heartache. And I as usual would have to pick up the pieces."
Eleanor's voice began to shakily heightened as she pointed to herself repeatedly, "I'm the sole reason why she wasn't burned to death in that house that day. Not you! ME! A-and you just come here out of the blue and all of a sudden you want to get rid of me!" she exclaimed heatedly.
She continued, her voice grave, "NO, I'm not gonna let you keep pushing me aside like I'm nothing. You can't get rid of me that easily. So stop trying to change her."
Eleanor gripped strongly the edge of her cot in restraint, her hands paling as a result. She lifted her head up again and fiercely stared at him. "Helga's not perfect, I know, but she's strong, and I tried my hardest to keep it that way. Your presence here is only hurting her, everything you do even if it is well intended, hurts her." Eleanor calmed down a little and softly uttered. "You were responsible for taking away the fight she had in her years ago, and now you're doing it again. You're taking away her self-reliance, can't you see that?"
Arnold sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his unruly gold locks. He didn't see that one coming, especially from her alter ego. Helga had been known to throw some curve balls at him ,so to speak, over the years and in some way he felt always prepared when she did.
But this woman, Eleanor, she's something he just didn't expect. She was beyond clever, she was devious. He didn't know what angle she was coming from. From the look in her eyes he could see real hatred lurking behind those pools of blue that often captivated him in the past. But now, staring back at him was coldness and loathing, which ironically made him shiver from discomfort.
"Listen Eleanor, I myself don't understand the inner workings of Helga's mind on why she loves me, but I know for a fact that she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for her/you being strong and independent, but currently she's mentally unstable, and things are unfolding for the worst. You have got… to believe me when I say that she needs help! Let me help her, please."
Eleanor looked to him suspiciously, "Help her? Pftt, yeah right, you reeeaaally helped her by leaving her….on her wedding day might I add. By the way, smooth move, Romeo. Thanks, but no thanks!"
Arnold replied apologetically, "Look I already apologized to her for-...wait a minute, how did you know about that?"
Come to think of it, Arnold began to wonder why she knew most of Helga's past. He thought personalities were walled off from certain memories. Unless...
She smiled evilly, "Well Doctor Shortman, it seems that there's a breakthrough in my 'condition'. Looks like I'll be taking over now. Some of her memories are merging with mine."
"When she spoke to me earlier on, she looked as if she had a headache, but then she quickly reverted back to normal. I'm sure it was at that moment she was having flashbacks of Helga's memories. I should have noted this and acted on it sooner! How could I have missed this?"
He thought worriedly.
Eleanor spoke nonchalantly as she focused her gaze on her poorly manicured nails, "I guess I have a stronger will to exist than they do. Soon, I'll be in full control, and they…will cease to exist. There will no longer be a Helga Pataki, Dr. Shortman."
Arnold was stunned. He now understood why she was so cool and calm. She was getting rid of Helga for good. He had to act now!
Arnold looked down beside his chair and remembered the bag he brought in. He grabbed the bag, reached into it and brought out three objects and placed them on the padded floor by her feet. He knelt down a few feet from her cot and searched her blue eyes for her attention. With calmness and composure he spoke to her.
"Do you know what those are?" he asked her gently.
She looked to the items on the floor and shrugged, "I don't know, looks to me like a girl's red shoe, a stupid pink bow, and a trench coat. What of it?"
Before he could reply, she mumbled. "Probably some psycho-crap you're trying to feed me with, instead of inkblots."
Arnold glared at her for a moment, but then softened his expression. While sighing he replied, "No…these are your things, remember?"
She laughed, "Y-you're kidding me right?"
"No, I'm not" He said and gathered a deep breath, exhaling.
"Here goes nothing!" He thought.
"These 3 things before you, they belong to the same person. Although, they all have separate personalities now, they were one in the same long ago. You see you have a condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder in which you produce a lack of connection in your thoughts, memories, feelings, and actions. Basically, you do not have an exact sense of who you are." He paused and came closer to the objects by her feet. "This disorder was stemmed from Helga's rape, which only she experienced. Although, you did exist before the rape, you were merely a part of her personality. So you couldn't have remembered the details of what happened then. When she snapped, what bonded your personalities together separated both you and Cecile from Helga; therefore, three different personalities, occupying one body. Now, there are no possibilities for all three of you to coexist without repercussions, which means that in order for you to survive you must merge with Helga along with Cecile in order to recuperate. If not, all of you and I mean all will lose touch with reality forever." Arnold concluded somberly.
There was a moment of silence as she looked to him skeptically, then a burst of laughter came out of nowhere, "You expect me to believe that load of crap?"
Mockingly she repeated. "Lose touch with reality, that's a good one Dr. Shortman. But as you can see, there's nothing wrong with me. We're perfectly fine, it's been what? Almost two years and I'm still sane. I don't know about the other two, but that won't matter anyway since I'm taking over. So, it's not like I'm in any danger"
Arnold's face turned serious as he defensively answered, "Yes you are! I mean, if you are not in danger then why do you think you ended up here of all places? Right now, you may be fine, but soon enough you will experience everything she has…including her rape. After awhile, it will drive you permanently mad as it was beginning to do to Helga before you showed up. Do you want that to happen?" He frantically asked.
Seeing that she hasn't responded, he pressed on. "Your best solution is for you three to face what happened together, but in order to do that you must merge as one."
Eleanor contemplated for awhile, she watched his panicked expression, and then softly questioned, "Why… should I believe you?"
Arnold felt weary as the session stretched on. It was taking a toll on him, but he needed to save her. "Eleanor, I know you resent me for all the things I've done to Helga, leaving her at the altar and all, and I don't blame you for being angry. At the time, I was scared and confused and I know that's no excuse for how I treated her. I had high expectations placed upon me that I just couldn't handle. I was young and stupid. And for the past six years, I've regretted ever making that decision. I admit, it was my fault and I'm ashamed of it."
Wrapped up in his own emotions, he continued on, "I truly never meant to hurt you or anyone by it. I loved you… all of you, and...I-I still do!"
In hearing his confession, Eleanor's eyes grew wide, she tightly shut them and brought her hands to her head, "P-please, don't do this" she whispered. She felt something in her heart change and should couldn't control it. It ached. It hurt so bad that it was affecting her. Her feelings for him were never there that belonged to Helga.
Hope came to Arnold's eyes seeing the troubled look Eleanor bore.
Her walls were breaking down, and took tried to break them down further. He picked up all three objects, lifting them up at eye level so she could see.
Letting his heart lead the way, he spoke sincerely. "These items you see here before you belong to one amazing person...you. She's the girl who brought me hope by helping me reunite a man with his long lost daughter. This is the girl that gave me the drive and courage to stand up and save a neighborhood when I thought all hope to save it was lost."
Arnold looked into her eyes with a vast amount of affection, and he poured his heart out. "This...is the girl that tormented my days and nights to no end, and yet made me feel at peace, all at once. This is the girl that went through a lot of trouble to disguise herself in order to go on date with me, she...made me feel wanted and special."
He took a moment before he said lovingly. "No one has ever gone to extremes like this girl and now.. a woman has. No one has shown me the love and relentless devotion that she has shown me throughout all these years. She may have had a strange way of expressing her feelings, but I saw through it all that she cared despite the fact that everyone saw her as hopeless."
Arnold's eyes began to shed tears and it streamed his face. He quickly wiped them off as he continued, "I just want a chance…one more chance to show her that same love and devotion she has shown me. She deserves this, so please… I beg of you…please don't let her wither away into nothingness. Help her get her life back and I promise you she will be strong again!"
Eleanor eyes misted as she looked to Arnold sorrowfully. Something was stirring up in her. What she had thought earlier about hating him seemed impossible now. He was the genuine article. There was nothing deceiving or fake about him. He truly cared for her...for Helga.
Having caught his breath, Arnold spoke again. "You know Eleanor... something you said in the tunnel has got me to think about the situation we are facing right now. I remember you said that I wanted to save you as if I meant to make you seem… inadequate. But in reality ... I'm the one that needed saving. I needed to be saved from the mistake I made six years ago…when I let you go." He looked to the white padded floor, and gathered his thoughts. "When I left you, I was miserable. I couldn't eat or sleep for days and my life felt so empty. I didn't know what was wrong with me. All the raw emotions I felt then, all the passion I had was…gone. I would force myself to think that as time passed by things would eventually get better, but it didn't. My decision to return here was no mistake. I knew what was missing…"
He looked to the woman sitting on the cot as she stared back at him, he said. "It was you."
He smiled, "When I analyzed myself, I realized that for years I've had a void that was left wide open by the disappearance of my parents, and even though my grandparents tried to fill that void…I could never feel complete. But you…you somehow got under my skin without my knowing it. And slowly but surely that void I had began to fill to the point that it overflowed. It was so out of the norm for me, because you brought out so many emotions in me that I didn't understand. I was wild and reckless even passionate at times and it grew to be too much that I couldn't control it, I felt overwhelmed. It took me away from what I felt was safe. But now, I figured out that my playing it safe was me, running away from my fears. Mainly, my fear of you seeing the many sides of Arnold Shortman, the best and the worst of them. I was afraid of how you would come to see the real me and how disappointed you would be if you knew that the man you saw before you was so unlike the boy you once thought I was. However, now I'm no longer afraid, and that's why...I'm here."
Eleanor watched him attentively with tears flowing from her eyes, she seemed speechless. Arnold observed her, and he saw no signs of merging. No obvious indication that his technique worked.
All he saw now was a woman showing empathy towards him. She looked...helpless as if not knowing what to do.
Arnold felt a strong emotion surmounting him, he could not let it end this way. He had to get through to her somehow? And in desperation, he cried out. "Helga….Helga, if you can hear me, please…. I need you…I always have! You can't give up like this, you can't just snatch the last shred of hope I have. Isn't that why you were always there for me? Isn't it? To give me hope..." He held a hand to his chest as if to suppress the ache in his heart he suddenly felt. His emotions were turbulent as choked on a sob. He murmured, "Don't let go… don't let go of me, Helga!" Eleanor looked to the man before her feeling something called sadness. She wanted to help, but it seemed too late. There was no hope.
With his hands dropping limp on his lap, Arnold lowered his head and closed his eyes. Dejected, as tears streamed down his face he whispered a final plea, his voice barely holding strength, "Please"
Eleanor couldn't take seeing him like this anymore so she reacted without thinking. She swiftly crawled over to the broken man and embraced him with all the love she possessed.
Arnold sat there in shock as she leaned her body onto him.
She caressed his back with one hand while smoothing out his golden hair with the other. Holding him close, she hushed him, bringing him into calmness. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay."
She sighed, saying softly, "Don't worry Arnold...I'll always be here for you"
At the mention of his name his eyes widened drastically… it was her. He knew it was. Arnold smiled joyfully as he softly closed his eyes again, enjoying the feel of her body melding with his. He carefully brought forth his arms and wrapped them around her bringing her much closer to him.
Both hearts, beating as one. He was basking in her loving embrace when he planted a chaste kiss on her neck, inducing a series of goose bumps on her dry pale skin. He whispered with immense emotion as he held on to her. "I'll love you, Helga...Always!"
Resting her head on his shoulder, she smiled, holding him tight,. She whispered back, "And I, forever Arnold...and I forever!"
Both Arnold and Helga held onto each other desperately and lovingly for awhile, unmindful of the world beyond the white padded cell door.
(A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Although, I thought it was too mushy, but that was the mood I was in (I guess!) idk. I hope you'll stay tuned for the next chapter. I also want to give a special thank you to all reviewers; I always look forward to reading your comments. Much love to you all! So in closing, Be Kind and Rewind….I mean Review, XD!)
(; Deuces ;)