I couldn’t quite figure what had gone on around me. I heard a lot of shouting. I had seen Helga’s face peering at me. Her expression was a mix of worry and surprise. What had happened? Then I felt myself being moved into a vehicle. Were the kidnappers taking me away again? No…I was sure that Helga wouldn’t let them. Then I woke up and found myself in my room at grandfather’s house. How many days had gone by? The pounding in my head was finally gone. I could feel pain in my arm though and when I looked at it I saw a huge bandage. “That’s right,” I said to myself. “The bullet.” I heard the door open and looked up to see Helga. She was standing there uncertainly, a bouquet of flowers in her arms.
“You’re awake!” she gasped and her face lit up.
“Flowers? Lieutenant, you’re becoming soft,” I joked.
She rolled her eyes and pulled a chair next to my bed. “I see that bullet didn’t shatter your sense of humor…wicked as it is.”
“I’m just trying to be like you,” I laughed.
She handed me the bouquet. “Here…hope you’re feeling better.”
I smiled happily. “Daisies! Helga…”
“It’s your symbol of friendship.”
“Thank you.” We sat in silence for a moment.
“How did you know where I was?” I finally asked.
Helga shifted in her seat, her expression one of discomfort. “It wasn’t easy at first. Then we got a tip…from an anonymous source.”
“That’s strange,” I said.
“It is. In any event, I’m happy that you’re all right.”
“Yeah. I can’t really move my right arm though.”
“Bullet wounds take time to heal. I have to admit that you scared me. I saw you sitting there all bloody and it reminded me of that night with Christopher. I didn’t want to lose you, Adrienne. You’ve become a close friend to me in the past few days. I don’t let many people get close to me, but I can’t keep you away.”
“Thanks…I guess. Hey, I get to make it to my twenty-fifth birthday!”
Helga raised an eyebrow. “What made you think of that?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “But it’s only about a month away. August tenth.”
Helga looked a bit sad. What was she thinking? I couldn’t tell, but I didn’t bother asking. My curiosity had gotten me into enough trouble lately.
“You’re going to need to start rehab soon,” she said, changing the subject.
“I know.”
“Tell you what. I’ll train you. I’ll try to teach you mostly everything that I know. That way, your arm will heal and you’ll also learn some self-defense. Although I saw that bite mark on that guy’s hand and assumed that it came from you.”
“It did.”
“Good thinking.”
“Will you really help me out?”
Helga stood and smoothed my pillows for me. “Helga Sinclair does not back out of a promise. See you later.”
She left the room. I felt tears in my eyes. Helga and I had grown so close in such a short period of time. Now she was going to teach me how to fight. Truthfully, I could hardly wait!