Chapter Text
It was in the middle of winter, snow blasted viciously in a chaotic frenzy which. Spike, being the closest to where Sam's half-sister Rachel and her friend Cleo is, agreed to pick them from their university hopefully before the blizzard hits. Unfortunately, the storm came strong and earlier than forecasted. It was so thick that Spike narrowly missed a sliding car before falling into a trench. Cleo and Spike went out to try to help pry the vehicle back onto the street when Spike accidentally tripped over something. It was a small child in the snow in the curled up with a long yellow and blue puffball hat over her head and hands. He jumped away in disturbance while Cleo scooped the child up and charged into the truck much to her friend's confusion. Cleo hurriedly undressed her wrapped her in a jacket and a battery electric blanket to warm her up but not give direct contact to heat in fear of harming her.
"What's going on?!" Rachel exclaimed while immediately pushing on the emergency brake.
"This baby has hypothermia," she spouted, giving the little girl CPR after finding she wasn't breathing.
"What!?" Rachel shrieked.
When the girl was gasping for air and crying Cleo gave her to Rachel and leaped out to help Spike get the vehicle out of the ditch. They had a lot of snow flying at them both from the truck and blizzard. When they managed to get on the road, both Spike and Cleo were red from frostbites and had flakes covering their hair, brows, and for Spike his beard. Rachel handed the tiny kid back and drove to where her brother is since they were far from other shelters they could go to within a short amount of time without being trapped in the middle of nowhere.
The moment Sam saw them outside, he rushed the door. The instant he unlocked the door
*WHAM!*
A woman that's strong, tall, stocky and buxom charged in, flattening him to the wall. He fell to the floor nearly losing consciousness. Spike and Rachel picked him up as he wheezes a little in pain, trying to register what just happened. They heard a large shuffling and stomping noises throughout the house before stopping around the chimney. There they found a cocoon of blanket surrounding what they found outside, practically looking like an infant.
"Is there any warm water bottles or heating pads, we need some to be heated and wrapped up and we need something warm for her to drink that doesn't have caffeine or alcohol in it," she practically demanded.
Both siblings went to the kitchen to boil up some water and soup, Spike went upstairs to get cloths to cover the packages of warm water, while Cleo stayed next to her trying to keep the youngling alive and occasionally using a towel to keep her dry. When the soup and bundled-up water bottles and heating pads came, she inserted the items around her groin, armpits and besides little girl's neck is within the layers of blankets before picking her back up a little from the pillow she leveled to make it easier for her to breath. She put liquids near her mouth. She winced, hardly able ajar her lips from how agonizing some parts of her body she can feel felt. Using a spouted container she slowly pours the soup trying not to make it drip.
"You guys have been exposed to the cold. You should get a bath before you guys have what the kiddo has," Sam said concerned giving sets of dry clothes and towels.
"Rach can go first," Spike replied, "I'll wait."
"Did you seriously forget we have two bathrooms and a boiler that can constantly give hot water?" he responded.
"Spike and Cleo should go first they were exposed to the harsh conditions longer," Rachel said, "especially when we were budging the truck to get back on the lane."
Spike to the restroom while Sam and Rachel try to convince Cleo to do the same as well. She refused until they knew the procedures dealing with hypothermia. They took turns checking her systems, heating up liquids, keeping her dry, warm, and hydrated, even after Cleo returned from the showers. They eventually called their parents to tell them that they arrived okay and are well.
Spike came where the rest the group quite nervously.
"How... is she doing?" he said uneasily.
"Her pulse and temperature is slowly coming back to normal but still critical," Cleo said, "I'm astounded we found her alive and holding by a thread."
"Why do you think she was out there on her own?" Sam questioned.
"I don't know, though it looks like she went through a lot beside harsh weather based on many of the scars I found on her."
When she came to normal temperatures her frostbites were being treated. She was given painkillers since the process can be painful. The dry sterile cloths around each of her digits that were used to keep them separated and collect moisture were carefully being taken off in order to submerge in 104-107.4°F (40-42°C) of water. An anti-inflammatory cream is applied before putting some new dry bandages back on. They changed the bandages several times at least once every 6 hours along with a few other procedures that were done regularly while they wait to see the full results for who they happen to have saved.
Nearly two days since the incident was when she seem to really regain consciousness. Pull herself up much to her disgrunt, finding her hands and feet were in gauzes and her ears in muffs and in clothes that are sizes too large to the point of was held by pins.
"You're awake," she heard, causing her to nearly jump and really shrugged in out of shock before trying to hide under the sheets.
"Oh my gosh I'm sorry," said Rachel as she calmly to touch near her bed.
The child looked around understandably scared and confused, being in a house full of strangers somewhere she doesn't know.
"Hello sweety," Cleo said, "I'm glad to see you up."
Cleo came with some pain medicine which she initially refused until realizing the properties of what she was previously given was wearing off, giving her feeling of pins and needles. After the painkiller kicked in Rachel asked, "Can you move your fingers and toes?"
They smiled in relief that she can display some of her appendage mobility.
"I'm glad, the kiddo is okay," said Sam, walking across from the couch with Spike having decided to try to rummage for some of his old things that the child could play with after overhearing the ladies commotion. He didn't once he remembered he left their cooking meal unattended which he rushed back towards, hoping nothing got burnt or on fire.
Spike caught his eyes on finding that the child's right limb below the knee was noticeably shorter than the other and her foot was irregularly shaped. Seeing the way Spike stared at her physical abnormality made her hid her legs then the rest of her again as if she was ashamed. Spike feeling guilty decided to apologize to the little girl for how he acted along with how he made her feel. She didn't budge. He walked a little distance away feeling like he wasn't much help, while Rachel and Cleo try to convince her to come out.
Sam brought a pot of chicken in cream pasta, handing a bowl full to everyone. The two lady friends decided to try using food as a means of persuading. She eventually gave in, gradually popping a little more of her from the covers. First came the cotton white top of her hair then peaked out her large silver eyes, her shiny button nose came out before round little cheeks then she sat up. Her mouth salivate from the aroma yet looked at the food as if it's a forbidden temptation.
"Come on sweetheart you haven't eaten in a long while, you should get some things in your system hon," Cleo said.
Her hunger won her over. She brought out her little hands out and received the bowl of chicken in cream pasta. She took a large whiff before she pulled it close to her to the point much of the bowl was covering her face as she slurped and licked with invigoration. She finished shortly after everyone was just started to take a few bites of their meal. They ask if she wants seconds when she nearly licked the bowl clean to her surprise it seems.
"Do you want some more?" Sam asked again.
She at first looked puzzled at the suggestion as if was too good to be true. She conflicted between her hesitation and desire before she nodded, placing the bowl it carefully into his hands as of scared to be touched and getting another round.
"So what is your name?" Sam asked, "Where did you come from?"
That's when she stops herself, and brought one of her hands to her forehead then over her hair, before opening her eyes wider as if something was missing, there was something missing from her. She was about to jump off the couch but was prevented much to her displeasure as she squirmed to try scout and reclaim what she finds important to the point she finds it an extension of her identity. Her belongings were brought to her.
"I'm sorry we took your things, we had to remove them so your condition didn't worsen. We try to salvage as much if it as possible and clean, dry and fold clothes though," he said putting the stack of clothing in front of her. She seemed to only care for the hat plopping it ontop her head.
"Let have a refresher in the introduction," he said, "my name is Sam, the tall and handsome fella behind me is Spike," *Snort* came out from Spike before Sam carried on, "Your welcome
. Don't be intimidated by him he can be a nice guy once you get on his good side. The lady who saved you and smooshed me is Cleo. And the girly-girl who brings her very pwecious dolly everywhere with her is my little baby sister, Rachel," he said REALLY cheeky at the end.
"Hey, I'm not so little or so girly anymore doofus," she retorted putting her hand on his head in an attempt to move him aside, "besides, what's wrong that I still bring it with me? These days I have my doll as a charm clipped into my backpack."
"A charm you can cuddle," he teased her again, earning him another childish push again.
"So kid," Rachel decide to ask herself, "what is your name?"
She got a similar response beside the overreacting, a confused and lost look before hearing, "I don't know," coming from her.
That surprised them, "Are you sure you don't know?" Rachel questioned.
"Don't...know," is what she said.
Cleo mentioned that she expected that under their care that she could have other side effects due to having experienced hypothermia, and one of them was amnesia. May not have affected her mind entirely but it could cause her to have some memory loss. Cleo still kept an eye on her just in case she may have more issues to be aware of. Several times they ask if any of her memories returned to her, a familiar place, family members, friends or guardians, she mostly didn't respond to much of their questions to their worry.
A week passed by and they are all still trapped in the house. Each of them carving personal habits during then. Sam occasionally going online in order to do work at home, pay bills, and check the medias he goes on a regular basis. Cleo and Rachel studying for their professions, communicating with many of their other friends and listening to music. Sometimes they try singing. Cleo was not too bad at singing some songs such as a few pop, jazz and spiritual, but was awful when she's too loud, offbeat, off-tone and trying to do a genre that she has a disadvantage at. Rachel's voice came out gorgeously most of the time though she stayed with songs she was confident enough to know she can execute well, preferring others not to hear her practice (she does sing while in the showers). Spike kept himself busy being the one who tries to shovel the snow away from the drive the most along with keeping himself in shape, preferring to be quite beefed and in his primes. Cleo place effort in her exercises too though focused doing the squats a lot more preferring to have her butt rather big and round, wanting to "swing it to bring it," as she phrased.
At least one of them was supervising the kid they found since was she often near the door or window seeming to often have a desire to leave, which they wouldn't allow, not wanting her wounds to refrost or her to end up lost and maybe near to danger again. It was a habit of her that made them often concerned. They ended up making her wear a soft house slipper and several socks over her shorter leg since she was prone to travel indoors often, and mitts since she was prone to press them on the window. She also pressed her face to the glass as well but luckily she wasn't as affected there as some parts of her body since she covered it with her hood, hands, and hat. It was what she regularly did when they didn't distract her or attend to her needs. Her gradually injuries improved and her progress was recorded. They kinda wish they could say the same for outside since there seem to often have more layers coming. They reported to the authorities that there's a missing child under their care during their drive to get to immediate shelter. They also had to call them regularly which they did as well as send her picture since that the few things they could give for her to be identified. Until they could find a file on the kid, they decided to call her Helka.