Kel's Hel

The only sounds were her heart hammering in her ears, and the rise and fall of Wendy's chest, as she breathed through the shock.

Kelly's shoulders slumped and she looked down. "So... Sorry. I didn't... I didn't plan to... Say anything. Ever. No one else needs this. It isn't fair, to know, and to watch. Being able to do fuck all. I was never going to tell anyone."

"You came here, to carry that... That! All by yourself?" Wendy said in disbelief, "Who and where is your dad? So I can drive a carrot so far up his ass that he's vomiting casserole, for abandoning and hurting his fucking daughter!"

She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks irritably, "I don't know. And I don't care. Fuck him, and fuck the rest of them, too."

"I can't fuck him painfully, if I don't know where he is." Wendy said, sounding even angrier, "But, I'll settle for knowing where your house is. You did get one, right? Not staying at the Djadja Hotel? Owner's a right perv."

Kelly shrugged, "I got something on Vince Street."

"How long have you been moved in?"

Her brows furrowed and she looked at the waitress' concerned face, "Uh... Movers put stuff in, today? I haven't actually... Got there, yet. Stopped here, on my way."

Wendy stood up, pointing at her, "Do. Not. Move. Not a goddamn centimetre, sweetie."

With that, the surprising woman headed inside, and Kelly was left reeling. She hadn't known that the woman was capable of anger, but it was certainly coming out. She also had no idea what the waitress was planning to do in the wake of her admission.

The thought to run for it, did briefly cross her mind.

Unfortunately, the guilt of not having paid for her drink yet, and the knowledge that the town was incredibly tiny and everyone would soon know what was happening to her, kept her put.

She couldn't run from her problems, in a place like this.

That was part of the reason she'd never planned to tell anyone. Most of the reason was she didn't want anyone to have to watch her fall apart. That was the thought behind saying she was going to be a matchmaker, and not a romance interest.

She regretted everything that had gone wrong in her last relationship. She took a bit of the blame for the woman who had let her family have their way. Kelly knew she hadn't been the best of girlfriends. She'd figured she had a lifetime to get the kinks worked out, and had approached life half-assed.

She could only really live half a life, now.

It didn't matter how hard and fast she approached life. If she cared for someone, she knew she would be leaving them behind. It would take a stubborn and arrogant bastard to put someone that they loved through that. A rapid romance, followed by a gaping hole and standing alone in a graveyard.

That was a thing of nightmares, not the gift of someone who loved you.

"Hey! I'm ready to go now, if you are."

Kelly started, looking up at the waitress who had tossed a jumper over the top half of her uniform and grabbed the world's most pathetic handbag. It was a tiny thing that wouldn't even fit Kelly's purse, but it was embroidered with the face of a popular and cute cartoon figure.

She turned her head slowly, "Uhm... You're ready to go... Where?"

"Your house." The woman replied as if it were obvious, "But just so you know, if I think it's a rundown piece of crap, you'll be coming home with me."

"What... The hell?" Kelly said breathlessly.

Wendy grinned broadly at her, "You're not doing anything without a friend around. Not right now. You've just moved into a strange town, and you've got a whole dumptruck of human bullshit backing up to tip over your head. Only some of it has, despite how it feels, so... You have a friend."

She stared, wordlessly.

The waitress grinned and held out a hand, "Shall we, sweetie?"

"You don't even know me." She said through gritted teeth.

Wendy shrugged, "No... But I do know everyone else, in town. If you are getting all caught up in that, you could go ahead and ask anybody. Even your landlord should know me, if you have to have a character reference."

Kelly's will collapsed. It was still incredibly weird, but she had moved to a small town on purpose.

She stood up slowly, giving a last sip of her drink, "Just let me pay for -"

"Already done." Wendy shook her head, and grabbed her by the elbow, hooking her arm through and starting to guide the bewildered woman down the street. "You can grab the next one, or whatever, sweetie."

Kelly looked at the woman and shook her head, "Guessing you don't exactly jump in like this, for everyone you meet. If this is because of what I said -"

"Yes and no." Wendy interrupted again, "It isn't out of pathetic sympathy or anything like that. It's not a pity thing. It's a time thing. If you already know you've got a clock, then I feel like I don't have the time to waste in forming a deep friendship before I step in and try and make every day brighter for you. We're skipping the prelims, that's... All."

She relaxed instantly, "Well. That... Makes way too much sense. And at threat of making me cry, again... Six to twelve months."

"Shit." Wendy said weakly, closing her eyes briefly, "Yeah, we got none of that time to waste. Gotta make the most of life, right? So... Romance or horror movies, for tonight, sweetie? They're my favourites."

Kelly gave a small laugh, "You're into horror movies? I never would have guessed."

"Creepy serial killers who sound like philosophers are a special kind of nightmare." Wendy said proudly, and then shrugged, "I just like the thrill. Spinechillers. The way they make you feel."

She winced, "I haven't felt much of much, recently. Movies... Haven't done much for me. Not even as an escape. Flowers are my only thing. Gardening and hard work, until you ache too much to think."

"Okay... So let's make it a game night, then, sweetie. Pizza, enough soft drink to make my dentist exasperated, and a couple of board games. Uhm... My house is on the way. We can grab a few." Wendy waved a hand vaguely in front of them. "Anything you've always wanted to play, but haven't?"

Kelly sighed, "Mmm. No pizza for me. Sorry. It's... I can't really... Keep much down. Most of my dinner ends up going to Loki, because I'm not fast enough to stop him."

"Loki? The trickster god...?"

"I have a pet dog." Kelly replied, "Well... A pup. I thought about trying to rehome him before I came, but I just... It was too much. I still need him."

"My landlord wouldn't let me get one." Wendy said with disappointment, before brightening, "So... Does this mean I get to make excuses to come over and snuggle your dog?"

"Loki will probably spoil you, instead of me, tonight." Kelly replied, "He loves strangers. He'll be all about curling up in your lap, because you're new and exciting. Just try not to spoil him too much, I have actually trained him. Sit, wait, that kind of thing."

"Is he a... Companion animal?"

Kelly shook her head, "He's not quite that well trained. And I just want him for snuggles, so I haven't bothered to try and... And I haven't... Actually known... For that long."

"Your ex doesn't know, does she?"

She flinched, "No. And I don't plan to change that. She's got enough shit with her family trying to brainwash her. I don't blame her for not fighting them, harder. But I do fucking blame them."

"People who do stuff like that... Make me... Angry." Wendy's mouth took a downturn.

"Noticed. Stranger who threatened to shove a carrot up my dad's ass." Kelly laughed.

"My parents never approved, but they didn't have the gall to tell me what the fuck to do." Wendy snapped, the arm around Kelly's going tight as the woman flexed, hinting at a terrifying strength. "They never said shit about it. That was painful enough to go through. The fucking bastards who think that they can dictate what you think, rewrite what comes naturally, deserve to get reamed by... A fucking rosebush!"

Kelly frowned, "Roses. Freaking roses. How long is it until Valentine's day? Probably way too close to be able to grow my own. But everyone always expects roses. I really want sunflowers to be my first, but we're already in November, so I'm going to have to tweak the environment to pull that off."

Wendy smiled at her broadly, "You're as subtle as a tickle monster. Sorry, I brought it up. If it helps, we've actually got five different rose kinds growing out the back of the cafe. There's lots of rose petal teas, that are subtle, that I freaking adore."

"Well, then I might ask to buy a few, if you have any to spare." Kelly said thoughtfully, "What kind of Valentine's happens around here? Big on the church means that a lot of the town aren't going to be looking for that sexy single's night, right?"

The waitress sighed with disappointment, "Actually, the town's got absolutely nothing. People our age head into the city if they want a Valentine's. It's not entirely a religious thing, but it is a bit. The council passed an ordinance a couple years back. Basically banned the whole thing."

"Well..." Kelly said slowly, before smiling, "Screw 'em? I've only got the one Valentine's left. So I'm going to damn well make sure every girl in town gets a rose! And every boy who isn't too shy to take one, too."

Wendy grinned and hugged her arm, "I don't think we've got quite five hundred. But I am so into this plan! Ooh. We could write a bunch of romantic letters to go with the roses. Anonymous messages to make their day. Every card, unique, even if not everyone gets a flower."

"Didn't figure you for a rebel."

The waitress made her dazzling smile, making Kelly feel light headed. "I just want to make everyone's day a little bit brighter. I never really got all the angst about something having pagan roots. Who the hell cares? If you're in the new thing, then you're taking over, and making it about your god or whatever. If you were pagan, then you get to add a little something extra. I just... Don't see the big deal."

"It's all about the virtue signalling." Kelly said tiredly, "Sorry. I'm not as optimistic about the world as you are. Too many dicks and assholes around me."

"Without even the decency of it being an orgy." Wendy replied with a naughty grin.

Kelly frowned, "Now, those are something I don't get. I am most definently a one gal, or guy, type of gal. I tried sex without love, just the once. It was... Boring. Not awful, but... Like forcing yourself to eat a bland sandwich, just because you liked the look of it."

"Well, that's disappointing."

Kelly shot a surprised look at Wendy, "You are so not staying over, if you are going to try and hook up with me."

"I'm... Going to do both. Sorry. Tough luck." Wendy grinned at her, "Look, I get the space thing. And I do want to be your friend, regardless of how things turn out. But I've only got a year, so I'm not going to hold back. I like you. Normally it'd be six months of teasing to work out if it might work, but we can't really afford that, can we?"

"Not. Happening."

Wendy shrugged, "I still like you."

"If... Huge if, at this point. If... I ended up liking you, ended up loving you..." Kelly said slowly, "How in the fuck could I ever date you? Knowing I'd be leaving you to be by yourself, in less than a year? I'd have to be an absolute cunt to do that to someone I care about."

The waitress winced, "You... Don't have to put it like that..."

"End of discussion." Kelly snapped.

Wendy nodded, "That's your choice. I won't push. Just uh... Forgive me, if the flirting slips out, now and then, sweetie?"

"I don't even know how to get mad at you." Kelly mumbled, with a hint of annoyance.

The woman shrugged, "I have that effect on people. Ooh, this is my street. Just up here. The blue house? Time to grab some board games, sweetie."

Kelly shook her head slowly, smiling.

She felt stronger, happier, by the side of this total stranger, than she'd felt in the house she'd grown up in, with the family who had always been there for her. Until they weren't.

---

"We are not carrying ten board games to... How far is my street from here?"

Wendy tapped her foot thoughtfully, and then added another box to her pile. "I am, so it's no concern of yours. And it's two streets over, so it won't be a huge deal."

"How many of these are you planning on trying to play, tonight?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.

The waitress shrugged and then glanced over, "Um... Do you mind if I get changed? Five minutes, tops. You can chill on the couch, or something?"

Kelly shrugged, and the woman headed off to her bedroom.

It wasn't a huge house, but it wasn't small, either. The couch was across from a decent sized TV, and had a cupboard underneath it that was filled with DVDs. And there was an actual DVD player beside them.

She hadn't seen one of those outside of a camper in a while. Not since streaming made life easier, and Internet access wasn't completely awful.

However, this was a small town.

Kelly winced, she hadn't even thought about whether she'd have decent Internet access. She wasn't sure she'd know what to do with herself, if she didn't have it.

She pulled out her phone, and checked the signal strength, and felt her stomach plummet.

"Oh, that won't work in here. My house is in a bit of a dead spot, there's decent signal in the bedroom, though." Wendy said, re-emerging and tying her hair back with a practiced hand. "Ready to go?"

Kelly sighed and waved a hand, "And just how are you getting all that crap to my place?"

"Dolly."

"Dolly?"

"Dolly." Wendy repeated, and pulled a wheeled platform with handle out from underneath her kitchen table, where it had been hiding. She loaded them up, and gave her smile. This time, it felt like Kelly's heart had skipped a bit. It actually hurt for a moment, as she felt breathless.

Kelly pushed herself to her feet, and shook her head, "Yep. I give up. You are absolutely determined to be my friend. And... I don't mind."

"Score. I win." Wendy grinned ear-to-ear.

Kelly's face dropped, as she felt another shock to her chest and finally realised it wasn't the smile. "I... I've got to..."

The floor hit her in the face.

---

"-ake up... Please, wake up..." A voice whispered tearfully, "I'm... I'm sorry, Kelly. I'm sorry that I pushed. I didn't understand... Don't understand... Can't understand... Please..."

She winced, and reached up to tentatively touch her face. The hand dragged on a blanket, and she barely had the strength to pull it free. She gingerly touched her forehead, and rasped with a dry tongue, "Where...?"

"Kelly!"

She winced, flinching and pulled into a ball, "My head, is fucking killing me. Who taught you how to be a banshee?"

"Sorry!"

She pried open one eye, wincing at the bright white lights that were bathing the space. She could see the waitress near her knees, and see that the woman had been crying.

Past tense. She had apparently cried so much that she didn't have any more tears to give, which gave Kelly a real jerk on her guilt organ. She groaned weakly, "Um... Any water?"

"No water." Wendy said firmly, and waved a hand, "You're on nil oral. You're hooked up to some nutrient bags."

Kelly pushed herself up in the bed, and blearily opened her second eye. And then reached up to check that her eye had actually opened, and managed to stab herself with her finger.

She winced and hissed, and then looked over at the extremely concerned woman staring at her. She swallowed nervously, "Um... My eye isn't... Working. Happens sometimes. Nothing to worry about."

"You passed out on my floor, and then threw up and it was bloody. I am fucking worried, sweetie!"

Kelly scratched behind one of her ears, "Oh. That. Mmm... I must have overdone it, cleaning. Happens if I get too exhausted. Again, it really isn't anything to fret about."

"Blood." Wendy stated in disbelief.

She nodded, "Well, yeah. I've got a tumor the size of both my fists in my brain. I'm sorry, but... To state the obvious? Things with my health aren't in a good place."

"But... You have... A year..." Wendy said desperately.

"Six months to a year." Kelly whispered, and took a deep breath to steady herself. Feeling a little shock as everything went blurry, her second eye starting to work, but not quite. "The... The car doesn't break down, all at once. I really am, fine."

"Not fine." A grumpy voice stated, as an older woman with curly grey hair walked in. "Your liver is -"

"Failing. Along with just about everything else." Kelly interrupted her, "I know my health history, doc. I do appreciate the concern, but... Everything's fucked. I'm wasting your time, being here. And if you think you're running any more tests, you're dreaming."

The older woman frowned, "What precisely, is your definition of... Fucked?"

"'Bout six kinds of cancer. Brain, leukemia, lungs. All stage four and beyond treatable." Kelly said, setting her jaw, "And no, I do not want to talk about it. So give me the fucking form, that indemnifies you and lets me leave your fucking hospital."

"Hospital. Good one." The old woman chuckled, and turned around a writing pad, to show a form. "Had a feeling, you might be feeling that way."

"Six?" Wendy asked, staring.

Kelly signed, her hand still shaking, "Please tell me that there is at least a taxi service, around here."

"Nope." The doctor replied, "Wendy's brother drove you in. Considering how much you two need to talk -"

"I want to go home. Alone."

Wendy clenched both her hands together, before sliding slowly away from the bed. She didn't give her dazzling smile. She just whispered, "Erik can still take you. I'll go have him pull the car around."

Kelly ground her teeth together, and watched the disappointed woman leave. It wasn't that she didn't want a friend. However, right now, all she wanted to do was fall into bed, snuggle up, and cry and vomit through the current flare.

"Wendy's probably the nicest stranger in this town." The doctor said quietly.

She shrugged, "We were going to have a game night, and we'd known each other for about five minutes. So, yeah. I get that she's nice."

The doctor frowned, "Closer to six months, or twelve?"

"Three. Or weeks. Or a year." Kelly shrugged, "It all depends on how stubborn I am. How much I want to keep this broken piece of shit, alive."

The woman nodded, "Do you want me to smooth things over with Wendy, afterwards? Help her understand you just need the space?"

"I think she gets it... But... Please?"

The doctor smiled at her, "She's not a stranger to pain. She'll understand, with a little time."

"She told me about her osteoporosis." Kelly turned and gently slid her legs out of the bed. Wincing at the spasms in one of her knees and wondering if she was really as weak as she was feeling. "Barely out of a wheelchair, right?"

"Her brothers set up the tea shop, for her. Because she loved flowers." The doctor hinted gently.

Kelly gave a tired smile, "She wanted to show me her roses. The tea place was the only place to get flowers in this tiny town, wasn't it?"

"She tells me, that you're opening a shop of your own." The doctor replied.

She nodded and ran her hands back and forth on the top of her thighs that were somehow both numb, and in screaming sharp pain. "That's the plan. Renting the shop from Olivia, on Main Street. Sunflowers for my first batch. Oh... Um... If I overdo it, again, someone might find me and panic like Wendy. Should we set up a... Thing?"

"I've only got the one bed." The doctor replied, before producing a business card and handing it to her, "But if you catch yourself in a bad way, call me, and I'll prep a couple of bags for you. I'd recommend we do it daily, but you'd tell me to get fucked."

"Yup." Kelly smiled, "I'm not wasting both our time, on that. Don't have enough to hang around. I'm... Sorry. I'm not a good patient, doc."