The History of Helena Gorton, DDS

Part 7: A Confrontation

Dear readers,

I'm sure this part has been greatly anticipated for a number of y'all, and I know for a fact at least one of you has, based on recent comments. Helena is finally confronting Herman about his behavior, and will set a serious boundary in this part. Time will tell how this will go, but read on to see the initial impact. I will say that the next parts will be less heavy in tone, and there will be more fun side stories to introduce new characters, at least one of which I have already drawn and posted a few times on Xwitter, Cara, and Insta (hint hint). One of the parts will go into some heavy and intense places as it delves more into Helena's past, so there will be a content warning when that time comes. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter, and take a gander at the list of important characters as a refresher. See y'all in the next part! Also, CW: some profanity, discussion of and anxiety around harassment

Important Characters in this Chapter:

Helena Gorton:
-Basics:
  -Type/Species: Fish woman
  -Where is She From? Unknown, other than the sea. She was found by a fishing boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
  -Occupation: Dentist
  -Hobbies/interests: travel, alternative music, going to concerts, playing bass, driving
  -Where does she live? San Francisco
  -Diet: Exclusively raw fish and seaweed
  -Favorite Music: Death, Autopsy, Sepultura, My Chemical Romance, Cynic, Death Angel, Meshuggah, Streetlight Manifesto, Foxy Shazam, Björk, Bolt Thrower, Nervosa, At the Gates, Celtic Frost, Triptykon
  -Relationship status: lives with her partner, John Gorton, the fisherman who caught her in the Pacific Ocean

Herman Liong:
-Basics:
  -Species: Silkieman
  -Where is He From? He was born and raised in San Francisco by his parents, who emigrated from Guizhou, China
  -Occupation: Dental Assistant at Helena Gorton, DDS
   -Hobbies/Interests: Heavy metal, playing guitar, writing songs for his band, Dark Sentinel, military history, demonology, horror literature, professional basketball
  -Where does he live? San Francisco
  -Favorite Music: At the Gates, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, Sabaton, Eluveitie, Hypocrisy, Mid-90's Carcass
  -Diet: Vegetarian, but heavy on mixed grains
  -Relationship status: Single, but has some interest in Helena. He knows not to pursue her (for multiple reasons)

Lisa Langley:

-Basics:
  -Species: Human
  -Where is She From? She was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, but moved to San Francisco with her husband, Jack Langley, who landed a job at the Twitter headquarters in 2015. She soon became Helena's receptionist.
   -Occupation: Receptionist and Dental Insurance Coordinator for Helena Gorton, DDS
  -Favorite Music: Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, Amy Grant, Phil Collins, Steve Winwood, Belinda Carlisle
   -Hobbies/Interests: Collecting postcards from around the world, researching medical conditions, writing poetry, going camping with Jack, and constructing charcuterie boards
  -Where does she live? San Francisco
  -Diet: Omnivore
  -Relationship status: Married

The alarm on Helena's nightstand blared stabbing klaxon screeches at 6:15 am, and she did not want to leave the enveloping, cloudy comfort of her bed. "Ugh," she groaned, "Not today."

Helena pried herself from under the sheets, and dragged herself through her morning routine - breakfast, splashing her face, brushing her teeth, swigging some Scope, patting her head tendrils dry, donning her scrubs, and hopping in her Jeep to go to work. Every moment was heavy with dread, as she was delaying the inevitable confrontation she would make with Herman today. Thoughts raced in her mind - He's probably going to vehemently deny anything he's been doing or potentially trying to ask of me...He's going to pretend nothing's wrong and the conversation will go in circles...Maybe he'll say he'll change, but will keep being weird and timid towards me...What if he insults and cusses me out...What if he threatens to sue or call a rep on me...Will I lose my career? Will John and I never afford to get married or have a family because of this weird asshole? God...Helena sucked in a torrent of air, and let out a massive exhale in a futile attempt to ease her nerves. I still need to set boundaries with this guy, she thought. I cannot avoid this.