Invisible
Chapter Twenty-One
*Alex's POV*
"A-anorexia?" I stuttered. "What do you mean? I thought he had just passed out..?"
"From malnutrition," the doctor finished.
I slowly, and very deliberately, took out my IV, wincing slightly. Then I continued to pull needles from my arm, not caring as they pinched my skin.
"Mr. Gaskarth? Mr. Gaskarth, what are you doing?" the doctor asked me, taking a step forward.
"I am going to see my best friend," I muttered as I pulled the sheets from my body and took a shaky step out of my bed. My head was already throbbing, and my cheek still stung from my mother's slap. With intense concentration, I took another step. And another. Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around.
"Mr. Gaskarth, I can't allow you to leave."
"Oh? And why is that?" I inquired.
"Well, you are one of my patients and you just had quite an experience, it is best is you just rest and-"
"Rest, rest, rest!" I interrupted. "That's all you doctors ever recommend, is rest! I can't just rest! My best friend needs me!" I threw my hands over my head, exasperated, when the doctor shook his head.
"I can't let you, Mr. Gaskarth."
"Why not? Don't you understand how this is for me?" I asked, trying a new tactic. Pity. "I watched that boy waste away next to Emma's bed, I watched him cry himself into a restless sleep every night! And now I find out he's been starving himself? I don't want to lose him, he's my best friend, he's been there for me through hard times, and I just want to be there for him." By the end of my little speech my voice had gotten thick, and I realized I had been crying. Every bit of what I said was true. I just wanted to be there for the boy who was always there for me.
"He's in room 245, third floor." I heard a whisper.
"W-what?" I asked, surprised that he would actually let me go see Jack.
"I said he's in room 245, now go before I change my mind!" he repeated. I gave him a huge, genuine smile and turned for the door.
"Oh, but Alex?" the doctor spoke up, and I turned back, smile faltering slightly.
"Please take your IV." he said, putting the needle back in my arm.
"Thanks, Doc," I whispered to him, then I wrenched the door open and flew down the halls.
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"Room 245," I muttered to myself. I checked to make sure it was clear before slipping into the room.
"Jack?" I whispered as I stepped towards the bed. "Jack, are you awake?"
"Well, I am now," Jack grumbled through his bedsheets. He sat himself up, wincing at the needles stuck in his arm. "Damn, Alex, what happened?" he questioned, rubbing his head.
"Well, er, uh, you sorta.. passed out?" I responded. "And Emma, she, uh, she woke up again and-"
"She doesn't remember me," Jack mumbled, his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but it's probably just temporary!"
"Hopefully," his lifeless voice responded.
"Probably," I said, trying to cheer him up. Then I remembered why I was here. Why he was here. "But we need to talk about something important," I sighed.
"More important than Emma?" he questioned.
"More important than Emma," I confirmed. "Jack, have you been eating?" I blurted out.
*Jack's POV*
"Jack, have you been eating?" Alex blurted. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do I say? Well, what else would I say?
"Yeah, of course, why?" I lied through my teeth. Alex looked a little uncomfortable.
"Well, its just that," he started nervously. "I haven't seen you eat much since you've been in the hospital, and the doctors say you passed out from malnutrition." he shot out incredibly fast.
"Malnutrition?" I asked. "Bullshit. It was shock. I mean, hello?" I said, gesturing around to indicate all that was currently happening.
"But Jack, you do look really skinny and I haven't seen you eat and-"
"So you don't believe me?" I raised my voice. "What would you care anyway?"
"Jack, I just don't want you to get hurt-" Alex began, but I cut him off.
"Well, fuck you, I don't need your help! I'm fine! Now get the fuck out!"
"But, Jack-"
"OUT!" I screeched, and he finally gave up and quietly exited the room, shoulders stooped. What does he care? I thought as I fell back onto my pillows. It's not like it's his body.
I was too fat to be anorexic anyway.
"A-anorexia?" I stuttered. "What do you mean? I thought he had just passed out..?"
"From malnutrition," the doctor finished.
I slowly, and very deliberately, took out my IV, wincing slightly. Then I continued to pull needles from my arm, not caring as they pinched my skin.
"Mr. Gaskarth? Mr. Gaskarth, what are you doing?" the doctor asked me, taking a step forward.
"I am going to see my best friend," I muttered as I pulled the sheets from my body and took a shaky step out of my bed. My head was already throbbing, and my cheek still stung from my mother's slap. With intense concentration, I took another step. And another. Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around.
"Mr. Gaskarth, I can't allow you to leave."
"Oh? And why is that?" I inquired.
"Well, you are one of my patients and you just had quite an experience, it is best is you just rest and-"
"Rest, rest, rest!" I interrupted. "That's all you doctors ever recommend, is rest! I can't just rest! My best friend needs me!" I threw my hands over my head, exasperated, when the doctor shook his head.
"I can't let you, Mr. Gaskarth."
"Why not? Don't you understand how this is for me?" I asked, trying a new tactic. Pity. "I watched that boy waste away next to Emma's bed, I watched him cry himself into a restless sleep every night! And now I find out he's been starving himself? I don't want to lose him, he's my best friend, he's been there for me through hard times, and I just want to be there for him." By the end of my little speech my voice had gotten thick, and I realized I had been crying. Every bit of what I said was true. I just wanted to be there for the boy who was always there for me.
"He's in room 245, third floor." I heard a whisper.
"W-what?" I asked, surprised that he would actually let me go see Jack.
"I said he's in room 245, now go before I change my mind!" he repeated. I gave him a huge, genuine smile and turned for the door.
"Oh, but Alex?" the doctor spoke up, and I turned back, smile faltering slightly.
"Please take your IV." he said, putting the needle back in my arm.
"Thanks, Doc," I whispered to him, then I wrenched the door open and flew down the halls.
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"Room 245," I muttered to myself. I checked to make sure it was clear before slipping into the room.
"Jack?" I whispered as I stepped towards the bed. "Jack, are you awake?"
"Well, I am now," Jack grumbled through his bedsheets. He sat himself up, wincing at the needles stuck in his arm. "Damn, Alex, what happened?" he questioned, rubbing his head.
"Well, er, uh, you sorta.. passed out?" I responded. "And Emma, she, uh, she woke up again and-"
"She doesn't remember me," Jack mumbled, his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but it's probably just temporary!"
"Hopefully," his lifeless voice responded.
"Probably," I said, trying to cheer him up. Then I remembered why I was here. Why he was here. "But we need to talk about something important," I sighed.
"More important than Emma?" he questioned.
"More important than Emma," I confirmed. "Jack, have you been eating?" I blurted out.
*Jack's POV*
"Jack, have you been eating?" Alex blurted. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do I say? Well, what else would I say?
"Yeah, of course, why?" I lied through my teeth. Alex looked a little uncomfortable.
"Well, its just that," he started nervously. "I haven't seen you eat much since you've been in the hospital, and the doctors say you passed out from malnutrition." he shot out incredibly fast.
"Malnutrition?" I asked. "Bullshit. It was shock. I mean, hello?" I said, gesturing around to indicate all that was currently happening.
"But Jack, you do look really skinny and I haven't seen you eat and-"
"So you don't believe me?" I raised my voice. "What would you care anyway?"
"Jack, I just don't want you to get hurt-" Alex began, but I cut him off.
"Well, fuck you, I don't need your help! I'm fine! Now get the fuck out!"
"But, Jack-"
"OUT!" I screeched, and he finally gave up and quietly exited the room, shoulders stooped. What does he care? I thought as I fell back onto my pillows. It's not like it's his body.
I was too fat to be anorexic anyway.
Notes
Hey, hey, hey!
I said I'd try to update again this weekend and I did! Wow!
I mean, I should be doing homework for my AP Human Geography class butttttt Oh well.
ANYWHORE
LEAVE ME COMMENTS YOU LOVELY HIPPOGRIFFS
AND THANK YOU FOR READING AND SUBSCRIBING TO THIS STORY, AND FOR A 10.0 RATING, YOU FANTASTIC HUMAN BEINGS.
@Jagk Skellington
Aw, well staying clean is hard to do, & I'm still proud of you even if it's only four days! If you were strong enough to last that long, then you could do it again c: & It's okay, I like what you've started so far on the sequel! <3
9/28/14