EAT.

FIFTEEN

Trigger warning: Eating disorder, depession, self harm, death (brief)

Dr Rhodes organises a meeting with Andy's band. They sit in an empty hospital room to talk, and he first asks how they are, if they're coping okay with the current events. Then, he says, "I thought it best to talk you all through what's going on, as I know you're close with Andrew and he spends most of his time with you four." 

They nod, anticipating something bad to be said. 

"I'm sure you can imagine it's a challenge for Andrew to open up about this and talk to me. This, I expected, and I have methods of overcoming it. However, I've been seeing him every three days for more than a month and he's still refusing all of my help. Now, this is completely understandable and I'm not saying he's to blame, because he's not, but, from a medical point of view, I and his doctors are concerned for his health. It's important he begins responding to my recovery strategies, and while he's currently being tube-fed, that can't happen for too much longer. It can cause internal damage and we also don't want for him to become reliant on that. It would be virtually impossible for him to recover if that were to happen." He looks at his notes on the man. "I can't disclose any of what he has told me, for obvious reasons, though I'm sure you know just as much, if not more, than I do, what with you being his closest friends. I hate to ask for things from patients' families, however I am going to ask that you all do what you can to gently persuade him that recovery is not a bad thing and that it's really important he follows the recovery plan I've written up for him. Is that okay?" 

They nod again. 

"Please don't push him so far that he has any sort of panic attack or alike. I'm almost certain he'll listen to you more than he'll listen to me, and I worry that if he doesn't start responding, he'll never recover." 

* * * 

The following day, Jinxx visits. When he enters the room, Andy is sat cross-legged on the bed filling in a crossword. He looks up and smiles briefly before looking back at the paper and writing in a word. "Hey, man," Jinxx greets, taking his jacket off and sitting down. 

"Hey," Andy returns. "One sec, I've nearly finished this." He reads the final hint and hums in thought. Then he smiles and adds the last word. "There," he says. "It's taken me two days to do that one." 

"Wow, it must've been a hard one." 

"Or I'm just dumb." 

"I doubt that. So...how are you?" 

Andy leans over to set the newspaper with the crossword in it on the side, straightening his legs out after. He sits back against the pillows and shrugs. "I'm surviving," he replies, rubbing at the tape on his face. "They weighed me yesterday." 

"Yeah?" 

"I didn't look at the number. They said I didn't have to. Even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. It's not like I'm gonna have gained nothing when they're forcing calories into me." He plays with his fingers. "But it's fine, I guess." 

"You don't have to say it's fine if it isn't." 

Andy sighs. He shakes his head. "Jake said I should stop acting like the world's ending, but how, when it feels like it is?" 

"Don't listen to Jake, man, he's an idiot." 

"I just wanna not think about it anymore," the younger says. "But I can't, and it's driving me insane." 

"Maybe talking would help?" 

"Talking? No." 

"You don't even wanna try?"