Finally Free Again

25

Warnings:
-Mentions abuse/domestic violence
-Numbers (weight/BMI)

Clay's POV

~ One Week Later ~

I had slowly been regaining my consciousness and today I finally managed to wake up. I could hear George and my nurse talk to me a lot before and I tried to open my eyes and to talk back, but I couldn't move myself.

Today I finally woke up, but I felt extremely tired and weak. I could barely move myself and I just looked around me as I tried to understand what was going on.

'HE WOKE UP!' someone yelled. I looked to my side and recognised George. He grabbed my hand and smiled brightly. 'Clay! I'm so happy, oh my goodness! We should go get the nurse!'

I barely understood and looked away as a man stood up. I recognised him too, but I couldn't exactly tell who he was. George knelt down next to me to be the same height as my bed and he grabbed my hand tightly. His hand was warmer than mine so I grabbed his other hand too to warm up.

'I've been so scared, but I'm so happy you woke up,' he smiled with red cheeks from excitement. 'I've been here every day, do you remember?'

I nodded very slowly and he grabbed a chair to sit on. 'You probably don't understand what's going on, but you passed out with a dangerously low weight and very low blood counts. You've been in a coma for a week.'

I started mumbling things as I slowly remembered the day I passed out. I remembered how bad and weak I felt and that the woman tried to help me but my body gave up.

'Danger?' I whispered as I looked at the monitor.

'You're not allowed to get out of bed, but your body is getting stronger again. After you're strong enough again to leave the hospital, you're getting admitted to an eating disorder clinic where people are going to help you mentally.'

'Sad,' I mumbled as I held him. 'Cold.'

He grabbed another blanket and wrapped me in it as he smiled and ran his hand through my hair. 'You really need to fight back again, Clay. I know you can do it, but you need to see that yourself too.'

I nodded slowly, realising this was going to be my death if I continued this for any longer.

~ A Few Days Later ~

Today was the first day I was going to get out of bed. I didn't fight against the tube feeding anymore and even when I started feeling full, I let it happen. I knew I would have a lot of chaos in my head as soon as I saw the scale, but I didn't want to die either.

I sighed softly as I got lifted into my wheelchair to go to weigh myself. I had constant tube feeding for over a week now so I knew I gained a lot. I also got fluids through my IV, I knew I most likely gained over ten pounds.

I got lifted up and they let me stand on the scale. Since I was constantly getting fed, I knew there was also the weight of food and liquids so not everything I gained was just fat. I looked down as they let me go and sniffed softly as I saw the 116 pounds.

'I gained fifteen pounds,' I whispered. 'I feel like a pig.'

'You're still severely underweight, sweetheart,' my nurse told me as she gave me a short hug. 'I'm proud of you, Clay. Do you remember our last deal? When your BMI is fifteen, we are going to drive around the hospital in your wheelchair.'

'Is it fifteen now?' I asked with a sad voice.

'It's 14,9, but that's good enough to me, sweetheart. Do you want to go now?'

'Can I then please have a break from the tube feeding? It's driving me insane now, I'm getting fed all day long.'

'That was also going to change at BMI fifteen, honey. We will go back to multiple feeding moments instead of the whole day. We needed to save you so we couldn't do anything else other than continuously feed you.'

'Can I finally have moments without feeding?' I yelled out with a happy feeling, excitedly moving in my wheelchair.

'You can,' she smiled as she kissed the top of my head. 'Come, I'm going to detach the tube for now and then we can drive around. Is George coming today?'

'He's coming after his therapy.'

'If you're not too tired, we can maybe wait for him at the entrance.'

I smiled and suddenly felt such a wave of motivation that I moved my legs happily and turned around to look at the nurse who drove me to my room.

'And nurse? When can I go outside? Can I go outside before my BMI is higher than seventeen?'

'What do you have in mind?' she smiled.

'One drink with calories and one solid food every day from now on.'

She knelt down next to me and held my hand. 'Would you think you're ready for that?'

'If I can eat with George or you next to me. I really think it has been enough now, nurse. I don't want to feel so bad anymore and have all these restrictions. I almost died and I don't want to die.'

'I'm so proud of you, it makes me so happy that you're willing to recover now.'

'I think I might believe it now. I think I do have an eating disorder. I find it hard to believe that I'm actually underweight, but I think I have anorexia if everyone tells me.'

'You're being so strong,' she smiled, kissing my forehead. 'When your weight is high enough, you can even exercise again but then not to burn calories. Did you like to do something before?'

'I used to like football until my dad almost killed me. I would love to do that again,' I mumbled.

The nurse hugged me and then smiled. 'Clay, when you're strong enough again, do you want to go to the police together? Your dad needs to be in jail, sweetheart.'

'And my mother?'

'Did she ever hurt you?'

'No, but she said that my dad hurts her.'

'Then you can both temporarily stay in my house until he's gone, honey,' she answered. 'We are going to do anything to improve your health and happiness.'

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