Broken

Louis

"Run faster Tomlinson! We haven't got all day." My football coach yelled. Usually I was one of the first people done with running laps, but today was the first practice of the season and I was doing absolutely horrible. Maybe it was just because I had't ran in a while or something, but either way I was the last one on the field. I only had a couple more steps to go, but that felt like miles. I couldn't take it any longer. I felt like you do when you're running through water, no matter how hard you try to run, your legs just won't go that fast. You keep pulling forward but the water around you just won't let you move any faster. Except, I wasn't in water. I was running around the same field I've ran around for years, but today I just couldn't. I fell to the ground, exhausted. I could sort of hear my coach yelling but it sounded strange, muffled, as if there was a pillow in front of his face as he talked. The world around me seemed to be spinning in slow motion. Black spots started to cloud my vision, until everything was black.

What seemed like only seconds later I started to hear a beeping sound. The sound of a door opening told me I was no longer on the grassy field outside of my school. I opened my eyes a bit, immediately regretting it as I was nearly blinded by bright white lights.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" An almost too cheery woman said, walking over to the bed I was in. "Hello, I'm Doctor Green." She told me.

"Hi," I said, trying to sit up.

"Oh no, no, no. Please stay lying down. Your body is quite weak." When I didn't say anything else, the chipper red haired woman continued to talk. "Now Louis, since you passed out we had to run a few tests to see what happened, it seems like your body hasn't been getting enough nutrients. Have you been eating properly?"

"Y-yes" I stuttered a bit, knowing that if I told her the truth she'd think I needed help or something, and I certainly do not need help.

"Mr.Tomlinson, many people have these kinds of problems. The sooner you admit to it, the easier this will be to stop. Your body hasn't suffered from any permanent damage yet but if you don't start taking care of yourself it might."

"I don't need help or anything, I just wasn't hungry so I skipped lunch. Its not a big deal."

"It's more serious than that, I spoke with your parents and they said that you haven't eaten breakfast or dinner with them for weeks."

Instead of continuing this conversation I decided to try and change it. "When can I leave?"

She sighed, "I'm going to go get your mum, she has a few things she'd like to discuss with you." Smiling a bit, she left.

A few minutes later my mum walked in. Without saying anything, she sat on the end of the hospital bed. It was silent for a while, but not a comfortable silence, it was awkward.

"Louis I just-" she looked like she was about to cry. "Why? Please just explain why you would do this, I don't understand..was it something that your father and I did wrong? Are you unhappy at school?"

"No..Its not you or dad.....or school."

"Then what is it? I can't help you if I don't know whats happening."

"I don't need help. I'm fine, I just wasn't hungry. I skipped a couple of meals."

She frowned, obviously hoping I would tell her more. "Well, we've been discussing options with the doctor..we- we um, think that it would be best for you to start going to therapy sessions."

"Therapy!? Hell no, I'm not crazy or anything."

"We know. We just think it could do you some good. You only have to go once a week, and if it isn't helping within a month or so we can consider something else."

"But I-"

"Louis, you're going, end of discussion." with that, she got up and walked out of the room.