My Blood, Your Bones - Phan

Chapter 5 - Come Back

Dan's POV

Yesterday was a huge waste of time. Boring and inspirational. I decided to easily not go back. I'd rather be bored and suicidal at home than have to listen to other people's stupid stories. I didn't care. It's not like I was getting any "better" anyway.

During lunch, Mrs. Grace came to meet me at my lonely table.

"So, how was the meeting?" she asked.

"Boring."

"Didn't like it?"

"That's what I said."

"Dan, my sister called me yesterday, and told me a boy came into the rehab center with straight brown hair and dark, 'loving' eyes. She said he just walked into the room of a boy suffering from anorexia, and got him to eat. He ate almost half the plate by himself, which was the most he had eaten all week, maybe month, at one time."

I shrugged. "Cool."

"Would you know anything about this boy?"

"Nope."

"She says his name was Dan."

"Ok, it was me who spoke to the kid. So what?"

"I wont ask you to do the meetings again, but I think you should go back."

"Why? To help that guy again?"

"He can't eat, Dan. You helped him eat."

"So what?"

"So she wants you to help him. I want you to go to take your mind off of everything else."

I figured nothing bad could come from it. For no reason, I personally wanted to see him again. It felt nice to see him smile, especially being so unhealthily thin. I lost myself in my thoughts and faced Mrs. G. "I overheard that the guy, Phil, is dying. Do you know if that's true?"

"My sister keeps me updated on her patients," she admitted, "but I don't know. Phil, is it? He is extremely ill. He suffers malnutrition, minor bulimia and extreme anorexia. Do I know if he's dying? No, but it doesn't sound like he's doing well either. And I'm not supposed to be sharing this with you, so keep hush."

I didn't want the poor thing to be dying. Though willing to die myself, I didn't wish death on others. And to top it off, he is afraid of dying too. I nodded to my teacher. "Ok. I'll go back."

"I'm happy to hear it, and I think your friend will be too."

"I have one last question for you, Mrs. G."

"Yes?"

"Beth is your sister, right?"

"Yes."

"She looks like you."

"I know," she grinned, getting up and leaving.

Phil's POV

I woke up with energy for the first time in ages. I hadn't eaten so much in such a long time. I know it wasn't a lot, but it was heavy for me. I kept remembering what Dan told me: it's not fat, it's all health. And I didn't purge it either!

"Phil, are you awake?" Beth asked from my door.

"Yeah! Come in."

"My, you've got energy this morning," she commented. "See how great you can feel when you eat? Any chance I can get you some breakfast?"

I ignored her question. "Who was Dan?" I asked. "Why was he here?"

She smiled, seeming to have expected such a question. "Dan was a boy going to one of the rehab meetings."

"Did you or someone else send him here? To my room?"

"No. He said he just wandered in."

"Why?"

"Might have gotten bored waiting for the meeting to begin."

I put my finger to my chin. "What was he doing at the meeting? What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, dear."

Going to one of the rehab meetings meant there was something wrong with you, I knew. I wondered what he had. Was he ill? Mentally crazy? I asked a more important question I absolutely needed to know. "Will he... be back?"

"Oh honey, I don't know. My sister, his teacher, told me he didn't like the meeting, but is considering coming back."

A chance he might return was all I needed. "If you see him, could you please send him here? I want to thank him for yesterday. I haven't eaten so much since... I don't know. But I want to thank him. Please?"

"If I see him, I'll let him know you say thank you."

"No, I want to thank him myself."

She grinned. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll see him again. Now eat something for breakfast, wont you please?"

After eating yesterday as much as I did, I didn't feel entitled to eat anything again for a while. But I wanted to try. I asked her to bring it in for me, and I'll see if I can. She smiled approvingly, telling me I looked healthier already. By the time she did, my mind switched back to noticing the fat. I lost interest again, and skipped it. I got lucky yesterday, nothing else. My luck's run out. I'd be back to my weak self in no time. Maybe Dan wouldn't come back at all.