Hollow | BxBxBxB

-9- Breakfast

Connor awoke abruptly to the sound of his door opening, he'd surprisingly slept okay that night but the sudden sound of his door being forced open was rather a rude awakening.

He sat up in bed hastily rubbing the sleepy dust out of his eyes. Doctor Mercury stood in the doorway a patient smile plastered onto his face.

"Morning Connor, can I come in?" He asked politely, Connor nodded so the doctor advanced into the room shutting the door softly behind himself then taking a seat on the arm chair next to Connor's bed.

Connor sat up fully, still under the covers and feeling awkward. "Did you sleep okay?" Doctor Mercury questioned.

"I guess" Connor replied his voice weak and hoarse from how much crying he'd done the previous day.

"That's good, it's breakfast time now. So let's go downstairs for that, okay?" Doctor Mercury told him a firm edge to his simple words.

"N-no" Connor stuttered out trying to sound forceful but instead it came out as more of a terrified squeak.

"Connor, we need to start getting your weight up properly, I don't want to have to put you on a feeding tube, and I'm sure you don't want that either. But if you don't eat that's what will end up happening" Doctor Mercury warned sternly.

"I- I can't, please!" Connor begged tears pricking at his eyes already, he'd barely woken up and he'd started to cry again. He felt like such a pathetic baby despite being 16.

Doctor Mercury gave him a reassuring smile and placed a hand gently on Connors trembling one. "There are special arrangements in place for you here that will make things easier, we're starting out with just me, yourself and one other patient in the dining room, so it won't be as overwhelming for you going in. You will also be sat beside the patient in there so you won't have someone opposite you for the time being" the doctor explained. His words did reassure Connor slightly.

"Isn't that- that inconvenient for everyone else, having to eat in separate rooms" Connor wondered guiltily. He didn't want to come in here and be a nuisance right off the bat.

"Not at all. It's common practice at places like this who take eating disorder patients. The other boys aren't aware you have an eating disorder because of patient confidentiality, there can be various reasons patients eat in separate rooms at first. But all the other boys have agreed to it and are fine with it" Doctor Mercury reassured him giving a longer winded explanation than was probably necessary.

"You will also be on half portions for now, due to the fact you've not been eating much at all. So for the first week, maybe two you will be on half portions. Then after that go to full portions so your body has time to catch up. Does that make sense?" Doctor Mercury explained

Connor nodded processing the new information as quickly as he could. Half portions and separate dining rooms, that made sense.

He slowly stood up following the doctor downstairs. He spotted the figures of two boys sat on the couch in the lounge but paid them no attention as he entered the dining room.

It was a simple room in comparison to the grand entrance. There was a big wooden table in the centre with chairs on all sides. There were two windows and a radio that was currently blasting out that mornings headlines. A boy was perched on one of the chairs fidgeting with his hands nervously.

He had shiny brown hair that draped down his neck but wasn't quite long enough to reach his shoulders, his eyes were chocolate brown yet seemed dull and bloodshot, but what Connor noticed most was the amount of piercings the boy had. Silver and gold pieces of metal were chiselled into his nose and ears.