Self image (The nursery nurse, Carly)

Chapter 8: Sorry...?

(IK ITS THE SAME NAME BUT IDK WHAT TO CALL IT)

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After a while, Carly's mum and sisters had left. It was time for Carly's food. It was around 5:30 when Vivian came in with a soft smile of her face.

"Hello Carly" She spoke softly, making sure not to have any sort of underlying negativity in her tone. Last time a nurse talked to Carly in a angry tone Carly shut down and refused to talk to anyone apart to ask to go to the loo.

"Hey, Vivian!" Carly smiled happily, glad to be able to talk to the only one she felt able to be completely honest with.

"So," Vivian knew she had to be careful with how she phrased everything or Carly may be given the wrong idea. "How are you today? Any.. thoughts of hurting yourself?"

Carly shook her head. "Even if I did the only thing I can hurt myself with is my finger nails which you decide you had to cut."

"I had to cut them. It's protocol to take away anything that may hurt you. Be lucky you're even allowed clothes normally we have to take them away." The nurse smirked as she saw the look on Carly's face.

"You normally take away people's clothes!?" Carly asked, shocked.

"Yes normally I'm not too sure why we didn't take yours away." Vivian shrugged.

"Okay" Carly replied, confused on why they normally take clothes away but she doesn't know what else to say.

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Marjorie and Charlotte were in the waiting room, they had only been inside Carly's room when she was asleep and had not yet spoken to her, face to face.

After Vivian had came out and given them the go ahead the walked into Carly's room. As soon as Carly saw them her demeanour tensed.

"Hello, my love.." Marjorie spoke softly, careful not to sound angry.

"Hii.." Carly sounded uncomfortable. She started to fidget with the bed sheets.

Charlotte didn't say anything she just ran over to Carly and hugged her as tight as possible. While she and Carly were in an embrace Reece came rushing in. Him and Autumn had gone to the loos. For some reason Autumn had kept throwing up after she ate absolutely everything.

"Carly..." reece whispers, tears springing to his eyes.

"Hey, 'dad'." Carly smirked. She had only called Reece 'dad' a handful of times but right now it meant the world to him.

He slowly walked up and took Carly's hand in his own.

"If you ever do something like that again I'll make sure death is the least of your worries." He said, it was playful and clearly he was trying to lighten up the mood slightly.

"I'll.. keep that in mind then?" Carly replied she was still a bit tired and ached everywhere so she wasn't really processing everything that was being said.

"You better." Reece half heartedly threatened.

"Where's Aut?" Marjorie asked softly

"Throwing up in the loo. Again.." Reece replies, his voice annoyed.

"That's like the 5th time?" Charlotte comments, holding Carly's hand tightly.

"Yep." Marjorie replies, concerned.

After some silence Charlotte speaks up. "Please may you guys leave? I want to speak to Carly privately."

They nod and say goodbye.

"Char, I'm sorry!" Carly tears up before she can say anything else Charlotte carefully lies on the bed and hugs Carly as she begins to sob.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were hurting..?" Charlotte whispered

"I tried.. I told my mum.. well not really told, she found out I was hurting myself a few months ago but she accused me of doing it because I thought it was 'cool'." Carly smiles softly as she feels Charlotte's arm wrap around her protectively.

"Well your mum sounds like a dick." The older woman replied, burying her face into Carly's hair.

"She is not! Most of the time.." Carly chuckles softly.

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The rest of the day was filled with people visiting Carly either it be work friends or friends she knew from six-form it didn't matter. Carly was just now glad she felt seen and heard instead of just seen.

Carly had always just been seen. She had been seen struggling. She had been seen not eating. She had been seen sleeping in class. She had only been seen, thats how she felt at least.

Only being seen wasn't good enough for her. She needed to be heard, to be cared for. But no one offered to help. Her friends used to when she first started not eating but after a month they got bored of helping someone that didn't want to be helped. After all, you can't help someone that doesn't want to be saved.