Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Skin And Bones •|| MARJOREECE + OLIVE + ARRI ||•

Prompt: Arri calls Marjorie at work about Olive.

[TW: !! MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDERS !!]
(READ WITH CAUTION!!!)

Marjorie’s hands trembled as she ended the call with Arri, her knuckles white as she clutched her phone. She didn’t hesitate, immediately dialing Reece’s number. The line rang once before his voice answered, a cheerful tone in stark contrast to the dread constricting her chest.

"Hey, gorgeous, what’s—"

"Reece!" Marjorie interrupted, her voice breaking. "It’s Olive. Arri just called— she collapsed during practice. They’re taking her to the hospital."

Reece’s breath hitched audibly. "What? Is she okay? What happened?"

"I don’t know much yet. Arri couldn’t reach you, so she called me. She said Olive passed out, and they’re on their way to the hospital." Marjorie paused to steady her voice. "Reece, we need to get there."

"But they’re at school. In another country." Panic crept into Reece’s voice. "We can’t just—"

"Reece," Marjorie cut him off firmly. "You have that jet for a reason. Call it. Now."

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

Within an hour, Reece and Marjorie were soaring across the skies. Reece paced the cabin restlessly, running a hand through his blond hair as worry etched deep lines into his face.

Marjorie’s voice was calm but laced with urgency. "Autumn’s handling the nursery. I told her the situation. She’s worried sick about Olive but promised to manage things while we’re gone."

Reece only nodded, his thoughts elsewhere. He couldn’t shake the image of Olive during her darkest days— the gaunt cheeks, the hollow eyes, the painful fragility of her frame. They’d worked so hard to help her recover, and she had been getting better. She’d been smiling again, eating her meals, regaining her strength. What went wrong?

"Reece," Marjorie said softly, breaking through his thoughts. "Olive is strong. She won't give up that easily. Everything's going to be alright."

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

When they arrived, Arri was waiting for them in the hospital lobby, her normally stoic demeanor giving way to visible worry. "Room 207," she said briskly. "Our teacher’s with her. She hasn’t woken up yet."

Reece didn’t wait for more. He sprinted down the hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. When he entered the room, the sight of Olive on the hospital bed nearly brought him to his knees.

She was so pale, her cheeks hollow, her once vibrant hair now dull. Her thin frame looked even frailer under the stark white sheets. Reece dropped to his knees beside her, taking her hand in his. "Olive," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Kiddo, I’m here."

Marjorie entered moments later, speaking softly with Olive’s teacher, a kind-faced woman who sat near the bed.

"I noticed she wasn’t herself recently," the teacher admitted, guilt clouding her expression. "She’s been quieter, more withdrawn. But I never imagined… during practice, she just… collapsed."