Forced - Phan AU

Chapter 12

(As the previous chapter just reached 100 reads, here is the next chapter; as promised)

Dan POV

1st October

I shake Phil lightly as Jack tells me our dinner is done. 

"Phil?" I say quietly.

"Mm.." He responds quietly, turning his face into my shoulder more. 

"We've got dinner, come on." I say, lifting the covers off of him and placing a hand on his leg. 

"I'm not hungry." He grumbles, pulling the duvet back over him, snuggling back down into my pillow.

"Phil, I don't know what's wrong with you or anything; but please eat. It's scaring me." I admit, to which he looks up at me and and nods quietly. I smile and offer him my hand to help him stand up. 

We walk quietly down the stairs and into the dining room, where I see Jennette and Mark waiting to start eating.

I scrunch my face up. "How come you two are eating with us?" 

Mark exchanges a look with Jennette. "We wanted to make sure you guys wouldn't get too lonely. Come on now, Daniel. Sit down and eat up." 

I smile at the old woman's kindness and sit down next to Phil and opposite the other two. By the time I'm half way through my soup, I see that Phil still hasn't started his. I nudge him quietly.

"C'mon, just eat a little bit." I whisper. He shakes his head and pushes it away a little bit. 

"Phil." Jennette says, pushing up her glasses. "You need to eat, honey, don't deny your body what it wants." 

Phil shakes his head again and stands up abruptly, leaving the room. Mark sighs and rests his head in his hands. 

"He's going to kill himself at this rate." Mark states quietly. 

Jennette nods. "Daniel, could I see you after dinner to chat about some things?"

"Uh, yeah - sure." I shrug, spooning the last mouthful of soup into my mouth. Jennette nods towards her study as we stand up and leave the table. I let her lead the way, seeing as I'm not one hundred percent sure where everything is. 

You see, in our old house, we had an actual nurse's office. Therefore if any of us got ill or injured ourselves, we wouldn't have to waste time going to a hospital. She closes the door behind us and sits in the seat behind her desk. 

"So, Daniel. I want to talk about Phil, has he told you anything?" Jennette asks, tapping away on her computer. 

I shake my head, pulling out a cigarette and holding it up to my mouth. "Can I light up?"

"You really shouldn't smoke, Daniel." She sighs, but nevertheless getting up to switch the ventilation on so we don't suffocate. I thank these new, high system houses sometimes. I flick the lighter and suck in, blowing it back out in perfect 'O's.

"So, he really hasn't said anything to you as to why he wasn't here today?" Jennette pushes. 

"Not really. I know he has anxiety and panic attacks, but that's it." I reply, slouching in my chair.

Jennette frowns. "Sit up, Daniel. You weren't raised to slouch." 

"Fine." I sit up. "What did you want to tell me?" 

"Today, Phil was diagnosed with depression and an eating disorder." She tells me. 

"W-what?" I stutter out. She nods.

"Yes, and the reason I'm telling you this is well... because you're marrying him, I guess. If you don't understand his moods or how he's feeling or why he's not eating or something, then you'll jump to conclusions. Don't deny that you would do that, Daniel, because I've known your little mind since you were four."

I nod quietly, taking the information in. 

"So, what does this mean for me? Like, what do I have to do to... help him?" I ask helplessly. 

She reaches down behind her desk and brings out a large whiteboard covered in writing. I furrow my eyebrows as I read it.

"For the next four weeks, you and Philip shall be off of school. We will have your old tutor from pre-school come in and educate you both. Whilst you both are off, Philip will be on a very strict schedule. He will wake up-" She points to the board.

"And then he will eat breakfast, eat his tablets and shower. You will both have four hours on tutoring before lunch. After lunch you will both have two hours of studying before you have piano practise and Phil has an hour for therapy. After that, you will both have dinner and then time to relax." She explains.

My jaw drops. "What? What the fuck, Jen? Why am I having piano lessons again? I'm good enough!"

"So that while you are practising, Phil can have therapy. I'm sorry, Daniel, but this is the only way that Phil could stay out of a hospital ward for the duration of these four weeks." 

"What? I don't care! Why should I change my lifestyle because he's crazy?" I shout, throwing my arms about helplessly. 

"Daniel." She says sternly, standing up. "This boy is going to be your husband in a matter of six months. Do you not understand that?"

I shrug carelessly, flicking my now burnt out cigarette out of a window. 

"I thought you were, better. Honestly, Daniel. The poor boy isn't crazy! His father is dead, his mother couldn't care less about him and now he's being forced to marry you. No wonder he's mentally ill." Jennette says meanly, flicking off the light and leaving me in the room.