Useless Fan {Grapeapplesauce}

Part 3

Sean's P.O.V

"Fell unconscious due to a severe case of Anorexia Nervosa."

For some reason, it never really occurred to me that some of my most hardcore fans could have a severe eating disorder. And it hurts. Someone that's shown me a ton of support and always makes my day starves themselves. I'm confused, and I don't quite know what to think.

I trudge back to my house, that sentence in black ink not leaving my mind once.

•

At 12 pm, I head back to the hospital to check up on Melinda. She's sleeping, so I go to work.

At 3, on my break, I return to that wretched place.

"Follow me," a nurse in a dusty blue uniform commands. "She's making a fast recovery, but she's vulnerable. Talk gently- anything might be taken offensive."

•

Melinda's P.O.V

"Hi," I greet, excited as I see Sean walk in. I prop myself up so that my back is against the wall. "You came back?"

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well...nothing." I give him a few moments to pull up a comfortable chair. He looks at me, and I shift in my bed, suddenly aware about the fact that I look like crap. The papery hospital gown clings to my pale skin, and my face isn't fixed with makeup. "Umm, I didn't get a chance to say this but I love y- your videos."

"Aww, thank you." he replies, smiling softly. Another nurse comes strolling in and adjusts a thin tube in my side. I wince. I'm sure that she's sending a thick mush of nutrient-rich 'food' into me, ruining weeks of hard work. I shuffle uncomfortably, tempted to rip the plastic tube out. I'm already fat enough as I am, can't she tell? Sean's probably just here because he feels bad for me, as well.

"I'm just a fan," I mumble, staring at the thin sheets, "you should be at work, not sitting here with some useless fan."

"What?" Sean asks, "Why would you say that? I love you guys- of course I care about you. It's also my break, so it's not like I'm missing anything."

I stay quiet for a moment, before breaking the silence. "What's it like?" I wonder, gazing back up. "Like, knowing that a bunch of people you don't even know love you? That you saved some of their lives?"

He pauses, a little surprised at the sudden question. "I'm not sure. I mean, I can't thank you guys enough, but I'm not really sure because I'm sort of used to it."

I decide that I don't want to creep him out and pellet him with a ton of questions, so I give a half-hearted nod and let him do the rest of the talking.

"So...the doctors say you're making a quick recovery."

"That's good. I'm not too sure about going back to school, though...''

"You don't have to go back right away."

"Okay." I agree, not putting up any fight.

"We could go out to a café or something once you've recovered. Probably a better place to hang out in than a hospital." Sean states, then slightly cringes, as if he said something he regrets.

"Sure," I accept, "That nurse told me I'd be good to go in a day or so." I leave out the part about her recommending a list of people who are supposed to help and telling me to talk to my guidance counselor. I doubt that'll happen, considering that information spreads in a blink of an eye in school, and I'd prefer not letting the entire world know about my issue. I thanked her anyway.

"Oh, that's good."

"Yeah." I stop, "Okay, now, time for the big question."

"Okay...I'm nervous," he laughs.

"How the heck does your computer get 300 frames per second?"

•

He would always keep coming back. The cycle keeps repeating- he visits me and we talk for a few minutes, and then he goes to work, then checks up on me, then goes back to work, and then goes home, records, uploads, and sleeps. I always look forward to when he'll peek through the door, making a weird face to get my attention, and then sit down for us to joke about anything that comes to mind.

A few mornings later, he strolls in, per usual, and I greet him. "The nurse says that I can leave by tonight."

"Really? That's-"

"It's grape news, I know." I laugh at my corny joke.

"Only I can make grape jokes." Sean counters.

"I'm pretty sure that you can only make Spongebob references- my grape jokes are unbeatable."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Fight me, bro." he tries to say seriously, but at the end, he accidentally smiles and I giggle at how pointless this conversation was. He soon has to leave, but it's not so bad, knowing he'll come back later.

Something has changed in me, that wasn't there before I got to meet Sean.

I now have hope.