Between The Vows

Chapter Eighteen

Anna's wedding had probably been the most beautiful wedding that I had ever planned. There wasn't a detail that went unnoticed. But, dealing with your sister for eighteen months of wedding planning does take its toll. As relieved as I was to have the wedding successfully behind us, I couldn't help but feel bad for Anna that it ended on an extremely low note with Ellie passing out and landing herself in the hospital.

My mother had texted early in the morning to let me know that Ellie was doing better and resting more comfortably and told me to take my time in getting there. She ended up going back up there and staying the night with her and it seemed for the first time, she fully understood the gravity of the situation. I felt relieved that she had finally resigned herself to this tragic understanding, but, I also felt sad for her. It was a new sad reality that she had to now find the courage to deal with.

Once Liam left, the morning had find of a double whammy effect on me. The realization that my sister was now hospitalized due to her eating disorder and the fact that Liam was leaving Bridgeport tomorrow hit me like a ton of bricks.

My birthday party was this evening, and I had to get to the hospital to see for myself what was happening there and somehow pull myself together so that I could enjoy my party, and my last night with Liam. It wasn't my real birthday, but Liam insisted on throwing me a birthday party before he left town and had been coordinating with Savannah. I wasn't allowed to know any of the details, only that I should dress party casual, and that Liam was going to pick me up at six thirty. If they weren't so excited about this party, I could have just soon forgone the whole thing, as I wasn't feeling very festive.

When I got to the hospital, my mother had already left, and my father was there. "Hey, Dad." I said, sounding a little tired and forlorn.

"Morning, honey." He set down his newspaper and got up from his chair and gave me a hug. "You ok?" He questioned, "You sound awfully low."

"Just tired." I said, not wanting to elaborate on my feelings.

"Morning, Ellie." I reached down and kissed her forehead.

"Hey." She said while trying to force a smile. She made eye contact with me but didn't maintain it for very long. She looked down at her covers.

"How's my favorite girl?" I asked, looking a bit concerned but trying to keep my voice light. She didn't answer me, and she didn't look up from her covers. "You look a little better this morning." I said, again, trying to be upbeat.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep too well, but I'm feeling a little better." She said, looking as though she almost looked a little embarrassed. I wasn't used to seeing this expression on Ellie's face, because she was usually sporting an angrier look.

My dad excused himself to take a phone call from Tina. "It's ok, Ellie." I said, touching her arm. "This happened for a reason," I continued, "you're going to be ok." I assured, hoping she would look up to meet my eyes, but she didn't. Just then, the doctor came in and said that her electrolytes were back to normal this morning and that they were waiting on a panel of results that included things like her liver enzymes and so forth. He also said that they were giving her fluids only for the first day or two and that he fully expected her to be able to start soft foods immediately after. They only had her on an IV and were also giving her something to stimulate her appetite.

Even though anorexia nervosa and bulimia were mostly psychological diseases, he said it didn't hurt to spark the appetite. He spoke to me directly, occasionally looking over at Ellie, but she wouldn't meet his gaze either. I still couldn't tell if she felt embarrassed or if she was still thinking of us as the enemy. The doctor left, and my dad came back in to say his goodbyes and said that he and Tina would be back the following morning to visit.