Off Ones Rockers II • Lashton

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

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Ashton sat on the edge of his bed playing with the thin piece of metal, watching the younger boy sleep peacefully. He really didn't want to get Luke in trouble but neither did he want him to harm himself.

An hour had passed, half of which Luke had spent sleeping and Ashton contemplating what to with the piece of metal when Alex appeared at their door. He looked over at the latest patient. "Hopefully he'll be in a better mood now," Alex joked, going over to wake the young boy.

Ashton stopped him from doing so. "Wait!" he said, in a quiet tone, not wanting to wake the blonde. "I need to speak to you first." He had barely spoken to Alex during his stay here. He had seen and heard about him, but yesterday was the first time they had a proper conversation about him getting a roommate.

Alex stood still and watched Ashton. Disorders like Ashton's were not his speciality and he often found it hard to distinguish the disorder from the real on people like Ashton. He saw the curly-haired boy was fiddling with something in his hands, a light glimmering off the shiny surface.

"What have you got there Ashton?" he asked a little worried, walking over to Ashton and holding out his hand. Yet again he didn't know Ashton that well, and couldn't be certain if he had a history of self-harm.

"I think it's a blade from a razor or something," he said, handing it to the therapist guiltily.

"Where did you get it from?" Alex asked worried that someone was handing them out or they were easy to access for patients.

Ashton then realised that Alex thought it was his and that he was using it. "It's not mine, I don't do that!" Ashton quickly defended himself, standing up to give himself more authority. Alex was not quite convinced. "I saw it in Luke's shoe, it was laying in the middle of his shoe. I don't do that kind of stuff, ask Sid if you don't believe me!"

Alex turned to look at the sleeping blonde, he didn't recall seeing self-harm on the file that the hospital had sent him, or perhaps it was mentioned in the further details section he had yet to read.

Alex bit his lip and looked at the blondes shoes that sat neatly by his bed. "Let me check your arms," he said firmly, waiting for Ashton to pull his sleeves up. Ashton did so without resistance, turning his arms over when requested. There were no marks beside an odd scar that was clearly a burn, no self-inflicted.

Alex sighed, he had really hoped that it wasn't the blondes and that he wouldn't have to deal with this alongside his already complex eating disorder.

The man went back over to the blonde ready to wake him and Ashton interjected him once again. "Do you have to make him yet, he's so much more at peace when he's asleep?" Ashton asked knowing he would only be stressed if he had to face reality again.

"I don't want to see him struggle as much as you don't Ashton, but he needs to eat."

Ashton nodded understandingly. "Are you going to confront him about that?" he asked, noticing Alex had placed it in his pocket.

Alex simply shook his head and gave no explanation, knowing he owed none to the curly-haired boy. Ashton watched the therapist gently attempt to wake the blonde who groaned at the touch, slowly moving about, groggily open his eyes.

"I'm sleeping," he complained, curling into a tighter ball.

"Not anymore," Alex stated. "Dinner is in ten minutes."

"I don't want any," Luke mumbled, turning away from his therapist and facing Ashton who smiled at him sympathetically.

"It's not your choice Luke, you have to go," Alex argued, standing with his arms crossed, waiting for the blonde to sit up and show some sign of willingness to leave the room.

"Do I not have any autonomy anymore then, am I slave to stupid social conventions," Luke spat, rubbing his eyes. All annoyance and fear he was feeling had fully awoken him now and the nap had not put him in a good mood.

"Not whilst you are killing your body, and eating is not a social construct Luke, it's essential for survival."

Luke rolled his eyes and gently sat up, placing his feet in his shoes, but pulling one out when realising that the blade was no longer there. He quickly picked it up and peered inside.

Alex knew exactly what he was looking for and felt a pang of disappointment that the theory had been true, that it was his. Luke's breathing began to quicken, as he checked the other shoe, and then peered under the bed for the piece of metal. He then hastily stood up to check in his draws, but his vision, blurred as he collapsed to the floor.

"Luke!" Ashton said shocked, kneeling on the floor beside the blonde, Alex quickly beside him. The blonde groaned and slowly sat up, clutching at his left shoulder "I'm fine, just tripped," he dismissed, trying to get back up again, but Alex placed a firm hand on his right shoulder.

"Just stay put for a little, let yourself get some more energy. Do you want some water?" he asked watching the blonde peer around the room with half-closed eyes. Luke slightly shook his head, attempting to get up but Alex's grip was too firm. "Just relax Luke, keep calm. If you get back up you're only going to fall again."

"I need to get up," he argued, fidgeting about, trying to be free of his therapists hold.

"Why's that Luke?" he asked sceptically, knowing he wasn't going to be rushing to the canteen anytime soon.

"I need a toilet," he begged, trying his hardest to get up, he wasn't lying but that wasn't the main reason he was trying to get up.

Alex sighed and let go. "Ashton do you want to show Luke where the toilets are and then bring him to the canteen."

Ashton simply nodded, too overwhelmed by the situation to say anything. Alex thanked him and left the pair be so he could go back to his office and re-check the blondes file.

"I don't want to go to dinner," Luke stated, bluntly, slowly standing up, allowing the bed to aid him.

"I think you need to Luke," Ashton said in pity seeing what his starvation had just done to him. "Even just sit there, I'm sure my friends would love to meet you!" Ashton said, hoping the blonde would become a part of his friendship group.

Luke knew he didn't have an option, that he was going to be made to eat whether he liked it or not, so he reluctantly agreed and followed after the older boy, his hand trailing along the white but stained wall. He watched Ashton and how he kept stopping or slowing down for him like he actually cared about him. Luke didn't understand why, but it comforted him.

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Thank you so much for reading.