Off Ones Rockers II • Lashton

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

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Luke stood patiently but anxiously behind a couple of other individuals ready for his weekly weigh-in. It never got any easier, not only the fear he held for himself but the upset he saw the others go through too.

Picking at his fingernails Luke gulped when he noticed he was up next, double-checking his pockets to ensure there was nothing in them to increase his weight even more.

"How are you doing today Luke?" Keith asked as he closed the door behind the blonde, smiling at him calmly. The fifteen-year-old remained silent and simply nodded, too nervous to produce any words.

This was only the third time he had weighed the blonde and didn't know him enough yet to know any of his bad habits or how he expresses his worries, but the blonde was evidently trembling and he could tell he was worried.

"Take your time Luke," Keith said lightly, waiting by the scale, not watching the blonde knowing it'll only prevent the boy from stepping on longer, rather looking down at the folder he held in his hands, staring at the small numbers.

Taking a deep breath Luke gently stepped onto the scale, shuffling about a little before remaining deadly still. Keith waiting a couple of seconds before writing now another number below the other five proceeding it.

Luke took that as an indication to quickly hop off and slip his shoes back on, staring intently at Keith the whole time hoping he'd reveal something through his facial expressions. But, his face was blank. He'd been doing this for so long that he knew not to show any disappointment of joy as it would only evoke more dread and panic within in them.

Smiling yet again at the boy he wished he didn't have to tell him. At previous places where he had worked, they didn't believe in telling a patient with eating disorders their weight, as it would only stunt and increase their recovery period which to some extent was good. Yet here they believed it was more efficient as it taught the patient to understand it was only a number and it wouldn't affect them as deeply when they got off here.

"Ninety- seven," he told the blonde still revealing no indication of what this meant and how his therapist would react from the information.

Luke nodded trying to comprehend the information. He knew that meant he'd gained two pounds over the past week and that despite barely eating solid food and being fed through the tube he had no control over the weight gain.

"I heard you've been having some trouble with the tube?" Keith asked, putting the blondes folder down, his back to the boy who ran his finger over it, blinking to fight back tears. Luke still remained silent, not intending to seem rude, but he couldn't fathom any words.

The tube had given him a couple of problems for the first few days of use, he'd end up throwing up whatever he was given as it wasn't reacting with his body well.

Keith sighed and turned around placing a supportive hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know it seems like a lot to you Luke, but two pounds isn't much, and if it makes you feel better, some of it'll be your tube."

Luke nodded once again and attempting to smile with appreciation at what he said but he couldn't.

Patting the boy's shoulder once more he let the blonde go. Luke did so with haste. Quickly walking out of the room and back towards his rooms. Tears streaming from his eyes and dampening his shirt.

Luke gripped his hair in frustration, wanting to scream but instead he smashed his shoulder against the wall in hope it would resolve some of the frustration that was building up within him.

He continued to let the tears slide down his cheeks and proceeded to bash his shoulder against the white wall wanting to rid of the upset and frustration that the past twenty minutes, or maybe it was from the last year. And this he believed was the only way.

After a minute of bashing his shoulder violently against the wall, now quietly sobbing the blonde shifted forty-five degrees and began to slam his head against the wall, closing his eyes tightly as he did so.

Sid who had just rounded the corner, seeing the blonde hitting his shoulder and then turning to do the same to his head began to sprint against towards the blonde and yanked him away, wrapping his arms tightly around the frail boy so he could neither escape nor further harm himself.

Luke tried to struggle and continued to sob, as Sid held the still in the middle of the hallway not saying anything to the blonde just letting him have a moment to himself.

When Luke began to hiccup and had started to calm down, Sid slowly let go of the fifteen-year-old, watching him cautiously. "Let's get you back to your room, yeah?" he suggested, his voice low, almost a whisper.

Luke hiccuped and nodded in agreement. Before they made their way to his room. Sid took a look at the small cut the blonde had made to his head and sighed. It didn't need stitching but could do with being cleaned up.

Sid walked on in the corridor, Luke trailing a little behind him as they headed towards his room. Sid opened the door and let the blonde go in first. Sid looked over at Ashton and smiled. "I'll be back in a little while to get him," he said watching Luke lay on the bed and curl up into a ball, whimpering as tears began to fall again.

Ashton sat up worried. He knew the blonde had a weigh-in, and he figured that was why he was upset but he didn't know why there was blood all over his forehead.

"Leave him be," the man told the curly-haired boy. "He needs to be alone."

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