Destined to Explode (Adopted by All Time Low)

Chapter 11

The shows are finally over. I haven't made much of a move from the bunk since the Seattle show besides to perform. I still feel absolutely terrible. I know everyone is worried about me, but I can't bring myself to move much from my bed.

I know in the past two weeks my weight has probably dropped extremely low again, but I can't bring myself to eat. I wake up one morning and I feel weird. I immediately feel my side and feel a feeding tube.

I see Dad. "Hey honey, I'm going to prop your head up a little so I could feed you." I give him a small nod. He lets my head back down eventually. "Okay, I'll be back in a moment." He leaves and I let myself fall back into my pit of depression.

I wake up somewhere unfamiliar. "Hey honey, you are at a psychiatric hospital. There are a few things you have to do to get out of here." I block out most of the rest of what she says. I am pissed Dad brought me here, and the moment the nurse leaves, I am up punching the wall.

I get restrained and sedated. It's a few months before I am out of the hospital. I feel upset and I can't take it. In a rash decision, I punch Dad in the nose and run out of the house. I end up catching a plane to Iowa.

I sit in the city alone. I ended up at the farm I inherited. There is no electricity, water, or heat so I'm quickly freezing. I see a text from Vic which immediately makes me freeze.

"Alex is a mess without you. Can you please tell me where you are so I can come get you and let him know you are safe? You don't have to go back right now."

A few tears slip down my cheeks and I click call. "V-V-Vic?" "Honey, you sound like you are freezing. Where are you?" "I-I-I-Iowa." "Okay, I'm coming to get you." "N-N-No. I-I d-d-d-deserve to d-die. I-I-I h-h-hurt D-D-D-Dad."

"Honey, he feels like this is all his fault. He checked himself into a mental hospital for a few days because he felt like he was gonna hurt himself." Eventually, Vic has to get off the phone with me. I stopped shivering a while ago. He calls me back and I answer.

I feel really drowsy at this point. "Honey, I'm almost there. Hold on." I feel my vision slip away and I fall to the ground. I wake up in the hospital, as far as I can tell it's a regular children's hospital.

I see Vic. "W-What happened?" "You were suffering from severe hypothermia. They say you were probably only a few minutes away from heart failure. You were put in a coma for a few days."

"Oh." "Your dad wants to talk to you." He hands me the phone and I see Dad's face fill the screen. He has a large bruise over his nose and he looks distraught. Tears begin immediately slipping down my cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, D-Dad. I-I d-d-didn't mean t-to h-hurt y-y-you."

"Honey, it's fine. I deserved it. I'm sorry I sent you away for so long. Almost losing you took me on a train for the worst and I needed to check myself in as well. Vic said he'll fly with you back down here." I nod.

"I want to go back down now." "They want to keep you to monitor you for a few days. You've been having some oxygen and heart problems." As he says that I hear an odd rhythm. "Oh."

"Alex, Lisa or Jack are with you, right?" "They're not leaving me alone, don't worry." "Okay, we are going to go." "Okay. I love you, honey. I miss you." "I love you too." I end the call. I see Lexi's head poke around the corner. "Dad, could I come in?"

He nods. She comes over to me and Vic leaves. "I feel like you're the only person who truthfully understands me." "Vic understands a lot and of what he doesn't, Tony does." "He doesn't understand this." "Vic, come here." He comes in. "Show Lexi your arms." He sighs and holds them out.

She looks at the small vague scars. "See, he understands." "Do you understand the suicidal thoughts?" He nods. "Most of the adults or 17 year olds do." I pull up a video on YouTube and play it for her.

"Oh." I nod. "I've been in the hospital under suicide watch. I was for, what, 3 months?" Vic nods. Her eyes widen. "Woah." A doctor comes in. "May I ask you two to leave for a few minutes while I discuss somethings with her and her dad?" They both nod and go out the door.

"Okay, Alex. So we have two main options to deal with the heart arrhythmia. We could perform Cardioversion for AFib which basically it would shock her heart back into the right beat, most likely, or we could go through with the maze procedure, which they basically create scar tissue along her heart which would make the impulses travel more to the bottom of her heart, like they need to."

"Which has a higher success rate?" "The maze procedure." "O-Okay, I'll sign for that one. Is there- Is there any chance she could be transferred to a hospital up here in Maryland, though?" He nods.

"We'll begin prepping her for the flight. She'll have surgery tomorrow morning." I feel slightly panic. I hear Dad. "Okay, honey, I'll be at the hospital before you go back to surgery. I'm not making you be alone." I give a small nod.

The call ends and the doctor lets Vic and Lexi back in. "She is being transferred back up to Maryland." Vic looks sad but nods. I can tell Lexi is in another world in her head. Obviously, I can't diagnose it, but she seems to have symptoms of inattentive ADHD. With her biological sister having ADHD, it wouldn't surprise me if she does as well.