Orphaned

Chapter 4 : Eating?

Chapter 4

Later...

Ellington POV

I'd left Riker alone for about an hour now. It was time for dinner, and I was determined to get him to eat.

I opened his door to find him laying in bed, staring off into nowhere.

"Riker?"

"What?"

"It's dinnertime."

"Have fun..."

"No. You're coming with me."

"Do I have to?"

"I want you to eat. Please?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to be hungry! It's been days! You told me!"

"I'm just not hungry, ok?"

"Riker. Either you eat, or I'm going to tell someone that you won't eat. You'll get in trouble."

"Why would you tell on me!? I thought we were friends!"

"Riker, I care about you and your health! Please just eat something!"

I took Riker's wrist, and dragged him to the cafeteria. He wasn't happy at all. He wouldn't take a tray.

I brought him over to our table in the back, and set my tray down. I went up again, and got him a tray of food. We were having hamburgers and french fries tonight. I set his tray down in front of him.

"Eat. Or I'm telling someone," I said, sitting down across from him.

He just sort of stared at his food. I was glaring slightly at him, and he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Riker. You need to eat. Please, just do it!"

He slowly picked up a french fry, and put it in his mouth. I sighed in relief, and continued eating my own dinner.

Throughout dinner, Riker didn't eat much. He didn't touch his burger, and he only ate a few french fries. But it was better than nothing. I brought him back to his bedroom after dinner was over. He curled up into a ball on his bed.

"Riker, do you want to go do something? We could play a game, or I could show you around outside."

"No... I don't feel good. My stomach hurts, and it's because you made me eat!"

"Riker, you'd eventually die without food. It was for your own good."

"Well maybe I want to die! Did you ever think about that!?"

"Riker, how can you say that!?"

"I miss my parents, Ellington! I miss them way too much!" Riker shouted, breaking into tears again.

I shut his door so he wouldn't cause a scene.

"It's my own fault they're dead! I should be the one who's dead! Not them!"

"Riker-"

He stood up, running his hands through his hair. He backed up to the wall, and stood there, hyperventilating.

"What am I supposed to do!? How am I supposed to feel ok!?" Riker shouted, still crying.

"First, you need to calm down," I said, my voice shaking slightly.

I slowly walked up to him, and took his hands. He slid down the wall to the floor in tears. I sat down next to him.

"It's going to get easier, Riker. Everything happened only a few days ago, so of course it's really hard on you right now. But it'll get easier, I promise."

"But it hurts so much!" Riker sobbed.

I put my arm around him, and his head fell onto my shoulder.

"I know it hurts. But it'll stop hurting so much after a little while. Trust me."

"It hurts..."

I sighed.

"I know, Riker... How about you try to go to sleep?"

"But the dreams!"

I sighed again.

"If you have a bad dream, just come next door to my room, ok?"

I looked at him, and he was biting his lip hard. He slowly got up after I nudged him, and got into his bed.

"If you need anything, I'm about to go take a shower, but then I'll be in my room, ok?"

"Ok..."

I left Riker's room, and went to my room to grab clothes.

Later...

Riker POV

I was trying my best not to fall asleep. I don't want to have another nightmare. Those things are awful, and stress me out!

My door opened, and I saw Ellington.

"Hey. I just wanted to check on you and say goodnight."

"Oh... Goodnight..."

"Remember, if you need anything, I'm right next door."

"Thanks..."

He closed my door and left. I just can't let myself fall asleep now...

Later...

Ellington POV

I woke up, hearing screaming. It sounded like Riker.

I jumped out of bed, and opened my door. But Jackie had beat me to it.

"Riker, calm down. I called some people to help."

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Riker had backed up to the wall, and was pressed against it.

"Riker, everything's going to be ok," Jackie said, trying to calm him down.

"Don't hurt me! Please!"

"I'm not going to hurt you."

A few of the other boys were in the hall now. Riker was making a ton of noise.

I noticed a few nurses running down the hall. They went into Riker's room. They tried to go near Riker, but he forcefully pushed them away. Jackie called someone else to come, and I saw some men coming down the hall. They went into Riker's room, and restrained him.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"

They started dragging him by his arms out of his room. He was thrashing all around, trying to get free. And he did.

He sprinted for the bathrooms, and the men took off after him. But they were too late. Riker had locked them out. Jackie called someone else, and within a minute, another man came down the hall with a set of keys. He unlocked the bathroom door.

I couldn't see what happened next. But I heard Riker screaming his head off in there. I was sort of questioning if I'd made friends with some psycho, or... I don't even know!

They dragged Riker out of the bathroom, and started dragging him in the direction of the nurses office. Jackie told us all to go back to bed, but I was worried about him!

"Jackie? What's going to happen to Riker?" I asked.

"I'm not sure... Why are you asking?"

"We're sort of friends... And I know he's been having nightmares and stuff... I'm just worried about him."

"Oh... I'll mention to the nurses that he's had nightmares. And I'll let you know when I find out anything about him."

"Ok. Thanks."