Off One's Rocker - Lashton

Chapter Seventeen

For once, though, Luke's heart was telling him to eat so the swollen stomach would vanish as quickly as possible.

If there was a meal in front of him then he would try and eat as much as he could; there was not though.

Victoria could tell he was thinking therefore asked. "Are you okay?"

Letting out a small laugh Luke shook his head. "I'm fine."

Tilting her head to the side the women was about to challenge him but Luke got in there before her.

"I mean apart from the fact I have a serious eating problem, I have never felt better." Recalling what he just said he nodded again satisfied. "Yeah... I'm good thanks."

Squinting with confusion, Victoria queried. "You have an eating problem?"

"Yeah...well, that's what every has been saying and I think I can see where they're coming from. Hell, I don't like eating, it makes me feel sick. And if my head had its own way I wouldn't eat. But here I am wanting to actually eat something for once because I know that's the only way I can get better."

The women's mouth hung open. Honestly, she never expected Luke to become accepting of his eating disorder so quickly. She expected him to take a couple more months and want to actually eat. Yet here he was a month into his stay, wanting to get better.

"Would you like something to eat?" Victoria asked the only thing she could think to say.

"Yes please," the blonde accepted the offer much to the therapist's confusion.

She pulled open her draw and took three small chocolate chip cookies from a packet and handed them over to Luke.

And the war began. He was starving and knew he needed some source of energy to keep him going, however, his heart was racing and his mind was telling him not to make the mistake of eating something so high in calories.

Yet his heart gave in and Luke took a small nibble from the cookie and smiled at how nice it tasted. A familiar taste which he had not had in ages.

"Why did you not eat your meals today?" Victoria asked confused. He had no struggle in eating a cookie which was high in calories and not that healthy. Yet refused to eat the meals which had been prepared for him which were healthy.

"I wanted to put a point across to Alex."

"Which was?"

"That I still need the feeding tube. I'm not always going to be able to fight the voice in my head telling me I'm not allowed to eat. I'm going to need nutrients pumped into me."

Nodding the women sat and thought whilst she watched the boy eat his cookies cheerfully, it reminded her of a small boy who enjoyed the occasional treat now and then.

She understood what the younger boy was saying, she knew he was going to have relapses where he did not want to eat. Even in twenty years time. But what she couldn't shake her head was the phrase 'fight the voice in my head'.

Victoria was certain that the information slipped out of Luke's mouth, that this so called voice he heard would usually not let him admit such a thing. She assumed it was let out due to the boy being distracted, therefore that was what she had to do to get to know the boy's way of thinking.