The interview went better than expected and I was busy telling Corey all about it while we got ready for dinner with his parents.
"Did they ask any questions about me?" Corey asks with a smirk.
I chuckle and playfully roll my eyes. "Yes, they did ask a few questions about us," I say with a laugh.
"What'd they ask? And what'd you say?"
"You can see when the interview comes out." I smile and lightly laugh when he groans.
I plug in my flat iron and sit down at the table/ desk to straighten my hair. I was separating my long hair into different sections when I get a text from my brother.
Are you going to be okay for your dinner? Want me to come to your room? I was typing a response when my phone buzzed again. Never mind that, I'm coming anyway; I need to talk to you about Dad.
Within a minute, there was a knock at the door. Corey opened it, and my brother came in and sat on the floor next to my chair.
"Are you good Clo?" My brother asks.
"Yes, I'm fine right now; is Dad okay?"
I get concerned when Cody let's out a sigh.
"That hand thing has been happening all day today. He keeps telling me it's nothing, but it obviously has to be something."
"Did you look it up on the internet? Maybe it has a list of things that it could be." I suggest.
"Don't tell her that list." Corey interrupts.
I set the heating tool down and turn myself towards the boys. "Why can't he tell me?" My head starts spinning and travels to what it could be.
Cody runs his hand through his hair and lets out another small sigh. "I did look it up already. The things on that list weren't that good Cloe."
"What were they?" They remained silent which scared me. "Tell me what was on the list or I'll just look it up myself." My voice was harsh, but I couldn't help it. They were making it seem bad; really bad.
Corey and Cody give each other a look. Corey raises his eyebrow which Cody replies with a shake of his. "I'll tell her after you guys are finished with dinner. I don't want to ruin this night for her."
I roll my eyes and go back to straightening my hair. As much as I wanted to look at that list of possible diagnoses, I knew that this night was about Corey and me meeting his family, and I didn't want to ruin that.
"I'm gonna leave now. Text me if you need anything, Clo."
"I will. Bye."
"And Corey, keep an eye on my baby sister."
"Of course."
Cody walks out, kissing the top of my forehead when he walks past me.
"Are you almost ready babe?" Corey asks, coming up and sitting where Cody had just been.
"I just need to finish my hair and then we'll be set." My smiles small because my mind is still occupied with my dad.
Corey stands up and squeezes my shoulders, then leaves a small kiss on my cheek. "You're dad's going to be just fine Clo; let's not worry about it tonight, okay?"
I turn my flat iron off and stand up. Putting my arms around Corey's waist, I reach up and kiss his lips. "I'm not worrying," I lie, "Now let's go, so we're not late."
It wasn't easy to put a front like this on for Corey, but I didn't want to ruin this night for him. It's only a few hours; then I'll be able to look at that list and worry about my father all I want. I would only get one first impression with Corey's family though; which meant that this dinner was the only thing I should be focusing on right now. As much as I wanted to worry about my dad, it's not in the best interest as of right now. I needed to snap myself out of it.
We go down to the lobby and walk out to Corey's rental car.
We were driving on the freeway for a while when I started to feel nauseous. I rolled my window down a tad and leaned my head on it.
"You okay babes?" Corey asks, glancing at me and squeezing my hand.
"Yea, I'm fine. I think I'm just a little carsick."
"Do you want me to slow down?"
"If you don't mind, please."
Corey slows down the car, but it doesn't work. By the time we pull into the restaurant parking lot, I still feel sick as a dog.
Corey puts his arm around my waist, almost like a stabilizer, and helps me keep my balance while we walk into the restaurant.
"When was the last time you ate?" He whispers in my ear.
"I don't remember," I confess. "Like 2 or 3 days ago. I'm not really sure."
"Cloe Jamison! That is not good!" Corey scolds me.
We approach the table that sat who I assumed to be his parents. "Now is not the time." I mouth to him before turning around and greeting his parents.
"Cloe! I'm so glad we get to meet you finally!" Corey's mom embraces me in a hug. "You're all my son ever talks to me about nowadays. I'm Jody, and this is my husband, Jeff."
I shake Jeff's hand and return the smile he gave me. "It's so nice to finally get to meet you guys," I exclaim.
My legs felt shaky, but I ignored it while Corey and I sat down at the table.
The waitress comes and takes our drink orders. I get a diet coke along with Jody, Corey gets a sprite, and Jeff gets an iced tea.
"What are you going to have to eat babes?" Corey asks, showing me the menu he had been looking at.
"Probably just a salad; I'm still not feeling too well."
"Oh no, are you sick?" Jody asks me.
"Yea, something like that," Corey replies for me.
I kick him under the table. He gives me a sharp look which I had no problem returning.
The waitress comes back with our drinks then takes our orders. We make small talk until she returns.
"So Cloe, how is your softball career going?" Jeff asks me, taking a bite of his food once he's done speaking.
"Amazing. I'm bummed that this is my last year."
"What are you planning on doing once you graduate?" Jody asks me.
I pick at my salad slightly before setting my fork down. These questions were making my head hurt even more than it already did.
"I'm not really sure. I majored in sports medicine, but that's just not what I'm passionate about anymore. I might stick with it though; I just don't really know yet."
"Well you're young; you still have time."
"Yea, that's true. I think I'm going to take a year to myself and then figure out what I want to do."
Jody nodded and smiled, and I was left with my salad again. I force a few bites down, earning a small grin from Corey.
While we ate, we discussed baseball, and Corey caught his parents up on what had been going on in his life.
Jody was such a lively woman; you wouldn't ever guess that she had just battled breast cancer weeks before.
Dinner had passed, and it was time to leave. I arranged for my dad and me to sit by Jody and Jeff at the game the next day so we'd have plenty of time to chat tomorrow.
Corey's parents were already on their way back to their hotel by the time we reached the car.
"You need to get some rest once we get back Clo."
I nod since I was too out of it to respond.
I hear Corey's phone ring and he answers it. "How's Cloe?" I recognize the voice instantly as my brother's.
"Not too good man. We're going to be back at the hotel in a few; can you meet us at our room?"
"Yea of course. See you soon."
"Bye."
Just like he had said, Corey pulled up to the hotel moments later. Being all cheerful at dinner left me utterly exhausted.
"Let's go babes," Corey whispered. I physically couldn't. When he saw that I wasn't moving, Corey unbuckled me and picked me up as if I were a toddler.
"What's wrong with her?" Cody asks when he sees us walking down the hallway.
I had closes my eyes awhile ago, but I didn't think that I was asleep.
"She hasn't been feeling well the whole night. She was too weak to walk once we got here and she fell asleep while I was carrying her through the lobby. I've been trying to wake her up, but she's not responding."
'I'm not asleep.' I wanted to tell them, but there was no possible way for me too. I wasn't strong enough to wake myself back up.
"Give me her. Go change and meet me down at the car; we need to take her to the hospital." I felt myself being handed over to the arms of my brother.
"Why do we need to take her to the hospital?" Corey asks.
"Remember when she gave us the rundown of how her eating disorder works? Well, right now we're at the part where her bodies starting to shut down."
'It's not an eating disorder.' I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I was helpless.
Cody started running down the hallway, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
We got to the car, and Cody put me in the back, resting my upper body on him. When Corey came down, Cody handed him the keys, and we sped off to the hospital.
"Hang in there Clo. Do it for me. Please." Cody whispered in my ear and kissed my forehead. I knew my brother well enough to know that he was trying hard to hold back his tears.
We pull into the parking lot, and this time it was Corey who held me. He ran to the nearest entrance and cried out for help once he saw doctors.
"Please help us! She needs help!"
"Sir what's wrong?" A feminine voice asks.
"My girlfriend; I don't know what's happening." Corey's voice was quivering.
I was put on a bed that started being pushed down a hall.
"This sections for immediate family only. Do either of you boys meet that?" The same voice as before asks.
"I'm her brother." Cody's allowed to walk past while Corey's left in the waiting room.
When we get to a room, I'm immediately hooked up to a bunch of different things.
"What is your sister's name sir."
"Cloe; Cloe Jamison Bellinger.
"Has she had a history of anorexia?"
"Yes; for years now." My brother responds.
"Always this bad?"
"There was one-time kind of like this. Her body had almost completely shut down; her organs were failing, she couldn't breathe on her own."
"I'm sorry to say this, but I think you guys need to prepare yourself for a rough night. I don't know if she's going to be able to hold on. She might be too far gone already."