A week later
Clark and his family were gone for most of the week due to spring break, and Christie was gone to a sports medicine training camp.
As much as it killed Clark to not bring it up, he decided to give her space during the break but she was supposed to come over today. And he was not going to let her distract him or storm off again. He needed to know what was going on.
All of Clark's friends just showed up and started watching a basketball game. He didn't even know if Christie would come over, so he shrugged it off and waited.
Christie drove up to his house and slowly walked up to his front door and she felt like collapsing, she was so weak. She quietly knocked on the door and did her best to look okay.
"Fuck I don't want to do this" Christie mumbled as she waited for Clark to answer the door.
Clark ran to the door since he knew who it was. He swung it open and saw Christie standing there, and she didn't look okay. And his concern was now over the top.
'Hey, are you okay?' he asked as she walked in and right past him. 'Ya, just a little tired' and she went and tried to go sit on the couch with everyone else.
"No, what's going on" He whispered before Christie could sit down.
"I am leaving if you don't drop it Clark, I am serious" Her face was hard, but there was desperation underneath that Clark could see.
He angrily ran his hands through his hair, "fucking hell" he murmured as he turned around.
"Fine. But we are going to talk about it sometime today Christie. And I am serious about that."
She pursed her lips in annoyance as she walked past him shaking her head in both frustration and acceptance.
During the whole game he would stare at her and she definitely seemed off. She's pale, and her breathing looks labored, and he could tell she was not seeing anything on the screen. And she was still wearing that heavy looking sweatshirt.
Did something else happen at home, did her dad hurt her again or do something even worse.
"I am getting a drink" she murmured when she saw Clarks intense stare.
Christie tried to hurry to the bathroom before Clark got to her, but he was to fast and stopped the door before it closed. She leaned her hands on either side of the sink and took a struggling breath in.
"Christie I can't wait, it's killing me inside, what's going on? Please" He begged.
"Not your concern"
"What? Not my concern?"
"Ya, exactly" she quickly slipped under is arm so she could get out of the bathroom and into the hall.
"Christie!" Clark ran in front of her and stopped Christie in her tracks.
She just stared at him, "Think of something!" she thought panicking. She could see everything falling apart. Once he knows he will definitely be done with this relationship. She was trembling even worse now.
"Christie please. Let me in" He whispered desperately as he gently placed his forehead onto hers.
"You are not going to like what you see. It will hurt you. And I never want to hurt you. Please. Let it go."
He backed up to look at her, and she sighed in relief thinking he was dropping it. He had a sad look on his face, while he gently grabbed her hand and went into his room.
"Are you pregnant?"
"No! What the hell? You can't get pregnant through blow jobs Clark." She defended with furrowed eyebrows and hurt.
"Sorry, it's the first thing that came to mind just now"
Christie shook her head as she sat down on his bed with Clark sitting right next to her.
"Please don't interrupt me once I get started, I know you'll want to"
She took in a shaky breath and breathed out while avoiding eye contact.
"I don't know when it really started, it was before my first boyfriend. My dad has always put me down and trying to find new ways to hurt me. My family started telling me I needed to lose weight if i was ever going to attract a man. So i wasn't aloud to eat with the family and would get in trouble if they saw me eating anytime during the day.
It got worse when I started dating because I wanted to look good for him and I could tell that appearance was really important to him. I continued doing it even after we broke up, blaming myself for the break up and not looking good enough.
It's easier to just not eat, and if I feel the need to eat something I will but will shortly after go to the bathroom to bring it back up.
I discovered these pills a couple years ago, they make you sick whenever you eat food or smell something with a strong scent. And they work really well. They have helped me lose a ton of weight over the years.
I stopped a few months ago, and started eating as regular as I could without getting in trouble.
And then I met you. You're an amazing, talented important athlete and in incredible shape, along with being so smart. And i am not any of those things. And i know what everyone thinks, and i agree with them, that I don't know what you could ever see in me."
Silence.
"Can I say something now"
She couldn't look at him, but she heard the raw emotion in his voice and knew it matched his face.
"I am so sorry Christie. You should never ever have been told those horrible things about your body. No one should, especially by their family. And you are beautiful.
Look at me please.
I fell in love with you.
You are the only girl to ever put me in my place and speak her actual mind to me. You are real. You know first hand how horrible life can be, but you still have love in your heart, that i am lucky enough to see and feel."
He kissed her hands as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Christie please stop taking those pills" he whispered sincerely as he tried to get her to look at him.
"I can't just stop it's not that easy Clark. I need to do this for me and for you."
Before Clark could argue with her, she stood up to leave the room while her breathing sounded even more raspy and labored. But he wouldn't let her through the door.
"Move Clark" she tried to say determined but she started to feel dizzy again. "You proved you're stronger, good job!" And she used what little strength she had left to push past him and into the hallway.
"Christie!"
As soon as she was past him, everything started spinning and then she blacked out and began falling. Clark caught her before she could hit the ground and started yelling for help.
'Christie! Wake up! fuck she's burning up' he said as he rested his hand on her forehead.
'That's it, I am taking her to the hospital' Clark said as he carefully picked her up and ran to his car with his friends.
John and Ryan ran to the car and turned it on and sat in front. Clark opened the back door and placed Christie in, as he sat next to her.
Her weight was all the way pressed up into him and her breathing was getting worse. Clark was trying to wake her, but he couldn't. 'Drive faster john!' Clark said panicking.
Clark desperately picked her up bridal style and sprinted into the emergency room.
'Can someone help me! please!' Clark yelled. Doctors and nurses came running up to them. 'I don't know what's happening' Clark said as he laid Christie on a gurney.
'She has a temperature of 103.5, quick! and she can't breathe!' the doctor yelled as they wheeled her away, leaving Clark standing there helpless.
He didn't know what to do, but the worst part was, he couldn't do anything to help her. He slowly walked to a chair and sat down putting his hands through his hair and leaned back shaking his head. 'I can't lose her' he whispered out loud.
Two hours past, and he still hadn't heard anything. His mom had called and he told her that he didn't know anything yet. He kept pacing the floors and sitting anxiously in the uncomfortable waiting room.
His thoughts alone about their earlier conversation was enough to upset him. How could she possibly think it was okay to starve herself for him. It was the fucker of a dad, Clark knew it would end really bad if he ever saw him again.
A doctor finally came out and Clark jumped up and ran up to him. 'She is severely dehydrated and malnourished. Causing her difficulty breathing and all her other symptoms. We got the problems controlled but she needs to stay a couple days for observation.' The doctor said.
'Can I see her' Clark pleaded.
'Of course' the doctor responded.
They walked through the halls and the doctor pointed to a room and walked away. Clark walked in and saw his girlfriend laying in a hospital bed.
She had two IVs sticking in her arms, and oxygen tubes over her nose allowing her to breathe. She had her eyes closed but she heard Clark walk in and she turned her head in acknowledgment.
He sat in the chair next to her bed and he slowly stroked her soft face. 'I love you' he said sweetly, 'you freaked me out' he added.
He took her hand with ,the IV that was giving her water faster, and kissed her hand gently, leaving his lips on her hand for a long time. Christie took her other hand and slowly and ,carefully not to tamper with her IV, ran her hand through Clarks hair and left it there.
The couple stayed like this for a while before a nurse came in to check on Christie. Clark stood off to the side to be out of the way. But he payed attention to everything the nurse was doing and kept asking questions.
Shortly after, her doctor came in with a clipboard with her results.
"Hello, according to this you are severely dehydrated, malnourished, weak and have weakened lungs. Your body is trying to survive and heal but is having a hard time doing that with no food or water. You are showing the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, now we can get you help"
"Don't worry about me, can I leave now?"
"No, you need to stay for observation and you need to have nutrients and water. Which is why you are hooked up to a feed tube right now"
"wait, what?! No! I don't want it" Christie tried to rip it off her body but Clark was faster and grabbed her hands before she could cause more damage.
"Stop!" she cried and screamed as she tried to get lose and get it out of her. This was ruining everything.
"Christie stop! You are going to hurt yourself" Clark cried as he watched the girl he loved thrash around trying to stop nutrients from entering her body.
The doctor gave her an injection to calm down, and eventually she slowed down and passed out.
"Oh my God" Clark cried again, he never knew he could feel these kind of feelings. Pain, lose and mostly helpless. How do I help her? He thought over and over again. He knew one thing for sure.
He loved her and was not going anywhere.
He climbed up onto the bed carefully so he wouldn't pull/disconnect any of her IVs. He laid on his side with his right arm over her waist softly. And held her close to him. When did she start doing this again? And how didn't I see it? Again, Clarks mind was racing with all of this information.
But mostly hope, hope that he would be able to help her by loving her unconditionally.