Pocrescophobia

One minute I'm talking to a despondent Arden, and then next, he's on the ground unconscious, and everyone's crowded around us.

"Call an ambulance!" I hear someone shout as I just stare at the inert boy. My hand finds his and I clutch it like it's the only thing holding me down to Earth. It might as well be. I've never felt as scared in my entire life as I do now. Everything happens in what seems like slow motion as the crowd parts, mouths moving to say words I don't hear. All I know is that I have to stay with him no matter what.

My brain still only half recognises things happening as the EMT comes in and takes Arden out to the ambulance parked outside. She just sees the glazed look in my eyes and doesn't say anything, letting me go with Arden. I think that she knows that she won't be able to get me away from him anyway.

For the entire drive, I just hold his hand and brush his hair across his forehead. "It'll be okay," I whisper more to myself than him.

"Sir, do you need anything? You look pretty pale," the passenger I didn't notice noted. I set my dazed eyes on him torpidly, shaking my head finally. "I'm fine," I rasp out. He just gives me an uncertain look before nodding and setting his lips into a firm line. The trip is bumpy and over very soon. As the EMTs wheel him in the hospital, they stop me before I can get too far.

"You can't go in. We've gotta have room." I just nod, sitting into a chair in the waiting room lethargically. After a few minutes, I finally put my head in my hands and lean forward, taking a deep breath. What the fuck just happened?

=

About an hour later, I sit alone in the room as Arden's family goes in. The only thing I want at this point is to be able to go in, to comfort him, to make him smile. But no, I'm not fucking family. Ugh. I don't think that I'll be able to get anything out of them either. I mean, surely they know about me already. And if not, John will tell them. But hopefully he's okay. I mean, fuck. I just got him back, don't take him away again. Please don't take him away from me.

Time passes that I can't keep track of and then finally, John comes through the door, staring directly at me. "What the hell did you do to him?" he demands. I give him a shocked look. "I didn't do anything, I swear. I was just walking with him in the lunchroom and then he just... passed out. I don't know what happened," I stammer. His glare softens a little, but he still stares disapprovingly at me. "I'm not sure I believe that, Cyan," he starts, getting up close to my face. "Now either you tell me what happened or we go out to the parking lot and I'll beat it out of you." Jesus Christ, this guy's protective. "I promise, I didn't do anything to him. Ask anyone."

"Promises don't mean anything, Cyan. So tell me, you've been treating him like shit for years, and he shows up like this, and I'm expected to believe that you were just walking with him and it just happened? Bullshit." I open my mouth to speak, but he just seems to get angrier so I shut it again meekly. But before anything else can happen, the door opens again and the doctor steps out, nodding at John and I.

"You're Arden's brother, correct?" he asks John. John nods, looking expectantly at the middle aged man. "Right, I already told your parents this, but we found the reason why your brother lost consciousness without any visible lesions. We found that Arden is suffering from severe anorexia and fainted from starvation. It's assumed because there have been many cases like this one, and anorexia seemed to be the outcome every time. Well, and the fact that your parents confirmed that he is indeed suffering from anorexia, at least from what they've seen. So we had to feed him in order for him to get the necessary nutrition that he wasn't getting. So, I thought that I would just inform you." And with that, he gives another nod and walks off. Fucking doctors.

John turns back to me, looking a little sheepish. "I, um, I need to get back to my brother. But look, you stay the fuck away from Arden. He's been through enough, and he doesn't need to go through anything else. So just stop whatever bullshit you're pulling," he states before walking off through the forbidden door. I wish I could stay away. Maybe that would be the best for everyone. If I just... stayed away. But... I can't. Goddamn it, I sound like such a wuss. Eh, what does it even matter anymore? I just can't fucking stay away from him. Is that so bad? Maybe it is...