THINNER

by

Antigone

Chapter 43

 

 

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER 48

 

Those who remembered him had raised their eyebrows, but Joe was far more compliable the second time around. He forced himself to finish his trays and drank his supplements when he didn’t. He dragged himself up at five a.m. for weights and measures and began speaking of his insecurities to his doctors. He took the antidepressant that was handed to him in a paper cup and made his way upstairs to family and individual therapy. He asked not to be told what exactly consisted of his meal plan until he had reached Level 3, when he’d be officially off bed rest, moved upstairs, and begin attending Group Therapy sessions.

The weight came on fast and furious, and with it came a depression unlike Joe had ever imagined existed. He wanted nothing more than to lie in bed all day, which he would if the nurses weren’t there to drag you up. Nothing seemed funny, or happy, or worth rising for: even sunlight seemed lined with darkness, as if he were viewing the slowly emerging Spring like a widescreen movie.

It was to Frank and Frank alone that the younger Hardy confided his fears of worthlessness, the helplessness of having lost control of all aspects of his life, the unfamiliarity of his body, the nausea after meals, the terror of having eaten, the urge to run to the toilet and vomit and vomit and vomit until he was clean and pure but knowing now that he’d never be, not this way, because the disease would never let him stop until—

And Frank would put his arms around and stroke his hair and tell him not to say it, to just go on and get through it because one day—promise promise—it will all be better. It was to Frank and Frank alone that he cried. 

*

One month after Joe’s admission, his treatment team met with the Hardy family with smiles and congratulations on their son’s improvement look at the numbers—weight heart-rate nutrition—everything was up and positive and looking much better.

“We think,” Dr. Ziv said with a smile, “that you’re ready to become a day patient.”

Laura touched her son’s arm, but Joe barely glanced up.

“Honey?” Laura murmured. “That’s good news, don’t you think?”

“You can come home,” Fenton said with a grin, hoping his son would show some positive reaction to the news.

Joe finally looked to Frank, who was watching him calmly.

“I’ll help you,” he said gently, and Joe finally brightened.

“Okay,” he sighed, “I’m ready.”

 

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.