Chapter 7

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Back to Lillian's POV

Miss. Carrie took me back to the doctor's today. Nevvy and I had gone back for another appointment before she was taken away, but now apparently I have to go back. Why?

I sit on the doctor's table and he pokes me with all his weird tools. 

"She doesn't seem to be improving much," the doctor says. "How much has she been eating?"

"The truth is, she won't eat," Miss. Carrie replies.

"Do you know why not?" he asks.

Miss. Carrie shakes her head. "I don't even think she's ready to go to school."

The reason is because the food is gross and school is probably horrible. Why is she trying to change everything?

When we return to the building where I have been living, I go back up to the bedroom and lay down in the bed. Miss. Carrie has tried to make me go in a bath, change my clothes, eat bad food, and talk with other kids and people. Why can't I just do whatever I want? I would even clean and organize if I had to, but I don't want to do anything different.

The next day, Miss. Carrie doesn't make me come downstairs for breakfast. Instead she comes to me to talk.

"Why don't you ever eat?" she asks me.

I just shrug, wishing that she would go away.

"Is there anything you want to eat?" 

My stomach grumbles. I don't necessarily want to eat stew, but it's the only safe food.

"Stew," I whisper.

"We had stew a few days ago and you didn't eat it."

"Can," I whisper again.

"I'll try to find something." Miss. Carrie leaves the room.

I don't understand why she can't just leave me alone. It's not like eating or talking to other people will help me.

Miss. Carrie comes back up a few minutes later with a can of stew. The can looks different, but the picture looks like stew, so I take it from her.

"Can you open it?" she asks.

I nod and take the can opener from her, using it to open the can. She hands me a spoon and I warily place it in the can. I place the spoon back in my mouth to taste the sauce. It tastes almost the same as what I am used to.

Miss. Carrie stays seated at the side of the bed until I finish the can. It feels like a lot of food and I think that I might throw up. I don't.

"That's good," Miss. Carrie says, taking the empty can from me. "Now, would you be up to seeing some nice people tomorrow?"

I shrug. Who says they're nice?

"Okay." 

I feel better once she leaves and I can lie down again. I feel gross, but I don't want to move.

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Miss. Carrie brings up another can of stew when I wake up, for breakfast. I've never eaten breakfast before, from what I remember, so I don't eat the stew.

"Are you sure?" Miss. Carrie asks.

I nod.

After the other kids leave for school, she tells me that there are nice people waiting downstairs for me. She holds out her hand. I don't want to go, but there is nothing else I want either. Maybe they're the same nice people that took Nevvy. Then all I would want to do is kick them.

It is my second time in the meeting room; the first time with other people. They look nice, but fancy. I don't need fancy.

"Hello, Lillian," the woman says. She holds out her hand, but I ignore it and sit down quietly.

"How are you, Lillian?" the man questions. He seems very tall and unsafe. 

I don't speak. I don't trust either of them. Only, I don't think I trust anyone now.

"She's very shy," Miss. Carrie says.

I want to correct her, but I'm not going to talk either. I swing my legs a little.

"We won't hurt you," the woman says. "My name is Demi."

Her voice is sweet. Still, she could be in disguise. No one is fine here.

"Okay," I whisper.

"Do you think you'd want to come to our home with us?" she asks.

I shrug. It seems to be my main way to communicate these days.

"That's the most I've gotten from her as well," Miss. Carrie points out. Then, to me, "Why don't you go grab your shoes? If you enjoy spending the day with them, then we will start to process everything."

I don't exactly know what she's talking about, but there isn't much of a choice left for me to make. So, I walk upstairs to the room and put my shoes on. Miss. Carrie tried to give me other things, but I don't own them. No more is needed than my shirt, pants, and shoes anyway. It's basically all I had. That and my blanket. But that's missing now. It's still at Uncle Mark's house.

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Next Update: Tuesday

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