Disclaimer: I own nothing.
In the days following her fallout with Gordo, Lizzie was very disconnected with everything around her. She had no appetite, and the recovery she had made was backsliding quickly. Soon, she began to refuse food at all. She told her parents it made her feel sick, but she knew that it wasn't her stomach that was sick--it was her heart. Soon, she was readmitted to the hospital. Her cheeks were sunken and her eyes lacked the sparkle they had always held.
"Some doctors will tell you it is scientifically impossible," Lizzie's doctor informed Sam and Jo after she had examined Lizzie thoroughly. "But your daughter isn't suffering from any physical ailment." Jo and Sam looked confused, so Dr. Winston elaborated.
"Has Lizzie broken up with anyone lately? Had a falling out with a friend?"
"Yes." Jo answered. "She broke up with her boyfriend less than a week ago."
"Then it appears to me that your daughter is suffering from a broken heart."
"A broken heart?" Jo asked.
"Yes. Some doctors insist that one cannot suffer as Lizzie is of something unconnected to one's physical condition, but others, including myself, believe that a patient's spirit is just as important to examine as their body is."
"So she'll get better if she fixes things with her boyfriend?" Sam queried.
"Or if she gets over him completely, yes." Dr. Winston agreed.
"Have you told Lizzie any of this?" Jo wanted to know.
"No, I felt that this should be run by you first, as her parents."
"How should we go about it?" Sam asked.
"In my experience, it's best if the patient's mother tells her up front what I just told you, and ask if they can talk about it." Sam nodded.
"Good luck, honey." he told Jo.
A few minutes later, Jo entered Lizzie's room and sat next to the bed. "Honey," she addressed Lizzie. Lizzie looked over at Jo, and Jo's heart shattered when she saw how ill Lizzie appeared. "Dr. Winston told your father and me what she feels is out of sorts with you." Lizzie didn't respond, so Jo continued. "Can we talk about Gordo, Lizzie?" Lizzie responded this time by bursting into tears.