TW: hospitals, eating disorders/anorexia, disordered thinking, mention of malnutrition/dehydration, mention of low weight, mention of gaining weight, feeding tube, attempted removal of feeding tube


Previously...

Wilbur huffed, sitting down on a bench while he waited for the next train. His day had gone so wrong so fast... he couldn't even imagine what George was going through on his own. And for how long? Dream had mentioned at least a week of odd behavior... but who knows? George had always been a very secretive person when it came to his personal life... he was suffering and Wilbur had been none the wiser.

It hurt, in a way, to feel that George didn't trust him enough. Wilbur wasn't one to judge; neither was Dream. They would've accepted him with open arms, no matter what. So why did George push them both away time and time again? It didn't make any sense. Wilbur and Dream just wanted to help.

In the distance, a train horn blared. Wilbur stood up, sighing gently. He would still help George, of course. He just wished the brunette would allow himself to open up more. It would make things so much easier... but Wilbur knew George was stubborn, he didn't like to involve people in things that didn't concern them. He always bottled things up, Wilbur could tell. George was just that sort of person. Still, it made it difficult when people were trying to help and George wouldn't let them. Wilbur only hoped George would let them in.

3rd Person P.O.V.

Wilbur got off the train, yawning as he started to walk back to his home. It was late, already past midnight and pushing 1 am. Dream would be arriving soon, flying in from Orlando. For now though, Wilbur was left with only his thoughts to accompany him.

He didn't like being left in the dark. He wanted to understand what was going on with George, he wanted to see his friend living and breathing and healthy. Wilbur didn't think it was too much to ask.

Sighing, Wilbur reached into his pocket, pulling out his house key. He unlocked the door, went inside, and immediately started to set up somewhere for Dream to sleep. It didn't take too long, thankfully, and Wilbur found himself easily collapsing into bed, falling asleep fast.


Dream hummed to himself, thankful to finally be off the plane. He was tired from his long flight, having been too anxious to sleep on the plane.

Baggage claim was easy, since it was so late at night. There were too many people around, mostly just the ones who had taken the same flight as him. So he grabbed his suitcase, rolling it behind him as he tried to figure out how to get to Wilbur's house.

It wasn't too far, thankfully. Everything in England seemed close together and squished, much different from his neighborhood in Florida. At least it made things easier.

Still, it was late, and Dream was in an unfamiliar area. He might be tall, but he doesn't want to risk it on the streets. Wilbur had enough to worry about already, let's not make him any more stressed out.

Since he was at the airport, it wasn't difficult to find a taxi service. He told the driver Wilbur's address, searching through his bag for the British money he had traded for while at the airport. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get him to Wilbur's place. Which was fine.

Dream was dropped off on a sidewalk, and he paid the driver and thanked him. Dream took a breath, grabbing his things before heading toward Wilbur's door. He hesitated for a moment before carefully opening the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. The door closed behind him with a click, Dream locking it behind him.

He didn't bother unpacking anything. Dream left his bags by the door, walking further into the house until he spotted a note on the counter.

Dream—

2nd door on the right. Bathroom is 1st door. I'll wake you up in the morning for breakfast before we go to the hospital, get some sleep.

— W

Dream glanced down the hallway, counting two doors down the hall. He went into the room, which looked like some sort of storage or messy office room. There was an inflatable mattress on the floor, all ready to be slept in. Dream sighed, crawling into bed and under the covers. He was thankful Wilbur was letting him stay here, especially since it was such a last-minute decision. Dream would be sure to thank him in the morning.

But for now, he just wanted to sleep. Tomorrow, he would get to see George.


George sighed, staring up at the ceiling. His hospital bed was uncomfortable and the blanket was thin, making for an unpleasant experience. Not to mention how he was feeling... the whole idea of being in a hospital scared him. Or... maybe it was the idea of weight gain that scared him.

Either way, George was afraid. He didn't like being hooked up to all these machines, he didn't like having a feeding tube shoved up his nose, and he certainly didn't like what had been said to him earlier.

~flashback~

"George Davidson?" A doctor questioned, flipping through papers on a clipboard. George nodded, confirming his identity. "Do you know how you got here?"

"Uh... not really?"

"Alright, that's okay. You were brought in this afternoon by a young man; he said you collapsed on your doorstep," the doctor informed. "He's been in the waiting room all day, so I've been told."

"Oh..."

"Right. Well, we've run some tests, and we think we have a diagnosis." George shrunk back slightly, eyeing the doctor warily. "We still need to do a mental health screening, but I feel confident enough in our tests to give you an early diagnosis."

"Okay...?" George was gnawing on the inside of his lip anxiously.

"Right. Well, we think you might be anorexic." George's whole world stopped. Him, anorexic? No way. It wasn't like that! He was just on a diet, that's all. He didn't have a... an eating disorder. Not him.

"...orge. George. Can you hear me?" The doctor waved their hand, trying to get George's attention. The brunette had his brows furrowed, clearly upset by the diagnosis. "Let me assure you, it's treatable. I can recommend some great therapists that specialize in eating disorders-"

"I'm not anorexic!" George insisted, frowning. "I'm not!"

"George, I know it can be hard to hear, but-"

"I'm not anorexic!" He repeated.

"I know you think that, but we have good reason to think differently. Our tests showed that you are severely malnourished and mildly dehydrated. Further testing showed you haven't eaten anything in weeks, and barely anything in months," the doctor rebutted. "I know it sounds scary, but I promise you it can be treated."

"I want to go home," George mumbled, crossing his arms defensively. "I don't want to be here. Let me go home."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, George. You have to stay until your weight is stabilized. You're severely underweight," they informed. "If you try to escape, we'll have no choice but to handcuff you to the bed. It's for your own good."

"Fine," George spat, gritting his teeth. "I won't escape. But I want to see my friend."

"You can. Tomorrow. Visiting hours are over for today, but we can update your friend on your condition. It might help him relax."

"I..." George hesitated. "Can you just tell him I'm okay? I don't... I don't want him to know." his voice trailed off into a shameful whisper, a light pink tint to his cheeks. The doctor nodded, smiling gently.

"That can be arranged. And if your friend comes back tomorrow, he can visit. Sound good?" They asked. George nodded, sighing. It was a compromise, for sure, but at least nobody else would know.

~flashback over~

George brought a hand up to his face, lightly brushing the pads of his fingers over the feeding tube. If his friends came to visit, they would see it... and probably ask questions.

George took a deep breath, wrapping his slender fingers around the tube. He braced himself, giving the feeding tube a pull. Immediately, he let go, feeling like he wanted to throw up. The tube sucked, he couldn't get rid of it on his own. Plus it would make him gain weight... and George really didn't like that idea.

He sighed, pressing the back of his head into the pillow. He shouldn't be here. He was fine! The doctors were wrong. They had to be wrong. There's no way George was anorexic, it just couldn't be true. He was just on a diet.


I'm so tired

But hey I'm writing stuff ig? Also today I was playing stardew valley and I finally finished the community center so that's cool (also I've been writing for stardew valley if y'all want to read some short stories/oneshots)