"Hello?" Ellie said.
"Ellie?" Marco said, confused.
"Marco? Did you call me?"
"No, I didn't. Did you call me?" he asked.
"No, why would I ask you if you called me?"
"Well, my phone rang," Marco said.
"Well, so did mine," Ellie replied.
"That's because I called you!" I said, laughing.
"Ash?" Ellie asked.
"Is that you Ashley?" Marco asked.
"Yes!" I shrieked.
"Ashley!" Ellie shrieked.
"Well, now I can't hear anymore," Marco complained.
"Shut up Marco," Ellie said. "How are you Ash? Are they treating you okay? Are you doing better? Why haven't you called? Do you miss me?"
"Ahh! Ellie, slow down. I'm doing okay, they're treating me tolerably, I'm getting better, I haven't called because I haven't been allowed to call, and of course I miss you!"
"So, when do you get out of there?" Ellie wanted to know.
"Well, I guess when I'm better. When I'm cured."
"How long will that be?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know. Probably a while."
"But I want to see you!" she whined.
"How about Saturday?" I asked, casually.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Ellie yelled.
"No."
"Awww," she said, really really disappointed.
"Actually, yes I was serious. Want to come here on Saturday?"
"Yes! When?"
"How about two o'clock until 8. Apparently, they'll even make you eat the crap food I get every day. Won't that be fun?" I asked, sarcastically.
"You have no idea how fun I think that sounds. There is nothing in the whole world I would like to do more than eat crappy food with you. That sounds like a wonderful terrific idea." Ellie said.
"Marco, are you still there? Do you want to come too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm still here, and yeah, I'd love to come too. So honestly, Ash, how are you really doing?"
"I'm doing better. I'm not cured, and I can't leave for a while yet, and the food sucks. But I really am getting better. That's why I can call you guys, and have you visit."
"I'm so glad to hear that Ash. I was really worried about you. That day, I was…" he started.
I interrupted him. "I don't really want to talk about that. So, I'll see you guys on Saturday, right? Two o'clock sharp? Not a minute late, right? I want to see you as many minutes as possible."
"Yes!" Ellie said.
"Yeah," Marco replied.
"Ok, I have to go, but I'll see you in a few days! Bye."
"Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up.
"Why'd you get off the phone so quickly. You didn't have to." Doctor Steve told me.
"I couldn't handle all that… I don't know. It was a little too much at once. It overwhelmed me."
"That's understandable. What was Marco trying to talk to you about?"
"Just reminiscing."
"About what?"
"The day I got here."
"Ooo, I remember that. I didn't actually meet you, but I dealt with your family and friends. Believe me, that was a trial."
"You know, I really really don't want to talk about this."
"Why not?"
"Because, its ackward. That wasn't my finest moment."
"No, but it was really important. It was the first day you got yourself help."
"I guess. Anyway, are we about done here?" I asked, trying to make my escape.
"No, we're not about done here. We have fifteen minutes, and I want to know why your so uncomfortable talking about that."
"Damn. You're a jerk, you know that?"
"Of course. So?"
"In my mind, I pick apart my dumbest moments often enough. I really don't want to do it for someone else."
"That's reasonable. But you know you have nothing to be ashamed of, right?"
"Sure I do. I cut. I know the way people look at me when I say that. I know I'm the weird one in Group. Its embarrassing, and I'm not proud of anything that has to do with it. Isn't that the way it should be?"
"No. Ash, I've told you time and time again, that the only reason you started to hurt yourself was because you had no other way of coping. Your problems had become to much for your limited coping skills, and you felt like you had no one else to go to. It makes perfect sense that you'd start hurting yourself."
"I guess. But that doesn't mean I like to talk about it either."
"Ok, ok."
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Well Ash, your time is just about up. Why don't you head out and get dinner. Lori is probably waiting for you."
"Ok, see you later." I said, and headed out of his office and down to my room to meet Lori.
"Ellie?" Marco said, confused.
"Marco? Did you call me?"
"No, I didn't. Did you call me?" he asked.
"No, why would I ask you if you called me?"
"Well, my phone rang," Marco said.
"Well, so did mine," Ellie replied.
"That's because I called you!" I said, laughing.
"Ash?" Ellie asked.
"Is that you Ashley?" Marco asked.
"Yes!" I shrieked.
"Ashley!" Ellie shrieked.
"Well, now I can't hear anymore," Marco complained.
"Shut up Marco," Ellie said. "How are you Ash? Are they treating you okay? Are you doing better? Why haven't you called? Do you miss me?"
"Ahh! Ellie, slow down. I'm doing okay, they're treating me tolerably, I'm getting better, I haven't called because I haven't been allowed to call, and of course I miss you!"
"So, when do you get out of there?" Ellie wanted to know.
"Well, I guess when I'm better. When I'm cured."
"How long will that be?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know. Probably a while."
"But I want to see you!" she whined.
"How about Saturday?" I asked, casually.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Ellie yelled.
"No."
"Awww," she said, really really disappointed.
"Actually, yes I was serious. Want to come here on Saturday?"
"Yes! When?"
"How about two o'clock until 8. Apparently, they'll even make you eat the crap food I get every day. Won't that be fun?" I asked, sarcastically.
"You have no idea how fun I think that sounds. There is nothing in the whole world I would like to do more than eat crappy food with you. That sounds like a wonderful terrific idea." Ellie said.
"Marco, are you still there? Do you want to come too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm still here, and yeah, I'd love to come too. So honestly, Ash, how are you really doing?"
"I'm doing better. I'm not cured, and I can't leave for a while yet, and the food sucks. But I really am getting better. That's why I can call you guys, and have you visit."
"I'm so glad to hear that Ash. I was really worried about you. That day, I was…" he started.
I interrupted him. "I don't really want to talk about that. So, I'll see you guys on Saturday, right? Two o'clock sharp? Not a minute late, right? I want to see you as many minutes as possible."
"Yes!" Ellie said.
"Yeah," Marco replied.
"Ok, I have to go, but I'll see you in a few days! Bye."
"Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up.
"Why'd you get off the phone so quickly. You didn't have to." Doctor Steve told me.
"I couldn't handle all that… I don't know. It was a little too much at once. It overwhelmed me."
"That's understandable. What was Marco trying to talk to you about?"
"Just reminiscing."
"About what?"
"The day I got here."
"Ooo, I remember that. I didn't actually meet you, but I dealt with your family and friends. Believe me, that was a trial."
"You know, I really really don't want to talk about this."
"Why not?"
"Because, its ackward. That wasn't my finest moment."
"No, but it was really important. It was the first day you got yourself help."
"I guess. Anyway, are we about done here?" I asked, trying to make my escape.
"No, we're not about done here. We have fifteen minutes, and I want to know why your so uncomfortable talking about that."
"Damn. You're a jerk, you know that?"
"Of course. So?"
"In my mind, I pick apart my dumbest moments often enough. I really don't want to do it for someone else."
"That's reasonable. But you know you have nothing to be ashamed of, right?"
"Sure I do. I cut. I know the way people look at me when I say that. I know I'm the weird one in Group. Its embarrassing, and I'm not proud of anything that has to do with it. Isn't that the way it should be?"
"No. Ash, I've told you time and time again, that the only reason you started to hurt yourself was because you had no other way of coping. Your problems had become to much for your limited coping skills, and you felt like you had no one else to go to. It makes perfect sense that you'd start hurting yourself."
"I guess. But that doesn't mean I like to talk about it either."
"Ok, ok."
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Well Ash, your time is just about up. Why don't you head out and get dinner. Lori is probably waiting for you."
"Ok, see you later." I said, and headed out of his office and down to my room to meet Lori.