Chapter 11 *Sid's P.O.V.*

After Sue fell back to sleep, I stayed with her for a while to make sure she would stay asleep. At times she whimpered and whined in her sleep, so I held her tightly until she calmed down again. After a while, she didn't make any other sounds, except for softly snoring. I smiled and ran my fingers through her hair. It was good to see her so calm and relaxed in her sleep. She was so peaceful, I doubted she was having another nightmare.

At least an hour later, Sue stirred, and she opened her eyes and looked at me. She stared right into my eyes, and smiled. "thanks bro."

I smiled back at her. "Come on Mei Mei. Let's go down stairs." I pulled back her covers, and stood up. She looked at me, then slowly, carefully, stood up. She wobbled a bit trying to get her balance. She almost fell, but I grabbed her arm and helped her walk downstairs. I walked besides her as she trudged her feet on the floor, barely lifting them. I could tell that the lack of food she's had is taking it's toll on her body.

When we walked into the kitchen, Nana looked up from the stove and smiled. I noticed she wasn't using her crutches. "Nana, why aren't you using your crutches? You just had surgery on you leg a few hours ago!"

Sue whined and looked at Nana with concern. She noticed this, and said to her, "don't worry, I got shot, but I'm fine. They removed the bullet. I just used some of my herbs on my leg to help with the pain. Don't worry honey, it's no big deal. I'm not hurting anymore." she added as Sue looked at her leg with concern, like when you feel bad for someone in pain. Then she asked, "Are you hungry? I made you some special soup."

Nana smiled at her, and poured her a bowl of soup. She placed it out on the table in the kitchen and said to her, "come on Sue, eat a little bit for me." Sue didn't acknowledge her, she just stared at the bowl. She shook her head and said,

"Not hungry."

Nana stared at her, and said, "please eat Sue, you have to."

"No, I'm not eating."

"Why not honey?" Nana asked her sweetly, and I swear I thought Sue was about to cry. Her lower lip was quivering, but instead of crying, she did the exact opposite. She growled at Nana and threw the bowl to the floor! I jumped back a bit, startled, as she started screaming at us angrily.

"Because I would become weak to take food! I had to beg to get even a morsel of food, and even then, I wouldn't get anything for at least two weeks! I don't even know how long I was trapped! I didn't get fed, only during the first two days when I tried to steal food! But he cut me with his knife on my side! I refuse to take food! And that's final!" Sue growled and stomped away. She slowly trudged back upstairs, pushing Tobey out of her way. He yelled, "Hey!", but she ignored him.

Nana stared at the broken bowl, and sighed. She knew now that Sue was mentally hurt, and it appeared to be severe. She would need a lot of love and patient to get over this.

~Three Delivery~

Sue needed to eat. She was already so weak and malnourished, I don't know how much longer she would last on such a inadequate diet. I thought maybe I could get her to eat something. I made her soup, and got her a tall glass of milk like how the doctor said would be good for her to drink.

I put the food on the tray, and knocked on Sue's bedroom door. There was some scratching, and the door opened. Sue looked up at me with her tired eyes, and saw the food I was carrying. She glared at me then said,

"Your not going to get me to eat."

"Why aren't you eating?"

"Because I would be weak if I took it."

There was silence, and I asked as sweetly as I could, "may I come into your to talk to you."

"Why?" Sue asked sternly. I could tell she really didn't want me, but I had to be there for her.

"Can't I talk to my little sister who I haven't seen in two weeks?" I asked as I shifted the tray in my arms nervously. Sue saw this, and smiled at my discomfort.

"Fine, come in." Sue's smile faded away as she said this, and she walked to her bed. She sat down, and I placed the tray next to her and sat next to the tray. I looked at her.

"Mei Mei, I'm worried about you . . . Talk to me, it's not healthy to keep you feeling all bottled up inside . . ." I said sadly as I looked at my sister's tired face. I hated seeing her like this.

There was heavy, dark circles under her eyes, and there was so many visible bruises and cuts on her body. I could see so many of her bones, and I now realized how much weight she really lost from no food. And a week before this incidence, I was teasing her, saying she was getting heavier after I saw she was bloated, when I really knew it was just puberty affecting her. It happened to me, it happens to everyone. Tobey's up next to get his chubby period . . . But now, I wished Sue would just gain back all the weight she lost. I knew she would feel better after she would be back to her normal self.

Now Sue looked so frail and frightened, like a little girl who lost her parents at the store. Her arms were so thin and looked so fragile, like if I touched them, they would break. I hated that feeling. Sue is always so strong, she's always putting others ahead of herself. But now she needed us more than ever. But I felt that there was nothing I could do to help, and I'm her big brother. I'm supposed to know what to do to help my little sister! But my mind was at a total blank of what I'm supposed to do. I felt so stupid that I didn't know how to help my sister.

Suddenly, I had an idea. It was a long shot, but I wanted to try it. Slowly, I asked her, "hey Sue, do you just want to just cry a little while holding each other?"

Sue looked at me like I was going crazy, and asked, "why, do you want to cry?"

I shrugged, then asked, "do you?"

"I guess . . ." Sue whispered, then took a deep breath. Her lower lip quivered, and I knew she wanted to cry.

"You can cry Sue. I wouldn't think of you any differently if you did. So just go ahead, and I'll cry with you too."

"Sid, it's not that, I-I just don't know why I ca-can't cry . . . I just can't . . . just leave me alone . . ."

"No way Sue! I'm staying with you until I know your going to be okay."

"I'm fine."

"That doesn't count Mei Mei . . ."

"Then go away."

"No." I said sternly, then grabbed her gently and pulled her over for a hug. Sue whined, and tried to pull away, but she was too weak, and she finally fell apart. Sue sobbed loudly into my shirt, and started to make other noises that could have been words. I let her cry into my shirt, and I even started to tear up a bit. I placed my chin onto of her head as I held her tightly.

At least for twenty minutes, we cried. Eventually, my small tears turned into heart wrenching sobs. Sue was crying even more loudly than me. But soon, I could tell that we weren't crying for sadness, we were crying for joy. Joy that things would hopefully return to normal soon.

Sue pulled away, and I let her. I had no more tears to cry. We stared into each other's eyes, and laughed! Yes, laughed! Sue smiled at me, and clutched her stomach as there was a low, loud growl. She blushed, and I knew right away what that was.

"Your hungry." I said with a grin. Sue smiled, then nodded. "Then eat. We don't think your weak for eating. Please Mei Mei, eat, for me?"

Sue stared at me, a little unsure of what to do. Then she took the bowl of soup from the tray, and took the spoon, and started to eat it. She ate it slowly, like she was trying to make it last. Then she stopped, and stared at me.

"Are you going to take this away from me?" she asked sheepishly.

I was shocked by her question, but I answered her. I said, "no, of course not. You eat as much and as long as you want. Don't worry, I just want you to eat."

Sue looked at me, and continued to eat slowly, still unsure. When she finished her soup, she took the glass of milk, and downed it. When she put the glass down, I laughed when I saw the milk moustache on her upper lip. Sue raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing . . ." I said, trying to suppress laughter. Sue scowled at me before she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Sue giggled when she saw her face.

"What, I have a moustache of milk on my lip? Is that what's funny?" Sue turned to look at me and she laughed, and I laughed with her. Sue wiped her face with her arm just as Nana said,

"Sid . . . How . . .?" Nana said. Her eyes were wide, and she looked baffled. Sue stared at her with confusion, and I stood up and started to talk to Nana outside her room. I shut her door.

"Sid, how did you get her to eat? And laugh? Sue seems . . . Like she is returning to her usual self . . ." Nana said shaking her head, still not believe it. I grinned at her, than said simply,

"I know what makes my little sister feel better."

To Be Continued . . .