A/N: I did research signs of malnourishment for this chapter so I hope it is accurate! For my dear friend the stargate time traveler as I know you adore this character!

Chapter Eleven

Sick

Esmerelda felt groggy as she felt herself slowly coming back into reality. She could feel rain falling on her, confirming she was still outside where she had fallen.

"It is okay love" Esmerelda heard an unfamiliar female voice say to her. She opened her eyes, her vision still foggy as she tried to reply.

"Ethie….Sybie…." Esmerelda said as her memory came back slightly and she remembered that she had gone to Cackles to find her sisters before she collapsed.

"Try not to talk, you had a nasty fall" the female voice said again.

"Ethie, Sybie…...I need Ethel and Sybil" Esmerelda said desperate to see her sisters despite the fact she could be injured.

"Who are they?" the voice said again not understanding.

"My sisters….they are at school…..please let me see them…." Esmerelda said. Her vision came back in that moment and she saw a curly haired woman kneeling down beside her. The woman pulled out a mobile, thankful they had a phone in the Cackles office and called them, not wanting to leave the girl to go find someone. She spoke quickly to someone, hanged up, then turned back to the blonde.

"I am Julie Hubble..." the woman said and was about to ask the girl her name before she interrupted her.

"Mildred's mum?" Esmerelda asked knowing there was only one Hubble at Cackles Academy.

"Yes...you know her?" Julie asked curiously

"She is in one of my sisters year" Esmerelda told her before she tried to move, not able to wait any longer to see them.

"No don't move, I am a nurse and because of that I know moving can make injuries worse" Julie told her quickly.

"I just want to see my sisters" Esmerelda said as tears streamed down her face. She didn't know why she was so upset, she was just frustrated with herself and not being able to see them. She just wanted to see her sisters was that to much to ask?

Julie opened her mouth to reply when suddenly there was sounds of other footsteps and Esmerelda saw Miss Cackle appear on her other side.

"Esmerelda!" Miss Cackle said. When Julie told her that a young girl had had a nasty fall outside the castle she had not expected it to be her ex-pupil. It didn't even cross her mind.

"Is she a pupil?" Julie asked the woman worried

"Not anyone, it is a long story" Miss Cackle said having no time to explain why Esmerelda was not attending Cackles at that moment when she wasn't well.

"I want Ethel and Sybil! Where are they, why are you keeping them from me!?" Esmerelda replied not caring if she was being rude, she needed her baby sisters. Her parents had kept her away from her and now she thought the adults were doing the same.

"Calm down Esmerelda, I will tell Miss Hardbroom to bring them down" Miss Cackle told her as she used a spell to send a message to her deputy.

Julie though was not listening. She was worried about the girl, not because she might be injured but because of why she collapsed in the first place, Julie had being a nurse for many years and had seen many things, Esmerelda was acting delusional, being rude, was pale and had sweat on her forehead and appeared quite confused. She was showing signs of malnutrition.

Julie opened her handbag and took out a mini first aid kid she carried everywhere with her, it was kind of a given being a nurse she would be so prepared in case Mildred fell ill when they were out, she opened the kit and took out something.

"Esmerelda...when was the last time you had something to eat?" Julie asked her but Esmerelda didn't reply. She felt groggy again and quite dizzy. Her head felt heavy and her vision still was not perfect. When she got no answer Julie spoke again.

"Esmerelda, you are going to feel a little prick on your finger, I need to check your blood sugar levels" Julie told her. Esmerelda didn't respond to that.

"OWW" Esmerelda screamed out as she felt her prick her finger. Julie carefully wiped the small bit of blood away that the prick had caused.

"Sorry honey I have to check" Julie replied feeling bad. She hated having to hurt people, especially kids.

"ESMIE" Esmerelda heard a sound that souded like heaven. That was Ethel. It was such a beautiful sound.

"Esmie are you alright?" Esmie then heard Sybil said. She could of cried at the beautiful sound of her sisters voices. She thought she would not get to see them.

"Ethel, Sybil…..." Esmerelda said trying to grab them with her eyes half closed. Ethel grabbed her hand and Sybil grabbed the other, squeezing it and trying to hide their worry about finding their sister lying on the floor.

"We are here Esmie what happened?" Sybil asked worried.

"Esmerelda had a bit of a fall" Miss Cackle told them and Ethel gasped out looking close to tears.

"Esmie are you hurt?" Ethel asked confused as to why she was being so mute, she seemed really groggy. She squeezed their hands weakly but didn't really say anything.

"Her blood sugar level is super low, someone needs to call for medical care now" Julie told them knowing if this was left untreated many things could go wrong for Esmerelda and she could become really sick.

"What does that mean?" Sybil asked as Miss Cackle called for a magical doctor.

"It means she doesn't have enough sugar for her body to function properly" Julie told them worried for the girl now. She knew she might not have done this on purpose, she might not have being given enough to eat but it didn't matter how it happened she needed urgent help.

"Wait are you saying she needs more sugar?" Sybil asked making sure she understood and Julie nodded. Sybil opened her bag, pulled out some chocolate she had hidden and tried to get Esmie to take it but she kept pushing it away.

"Esmie come on, this is going to help you!" Ethel said frustrated, knowing this was no time to be picky but she kept her mouth firmly clamped shut, refusing it.

"She won't eat it" Sybil said not wanting to force her to eat as then she could become more sick or choke.

That was when Julie started to suspect the girl was deliberately starving herself but she didn't want anyone to worry so she was glad when the paramedics arrived and took the girl in.

Esmerelda was still awake in the ambulance and was thankful Ethel and Sybil were allowed in, normally kids were not allowed but Esmie was in such a panic they needed someone to help her calm down.

"Right Esmerelda your blood sugar level is extremely low, but don't you worry we will fix that" the paramedic told her as for the second time that day she felt a needle go into her hand.

"What are you doing?" Esmerelda asked drenched in sweat.

"We are putting you on a drip, to raise your glucose levels" he told Esmerelda.

Esmerelda's reaction to this was scary. She started to squirm around, unable to deal with the fact food was going into her body without her consent, as she felt the liquid go into the tube in her arm she pulled the needle out of her hand. Everyone just stared at her shocked.

"You need to take it" the paramedic told her as Esmerelda kept screaming no at him. He suspected she had an eating disorder as strangely this was not the first time a young girl had reacted like this. He found it much more difficult the second time to get the needle in as she fought him. Once it was in she immediately tried to pull it out of her hand. Not wanting to eat and not wanting sugar in her body.

Ethel though could read on her monitor her sugar levels were just continuing to low. She didn't care if she hared her for what she was about to do, it was better than having her dead so before she had a chance to pull the needle out again she put her hand over the needle and held it in place, stopping her from pulling it out and allowing the liquid to enter her body.

"ETHIE, STOP NO" Esmerelda shouted trying to fight her off as well but Ethel squeezed tighter, making sure she couldn't get to it as she looked at Sybil with tear filled eyes.

"I have to do this Esmie, to help you, I am sorry, I love you" Ethel told her as tears fell down the eldest blondes face as she realised it was pointless. Her secret was about to be revealed and she was going to be forced to eat. She cried to herself as she felt the liquid enter her body, not having the strength to pull Ethel's hand off.