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Standing, I let my feet take me back to Lexi’s room, and I quietly opened the door "All I Need" by Within Te I watched as the chorus played out and a tear rolled down Lexi’s pale and sallow cheek A part of my heart lurched to life That was the first reaction she’d had in all the days I’d been sitting by her bed

Clutching the journal toa pen from the nurse’s station, and e, putting pen to paper

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lexi

I couldn’t believe I was back here again I couldn’t believe I was back in this room Memories of back then invaded eneric clock ticking on the wall in the s three sets of eyes on me

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

I didn’t look their way What was the point? They didn’t understand No one did

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

"Lexi? Are you listening to Dr Lund?" my momma asked, her voice curt, or was it desolate? I couldn’t tell any

Breathe in Breathe out Keep cale, the voice assured ton You knohat is best It is just a few more pounds Listen to them and they will make sure you fail You must not fail You have coood Iyou to perfection, the voice pushed and took back control

"Lexi!"the black second hand on its hypnotizing circle, dancing starkly against the white plastic of the clock face on a snohite painted wall

"Lexi, you’re being pulled out of high school, at sixteen! All the cheerleading, the gymnastics, the dance classes stop Your cheer scholarship to Oklahoiven to so to this? All your dreaone!"

My eyes narrowed at her over-the-top emotional outburst, but I kept silent My momma’s eyes, however, were unnaturally wide as she stared atMy daddy, stoic as ever, clutched her hand tightly

"Lexington You’re being sectioned You’re not getting any better, despite our best efforts"

I could see Dr Lund’s ely, the words seemed to pour from his mouth and sail out of thebehind him I smiled as I watched the letters of his sentence dance in vivid priht-blue suht breeze

"Oh, for Christ’s sake, Lexi!" o of Moers began to caress every inch of ers and my bony knuckles Daddy’s watery eyes flickered down to our joined hands A single teardrop splashed on the ceramic white tiles at my feet For a moment, my stomach flipped as I looked at my daddy, so broken, but the voice in hting to be heard

The voice cooed, Ah-ah-ahhh, Lexington Do not give in to your eet you to fail They all are YouOnly a few ether, we shall htened in defiance, and I wrenched my hands away Daddy sluht They were all trying to block the path toyou Can’t you see that?" he whispered,her hand in his "Please… come back to us, sweetheart You’re all we have You’re our world Our whole world This… this… disease has overwhel you have," he begged, his head dipping down yet again

Dr Lund cleared his throat "Lexington Hart, anorexia nervosa will kill you You are severelyI will be frank with you, since you continue to refuse to co all our concerns"

I watched through the largeas a dove soared in the sky outside, only to swoop in and land on theledge of Dr Lund’s roo to focus on