Chapter 19

Jason found himself at loose ends after the Rourkes left. He tried finding something to watch on the television, but nothing caught his attention, and after several minutes of restlessness he decided to make Kylie breakfast in bed.

There was a large selection of (mostly healthy) breakfast foods, and after a bit of thought he settled on bacon and eggs. It didn't take him long to cook them up, and he found a tray to carry them on under the cabinets.

When he walked into the bedroom, carrying the tray carefully so as not to spill the glass of juice, he found Kylie huddled beneath the blanket, twitching and making little whimpering noises. He sat down beside her, carefully, and reached out to stroke her cheek.

"Wake up, love," he said, tugging the blanket down.

Her eyes flew open, but as soon as she saw him she relaxed, smiling at him in adoration.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi. Brought you breakfast," Jason said.

Kylie's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh my. What time is it?"

"About 8:30, I think."

Kylie squirmed, sitting up. "Sit beside me?" she asked, patting the bed beside her.

Jason nodded, sliding the tray onto her lap before moving up beside her. Kylie broke off a bit of toast, feeding it to him, and he smiled.

"My turn," he said, breaking off a piece for her. She started to shake her head, then smiled and accepted.

"You're terribly sweet, you know," Kylie said when he offered her a piece of bacon. "But I'm not used to eating in the morning."

"Well, you need to get used to it," Jason said, grinning. "I suspect your new parents are going to expect you to. They said we could stay home today, by the way."

She looked down at the bed. "I'm glad ... just a bit more time will help, I hope." She bit her lip. "Y-you don't have to stay home with me, if you don't want. I'll be okay alone." She tensed as she spoke.

"I want to stay here with you, Kylie," he said, and she peeked up at him through her bangs, smiling shyly.

"Um," she said, looking back at the plate. "Please tell me most of this is for you?"

Jason shook his head. "All yours."

"Ooooh, god, Jason. No way. Ugh." She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then frowned. "Do you want me to gain weight? I ... I don't have to stay skinny anymore. If you'd prefer someone rounder, I'll try."

Jason shook his head. "It's not that. I really do think you are beautiful, but..." He stopped, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted. "Don't take this the wrong way, okay? I'd feel better if you had a bit more weight. It's not that I don't like you the way you look, but you're skinny enough that I worry that you're too skinny to be healthy, if you know what I mean."

He reddened, embarrassed, but pushed forward. "I mean ... you're thin enough ... that I'll bet your periods aren't even regular."

Kylie blushed bright red, avoiding his eyes. "It never mattered to me," she said quietly. "I just ... all I thought about was staying unattractive to him. If I never became fertile, so much the better. I was terrified when my breasts started growing." She shivered, hiding behind her hair.

"I thought that might be it," Jason said. "You don't have to worry about him anymore, Kylie. I want you to be healthy."

"I'm not unhealthy, Jason," she said. "Not really. I'm fairly strong for my height, and I have muscle tone."

"When was the last time you went to a doctor for a checkup?" Jason asked.

"Um. When I came back into the US, I had to have a physical and some shots," she said. "But I'm okay, I almost never get sick."

Jason nodded, slowly. "I know, but..." He took a deep breath. "If I asked you to go see one, and promised you I'd stay with you, would you?"

"I ... guess so," Kylie said. "But I can't really see any reason for it."

"I just want to be sure," Jason said. "Please?"

"Sure of what?" Kylie asked, looking confused.

"That you are healthy," he said. "Being too thin can be unhealthy."

"If you really want me to, I will," she said. "I don't dislike doctors, Jason. I just never ... he wouldn't ... I didn't need any."

"Okay," Jason said, nodding. "You eat while I make a phone call, okay?"

Kylie nodded, clearly reluctant, but willing to go along.

Jason found the phone in the kitchen, and called the school, asking for John. After a couple of minutes on hold, he was connected.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Jason said. "I just wanted to get some information. You've noticed how thin Kylie is?"

"Yes. He starved her, obviously," John said.

Jason shook his head, forgetting that John couldn't see him. "No, he didn't like thin girls, so she ... didn't eat. She doesn't think she's that thin, but she obviously is. I want to take her to see a doctor and get a checkup. Do you have one you'd like me to take her to?"

He could hear John cursing softly under his breath. "Just a moment, let me get the name of Mandy's ... hers is female."

"Okay. And if y'all could call ahead, because she's going to want me to stay with her, and I'm not sure how they'd react if I just showed up with no warning..."

"Right," John said. "I'll call and set up the appointment and explain things. Let me put you on hold a second."

After a few minutes on hold-- Jason wondered if the irritating hold music was deliberate, or if someone really did have taste in music that bad-- John came back on the line.

"Okay, appointment's at 10 ... we got lucky and she had a cancellation. It's Dr. Linda Johnson, down at the Lakeway Medical Center, on the Square. Second floor."

"Okay, thanks," Jason said. "How much did y'all tell her?"

"The basic situation, and that you're to be allowed to stay with her at all times. Also gave them my credit card number, so don't worry about that. No male nurses or interns are to be allowed near her."

"Okay, thanks," Jason said.

"Drive safe," John said, before hanging up.

"Okay," Jason said, walking back into the bedroom. "You've got an appointment for 10 with..." He hesitated, not sure what to call Mandy. "Mrs. Rourke's doctor."