Chapter Text
Once Dave found parking, he and the three Chipettes all slowly made their way into the building. Each one of them was still lost in the same thoughts they were having back in the car on the ride over to this very building they were approaching now. Nobody knew exactly what Brittany's fate would be from this point on.
The first thing Brittany noticed was the way the treatment center building looked. Something about it seemed so strange to her. It would have been very easy to miss this place if it hadn't been for the huge sign out front that spelled out its name.
The reason for this was because it didn't look like any kind of hospital Brittany had ever seen before. No, this looked more like an apartment complex. Specifically like the type you would expect to see for retired senior citizens in Florida (minus the pool, of course). She wondered what the deal with that was?
The four of them were all let inside by automatic doors that slid open for them. As the auburn-haired Chipette continued to take in her surroundings, her disgust grew at the sight of the lobby. She wrinkled her nose and squinted as she scanned the tacky scenery in front of her. This place was seriously trying way too hard to be cheerful. And failing miserably at it too.
Her eyes darted all over as she gradually took it all in. Walls that were painted in an ugly shade of mustard yellow, fake potted plants that seemed to be resting anywhere there was a flat surface, miniature lamps, and the distinctive smell of disinfectant that always seemed to be present at every doctor's office and hospital. Guess this was the reality check that it was still a medical facility, in spite of the more homey appearance on the outside. She hated this. All of it.
She also noticed a security camera right above the receptionist's desk and a big white sign underneath it that had words in big bold black letters stating that the premises was under twenty-four hour video surveillance. Great. So now on top of being away in some strange place, she was going to feel like her every move was being watched at all times.
Just when she thought things here couldn't suck any harder, she was proven wrong by this place at literally every single turn. She knew logically this only applied to public areas and not the bedrooms and bathrooms or anything crazy like that. But seeing the camera and sign still made her feel uneasy, for some reason.
Brittany kept right on walking along behind her sisters and Dave. She averted her eyes away from the tv displaying the camera feed that was on the other side of the room which she caught a brief glimpse of herself in. She didn't even want to see how she looked right now.
Finally, they got to the desk of the receptionist which was under the camera. She was tall, slim, looked to be in her late-twenties, and had brown hair that was pulled back into a sleek bun. She was dressed in white scrubs that were decorated with yellow sunflowers. It reminded Brittany of what she used to see the staff at County Hospital wear in the children's ward when she and her sisters were volunteer candy stripers there.
However, this just felt like one more example of County Treatment Center trying way too hard to act like the happiest place on Earth, when she knew damn well they were anything but that. She better not have some kind of fake cheery voice in an attempt to match the whole trying-too-hard tone. Between Lindsay and that super obnoxious cashier, Alissa, she had that whole unfortunate encounter with at the pharmacy just a few days ago, Brittany didn't think she could tolerate dealing with one more person like that. She seriously thought she might lose it right then and there.
The receptionist's name tag on her sunflowered scrub top read "Beth". Beth looked up from some papers she was reading and gave them a small smile. Brittany cringed in anticipation, half-expecting a chirpy voice that was going to sound like nails on a chalkboard.
"Can I help you?" Beth asked in a polite yet professional tone.
Brittany breathed a sigh of relief as she let her shoulders relax. While she still wasn't entirely sure how much she could trust this woman, her professional demeanor was a breath of fresh air in comparison to what she was expecting. At least she wasn't over-the-top perky.
"H-hi..." Jeanette nervously stammered as she moved forward and pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'm Jeanette. W-we talked on the phone a little earlier today. My sister... B-Brittany Miller... um... she's here to check herself in."
The bespectacled Chipette then turned around to face her ponytailed sister. The taller girl motioned for her sister to step forward with her hand. Brittany rolled her ice blue eyes, but followed along with the middle girl's request anyway. There was no point in protesting. Brittany was here voluntarily, after all. Even if she would rather be anywhere else in the world right now.
"You're Brittany?" Beth questioned as she looked into the eyes of the oldest teenager who was now standing in front of her.
"Mmm hmm..." Brittany replied in a disinterested tone as she broke eye contact and looked down at her perfectly manicured hot pink nails, pretending to inspect them.
Somehow, she felt like continuing to look at Beth would be like admitting she had a problem. Admitting defeat and making her feel weak. Even though everyone knew she was there to get treated for an eating disorder, she still couldn't get used to the idea of talking to strangers about it. How would she ever make it through therapy when she felt like this?
Beth pulled out some papers that were on top of her pristine white desk, as well as a brown clipboard. She attached the papers to the clipboard and also took out a pen from a small white cup in the exact same shade as the desk. The pen was blue and read "County Treatment Center for Eating Disorders" on it in white letters. Apparently, they had these pens custom made for them. Beth then handed the clipboard and the pen over to Brittany.
"Just fill out these forms while you wait for Dr. Parkington in her office. She's our main psychologist. She shouldn't be long, she's just finishing up a group session. I'll show you where to wait."
As Beth stepped out from behind her desk and made it up to the front of it, she started walking towards the left side of the room. Brittany followed her. Jeanette, Eleanor, and Dave also started to follow closely behind the eldest Miller sister. That is, until Beth turned around and held up a hand with her palm facing forward as she silently instructed them all to stop.
"Sorry, only family can go in with Brittany for the intake. It's just our policy."
"I'm her other sister." Eleanor spoke up with as much assertiveness as she could, given the situation they were all in.
Dave rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand as he cleared his throat.
"I'll wait out here. That way, I can take Jeanette and Eleanor home when they're ready. Just have me paged if you need anything."
"Thank you for understanding." Beth said gratefully, as she nodded and smiled at Dave.
Before heading to the waiting area, Dave took one last look at Brittany. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave her a faint smile.
"You've got this, kiddo." He said in almost a whisper.
Brittany mustered all of the strength that she had and forced a weak smile back. Dave had done so much for Brittany and her sisters since Miss Miller had passed away, so she didn't want to seem ungrateful. But at the same time, she didn't believe he was right about that.
To her, this just felt like even more pressure was being put on her. Like one more heavy package she had to carry all by herself. She knew he meant well, though. He always did. The auburn-haired teen watched Dave leave as he made his way over to a big white chair next to a huge black rack of magazines and newspapers in the waiting room.
The remaining four then walked all the way around the lobby. Beth led the three younger girls to the back. As they continued along their way, Brittany noticed another small tv on the wall playing what appeared to be some daytime talk show she was not familiar with. The volume was too low for her to hear any of it. But the closed captioning, which she had no time to read, flashed by in a blur as she and her sisters tried to keep up with Beth's pace.
The rest of the facility was also painted in that same hideous shade of yellow. Was this seriously how every room in this place was going to look? Maybe even her room? How exactly was feeling as if she was waking up inside of a mustard dispenser every morning supposed to help her recover from bulimia?
She could also hear the faded sounds of a few different voices talking somewhere down the hall, but couldn't make out any of the words being said. And maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but she thought she could even detect the sound of muffled crying. Was this the group session Beth was talking about? If so, Brittany was definitely not looking forward to it one bit. She was already finding it dreadfully depressing without even being an active participant yet.
And then it went from bad to worse. She started noticing some signs on the wall. Signs that confirmed this was basically a prison for her.
First, she passed what appeared to be a tiny room with a wooden door and small glass panel. Through the panel, she could make out a large standing scale. But what really stood out was the sign below the little window that mentioned something about weight and vitals being checked every morning.
Next, she passed a larger room that had a bunch of windows and one of the doors was even being held open by a stopper. There were a few people in there who looked like employees. Some were wiping down tables and one person was mopping the floor. It didn't look all that different from the cafeteria in her school, actually. It was clear what this room was for.
What was different from all the school cafeterias she had ever been in, however, were all of the signs that were up on the glass windows outside of it. Stuff about only two fluids being allowed per meal and a choice of water, juice, or milk. Then it said all drinks must be poured by a staff member. Another sign said only one napkin was allowed per meal. Then one about how no bags or jackets were allowed in there.
But the signs that pissed her off the most were the ones that said patients must be seated throughout the entire meal and that no bathroom breaks were permitted during mealtimes. She had a pretty good idea of why that was. Still, it got her wondering if she was going to have to ask for permission to pee around here.
Or worse... what if they didn't trust her enough to let her go to the bathroom alone? Was she going to have to have someone go in there with her? Oh, this was such a nightmare!
At last, they made it over to a door that Beth eventually stopped at. The brown wooden door had a gold sign on it that read "Office of Dr. Teresa Parkington, LMSW-ACPS". Beth turned the silver knob on the door and then ushered the three teenage girls inside.
The room was a little different from the lobby. The walls were painted in a tranquil shade of pale blue and the carpet was light gray. While it was small, it had a cozy and comforting feeling. It seemed like it was going for a more calming vibe in contrast to the rest of the building.
There was a big white sofa right in the middle of the room. A white chair was also located to the left of it, as well as one to the right. The chairs were similar to the ones out in the waiting room. Across from the sofa was a huge black office chair. Brittany guessed that must have been the chair Dr. Parkington would sit in.
There was also a rectangular black office desk with a ton of papers neatly stacked on top of it. In the corner of the room, there was a black filing cabinet. Dr. Parkington appeared to be very organized.
Beth then gestured towards all the seats in the office.
"You girls can settle in. Like I said, Dr. Parkington should be here soon. I'll make sure to let her know you're waiting."
Jeanette and Eleanor both thanked Beth while Brittany simply stood barely past the doorway with a vacant look on her face. The two younger Chipettes dragged their elder sister over to the sofa. They both gently led Brittany to the middle and the oldest girl reluctantly took her seat. Jeanette sat to the left of Brittany on the sofa, while Eleanor made herself comfortable on the other side. With that, the three teenagers awaited Brittany's intake with Dr. Parkington together.
The three on the sofa remained quiet for a while. So quiet that the sound of a vacuum cleaner being used could be heard from a nearby room. The office also had the distinct smell of hand sanitizer and coffee lingering throughout it. Brittany thought this was a slight improvement from the lobby as well. Not much, though.
The blue-eyed Chipette barely filled out the papers she was supposed to during the wait, absentmindedly playing with the blue pen in her hand instead. To her, this felt like being in a courtroom and waiting to find out if she was going to receive a guilty verdict. In a way, she wished the shrink would just get in the room already. Just get this crap over with.
But then she knew the dreaded process of going over all the rules of the center was coming next. She was going to be so tempted to argue, but also didn't know if she even had it in her anymore to do so. Then she'd be taken to her room. At least she would get some privacy there.
Still, she was aware it wouldn't be that simple. There would be constant supervision during meals, scheduled bathroom breaks, daily weight checks. And these were only the rules she knew about so far. How was she ever going to survive being stuck here without killing someone?
In contrast, the youngest Miller sister's curiosity got the better of her. She took a look around the whole room in an attempt to try and learn more about the psychologist who would be evaluating her eldest sister. That's when she took note of how the light blue walls were covered in framed degrees and certificates, all in gold frames with black backgrounds that stood out against the white paper. Each one of them had the name "Dr. Teresa Parkington" clearly printed on them.
Eleanor had to admit it was pretty damn impressive. Dr. Parkington had gone to some of the Ivy League schools Jeanette was always talking about wanting to go to (and was also sure to get into). UCLA, Harvard, and Columbia were among some of the universities she saw flashing by as her curious brown eyes darted all across the room. And she even saw a certificate that stated Dr. Teresa Parkington was a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist.
"Looks like you're in good hands." Eleanor stated in a soothing tone as she gently stroked Brittany's back. "Dr. Parkington has about a million degrees. She must really know what she's doing."
"Or she's just really good at pretending she cares!" Brittany retorted as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Brittany, please," Jeanette said as she sighed and attempted to plead with her older sister. "Just give her a chance."
"She doesn't know me!" The girl sitting in the middle of the couch shot back defensively. "None of these people do. But somehow, they all get to decide what's best for me while I'm here?"
Just before this heated debate could escalate any further, the three teens all looked up as soon as they heard a creak. The door was now open. And standing in the doorway was a woman with frosted blonde hair who looked to be in her early fifties.
She had on a pair of designer black Dolce and Gabbana glasses, which her piercing blue eyes still managed to stand out from behind. She was wearing a long-sleeved Diane von Furstenberg dress with a black and white floral print that she had paired with thick black tights. Her outfit was completed with the beige two inch stiletto heels on her feet that Brittany knew were Manolo Blahniks. She looked professional, yet stylish.
Brittany had to admit, this was quite a surprise to her. She was definitely not expecting a psychologist at an eating disorder treatment center to be so well-dressed and put together. To be honest, she was expecting this doctor to be more like Jeanette. Dr. Parkington almost looked like she could be a more grown-up version of Muffy Hollingsworth. Definitely someone who would've been nominated to be in the Sisters club if she were their age (and probably would have made the cut, too).
Still, the fact that Dr. Parkington dressed well was not enough to earn Brittany's trust. This doctor was still going to be required to enforce all these insane rules the facility had in place. She was still someone who believed she knew what was best for Brittany better than she did. Still a person who was going to try to have complete control over her.
The polished therapist approached the three sitting girls on the couch and shook their hands.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Parkington." She introduced herself in a calming, yet professional tone of voice. "It's nice to meet all of you. Though I wish the circumstances were better."
Brittany immediately folded her arms across her chest and turned her nose up at this comment. Did Dr. Parkington really just say that? Was it really necessary to bring up how crappy the circumstances of them all being here were? Why was that the first thing out of her mouth right after she introduced herself?
However, the disgruntled Chipette opted not to say anything. She decided to simply sit there and keep her annoyance to herself. The last thing she needed was to be in trouble before she even saw her room. She gazed at the gray carpet below her instead.
"Thank you, Dr. Parkington." Eleanor responded with a polite smile.
"Y- yes, thank you." Jeanette echoed Eleanor's response and also smiled, though you could tell she was more visibly nervous.
Dr. Parkington then closed the door with a quiet click and headed over to her chair across from the girls. That was when Brittany noticed she had a manila folder in her hand. She adjusted her designer glasses as she peered at it and then set it down on the desk behind her. She then looked up and tried to meet Brittany's eyes. Although Brittany still refused to look up.
"So, Brittany," The blonde psychologist started out. "Did you fill out the papers they gave you when you checked in?"
Brittany then looked up and hesitantly made eye contact with Dr. Parkington. She let out a huge sigh and allowed her shoulders to slump.
"I started to," She began. "But I didn't finish. I just... I guess I wasn't sure how to answer some of these questions."
"That's ok." The kind therapist reassured her teenage patient with an understanding smile. "We can go over it together a little later."
She held out her hand to take the clipboard, which Brittany scooped up from off of her lap and then reached out her arm to hand over to Dr. Parkington. After the psychologist took it, she looked over what was filled out. After about a minute, she placed that on the desk behind her as well.
The doctor then turned around with her office chair and reached under her desk. She pulled something out from underneath it. When she turned back around, she revealed that the item she had retrieved was a small white scale. She gingerly placed the scale on the floor between herself and where the sisters were sitting.
"Brittany, I'm gonna need you to step on the scale for me. It's part of the intake process and will allow me to properly diagnose you."
Brittany's eyes traveled all over the room as if she were looking for an exit sign. Just any way she could escape. Did she really have to do this in front of Jeanette and Eleanor? This was humiliating.
But at the same time, she also didn't have it in her heart to ask her sisters to leave. She needed them and needed their support. She also knew refusing to be weighed was not an option either. They might not agree to treat her if she did. Which meant she would have to continue living with this awful disorder she was trying so hard to heal from.
Brittany dragged her feet as she made her way over to the scale, feeling more like it was an electric chair. As she approached the scale, she kicked off both of her flip flops. She then went to put one foot on the scale, but stopped when Dr. Parkington placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm gonna have you step on the scale backwards. I don't feel you're ready to see the number just yet."
Brittany scratched her head as if this was the most bizarre thing she had ever heard. Was this lady for real? But regardless of how she was feeling, the ponytailed teenager complied anyway.
Brittany then walked onto the scale backwards with Dr. Parkington gently guiding her. She felt ridiculous doing this as well. While Brittany impatiently stood on the scale feeling like a statue, Dr. Parkington looked behind her to see the number. She scribbled something down on a piece of paper that was attached to a clipboard. Brittany wasn't even sure if those were the same forms she was supposed to fill out before her intake or not.
"Thank you, Brittany. You can step off now." Dr. Parkington instructed the teen with an unreadable expression on her face.
The oldest sister did what she was told, put her sequined flip flops on again, and went back to her spot between her two little sisters on the sofa.
Dr. Parkington sat back down in her chair and turned around to face her desk once again. She put the clipboard down and then promptly picked up another piece of paper she was looking over. She spun the chair back over to facing the girls and then looked up from her paper to talk to Brittany again.
"Well, Brittany," She started out. "You're fifteen pounds underweight for your height and age."
Brittany's ice blue eyes widened in shock at hearing this. How could that be? She still saw nothing but fat whenever she looked at herself in the mirror.
And fifteen pounds? Is that how much weight she expected her to gain back? No way could she do that!
Dr. Parkington picked up a different set of papers and started flipping through them.
"Now, Brittany, I'm going to ask you a few questions. I know they might be tough to answer, but I need you to be completely honest with me. It's how we'll determine the kind of help you're going to need during your stay here."
Brittany grudgingly nodded her head and ran her pointer finger over the hot pink nails on her other hand, focusing on them instead of her therapist.
"How many times a day would you say you purge? By this, I mean forcing yourself to throw up."
Brittany then completely froze up as she tried to think about it. She never really counted. She started to do the math in her head. Dr. Parkington just sat in her chair in a poised position, patiently waiting for Brittany's reply.
"Maybe about twenty one times a week? Give or take..." The blue-eyed girl cringed as she confessed this.
"So would you say it's after every meal?"
"Pretty much, yeah." The oldest teenager confirmed as her gaze turned back down to the floor.
Jeanette and Eleanor both exchanged looks that were mixed with concern and shock. While they had both suspected it was this bad already, there was just something about hearing Brittany actually verify it herself that made it feel all the more real.
"How often do you exercise?" Dr. Parkington asked as she wrote something down with one of the center's blue pens.
Brittany let out a bitter laugh as soon as she heard the word exercise.
"Brittany!" Jeanette quietly hissed in her ear.
Brittany ignored her younger sister as she went on to answer Dr. Parkington's question.
"I can't even exercise right now. I tore my ACL last year and I'm still recovering from it. I only just got cleared for dancing again and have to be careful even with that. And I still haven't been cleared to go back to cheerleading. Hell, I probably wouldn't even be here right now if I could exercise."
"I see." Dr. Parkington replied as a sympathetic look crossed her face. "Have you used any diuretics or laxatives to help you lose weight?"
A mischievous smirk then crossed the eldest teenager's face.
"No, but thanks for giving me the idea!"
"BRITTANY!" Jeanette and Eleanor both cried out in unison.
"Don't say things like that!" Eleanor scolded her eldest sister.
"Yeah, seriously. It's nothing to joke about." Jeanette agreed with her younger sister, though her voice was a bit softer.
"Relax, guys." Brittany said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Look, I'm just trying not to freak out myself here. Ok?"
Brittany did feel a pang of regret hit her. She knew her sisters were right. She knew there was nothing funny about it. Any of this. But it was all she could do to keep herself from falling apart right then and there.
While Dr. Parkington didn't crack a smile either, she gave an understanding nod.
"Hey, I get it. Sometimes people use humor to cope when dealing with something this stressful. But I do need you to understand how serious this all is, Brittany. I'm glad to hear you haven't used laxatives or diuretics. That can be very dangerous. Working here, I've seen bad things happen to patients as a result."
Brittany nodded to let the psychologist know she understood and was taking this all seriously now. It did nothing to ease her fears, though. But still, she was determined not to let on exactly how scared she was. She still felt the need to put up a brave front.
"And how have your periods been?" The therapist asked as she continued to write.
"What do you mean?" Brittany responded in confusion.
"Do you remember the date of your last period?"
Again, Brittany paused as she tried hard to jog her memory. She felt like her concentration was shot now too.
"Um... I think I had it about two months ago? Pretty sure I skipped last month. But it's not like I'm pregnant or anything! I mean, I'm only sixteen. Isn't it normal to still be irregular at our age?"
"That's true, yes." Dr. Parkington agreed as she nodded her head. "Cycles can be inconsistent when you're still a teenager. But it's also something we need to keep an eye on. If your periods are irregular or have stopped completely, it could also be a sign that your body isn't getting what it needs. This leads to your body shutting down anything it considers non-essential."
Brittany shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't even think anything of missing one period at the time. Hell, she barely even noticed other than not needing to go to the store to pick up tampons that month. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have noticed at all.
It had been months since she slept with Alvin. And it's not exactly like her cycle was clockwork before all of this started. So it never raised any major red flags in her mind until now.
"That leads me to what I want to go over with you next. Experiencing symptoms such as hair loss, dental problems, chronic fatigue, and digestive issues are also common with bulimia. Have you noticed any of this?"
"She's been sleeping a lot lately." Eleanor volunteered. "It's one of the things we noticed that raised red flags for us. You know, besides the constant bathroom trips."
Brittany gave her baby sister a dirty look, annoyed that she decided to speak for her. She was grateful to have both of her sisters here for support and knew Eleanor was only trying to help. But still, she could speak for herself. Did her youngest sister not trust her to tell the truth about that? Pretty insulting when she had already owned up to how often she forced herself to vomit. That had actually been the hardest part so far.
Brittany then thought more about some of the other symptoms Dr. Parkington mentioned. She then ran her hand over her auburn ponytail, half wondering if some strands would come out as she did so.
"Um... I guess I have noticed some of my hair has been falling out recently..." She admitted somewhat sheepishly, though she was still also clearly miffed about Eleanor speaking for her mere seconds ago.
Jeanette and Eleanor both looked afraid as they stared at each other again. Jeanette was even shedding a few tears now. Brittany sat there not knowing exactly how to react. She was going through so many different emotions right now. It was majorly overwhelming.
"Have you noticed anything else you think we should know about? Any symptoms you've been concerned about that I haven't mentioned?"
Brittany hesitated as she played with a loose thread on the sleeve of her pink t-shirt. There was one thing. One major thing. She knew she definitely should bring it up since she was concerned this could mean she was knocking on death's door. But how would she even say it?
"It's ok. Take as much time as you need. This isn't easy for anyone." Dr. Parkington calmly stated, as if reading her patient's mind.
Brittany then took a deep breath, trying to bring herself to say it. It felt like several minutes of silence after that. She swallowed a huge lump in her throat, which was now feeling sore again. Eventually, she worked her way up to speaking.
"I... um... I noticed some blood during one of my more recent purges. This was... this was just a few days ago. It only happened on that one day so far. But... um... I guess I just thought you should know..."
Jeanette and Eleanor both gasped in horror at what they just heard. Jeanette now let every tear she held back fall from her eyes. In fact, she was downright sobbing at this point.
"Brittany..." Eleanor choked out, now shedding some of her own tears. "Why didn't you say anything to us?"
All Brittany could do was shrug in response as she looked down at the floor again. She couldn't face either of her sisters right now. She was embarrassed. She also felt guilty for scaring them this much.
It was crazy, because she actually really wanted to be angry at them right now. She wanted to scream at them both. Tell them to stop worrying about her and let it be her job to worry about herself. But somehow... she just couldn't.
"Thank you for your honesty, Brittany." Dr. Parkington responded kindly. "I know how hard that was for you. But this will help me to help you better."
"How... how worried should we... be... about that?" Eleanor choked out as she wiped a few tears away.
Dr. Parkington put a finger on her chin as she thought best about how to approach this very delicate question.
"Well," She began. "There could be a few different causes for vomiting blood. It could be that she scratched her throat during a purge. Or it could be a small ulcer, which is easy to treat. But we will have to do a full exam to rule out anything more serious. We'll get started on that once she's settled in."
Jeanette and Eleanor both continued crying as Brittany sat there helplessly. The eldest girl had no idea what to say for once. She couldn't exactly reassure her sisters when she herself didn't even know if she was going to be ok. If staying in this place was going to be the solution they were all hoping it would be.
In the meantime, Dr. Parkington wrote a few things down. After what felt like a million years, she cleared her throat as she got ready to deliver the news the sisters had been waiting for (and they all knew what was coming, honestly).
"Well, Brittany," Dr. Parkington started out. "Based on all the information I have, I'm diagnosing you with bulimia nervosa. But I want to let you know that you're taking a step in the right direction by being here. I will be working closely with you during your stay here. You'll have a nutritionist working with you as well. Also the main doctor of our facility, who will give you your exam."
And now Brittany had an official diagnosis. Even though they already knew this, hearing it didn't make it the least bit easier. Neither Jeanette nor Eleanor hesitated for another moment to wrap their arms around Brittany. And Brittany returned the embrace. In fact, she was actually afraid to let go now.
No longer capable of hiding how frightened she was, Brittany let her own tears escape from her eyes. It was as if all the strong emotions she had held back were all pouring out at once. And that one unspoken question still lingered between all three sisters. Would Brittany actually get better during her stay here?