Adopted

Chapter 92

Over the next few weeks, I was able to eat more and more, and keep food down. It stopped hurting to eat, and I didn't throw up every time I ate.  Mom and Dad were happy, but I was thrilled. 

My next appointment with Doc was probably one of the best in a long time. I'd gained back about 10 pounds, and let's face it, when you're a nearly 15 year old girl, gaining weight usually isn't on your radar as a good thing. But I didn't care. I felt good, I didn't nap as much anymore and Doc said we'd see how the next couple of months went, and he'd consider taking out the feeding tube. 

We went for burgers to celebrate that appointment. 

"This is going to sound dumb," Dad said, "But it's so nice to see you eat a cheeseburger, and fries, and a milkshake."

"Ditto," Mom said. 

"I can't tell you how much I missed this," I grinned. 

I threw up when we got home.  

Mom came running into my bathroom when she heard me. 

"Jess! Are you alright?" she checked the toilet, and felt my forehead, which was sweaty, but from throwing up. 

"I think I ate just a bit too much," I said. 

"Does your stomach hurt?"

"No. I feel better. Really, I think I just ate too much," I said. 

"Are you sure?"

"Not 100%, but pretty sure."

"Lie down for a while.  Tell me if you feel worse, okay?"

I  nodded.  She helped me up, I brushed my teeth and took my meds, and she helped me to my bed. 

I was a bit wiped from the day and then throwing up, so I fell asleep. 

Dad came in a little while later. I guess on their way to bed. 

"Hey, sorry to wake you up," he said. "Just want to check and see how you're feeling. Mom told me you threw up when we got home, but told me to leave you to rest."

"I feel okay. Fine, really. I honestly think I just ate too much. It's been a long time since I've eaten a whole cheeseburger, fries and a whole milkshake."

"True," he said, feeling my forehead. "You're not warm. At least, not warmer than you should be. Call for us if you need anything, okay?"

"Yup. Can I go back to sleep now?" I asked. 

"Yep," he said, giving me a kiss on the head. 

I rolled over and went straight back to sleep. 

A few weeks later, Doc determined I'd gained enough weight and he removed my feeding tube.  We went out to celebrate again. 

Dad was working on an album and was getting ready to release it in June.  He was really excited by it, and we were too. Of course, that was going to mean he'd be going back out on tour after it was released.  We were looking forward to that, too.  Mom and I would join him for the summer tour, as long as I was well enough. 

In March, I got sick again. Pneumonia. I spent a couple of weeks in the hospital, lost a ton of weight, again, but didn't need the feeding tube once I was better. I spent an extra week at home recovering from the pneumonia, getting my strength back, and catching up on the homework my friends brought by. 

I didn't try out for any teams this year. I didn't have the energy. 

In May, I got some sort of parasite or something, which of course, made me lose even more weight and energy, and miss more school. Freshman year was ending on a sour note. The medicine to get rid of the parasite was disgusting and the pain wound up being too much. I ended up in hospital. Dad felt so guilty because he had a lot of meetings and couldn't spend as much time with me while I was in the hospital. I hated that he felt guilty about that. Mom stayed almost all the time, and Zack and Kala filled in when she had to go to work, or something. 

Uncle Josh and Uncle Pete spent a lot of time with me, as well. I slept a lot anyway. The medication for the pain also made me sleepy. 

I was out of the hospital after a week, and my weight was going up. Doc was pretty sure the parasite was gone, but I stayed on the medicine for it for another week. 

By the beginning of June I was feeling way better.  I finished the school year at school, wrote my exams and finished on the Dean's List. 

Dad's album came out near the end of the  month, and Mom and I went with to his album release party. It was amazing. All of Dad's friends were there, all my uncles, and the band, of course. Mom made me go home around 11, even though the party was still going. 

We left on tour only a few days later. We went north first, to Oregon.  We'd be in Vancouver, Canada for my birthday. I was kind of excited about that. I've never been to Canada. 

This time, Zack was staying with the band and we got the whole bus to ourselves. I  had a bunk, Mom and Dad pretty much had a whole room at the back of the bus. I used one of the other bunks to keep some of my stuff on it. It was nice, being able to spread out. 

Dad's first show in Portland was amazing. Mom and I hung out backstage and danced and sang with each other. Dad had a really cool new set up and we checked it out when they first set up. It was awesome. 

In Vancouver, Dad called me up on the stage. 

"Hey, y'all, I just wanted to let you all know that today is this gorgeous girl's fifteenth birthday!"

The fans were screaming and I heard shouts of 'Happy Birthday, Jess!'

"So, you think we can sing her 'Happy Birthday'?" 

"Oh.  Oh. No, no no no no no, you don't have to do that!" I said. 

But, of course, Dan started playing, then the rest of the band chimed in and then Dad and the fans started singing  'Happy Birthday'. Mom and Zack came out with a cake singing, too. I was so embarrassed, I kept hiding my face in my hands. 

Mom had gotten a cake with the flags of Canada, the US and the countries in Europe we'd visited. It was really pretty and a shame we were going to cut into it and eat it. 

The tour photographer was taking a bunch of pictures and the crowd was cheering. It was amazing. Embarrassing, but amazing. I went backstage with Mom while Dad finished the show. 

When he came offstage, at the end, we had cake with the crew and the band. By the time we were done I was exhausted. Mom got me back to the bus while Dad finished packing up his stuff in the dressing room. 

I crawled into my bunk and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. 

The next morning, Dad woke me up singing 'Happy Un-Birthday' to me. 

"What?" I asked rolling over and staring at him. "What are you singing?"

"Well, it's the day after your birthday, so I can't sing you 'Happy Birthday' again. So it's your un-birthday."

"You are so weird," I said, rolling over and trying to go back to sleep. 

"Nope, nope, nope. Up you get my fantastic fifteen year old," he said, literally pulling me out of bed and carrying me into the living area. 

"Morning, Jess," Mom said, reading a book, and not looking up. 

"You seem unsurprised that Dad literally carried me in here..." I said. 

"I've been married to your father long enough that there's very little that surprises me anymore with him," she smiled. 

Dad opened the door and carried me out of the bus. 

"DAD! Where are you taking me? I'm still in my pajamas!"

"You wear a t-shirt and sweatpants. No one is going to realize you're in pajamas. And I'm taking you for breakfast."