MARTY was wide awake although he was still groggy from all the sleep he had for the past three weeks. At his bedside was his family. Despite a headache, he was overjoyed to see Jennifer.
“Jennifer.” he said, “What a sight for sore eyes. Well, at least you’re getting better.”
“Marty.” said Jennifer, “It’s good to see you awake again.”
“It sure is.” said Marty, “Boy do I miss Tylenol.”
Doc turned to the rest of the McFlys and asked “Can we talk to Marty alone?”
The McFlys turned to each other until George said “Sure.”
When the McFlys left, Doc told Jennifer “Close your eyes.”
“Alright.” said Jennifer.
Turning to Marty, Doc whispered “We’ve got the bracelet that you bought in 44 B.C.”
“You do?:” whispered Marty, “That’s great.”
“Not too loud.” said Doc handing him a gift wrapped box, “Here!”
“Oh, okay.” said Marty. Turning to Jennifer who still had her eyes closed he said “Hey Jennifer. I have a present for you.”
“You do?” asked Jennifer.
“Yeah.” he said, “Hold out your hand.” Jennifer did. Marty handed her the present and said “Open your eyes.”
Jennifer did. It was a gift wrapped box of something.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Open it.”
Jennifer did. “A bracelet.” she said, “Marty, you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s a get well present.” said Marty, “I went back to 44 B.C. to get it for you when you had your bulimia.”
“Bulimia.” repeated Jennifer, “Marty, I have something to say about that.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember the time I crashed Doc and Clara’s wedding and lost my memory?”
“I do.” said Marty, “Me and the Doc from 1885 had to go back there and…”
“I finally remembered how I really got bulimia.” said Jennifer.
“You mean you had bulimia before we went back in time to 15th century Italy?”
“Yes.” said Jennifer, “It started in grade school. I was fat and kids teased me. This one mean kid used pins and needles on me and said ‘let’s pop Jennifer‘.”
“That’s heavy, Jen.” said Marty.
“Oh, it got worse.” said Jennifer, “They called me ‘Pudge’.”
“It must’ve been awful, Jennifer.” said Clara.
“It was.” said Jennifer, “But then one day, I came across a story about some fat woman who lost weight by pigging out until she threw up. So I tried it. It worked.”
“But you didn’t read the whole story.” said Clara.
“No I didn’t.” said Jennifer, “Had I read on, I would’ve learned how dangerous bulimia was. But I didn’t care. I just wanted kids to stop teasing me.”
“So you wanted to make yourself thin the worse way possible.” said Doc.
“I know, Doctor Brown.” said Jennifer, “And look what happened: I wound up in the hospital missing several weeks of school. It was something for me to forget.”
“Well you did forget, Jennifer,” said Doc “when you went back to 1885 and lost your memory.”
“Jennifer.” asked Marty, “What caused you to regain that memory?”
“It started when I went back in time with Clara and Calpurnia.” said Jennifer.
“Calpurnia?” asked Marty, “You mean…”
“Yes.” said Doc, “After you got wounded, the boys took you back here to our time but Calpurnia insisted in coming along. With the time circuits in the DeLorean damaged and the AD-BC indicators in the time train and limousine still untested, she had to stay here for three weeks.”
“Anyway.” said Jennifer, ‘When we arrived in 44 B.C., I met your ancestor McFlius and fell in love with him. When I learned that he was killed in the battle of Philippi, I was devastated. Two nights after I returned with Clara to our time, I snuck off with the DeLorean and went back in time to Philippi to save McFlius. Doc, with the help of Calpurnia, went back in time to find me which they did. But when we came back to our own time, they learned that they were too late. McFlius was saved but the world took a change for the worse. We all knew that the only way we could get it back to the way it was before I did what I did was to make sure McFlius died. I was grief stricken. Then I realized that this whole ordeal started with my eating disorder and at the time I knew that it started after my encounter with Count Tannenio. An encounter I knew I couldn’t talk about in that session Wednesday. I thought it over: I encounter Tannenio because you, Marty, and me were back in the 15th century just so we could fall back in love after our break-up. Remember Marty?”
“How could I forget, Jen.” said Marty.
“Anyway, I knew that the breakup was caused by my jealousy of Jan Jandick and it seemed like you were flirting with her.” said Jennifer, “If it wasn’t for our trip back to 1978 Jan would’ve still been a battered wife. So I decided that once the timeline was restored, I would again sneak off with one of the time machines and go back to the night we went back in time to our first meeting and stop ourselves from going back there. I knew that I would’ve put Jan back into that terrible state but at least there would be no break-up, no trip back to the 15th century, no encounter with Tannenio, and no bulimia. That’s when it hit me. That’s when I started to remember about that awful childhood memory of being teased. It’s as if something realized that I was willing to do anything to avoid talking about time travel in that session.”
“Jennifer.” said Marty, “You mention something about a session. What kind of session is this?”
“It’s a session for bulimics.” said Jennifer.
“I see.” said Marty, “Well, I hope you could still remember your childhood when you go Wednesday night.”
“Me too.” said Jennifer.
Changing the subject, Marty said “Jennifer, you said you fell in love with McFlius. Why?”
“Because he looked so much like you.” said Jennifer, “He had this lyre he played and sang with and at times I sang with him. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.”
“Jennifer.” exclaimed Marty, “You could sing?”
“Yes!”
“I didn’t know that hum me a few bars.”
Jennifer cleared her throat and started to sing:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword.
His truth is marching on.Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
His truth is marching on.
Just then, Marty joined in with Jennifer
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
His truth is marching
After the singing, Marty asked “Jennifer, where did you learn to sing?”
“A glee club is was once in.” said Jennifer.
Just then, the nurse came in saying “Mr. McFly needs his rest now.”
“Alright.” said Doc.
“Marty.” said Clara, “We’ll be back later on today if the doctors permit it.”
“Good.” said Marty, “That’s great.”
“Alright, Marty.” said Doc shaking his hand, “We’ll see you later.”
“And I’ll drop by later too.” said Jennifer, “I’ve got a lot to talk to you about my trip to 44 B.C.”
“I’ll bet you do, Jen.” said Marty as they both kissed, “Good bye, Jen.”
“Good bye, Marty, “said Jennifer, “I’ll see you later.”
After they left, the nurse said “Alright Mr. McFly, turn over.”
“Turn over?” asked Marty, “Oh shit! Do you mean I’m going to be put to sleep by…”
“You’ve got it, Mr. McFly.”
“Alright. But not too hard. I was hit there a long time ago.”
“Oh? Who spanked you?”
“I said I was hit there. And it was by the doctor who delivered me almost twenty years ago.”
The nurse, not amused by what Marty said, injected him and Marty went to sleep.
++++++
Jennifer made another visit to Marty that day. That evening, she was having Easter dinner with her parents.
“Mom.” she said, “Dad. Why didn’t either of you tell me that my bulimia started when I was a kid?”
Both parents looked up.
“Jennifer.” said Prudence, “When did you start remembering this?”
“Just say I can’t tell you.” said Jennifer, “Anyway, I was thinking about my upcoming group therapy session Wednesday when it all came back.”
“You mean when they called you ‘Pudge’?” asked Jerry.
“Yes.” said Jennifer.
“Well Jennifer,” said Prudence, “Remember when we learned that you got shot? The doctors said you had a bump on the back of your head and that you might suffer a memory loss?”
“I remember that very well.” said Jennifer.
“Well we kept some of your childhood memories from you just to see if you would still remember them.”
“Including one painful memory?”
“You mean the teasing?”
“Yes.” said Jennifer, “And being called ‘Pudge’.”
“We’d hope that you’d forget.”
“Well, now those memories have become useful especially this Wednesday.”
“Jennifer. You’re talking about that group therapy session that you’re going to.”
“That’s right. It is.”
Both parents looked at their daughter and then continued to eat their dinner.
Wednesday, April 6, 1988
7:00 p.m.
Hill Valley, California
Three days had passed since Marty regained conscience. Jennifer kept visiting him. During this time Marty’s knowledge of what Jennifer did reminded him about the time he and Doc were in 1941 on that fateful December day when Pearl Harbor was attacked and the horrible world they created when they inadvertently spared the Arizona from the destruction that history had intended to happen. Jennifer herself had that flashback when she went back in time to 1966 to buy Marty that controversial Beatle “butcher album” and broke up her parents’ engagement thus preventing her from being ever born.
Finally, that night came when Jennifer would attend her first group session meeting. She first dropped in on Marty who was starting to get better.
“Marty.” she said.
“Jennifer.” said Marty, “I see you’re here for that session.”
“That’s right, Marty.” said Jennifer.
Marty noticed the bracelet that he ordered and which Clara had picked up and said “I see you’re wearing my get well gift to you.”
“Yeah.” said Jennifer, “Knowing that you bought it for me, I decided to wear it to the session as a reminder that I’m still recovering from what I did to myself and to thank you again for going back there and getting it for me.”
“You’re welcome, Jen.” said Marty, “Hey Jen, the doctor said I’ll be out of here in a couple of weeks.”
“Why, that’s great, Marty.” said Jennifer, “That’ll mean we’ll be both feeling healthy…”
“And more wiser now that we both learned our lessons.” said Marty.
“That’s for sure.” said Jennifer, “Listen, I have to go now.”
“Alright, Jen.” said Marty, “I’ll either see you later or tomorrow.”
“We’ll see what happens.” said Jennifer, “I love you.”
“I love you too.” said Marty and they both kissed.
Jennifer left the room only to run into Doc and Clara.
“Doctor Brown.” she said, “Clara.”
“Good evening, Jennifer.” said Doc, “We’re here to see Marty.”
“Well go right in.” said Jennifer.
“I gather that you’re on your way to your first session.” said Clara.
“Yes.” said Jennifer, “And I’m a little nervous sitting there around people I don’t know.”
“Just relax, Jennifer.” said Doc, “Everything will be fine.”
“I hope so.” said Jennifer. She looked at her watch and said “I have to go now.”
“Alright, Jennifer.” said Doc, “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” said Jennifer.
After that, she left as Doc and Clara went in.
Jennifer finally arrived at the room where the meeting was held. Upon entering, there was a group of people sitting in chairs in a circle.
“Come on in.” said one them spotting her.
“Thanks.” said Jennifer finding herself a chair.
“Everyone.” said the person who invited Jennifer in, “We have a new person joining our session tonight. Can you tell us your name please.”
“Certainly.” said Jennifer, “My name is Jennifer Jane Parker. I’m a bulimic.”
And she began to tell the group about herself, her life and what got her started on her bulimia.
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