Ava just looked at the doctor in fear as she was starting to become very concerned. "What's going on! You're scaring me!"

Ava told the doctor, making her sigh as she looked at Ava. "Well we don't know for sure yet, but she is showing some pretty concerning symptoms," the doctor told Ava in her serious voice making Ava fill with more fear.

"Concerning symptoms for what!" Ava screamed out as the doctor was barely giving her any information which was scaring her more. "I was getting to that, but first I have a serious question," the doctor told Ava, making her almost lose it.

"What is it! You're seriously freaking me out!" Ava screamed out as the doctor seemed to be stalling. The doctor just sighed as she looked at Ava. "Has she ever been exposed to anyone that smokes?" The doctor asked Ava catching Ava off guard as she wasn't expecting that question.

As far as she knew that answer should have been no. "Not that I know of!" Ava told the doctor who just nodded as she looked Ava. " I see well she is showing signs of otherwise. And according to her medical charts from before that we had transferred over as well," the doctor told Ava making her feel even more guilty as she had no clue that was happening.

"So you're saying someone was smoking around her!" Ava screamed out as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had trusted her cousin to watch Mal and Carlos and he ended up exposing her to second hand smoke.

The doctor just sighed as she nodded. "That is correct," the doctor told Ava just confirming another thing that Ava was probably the cause of making her get more worried as she looked at the doctor.

"Well what does that mean for her!" Ava quickly asked the doctor in panic as she remembered learning about how dangerous smoking can be not just for the smoker, but also those are them and especially a developing baby.

The doctor just sighed as she looked at Ava again. "Well her lungs are very weak due to being exposed to secondhand smoke. And I really hate having to say this, however that is not the only thing we are concerned about," the doctor told Ava, making her heart almost stop as this was becoming too much.

"What do you mean! What else are you concerned about!" Ava screamed out in panic making the doctor sigh yet again as she hated delivering bad news especially when the patient was so young.

"We noticed that she is pretty underweight for her age and we can't seem to get her to eat. I hate bringing this up however if we can't get her to eat anything soon we will have to insert a feeding tube," the doctor told Ava making her look at the doctor in shock and disbelief as she couldn't believe she was hearing that.

"Are you serious!" Ava screamed out making the doctor sigh again. "Unfortunately that is the case. She can die if she doesn't start eating soon," the doctor told Ava who just nodded still trying to process everything.

"Can I see her!" Ava asked the doctor after a few seconds of letting her brain try to process it all. The doctor just nodded as she led Ava to Mal's hospital room.

When Ava got there she found the small toddler hooked up to so many IVs and wires and an oxygen tube while happily watching Dragon Tales without a care in the world. Ava just took a deep breath as she tried not to cry seeing the toddler hooked up to so many medical tubes and wires. She then put on a fake smile as she walked over to the toddler.

"Hey there Mal," Ava told the toddler, trying to act like everything was fine and normal, not wanting to freak out the innocent two year old. Mal just smiled as she looked up from her show to see Ava.

"Mama!" The small girl screamed out excitedly making Ava laugh a little as she sat down by the toddler. "Hey Mal. So um I heard you won't eat," Ava told the toddler hoping that this was just Mal being stubborn and she could get her to eat.

"Yeah! I no wanna!" The young two year old told Ava as it hurt to eat and her stomach felt full. Ava just sighed as she figured Mal was just being stubborn as she didn't realize why Mal was refusing to eat.

"You don't wanna?" Ava asked the toddler, making her nod her head. "Why not!" Ava practically screamed out as she was growing desperate at this point. The small girl just looked at Ava as she held her tummy.

"Id ma my tummy huw!" Mal told Ava as she couldn't handle eating anything and didn't want to make her tummy hurt more. Ava quickly started to become concerned by that, but she still needed Mal to eat.

"It makes your tummy hurt to eat?" Ava asked the toddler in concern making her nod her head again. "Yeah!" The young girl screamed out making Ava take another deep breath.

"Mal you have to eat though!" Ava told the toddler as she was growing even more desperate. Mal just shook her head no as she pushed the food away. "No wanna!" The small two year old screamed out making Ava groan again.

"Mal you have to!" Ava screamed out yet again making the toddler shake her head no again. "No wike id!" Mal screamed out making Ava almost lose it, but she managed to control herself.

"What if I got you some strawberries?" Ava asked the toddler as she remembered how much Mal loved strawberries as they were her favorite food. Mal just shook her head no again as she pushed the strawberries away making Ava more concerned as Mal never pushed strawberries away.

"Mal you love strawberries! Why don't you want them!" Ava screamed out. "No wanna!" The toddler screamed out back making Ava really grow concerned as she started to lose it.

"Mal I am not playing! You have to eat!" Ava screamed out as she lost all patience. Mal was refusing to eat and she didn't want to put Mal on a feeding tube. "No!" The toddler screamed out again as she just wasn't hungry.

Ava completely lost it after that as she was trying to be patient, but Mal was refusing and she was desperate at this point. "Mal look at me! If you don't start eating you know what's gonna happen?" Ava asked the toddler who just shook her head no.

"Wa?" The small girl asked Ava who just looked at her in a very serious way. "They are gonna cut a small hole in your stomach and insert a tube inside of you to make sure you keep eating," Ava told the toddler hoping to scare her into eating, so that didn't happen.

The small two year old just looked at Ava in shock and fear as her eyes widened. "No!" Mal screamed out not wanting that to happen. Ava just nodded as she looked at Mal wanting her to understand that she wasn't kidding.

"Yes Mal! They told me so! If you don't start eating that's what is gonna happen! Do you want that!" Ava screamed out, making the toddler start sobbing as she shook her head no making Ava nod as she looked at her.

"Well then you have to eat!" Ava told the toddler who just started crying more as she wanted to eat, but it hurt. "Id huws!" The two year old cried out as she was scared. She didn't want a feeding tube, but she just couldn't eat because it made her feel more sick.

Ava just sighed as she started crying not being able to stop the tears anymore. "Mal please! I don't want to lose you! Mal just one bite please," Ava begged out making the toddler shake her head no again.

This action made Ava cry harder which caused the toddler to reach up and wipe Ava's tears as she gave her a small innocent smile. "Mama no cwy!" The small girl told Ava, making her nod as she looked at the small girl.

Even now when Mal was in the hospital she was concerned about her and her crying not herself. Ava just didn't get it.

"Mal I am trying to be strong for you right now, but you have to work with me here! Please I am begging you Mal please just eat!" Ava begged out to the toddler again as she just wanted Mal to eat.

Mal just shook her head no yet again as she turned her attention back to her show just making Ava sob more as she knew this was bad. She couldn't get Mal to eat anything, not even strawberries.

Ava just sighed as she just continued to sob and watch the toddler for hours even after the small girl had fallen asleep. Ava looked up though when she heard something as she saw it was Caitlin.

Caitlin just gave her a small nervous smile. "Hey, is it okay if I came in or are there like rules or something?" Caitlin asked Ava not wanting to cause any problems. Ava just sighed as she looked at her friend.

"It's fine you can come in. Visitation hours are still open for a little longer and I could use my friend right now!" Ava told Caitlin as she broke down sobbing again and Caitlin quickly ran to her as she hugged her.

"Hey what happened! What did they say is wrong with her," Caitlin asked her friend in a gentle voice as she could tell from how Ava was acting and how the pale toddler looked it wasn't good.

Ava just tried to control her breathing as she continued to just hug onto her friend and cry. "She um she apparently has really weak lungs because of my cousin Jay who apparently smoked around her all the time! And she won't eat!" Ava cried out as she just really needed someone to be there for her.

Caitlin just sadly nodded as she watched Ava pull away from the hug and try to act like she was fine when Caitlin could see right through her. "I'm so sorry Ava! Come here!" Caitlin told Ava as she pulled her close to her again this time giving in.

"They wanna put her on a feeding tube," Ava cried out again as she broke down sobbing on Caitlin again. Caitlin just gasped as she looked at her friend feeling horrible for her sister.

"Oh Ava I'm so sorry!" Caitlin told Ava who just nodded as she began to feel guilty again. "It's my fault!" Ava cried out making Caitlin look at her in shock and disbelief that she would say that.

"How can you say that Ava!" Caitlin practically screamed out making Ava get upset as she couldn't stop blaming herself.

"Because it's true! I let her get away with eating just strawberries because I was depressed about Nolan! I knew how unhealthy it was, but I just didn't care! It's my fault! I should have made her eat more! I basically neglected her! And this isn't the first time my reckless parenting almost killed her! I am a horrible parent! CPS should just take her away from me!" Ava screamed out as she felt like a failure at parenting.

She barely even paid attention to the toddler for the first few weeks that Mal had been back because she was selfish and now her sister was in the hospital and probably fighting for her life.

Caitlin just looked at her friend as she couldn't believe she actually felt that way. Yes Ava made mistakes, but she was trying and she took great care of Mal and Carlos.

"Ava don't say that! It's not your fault! It's your cousin's fault for smoking around a baby! And Ava you are not a horrible parent! Yes you make mistakes, but like Alison said all parents make mistakes!" Caitlin told Ava trying to help her see that she wasn't a failure at parenting and that it wasn't her fault.

Ava just scoffed as she looked at Caitlin. "I almost let her drown! And now I let her not eat! I'm pretty sure that goes way beyond a small little mistake!" Ava screamed out, but before Caitlin could say anything else the small toddler started stirring.

"Mama?" The small toddler sleepily called out making Ava quickly put on a fake smile as she turned her attention back to the toddler. "Yeah Mal," Ava told the toddler who smiled a little. "I hunwy," the small toddler told Ava, making her smile.

"You're hungry!" Ava screamed out excitedly making the toddler nod. "Okay good! Here these are your strawberries from earlier," Ava practically screamed out as she was excited Mal was asking for food again.

The small toddler just quickly took a strawberry as she began to nibble at it a little bit before getting full and pushing it away again. "No mow," the toddler screamed out as her stomach felt full again.

Ava just sighed as she looked at the toddler. "Mal you only had two bites. You have to eat more than that," Ava told the toddler who shook her head no again. "No id huws! I fuw!" The two year old told Ava as she laid back down and watched Dragon Tales until she fell asleep again.

"See she won't eat!" Ava screamed out as she looked at her friend. Caitlin just nodded as she got a good look at the toddler and noticed how pale, skinny, and bruised up the small girl looked as she began to get concerned.

"Do you think it's more than just not wanting to eat?" Caitlin asked her friend who just looked at her in confusion not understanding what Caitlin was trying to get at. "Like what?" Ava asked Caitlin who took a deep breath.

"Ava please don't freak out, but I think she's showing signs of something more than just not wanting to eat and some breathing issues," Caitlin told Ava who looked at her in confusion again still not getting it.

"Like what!" Ava screamed out again making Caitlin sigh nervously as she didn't want to tell Ava these things, but she couldn't help it. "Um... Ava has she been bruising easily?" Caitlin asked her friend, making Ava's eyes widen as she realized what Caitlin was saying.

"You think she has that!" Ava screamed out, not even able to say the word. Caitlin just sighed as she didn't like freaking her friend out, but she did want to prepare her friend for the possibility.

"I'm not a doctor Ava, so I don't know, but she is starting to show some signs," Caitlin told Ava making her start freaking out as she couldn't handle it if Mal did have what it was that Caitlin thought she could have.

"Oh my god! No! She can't have that!" Ava screamed out in panic as she started completely freaking out. "Even if she does we will all be there for both of you," Caitlin told her friend hoping to calm her down before she had a panic attack.

Ava just shook her head as she looked at her friend. "You don't get it! I'm basically a single mother and a college student! I can't afford treatment if it is that!" Ava screamed out as she began to question everything and panic more.

Ava was so screwed if Mal did end up having what Caitlin was talking about. "Ava I'm sure it's not really that! I'm probably just being paranoid," Caitlin told Ava as she could see her friend was about to have a mental breakdown.

"But what if she does have it!" Ava screamed out making Caitlin hug her again. "I don't think she does. I just thought I would mention it," Caitlin told Ava who just nodded as she started to calm down a little bit.

Just as Ava was starting to calm down the doctor came in as she looked at Caitlin. "Oh and who are you?" The doctor asked Caitlin in confusion, making Ava look at the doctor. "She's my friend," Ava told the doctor who just nodded.

"I see well can we talk outside for a little bit," the doctor told Ava, making her start secretly freaking out again on the inside as she just tried to look calm. "Um... yeah of course!" Ava told the doctor while trying not to freak out.

Once they were out in the hall Ava just looked at the doctor in panic as she had a feeling this was gonna be bad. "What's going on," Ava asked the doctor, making the doctor sigh as she looked at her papers.

"We just got the results of some tests we ran," the doctor told Ava, making her start panicking as she could tell from the doctor's expression this was gonna be bad news.