The Quarantine 15: Chapter 11

6.5 months of Quarantine

Emilio awoke to his stomach burning with hunger, a common occurrence the last two weeks since moving back in with his parents. He reached under his bed in search of his secret candy bar stash but found nothing. He must’ve eaten them all. He would replenish them after his doctor’s visit this morning, and maybe afterward he would stop for some fast food. It wasn’t that Emilio was trying to keep his weight up, he only wanted to assuage the constant hunger he felt. His parents’ meals were simply not enough.

Emilio squeezed himself into a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Living at home meant looking presentable. Gone were the days of lazing around in his underwear and stuffing his face. Now he had to stuff himself into denim that constricted his curves and dug into his underbelly. In only two weeks Emilio had already developed a skin irritation from the metal button of his jeans rubbing the underside of his gut. To top it off the interior thighs of his favorite pants were growing threadbare from chub rub. Not to mention the fact that his ass was so disproportionately fat that finding jeans that even barely covered his bulbous cheeks was a miracle. But alas, this was his life now.

For breakfast he had a lame cup of yogurt and fruit. Greg and Susan did not stock the ingredients for pancakes or french toast or eggs and bacon. Hence why pre-breakfast candy bars were a necessity.

“Don’t forget that doctor’s appointment in an hour,” Greg chimed in the second Emilio entered the kitchen. “And let me know what he says so we can get you on a healthy life path.”

“You got it,” Emilio said unenthusiastically.

Arriving at the hospital Emilio was overcome with dread. The last time he had a general check up he was far thinner. He could only imagine what the doctor would have to say about his weight gain. Besides, hospitals as a whole were unpleasant and seemed particularly nerve wracking during a pandemic.

After checking in and waiting for a bit, the nurse called him back. He nervously pulled down his hoodie as he followed the nurse. As was expected, their first stop was the scale. Emilio was sweating already. This would be his definitive weight. There was no hiding it from his parents. Emilio stepped up as the nurse adjusted the scale.

“Two hundred and seventy one pounds,” she said softly.

Emilio was shocked. Had he really gained ten pounds while living under the strict diet his parents had enforced? He felt as though he was barely eating lately, let alone gaining weight. Perhaps the scale back in California was off. Next, the nurse led him to a room where he waited several minutes for the doctor to arrive.

“Emilio? Dr. Juarez, nice to meet you.”

Emilio was relieved to see his doctor was a bit paunchy himself and hoped he would go easy on him. Dr. Juarez ran through all the typical questions and exams before cutting to the chase.

“So Emilio, you have gained some weight as I’m sure you’re aware. Your last check up was a year and a half ago and you were at one hundred fifty pounds. That’s a one hundred and twenty pound gain since then. That is significant.”

Dr. Juarez paused as though Emilio should interject, but the young man refused. He was already thinking about what he was going to order at Taco Bell when he left.

“Do you have any ideas as to why you’ve put on this significant amount of weight?”

“I don’t know…” Emilio trailed off. “Quarantine, you know, the pandemic. I had a roommate until recently and we were eating a lot.”

“Social eating is certainly known to cause weight gain. Still, over a hundred pounds is exorbitant. How is your emotional life doing?”

Growing frustrated Emilio blurted out: “Honestly I was doing great ‘til my health freak parents put me on a diet. I was fat and happy, one hundred percent.”

Dr. Juarez sighed and leaned back, “I see. So you enjoy gaining weight?”

“No…” Emilio grew embarrassed, “I didn’t say that.”

Dr. Juarez left a pregnant pause in the room while gazing at Emilio who shifted uncomfortably.

“I guess, I don’t mind it…” Emilio nervously tugged at the hem of his hoodie.

“Very well. I am glad this is not due to mental duress, but regardless your BMI is in the obese category which is not recommended. It is obvious you have a lot of visceral fat in the belly area which can be dangerous. Do you mind if I take your body fat percentage?”

Emilio complied as the doctor ordered him to remove his shirt. It was chilly in the office and Emilio was feeling massive after their conversation. Dr. Juarez was paunchy, but Emilio easily outweighed him at half his age. He felt like a shameful pig, a far cry from the sexy hog that would revel in his gluttony at Alex’s side. A slight gasp escaped his mouth as the calipers pinched the abundant rolls on his side, sinking into his firm flubbery fat. Afterwards the doctor raised his eyebrows and gave the bad news.

“Your cholesterol is high and your body fat percentage is at an unhealthy level. I would recommend regular cardio and waist exercises along with a change in diet. If this rapid weight gain keeps up you’re looking at heart problems as well as diabetes. You’re too young to be this fat, Emilio. You have your whole life ahead of you and this belly of yours is only going to slow you down.”

Emilio’s face grew beat red with humiliation. His parents were going to have a field day with this. Dr. Juarez handed him some pamphlets on weight loss and healthy lifestyles and Emilio walked his fat ass out of the office.

Feeling despondent, Emilio contemplated calling Alex. He could really use a confident boost about his body right about now but didn’t want to come across as needy. After all, the two had been communicating less which saddened and confused Emilio. He chalked it up to needing space after the intense six months they spent together. Alex was always a solitary guy, he told himself, while deciding to just drive home.

Back in his car hunger pangs struck his greedy stomach. Emilio was craving Taco Bell but was filled with angst after what had just transpired. He craved the greasy delicious hit of sodium that was a fast food run. The thought of going home and eating some bland under seasoned vegetables was simply not enticing. That said, he felt completely shamed by the doctor’s visit. Emilio decided to pass on the fast food.

About five minutes from home Emilio saw the glowing bell in the distance. Saliva coelesced at the edges of his mouth. He was hungry. In that moment it was as though Emilio’s stomach took the wheel and his brain went completely silent. Seemingly out of control of his own actions, he turned the car into the drive thru.

“Hi, I’ll take a cheesy gordita crunch, a crunch wrap supreme, nachos, and a large Baja Blast please.”

“Is that all?”

“Screw it, make that three cheesy gordita crunches and throw on some cinnamon twists.”

Emilio parked with his lap full of steaming hot food, his mouth watering with desire. The next ten minutes were a blur as Emilio inhaled the food, barely paying attention to what it was he was even eating. He just needed to feel full and satiated. He was running on pure animalistic desire frantically shoving heaps of food into his mouth like a pig at the trough. And then suddenly, he reached down and the food was all gone.