I pushed passed a few things around in the pantry. There was no soup, and soup was just about the only thing my stomach could handle. I had no clue what had swept over this household. Ponyboy had a double ear infection. I had to scream at the kid just so he would hear me. He was miserable. Sodapop came down with some type of virus. Lucky for me, I caught it too. I learned on counter and rubbed my head. Damn it Sunny. Where the hell are you? He was supposed to be home twenty minutes ago. I really needed some rest.
"You okay?" Soda asked from his seat at the table.
"Yeah, just a headache," I mumbled.
I needed to take his temperature. His face was getting pale, but his cheeks were flushed. He was still sitting with his leg tucked under his rear. Sunny had gone on a business trip to Austin three days ago. Before he left, he blistered Soda's rear end, and Soda hadn't sat down fully since. I wasn't sure what happened. All I knew was that Sunny had over heard a bull session. I had plans to tell him that was the last time he was going to spank them. I fumbled around in the cabinet trying to find the thermometer. I heard a slam of the car door. I turned around once I found the thermometer but Soda was gone. I sighed; I didn't blame him for running off.
"You look like crap." Sunny said, coming into the kitchen.
He had a happy grin on his face, but he was tired. I could tell from the black lines that framed his eyes.
"I told you on the phone; we are all sick. I'm out of soup. I need to run to the store before it closes."
Sunny shook his head. "You need to get your ass in bed. Canned soup is gross anyways. I'll make you some homemade chicken soup."
I had a feeling Sunny wasn't going to want to make me soup after this conversation.
"Pony, chop come carrots up for me. I'm going to go make sure Soda is okay," Sunny said.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I warned.
Sunny whipped around. "Why?"
"Because of you he hasn't sat down for the last three days."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Just that. You can't discipline them anymore. I forbid it."
Sunny looked like someone had kicked him between the legs. "If he isn't sitting. It's not because of me. I hardly swatted him."
"Maybe you don't know your own strength," I said. I almost felt bad. He looked really hurt.
"Did he say this?" Sunny asked slowly. He now had a confused expression on his face.
I shook my head. "No he has just been sitting with his legs tucked behind him."
"First of all, I would never hit them like that. Second, I swatted his ass twice and embarrassed him in front of his friends. If he is mad for anything, it is because of embarrassment. Forgive me; I don't want Soda to grow up to be a womanizer."
Sunny turned around on his heels and thundered down the hall. I took off after him as he went into Soda's room. I stayed back and leaned heavily on doorframe.
"Soda wake up for a second," He said gently.
Soda was lying on his side underneath the blankets. Sunny patted his hip to wake him up. Soda hissed in pain. Sunny pulled the blankets off of Soda. He was in boxers and a white shirt. It was the first time I was able to notice the massive bruising that started at his right knee. Sunny's eyes grew wide. He lifted up Soda's shirt and the bruises continued up his back.
"Give me the blankets backs. I don't feel good." Soda whined.
"Sodapop, I'm going to assume that those bruises don't skip over your ass," Sunny said. His jaw tight, and he was glaring at me.
Sunny dropped the blankets over Soda again. He sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Soda's hair.
"You probably did some damage to your tailbone. Were those there when you got in trouble the other day? Because those aren't from me."
Soda shook his head. "I'm going to get sick."
I took a step back. Vomit was the one thing I just couldn't handle. Which was another reason why I was happy that Sunny was back. He grabbed the wastebasket from the side and held it close to Soda. I turned away as Soda got sick. I was happy Sunny could handle vomit. We had a system going. He couldn't stand the mere sight of blood, and I couldn't do vomit. So when one of the boys was bleeding I handled it. When they threw up it was all Sunny.
"Sodapop, when I asked why you couldn't sit straight, you said Sunny whooped you. What really happened? Don't you dare lie this time," I said.
"It wasn't complete lie. He really did, but I fell and that is where the bruises came from," Soda answered.
Sunny let out a bitter laugh. He just shook his head. "What did you fall off of? The Grand Canyon?"
"I really just want some rest," Soda whined trying to hide under the covers.
"Answer the question," I barked. I was getting really irritated of these games.
"I fell off a bull at the rodeo. I got bucked off," Soda replied. "I only said it hurt from getting spanked was because I didn't think _"
"That's right you didn't think," I cut him off. "You didn't think one bit about how you aren't allowed to be in rodeos, about the fight you caused between Sunny and I, and that you might get hurt. Which is the one thing you did succeed at."
Sunny held his hand up. "The kid doesn't feel good. This right now will only make things worse. You're grounded to this room for two days, and what ever else Darry thinks you deserve."
"A month to the house," I added.
Sunny kissed the top of Soda's head. "Rest up. We're having a long talk tomorrow."
I followed Sunny out of the room. I felt horrible. My accusation was completely wrong. Pony was sitting in the kitchen chopping up carrots. I could tell he learned his chopping skills from Sunny.
"Sunny, I feel bad." I said.
"Go get some sleep or something Darry," Sunny ordered.
"Look I'm sorry, okay?"
I watched as he put a pot on the stove. He glanced at Pony. "Sorry for what? For trying to forbid me to discipline my brothers, or for thinking that I'm some kind of monster?"
"Come on, what was I supposed to think with everything, and you weren't here to stick up for yourself," I tried to reason.
"Right now, I'm seeing red. This whole thing is ridiculous. Do you even get what he got punished for? I'm not fighting with you in front of Pony," he said.
"He can't hear us from here," I told him.
Sunny rolled his eyes at me. He picked up a knife and some parsley and walked over to where Pony was chopping.
"How was the past three days for you? Besides the ear infections," he asked.
I knew there was no point in trying for tonight. Sunny wasn't going to give me the time of the day. I retreated back to my room. I had to admit. I was exhausted. My entire body ached.
The next thing I knew the sun was shinning in my face. It was past noon. "Shit," I said out loud. I had slept for close to twelve hours. I guess I needed it. I felt a lot better, but I needed some coffee.
Pony was sitting at the kitchen table drawing. The house was completely cleaned.
"Hey kid, how you feeling?" I asked as I poured the coffee.
"I'm feeling better," he replied.
"Sunny and you clean this morning?" I asked.
Pony shook his head. "Sunny did last night. It's the third and the social worker comes on the third. He hasn't slept yet. You better save some of that coffee. He is already on his second pot."
"Is he sleeping now?" I put the pot back.
"Nope, he's with Soda. Soda kind of turns into a big baby when he is sick. Hey, there is soup in the refrigerator. We made it last night."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Change your clothes. The state will be here soon."
"They already came. Soda puked on Sunny, and they said that they will come back next week."
I grimaced and by the look on Pony's face I could tell he was going to keep a safe distance from Soda. I poured another cup of coffee and took it to Sunny. He was sitting up in Soda's bed writing in a notebook with Soda laying on him.
"Got you this," I said handing the cup to him. "Heard you got thrown up on. Better you than need a break? Because I just slept for twelve hours I kind of feel_"
"Don't feel bad. You clearly needed it. You'll have to take over when I leave for work at three," he cut in.
Sunny wasn't making I contact with me. I could tell he was still kind of angry. "You did a lot better than I did my first time."
Sunny looked up at my confused. I couldn't help but grin. "You're first time with two sick kids."
"I got puked on. How much worse could your experience have been?" He asked.
"It wasn't. I just wanted to see if you would be willing to listen," I replied.
Sunny threw his pen on top of his notebook. He leaned his head on the headboard. It was the first time that he gave me eye contact. "I'm listening."
"First off, I never saw his bruises. I know that you would never do anything like that. Second, I had no right to tell you that you can't discipline them. You have every right too. I didn't even know what Soda did in the first place. Third, I'm just flat out sorry."
Sunny fiddled with a few strands of Soda's hair. "Darry, I thought taking care of teenagers was going to be really easy. I thought that maybe I would take them to their first concert or something. This job isn't easy. This neighborhood isn't an easy place to grow up in. Our neighbors beat their wives, there are gangs, drugs flow like water out of the faucet here, and I don't want them influenced by this shit."
"I understand. It rough here. We can't shelter them from everything," I said.
"We can't shelter them from anything, Darry. That's my point. I know you think I might be a little harsh, but when I see one of them displaying signs that they may turn out to be like some hood, or wife beater, or druggie. I'm going to come down hard," he said.
"I get it," I said rubbing my temples. "I completely understand it.
"Explain to me how one second, they can be sweet kids like this one minute," he pointed to Soda. "Then total delinquents the next."
"Because he is sleeping," I smirked.
Sunny laughed, "I don't want them to end up in jail, or doing drugs like I did."
"I think they will be alright. I mean we make a good enough team to make up for being parents." I said.
"They don't get away with much. That is for sure," Sunny smirked.
I stood up and stretched out. "How can they? They got you for a mommy."
"Oh that is a low blow. I'm not the mommy is screwed up arrangement." Sunny threw a pillow at my head.
I blocked the pillow. "You sure throw like a girl."
"Consider yourself lucky that Soda is sleeping," Sunny said. He made an attempt to sound serious, but it wasn't working.
"Hey, you're the one that calls everyone by some damn pet names, cooks and cleans, and freaks out about nutrition. That's a mommy," I jabbed.
" Right here, kiddo," he said holding up his middle finger.
"I love you too," I smiled and then knocked him in the head with the pillow.