Title: That's a night
By: RayOfDarkSunshine
Summary: What can falling out a window, food poisoning and an old drinking game have in common? Well, the can all land you in the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital [One-shot, AU]
A/N: This is an opening to an AU fic I'm posting in the new year called Puerile but more on that when it comes. You'll understand a little bit more later. Why I'm posting this BEFORE the head fic, well I'm leading to things. Everybody is I KNOW OOC but all will be revealed and besides it's an AU so fuck it. Enjoy!
"Ugh, this sucks," Ponyboy moaned clutching is stomach. "The one night I'm allowed to a party and I end up in hospital."
"That's why you should never eat the hosts food, it's shit," Curly replied.
It would be wrong to assume that Curly Shepard had volunteered to take the sick Curtis to the hospital. More like he'd been the only one sober enough to drive him even though he too had drank, just not as much as the wild party goers. Either way the two teenagers were now sitting in the waiting room of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, neither wanted to be there but since Ponyboy couldn't walk more than three feet without collapsing with stomach pains, it was the best place they could be.
"Look, I'm going to find the café..." Curly stood up before turning to Ponyboy. "Don't die before I get back, I'm sure your parents wouldn't thank me."
So he left, stealing a quick glance at Ponyboy who had curled up on the now vacant seat. The poor kid looked like death had been killed, buried, dug up and killed again. That all-round ashen faced sick look. Sighing he headed off. It wasn't like he knew the way about, the way to the all night café was obvious, just smell the shitty food it served. Walking down two flights of stairs Curly emerged in the main lobby with the tiny shop and café on one side and the ambulance bay on the other. Nice view that, half dead people whilst eating food.
Ordering a coffee, hoping it wouldn't have an adverse effect on top of alcohol, Curly flopped down in one of the plastic chairs and took a deep drink. He really didn't want to be looking after a food-poisoned, under-aged, near drunk know it all. It wasn't exactly his idea of a good night. Guess he'd just have to suck it up, besides it was better than being at a stupid party that would have ended in everybody just getting high.
"I wish I was at that party!" Curly wailed audibly not caring who heard.
-0-
"Lessoned learned, don't throw things at each other near open windows," Soda confirmed.
"Gotta admit it was funny though," Steve returned to his friend.
"Yeah, until I fell out," Soda replied.
Even though he was in a lot of pain (damn nurse had gone somewhere) Soda was still smiling. Somehow he still found hilarity out of falling out of a second story window. Good thing it was a second story and some bushes broke his fall. However the dislocated shoulder and bleeding cuts weren't anything to smile about. They hurt like hell. Admittedly it wasn't the first time Soda had done something like this, and probably wouldn't be the last either but maybe next time he would try to not fall out of any windows.
"I'm going to find that nurse with those painkillers," Steve said and turned to leave.
"Nah, it's fine Steve, lay off," Soda asked.
"Don't even think about playing the hero here, you fell out a window," Steve answered and he was gone.
Brown eyes rolled like marbles as he watched his friend exit the ward in search of the nurse who seemed to misunderstand the meaning of 'two minutes'. Albeit, it was only meant to be an expression but when somebody was in pain, it might have been taken literally. Soda just didn't want to kick up a fuss, there were always people worse off than he was and a little thing like a dislocated shoulder (which wasn't such a little thing) could be left until later. Besides, the blonde didn't mind sitting around, as long as Steve was there things would be fine. Loneliness wasn't an issue, sitting in an unknown place alone was the issue.
"Come back Steve," Soda muttered and looked around.
The white wash curtains obscured most of his vision to seeing what was in front of him which happened to be an empty bed, very exciting. Running his uninjured hand over his face, a sense of tiredness swept over him. It was already late when they (Steve and him) had arrived at the hospital but having sat around for a few hours doing tests and such, despite the diagnosis being obvious, and then sitting around waiting for doctors and others, the time had really worn on. Nearly a full 24 hours Soda and Steve had been awake and it was beginning to show.
"Says she'll be here 'momentarily'," Steve said. "But if that's true, then shoot me."
"Oh don't worry, I will," Soda replied with a smile.
The two shared a privet laugh when, unexpectedly, the nurse appeared with the painkillers.
-0-
"Okay, that was a bad idea," Two-Bit moaned.
"What was? The drinking or...I don't know, the drinking?" Darry replied.
"The drinking," Two-Bit moaned again.
Generally the ginger was used to drinking, in fact he almost lived on the stuff. However, he wasn't immune to the problems drinking brought, like alcohol poisoning. That's what the doctors were saying it was but tests were still being checked and so Two-Bit and Darry were sitting in the waiting room whilst the normally grinning teenager, was mocked by his elder. A little bit cruel but in Darry's eyes, Two-Bit deserved it. Maybe now he would see that not everything in life revolved around drink and at the rate he had been going at, he (Two-Bit that it) would end up dead before he was thirty.
"I need to find out what that guy put in that drink," Two-Bit said, his words muffled by the direction he was facing.
"I don't think it was what he put in it, I think it was because," Darry paused. "Have you ever seen drinks that have flakes in them, usually Vodka?" there was a short 'uh-huh' from Two-Bit "Well he gave you that. The flakes cut up your throat to make you get drunk faster. Makes the alcohol go right to your blood stream."
The was a pregnant paused and Two-Bit shuddered violently before vomiting on the pristine hospital floor. Darry jumped back a few steps at the sudden before sighing, suddenly regretting agreeing to helping out the poor drunkard. That's what friends did though, helped each other out and it seemed nobody else was going to help him. Luckily the nurse noticed what happened and Two-Bit was moved to his own cubical.
"I never want to drink again," Two-Bit moaned lying on his back.
Darry laughed, it was an honest laugh.
"You say that now," Two-Bit cut him off.
"I mean it, from now on I'm not drinking, not a single drop."
"Yeah sure, then your grades will improve and you'll actually graduate," Darry mocked.
Two-Bit let out a 'humph' and flopped back on the bed staring up at the glaring lights on the ceiling.
"I feel like shit," Two-Bit murmured.
"Good thing I'm around then," Darry remarked.
Two-Bit smiled wanly before closing his eyes, drunk as he was, he was absolutely shattered.