Disclaimer: I do not own anything from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
Ponyboy, Soda, and Darry had been going to the same doctor for as long as the three of them could remember. His name was Doctor Sanderson. He was a good-natured, chubby, bearded old man, who reminded the boys Santa Clause when ever they saw him.
Dr. Sanderson worked in the east wing of the Tulsa central hospital. By the time Darry pulled his old pickup into the hospital's parking lot, Ponyboy was in tears.
Darry kept shooting anxious looks at his younger brother and saying, "Hold on Pony. We're almost there. Hold on Pony."
Ponyboy wished that Darry would be quite. He knew full well how close they were to the hospital, and he didn't need to hold on to anything. As far as Ponyboy was concerned, all he needed to do was lean back in the passenger seat and die. He had never felt so sick in his life, even after Johnny and Dally had almost died last year. His stomach hurt so badly, and he had started crying in spite of himself. The pain seemed to send shock waves through his arms and legs. All he could do was clench his teeth and moan and groan to himself.
Finally Darry parked the truck outside the front of the office, and ushered Ponyboy inside. The pair burst into Dr. Sanderson's office and Darry swiftly turned on the old secretary behind the desk. "Get Dr. Sanderson in here now!"
The lady started to say something but Darry cut her off. "Lady, can't you see that this is an emergency!"
She was silent as she spun around in her chair, and picked up the phone. "Dr. there are some patients here to see you. It is an emergency…Alright then."
She turned back to Ponyboy and Darry, who both had expressions of confusion and agitation on their faces. "Dr. Sanderson is in the examination room, just through there. You can go in now."
Darry put his arm around Ponyboy, and helped him through the doors of the examination room. They found Dr. Sanderson standing at the sink, washing his hands, and humming happily to himself. He hurriedly wiped his hands off and stepped forward. "Oh my God, Ponyboy Curtis, what is the matter?"
"My stomach hurts!" Ponyboy didn't mean to yell at him, but he couldn't help it. He felt like he was going to pass out if he didn't sit down straight away.
Dr. Sanderson and Darry helped Ponyboy onto the examination table, where the younger boy lay back thankfully, and closed his eyes. Dr. Sanderson quickly started questioning Darry, because it didn't look like Ponyboy had the strength to carry on a conversation at the moment.
"How long has your brother been having these pains?"
"Umm…he said about two days, but they've never been this bad before."
"Has Ponyboy eaten anything in the past four days that could have given him food poisoning?"
"Umm…I don't think so. He's only mostly eaten at home and I don't think we've made anything that could have gotten him sick; just soup, and chicken, and spaghetti...and other stuff."
"Is he on any medication?"
"No…well maybe aspirin, but that's it."
Dr. Sanderson nodded, turned toward Ponyboy, and placed his hand on the boy's stomach. He applied a bit of pressure, and Ponyboy yelped with pain. Dr. Sanderson moved his hand to the right and applied the same amount of pressure.
Ponyboy barked with pain again and said, "Stop pushin' on my stomach, will'ya. It hurts enough as it is!"
"I have to see where you are the most sensitive, to find out what it wrong with you." Dr. Sanderson answered calmly. He moved his hand to the left side of Ponyboy's stomach and pushed down.
Ponyboy said, "It doesn't hurt as bad there, as it did on the other side."
Dr. Sanderson nodded and said, "Okay Ponyboy, we need to just run a few tests to find out what's wrong. Alright?"
Pony sighed. "Alright."
First Dr. Sanderson called a nurse in, and had her get a blood sample from Ponyboy's arm. Ponyboy didn't want to seem weak or afraid in front of Darry, but he couldn't help but cry out when the nurse stuck the needle into his arm. Ponyboy had never done very well with needles.
Then the nurse stuck a thermometer into Ponyboy's mouth, and under his tongue. Darry stood protectively behind Ponyboy the whole time. When the nurse pulled the thermometer out of Ponyboy's mouth she examined it and clucked to herself. "102 degrees!" Darry looked at the woman in disbelief, then stepped forward and raised the back of his hand to Ponyboy's forehead. He almost gasped as he withdrew his hand in shock. "Lordly Pony, I had no idea you was burning up so bad!"
Dr. Sanderson reentered the room for a moment and walked to the examination table. He said, "Ponyboy, I know you're stomach hurts, but I need you to stand up for me. I need to see if you can support your own weight by yourself."
Darry helped Ponyboy to his feet, and then reluctantly released him. Ponyboy wobbled unsteadily for a moment before his knees buckled from underneath him, and his limp body went crashing for the floor. Darry and Dr. Sanderson caught him under the arms before he actually hit the floor. Once they hoisted him back onto the table, Dr. Sanderson rushed off again, leaving Darry, the nurse, and Ponyboy alone in the small room once again.
For twenty painful minutes, the three had to wait for the doctor to return. Darry was pacing angrily back and forth across the width of the room. He was continually mumbling to himself, "What's taking so long? Doesn't he see that my little brother is hurtin over here? Why doesn't that damn doctor hurry up? Can't he see that Ponyboy is in pain here?"
The friendly nurse had pulled up a chair next to Ponyboy, and was speaking to him in a soothing voice the entire time. She asked him where he went to school, what grade he was in, how old his brothers were, what sports he played, and when his birthday was. The woman just didn't seem to understand that Ponyboy was in no mood to talk. Just for the sake of being polite he had answered all of her questions, but the pain in his stomach seemed to intensify whenever he spoke. He really wanted Darry to quit walking circles around the room, and come tell this nurse lady to hush up.
Finally Dr. Sanderson came back into the room, this time with an urgent expression on his face. Darry stepped forward and demanded, "What is going on Doctor? What is taking so long to find out what is wrong with Ponyboy?!"
Dr. Sanderson put both of his hands palm down on the examination table next to Ponyboy's legs, and sighed. "Ponyboy's white blood count was much higher than usual. And just judging by his high fever, and the fact that he cannot stand up…I believe he is having an appendicitis attack."
They were all silent for a moment. Ponyboy didn't really understand what that meant. In anatomy class he had heard that the appendix was just some small useless organ in your stomach that caught all of the gum you accidentally swallowed. He had never heard of an appendicitis attack.
Darry finally asked, "So what does that mean?"
"It means that Ponyboy's appendixs has become inflamed, and will rupture if it is not removed quickly."
"Removed?"
"It is a small surgical procedure."
"He has to have surgery?!"
"Darrel, the appendixs is a totally useless organ. It will be no trouble to remove."
"But its surgery! Are you sure this is the only way to stop the pain…this isn't something that will just stop in a day or two? Cause, Ponyboy is real afraid of going under the knife. He's scared real bad of surgery, ever since he had his tonsils removed in first grade, remember?"
"Yes, I do remember…but this is the only way. I promise, it is a very normal and routine procedure. Ponyboy will be able to go home in just a few short days. But it is critical that we move him to the north wing, and get him into surgery. The longer we waist time, the more likely it is that his appendixs will rupture, and really hurt him."
Darry thought to himself for a moment, and then nodded. Dr. Sanderson told the nurse to go notify the north wing of the upcoming patient, and wheel in a gurney for them to transport Ponyboy on.
During this entire conversation, Ponyboy had gone as white as a sheet. He didn't want to have surgery. He had been so shaken and scared after he woke up from his last surgery, when he was seven.
Darry quickly stepped over toward his little brother. As soon as Darry was close enough, Ponyboy reached out and grabbed his hand. It just about broke Darry's heart to see Ponyboy so scared and in pain. But Darry just held onto Ponyboy's hand until the nurse came into the room with a rolling stretcher and Dr. Sanderson said, "Boys, its time to go."