To my hopes, I was able to publish this chapter much sooner than expected. I'm hoping to get another chapter out this week, but I can't be certain due to the fact I'll be very busy starting on Friday. Anyways, I apologize for any grammatical errors present and please rate and review. Also, sorry for any medical or other inaccuracies.
"Sodapop Patrick, where do you think you're going?" Darry sharply questioned, watching as Soda put on his raincoat, grabbed some things off the counter and took the keys to the truck. It was late in the evening, pouring outside as it usually did in the state of Oklahoma. An unexpected bolt of lightning had made its appearance with a loud crack causing Soda to flinch as he headed for the front door. "Sodapop," he repeated, making his way towards Soda as it opened with a loud creak.
There were times where Soda's big brother was no match for him so he chose to give in to his big brother. But not even one like Darry was free from the human art of rebellion. He turned his body to face him, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I ain't no little kid, Dar. I can go out by myself, can't I?"
"Sure you can, but if you're gonna put more poison in yourself, it's my damn responsibility to keep you from doing so. I don't want you getting your hands on any of it!" he yelled.
"Cmon Dar, all I gotta do is get out of this house, even blow off some steam with Stevie. Is there a problem with that?" Soda shot back, becoming uneasy as his body craved for more. He was itching badly to get a fix and accompanied by a sick feeling in his stomach. What he did not want not was to deal with a still very over-protective Darry out of all things.
Darry sighed, putting his arm against the doorframe for support as he grew weary. "For the love of God, I ain't letting you destroy your life any longer. One day you're going to-"
"Glory, what do you think I'll do? Don't get your panties in a twist. I won't." Soda interrupted, and before he could get a response Sodapop stormed out into the front porch, making his way to the truck. He didn't bother to look back as the engine started with a purr, driving off to what he knew as the second-best place on earth— one spot behind home of course.
Little did Darry know what Sodapop would bring in the back of the truck. And they wouldn't, not for some time anyway. What was certain though was that it would drastically change the trajectory of the Curtis brother's lives.
The two brothers had been waiting for a little over an hour to hear news about their troubled brother's condition. It was also at the same time that Darry suddenly realized that he would have to begrudgingly call Steve and Two-Bit about the events that had transpired―the events that he simply wishes he could wash out of his mind. Darry could not control how they kept repeating, visibly shuddering each time he relived seeing Soda's challenge to do something as simple as breath.
Fortunately, the haze surrounding his brain had been disappearing and he could feel gain the ability to pull himself together. On the other hand, Ponyboy looked in distress even as he slept. His brows were scrunched up and his breathing was fast, similar to when he used to have nightmares. Darry could only hope he wouldn't have to confront the hell created by his own mind for too long.
It was close to midnight and though Darry's body was tired, his mind felt unnaturally awake. The waiting area of the Emergency Room was about empty so he didn't mind letting out a few tears. At this point, he couldn't stop the feeling within him to keep the dam pouring out of its cracks. If he had to wait one more hour to find out how Soda was doing, he wouldn't help but to go insane.
Despite Darry's own protests he leaned back and let his eyelids shut, enjoying the darkness that came with it. It was as if the storm was nearly over and only clouds were left in the sky. Not aware of how much time had passed, he was just about to nod off when the sounds of Ponyboy abruptly shifting in his chair broke the near silence. He opened his eyes to see Pony squirming uncomfortably as he sat sleeping, eyes moving from side-to-side underneath the lids.
Darry's breath hitched as a wave of sympathy rushed over him, putting a hand on his trembling shoulder and squeezing it gently. "Ponyboy its okay, it's just a dream. You gotta wake up for me," he whispered. Thankfully without much trouble, Ponyboy's eyes flew open as his body gave a jolt, gasping heavily as he took in his surroundings.
Darry let out a sigh of relief, "It's alright Pony, you gotta be quiet. We're in the hospital, remember?" Pony turned to look at him groggily, nodding slightly in response. Darry could tell he was embarrassed, being older and still having nightmares as if he had just turned 14 again. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ponyboy frowned, then shook his head. Based on the circumstances, he decided not to press matters any further. He rubbed his eyes, "Do you know where Soda is?"
"Not yet, Pone. You only dozed off half an hour ago." Darry answered, who relieved to see his younger brother finally settle down. But even as his breaths slowly became even, there was still a deep look of worry in Pony's eyes. For a second, he wondered if his own looked the same.
That was when a voice came from somewhere in the distance, causing Darry's heart to nearly skip a beat. "Family of Sodapop Curtis?" it called out, and he stood up so quickly that the room spun for a few seconds, merely shaking the feeling off as his eyes searched the room only to see a man, presumably a doctor. It was only Darry's feet that had the chance to move rather than his mind, scurrying off to him as if his existence were a lifeline.
"I'm Dr. Clark. Are you Darrel Curtis?" the man asked softly, the tone of his voice a sharp contrast to the two brother's roaring emotions. "Yes," Darry answered, words coming out unintentionally harsh. He was in no mood for questioning, so he cut straight to the chase. "How is he doing?"
"We did everything we could for him. Sodapop's hanging in there, but he's in critical condition." The words 'critical condition' hit too close to home for Ponyboy, whose breath had got caught up in his throat.
Dr. Clark continued despite Ponyboy's inner protest, lowering his voice. "His lungs nearly stopped working—thankfully we were able to prevent that from happening— but his lungs aren't holding up too well. Earlier today, we had to put him on a ventilator."
Ponyboy's emotions had grown beyond the best of him, causing him to spill out a few words without fault. "Will he be okay?" he breathed out, not caring if how foolish it might have sounded at that second.
"Sodapop's a fighter, so I am optimistic that he will recover. But there's something I must discuss with you," the doctor replied grimly. Pony could feel his high hopes go down the drain after each word. Could this get any worse?
"Since he was suffering from a clear shortage of oxygen in his bloodstream when he came in, I'm sorry to tell you this but I can't guarantee that there won't be permanent brain damage. Sodapop has been shown to be unresponsive in cognitive examinations, which further leads me to conclude that he might be in a coma."
Darry's stomach lurched and for a moment, he was afraid he could lose the contents of his stomach right there. He can hear his kid brother let out a deep gasp alongside him. "W-What? Will he wake up?"
Dr. Clark took longer than Darry wanted him to provide an answer, feeling the blood pounding in his ears."I don't know, Darrel. It's too early to assume that he won't. If there's one thing, I have hope for Sodapop,"
"...Can we see him?"
"Yes, however only for a limited amount of time— 30 minutes at most. Come with me," leading Ponyboy and Darry through the many halls of the hospital and into an elevator. Pony shuddered when his eyes peered at the sign with the words 'Intensive Care Unit' on it— the worse recollections of his life were produced right here, and he wasn't sure if he could handle the circumstances for any longer.
They stopped once they had made their way front of a room, the room Pony knew he was forced to come to grips that a critically-ill Sodapop was fighting for his life. "In 30 minutes, a nurse will come here to escort you," Mr. Clark said as he opened the door to the thankfully private room. Darry was the first one to go in, and within seconds he would discover that nothing in the world would have prepared him and Ponyboy for what they were going to see.
You might be thinking why Sodapop seems so OOC and though it's not my exact intention, I wanted to display how the struggles of war, PTSD, and drug addiction could change him. Also, I apologize if Pony seems younger than 18— I try my best to make him older, but my mind tends to be in 14-year-old Ponyboy writing mode most times, lol. On another note, I struggle with dialogue and so if it's lame, I'm sorry. I'm seeking to make it better as I write more.