Author Note: Ok so I decided to do a story spoiler. I know a lot of people (especially at the end of this chapter) will want to know what's going to happen to Soda. So, I decided to tell everyone right now if he dies or not. The story spoiler is at the bottom. You don't have to read it and actually if I were you I wouldn't, because that would spoil the story (hence the name story spoiler), but if you want to know then you can. BTW thanx to the reviewers. Also, I actually sort of researched this medical stuff, so I have to brag a little, cuz I think it's the first time ever, lol!
Disclaimer: The story is my own, but the characters all belong to S.E. Hinton. Also, parts of the book are quoted, so that completely belongs to S.E. Hinton. Those parts are in italics. I always forget to do a disclaimer for the chapters, so if I do, that goes for always!
Ponyboy's POV
I always hated waiting. It's not that I'm real impatient or anything, but all of this just waiting was making it worse. I had to much time to think about it and my mind was everywhere. Part of me wanted the doctor to hurry up and tell us how he was doing, but part of me was too scared of the truth.
I had finally quit bawling. Darry never said a word. Not one, single word. He put his arm on my shoulder once, but even then he said nothing. I thought that this silence was going to drive me insane.
I realized that I was pretty worn out. Bawling for that long can really take a lot out of you. I laid my head on Darry's shoulder and he put his arm around me.
"He's gonna be ok Pony. He'll live for you, if nothing else." That was the first time he had talked to me since he had told me that I needed to let the doctors put Soda in the ambulance.
"He'll live for you too, ya know," I told him, sleepily.
"Pony, I have to tell you the truth." I sat up and looked at him straight in the eye. "I'm scared." I didn't know what to say. Darry was scared and he was admitting it to me?
"It'll be ok. I'm here for you," I told him and I meant it.
"You should try to sleep. You look tired."
"Yeah, ok." I rested my head in his lap and he stroked my hair until I fell asleep.
I opened my eyes slowly and saw a doctor coming toward us. It was the same doctor that took care of me after I passed out, Doctor Hashings. I closed my eyes quickly once I saw him coming and pretended to be asleep. I don't know why, but it seemed like it would be awkward to hear how Soda was doing. I didn't know how to react or how to act when he was talking about it, so I just pretended to be asleep. The doctor came to us and turned to Darry. He was cheerful and easygoing. He seemed to really care about his patients and he was extremely tall, with brown, short hair and greenish brown eyes.
"Well, it seems another one of your brothers isn't doing so well." I knew he was probably really thinking that our family sure did have some rotten luck.
"Yeah," Darry answered.
"Is Ponyboy asleep?"
"Yeah."
"That's good, because I have a feeling he won't be getting much. At least, not if this is like last time you were here. You and Soda didn't sleep a minuet when Pony was ill." My head was still resting on Darry's lap and I felt him stroke my hair softly. I remembered a time when I thought that Darry could never be this gentle. But there was a warm sense of comfort now, even considering the circumstances. I never realized what it must have done to Darry and Soda when I was in the hospital, but I know now. I sure do know how that feels now.
"No, not a second," Darry corrected. The doctor sighed heavily.
"Look," the doctor said plainly, "ya'll are a great family and I know how much you care about each other, but I can't just keep making small talk and avoiding this. I have to give it to you strait. Soda isn't doing so well."
"What's wrong with him? What can we do?" I wanted to bawl. I had to focus really hard to make it seem like I was asleep. Even if the doctor didn't want to avoid this, I did. I began breathing lightly like Soda says I do in my sleep. Soda….
"He's suffering a concussion, broken leg, broken collar bone, and a minor infection in his side."
"But, Pony had a concussion and he was ok, Broken bones will heal and what an infection?"
"Yeah, it seems he had quite a cut in his left side. We assumed that he was cut by the people who jumped him. It wasn't treated quickly enough and it infected."
"Will it heal?"
"Yeah, it will heal. He'll be sore for a while, but we can treat it. His broken bones, they'll heal as well. It's the concussion that's giving us the most concern at this point."
"But Ponyboy suffered a concussion and he's fine now?"
"Yes, but his case was quite different. You see a concussion occurs when the fluid that surrounds the brain is unable to protect it from a sudden blow. This can damage the part of the brain that is not protected at that time. The part of the brain that was damaged in Pony's case is different from the part that was damaged in Soda's. Until tests are run we can not be sure exactly which parts were affected. However, based on where the swelling is the largest we have a prediction as to some of the sections of the brain that are suffering as a result. You know that the brain sends signals to certain parts of the body to control certain actions. We predict that the frontal lobe was damaged. It controls movement. If he can not recover, then he may become paralyzed. Another concern that we have is that he may never wake up and fall into a coma. I'm sorry, truly, but there is very little that can be done at this point." I felt tears fall uncontrollably from my eyes. I was thankful that I was facing away from Darry and could fake sleep still. I heard Darry talking to me even though as far as he knew I was sleeping.
"Oh Pony," he whispered in a shaking voice, "how am I going to tell you that he may never wake up. How on earth am I going to tell you that?" I knew that this was hard for Darry and I felt bead about letting him hear about Soda alone.
"You don't have to," I said softly, sitting up, "I was awake…Darry would if he really doesn't wake up? I never even got to tell him….." I couldn't finish I started bawling pretty bad. At that moment all I wanted to do was talk to Soda. But like, Johnny, like Dally and like my mother, it was too late.
STORY SPOILER: (DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SPOIL THE STORY) I will never kill anyone who was in the book! (So I think you can figure it out if Soda will die!)
