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Chapter 7

Ponyboy's POV.

I can hear voices around me quietly whispering to each other. I try to remember what had happened, I was puking my guts out, and then Soda went to go get a nurse because I felt bad. I try to move but I don't have the strength to, I feel around and realize that I'm lying down on a hospital bed. I groan and try to open my eyes but my eyes feel like they have dumbbells on them. There's a sudden weight shift on the bed and someone pushes my hair back.

"Ponyboy? Pony, can you open your eyes for me?" I hear Darry say gently. I struggle and then finally open my eyes. Darry and Soda are sitting on the bed on either side of me. They are both smiling down at me and the gang is there standing by the bed and sitting in chairs.

"Hey guys." I say. My voice sounds weak like it did when Darry took me to the hospital. Then there's a flash of pain across my abdomen. I groan and Soda holds my hand. Darry pushes my hair back and rubes my head.

"Does your side hurt, Pone?" he asks nicely.

"Yeah, what happened?" I ask them. They look at each other with looks of confusion. Darry looks back at me and smoothes my hair back.

"Your appendix burst, kiddo. You've been out for about five hours with a fever. It was 103 now it's 102. The doc said we could take you home tomorrow since you're doing so well. He also said that you are going to be in pain for a few days and can't go to school for about a week. Just take it easy little buddy." He says.

"Yeah, now all you have to do is be waited on hand and foot." Two-Bit jokes.

"Shouldn't be too hard for you, kid." Steve says smirking.

There's a knock on the door and Lizzy walks in. She looks tired and worn out. Liz smiles at me when she sees that I'm awake.

"Hey little Curtis, how you feeling?" she asks testing my temperature.

"A little sore and my side hurts pretty bad. Is it suppose to feel like that?" I ask her shyly. I fell like a wuss with the gang in here.

"Yeah, but you must have a tolerance for pain. You really should be in the fedal position right now crying." She says matter-of-factly while she checks my vitals. She gives me a wink letting me know that I really shouldn't be in the fedal position, and the only reason she said that is so I can look tough for the gang.

"Alright, everything looks good, you should be able to go home tomorrow. You need anything just give me a holler, ok?" she says leaving the room.

"Yeah ok. Thanks Lizzy for everything." I thank her and she just smiles and heads out the door.

"Darry?" I turn to him as he hops off the bed.

"Yeah?" he asks taking my hand in his.

"Do I really have to miss a week of school? I mean I'm going to have a lot of homework to make up." I tell him. Staying in bed for a week I could do, but having to do a week's worth of homework would suck.

"Don't worry, Pone, I'll get your homework for ya." Johnny says finally speaking up.

"Thanks Johnny." I tell him. Then there's another flash of pain in my stomach and I cringe.

"Hurt again Pony?" Soda asks me still on the bed.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. Say how long have you guys been here, you don't have to stay because of me. You guys can go home." I say trying to get them to leave so they can't hold me being a baby against my head for a year because of the pain.

"Yeah, I should get home. My ma will through a fit if I don't get there soon." Two-Bit says coming over to mess up my hair. I smack his hand away and the others follow his example Darry offered to walk them out to their cars. After they leave Soda takes my hand.

"On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad does your stomach hurt?" he asks nicely not being a jerk about this.

"It only hurts sometimes and when I move around so I'd say about a 7." I tell him holding on to his hand. He brushes some hair away from my face and smiles at me with tenderness in his eyes.

"Sorry about that, kiddo. The doctor said that you'd be hurting for awhile but if you don't move around so much your stomach won't feel as bad. You keep bothering your stitches that's part of the reason you're hurting so bad."

"Oh, ok I won't move as much then. Can I sit up, my back is killing me?" I ask him.

"Sure, just let me help you. Lizzy said that your stitches could bust if you move around too quickly." Soda gets off the bed and puts my arm over his shoulder he leans me up slowly and gently then puts pillows under my back and gently pushes me back.

"There you go." He says sitting next to me again. Darry comes back in and sits next to me on the side that Sodapop isn't sitting on.

"Doc said that you need to rest. Take a nap, Pone, we'll take you home tomorrow." He says softly rubbing my hand. I yawn and close my eyes.

"You guys will be here when I wake up right?" I asks them already half asleep.

"Corse Pony, will be here. Night, Ponyboy." Soda says rubbing my hair. I lay there next to my brothers and fall asleep.

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