Chapter 7: No Sleep
Darry woke up an hour latter and moved back into Pony's room. Soda was in the armchair wide awake.
"You didn't sleep long." Sodapop said disappointed.
"Did he walk up again?" Darry asked, going over to the bed and checking Pony's bandage.
"Once around five. He didn't say anything though."
"Did you get him to eat?"
"More of that cake."
Darry changed Ponyboy's bandage as the sun raised and Sodapop made them something to eat.
"You need to shave Soda." Darry commented just noticing Soda's thick stubble.
"I'm fine."
Darry stud up and pushed Sodapop out the door. "I've got him. Go wash up."
Soda was good until he started shaving. His eyes kept drooping and his hand felt as heavy as a brick. "Ow!" He removed the razor from his neck and saw the blood on it. He cursed and threw the razor down.
"What happened?" Darry asked, rushing into the bathroom.
"Nothing. Just cut myself shavin' that's all."
Soda had taken a good chunk out of his neck.
"Oh, Sodapop." Darry grabbed a band-aid and gave it him. "Go to bed Sodapop."
"No," –he shook his head- "I'm fine."
"Soda, you're half asleep already."
Soda looked in the mirror, at the big dark circles under his eyes. "I don't want too."
Darry picked Sodapop up and carried him into Darry's own room.
"I want to sleep with Pony." Sodapop complained.
"You can, when he gets…" -Darry yawned- "better. But for right now you sleep in here." Darry pulled the blanket on Soda and turned out the light.
Ponyboy's voice drifted into Soda's sleep. It wasn't a hallucinating Ponyboy, it was a sane one. Soda opened his eyes, it was Ponyboy. He was awake and sane and really talking to Darry. Sodapop threw off the covers and ran out of the room. Ponyboy was sitting up on bed, the blanket down around his legs. He looked as though he had just woken up from an hour nap not a couple day nap. Soda was so happy to see Ponyboy was feeling better he jumped for him. Darry caught him around the waist with impressive reflexes.
"No rough stuff, little buddy."
Sodapop hadn't been asleep for more then two hours but he was as hyper as ever. "Gosh," Soda said hopping up and down on the bed. "but you were sick. You fell okay now?"
Ponyboy smiled, "I'm okay. Just a little hungry."
"I should think you would be," Darry said looking at an empty plate of cake crumbs. "You wouldn't eat anything most of the time you were sick. How'd you like some mushroom soup?"
"Man," Pony moaned. "I'd like that just fine."
"I'll make some." Darry said, then tapped Soda's shoulder. "Sodapop, take it easy with him."
Soda looked back at him. "You'd think I was going to challenge him to a track meet or something right off the bat." Soda said after Darry.
Darry heard Ponyboy and Soda talk from the kitchen. He didn't listen to the words, just the sound of their voices. He rummaged through the pantry looking for a can of mushroom soup.
"Hope he doesn't think this tastes like boloney." He said to himself as he stirred it. He poured some into a bowl and brought it in to Ponyboy. "Alright, here-" He stopped short.
Ponyboy was fasted asleep in Soda's sleeping arms. Darry smiled, turned off the light, closed the shads and put the soup back on the stove to stay warm. And then went to bed himself.
