please enjoy chapter 9. Review please also.

Darry POV

I gently set my youngest brother on the couch and shook him gently. He had fallen asleep again.

Two-bit looked ready to cry and went over to him. This was nothing like the jovial Two-bit.

"Hey" Two-bit said. Ponyboy opened his eyes slowly and looked up at Two-bit. "Why a-are you l-leaving?"

Two-bit responded with, "I got a job, so I can't stay here during the day.

Ponyboy looked frightened and said, "Who will?"

"Soda or I will." I answered him.

He calmed down a bit, and I saw Two-bit bend down and give Ponyboy a hug. Ponyboy was limp at first and I thought that he had fallen asleep again. Then he hugged Two-bit back.

They stayed there for a few seconds, and then Two-bit slowly stood up, with tears in his eyes. He knew that this could be the last time that he saw Ponyboy, alive.

The next thing that happened made me happy and sad at the same time. Steve wanted to say goodbye as well.

I thought Ponyboy had fallen asleep again. Steve went over and slowly gave him a hug. After about 5 seconds, Ponyboy hugged him back.

That caused Soda to break. His best friend was hugging his youngest brother, who was dying.

I heard Ponyboy crying as well. He must have known now that if Steve was saying goodbye, his time must really almost be over.

They stopped hugging and Steve stood up with tears in his eyes as he went to stand next to Sodapop.

Two-bit finally said that he had to leave soon, because his first shift started soon. I still didn't know where he worked but that didn't matter right now. He left, and the front door closed behind him.

Ponyboy had fallen asleep again. I picked him up again and put him in bed.

I didn't know it at the time, but it was going to be a long night.

XXX

Ponyboy POV

I well asleep a while ago, but I was forced awake by my body forcing me into a coughing fit. I put my hands over my mouth and coughed, trying not to be so loud. I sat up in a sitting position and tried to stop coughing. I get a hand on my back, and knew that it was Soda.

Great, I woke up Sodapop. I removed my hands, which had blood on them, and ran into the bathroom as fast as my body allowed.

I washed my hands and dried them. All of this running upset my stomach, and I stumbled to the toilet. Sodapop was right behind me. He left the bathroom and got a glass of water. I drank some, but it didn't even get halfway down, because I ended up emptying whatever was in my stomach, which wasn't much, into the toilet.

I don't know why my stomach was so mad at me. I didn't even eat supper. Darry must have heard my coughs earlier because he showed up in the doorway.

I was so tired now, I actually thought that I was dying. My chest never stopped hurting, and my energy was gone in a second. I put one arm on the rim of the toilet and laid my head on it.

I was so weak, it was hard for me to even stay awake for a few hours. I could do it, but it was just hard for me.

I heard Darry say something like, "Come on, little buddy."

I felt him put one arm under my chest and the other one behind my back and slowly pull me off of the toilet. I fell backwards but my back landed on his chest, because he was sitting up against the wall. I was leaning against his chest, until I felt his other arm slip under my legs and slowly lift me up. He carried me to our room, but once we got into my room, I fell asleep in his arms.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next one will be posted soon.