Blowin' Smoke
Candymouse22: I know I'm terrible! But I love it lol. Thank you for reviewing.
Guest: We will see what I wrote in this chapter...
FebuaryMarch: Just read this chapter and see what I did. :) And I know, I feel that way about stories sometimes. But they're fun too write too lol! Thank you for reviewing and sticking with me!
Teeloganroryflan: You'll have to see what torture I have in store lol! Thank you for reviewing.
Amanda (Guest): I know I did lol! It is cool though. Just see what happens, okay, I ain't giving away anything until you read. Thank you for your review!
Sofia (Guest): Maybe, maybe not. Just read. Thanks for your review!
CHAPTER 9
Soda's POV (Mid-January, 1968)
I jumped awake, my heart pounding in my ears. My first thought was, "is this what it feels like to be Ponyboy?"
I squeezed Ponyboy's hand and checked the heart monitor. He was perfectly fine. Well, he was in a hospital, but he was alive. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Oh Ponyboy," I mumbled. I heard Darry's footsteps behind me.
"Hey, Soda, are you alright?" He questioned as soon as he laid eyes on me.
I shook my head. "Bad dream."
"What about?"
I shuddered. "Ponyboy," was the only explanation I offered, but Darry seemed to understand.
"I ran into the doctor and he said tomorrow they'll start to take Ponyboy off the sedatives. If he keeps improving like this, we can take him home in a few days."
"I know," I sighed. "I'm just worried."
"I know you are."
I noticed something in Darry's hand. Chocolate milk and a snickers bar. He realizes what I'm looking at and the corners of his lips tug up slightly.
"Hungry, little buddy?" I hadn't noticed it before, but suddenly I was ravished. I nodded eagerly and he handed me the food.
"There's a Dairy Queen just down the street if you want to get some dinner there. We won't be gone long."
I looked at Ponyboy and then back at Darry. He sighed.
"Or I'll pick it up and sneak it back in here."
I grinned at him. There was no way anything could pull me away from Ponyboy.
OoOoOoO
There was nothing more amazing than the sight of my brother's brilliant green eyes open and looking at me.
"Hey, kiddo," I whispered, grinning wider than I had in a long time.
"How do you feel?" Darry asked, reaching over and squeezing his hand.
"Like death," he answered in a painfully hoarse voice.
I laughed as a weight that had been sitting on my chest was lifted. Hearing him speak was so relieving.
"Do you want some water?" Darry offered.
"Please," Ponyboy replied, letting out a light cough. He winced slightly, but regained his composure pretty quick. I guess his ribs were still a little bit sore.
Darry poured water into the glass that had been sitting on a nearby table and handed it to Ponyboy. "You got it?"
"Yeah," Ponyboy answered, taking slowly but greedy sips of water before setting the now empty glass back onto the end table.
After a few minutes his eyes slipped clothes and his breathing slowed down to a relaxing, deep rhythm and before I knew it I had fallen asleep with him.
OoOoOoO
The next few days passed uneventfully. There was always someone with Ponyboy at the hospital. Mostly, it was me when Darry was at work, and when both of us were at work it was Two-Bit. Steve hasn't shown up in a while and I was getting kind of worried.
I hadn't gotten a chance to check on him, however, until Darry, Ponyboy, and I were on our way home from Ponyboy getting discharged. My heart sank when I saw him sitting on our porch steps with Two-Bit next to him, both sipping a beer.
Steve wordlessly raises his hand in a wave.
"I have an announcement," Steve proclaimed. Our silence told him to continue. He suddenly gave a bitter laugh.
"Got this in the mail a few days ago." He held up a crinkled letter as proof. "Guess I'm going to 'Nam."
His tone seemed uncaring and bitter, but one look at him and I knew he was terrified. Masking the pain with bitterness was a talent of Steve's.
No one moved or said anything and suddenly I found myself mad. I almost proclaimed that I would go with him, but I knew I couldn't. Screw my freaking asthma. Screw the cards that are never on our side.
"Screw this," I finally muttered out loud. Before I knew what I was doing I stormed off. I heard footsteps following me, but it wasn't until Steve called my name that I knew who it was.
"Soda, shoot, man, come back."
"How come you have to go?"
"I don't know," Steve answered honestly. "Just how it happened it, I guess. Bad luck."
"It ain't fair," I mumbled. Steve looked at me for a long moment.
"What's really bothering you? 'Cause I'm going to be fine. You know that. I'm coming home," Steve promised.
"Why do you have to go while I sit at home, worthless and unable to do anything?" My life wasn't worth as much, people like Steve and Darry were going places. I was always going to be the sick dropout.
"Soda, you ain't worthless. Sure, there are things you can't do, but you can do things that I can't do, too. Don't talk like that."
"Like what? What can I do that you can't? Because all I'm seeing is my best friend fighting some stupid war I'm safe from," I grumbled.
"Put up with that little brother of yours, for one," Steve joked, lightening the mood. I swung at him and he ducked, laughing as he took off in a light jog. I glared, able to keep the slow running pace. We made it back to the house and I felt better than before. Nothing was going to be okay until this war was over, but all I could do was have confidence in Steve that he would come home safe.
Stay Gold,
- Alee XxX
