When Darry came home, I was in the bathroom, my face in the toilet, retching.
"Ponyboy, where are you?"Darry asked.
"He's in the bathroom," Dolly said worriedly as I coughed.
"Oh, glory… thanks, Dolly. You can go now," He said as I heard footsteps coming towards the bathroom and the front door opening and closing.
"Oh, Ponyboy," He gasped and kneeled down next to me and rubbed my back up and down. I coughed vigorously. Darry stood up and started to run water in the I stopped coughing up everything, Darry flushed and helped me stand up. He wet a washrag and wiped my mouth and around it.
"Come on, take your shirt off." He said. I felt so weak that I couldn't even accomplish that task. "I cant…" He sighed and pulled my shirt off over my head.
"Can you at least take off your pants?" I nodded, pulling down my sweatpants.
"Underwear, let's go. I won't look," He whistled and turned towards the all as I peeled it off.
"I did it," I squeaked.
"Ok, hop in the tub," I weakly and shakingly dipped myself into the luke-warm water, relaxing my achey, trembling body.
"Ponyboy, you know I hate it when you have that grease in your hair," I was drifting off to sleep.
"I don't feel like washing it out," I Whispered. I felt strong hands scrub against my head, getting every drop of grease out. I looked at Darry and wanted to fall asleep.
"Dunk your head in. Let's go," I pushed my face into the water and swayed my head trying to get the soap out. I looked up to see Darry washing his hands.
"I'm gonna go put these clothes in the dirty clothes. I'll come back with clean ones. I want you out when I do, understood?" I nodded and when he left, I fell asleep.
"Ponyboy, wake yup. You've been asleep I here for 2 hours. Let's go. Vamoose," he handed me a fresh towel and walked out. I dried myself off and put the clean clothes Darry had left. He walked back in and cracked a grin. I looked at him and felt that fever warmth and raspy dryness to my throat come back. I held out my arms and Darry smiled. He picked me up and out me on his lip as I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my cheek into his shoulder.
"I remember when you were born. We stayed with Grandma here while Dad came back and picked us up. We went and saw you. You were so little. I remember asking Mom what your name was. Dad brought us to the drugstore next door and bought me and Soda candy bars. I still have my wrapper… Dad's favorite, Hershey's." He began to cry, tears running down his cheeks. I could tell he missed him more than I did.
"I remember our first trip to the zoo with you and went to go see the tigers and Soda said he wanted to be a tiger. So Dad…." He heaved, trying to make himself stop crying, "Dad bought him that tiger mask… Sodapop still has it, y'know?" I began crying into his chest, clinging to his t-shirt.
"Mom used to pick you up like this and walk around the house whenever it rained… You'd suck your thumb and stuff your face into that blanket of yours…" At that moment, the heavens cracked and tears fell from the angels, giving us grief.
"I miss them, Darry," I sobbed, trying to breathe smoothly, but was failing every time. He bobbed me up and down, rubbed my back, and said, "Shhh… I know, baby, I know… It's hard… shhh."
"When are we gonna see them again?"
"In heaven, little buddy… in heaven," I cried into his neck. I missed them too much to comprehend. Darry laid his cheek against my hair and shushed me quietly.
"Momma was beautiful, huh?"
"Yeah, she was beautiful."
"She was golden too, right?"
"Yeah, Lil' Colt, Mommy was beautiful and golden." And that night, I dreamt about my beautiful, golden mother with my big brother rocking me to sleep.