Trial and Error
Chapter 11
Soda POV
Darry had to work. So I was taking pony in for his check up. I felt horrible for the wreck. I woke pony up and told him to take a shower and get cleaned up for the appointment. He trudged in there, he still had a limp in his right leg where it'd been cut open when the car collided with the passenger side.
His entire right arm was bruised something awful too. And his back was thrown out of place. I felt really bad because I made it out with just a scratch, and a couple bruises. I feel stupid for letting it happen. And I felt horrible, because of what he could have died remembering. It hurt too much to think that our last conversation could have been a fight.
I shook the thoughts from my head, and put some eggs, and bacon on a plate for him. He soon walked in, with just his pants on, and I'm sure that took all the effort he had. It hurt him a lot to move about. I don't blame him judging by those bruises..
He sat down slowly, and then started to eat, little by little. I sat down next to him, and started to eat my breakfast. It was quiet, and pony just stared at the table..I felt horrible. I wanted to shoot myself for what I'd done to him. He seemed hurt...not just physically... I couldn't look at him.
After he was finished eating he got up and went to brush his teeth...and put a shirt on–which he needed my help– and put his shoes on. Soon we slowly trudged out. I got into the car, and put my seatbelt on. He slowly walked around and opened the car door...I noticed he took his time climbing inside.
He put his seatbelt on, and closed the door, staring at his feet the entire time. I started the car, which nearly gave him a heart attack, He gripped the handle on the side of the door, and got wide eyed, and white. I looked over at him quickly, and put my hand on his shoulder "Hey, calm down buddy...it's alright.."
It took a minute for him to calm down completely. I slowly started to drive down the road...noticing he never let go of the car door. I felt horrible. We came to the intersection where we'd been hit...You could see where the truck had wiped out...it was pretty bad..
Pony was wide eyed..the light was red so we stopped. Before I knew what was happening he flipped the seatbelt off, and got out the truck quickly, and ran over to the sidewalk... "Pony! What are you doing? Get back in the car.."
He shook his head and was wide eyed. I sighed, and pulled the door shut and pulled off the road once the light was green and parked in a nearby parking lot. I walked over to him, to find him sitting against a building with his face buried in his arms which were rested on his knees.
I touched his shoulder lightly, and he pulled away for a second before relaxing again. "Ponyboy? Come on buddy...it's alright..." I said quietly. He didn't look up, or move. I sat on my knees seeing how this may take a little bit.
I put my arm around his shoulders and talked to him quietly for a while. "Come on buddy...it's alright...I know you're scared...heck, I should be too, but I..I made it out okay...you didn't...come on...we're gonna be late..."
Pony just shook his head, and kept his face in his arms. Never saying a word. It felt like we'd sat there for an hour like that. Me talking, and him just sitting there shaken up. I glanced at my watch and seen we'd only wasted 20 minutes, and tried again to coax him into getting into the car so we could get to the doctors. He still refused. I sighed, knowing I had to get him there, and helped him up before we started walking down the street to the clinic. He walked slow since it hurt to pull at the stitches over the gash in his leg, but we made it there in another 30 minutes.
The doctor took him into the room to change out the stitches. I waited around in the waiting room. I was tired, and kinda shook from his reactions earlier. I felt horrible. So horrible. I can't believe I did that to him...
He soon came out, and the doctor gave me his prescription for pain medication. He had said that night that pony wouldn't need any...and pony only complained about soreness...So I asked the doctor about it while Pony was signing up for his next appointment. The doctor just told me that pony said he was hurting real bad.
He hadn't told me or Darry this...and it scared me. The doctor shook my hand and walked off. Pony walked over to me with a tired look on his face. "Come on Buddy..let's get home.." We walked back to the truck, and I opened the door. Pony just stood there.. "Come on...I'll drive slow, and take the back roads..." I said tiredly.
He shook his head "Soda...I just...can't." Ouch. That ripped my heart out. He stared at me with wide eyes, they ripped through me like a puppy that you belted for the first time in it's short life. Pure Fear written all over his face. I stared at him, hating myself more and more for what I'd done.
Pony POV
I don't know why, but I couldn't get into the car. Every time I thought about it, my heart started racing, and I felt panicky...
Soda "Please Ponyboy...I know it scares you...but..you gotta trust me..." he looked like he'd cry...that made me feel horrible... I slowly climbed into the truck and put my seat belt on... he put a hand on my shoulder "It's gonna be fine buddy..I promise..."
I nodded, he started the car, I felt that same rush of adrenaline that gets ya so scared. I focused on keeping my breathing slow and even, but every time I glance up to the road I felt my heart race. I found myself clutching the door handle, and the edge of the seat. I could see soda kinda watching me from the corner of his eye.
I leaned over and put my head on the dashboard and just focused on the floor and my torn up converse. I felt sick, but pushed it to the back of my mind. Soda made a bunch of turns that I didn't remember. I figured he was taking the back roads like he said he would. I could tell we weren't going very fast either.
Soon I felt the car turn and stop. He shut the engine off, and rubbed my back for a second "You're shaking like a leaf Pony...you alright?" I set up, "Yea.." I said quietly, and got out of the truck. He shut the door, and headed up to the house with me "You want me to go to the drug store and get your medicine Ponyboy?"
I shook my head "no...wait and ask Darry if we've got enough money...I can go without it if we don't got the money right now.." Soda shook his head "I'll work some overtime, if you need the medicine tell me now." I sighed "No, soda, I don't need it." I headed into the other room. I could tell that bugged him...I knew the doctor had told him about the pains...
I laid down on the bed. My leg was killing me...and I had a headache, but I'm glad it's over with. I hope Darry doesn't get mad that I didn't tell him I was hurting... He'll probably chew me out. I just hope I get rid of this headache before then.
I got up and went to the bathroom for an aspirin. I took a few, then went to the kitchen to get something to drink. Soda was jotting down a grocery list it looked like... He glanced up "You sure? You're still shaking..." I held out my hand and looked at it. I was, but I just shrugged it off. "I'm fine, I took an aspirin."
Soda looked at me skeptically, then sighed and went back to jotting stuff down, looking in the fridge before writing something else down. "You going to the store?" I asked. He looked up for a second "yea, you need anything?" I shook my head "Just wondering..." Soda "I can stop at the drug store on my way.." I shook my head "Not until I talk to darry." Soda slammed the pen down "God damn it Ponyboy! If you're hurtin' tell me and I'll pay for the fucking medicine myself! But I ain't gonna just stand by and let you hurt like that!"
I just shook my head "Don't waste your money." He threw the pen across the room angrily, then grabbed the list and left. I felt bad...but I don't want him spending his money on me like that..I seen the prescription, it was gonna cost at least 20 dollars plus tax...
I looked around for a good book to read, then settled down on the couch, and started in on it. Soon I heard the truck pull back into the drive way. I hoped he was cooled down now. I'd hate for him to be mad at me...He soon walked in with a couple of sacks with food in them.
I followed him to the kitchen to help him put stuff away. I started in on one sack and started putting stuff away. "Here Pony.." he tossed me a small bag. I looked inside and see the prescription bottle "Soda! What part of don't waste your money don't you get!" I snapped putting it on the table.
He shook his head "Take em, I mean it ponyboy, I don't want you hurtin." he continued putting stuff away. I finished putting stuff away then went back to the living room and started reading again.
He walked in and dropped the bottle on my book "Take them. Now." he said sternly. I just dropped them on the couch, and continued reading. Soda grabbed the book from my hands and threw it across the room "PONYBOY! I am not kidding! Take the pills!"
I looked up at him, he seemed real upset. "Soda..I've done enough to you. I don't need to be taking your money too." He started to pull at his hair and growled at himself "God damn it Pony! What do I have to say to convince you? I've done worse to you within the past few days! Getting you hurt in that wreck is killing me! And now you won't take the medicine to make you well because you want to help me! Help me by letting me help you! Please, I'm begging you!" he sounded desperate..
I sighed, and picked up the bottle and took one of the pills, he picked up and read it, then handed it back to me "It says to take two every 6 hours..." I gave him my best I-really-don't-want-to look but he gave me his pathetic do-it-for-me look, so I took another one.
I have to admit..after an hour I stopped hurting, which was heaven in hell for me, but I missed the bit on the label that says it might cause drowsiness, and fell sleep reading on the couch. I kinda woke up listening to darry and soda. One of those times where you wake up and hear them talking and you're kinda too shy to let them know you're awake, then think later how stupid it was. I just laid there still, listening to their conversation. It was about me.
Darry "Why wouldn't he tell us? What reason would he have?"
Soda "I don't know darry... but it scares me something awful.."
Darry "Me too...did you get the medicine?"
Soda "Yea, I went ahead and got it when I went to the store. He was kinda upset cause I paid for it."
Darry "I can give ya the money for it..has he taken it?"
Soda "yea, and don't worry bout the money Dar, it's my fault he got hurt...But uh, I had him take it, he's suppose to take 2 every 6 hours."
Darry "When's the next dose?"
Soda "Umm..about now...I think 5 o clock. Yea...But it knocked him out pretty good. I missed the drowsy part on the label."
Darry "That's alright..he needs rest anyways...he looks sick."
Soda "yea... but I guess we should give him that other dose."
Darry "Alright, go ahead and wake him up, I'm gonna start dinner."
Soda "Alright Dar."
I heard Darry get up and leave the room, then Soda shook me lightly "Ponyboy? Wake up buddy, dinner'll be ready soon and you've got to take your medicine..." I slowly opened my eyes, noticing how drowsy I still was and sat up tiredly "Alright.." I yawned.
Soda got the medicine, and handed me a glass of water with it, "You sleep alright?" he asked. I nodded. He put the pills back on top of the tv "Good, you look like you could use the rest." he said. I nodded, and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
He sat down next to me, and relaxed a bit "Did it help?" he asked. I looked at him "Help what?" I asked still kinda groggy from sleep. "The pain..did it help the pains you were having?" he clarified. I nodded slowly "Yea, It helped some.." I lied through my teeth. It helped a lot. Before I couldn't stand the pain and just tried to ignore it or sleep it off, now I don't feel anything.
"Does it still hurt some?" he asked a little worried. I shook my head "I don't really feel anything now." he nodded slowly "How bad did it hurt before..when you weren't telling us.." he asked quietly. I sighed, knowing he'd ask eventually. "Quite a bit I guess...but I was fine...I slept through most of it anyway..." he gave me this worried look, but I shook it off.
"Why didn't you tell us Ponyboy? Huh? We could have helped you.." I shrugged "I don't know..it didn't bother me too much...I slept all the time, and I figured there wasn't much you could do but give me an aspirin or two."
Soda shook his head "We could have taken you to the doctor sooner Ponyboy..and we would have." I sighed "Alright...alright...I'm sorry...I'll tell ya next time..." he didn't seemed satisfied...like he was looking for me to tell him something else I'd kept away from him. But I couldn't remember what it was.
He turned his attention back to the television. The news was on, but nothing interesting was going on in the world so he changed it to a cartoon. I shook my head and picked up the book I'd been reading before I fell asleep. Soda glanced over "Apparently that's a boring book if it put you to sleep that easily...maybe you should just settle for TV." I smiled a little. And he gave me his grin before turning back to the cartoon that was on.
Soon Darry called us in for dinner. We all sat down and ate spaghetti. It was fairly quiet. Darry finished up and leaned back. Soda was still mixing food coloring on the noodles trying to make them rainbow or something...
Darry sighed "Pony, what didn't you tell us?" I shook my head "I didn't think it was a big deal." Darry sighed "I called the doctor's office on my lunch break and talked to him. He said that you told him you were in some pretty bad pain...what's up?"
I pushed my food around on the plate "I don't know..maybe he's lying so you buy more medicine.." Darry shook his head and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table "Why do you just keep lying to us? To me? Huh? Would you rather tell soda alone and have him tell me? What's the deal?"
I sighed "It's not that...I'm just tired of the fuss." Darry set back again, staring across the room, "So you rather sit around hurtin?" I shrugged "Apparently." He stood up and walked out of the room. Soda watched him go kinda surprised...then looked at me with this sorry look. I just got up and scraped the food off my plate, and put it in the sink before going back to my room.
After a while Soda came in and laid down on the bed. I was reading a book. Soda sighed "Pony..how come after mom and dad died everything got all dramatic around here?" I shrugged "I don't know soda..how come when mom and dad died I've felt like shit?"
Soda looked at me "Come on kid...nothing's gonna get better if we don't hope for it..and work towards it.." I sighed "I know, but I just don't see how it can get much better..." Soda set up, giving me a very serious look "Listen kid, You don't ever just quit, you hear me? When you still have a chance to fix things...You don't quit."
