After Ponyboy passed out on the street, we got him to the hospital as fast as we could. Since I had thrown up twice in the same night, Darry thought it'd be a good idea for me to get checked out as well.
I didn't have to be hospitalized, they prescribed me with some medicine to help with my lungs so I could breathe better. Pony was asleep the entire time while he stayed in the hospital.
While staying there, he kept asking for Soda, Darry, and me. Sometimes even he asked for our parents but mostly for Soda and I. When he brought up our parents, I felt my heart breaking.
Two-Bit was pretty torn up after Ponyboy had passed out like I was. It didn't take long for Darry to find out that Ponyboy was already sick and that I had passed out before the rumble. Pony ended up having a concussion after being kicked in the head by a soc, which pissed off Soda a lot.
I was still recovering from my injuries. Darry had called the school to the school to let them know that I wouldn't be going for the next few days. It wouldn't hurt my grades.
It was fine though. After what we had been through this last week, I wanted nothing more than to stay with my brothers.
He spent about 3 days in hospital before we were able to bring him home. Neither Darry, Soda, or I ever left his side while he was bed ridden. Seeing my twin brother in this state broke my heart in more ways than one.
When it was Tuesday, Pony finally woke up. The house was very quiet today. The radio wasn't turned up full blast and the TV isn't loud, and there was no horse playing anywhere in the house.
Pony grimaced and opened his greyish-green eyes. He looked as if he was trying to figure out what was going on. He blinked at Soda bewilderedly.
"Soda..." he weakly said, his voice rough and hoarse, "Is somebody sick?" "Yeah. Somebody is sick... Go back to sleep now." Soda said, his voice gentle. "Am I sick?" Pony asked, a film of sweat covering his entire body.
"Yeah, you're sick. Quiet now." Soda said, stroking his hair back. "Is Bex here? Where is she?" Pony asked, making me jump up. "I'm right here, Pony. I ain't leaving you." I assure, having a hand on his arm to prove that I was sitting next to him.
He even asked if Darry was sorry that he was sick, which he was. "He is. Now please hush up, will ya, honey? Go back to sleep." Soda said softly, giving Pony a funny look in his eyes. Pony then closed his eyes and went back to sleep, I could tell just how tired he was.
When Pony woke up again, it was daylight. I was drawing to help keep my mind off of things. I wasn't gonna leave my twin brother while he was bed ridden sick.
Darry was in our bedroom too. He had pulled the armchair in here and he had fallen asleep in it. He should be working but he wanted to watch over our brother.
When I saw that Pony was awake, I jumped out of the desk chair to join him on the bed. "Ponyboy, thank god you're awake..." I said in relief, sitting on the bed. He looked at me for a minute, giving me a tired smile.
"Bex?" he groaned tiredly, reaching for my hand. I didn't hesitate to take it with both of my hands and brought it close to my chest. "I'm here, Pony. I'm here." I said, sniffling, "Are you okay, yeah?" "Yeah... I think so. What about you?" he asked, sounding like he had eaten sand or something.
"I'm fine. You had worse injuries than I did." I answered, still holding onto my brother's hand. Pony then glances over at a sleeping Darry. "Why's Darry here? Shouldn't he be at work?" Pony asked me.
"Yeah, he took the day off to stay with us. He called the school to let them know that I won't be there since I'm still recovering from my injuries. Not to mention he needs to keep a close eye on my breathing issues." I tell him. "Oh..." he said.
He then shakes Darry by his knee in order to wake him up. "Darry. Hey, wake up, Darry." Pony said softly. Darry opened his eyes and looked at his two kid siblings.
"Ponyboy, Bexley, you two okay?" Darry asked us. "Yeah, I'm fine, Darry." I nod. "Yeah, I think so." Pony says.
Pony couldn't remember all that had happened. He was more aware and his mind seemed to be clearer since he woke up last. "Kid, you had us scared to death." Darry sighs in relief and brushes Pony's hair out of his eyes before ruffling my own hair.
"Why? What's wrong with me?" Pony asked. Darry shook his head and he said, "I knew that the both of you weren't in any condition for a rumble. Bex was exhausted and the reason she was sick is because her lung issues as well as getting beaten up in the rumble. You on the other hand have a minor concussion. And Two-Bit was telling me about how you were already running a fever before the rumble. Bex, Two-Bit had told me that you already passed out while you were visiting Johnny. He was torn up that night, Pone."
"Yeah, we all were." I said, feeling a bit mad at Two-Bit for telling him about me passing out and Pony already feeling sick before even going to the rumble. When Darry brought up Johnny, I felt Pony squeeze my hand. I closed my eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.
Dally and Johnny were dead... I tried my hardest to push them out of my mind. I don't want to relive all of that. (Don't think of them... Don't think of how Johnny's our buddy and that he didn't want to die. Don't think of Dally having a mental breakdown in the hospital, dead on the streets. Don't think of how much you loved Johnny more than just a friend. Don't do it... Don't think of them... Clear your mind.)
"Where'd I get a concussion?" Pony said, wanting to scratch his head but the bandage prevented it. "Glory, how long have I been asleep for?" he asked. "For four days, Pony. You've been asleep since Friday." I answered.
"Yeah, you got a concussion from getting kicked in the head. Soda saw it. He was all over that Soc. I don't think I've ever seen him that mad. He could've whipped anyone, in the state that he was in. He was all over the Soc that was beating on Bex." Darry replied.
I remembered of how Soda saved me from that Soc that I tussled with. He had a killer look in his eyes, which I've never seen from my brother.
"Pony, you were in the hospital. You've been delirious since Saturday." I said, feeling my heart breaking again. Pony shook his head at what I said, "I don't remember being in the hospital. Darry, I'm gonna never make up the school that I've missed. And Bex and I still have that court thing to go to."
"Darry... are we gonna be separated because of what happened?" I asked slowly, not letting go of Pony's hand. It was cool to the touch. "I don't know, baby, I... don't know." Darry said, looking down.
Pony laid his head down on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. I laid down with him, staying as close to him as I could. I hoped that we wouldn't be sent off to a youth home.
I didn't want to think about looking at a different ceiling, laying in a different bed, in a different room? I closed my eyes and felt my stomach knot up. I didn't want to be separated from my brothers, they're my family.
"Pony, do you remember being in the hospital?" Darry asked again. "No, I don't." Pony replied. "You kept asking for us. Even mom and dad sometimes. But mostly for Soda and Bex." Darry said.
Pony looked at me before looking at Darry, hearing the tone in his voice. He was believing that he wasn't actually calling for us. Pony didn't want to remember.
"Johnny had left his copy of Gone with the Wind with you guys. Said that he wanted you guys to have it." Darry said. Pony and I looked over at the side table and saw the copy sitting on it.
Neither one of us wanted to finish it. We couldn't get passed the part where the Southern gentlemen with big black eyes go riding into death because they're gallant. I wanted that out of my head.
"Guys, where's Soda?" Pony asked, seeming uncomfortable with talking with Darry about this. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous too. "Asleep, I hope. I thought he was going to go sleep shaving this morning and cut his throat." Darry said. "Yeah, Darry had to push him to bed, but he was already asleep." I added.
That's what we believed but no, our crazy, lovable brother came running in nothing but his blue jeans. "Ponyboy! Bexley!" he yelped as he tried leaping for us but Darry pulled him back. "No rough stuff, little buddy." he said.
That got Soda to calm down enough to come to his twin kid siblings. He ruffled my hair and he pounded Pony's shoulder. "How're you two feeling?" he asked us.
"I'm fine, Soda." I assuredly, my stomach growled loudly. I forgot that I didn't eat hardly anything for the last few days. Food was the last thing on my mind while Pony was sick.
"Yeah, we're a little hungry." Pony said, hearing my stomach awaken.
"I thought you two would be. Both of you wouldn't eat anything for the last three days. How does mushroom soup sound?" Darry said. My mouth started to water instantly at the sound of that. "Man, I'd like that just fine. Bex?" Pony said. "Hell yeah, that sounds really good." I agreed.
"Alright, I'll go make some. Sodapop, take it easy with them, okay?" Darry said, getting up from the chair. "What'd you think I was gonna do with them? Challenge them to a track meet or something? Bex here would lose instantly." Soda said, looking back at him indignantly.
"Sure, act like I'm not here." I chuckle. "I'm just messing with ya, kid sister." Soda said, ruffling my hair again. "Oh no." Pony groaned, "Track meet. I guess this just about puts me out of every race. I won't be back in condition for the meets. The coach is counting on me."
"Golly, there's always next year." Soda said. Soda doesn't seem to get just how much importance and effort that Darry had put in for Pony's athletics streak. "Don't sweat it about the track meet." Soda continued.
"Soda. Bex." Pony suddenly says, "What did I say while I was delirious?" "Oh... you were talking about us being back in Windrixville. That Johnny didn't mean to kill that Soc." I told him, raising up so that I was sitting on my elbow.
"Hey, I didn't know you guys didn't like bologna." Soda said. I suddenly had a distasteful feeling when he brought that up. Pony's face cringed at the sound of this.
"We don't like it. We never have." Pony said. "Yeah, it's gross." I gag, the thought of bologna making me lose my appetite. "That's funny considering you both used to eat it. Which is why neither of you didn't really eat." Soda said, looking at the both of us.
"Soda, Bex, did I ask for Darry while I was sick?" Pony said. "Yeah, sure. You asked for all three of us. Even for mom and dad. And sometimes Johnny." Soda said, looking at Pony strangely. "Oh... I thought maybe I didn't ask for him." Pony replied.
"Well, you did, so don't worry about it. We all stayed with you so much that the doctor told us we were going to end up in the hospital ourselves if we didn't get some sleep. But we didn't get any." Soda said with a grin.
"Yeah, Darry tried sending me home but you know me. I'm too stubborn to listen to him half of the time." I said, finding it a bit humorous.
Pony and I looked at him, he was physically worn out; there were circles under his eyes and he carried a tense, tired look. But it didn't get rid of the carefree, goofy, and recklessness that was Soda.
"Yeah, you look like hell." I comment, "Haven't you slept for more than three hours since Saturday?". He grinned but didn't deny it. "Scoot over you two." he said, crawling over to us.
He flopped down next to us before Darry could bring the soup. We had fallen asleep already.
