Once again I woke up with my head aching. All my limbs hurt. It felt
as though I had just run twenty miles. Even though I was lying down I felt
very dizzy. I slowly opened my eyes; it's was still pitch black. I couldn't
see anything, I guessed that it was sometime in the middle of the night.
"Pony, glad to see you awake again. How are you feeling? You scared us so
much!" I recognized the voice as Sodapop
"Hey Kid!" I heard Two-Bit's voice
"Hi, what time is it?" I asked
"It's 3pm, why'd you wanna know?" Soda asked
"If it's only 3, why is it so dark?" I asked
"What do you mean dark? This room is all lit up by sun and lights." He said with definite concern in his voice.
"But, then why is everything all black to me?" I asked, I was starting to freak out. I couldn't be blind could I?
I then heard Soda walk over to my bed, it sounded like had been across the room. I soon felt his hot breath on my face. I heard him gasp.
"Oh my gosh, Two-Bit, come here look at his eyes!" Soda half yelled
Once again I heard the scurry of feet. "Oh my gosh, they're all white and stuff!" Two-Bit said
"Soda? What wrong?" I asked
"I need to go and get the doc, I'll be back in a min." He replied, I could tell he was trying very hard to stay calm. Then I heard his feet hurry across the room and out the door. I then turned to where Two-Bit's voice was coming from. I was freaking out, I couldn't see anything. Something was wrong with my eyes. And my body still really hurt.
"Two-Bit, Tell me what's wrong!" I whispered
"I'm sorry Pony, I don't know. Your eyes are all messed up."
I heard three sets of feet come into the room and over to me. "Hey Pony, It's gonna be ok." It was Darry's voice
"Ponyboy, can you see anything at all?" I could tell it was the doc
"No. Why can't I see?" I asked
"Most likely it had something to do with the seizer you had earlier today. We're going to have to take some tests. We got your blood work back earlier. There were no problems in it. But that's not where seizers come from. It's a brain problem. So in an hour I'm going to take you up stairs to get a CAT scan ok?"
"Ok." I replied
Once again the doctor left. I knew everyone was starring at me.
"Darry, shouldn't you be at work?" I asked. I didn't want him to get fired because of me. But I was glad he was there.
"Soda called me and said you had a seizer or something. I can straight over. But it's ok, my boss said I could go."
I felt him put him hand on my shoulder. It made me feel a little better. I heard the squeak of chairs, so I knew everyone sat down. Two-Bit was on my left side, Soda and Darry on my right. Everyone was strangely silent, even Two-Bit. I knew that they were also scared and didn't know what to say.
I couldn't help but wonder why all this was happening to me. I was going to get my life straightened out. I finally was at peace with Johnny's death. And now I was blind? It just wasn't fair. How the heck was I supposed to live while I was blind? I couldn't exactly just walk down the street by myself without being able to see anything. I would end up being killed by the Socs. I wouldn't be able to defend myself. I wouldn't be able to go to the movies or read books or even go to school. Yeah I knew that there was those brail books, but I didn't know how to read them. And I knew that there are schools for the blind. But they're private schools, and we didn't have the money for that. It wasn't going to be easy being blind in our neighborhood. Then I began to think that maybe it was just a temporary thing. Maybe my sight would come back in a day or two. Maybe I'd be fine. But for some reason I knew that wasn't the case. I knew I was blind, and would be blind forever. Suddenly I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Soda's voice.
"Hey guys, can I have a minute alone with Ponyboy?" He asked Darry and Two- Bit "Yeah sure." They replied together.
Then I heard the quiet squeak of the chairs and them leave the room.
"How you doing Pony?"
I knew why Soda wanted to talk to me alone. Because he knew he was the only one I could really talk to about my feelings.
"I don't wanna be blind! This isn't fair!" I cried
"It ok Pony, I'm sure it'll go away in a day or two and then you'll be fine." He said
"No it won't be ok. I know it won't. I can feel it." I said matter-of- factly
We talked for a while longer. I hadn't even realized how long it had been. Then I heard footsteps come into the room. I hated not knowing who it was. I guess Soda could tell.
"It's the doc." He whispered in my ear.
I smiled faintly. The doc came over. Greeted us and told me he'd be taking me upstairs now. I asked is Soda and Darry could come. He said it was ok.
"Hey Kid!" I heard Two-Bit's voice
"Hi, what time is it?" I asked
"It's 3pm, why'd you wanna know?" Soda asked
"If it's only 3, why is it so dark?" I asked
"What do you mean dark? This room is all lit up by sun and lights." He said with definite concern in his voice.
"But, then why is everything all black to me?" I asked, I was starting to freak out. I couldn't be blind could I?
I then heard Soda walk over to my bed, it sounded like had been across the room. I soon felt his hot breath on my face. I heard him gasp.
"Oh my gosh, Two-Bit, come here look at his eyes!" Soda half yelled
Once again I heard the scurry of feet. "Oh my gosh, they're all white and stuff!" Two-Bit said
"Soda? What wrong?" I asked
"I need to go and get the doc, I'll be back in a min." He replied, I could tell he was trying very hard to stay calm. Then I heard his feet hurry across the room and out the door. I then turned to where Two-Bit's voice was coming from. I was freaking out, I couldn't see anything. Something was wrong with my eyes. And my body still really hurt.
"Two-Bit, Tell me what's wrong!" I whispered
"I'm sorry Pony, I don't know. Your eyes are all messed up."
I heard three sets of feet come into the room and over to me. "Hey Pony, It's gonna be ok." It was Darry's voice
"Ponyboy, can you see anything at all?" I could tell it was the doc
"No. Why can't I see?" I asked
"Most likely it had something to do with the seizer you had earlier today. We're going to have to take some tests. We got your blood work back earlier. There were no problems in it. But that's not where seizers come from. It's a brain problem. So in an hour I'm going to take you up stairs to get a CAT scan ok?"
"Ok." I replied
Once again the doctor left. I knew everyone was starring at me.
"Darry, shouldn't you be at work?" I asked. I didn't want him to get fired because of me. But I was glad he was there.
"Soda called me and said you had a seizer or something. I can straight over. But it's ok, my boss said I could go."
I felt him put him hand on my shoulder. It made me feel a little better. I heard the squeak of chairs, so I knew everyone sat down. Two-Bit was on my left side, Soda and Darry on my right. Everyone was strangely silent, even Two-Bit. I knew that they were also scared and didn't know what to say.
I couldn't help but wonder why all this was happening to me. I was going to get my life straightened out. I finally was at peace with Johnny's death. And now I was blind? It just wasn't fair. How the heck was I supposed to live while I was blind? I couldn't exactly just walk down the street by myself without being able to see anything. I would end up being killed by the Socs. I wouldn't be able to defend myself. I wouldn't be able to go to the movies or read books or even go to school. Yeah I knew that there was those brail books, but I didn't know how to read them. And I knew that there are schools for the blind. But they're private schools, and we didn't have the money for that. It wasn't going to be easy being blind in our neighborhood. Then I began to think that maybe it was just a temporary thing. Maybe my sight would come back in a day or two. Maybe I'd be fine. But for some reason I knew that wasn't the case. I knew I was blind, and would be blind forever. Suddenly I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Soda's voice.
"Hey guys, can I have a minute alone with Ponyboy?" He asked Darry and Two- Bit "Yeah sure." They replied together.
Then I heard the quiet squeak of the chairs and them leave the room.
"How you doing Pony?"
I knew why Soda wanted to talk to me alone. Because he knew he was the only one I could really talk to about my feelings.
"I don't wanna be blind! This isn't fair!" I cried
"It ok Pony, I'm sure it'll go away in a day or two and then you'll be fine." He said
"No it won't be ok. I know it won't. I can feel it." I said matter-of- factly
We talked for a while longer. I hadn't even realized how long it had been. Then I heard footsteps come into the room. I hated not knowing who it was. I guess Soda could tell.
"It's the doc." He whispered in my ear.
I smiled faintly. The doc came over. Greeted us and told me he'd be taking me upstairs now. I asked is Soda and Darry could come. He said it was ok.
