The Gang Visits
Later on, I woke up only to find Darry asleep in the chair across the room, his long legs stretched out on the floor. I attempted to sit up, and, seemingly psychic, Darry opened his eyes.
"Don't get up.what do ya need?"
"Nothin', I'm just sick of lying down. Can I please get up?"
Darry stood and stretched. "Nope."
"Darry-"
"I said no, Robs. And the doc agrees. So, no."
I rolled my eyes. I was incredibly grouchy, with my head pounding to the beat of an unknown song, and my mind foggy with the details of previous hours. "Well, God, what can I do? Crosswords? Enthralling."
"Well, you've got a billion people here to see you.if you're up for it," Darry said cautiously. I could tell he'd rather lock the door on me, leaving me quarantined for life.
"Of course I am. I'm not gonna break. I don't even get why I'm still here," I complained.
"Robin, you've been unconscious for the past two days. Did you realize that?"
I shook my head slowly.
"You don't remember anything, do you?"
Again, I shook my head. My arm itched - oh, ha ha, there's another bandage! Damn, when did I get that.?
Darry sighed. "What do you last remember?"
I swallowed. My mind glimpsed back-were there Socs? There were two of them, at least. C'mon, don't think about it, honey, don't talk about it. It hurts too bad.don't tell him about it, he doesn't need this right now. But dammit, Darry, where were you when I really needed you? I needed you then, and you weren't there.
"Robin.Robin?"
I glanced up to see Darry's worried expression. "I-I don't know.so who's here?"
I could see my brother was concerned, but he swallowed and spoke up. "Oh, let's see.Stevie, Two-Bit, Pony, Soda, Johnny.Dally's raisin' holy hell out there."
I laughed, knowing Darry wasn't exaggerating. "Well, c'mon, bring 'em in, I'm so bored!"
"You just woke up!"
"Sleeping's dull. C'mon, Dar."
Darry laughed, a remarkable occurance. "Fine, fine. Just don't get up while I'm gone.understood?"
I saluted. "Yessir."
He shook his head in exasperation and left, returning a few moments later with Dally and Two-Bit rushing in behind him. I could see Johnny and Pony fidgeting nervously right outside, too, and I immediately remembered Ponyboy's immense fear of hospitals. Johnny was just plain nervous, though.
"Robby!" Two-Bit exclaimed in his usual excited tone. I was even more thrilled to see that at least he was acting normally-he hid his shocked expression, unlike the others. My God, I needed to find a mirror-what did I look like? I must have had some pretty bad bruises.Dally looked physically sick.
"Two-Bit!" I replied happily. He bounced on the bed, causing Darry to immediately shove him off.
"Easy, Two-Bit," he warned. "She's still not up for anything."
"Lay off, Dar, I'm fine," I told him, annoyed. I didn't feel sick or anything, just a little tired. And I guess my arm and head were a bit sore. But I wasn't in the mood to be treated like a piece of glass.
"Hey," Dally said, approaching me slowly. I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him in close to me. He gently hugged me, whispering, "Don't ever land yourself in here again, ya dig? You scared the hell outta me."
I grinned at his terms of endearment. "Pony, Johnny, c'mere. I'm not contagious."
They sheepishly walked in, and Pony came to hug me.
"It's okay, Pony, I'm fine," I told him softly, feeling his heart pounding as fast as a hummingbird's wings. I knew he was probably terrified he would lose another member of his already-shrunken family. He felt things deeply, and I hated the fact that I'd scared him. "I'm fine, okay?"
He nodded, and I saw the glimpse of tears in his eyes before he looked away. He wouldn't cry, I knew that. Johnny smiled at me from the end of the bed, and I returned his beam with my own.
"Hey, Rob," he greeted me softly.
"Hey, Johnnycake," I replied, using Dally's pet name for him, hoping to ease his anxiety. Come to think of it, all of these usually tough, hard- hitting greasers were acting nervous as anything. Why were they so solemn? I didn't get it.
"Geez, you guys. I'm not dyin'. Quit bein' so mournful," I announced, glancing at Two-Bit helplessly.
"Hey, yeah, I'm sick of bein' around such mopey greasers," Two-Bit said, cracking a crazy grin. "Ya'll need to think loose and those sticks up your asses will fall right out."
No one could hold in their laughter. I mouthed a quick "thank you" in Two-Bit's direction. I'd hated the terrible silence that'd been creeping over the room.
"So, is anybody hungry? You've gotta be-them tubes don't do it for ya, huh?" Two-Bit went on, pointing to the IV jammed in my left arm. I shook my head no. "Yeah, the nurse said they only came in one flavor, so ya gotta be sick of it by now. I'm gonna order in. Pizza good?"
"You can't order pizza to a hospital room, Two-Bit," Darry said.
"Are you kiddin'? Of course you can! Hey, Dal, got your blade?"
"Don't I always?"
"Good, then it's settled. Ain't nobody gonna give me a problem with Old Dal's blade. I'll go call for delivery. Oh, hey, and no laughing while I'm gone, all right?" Two-Bit hurried out of the room, and I knew I must have looked awful for him to hurry out that quick. Darry even ducked out to go after him, so I knew he was probably upset.
"Hey, Pony, can you turn up the heat in here? It's freezin'," I said, goosebumps appearing on my arms.
"Here, take this," Dally broke in, taking off his leather jacket and putting it around my shoulders. "Ya gotta be a little stylish in those God- awful hospital gowns. Those things blow."
"You're tellin' me," I agreed. "So where'd Soda run off to? He was here awhile ago."
"Both Sodapop and Stevie are asleep on the couch in the waitin' room," Dally replied. "They've been up for hours."
"Yeah, I'd better go check on Soda," Ponyboy said uselessly, grabbing Johnny's arm and hurrying him out the door, disappearing from sight in an instant.
"Holy shit, can I clear a room or what?" I said, puzzled at the swift scattering of my visitors. "Dal, how bad do I look?"
He sat down on the bed next to me, relaxing his arm behind my neck. "You may have some bruises and stuff, but you're still the prettiest girl around, ya know that?"
I smiled and settled my head on his shoulder, thankful for his understated presence.
A/N: What do you think? I know, Robin's mind is a little bit confusing to understand right now, but she'll be clearer later on. Please tell me if this sucks or it's boring.but I really do love all the sweet reviews the most!! Call me biased. But thank you again for all of your kind words, and I hope you're enjoying my story so far!
Much love, Ash
Later on, I woke up only to find Darry asleep in the chair across the room, his long legs stretched out on the floor. I attempted to sit up, and, seemingly psychic, Darry opened his eyes.
"Don't get up.what do ya need?"
"Nothin', I'm just sick of lying down. Can I please get up?"
Darry stood and stretched. "Nope."
"Darry-"
"I said no, Robs. And the doc agrees. So, no."
I rolled my eyes. I was incredibly grouchy, with my head pounding to the beat of an unknown song, and my mind foggy with the details of previous hours. "Well, God, what can I do? Crosswords? Enthralling."
"Well, you've got a billion people here to see you.if you're up for it," Darry said cautiously. I could tell he'd rather lock the door on me, leaving me quarantined for life.
"Of course I am. I'm not gonna break. I don't even get why I'm still here," I complained.
"Robin, you've been unconscious for the past two days. Did you realize that?"
I shook my head slowly.
"You don't remember anything, do you?"
Again, I shook my head. My arm itched - oh, ha ha, there's another bandage! Damn, when did I get that.?
Darry sighed. "What do you last remember?"
I swallowed. My mind glimpsed back-were there Socs? There were two of them, at least. C'mon, don't think about it, honey, don't talk about it. It hurts too bad.don't tell him about it, he doesn't need this right now. But dammit, Darry, where were you when I really needed you? I needed you then, and you weren't there.
"Robin.Robin?"
I glanced up to see Darry's worried expression. "I-I don't know.so who's here?"
I could see my brother was concerned, but he swallowed and spoke up. "Oh, let's see.Stevie, Two-Bit, Pony, Soda, Johnny.Dally's raisin' holy hell out there."
I laughed, knowing Darry wasn't exaggerating. "Well, c'mon, bring 'em in, I'm so bored!"
"You just woke up!"
"Sleeping's dull. C'mon, Dar."
Darry laughed, a remarkable occurance. "Fine, fine. Just don't get up while I'm gone.understood?"
I saluted. "Yessir."
He shook his head in exasperation and left, returning a few moments later with Dally and Two-Bit rushing in behind him. I could see Johnny and Pony fidgeting nervously right outside, too, and I immediately remembered Ponyboy's immense fear of hospitals. Johnny was just plain nervous, though.
"Robby!" Two-Bit exclaimed in his usual excited tone. I was even more thrilled to see that at least he was acting normally-he hid his shocked expression, unlike the others. My God, I needed to find a mirror-what did I look like? I must have had some pretty bad bruises.Dally looked physically sick.
"Two-Bit!" I replied happily. He bounced on the bed, causing Darry to immediately shove him off.
"Easy, Two-Bit," he warned. "She's still not up for anything."
"Lay off, Dar, I'm fine," I told him, annoyed. I didn't feel sick or anything, just a little tired. And I guess my arm and head were a bit sore. But I wasn't in the mood to be treated like a piece of glass.
"Hey," Dally said, approaching me slowly. I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him in close to me. He gently hugged me, whispering, "Don't ever land yourself in here again, ya dig? You scared the hell outta me."
I grinned at his terms of endearment. "Pony, Johnny, c'mere. I'm not contagious."
They sheepishly walked in, and Pony came to hug me.
"It's okay, Pony, I'm fine," I told him softly, feeling his heart pounding as fast as a hummingbird's wings. I knew he was probably terrified he would lose another member of his already-shrunken family. He felt things deeply, and I hated the fact that I'd scared him. "I'm fine, okay?"
He nodded, and I saw the glimpse of tears in his eyes before he looked away. He wouldn't cry, I knew that. Johnny smiled at me from the end of the bed, and I returned his beam with my own.
"Hey, Rob," he greeted me softly.
"Hey, Johnnycake," I replied, using Dally's pet name for him, hoping to ease his anxiety. Come to think of it, all of these usually tough, hard- hitting greasers were acting nervous as anything. Why were they so solemn? I didn't get it.
"Geez, you guys. I'm not dyin'. Quit bein' so mournful," I announced, glancing at Two-Bit helplessly.
"Hey, yeah, I'm sick of bein' around such mopey greasers," Two-Bit said, cracking a crazy grin. "Ya'll need to think loose and those sticks up your asses will fall right out."
No one could hold in their laughter. I mouthed a quick "thank you" in Two-Bit's direction. I'd hated the terrible silence that'd been creeping over the room.
"So, is anybody hungry? You've gotta be-them tubes don't do it for ya, huh?" Two-Bit went on, pointing to the IV jammed in my left arm. I shook my head no. "Yeah, the nurse said they only came in one flavor, so ya gotta be sick of it by now. I'm gonna order in. Pizza good?"
"You can't order pizza to a hospital room, Two-Bit," Darry said.
"Are you kiddin'? Of course you can! Hey, Dal, got your blade?"
"Don't I always?"
"Good, then it's settled. Ain't nobody gonna give me a problem with Old Dal's blade. I'll go call for delivery. Oh, hey, and no laughing while I'm gone, all right?" Two-Bit hurried out of the room, and I knew I must have looked awful for him to hurry out that quick. Darry even ducked out to go after him, so I knew he was probably upset.
"Hey, Pony, can you turn up the heat in here? It's freezin'," I said, goosebumps appearing on my arms.
"Here, take this," Dally broke in, taking off his leather jacket and putting it around my shoulders. "Ya gotta be a little stylish in those God- awful hospital gowns. Those things blow."
"You're tellin' me," I agreed. "So where'd Soda run off to? He was here awhile ago."
"Both Sodapop and Stevie are asleep on the couch in the waitin' room," Dally replied. "They've been up for hours."
"Yeah, I'd better go check on Soda," Ponyboy said uselessly, grabbing Johnny's arm and hurrying him out the door, disappearing from sight in an instant.
"Holy shit, can I clear a room or what?" I said, puzzled at the swift scattering of my visitors. "Dal, how bad do I look?"
He sat down on the bed next to me, relaxing his arm behind my neck. "You may have some bruises and stuff, but you're still the prettiest girl around, ya know that?"
I smiled and settled my head on his shoulder, thankful for his understated presence.
A/N: What do you think? I know, Robin's mind is a little bit confusing to understand right now, but she'll be clearer later on. Please tell me if this sucks or it's boring.but I really do love all the sweet reviews the most!! Call me biased. But thank you again for all of your kind words, and I hope you're enjoying my story so far!
Much love, Ash