Survive

Disclaimer: I only own the plot
A/N Everyone that has reviewed and/or read this story gets a hug.

*Two Bit's POV*
* Takes place when Soda asks if anyone's called Darry yet*

" Has anyone called Darry yet?" Soda asks
" I will," I volunteer so I can get away for a minute
I find the nurses desk and ask to use the phone. I try to remember the number of Darry's boss and when it finally comes back to me I punch in the numbers. The phone rings once.. twice in my ear. Then I hear a voice on the other end of the line
"Hello?"
"Hello, is Darrel Curtis there?" I ask, figuring I should be formal
" He's busy, what do you want?"
" I'm a friend of his, and I'm calling from the hospital because his little brother's here."
There was a pause and then the voice said
" Ok, hold on I'll go get him,"
While I wait for Darry to pick up the phone I tap my feet on the linoleum tiles. One two three and one two, one two three and one two,
"Hello?" I hear Darry's voice
"Hey Darry it's Two Bit,"
"What's going on? Josh said you were at the hospital,"
So that's who that guy was.....
" Yeah, Pony ODed on Tylenol,"
"ODed?" Darry's voice cracks
"Yeah, he took like fourteen or fifteen pills. The doctors are checking him right now."
" How is he?"
" He's unconscious, but that's all I know. It doesn't look good Darry,"
" I'll be there as soon as I can,"
" Ok, see you then,"
I hang up the phone and thank the nurse. I then remember that I don't know where Pony's room is so I go back to the nurses' desk.
"Excuse me, do you know where Ponyboy Curtis's room is?"
"Only family members are allowed in at this point, are you a family member?"
"Yes, I'm his cousin Keith," I said
" Good thinking on the cousin bit," I tell myself
" Well all right then. He's in room 208. Just go down the hall and it's the second room on the right,"
"Thank you," I said and walked down the hall, to the right, and then stood in front of the second door. Room 208. The window is the kind that's hard to see through. I guess that's for privacy reasons. I look around me for..... I don't know what for and slowly open the door.
" Hi Two Bit," Johnny greets me, but all I can do is nod and stare at the motionless figure in the bed. Ponyboy doesn't look like a fourteen year old kid. He's so small and pale and weak looking. There are tubes going into his nose and around his mouth. I can hear the faint beeping of the heart monitor.
"What did the doctor's say?" I ask the room
" They said the Tylenol may have caused him liver damage and that he might not make it through the night," Soda says this to the wall, but I know he's talking to me.
I go over to Pony's bed and watch to see if I can see any movement. Nothing.
" I don't see his chest moving," I say once again to the room.
"That's because he can't breathe on his own. The respirator is doing it for him," Steve informs me.
I follow the line of the tubes to a heavy looking machine that has an accordion like thing in it that keeps moving up and down. That must be the respirator. A machine. Pony's being kept alive by a machine. I can't stand to look at him any longer so I turn away. I catch Johnny's gaze from across the room and he gives me a small, sad smile. He understands.
" So did the doctors actually say they didn't know if he was in a coma or not, or did they just not tell you?" Dally asked Soda
"They didn't tell me,"
" I called Darry," I tell Soda in an attempt to be helpful
"Thanks Two Bit," he mumbles
" I'm going to go get a drink, anyone wanna come with?" Dally asks.
Johnny and I volunteer to go. Soda wants to stay with his little brother and Steve wants to stay with his best friend. Steve doesn't even really like Pony, but he's staying in the room for Soda's sake.
Dally, Johnny, and I walk to the hospital cafeteria. We each get a coke and then sit down at a table with a doctor and a nervous looking woman in a blue sweater.
" I can't believe we're here." Johnny said
I don't even try to make a remark about that
" I guess none of us really knew how Pony felt," is what I say instead
" This whole rough and tough greaser life isn't for a kid like Pony," Dally said
"Yeah, I wish I had the chance to talk to him before today," Johnny said
" I know what you mean," I said
" I know it sounds stupid, but I can't help but think that maybe if I sat down and had a real talk with Pony he wouldn't have taken those pills," Johnny said
" It's not stupid Johnnycakes, I think we're all thinking that," Dally said
" There's nothing we could have really done. I think Pony made his mind up about this a while ago," I said
" It just doesn't seem real does it?" Johnny asks us
" No, it really doesn't," Dally agrees
" I really hope for Soda and Darry's sake that he wakes up soon," I said
" Yeah, and if he doesn't wake up for a while, at least the doctors could tell us if he'll make it or not," Dally said
"I don't want to be in the room if they say he won't," Johnny said
"I don't think any of us do, but we gotta try and think positive, especially for Pony's sake," I said
"Yeah, but damnit I hate this! I hate having to sit around and wait to see if my one of my best friends is going to die or not," Johnny said miserably
"It's tough, but we've always been there for each other and that doesn't stop now," I said
" Thanks Two Bit, you're right, I guess I'm just upset,"
" I don't blame you one bit," Dally said
Johnny nodded and took a sip of his coke. Suddenly a frantic looking doctor appeared in the doorway of the cafeteria and yelled,
" Ferner, we need you in room 208, stat! Code Blue!"
The doctor at our table gets up quickly and runs off with the other doctor. I can already feel the blood draining from my face.
" Code Blue, doesn't that mean?" I ask
"Someone's flat lining," Johnny said
" And isn't room 208....." I ask again
Dally looks me straight in the eye and nods,
" Pony's room."

A/N. I'm going to stop there for dramatic effect. Please tell me what you think. I really like this chapter.

Fyre