*SODAPOP'S POV*
Two-bit and Steve had left about an hour ago and I was helping Darry on bills. I couldn't concentrate.
"Pony hasn't eaten for a pretty long time. Can I go and wake him up and see if he's hungry?"
Darry nodded, and I ran over to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him a little. He half opened his eyes.
"Hey Soda," his voice sounded weak and tired.
"Hey," I said, pretending not to notice. "How're ya feeling kid?"
"Okay."
"Hungry?"
"No."
I was beginning to get really worried. I never thought I'd see the day when Ponyboy Curtis said he wasn't hungry.
"Well, you haven't eaten anything all day." we both looked up. Darry had come into the room, holding a glass of water. "You gotta at least drink something."
I helped Ponyboy sit up, and he was able to drink half of the glass before he collapsed again.
I yawned.
"Dar, I'm gonna get some sleep."
"Okay. I'm pretty tired too," he agreed. "Be careful with him," Darry indicated to Pony.
"I know!" I replied, sounding hurt. Darry grinned at me and went back to his room.
*DARRY'S POV*
I woke up early the next morning and ran into the other bedroom to check on Pony. Soda was fast asleep, lying with his arm flung over Pony's chest, and Pony was tossing and turning feverishly in his sleep. Alarmed, I grabbed the thermometer and checked my brother's temperature.
Soda woke up as I was looking at the thermometer.
"Hey Darry," he mumbled, and, noticed the thermometer in my hand. "What's his temperature?"
"103.1. Come on, we're taking him to the hospital. Can you dress him? He can't just go in his boxers."
Soda sat up. "Okay."
I nodded and went out of the house to start the truck. Soda came out a few minutes later carrying a fast asleep Pony dressed in his jeans and an old white shirt of his.
"Lay him down in the back," I ordered, trying not to let the worry show in my voice.
"I'll sit at the back with him," Soda offered. I smiled.
"Thanks little buddy."
It was a long drive to the hospital. I could tell Soda was getting bored. He kept fidgeting and absent-mindedly kicking the seat in front of him, which was conveniently mine.
"Soda, we'll be there in ten minutes okay?" I said through gritted teeth. "Stop kicking."
"What? Oh, sorry Darry."
We were quiet for a while and then I heard a groan coming from the back seat.
"Where are we?" came Pony's quiet voice, sounding confused and tired.
"We're in the truck, Pony, going to hospital," replied Soda softly. "Don't worry, just go back to sleep."
I heard Pony about to reply, but his answer was drowned in coughs. I looked over to the back of the car, concerned. Soda was patting Pony on the back, trying to stop his coughs. It seemed to work after a while, and Pony drifted back to sleep.
He was still snoring lightly when we finally arrived at the hospital, his sleep interrupted at times by coughs. Careful not to awaken him, I picked him up and carried him into the waiting room, Soda anxiously following me.
I signed him in and then sat down. Pony woke up again because of the noise in the room.
"Where are we this time?" he whispered.
"In the hospital," I replied hesitantly, knowing how much Pony hated hospitals. He had been terrified of them before, having a phobia of needles, and would detest them even more after Johnny's death in one. I was right. He immediately tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. He started squirming around, trying to get out of Soda's grasp.
"Pony, it's okay," soothed Soda. "Just get some rest." For once Soda's words fell on deaf ears. Pony wasn't listening to anything he said.
"I wanna get out of here! I wanna get out of here," he kept repeating, his eyes wide open and afraid. "Please Darry! Soda, don't let him keep me here!"
I didn't know what to do, but at that second, the nurse called, "Ponyboy Curtis?" Relieved, I stood up, scooping up Ponyboy as I did so. Soda following, we walked into the doctor's room. Pony looked as though he was trying hard not to freak out, and I felt horrible at having to take him here. Well, I reasoned with myself, he's sick and he needs a doctor. Once I know how to get him better we can leave.
Two-bit and Steve had left about an hour ago and I was helping Darry on bills. I couldn't concentrate.
"Pony hasn't eaten for a pretty long time. Can I go and wake him up and see if he's hungry?"
Darry nodded, and I ran over to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him a little. He half opened his eyes.
"Hey Soda," his voice sounded weak and tired.
"Hey," I said, pretending not to notice. "How're ya feeling kid?"
"Okay."
"Hungry?"
"No."
I was beginning to get really worried. I never thought I'd see the day when Ponyboy Curtis said he wasn't hungry.
"Well, you haven't eaten anything all day." we both looked up. Darry had come into the room, holding a glass of water. "You gotta at least drink something."
I helped Ponyboy sit up, and he was able to drink half of the glass before he collapsed again.
I yawned.
"Dar, I'm gonna get some sleep."
"Okay. I'm pretty tired too," he agreed. "Be careful with him," Darry indicated to Pony.
"I know!" I replied, sounding hurt. Darry grinned at me and went back to his room.
*DARRY'S POV*
I woke up early the next morning and ran into the other bedroom to check on Pony. Soda was fast asleep, lying with his arm flung over Pony's chest, and Pony was tossing and turning feverishly in his sleep. Alarmed, I grabbed the thermometer and checked my brother's temperature.
Soda woke up as I was looking at the thermometer.
"Hey Darry," he mumbled, and, noticed the thermometer in my hand. "What's his temperature?"
"103.1. Come on, we're taking him to the hospital. Can you dress him? He can't just go in his boxers."
Soda sat up. "Okay."
I nodded and went out of the house to start the truck. Soda came out a few minutes later carrying a fast asleep Pony dressed in his jeans and an old white shirt of his.
"Lay him down in the back," I ordered, trying not to let the worry show in my voice.
"I'll sit at the back with him," Soda offered. I smiled.
"Thanks little buddy."
It was a long drive to the hospital. I could tell Soda was getting bored. He kept fidgeting and absent-mindedly kicking the seat in front of him, which was conveniently mine.
"Soda, we'll be there in ten minutes okay?" I said through gritted teeth. "Stop kicking."
"What? Oh, sorry Darry."
We were quiet for a while and then I heard a groan coming from the back seat.
"Where are we?" came Pony's quiet voice, sounding confused and tired.
"We're in the truck, Pony, going to hospital," replied Soda softly. "Don't worry, just go back to sleep."
I heard Pony about to reply, but his answer was drowned in coughs. I looked over to the back of the car, concerned. Soda was patting Pony on the back, trying to stop his coughs. It seemed to work after a while, and Pony drifted back to sleep.
He was still snoring lightly when we finally arrived at the hospital, his sleep interrupted at times by coughs. Careful not to awaken him, I picked him up and carried him into the waiting room, Soda anxiously following me.
I signed him in and then sat down. Pony woke up again because of the noise in the room.
"Where are we this time?" he whispered.
"In the hospital," I replied hesitantly, knowing how much Pony hated hospitals. He had been terrified of them before, having a phobia of needles, and would detest them even more after Johnny's death in one. I was right. He immediately tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. He started squirming around, trying to get out of Soda's grasp.
"Pony, it's okay," soothed Soda. "Just get some rest." For once Soda's words fell on deaf ears. Pony wasn't listening to anything he said.
"I wanna get out of here! I wanna get out of here," he kept repeating, his eyes wide open and afraid. "Please Darry! Soda, don't let him keep me here!"
I didn't know what to do, but at that second, the nurse called, "Ponyboy Curtis?" Relieved, I stood up, scooping up Ponyboy as I did so. Soda following, we walked into the doctor's room. Pony looked as though he was trying hard not to freak out, and I felt horrible at having to take him here. Well, I reasoned with myself, he's sick and he needs a doctor. Once I know how to get him better we can leave.
