Thanks to all reviewers!
GirlsDontCri: You're right. Pony doesn't deserve this. I almost cried writing that chapter!
CinderBrat: That's so sad. Do you know how the little boy is doing?
Jessica: I already have the ending planned exactly, and at the rate I've been going, it might not take long to get there.
Stinky Stan: Okay, here's more!
Koujaku: What epidemic in what state in what town?
CrazeLilDreamer: Twobit and Pony could use hugs, and so could the rest of the boys! Twobit sure needs the beer hidden too.
Disclaimer: I'm already tired of writing this! I agree with the disclaimers on here that say if I owned the Outsiders, why would I be writing fanfiction.
Darry's POV
Today was the day Pony was to begin chemotherapy. Everything the doctors and nurses told us about it sounded like a nightmare. I couldn't believe my little brother had to go through this! I couldn't believe the rest of us had to watch him go through this. I couldn't wait until this whole thing was over, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it would end. I wanted to take Pony home so much, but I wasn't allowed to. I hoped they would release him soon. He hated the hospital. Nurses were always coming in with needles and taking vitals. I had no idea where Soda went, but I didn't think he would leave the hospital. He was not taking this well at all. None of us were. Pony was in his room sleeping again before he had to go get his first dose of chemo.
Soda's POV
I hadn't told anyone where I was going, but I was at the lot. I wanted to make sure I was back at the hospital before Pony got his chemo though. I was just thinking about what lay ahead of us. Steve had told me what happened with Twobit. I sure hoped Twobit listened to him because he was right. We all needed each other. I heard footsteps behind me and felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Twobit.
"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" He said.
"Okay I guess. I'm going back to the hospital in a little while. Are you going too? Pony's supposed to start chemo this afternoon."
"Yeah, I'll go."
How can I be so calm? I thought. This wasn't something that was just going to blow over. Pony might not come out of this alive. That thought made tears well up again and start streaming down my cheeks. Twobit saw this and put his arm across my shoulders. Why did I have to keep crying like this? Why couldn't I be like Twobit and forget how to cry? I thought. Then I looked at him, and realized with shock that he was crying too.
"I've been thinking a lot about what Steve said, and he's right. Friendship will get all of us through this. I'm keeping that promise I made." Twobit said.
"Come on. Let's go on back to the hospital." I said, and we started walking away from the lot.
Pony's POV
Here it goes. I thought as I felt the IV needle slide into my flesh. The nurse hung a bag of liquid on the IV pole, told me to let her know if I needed anything, and left. Darry and Soda were there with me. Soda was gripping my hand that didn't have the IV in it. I was glad they had come with me. I couldn't do any of this alone. The chemo was flowing into my veins, and I hoped it was blasting all those cancer cells away. My stomach suddenly felt sick as nausea hit me. I started vomiting constantly. How could I endure this torture? I asked myself. This was only the beginning. Darry was rubbing my back gently, and he looked like he was going to start crying. I hated how this was making everyone so sad. I had even seen Steve cry. I was terrified and so was the gang.
Twobit's POV
Steve and me were in Pony's hospital room waiting for him to come back from chemo. Darry had told me about the side effects, and they sounded horrible. It would be hard seeing Pony like that, especially since the treatment sounded worse than the cancer itself. Darry came in pushing Pony in a wheelchair. Soda followed behind him. They helped Pony get in bed, and he went right to sleep. He looked so weak.
"Twobit, we're going to run down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Can you stay here with Pony for a little while?" Darry said tiredly.
"Sure." I answered.
Darry, Soda, and Steve left the room. I sat on the chair next to Pony's bed, and grabbed a magazine off the table to look at. I looked up from it several minutes later and saw Pony staring at me with sad eyes.
"Do you think I'll be okay?" He asked.
I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell him that he would be fine, but was that the truth?
"I don't know, Pony. I hope so." I decided to say.
"Me too." He said as his voice cracked, then he went white and took off to the bathroom. I could hear him in there, and it sounded awful. I didn't really think he would want me to, but I went in there anyway. I rubbed his back and handed him a wet cloth to wipe his face when he was finished.
"Do you feel better now?" I asked as he got back into bed.
"A little. Thanks, Twobit."
"No problem, kid. No problem at all. What are friends for?"
Steve's POV
Me, Darry, and Soda had gone down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, but none of us had much of an appetite. We just talked most of the time, and the subject of work came up.
"When are you guys going back to work?" I asked.
"I'll go back when I run out of sick days." Soda said.
"I don't know. I think I'll go back in a few days. It won't do Pony any good if we go broke. How about you, Steve?" Darry said.
"I'm going tomorrow. Guys, if there's anything I can do to help you out, I will. If you need to work, I'll stay here with Pony. Soda, I'll fill in for you at work anytime you need me to."
"Thanks, Steve." Darry said.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
We left the cafeteria and went back to Pony's room. Twobit was sound asleep in the chair next to the bed, and Pony was watching TV. Soda went and sat on the bed next to him. Pony leaned against him, and Soda put his arm around him. Pony had to be okay. Soda couldn't live without him. None of us could. I realized then that even though I had never liked Pony that much, he was still my friend, and I wished I could take back every mean thing I had ever said to him.
GirlsDontCri: You're right. Pony doesn't deserve this. I almost cried writing that chapter!
CinderBrat: That's so sad. Do you know how the little boy is doing?
Jessica: I already have the ending planned exactly, and at the rate I've been going, it might not take long to get there.
Stinky Stan: Okay, here's more!
Koujaku: What epidemic in what state in what town?
CrazeLilDreamer: Twobit and Pony could use hugs, and so could the rest of the boys! Twobit sure needs the beer hidden too.
Disclaimer: I'm already tired of writing this! I agree with the disclaimers on here that say if I owned the Outsiders, why would I be writing fanfiction.
Darry's POV
Today was the day Pony was to begin chemotherapy. Everything the doctors and nurses told us about it sounded like a nightmare. I couldn't believe my little brother had to go through this! I couldn't believe the rest of us had to watch him go through this. I couldn't wait until this whole thing was over, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it would end. I wanted to take Pony home so much, but I wasn't allowed to. I hoped they would release him soon. He hated the hospital. Nurses were always coming in with needles and taking vitals. I had no idea where Soda went, but I didn't think he would leave the hospital. He was not taking this well at all. None of us were. Pony was in his room sleeping again before he had to go get his first dose of chemo.
Soda's POV
I hadn't told anyone where I was going, but I was at the lot. I wanted to make sure I was back at the hospital before Pony got his chemo though. I was just thinking about what lay ahead of us. Steve had told me what happened with Twobit. I sure hoped Twobit listened to him because he was right. We all needed each other. I heard footsteps behind me and felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Twobit.
"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" He said.
"Okay I guess. I'm going back to the hospital in a little while. Are you going too? Pony's supposed to start chemo this afternoon."
"Yeah, I'll go."
How can I be so calm? I thought. This wasn't something that was just going to blow over. Pony might not come out of this alive. That thought made tears well up again and start streaming down my cheeks. Twobit saw this and put his arm across my shoulders. Why did I have to keep crying like this? Why couldn't I be like Twobit and forget how to cry? I thought. Then I looked at him, and realized with shock that he was crying too.
"I've been thinking a lot about what Steve said, and he's right. Friendship will get all of us through this. I'm keeping that promise I made." Twobit said.
"Come on. Let's go on back to the hospital." I said, and we started walking away from the lot.
Pony's POV
Here it goes. I thought as I felt the IV needle slide into my flesh. The nurse hung a bag of liquid on the IV pole, told me to let her know if I needed anything, and left. Darry and Soda were there with me. Soda was gripping my hand that didn't have the IV in it. I was glad they had come with me. I couldn't do any of this alone. The chemo was flowing into my veins, and I hoped it was blasting all those cancer cells away. My stomach suddenly felt sick as nausea hit me. I started vomiting constantly. How could I endure this torture? I asked myself. This was only the beginning. Darry was rubbing my back gently, and he looked like he was going to start crying. I hated how this was making everyone so sad. I had even seen Steve cry. I was terrified and so was the gang.
Twobit's POV
Steve and me were in Pony's hospital room waiting for him to come back from chemo. Darry had told me about the side effects, and they sounded horrible. It would be hard seeing Pony like that, especially since the treatment sounded worse than the cancer itself. Darry came in pushing Pony in a wheelchair. Soda followed behind him. They helped Pony get in bed, and he went right to sleep. He looked so weak.
"Twobit, we're going to run down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Can you stay here with Pony for a little while?" Darry said tiredly.
"Sure." I answered.
Darry, Soda, and Steve left the room. I sat on the chair next to Pony's bed, and grabbed a magazine off the table to look at. I looked up from it several minutes later and saw Pony staring at me with sad eyes.
"Do you think I'll be okay?" He asked.
I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell him that he would be fine, but was that the truth?
"I don't know, Pony. I hope so." I decided to say.
"Me too." He said as his voice cracked, then he went white and took off to the bathroom. I could hear him in there, and it sounded awful. I didn't really think he would want me to, but I went in there anyway. I rubbed his back and handed him a wet cloth to wipe his face when he was finished.
"Do you feel better now?" I asked as he got back into bed.
"A little. Thanks, Twobit."
"No problem, kid. No problem at all. What are friends for?"
Steve's POV
Me, Darry, and Soda had gone down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, but none of us had much of an appetite. We just talked most of the time, and the subject of work came up.
"When are you guys going back to work?" I asked.
"I'll go back when I run out of sick days." Soda said.
"I don't know. I think I'll go back in a few days. It won't do Pony any good if we go broke. How about you, Steve?" Darry said.
"I'm going tomorrow. Guys, if there's anything I can do to help you out, I will. If you need to work, I'll stay here with Pony. Soda, I'll fill in for you at work anytime you need me to."
"Thanks, Steve." Darry said.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
We left the cafeteria and went back to Pony's room. Twobit was sound asleep in the chair next to the bed, and Pony was watching TV. Soda went and sat on the bed next to him. Pony leaned against him, and Soda put his arm around him. Pony had to be okay. Soda couldn't live without him. None of us could. I realized then that even though I had never liked Pony that much, he was still my friend, and I wished I could take back every mean thing I had ever said to him.