I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I have to reinstall AOL on the computer. I'm actually typing this before I get it installed again, so I don't have access to reviews right now.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.
Pony' POV
Chemo was a lot worse than I thought it was going to be. Even after being on it a few days, it still made me just as sick as the first time. Darry was in my room with me one afternoon because he had the day off, and Soda was at work. He wouldn't leave the hospital unless he had work. I even told him it was okay to go home and get some sleep, but he insisted on staying with me. Darry was the same way. Somebody was always with me. I liked that because I never wanted to be alone in a hospital. I just didn't want to be a bunch of trouble.
"Darry, you really can go home if you want to. I don't want you to just sit around worrying about me." I said.
"Pony I'm not here only because I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be by yourself. I know you hate hospitals." Darry answered.
"I'm sorry about this, Dar. I didn't mean to get cancer and scare everyone."
He looked at me with sad eyes.
"None of this is your fault. Don't even think that. We don't blame you, and don't you dare blame yourself."
"I'm sorry."
"Pony, stop apologizing." Darry came over and sat down on the bed. He gripped my shoulders and turned me to face him.
"Listen to me. One of us is always here because we love you. Even if you didn't want us here, we would stay anyway."
"I know, but I can't help feeling guilty. You guys are worn out and worried all the time."
"Don't worry about that. We're taking care of ourselves, but we want to take care of you too."
I nodded and hugged Darry. I felt so safe with my big brother. I wished he could keep me safe from the cancer. I lay back down and my bed and went to sleep for a while. When I woke up, the whole gang was there. I sat up and looked at my pillow, and there was a huge lock of hair on it. The nurses had said that would happen, but I still didn't like it. My hair was what showed I was a Greaser, and my natural color had just started to grow back from the Windrixville incident. Everyone looked at me. I ran into the bathroom. It was only hair. It would grow back. Why did I care? It was another thing for me to deal with. That was why.
"Are you okay, Pony?" Soda asked knocking on the door.
"I'm fine." I said.
Then, I felt the chemo I had gotten earlier hit my stomach. I started throwing up again. Soda came into the bathroom and shut the door. He looked worried, and that bothered me. I didn't want to worry him anymore, so I told him I was fine again.
"No, you're not. Look at yourself. You've lost weight, you're throwing up all the time, and now you've lost your hair too." He said.
"I haven't lost all of it." I said looking down feeling a lump rise in my throat. I didn't want to cry anymore. Soda took me in his arms, and I sobbed like a baby. He was crying too.
"I didn't mean to make you cry too." I said.
"It's okay, little buddy. Don't worry about it." He said.
****************
Later that night when I was back in bed, I got a case of the chills. I hoped I wasn't running a fever. That would be a bad sign. Steve was there with me then.
"Steve, I think I'm running a fever."
He looked concerned and went to get a nurse. The nurse checked my temperature, and sure enough, it was 103.
"We better get you started on IV antibiotics and move you to ICU. The chemo has destroyed your immune system, so we need to keep a close eye on you." She said.
Oh no, I don't want to go to ICU. I want to stay here. I thought.
"Can I still have visitors?" I asked.
"Only if they gown up and put on a mask."
The nurse left to go arrange for me to move. I really did feel awful. Why is this happening? I asked myself once again. This was so unfair. Steve looked worried. I even had him worrying about me.
"It will be okay, Pony." He said.
"I hope so. It's just hard to keep believing that I can make it through all this."
"You've made it through a lot already."
What? Was this Steve trying to encourage me and acting like he was my friend?
"Uh, can I tell you something?" Steve asked.
"Sure." I said sleepily. I was ready to pass out.
"Well, I know I've always been kind of mean to you, but you are my friend. I don't want you to think you're not."
I couldn't believe my ears. Steve was saying I was his friend? I wasn't sure what to say to him.
"You're my friend too, Steve." I said and grinned at him. I meant it too.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.
Pony' POV
Chemo was a lot worse than I thought it was going to be. Even after being on it a few days, it still made me just as sick as the first time. Darry was in my room with me one afternoon because he had the day off, and Soda was at work. He wouldn't leave the hospital unless he had work. I even told him it was okay to go home and get some sleep, but he insisted on staying with me. Darry was the same way. Somebody was always with me. I liked that because I never wanted to be alone in a hospital. I just didn't want to be a bunch of trouble.
"Darry, you really can go home if you want to. I don't want you to just sit around worrying about me." I said.
"Pony I'm not here only because I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be by yourself. I know you hate hospitals." Darry answered.
"I'm sorry about this, Dar. I didn't mean to get cancer and scare everyone."
He looked at me with sad eyes.
"None of this is your fault. Don't even think that. We don't blame you, and don't you dare blame yourself."
"I'm sorry."
"Pony, stop apologizing." Darry came over and sat down on the bed. He gripped my shoulders and turned me to face him.
"Listen to me. One of us is always here because we love you. Even if you didn't want us here, we would stay anyway."
"I know, but I can't help feeling guilty. You guys are worn out and worried all the time."
"Don't worry about that. We're taking care of ourselves, but we want to take care of you too."
I nodded and hugged Darry. I felt so safe with my big brother. I wished he could keep me safe from the cancer. I lay back down and my bed and went to sleep for a while. When I woke up, the whole gang was there. I sat up and looked at my pillow, and there was a huge lock of hair on it. The nurses had said that would happen, but I still didn't like it. My hair was what showed I was a Greaser, and my natural color had just started to grow back from the Windrixville incident. Everyone looked at me. I ran into the bathroom. It was only hair. It would grow back. Why did I care? It was another thing for me to deal with. That was why.
"Are you okay, Pony?" Soda asked knocking on the door.
"I'm fine." I said.
Then, I felt the chemo I had gotten earlier hit my stomach. I started throwing up again. Soda came into the bathroom and shut the door. He looked worried, and that bothered me. I didn't want to worry him anymore, so I told him I was fine again.
"No, you're not. Look at yourself. You've lost weight, you're throwing up all the time, and now you've lost your hair too." He said.
"I haven't lost all of it." I said looking down feeling a lump rise in my throat. I didn't want to cry anymore. Soda took me in his arms, and I sobbed like a baby. He was crying too.
"I didn't mean to make you cry too." I said.
"It's okay, little buddy. Don't worry about it." He said.
****************
Later that night when I was back in bed, I got a case of the chills. I hoped I wasn't running a fever. That would be a bad sign. Steve was there with me then.
"Steve, I think I'm running a fever."
He looked concerned and went to get a nurse. The nurse checked my temperature, and sure enough, it was 103.
"We better get you started on IV antibiotics and move you to ICU. The chemo has destroyed your immune system, so we need to keep a close eye on you." She said.
Oh no, I don't want to go to ICU. I want to stay here. I thought.
"Can I still have visitors?" I asked.
"Only if they gown up and put on a mask."
The nurse left to go arrange for me to move. I really did feel awful. Why is this happening? I asked myself once again. This was so unfair. Steve looked worried. I even had him worrying about me.
"It will be okay, Pony." He said.
"I hope so. It's just hard to keep believing that I can make it through all this."
"You've made it through a lot already."
What? Was this Steve trying to encourage me and acting like he was my friend?
"Uh, can I tell you something?" Steve asked.
"Sure." I said sleepily. I was ready to pass out.
"Well, I know I've always been kind of mean to you, but you are my friend. I don't want you to think you're not."
I couldn't believe my ears. Steve was saying I was his friend? I wasn't sure what to say to him.
"You're my friend too, Steve." I said and grinned at him. I meant it too.