Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.
Wow! Maybe I should leave you guys in suspense more often. I get more reviews that way, and it makes me want to write!
A/N Okay, I added the rest of this chapter!
Darry's POV
I couldn't believe my ears. The doctor had more horrible news. How were any of us going to get through this?
"Pony's blast count has gone up. It's higher than it was the day he was diagnosed. This means the chemotherapy protocol he is on has stopped working." He said.
"Then, what do we do next?" I asked.
"Start him on a different and stronger protocol as soon as possible and hope for the best."
"I don't understand this! Just yesterday, you said he was getting better."
"Cancer can always take a turn for the worst no matter what. We just fight with the drugs we have and hope they work. There is never a guarantee."
"When will he start the new chemo?"
"Tomorrow morning."
How was I going to tell Pony or anyone for that matter? I rushed back to Pony's room and asked Soda to come out into the waiting room so I could talk to him. I wanted to talk to him alone, so he wouldn't be hysterical in front of Pony. I wasn't sure who would take this harder, him or Soda. I took a deep breath and began talking.
"Soda, I have some bad news, but please try to stay calm for Pony's sake."
He just nodded.
"Pony has to be started on some new chemo because the one he's on has stopped working. The new chemo is stronger, but the doctor said we just have to hope it works and puts the cancer in remission."
"What if it doesn't?"
"Let's not think about that."
"Darry, when is this going to end? He was better! What happened?" Soda yelled.
"Calm down, little buddy. Please. There is still hope. We will keep fighting." I said softly.
Pony's POV
Darry and Soda came back into my room, and Soda looked almost hysterical.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Darry sat down next to me and started talking.
"Pony, the doctor told me that the cancer has stopped responding to the chemo you are on now, and he's going to put you on a stronger protocol and see if it works."
"Stronger? That means I'll just get sicker. This was supposed to be over soon!" I asked feeling tears welling up.
Twobit and Steve hadn't said a word, and Soda was just leaning against the wall.
"I know." Darry looked down at his feet. "I told you it would be."
"When do I have to start the new chemo?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Darry looked guilty. From what he had said a moment ago, I thought he might have been blaming himself for this.
"Dar, this isn't your fault."
"I know, but I shouldn't have told you it would be over soon."
"Why not?" I asked. "You were just trying to make me feel better."
"Yeah, but I only gave you false hope."
"There is no such thing as false hope. You made me feel better. You made me realize that I have to fight to get to the end of this."
He grinned when I said that. I guess I had made him feel better this time.
Steve's POV
I just stood in Pony's room silently wondering what to say. What do you say to a kid who has just been told the cancer he has was on it's way into remission, and then it did a complete turn around? I looked at Soda, and he didn't look like he could take much more of this.
"Soda, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?"
He shrugged and followed me to the waiting room. I have to be honest. I was really worried about him.
"What do you want to talk about?" Soda asked.
"I'm worried about you."
"Why? Why is anyone worried about me? I'm fine. Pony is the one who's sick. Pony is the one who could die!" He nearly shouted.
"We're worried about you because we care. I knew you wanted out of that room just now. You are on the edge of hysterics."
"Of course I am, Steve. First Pony is getting better, and then that's snatched away. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to talk to my little brother."
"Wait a minute, Soda. I just wanted you to know I'm here for you. You're my best friend."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just frustrated. I want Pony out of here."
"We all do. He will make it home. He'll beat this."
Soda smiled a little and then walked back down the hall to Pony's room.
Wow! Maybe I should leave you guys in suspense more often. I get more reviews that way, and it makes me want to write!
A/N Okay, I added the rest of this chapter!
Darry's POV
I couldn't believe my ears. The doctor had more horrible news. How were any of us going to get through this?
"Pony's blast count has gone up. It's higher than it was the day he was diagnosed. This means the chemotherapy protocol he is on has stopped working." He said.
"Then, what do we do next?" I asked.
"Start him on a different and stronger protocol as soon as possible and hope for the best."
"I don't understand this! Just yesterday, you said he was getting better."
"Cancer can always take a turn for the worst no matter what. We just fight with the drugs we have and hope they work. There is never a guarantee."
"When will he start the new chemo?"
"Tomorrow morning."
How was I going to tell Pony or anyone for that matter? I rushed back to Pony's room and asked Soda to come out into the waiting room so I could talk to him. I wanted to talk to him alone, so he wouldn't be hysterical in front of Pony. I wasn't sure who would take this harder, him or Soda. I took a deep breath and began talking.
"Soda, I have some bad news, but please try to stay calm for Pony's sake."
He just nodded.
"Pony has to be started on some new chemo because the one he's on has stopped working. The new chemo is stronger, but the doctor said we just have to hope it works and puts the cancer in remission."
"What if it doesn't?"
"Let's not think about that."
"Darry, when is this going to end? He was better! What happened?" Soda yelled.
"Calm down, little buddy. Please. There is still hope. We will keep fighting." I said softly.
Pony's POV
Darry and Soda came back into my room, and Soda looked almost hysterical.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Darry sat down next to me and started talking.
"Pony, the doctor told me that the cancer has stopped responding to the chemo you are on now, and he's going to put you on a stronger protocol and see if it works."
"Stronger? That means I'll just get sicker. This was supposed to be over soon!" I asked feeling tears welling up.
Twobit and Steve hadn't said a word, and Soda was just leaning against the wall.
"I know." Darry looked down at his feet. "I told you it would be."
"When do I have to start the new chemo?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Darry looked guilty. From what he had said a moment ago, I thought he might have been blaming himself for this.
"Dar, this isn't your fault."
"I know, but I shouldn't have told you it would be over soon."
"Why not?" I asked. "You were just trying to make me feel better."
"Yeah, but I only gave you false hope."
"There is no such thing as false hope. You made me feel better. You made me realize that I have to fight to get to the end of this."
He grinned when I said that. I guess I had made him feel better this time.
Steve's POV
I just stood in Pony's room silently wondering what to say. What do you say to a kid who has just been told the cancer he has was on it's way into remission, and then it did a complete turn around? I looked at Soda, and he didn't look like he could take much more of this.
"Soda, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?"
He shrugged and followed me to the waiting room. I have to be honest. I was really worried about him.
"What do you want to talk about?" Soda asked.
"I'm worried about you."
"Why? Why is anyone worried about me? I'm fine. Pony is the one who's sick. Pony is the one who could die!" He nearly shouted.
"We're worried about you because we care. I knew you wanted out of that room just now. You are on the edge of hysterics."
"Of course I am, Steve. First Pony is getting better, and then that's snatched away. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to talk to my little brother."
"Wait a minute, Soda. I just wanted you to know I'm here for you. You're my best friend."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just frustrated. I want Pony out of here."
"We all do. He will make it home. He'll beat this."
Soda smiled a little and then walked back down the hall to Pony's room.