A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I'm up to 191 now! I'm sorry it's been over a month since my last update. I'm having some writer's block. I know what I want to happen, but I'm not sure where to start. I'm waiting for an angsty event to come to my mind that I can use. Maybe something will come. Maybe it won't.
Disclaimer: I own no characters from the Outsiders. I'm getting no money for writing this!
Pony's POV
As soon as I woke up, I remembered this was the first day I had to go to the hospital for outpatient chemo. Oh well, at least it was only once a week. I didn't have to be there for a couple more hours, so I got up and took a shower. After I got out of the shower and got dressed, I took a good look at myself in the mirror. Will I ever look like myself again? I thought. I was still skinny and bald. I hoped my hair would grow back soon. I left the bathroom and found the gang gathered in our kitchen eating eggs and chocolate cake. I got a plate and some food, thinking that would probably be the only time I would want to eat today.
"What time do I have to go to the hospital?" I asked Darry.
"About 2:00." He said.
I looked at the clock, and it was only 10:00 now. The gang was carrying on a conversation about some story Darry had read in the newspaper, but I tuned them out and thought about the days and years ahead of me. I would be on chemo for more than two years. I had been told by one of the nurses about the treatment length. That sure was a long time, but I would be able to live a pretty normal life. If it would help prevent a relapse, all the chemo was definitely worth it.
"Earth to Ponyboy." I heard a voice say
I looked up, and Twobit was waving his hand in front of my face.
"What?" I said.
"Lost in your day dreams?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"You haven't even touched your food." Steve said.
"Oh, I guess I just forgot it was there. I'm must not be as hungry as I thought I was." I said as I picked up my fork and started eating.
Everyone laughed and I smiled.
********************************
When we went to the hospital later that day, I went straight to the oncology floor. First, I got blood drawn for lab work, and then I was hooked up to an IV for chemo. Darry and Soda sat down and looked at magazines while we waited. I thought about the first time I had gotten chemo and how both of my brothers had been as tense and scared as I was. Now, we were sitting around like this was normal. That was really kind of scary. As the chemo flowed through my veins, I started feeling sick to my stomach again. I would never get used to this. Darry saw the look on my face and handed me a basin to throw up in. My stomach heaved, and Darry just rubbed my back as I vomited over and over again. Soda came over and laid his hand on my shoulder. Finally, the vomiting subsided, and I leaned back and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, a nurse came and unhooked the IV. I didn't even want to get up, but I knew I had to. Darry helped me out of the chair I was sitting in and into a wheelchair. I couldn't wait to get home and into my own bed, but I would probably spend a lot of this day in the bathroom. Well, at least it was our house and not the hospital. Darry pushed me out to the truck, and he helped me get in while Soda took the wheelchair back. I stretched out on the back seat and immediately went to sleep.
Steve's POV
I was still lounging around the Curtis house when Darry came in. He was carrying Pony who was sound asleep. Chemo had taken its toll on him once again. Soda came in and sat down next to me on the couch, and Darry took Pony to his room.
"Did he do okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. He's just really tired." Soda answered.
Darry came back into the room and collapsed into his chair
"I don't see how he's going to do this for another two years." He said.
"Two years?" I said shocked.
"Yeah, that's how long treatment lasts. It is a long time."
"Pony will get through it, Dar. He's already come this far." Twobit said.
He was sitting on the floor watching TV. I hadn't known that he even realized we were in the room.
"That's true." Soda said.
"Hey, guys, how about a game of poker. It will take your minds off everything. Who's in?"
They all said that was a good idea, so we played three hands. The usual happened. Soda tried to cheat when no one was looking, and Twobit cracked jokes the whole time. Darry acted like there was something else on his mind though. I would later find out what it was.
Darry's POV
I couldn't really keep my mind on the game, so I folded and went to check on Pony. He was sleeping soundly, but he looked very pale. What I couldn't get my mind off were the bruises on his arms. There weren't many, but I wondered if there were more in other places. That wasn't a good sign. I didn't even want to think about what it could mean. Soda came in and stood next to me.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I was just checking on Pony." I said.
Soda looked at Pony, and I knew by the look in his eyes that he had seen the paleness and the bruises. I guess we just hadn't gotten a good look at him earlier. Those symptoms wouldn't appear that suddenly. Soda picked up Pony's hand and held it.
"Please don't be..." Soda trailed off.
He didn't want to say the word.
"It's probably just anemia and low platelets from the chemo. Nothing else." I said suppressing my own fears.
"I hope so, Darry." He whispered.
I pushed my worries aside as I realized that the hospital would call if there were any problems with Pony's bloodwork. As it turned out, they did call a few hours later.
A/N Yes! I finally got this chapter written. I wrote the author's note and the first paragraph like a week ago. Yeah, it's kind of a cliffhanger. I like leaving it in places where the doctor walks in or a hospital calls with news that can change a story's direction! Anyway, review!
Disclaimer: I own no characters from the Outsiders. I'm getting no money for writing this!
Pony's POV
As soon as I woke up, I remembered this was the first day I had to go to the hospital for outpatient chemo. Oh well, at least it was only once a week. I didn't have to be there for a couple more hours, so I got up and took a shower. After I got out of the shower and got dressed, I took a good look at myself in the mirror. Will I ever look like myself again? I thought. I was still skinny and bald. I hoped my hair would grow back soon. I left the bathroom and found the gang gathered in our kitchen eating eggs and chocolate cake. I got a plate and some food, thinking that would probably be the only time I would want to eat today.
"What time do I have to go to the hospital?" I asked Darry.
"About 2:00." He said.
I looked at the clock, and it was only 10:00 now. The gang was carrying on a conversation about some story Darry had read in the newspaper, but I tuned them out and thought about the days and years ahead of me. I would be on chemo for more than two years. I had been told by one of the nurses about the treatment length. That sure was a long time, but I would be able to live a pretty normal life. If it would help prevent a relapse, all the chemo was definitely worth it.
"Earth to Ponyboy." I heard a voice say
I looked up, and Twobit was waving his hand in front of my face.
"What?" I said.
"Lost in your day dreams?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"You haven't even touched your food." Steve said.
"Oh, I guess I just forgot it was there. I'm must not be as hungry as I thought I was." I said as I picked up my fork and started eating.
Everyone laughed and I smiled.
********************************
When we went to the hospital later that day, I went straight to the oncology floor. First, I got blood drawn for lab work, and then I was hooked up to an IV for chemo. Darry and Soda sat down and looked at magazines while we waited. I thought about the first time I had gotten chemo and how both of my brothers had been as tense and scared as I was. Now, we were sitting around like this was normal. That was really kind of scary. As the chemo flowed through my veins, I started feeling sick to my stomach again. I would never get used to this. Darry saw the look on my face and handed me a basin to throw up in. My stomach heaved, and Darry just rubbed my back as I vomited over and over again. Soda came over and laid his hand on my shoulder. Finally, the vomiting subsided, and I leaned back and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, a nurse came and unhooked the IV. I didn't even want to get up, but I knew I had to. Darry helped me out of the chair I was sitting in and into a wheelchair. I couldn't wait to get home and into my own bed, but I would probably spend a lot of this day in the bathroom. Well, at least it was our house and not the hospital. Darry pushed me out to the truck, and he helped me get in while Soda took the wheelchair back. I stretched out on the back seat and immediately went to sleep.
Steve's POV
I was still lounging around the Curtis house when Darry came in. He was carrying Pony who was sound asleep. Chemo had taken its toll on him once again. Soda came in and sat down next to me on the couch, and Darry took Pony to his room.
"Did he do okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. He's just really tired." Soda answered.
Darry came back into the room and collapsed into his chair
"I don't see how he's going to do this for another two years." He said.
"Two years?" I said shocked.
"Yeah, that's how long treatment lasts. It is a long time."
"Pony will get through it, Dar. He's already come this far." Twobit said.
He was sitting on the floor watching TV. I hadn't known that he even realized we were in the room.
"That's true." Soda said.
"Hey, guys, how about a game of poker. It will take your minds off everything. Who's in?"
They all said that was a good idea, so we played three hands. The usual happened. Soda tried to cheat when no one was looking, and Twobit cracked jokes the whole time. Darry acted like there was something else on his mind though. I would later find out what it was.
Darry's POV
I couldn't really keep my mind on the game, so I folded and went to check on Pony. He was sleeping soundly, but he looked very pale. What I couldn't get my mind off were the bruises on his arms. There weren't many, but I wondered if there were more in other places. That wasn't a good sign. I didn't even want to think about what it could mean. Soda came in and stood next to me.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I was just checking on Pony." I said.
Soda looked at Pony, and I knew by the look in his eyes that he had seen the paleness and the bruises. I guess we just hadn't gotten a good look at him earlier. Those symptoms wouldn't appear that suddenly. Soda picked up Pony's hand and held it.
"Please don't be..." Soda trailed off.
He didn't want to say the word.
"It's probably just anemia and low platelets from the chemo. Nothing else." I said suppressing my own fears.
"I hope so, Darry." He whispered.
I pushed my worries aside as I realized that the hospital would call if there were any problems with Pony's bloodwork. As it turned out, they did call a few hours later.
A/N Yes! I finally got this chapter written. I wrote the author's note and the first paragraph like a week ago. Yeah, it's kind of a cliffhanger. I like leaving it in places where the doctor walks in or a hospital calls with news that can change a story's direction! Anyway, review!