From the bedroom, Ponyboy woke up to his stomach constantly doing rolls. His face contorted, showing that he was in pain. Nausea was creeping up his throat and he started to feel himself become hot and sweaty.
He quickly sat up and held his stomach tightly, bending over. He knew that he was going to vomit and he needed a bathroom, fast. With a sharp jump in his stomach, he quickly burst out of the duvet and instantly felt his legs turn to noodles.
Darry and Bexley heard Ponyboy storm out of the bedroom with one hand around his stomach and the other covering his mouth. He ran into the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door. His breath was shaky as he collapsed in front of the toilet.
Bexley and Darry quickly run to the bathroom and were both heartbroken to see their brother hovered over the toilet, gripping the bowl until his knuckles turned white.
Ponyboy's mouth began to water, and he started gagging heavily. Bexley knelt down next to him and rubbed his back in circles. Darry ran his fingers through Ponyboy's hair comfortably. The youngest boy started shaking and felt his stomach twist even more.
"Easy, Pony. Breathe, honey. You're working yourself up,"
Darry said gently. Bexley felt tears rising in her eyes because of how much pain he was in. Soon, that familiar, horrible taste in his mouth came and he started to gag.
And before they knew it, Ponyboy had thrown up in the toilet. When he was finished, Darry pulled him into his arms. "Bex, can you get some water for him?" Darry asked, feeling Ponyboy suddenly become cold. He started shivering.
Bexley had gotten the water and knelt down in front of Ponyboy, who was still shivering. For a moment, she thought she saw tears running down his face. She couldn't panic now; she had to help her brother get better again.
"Pony, can you drink this for us? Please?" Bexley quietly begged, holding out the glass of water towards him. Ponyboy didn't have any energy to argue with either of them so he had no choice but to comply.
He drank a few sips, letting the coolness of the liquid travel down his throat. The water didn't make it down all the way before his stomach disagreed with him. He shook his head and pushed the cup away from him.
"Pony, what's wrong?" Bexley asked in concern. "It ain't gonna stay down…" he whined, nausea crashing up with his body. Darry knew that Ponyboy was going to be sick again so he maneuvered him over the toilet.
Ponyboy hugged his stomach so tight that he couldn't breathe. All the blood from his cheeks drained of their color. More saliva coated inside of his mouth. "Don't fight it, Pony," Darry calmly says, rubbing his rough hand up and down Ponyboy's back.
"I don't wanna get sick again…" Ponyboy whimpered. His voice broke when he fought the urge to gag. "Pony, it's okay. We're right here," Bexley said, taking a firm hold on her brother's hand.
After another painful gag, he had thrown up the water, accompanied by a slimy substance. He kept throwing up until he didn't have anything in his stomach. After throwing up all he can, he felt his whole body shake in pure agony.
"Breathe, Ponyboy, breathe," Darry soothed in his youngest brother's ear. The youngest boy's body tried curling into itself but Darry's hand was gently massaging his abdomen. All the crying from the pain had worn him out and he was already nodding off.
"You tired, Pone?" Darry asked quietly. Thankfully his voice was quieter than usual because his head was aching and any loud noise could aggravate it. He slowly nodded in response, barely to keep his eyes open.
Darry scooped Ponyboy up in his arms bridal style. "You coming, Bexley?" Darry asked, looking back at his only sister. Bexley nearly had a panic attack while Ponyboy was in the midst of throwing up.
"N-No. I'm gonna go on a walk. I need to get out for a bit," Bexley said, holding her arm. "Okay. But be back no later than an hour. I'm gonna start dinner soon," Darry replied, taking Ponyboy to their bedroom to lay him down.
Darry understood that she couldn't be around Ponyboy when he's in distress. Her panic attacks would only make the situation worse. She needed to get out to calm down. It wouldn't be the first time she had to do this.