Darry's alarm clock went off when it was 7:30 in the morning. However, he didn't want to get up. It felt too early for him to wake up. He saw that Bexley was out cold, softly snoring. He felt relieved that she didn't have a nightmare.
As carefully as he could, he dragged himself out of bed, carefully covering her up. It was the weekend so he'd let her sleep for a little bit longer.
He left the bedroom and got ready for work. As many days off he was having, it was hard to pay off the remainder of the hospital bills. He just needed to get to work.
He then heads into the kitchen to get breakfast started. He figured that Bexley, Ponyboy, and Soda could feed themselves later today.
When he made it into the kitchen, he was slightly angered by Soda, who was sitting at the table with his work uniform on. His eyes were bleak and bloodshot. He was staring into space.
"Sodapop, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Darry asked. Soda physically jumped at Darry's voice. "I'm going to work, Dar," Soda answered bluntly.
"No, you're not. You shouldn't leave this house let alone your bed," Darry protested. Soda looked up at him, his eyes glassy. It was obvious that he was still sick, he couldn't try to hide it. "But… we need the money," he said, breaking Darry's heart again.
He was starting to cry again. "Little buddy, don't you even worry about that right now. You need to focus on your health. Its more important than money," Darry said. "But… I…" Soda started.
"No buts, Sodapop. You are fighting off a fever. So you need to stay in bed and rest. And its the weekend so Ponyboy and Bexley will be here with you." Darry said sternly, knowing Soda would listen to him.
"Okay… I really ain't feeling good…" Sods said, giving in to Darry's lecture. "Good. Let me help you back in bed," Darry said. He led Soda to the bedroom and got him settled back in bed.
By the time Ponyboy woke up, he found the house was quiet. Soda was still sleeping beside him, making moving difficult. He turned to face Sodapop and felt guilt again.
His usual movie star complexion was much paler, with dark circles underneath his eyes. He didn't have that famous smile he usually wore.
The guilt motivated Ponyboy enough to get up to go to the bathroom. He walked on shaky and heavy legs. Bexley was already awake by this time, she was watching the TV when she heard Ponyboy walk down the hall.
It was almost two in the afternoon. After he walked out, she looked up and smiled. "Hey, Pony. How're you feeling?" She asked him. "The same as before," Ponyboy answered.
Bexley got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen. "How's Soda? I hadn't seen him since last night," Bexley asked. "He's still sleeping," Ponyboy answered, trying to hide his guilt.
"I'll fix you guys something to eat. You hungry?" She asked, looking through the cabinets for some vegetables. She would make their mother's soup that she'd always make when one of them was sick.
"No… not really," he said, getting a glass of water. Bexley saw the guilt on her brother's face. Now she needed to know what was troubling him.
"Pony, is something bothering you?" she asked him. His face turned red and he started biting his nails which is a habit he formed when he was nervous about something. Bexley sat back down at the table with him.
"Are you feeling sick again?" She asked him. He shook his head but didn't answer her. "Is it about Soda?" She asked. His cheeks turned bright red and his ears grew hot. "Pony, it's not your fault he got sick after you. These things happen in our family. Don't blame yourself for it," Bexley assured him.
Her words were reassuring but deep down, Ponyboy did still feel guilty about Soda getting sick. It was after two in the afternoon, meaning the gang would swing by after school. Usually, Darry would kick them out so the twins could finish their homework.
Bexley went to the kitchen to get some water for Soda, because he needed to hydrate. Ponyboy dreaded going back to their bedroom, but he knew Soda needed to be looked after. Bexley shook Soda by his shoulder gently.
"Soda, I need you to wake up for us," she said. Soda groaned tiredly and his eyes opened slowly, still glassy and hazy. "Bex? Pony? What time is it?" he rasped.
The twins cringed at the sound of his voice. It was so rough and dry. "After two. Bexley brought you some water to drink," Ponyboy said.
"Pony, can you grab the thermometer from the bathroom and the medicine?" Bexley asked. Ponyboy nodded and went to grab those things from the bathroom.
He soon returned with the items. Bexley placed the thermometer in Soda's mouth and waited for the mercury to stop rising. It read 102.1, which didn't make the twins feel any better.
After giving him some medicine and water, they helped him settle into the bed. A cool rag was placed on his forehead to help his temperature stay in control. It was something their mother did when they were younger.
Soda soon fell back asleep, his snoring showing he was fine for now.