Soda's POV

Brianna was fussy when she woke up at around eight. Not that I blamed her. Being sick is no fun. She was still sniffling and coughing and she was running a slight fever. To top it off, she was cranky and upset.

"Hey sweetie," I greeted her as I lifted her out the crib. She seemed content when I held her. But when I sat her down with some toys in the living room, she screamed and cried until I picked her up again even though I was sitting on the floor with her. This went on all morning and by noon, I was exhausted.

Darry called during his lunch break to see how things were going.

"Hey little buddy." He said when I answered the phone while holding Brianna who was crying with my other arm. "Brianna does not sound too happy. How's her cold?"

I sighed. "She's still sniffling and coughing. Plus, she's been fussing all morning. And she screams when I put her down until I pick her up again."

"Sounds like you've been having a rough day." Darry told me.

"Yeah, it's only noon and I'm tired." I admitted. "I think I'll try to get Brianna to take her nap so I can get some rest, too."

"Good luck." Darry laughed. "I'll see you when I get home."

"Bye Darry." After I hung up, I tried to get Brianna to go to sleep and take a nap, but of course, she screamed and fussed. Even when I laid down on the couch with her. Finally, I just laid her down in her crib. "Sorry, Brianna, but daddy is tired. Daddy didn't get much sleep last night. Daddy needs to take a nap."

Brianna cried and screamed. She did not want to be in that crib. She wanted me to hold her and carry her. But eventually she did go to sleep. I guess lots of crying and screaming makes you tired. She woke up right when Ponyboy got home from school. I was just waking up myself as Pony entered the house, tossing his back pack on the floor.

Ponyboy's POV

"Hey how's Brianna?" I asked Soda when I saw him getting up from the couch. He looked tired even thoughit was obvious he was just waking up from a nap.

"Why don't you go find out?" Soda suggested. She's in her crib.

When I entered her room, I saw that she was awake. I picked her up and carried her back to the living room where Soda had sat back down on the couch.

"She's warm." I told him as I sat next to him. Soda touched her forhead.

"Yeah. But not as warm as she was." He told me. "She must be getting better. That nap probably helped."

"For you, or her?" I asked.

Soda laughed. "Both. Pony, taking care of a sick baby is hard. She fussed all morning."

I looked at Brianna who was on my lap. She wasn't fussing now. But she wasn't her cheerful self either. Usually she's like Soda. Always grinning. But now she looked tired and miserable.

"Being sick isn't fun, is it Brianna?" I asked her. Her only response was a sniffle and resting her head on my chest.

Soda stood up and stretched. He stood there for a minute watching Brianna. "Do you know what?"

"What?" I asked.

"I wonder if Sandy ever thinks about her. I mean she gave birth to Brianna, does she ever wonder how things are with Brianna?" Soda said softly. I knew he was hurt both times Sandy had left him. But he rarely mentioned it and no one asked him about it.

"I don't know, Soda." I told him. "We might never know the answer to that."

"I guess not." Soda sighed. He gently rubbed the top of Brianna's head, messing up her hair. "But we're doing okay, aren't we Brianna?"

Brianna just yawned and looked at him tiredly. She sat on my lap half asleep as I read to her a few books while Soda got dinner ready. I had to stop reading a few times to wipe her nose which she didn't seem to like much since she tried pushing my hand away. But she did look at the pictures with some interest as I read to her.