Eh, Man I hope this is better and more like you hoped it would be, sorry if my story didn't flow.., I tried to fix that.

Ponyboys POV

I woke up the next morning with a sore body, no one was in bed with me.. I wondered why. But I heard voices coming from the kitchen, I quietly crept down in the hallway and listened. My heart was beating rapidly and I didnt know why, I leaned my boney back against the dirty, discolored wall and listened.

"Were gonna have to bring him back to the hospital"Darry said in a low voice

"hospital? He'll go crazy if he has to go back there again!"Soda said trying to be low

"well he's been getting badly sick, what do you want us to do Sodapop?"

"Well the hospital aint exactly sterilized, if you ask me its no better than here"

"it's a lot better than here little buddy"

"so you want us to just leave him there?"

"No! Maybe they have something they can do for him"

"how's that?"

"Were just gonna have to bring him in and find out, I promise, there is no way im leaving him with them"

"alright"

not again. I didn't want to go back there again! I hate hospitals they give me the creeps and make me sicker, or at least thats how I felt about them.

"You want to go get your little brother up? Were gonna have to go soon"Darry said with a shaken voice

"sure bring me in to break your bad news"sodapop answered but he sounded sarcastic to me

Then Sodapop appeared in the hallway and tumbled over me landing on the floor with a loud bang, Darry was next to us in no time.

I stiffled a laugh.

"Ponyboy! Are you alright?"Darry asked frantic

"oh thanks a lot Darry!"Soda yelled from his spot on the floor

"Sorry little buddy"Darry said laughing "you alright?"

"Yeah im fine"Soda said glancing over at me

"I take it you know were your going today huh?"he asked, his hair was all ruffled and his face looked streaked with dirt

"yeah I do"I said my smile quickly fading as I remembered the place I was destined for in a few minutes

"come on get dressed, we gotta go"Darry said with a straight face

"you hungry?"Soda asked me, while helping up from the wooden floor

"nah im not hungry"

"we might have to bring up something with this little eating disorder you've been having too"Darry said his face stern

I realized then that I can never really tell what Darry's thinking from his facial expressions. He sure hinds them good, I've seen him laugh a little but not often at all, he mostly has that look on his face like he's doing the bills. A face thats very stern always filled with concern and worry, he needs more fun.

Sodapops POV

We walked through the hospital doors and Pony clung to my arm, that made me feel good, since he's been trying to avoid being touched lately. But I guess being in a place filled with total strangers is worse than being with strangers who are your brothers. We walked through the long hallways, I felt Ponys nails gently digging into my skin. It didn't bother me, but made me feel more secure, this was still my brother even if he couldn't remember.

"Hello Darrel, Sodapop, Ponyboy"a doctor greeted us as we approached him

"how are we today Pony?"he asked leaning down so he was at Ponys level

Pony didn't answer,only stared at him with huge blue-green eyes and twisted his fingers around my shirt.

I patted him on the back, trying to make him feel more comfortable but I didn't think it was working.

"Follow me please, we'll examine you in your room, right over here"he said leading us into a small hospital room

He motioned for Ponyboy to sit on the exam table but Pony didn't make a move to go even remotely near it.

I felt Pony stiffen next to me and looked down at him to see that Darry was lifting him by his small shoulders. Pony released my hand, leaving it clammy and Darry set him down on the exam table. Pony hugged himself and took nervous glances around the room occasionally allowing his eyes to meet mine.

"So Pony I've heard that you've been getting sick lately, is this correct"

Pony nodded, poor thing he looked scared out of his mind, I wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him that he would be alright, that this nightmare would end. But I couldn't do that, because right now I was sure it would.

"Is their anything else that you've been noticing with him Darrel?"the doctor asked while sticking this light in Ponys eye

"he hasn't been eating"Darry said, his voice scratchy

"I can tell"the doctor murmured

He was now checking Ponys breathing and heart beat, pressing the little hearing device to Ponys chest.

"Will you take your shirt off for me please"the doctor asked

Pony gave a weary look to no one in particular and carefully lifted his shirt over his head to reveal a boney body. The sight of Ponys body made me want to eat three horses, his whole stomach was sunken in, I swear you could have used it as a bowl for your cereal. His ribs were showing and his shoulders looked so scrawny I was worried that a small breeze might blow my baby brother away. He covered himself up with his arms and the doctor asked him to take deep breathes, while he moved the stethoscope around his chest and back.

Ponys breathing was fine then it turned raspy sounding than more like a wheezing then he started coughing.

"Very good Ponyboy, you can put your shirt back on now"the doctor said as he turned to Darry

"we already knew that Ponyboy was going to have a weak immune system but this might be a little worse than we thought. I recommend that Ponyboy stays here at least until he recovers a bit more, were might need to take some tests"

"no"I stopped the doctor right there, knowing that Ponyboy would not stand for that

"he's not staying here"I added

"we agreed that Ponyboy wasn't going to stay here, but we wanted to know if you could do something for him, that would keep him from getting so sick"Darry chimed in

"I actually might have something"he said turning and walking toward a closet

"this is a mask that Ponyboy will have to keep on him until we get a patch that I will order for you today. The patch will stick to Ponyboys stomach, its small so don't worry, and it will give Pony extra anti-bodies to help him fight off harmful diseases that will try and attack his system"the doctor explained, I think I caught what he was saying

"what will the mask do?"Darry asked

"well the mask he will wear only around the house, It will be hooked up to a small machine that will have medication that will help Pony fight off any diseases"he explained

I nodded

"is that all doctor?"Darry asked

"that's all for today, I will notify you when we get the patches in"

"alright"

The doctor gave us the machine that Pony would be attached to until he got his patch and then we left. Ponyboy sat in the middle of us on the ride home, I seriously don't think he blinked the whole car ride home. He had an intent stare in his eye and I desperately wanted to know what his little mind was thinking. He used to tell me everything, or at least I thought he told me everything, but now the most I can get is a "hi" out of that kid. I hate seeing him all bottled up like that, something was troubling him and I wish he would tell me what it was.

Ponyboys POV

Great. Ponyboy the freak part 2. Now I have to wear this mask around the house for who knows how long. Like it's not bad enough that im a freak that lost his mind, now im a freak that lost his mind and has to wear a mask over his mouth and nose just so he doesn't get sick. Im feeling pretty sick right now. This whole thing Is making me sick. I could tell the Soda was staring at me the whole car ride home and that Darry was worrying about me. I don't like that im making them scared, I hate it actually.. But theirs nothing I can do. I start school as soon as I get the patches in, im pretty worried about starting it. All my friends.. If I have any.. I don't even know who im friends with, wow this is pretty sad.

Soda walked up to me and sat down next to me on the floor in the living room, the tv was on but I wasn't paying attention to it.

"Hey Pony what's eating you?"Soda asked

"im a freak"I decided to let him on, I have been ignoring him for weeks

"what? Who says you're a freak?"he asked concerned

"I do"

"what make you think you're a freak?"he asked tugging at a loose sting on the damaged rug

"Soda I lost my mind, I cant even remember my own family!"I said getting annoyed

"Pony this wasn't your fault, it was that guys"Soda tried to argue

I didnt compete with the last statement

"Soda?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I have any friends?"

Then Soda started laughing and when he laughs it makes you want to laugh too, so I joined him.

I think it was the best laugh I ever had.

But of course.. I wouldn't know this.

Sorry about the patch thing I kinda made it up.. I think.. Im not sure if they actually have stuff like that.. But now they do