I picked up Ponyboy and put him on my hip. I instructed him to be careful with his hand and wrist. Normally he would have complained at me but he must have been too tired. I hated to see him like this! While I was frustrated at the socs that hurt him, I felt so scared when I saw him beaten up on the sidewalk. I wanted to just cuddle him for a while, but I knew he needed a bath to clean him up. I asked Soda to grab him some clothes and he quickly obeyed. I put him on the toilet seat and started the water up.
"You want bubbles?" I asked him.
He rolled his eyes in response. I normally would have grouched at him, but since he was hurt I ignored it.
"I'm not a baby anymore!" He complained.
At that moment I begged to differ. I would have proven to him that he was still a baby in my eyes, but I knew it would work him up and make him feel worse. So I bit my tongue.
"Yes it is then." I responded, pouring in bubbles.
I finished pouring the bubbles and told him to get his pants off.
"No Darry!" He whined.
I braced myself for the argument of the night. I knew Ponyboy would fight me about me helping him to take a bath. But I wasn't budging.
"You need to get in the bath. You're really weak right now. I don't want you bathing by yourself right now." I explained.
I saw his face flush with embarrassment. I was about to respond when Soda came prancing back into the room.
"Here's the clothes!" He told me.
I thanked him and asked him to make dinner while I got Pony bathed. He agreed and told us goodbye before leaving the bathroom.
"Darry! I don't want to take a bath with you watching me!" He blurted out.
"Why not?" I asked him.
"It's just that I'm not gonna be wearing any clothes. I need some privacy." He explained.
"How about you have the shower curtain closed and I sit on the other side? Deal?" I asked.
"But Darry! It's still embarrassing!" He complained.
I knew he was embarrassed, but I didn't really understand why he was. I was the oldest and I took care of my younger brothers. That's the way things are and always have been. I gave him a small smile.
"Pony. You don't have to be embarrassed. I'm your older brother. Hell I even helped mom change some of your diapers. And let me tell you they weren't pretty." I told him, recalling the memory.
His face flushed and he grumbled in response. But he still slipped his underwear off and allowed me to help him into the tub. Before I could get him settled, he grabbed the bottle of soap.
"Pony. Remember what I told you about your arm and wrist? I want you to take it easy." I told him, taking the soap out of his hands.
I squirted some out on a washcloth and gave it to Ponyboy through the curtain.
"Darry! I'm such a baby!" He complained.
"No you're not. Quit talking like that. Your legs hurt. That's all." I told him.
He got finished up and drained the water. I threw his towel at him from the side of the curtain. He yelped in surprise. I laughed at his girly reaction. When he had wrapped the towel around him I carried him into my room. I threw a shirt, boxers, and shorts at his face.
"Darry!" He laughed.
He threw the shirt back at me. I grabbed it and used it to ruffle his hair. He let out a giggle as he snatched it back from me.
"I'm gonna check on dinner. You get dressed and I'll come back up to help you down stairs." I told him.
I went down to check on dinner. I came back up and saw him sitting up all dressed. I smiled when I saw his messed up hair. I sat behind him with my comb. I started to comb his tuff hair.
"I used to do this when you were little." I told him.
"Do what?" He asked.
"When I'd help mom give you a bath she'd always let me comb your hair." I told him.
I could tell that the statement would probably embarrass him, since he was so sensitive. I didn't care at that moment though, since it was just him and I. I continued to brush his hair for a while until it looked good.