Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we do not own "The Outsiders" or any of the Curtis' Gang. The real owner, of "The Outsiders" is the fabulous S.E. Hinton, and we do not make a profit from the stories that we write here on this site.
Pony's POV
I woke to feel the sick reflux rise in my chest and the right side of my head throbbed. I thought my head was going to explode it hurt that bad. I didn't bother turning on the light as I raced around the bed and flung open the door, stumbling past everything in the dark.
I kept swallowing and hoping it would go away, covering my mouth to stop the puke from coming out before I could reach the bathroom.
I couldn't stand the pain in my head. I stumbled through the bathroom door and collapsed against the toilet. I didn't even have time to remove my hand from my mouth when it became covered in bile as I vomited profusely; everything I had eaten that day and after Soda's dinner that I ate heaps of. I felt awful.
"Ponyboy!" I heard Soda yell and kneel down beside me.
"Soda," I whined, and he wrapped his arms around me.
I buried my face in his chest and started to sob.
"Hush, Pony, you're gonna be alright," Soda murmured as he rubbed my back.
It didn't take long before I pushed myself away from Soda and violently threw up in the toilet again, only this time it came out so rough and fast I was certain I felt some come out of my nose.
My whole throat, stomach, and nose burned and my head throbbed something awful.
I collapsed my head done against the toilet and sobbed. Soda gently rubbed my back. It felt like everything around me had intensified, I could even hear mine and Soda's breathing; it was so loud.
"Ponyboy? What's going on?" I heard Darry ask behind me.
Darry's POV
I stood in the entrance to the bathroom and saw my two younger brothers on the floor, Ponyboy was sobbing, and had his head rested against the toilet.
"Ponyboy? What's going on?"
Soda looked up at me. He was rubbing Pony's back.
"He's real sick, Dar."
Ponyboy wiped his mouth and hugged back into Soda.
"Hi, Darry," He greeted miserably, "sorry if I woke you."
"Don't worry Pony. What happened?" I knelt down next to him and rubbed his back.
"I feel awful. My stomach hurts, my head is killing me, and my mouth tastes horrible," Pony sobbed.
It was then I knew this didn't sound like any common cold or stomach bug. Pony was going to have to go to the Doctor and soon.
After a few minutes Pony was no longer vomiting, but continued to sob into Soda's chest.
"You think you feel up to getting up Pony and going on back to bed?" I asked.
Pony pulled himself away from Soda and allowed me to grab his arm and pull him to stand. I saw his sweaty forehead and flushed skin.
"Soda can you hand me the thermometer."
Taking Pony's temperature it read 103.4. That was definitely too high of a fever for my liking.
"Alright, Ponyboy, we have to get you rested you have a high fever."
I gently picked up Pony and carried him back to bed. Immediately I saw Pony grabbing for the thickest blankets.
"Not all those Pony, you are far too hot," I said, pulling back some of the woolen blankets.
"But I'm cold, Darry, really cold," he whined.
Pony's POV
Darry kept pulling the sheets off of me, but I was freezing and shivering. He told me I had this high fever but I certainly didn't think so.
"Darry, his head feels hot, but he's shivering."
"It's his fever Soda. I'll get some aspirin and hopefully that will settle him down."
I pushed Darry's hand away when he tried giving me the aspirins and water.
"Ponyboy, you need to have this," Darry told me.
I couldn't help whining. I sat back up in bed before getting up to walk around. I was restless. I had to do something to stop the pain.
"Pony, stop and sit down," I heard Soda say rather loudly.
I held my throbbing head and groaned. "Stop shouting, please stop shouting."
Darry rested his hand on my shoulder. "No one is shouting Ponyboy."
Huh? It all felt so loud in my head though. Darry lead me back to the bed where I sat down.
"Take these Pony."
Darry handed the pills and water to me again and I slowly took them.
"Come 'ere, Pony." Soda pulled me back into him so I was sitting up against his chest.
"I'm going to get you an appointment with the doctor as soon as I can Ponyboy, we need to get this checked out."
"No, Darry, don't waste money on a doctor for me."
"Don't be silly Pony. You can't keep on like this. Listen to Darry," Soda murmured next to me.
I started getting sleepy from being so sick and my headache had subsided down to a low throb now. Soon I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and drifted off the sleep.
Darry's POV
"Yes, that's wonderful thank you, we'll be there."
I hung up the phone. I had been lucky to get Pony in to see the doctor today. They had had a cancellation this morning.
I walked into the bedroom and gently shook Pony awake.
"Ponyboy, wake up. You feeling okay?"
"Hey, Darry. I'm sorry about last night." His voice was coarse and pained.
"I got a doctor appointment for you today, so get up and get ready."
X
"Ponyboy Curtis?"
Pony, Soda, and I alerted to the doctor's call and followed the doctor into the consultation room.
"Please take a seat. Now what seems to be the problem with Ponyboy?" The doctor asked kindly.
"He's been having these continuous headaches and has been throwing up quite badly the last few days," I explained.
The doctor took out his eye scope and looked into Pony's eyes.
"Have you had any other symptoms? Trouble sleeping, other aches around the body?"
"He has had a fever as well," I explained.
The doctor took down some notes and proceeded with the examination.
"Well, he seems in good health, though I would like to do further tests, predominately a brain scan and run some bloods."
"Why does he need a brain scan?" I asked feeling exceptionally worried, and I wasn't the only one, Soda was shifting in his seat and Pony was shuffling his feet on the ground.
"I don't want to alarm any of you but it's just to rule out the possibilities of a brain tumor."
My heart fell to my knees. Ponyboy was only fourteen, he had a great future ahead of him; he couldn't have a brain tumor. Pony and Soda sat stunned.
"Ponyboy, can you hold out your arm for me while I take a blood sample?"
Soda's POV
I knew that Pony was scared. I was scared too. The doctor wanted to do tests, couldn't he just diagnose something simple right here, Pony didn't have any serious issues, he couldn't.
I went and hugged Pony as the doctor stuck the needle in to get blood. He really hated needles.
"I'll arrange for the brain scan to happen on Friday at ten O'clock."
"Okay I'll bring Ponyboy back then. Does he need to stay in hospital?" Darry asked.
"No the procedure will only take about an hour, it's very quick. You have nothing to worry about, Ponyboy."
Darry thanked the doctor and the three of us walked back to the truck. I had my arm wrapped around Pony's shoulder but noticed him being very quiet.
"You okay Pony?" I whispered.
Pony stared up at me with wet eyes. "I have cancer, I know it!"
Pony burst into tears and I embraced him into a warm hug. Darry turned back to us hearing the whole thing and wrapped his arms around Pony and me.
"Calm down, Ponyboy, let's just wait to find out what the doctor's tests show," Darry said calmly as he pulled away from us and was already on his way back to the truck.
How can he be so calm about this?
"I don't want to die!"
My heart crushed from Pony's words.
"Hush up, Ponyboy, don't you go saying that." I said firmly, giving his arms a rough rub to comfort him.
Pony continued to silently sniffle on the way home. I couldn't help but hope that his tests would come back clear. I could not have some condition take my kid brother away from me. I stared out the window of the truck, Pony leaning against me and silently wiped a tear falling from my brown eye.