Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE OUTSIDERS OR THE GANG. OR THE DOCTOR'S NAME. I OWN ONLY THE STORY IDEA.
Chapter 3
"Hi hunny. How was work today? Did anymore mean nasty boys tease you?"
"Two-Bit, I swear you keep getting crazier every day." I say as I walk in the kitchen to see Pony grab a soda from the fridge. "Hey Pone. How was your day?"
"Ok I guess. How was work?" I just shrugged. "It was the same. Almost done on the Emerson roof. We'll hopefully have it done before the second snow storm hits on Friday. Oh and also, do you have your chores done Ponyboy?"
"Yes Dare. Got it done a while ago. When is Soda getting home? You know?" Pony asked flinching a little.
"Uh, around 7 I believe. I'm going to head out about 6:30 to go get him. You want to come with?"
"Yeah. Beats sitting in the house watching those two going at it all night." He points behind me and I see Two-Bit and Steve once again at each other. I walk over to them and this time make sure I get it across their thick skulls that when I said to knock it off, I ment every word.
"Not my fault. Mr. No Brains thought it was funny to try and cheat a fucking gain. He was trying to get an ace out of his shoe" Steve said while giving the death glare to Two-Bit.
And Two-Bit just smiles and playfully reply's, "I thought I could actually get it out this time when you weren't looking."
"Stop. When did you two start playing cards again?" OK now I'm confused.
"When you walked away. It's so cute when you go parent." Two-Bit states.
I hear Pony coughing and turn around just in time to see him fall down to his knees while holding his chest. I run over to him with Steve and Two-Bit right behind me. "PonyBoy, what's wrong? Can you breath? Is your chest hurting? Ponyboy talk to me, now." It's no use. he passes out before he speak. I holler at Two-Bit to start the truck then to call the DX and tell Soda that Steve is on his way. Before I could even holler at Steve, He was out the door on his way. I try and wake my baby brother again. "Pony, please open your eyes baby. Some on. It's me Darrel. Oh God." I pick Pony up into my arms and head to the truck that's waiting. I didn't even notice the small amount of blood that my brother had coughed up before he passed out. I wish I did now.
I don't even wait for Two-Bit to stop the truck before I flung open the door and was into the ER and practically running to the nurses that was on duty. I quickly explained to her what happened and before I knew it my baby brother was being taken from me by someone and was being put onto a gurney and rushed into a room and asked me to stay out. They were putting a breathing mask, or as mom taught me an oral nasal mask, on him and was cutting off his shirt when Soda and Steve and Two-Bit came running up to me, I didn't even notice he wasn't by me, and Soda asked me what was wrong with his baby. I once again explain what happened and what I saw. Soda just falls down into a nearby chair.
"How? He was fine this morning when we left. Two-Bit, Steve, did he look sick to either of you?" Soda questioned.
"Sorry Buddy. I was sick remember. I didn't get to the house till around 2:30 or 3:00." Steve Said. "Two-Bit was with him."
"Two-Bit looked at both of us and said, "We played ball at the field with the Shepherd gang. Told them bye and headed back. Got there at 2 or so and that's when Steve showed up. Pony seemed fine guys. I promise ya's."
"It's OK guys." As I said that a young doctor came out and walked towards us.
"Family of Ponyboy Curtis?"
"That's us. I'm Darrel Curtis JR. This is Sodapop Curtis, Steve Randle and Keith Matthews. How..."
"Doctor, How is my brother? Is he alive?" Soda interrupted.
"I'm Doctor Thomas H. But you can call me Tommy. Young Ponyboy is stable. We are giving him oxygen through a mask. I'll just be strait with you. He has Bacterial Pneumonia on top of Aspirin Poisoning. And has he been depressed lately? There are cuts down his arms. Have any of you noticed if he has had any difficulty concentrating in school or fainting or even grabbing at his chest? Anything?"
"He was coughing a little last night and the night before. He told me it was just a cold. He asked me not to tell Darry and I didn't. Dam. I'm sorry Dare. I should have came and told you." That's all it took for my younger brother to break. He kept apologizing. It wasn't his fault. I'm the oldest. I should have been a better guardian. Next to speak was Steve.
"In gym he seemed to be having trouble breathing after running a mile. But with how much the kid smokes I didn't even think." Steve was right. My baby brother smokes way to much. Remember Darrel, after all this talk to Pony about quitting again.
"He said today he had a headache but told me he would take care of it when he got home later." And talk to him about cutting back on the aspirin. For sure the talk about the aspirin. What the fuck is wrong with Pone. I didn't even notice when Doctor Thomas's eyes where on me. "And you Darrel?"
"A couple of our friends passed away a few months ago and he hasn't taken it well. Sorry Doctor. I haven't noticed anything else and my brother doesn't tell me anything anymore. I never thought he would try something and try to hurt himself."
Doctor Thomas nodded his head like he understood and told us we could see Pony before they took him down to get an x-ray then to his own room. I could handle that but what he told us next was it for me. He told us the room Pony would be in and told us to be prepared because thanks to the amount of aspirin in his system and with the pneumonia attacking his lungs, he was in a coma. I broke.
