Darry was completely floored that my bill had been paid, and asked over and over again while he waited for my discharge papers to arrive if I knew who had done it.

"Darry, I told you, I have no idea. I've hardly even been awake the past two days," I whispered.

Well, who do you think it could be? I mean, do you think it was Dr. Bryant?"

"I don't know. Who cares, anyway? I'd think you'd be glad!"

"I am… I mean, I just feel like somebody out there thinks I can't handle paying it. We may not be rolling in dough, but we're not exactly a charity case, either."

I just stared at him until he smiled.

"Plus, it would be nice to know who to thank."

"Well, I suppose you could hire a detective, with all the money you saved not having to pay my bill," I suggested. "Though that woud kinda defeat the purpose."

He laughed and rubbed my hair.

"Yeah, I guess so."

The nurse came in with my papers and Darry signed them, leaving us free to go. As always, they made me get wheeled out to the truck in a wheelchair. I was more than happy to climb up into the truck and watch them wheel the empty chair away.

"Ready to go home?" Darry asked as he slid into the driver's seat.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I know; there's no place like home."

"That's for sure," I agreed.

He stopped at the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions and came out with a whole bunch of little containers filled with a disgustingly pink liquid.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Your new best buddy," he said, opening the glove box and putting one in it. "Just in case you get another bite or sting." He handed me the bag with the rest.

I sighed. I didn't like – at all – the thought that this could all happen again.

"Baby, you'll probably be fine even if you do get bit, it's just in case. So no worrying, okay?"

I wasn't able to promise that.

"Hey, look - I wasn't even gonna tell you, because I didn't want you to take it the wrong way and think I was real worried, but I had the house sprayed while you were gone. So you shouldn't have to worry about spiders in the house anymore. I want you to feel safe there."

For some reason that admission almost made me want to cry. I was sure that an exterminator was just about the last thing on Earth Darry would want to be spending his hard-earned money on, but he cared enough about me to do it.

"You didn't hafta do that, Dar… I've lived there for twelve years and never got bit by anything in the house."

"I wanted to." He took his eyes off the road for a minute and glanced over at me. "I want you to be safe."

"Well, I want the same for you," I said, sliding into the middle so I could lean against him. "So can you stop climbing on roofs all day, every day?"

"Sorry… no can do," he laughed. I rested my head against him and closed my eyes for the rest of the way home.

As we pulled up in front of the house, I saw that my flowers hadn't fared too well in the latest storm. They weren't destroyed, but most of the taller stems had broken and the flowers lay dead in the dirt. As Darry helped me into the house – the bites still made my legs hurt a lot – he saw me looking.

"Those will be fine," he said. "Better them than you." I had to agree with that.

Once we got inside, Darry went into full-on guardian mode. I begged him to let me take a quick shower, to which he reluctantly agreed (and stood outside the bathroom the whole time I was in there), then he set me up on the couch with some ginger ale and forbade me to move except to go to the bathroom. He also put the kibosh on my talking, saying I was starting to sound worse, and gave me a pad of paper and, of all things, a pot and a knife to bang on it if I needed him. Then he actually got mad at me for laughing about it.

"Cut it out, Scout, you're gonna hurt your vocal chords."

I tried, for the sake of his effort, to pull myself together.

"Okay, I'm gonna make some lunch in a while. I'm making you a milkshake. You want chocolate or vanilla?"

I started to answer and he cut me off, pointing to the notepad. I drew a big C for chocolate and he was gone.

I watched the television, dozing off until the phone rang. I moved to answer it but Darry picked it up in the kitchen. I heard him talking and it sounded like he was making plans for somebody to come over. Finally he hung up and came in, carrying a giant milkshake for me.

"That was your coach," he said, before I could even ask. "He wants to come over with the baby to see you. I told him they could come this afternoon… that okay? He wants to see you in person, make sure you're okay."

I nodded. He handed me the milkshake and I laughed at the fact that it had a straw in it.

"Just thought it would be easier," he said. "You know, that's how the doc helped you breathe, right?"

I looked at him, puzzled.

"After he used Two-Bit's knife…he used the baby's straw to keep the hole in your throat open."

I had to smile. Even Laura, in her little way, demanding a straw, had done her part to save me.

I took a sip of the milkshake and, although the cold felt good against my throat, it made me start coughing again. Darry raised his eyebrows and looked worried.

"Does that cough hurt?"

I lied and shook my head no. I didn't want him worrying about me over a stupid cough. I wouldn't let on to him, but I was pretty uncomfortable. My legs ached and the bites still itched, and my chest still felt like I'd been run over by a bus. But there was nothing he could do about any of that so there was no point in him knowing.

I finished the milkshake and lay my head back down on the pillow, not feeling like doing anything but sleep. Darry took my glass and set it on the table, sitting down on the couch next to me.

"Tired?"

I nodded, and he pushedmy hair back out of my face. It hurt my chest to raise my arms up to braid it, so I'd just brushed it and it just hung down straight, right in my face.

"Want me to call up your coach and tell him not to come?"

I shook my head, closing my eyes.

"I don't want to have to wake you up if he comes while you're sleeping," he said.

"I don't mind," I whispered, and his finger was on my lips.

"Sssh. No talking. I'm gonna be outside fixing the porch railing, so bang the pot if you need me." I fought back a laugh.

I felt the couch cushion rise as he removed his weight, and fell immediately asleep.

I woke up to voices on the porch: Darry, Coach K., and Laura. Laura was babbling loudly and drowning out anything either of the other two said. I dragged myself up off the couch and over to the door. Laura saw me before either of the other two did.

""Cowt!" she yelled, and came running over. I was glad for the door between us because she came at me so gung-ho that she would likely have knocked me over.

"Whoa, there little one," Coach said and came over to pick her up so I could push the door open.

"Hi Laura," I whispered, and she held her arms out to me. There was no way I was going to be able to hold her without bringing out the worst of my chest pain. "I don't think…," I looked at Coach K.

"Of course not," Coach said. "Scout has a boo-boo and can't hold you today, okay?" Laura seemed to understand.

"I could sit with her, on the couch," I said, and sat down on the porch couch. He sat Laura down beside me and she immediately snuggled up to me.

"Has she been okay? From the bite, I mean?" I asked, my voice getting raspier the more I talked.

"She's been fine. It's you we've all been worried about. God, Scout, if Andrew hadn't been there… I mean, from something that happened in my cellar, while you were taking care of my child… I get sick just thinking about it."

I kind of had to agree, though I didn't say it.

"I'm just so glad you're okay," he continued. "Barbara and I would have never gotten over it, if…"

"I'm okay," I whispered, though I immediately had a coughing fit, betraying my words. Both Darry and Coach eyed me worriedly. Even Laura got a little unnerved by the sound of my hacking.

"Did they give you anything for that?" Coach asked, once the coughing had subsided.

"He said she could just take regular cough medicine," Darry said, then looked at his watch. "You can have another dose in a half-hour."

I nodded, rubbing at my throat. The cough definitely made it hurt more.

"Darrel, if there is anything Barbara and I can do for you and your family, you just name it," Coach said. "We just feel so badly about this." There was something in the tone of his voice that made both Darry and I realize right then that it had been him and his wife who paid my bill. Our eyes met and I nodded.

"You've already done more than enough," Darry said, "and while it wasn't necessary, we appreciate it."

"It was absolutely necessary," he answered. "None of this would have even happened if Scout hadn't been taking care of Laura for us."

"Well, we certainly thank you for it," Darry said.

"Yeah," I managed to whisper, coughing again but managing to avoid an all-out attack.

"Scout, I don't like how you sound at all. I hate to break up the party, but I want you to go back in and lie down." Darry came over and pulled me up off the couch.

"I have to agree with your brother on that," Coach said, plucking Laura up off the couch as well. "Say bye to Scout, okay?"

"Bye 'Cowt."

"Bye, Laura."

"I totally understand if you don't want to finish out the summer for us, even when you feel better…" Coach started, looking me in the eyes.

"No," I whispered, "I do." I looked at Darry.

"She's on house arrest for a few days, but we'll give you a call once she's back in commission," he said, pushing me through the front door.

"Will do," said Coach, and then he and Laura were gone.

I lay back on the couch and coughed some more, rubbing my throat. Darry gave in on his usually to-the-letter-as-indicated-on-the-bottle medicine dosage rule and gave me the cough medicine early, though it didn't seem to help much. Finally, I managed to drift off, only to wake up again as Soda and Pony arrived home.

I sat on the couch watching the news while my brothers worked on dinner. I could smell the fried chicken Darry had made and would have killed for a piece, but I heard the blender going and saw another milkshake in my future. Sure enough, when Darry called me in, there was a tall glass of… something at my place. I looked at Soda.

"I didn't make it," he said, pointing his chin at Darry.

"It's banana," Darry said. "You're not eating chocolate for three days, you have to eat something healthy."

I must have looked skeptical, because he added:

"I had some myself. It's good. At least try it before you turn up your nose at it."

I took a sip and, to my surprise, it wasn't that bad. I was allowed to have mashed potatoes, too, which I smothered with gravy. I managed to make it through dinner without coughing, but as I worked on the dishes, I had the biggest episode I'd had up until then, coughing so much I had to sit at the table bent over, trying to avoid the pain that flared up in my chest every time I had a coughing fit.

"That's it, you're done," Darry said, as I finally stopped. "Bed. Now."

"I'll get the dishes," Pony said, looking at me funny. "Is she all right? I mean, is she supposed to be coughing like that?" he asked Darry.

"I doubt it," he said, dragging me into my bedroom. "Get ready for bed," he said, "I'll be right back."

I wasn't sure what he was coming back for, but I did as he said, changing into my pajamas and collapsing onto my bed. It was too hot for blankets, so I just lay there on top of my covers until he came back in. A few minutes later he reappeared, coming in and sitting across from me on the spare bed.

"What?" I mouthed. I didn't even want to talk anymore, it hurt that much.

"I have to do some work tomorrow," he said. "All those contacts from your Coach's neighborhood – I have to go out there and give them quotes on their repairs or they're gonna forget about me and end up going with somebody else."

I shrugged. He always worked in the day. I already felt bad that he had missed time because of me - I was sure if I hadn't been in the hospital he would have been giving those people quotes the day after the storm. I didn't know why he was telling me this. I gave him what I hoped was a questioning look.

"I just feel bad, leaving you home alone. But Pony should be home by two, and you can call Soda at the DX if you need anything. I'll leave the cough medicine out for you, two doses. One when you wake up and one four hours later, okay?"

I stared back.

"I'm gonna try to be back by five, but I have a lot of people to get to. If they all hire me it's a lot of money for us."

I nodded. I understood.

"You go to sleep," he said, turning to go. "I don't like the sound of that cough. Feel better, okay?"

I nodded. I sure planned to try.

I happened to notice my clock and was amazed that it was only seven. Although it was still light out, I'd thought it was much later. I heard the doorbell ring and then heard Darry talking to Ben about me, saying that maybe tomorrow night I'd be up for visitors. I wanted to see him something awful but I knew Darry would be mad if I got up, so I contented myself with just hearing his voice. I was sure I looked awful, anyway.

Not too long after, I awoke to the phone ringing and heard Darry talking to a person who could only be Anna. He reassured her that I was alright, and said he would try to get us all there to Angelo's on Thursday, like we had during the school year, but that it would depend on me. Then he clearly was talking to Alison and his whole tone changed. I thought about Thursday and realized as I was drifting off to sleep again that I actually had no idea what day it was.

…………………………

The next morning I woke up to my door opening and looked up to see Darry coming in.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm heading out. Just wanted to check in on you. You okay?"

I felt horrible. My chest burned and my throat hurt and I had a headache, and my whole body felt exhausted, but I nodded. I didn't want him staying home and losing all those jobs because of me.

"Okay, you call Soda if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded, and he turned to go, shutting the door behind him. I turned over and coughed myself to sleep.

……………………………

I awoke to complete silence, and a terrible ache in my chest. I was confused at first, thinking for some reason that I was outside, in the rain. I could hear it falling, through my open window, but wasn't sure how I had gotten soaked until I realized that I was sweating through my clothes. My head burned and I coughed, grabbing at my throat, whimpering at the pain. I felt horrible. My first thought was that I wanted Mom, and I almost called out for her before I remembered that she was gone. That, in itself – the fact that I was forgetting that mom was gone, told me that something wasn't right.

I called out again, this time for Darry, but there was no answer. Nobody came, and my calls to Pony and Soda were met with nothing but silence, as well. I thought about getting up and walking over to get Ben to help me, but I was asleep again before I could move.

I awoke again to the front door closing.

"Daddy?" I called. My Dad always came in to see me when he got home from work. There were quick footsteps and my door opened, a presence coming over to my bed and putting a hand on my forehead. It felt like a block of ice.

"Jesus Christ, Scout, what's the hell's wrong with you now?" It was Ponyboy.

I only wished I knew.

.........................................................

A/N: I swear, Scout's troubles will ease up soon. Poor kid, she's going through a rough patch. Thanks for all of you who continue to check in, it keeps me writing.