Blowin' Smoke

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Chapter 6

Ponyboy's POV (Late-December, 1967)

Pain.

That was the first sensation that clawed its way through the black, but painless, world I seemed to be living in. It started out as a tingling sensation and intensified until a scream of pain lodged itself deep in my throat. I couldn't tell where the pain was coming from but it was everywhere.

"Soda?"

I couldn't make a sound. Something was preventing me, but I couldn't tell what it was. Panic bubbled in my chest, my breath quickening until each sharp exhale echoed inside of my skull.

Suddenly, a noise somewhere began to drown out my breathing, but I couldn't tell what it was. I listened closer until my ears picked up on an unfamiliar voice.

"Ponyboy, you need to calm down. There's a tube in your throat, but it's okay. It's helping you breathe. Can you open your eyes for me?"

I tried to obey the voice's command, but I couldn't even feel my eyes. My body was made of pain and nothing made sense anymore. I felt something wet all of a sudden. Was I crying? Maybe. Golly, did I hurt.

I tried to focus on the pain. Maybe it would lead me out of this dark hole. As I focused, I suddenly could feel my fingers. I tried to lift one of them.

"That's good, Ponyboy. Real good. Can you open your eyes now for me?"

It took a few tries, but I finally willed them open a crack. When I did everything was a blurry, painful ball of bright light. I immediately squeezed my eyes back shut, my head pounding in my ears. Boom. Boom. Boom. I think the voice spoke again, but I couldn't hear it over the sound of the drum in my skull. I tried to call out for my brothers, but I couldn't move my lips.

The words "it's dark" somehow made their way into my world. "Open...eyes."

The voice was kind enough that I decided to check. I cracked one heavy eyelid open, blinking a few times. I could finally make out my brothers' worried faces in my field of vision.

"It's okay! I'm okay!" I wanted to assure them, but I couldn't. I felt like I couldn't breath; I couldn't talk or swallow or do anything. I felt a hand on me and I pushed it away, suddenly terrified. I heard a quick, unsteady beeping go off next to me, which didn't help my anxiety.

"Ponyboy, your in a hospital. You need to calm down, Pone," Soda tried to assure me. I really did try to calm down, for him, but I was suffocating.

"Ponyboy, if you calm down I'll take the tube out," it was the owner of the kind voice. "Ponyboy, were going to have to sedate you if you don't calm down."

The promise of a sedation knocked a bit of sense into me, and I focused what little energy I had on breathing evenly.

"That's good. Alright, when I say three, I need you to cough real hard, okay? One...two...three..."

I obeyed his directions, coughing as hard as I could when he hit three. Something slid out of my throat, irritating it and sending me into a coughing fit. Within a few minutes, however, I was able to catch my breath.

My throat was on fire and "water" was the first word out of my mouth. My voice was hoarse and my mouth was as dry as my throat, making it painful to speak.

Soda suddenly appeared with a glass of water, touching the lip of the cup to my lips. I drank the cool liquid greedily.

"Slow down or you'll make yourself sick," Darry warned gently. I slowed down slightly, still thirsty. When Soda took the cup away, I leaned my head back against the soft hospital pillow as my eyelids began to droop. I tried to fight off the tiredness; I wanted to keep seeing my brothers.

"Why's ma l'g sa h'vy?" I slurred tiredly.

"You broke your leg, Pone. It's in a cast," Darry explained. I nodded because it seemed like what I should do, but I had no idea what he meant.

I felt someone squeeze my hand reassuringly. "Go to sleep. We'll be here when you wake up."

That was all the justification I needed. I couldn't fight off the tiredness anymore, and the fuzzy, comforting darkness took over my body.

OoOoOoO

The next time I woke up it was nighttime and I was much, much clearer. Darry was asleep in a chair next to the bed, but Soda was awake, stroking my hand.

"Soda?" I croaked quietly so I wouldn't wake Darry. "What time is it? Golly, how long have I been out?"

"You've been out for two days. It's 1:36 a.m. Christmas morning. Merry Christmas, Pony."

It was Christmas?

"Oh, Soda," I apologized, guilt flowing through my entire body, "I'm so sorry. You guys have to spend Christmas in the hospital."

Darry surprised me by speaking, "it ain't your fault, Ponyboy, don't apologize. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Me too," Sodapop agreed whole-heartedly.

I remained silent for a minute before Darry spoke up. "Do you want to go back to sleep, Ponyboy?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, surprised at how tired I was. I had been asleep for two days for crying out loud!

Before I let my eyes slip close, I whispered a groggy, slightly slurred, "M'rry Christmas. I love you guys."

I didn't hear their response, but I knew they loved me too.

Stay Gold,

- Alee Xx