Blowin' Smoke

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CHAPTER 12

Dear Soda,

I think I've found hell. It's bloody, it's humid, and dear God is it hot. Just like I imagined only worse. Tulsa's August days seem like winter compared to the suffocating heat over here. I'll never complain about a ninety degree day again if I make it home.

I can't wait until my tour is up. I can say that now I have been out of the U.S., and I don't know why people do it. Once I get back home, I don't think I'm ever leaving. I'm counting down the days till I get to see your ugly face.

How's Evie doing? Have you seen her around? I've been writing to her too, but she isn't as quick to write back as you are, but her letters sure are long (mostly rambling, but it's nice). Watch out for her for me if you would.

How's life? There isn't much to report from here, but I'm curious what you guys are up to.

I gotta go. I'm getting yelled at to get on guard duty. See ya, Soda. Write back soon. It's all I have to do.

- "Private" Steve Randle

Sodapop's POV (Mid-March, 1968)

Half-asleep, I rolled over and through my arm over what I thought was Ponyboy, but my arm landed on nothing but a cold, empty space. Confusion pulled me further awake as I heard the sound of coughing coming from the bathroom. Worried, I dragged myself out of the warmth of my bed.

"Hey, Ponyboy," I knocked softly on the half-open bathroom door. "You doin' okay?"

"Yeah," he coughed out as I slowly pushed open the bathroom door. "Sorry, I couldn't sleep. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Did you have a nightmare?" He was pale and sweaty like he did, but something just seemed odd about the way he was acting.

"No," he answered, "my ribs were hurting from coughing."

"Are you sick?"

He shook his head. "No. Just a bad day."

I knew exactly what he meant. Some days were just bad asthma days for no reason.

"Go back to bed, Soda," he told me, "I can't sleep; I'm just gonna read some, okay? I'm okay, really," he reassured me.

"Alright," I agreed hesitantly. Something still seemed off, but running on just a few hours of sleep meant I wouldn't be able to read my brother to see if something really was wrong.

OoOoOoO

The next time I woke up it was bright outside. Today was my day off, and I must have been more tired than I thought because when I glanced at the clock I saw it was eighty fifty.

Groaning, I pushed myself off, my feet landing on the cold floor with a soft plat. When I entered the living room, I saw Ponyboy laying on the couch, eyes closed with his book lying on top of his chest. I smiled, making sure I didn't wake him as I made my way to the kitchen for a slice of chocolate cake.

Something outside the window caught my eye as I downed a gulp of chocolate milk. Squinting, Two-Bit bounding up the steps. I rushed to meet him outside before he woke up Ponyboy.

"Hey, Two-Bit," I stuck my head out of the screen door. "Be quiet. Ponyboy's asleep on the couch."

"The kid sick?" Two-Bit looked confused, glancing towards the living room.

"No- just asleep."

"It's after nine," Two-Bit pointed out in a quiet voice, following me into the house.

"Yeah, I know," I agreed, "but either way he's conked out on the couch. He got up real early this morning at like two and was reading. I don't know when he fell back asleep, but let him sleep."

Two-Bit nodded, silently helping himself to a piece of cake and a can of beer.

After a moment or so, I heard footsteps behind me. Ponyboy trudged into the kitchen still looking half-asleep, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, sunshine," Two-Bit greeted in an overly obnoxiously loud, perky voice, drawing out the "good."

"'Mornin'," Ponyboy responded in a hoarse, croaky voice. Before he could escape me, like I knew he would try to do, as he passed me I pressed my hand to his forehead. I muttered a curse under my breath. He was hot. Before I could say anything else the phone rang.

Two-Bit picked it up. "Hello?" He greeted cheerfully.

I heard a muffled reply and Two-Bit straightened up. Confused, I leaned against the counter next to him to hear what was going on.

"Steve?" He sputtered, shocked. "Hey, hey, what's going on?"

I tried to grab the phone. Steve was on the phone! Why was Steve calling? How was Steve calling? My worries about Ponyboy were suddenly forgotten and the only thing on my mind was Steve.

Before I knew it, Two-Bit was pressing the phone into my hands. "He wants to talk to you."

I anxiously put the phone to my ear. "Steve! It's so good to hear you, man, what's going on?"

Steve cleared his throat, coughing. "Well, I'm in a hospital right now. I just woke up and I had to call you. I'm in the states, medically discharged."

"Are you okay?" Images of soldiers with missing limbs flashed through my mind, a million questions burning on the tip of my tongue, all too disturbing to speak out loud. They had answers I wasn't sure I wanted.

"I got shot in the stomach. I'm okay, a little sore, but okay. I'll be here for a little while, but I'll be in Tulsa pretty soon."

I breathed out a sigh of relief, the tension that had been building in my chest seemed to fade. "That's good. I miss you, man."

"Miss you too, you sap. I gotta go. I'll call again later if these nurses'll let me, alright?"

"Alright." I didn't want to hang up. It had been too long since I had seen or heard from Steve. It took me a few seconds to register Steve had hung up. Once I did and put down the phone, I was bombarded with questions.

"Was that Steve?"

"Is he okay?"

"What's going on?"

"Is he in Tulsa?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Hey!" I yelled. "Steve's in the hospital. He's stateside and is staying stateside. He got discharged. He was shot in the stomach and is staying in the hospital for a few days, but he's gonna be okay."

"He's coming home?" Ponyboy's face split into a grin for a man he didn't even like. I smiled, the reality sinking in. After so many months away from Tulsa, Steve was coming home!

A/N: Yay Steve's home! Anyone want to see anything happen in a filler chapter before I hit the big stuff? Please send a request if you want. I'm doing a filler chapter either way tho so...

Stay Gold,

- Alee XxX