[Ponyboy's POV]

I woke to the feeling of a hand shaking my leg and the sound of my name being called.

"Ponyboy. Hey, c'mon, you gotta eat something," a voice says.

I want to tell them to shut up so I can go back to sleep but instead opted for groaning. I only got to sleep for a few more minutes, though, until I was woken up again.

"Pony, let's have you eat and take some medicine," the voice coaxed.

I didn't bother responding that time, not having the energy to care. I was vaguely aware of swallowing something sometime later, not bothering to think about what it may be.

I was only able to sleep for a few minutes at a time between interruptions; a hand on my forehead, someone asking me if I needed anything, stroking my hair. I figured they were just trying to help but I really wished that they would just let me sleep. It felt like I could never get enough sleep these days.

[Darry's POV]

Ponyboy had done nothing but sleep all day. It became clear after that evening on the couch that Pony was gonna be down for the count for a while, but I never imagined something like this.

"Do you think we should move him to our bed?" Soda had asked, the concern apparent in his voice.

"Yeah, get the bed ready for him, will ya?"

Soda had nodded and moved to gather extra pillows and blankets for Pony as I placed one arm on behind his back and another behind his knees, lifting him. He'd gotten heavier over the past year, bulking up from track, but I managed to carry him. He was completely limp in my arms, his head hanging back and arm swaying, not even flinching when I picked him up.

Sodapop had pulled back the covers, allowing me to easily lay Pony in bed. Soda covered him with multiple blankets and made sure he was comfortable before sitting on his side of the bed, stroking Pony's hair. I glanced at my watch and noticed it was well past 10:00 at this point.

"You should really try and get some sleep, Soda. I'll stay with him tonight and call off work tomorrow, but you still gotta be up early little buddy."

"C'mon Dar, I'll be fine. I don't want him to wake up scared," he countered.

"I know, but I'll be here the whole time. You don't want to be too tired for work tomorrow," I said.

Soda nodded slowly, planting a kiss on Ponyboy's forehead before going to get ready to sleep on the couch. I took his place beside Pony, frowning at how hot his he was and hoping he would show signs of improvement by the morning.

The next morning only proved to be worse, though. I woke up to the sound of the door closing, indicating that Soda had attempted to leave for work quietly. I called my boss to let him know I wouldn't be coming in for a day or two, grateful that he was understanding.

I grabbed the thermometer and took Ponyboy's temperature again, my brow furrowing as it read 103.1. It was too soon to give him another dose of the medicine, but I figured he should try and eat something.

"Wake up Ponyboy," I said softly. He didn't respond.

"Ponyboy. Hey, c'mon, you gotta eat something," I reiterated, slightly louder.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked at me, groaning, carrying a confused expression on his face. His eyes closed again and didn't open when I tried to wake him once more. I realized that even if he wanted to eat, he wasn't aware enough to do so. I thought back to Soda suggesting we take him to the hospital, thinking maybe he was right. Hospitals are expensive, though, and I didn't want to take him unless it was absolutely necessary. We were still struggling with the bills from when he was sick last year, but Soda didn't know that. I didn't think we could take on much more. I sighed and decided to try and get him to eat again when it was time to give him his medicine.

A few hours passed and Pony remained asleep, only concerning me more. I made chicken noodle soup, just like our mother would whenever we were sick, measured out his medicine dose, and attempted to wake him up again.

"Pony, let's have you eat and take some medicine," I said.

This time, though, he didn't even respond. I knew if I didn't get some food and medicine in him now, the hospital was imminent. Man, I wish my parents were here. They would know what to do in this situation. Think, Darry. Use your head. I paced around the kitchen until I noticed a plastic syringe our mom would use sometimes to give us medicine. Hey, it was worth a shot.

I propped Pony up on some pillows, so he was in somewhat of a sitting position and filled the syringe with medicine. I gently opened his mouth and slowly squirted it in, hoping his swallowing reflex would kick in and he wouldn't choke. Thankfully, it did. I used the same technique on the soup, though I only fed him about half the bowl before I stopped, not wanting to risk him choking more than I already had to. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it would keep him out of the hospital for now.

I laid him back down and touched my hand to his forehead, stroking his hair.

"You need anything Pone?" I asked, only half expecting an answer.

He shifted slightly in his sleep, saying nothing. I continued to stroke his hair and whisper in his ear, hoping to God that he got better.

[Sodapop's POV]

Darry looked like he hadn't slept in days. I'm sure I looked similar, seeing as how I couldn't fall asleep last night and kept peeking in on Pony and Darry. When the morning finally came I'd found them both asleep, neither looking well-rested. I left the house as quietly as I could and tried to put my worries behind me to get through my shift.

The day had dragged on forever, though, as my worry for Pony intensified. Steve and Two-Bit dropped by during their lunch hour to ask how he was doing, not that I had anything good to tell them. Steve must've noticed how concerned I was when he came in for his shift after school, though, trying to make jokes and dealing with all the difficult customers.

It felt like I had been working for days when my shift finally ended, and I practically sprinted home. There I found Pony in a similar state as this morning, asleep and seemingly out of it. Darry had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair stuck out as if he had forgotten to comb it.

"How's he doing?" I asked, stroking my thumb on his cheek.

"A little better, but mostly the same. He slept almost the entire day, and when he woke up, he wasn't all here. I was able to give him medicine and a little bit of soup through a syringe, but other than that he hasn't eaten," he said, rubbing a hand across his face.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"You mean he's not lucid enough to eat and you haven't taken him to the hospital?" I asked, the anger present in my voice.

"Soda, you know we can't exactly afford that right now. His fever's slightly down and at least he's eaten something. I don't want to take him to the hospital unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Look at him!" I demanded, practically shouting. "I'd say things are looking pretty necessary!"

"Need I remind you that I'm the legal guardian here? If I say he needs to go to the hospital, we'll go. Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you didn't come in here and shout while he's trying to rest!" Darry countered, ironically shouting as he said it.

I stormed out of the room and went to shower, hoping it would calm me down. Darry and I almost never fought, but I couldn't fathom not taking Ponyboy to the hospital because of how much it would cost. I didn't care if I had to work day and night for the rest of my life, I would pay it.

I went back to the bedroom and found Darry sitting with his head in his hands.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling, okay? I'll take care of him tonight and take off work, you should get some sleep and go to work tomorrow." I said.

Darry sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry too. You sure you'll be okay taking care of him?"

I smiled. "Yeah, we'll be okay."

Darry and I once again switched places, with me returning to Pony's side. I stayed there for hours, feeding him medicine and soup, willing him to get better. It seemed like he would never wake up until suddenly, just as the sun was rising, his eyes opened.