"Darry?" Pony whimpered.

Darry just stared at him, his expression controlled, but his eyes frantic, as if he was fighting to hold back the tears.

Ponyboy felt dizzy.

"Pony?" Darry called out softly and Pony realized in horror, that a tear had rolled down his cheek.

He wasn't sure he was allowed to, but he quickly sat up on the bed, looking ready to jump off.

Before he could react, Darry was by his side, gently wrapping his arms around his kid brother. The suddenness of it all caught Pony off guard, his emotions swirling as he fought to hold back tears. He felt embarrassment – and relief – overwhelmed by how grateful he was that his brother showed up.

"I thought you weren't going to come," Pony finished lamely.

Darry rubbed the back of Pony's head softly and held him tighter. "Yea, I couldn't stay away," he joked, though the remorse was thick in his voice.

Darry pulled back, fingers gripping his brother's shoulders. "I know I told you I wouldn't be in the room but – I wanted to be here – even if you're mad at me."

Pony's heart swelled, but he looked down at the floor. "I'm not mad anymore," he said with raw honesty, "Just scared. I didn't think you'd actually come."

"We were gonna send out a search party," Soda teased from the side.

"I messed up, Pony," Darry admitted, "I should have considered how you felt. But I want to support you. If you'll let me."

Pony nodded, "I want you here," he responded, "I'm sorry."

"I'm here," Darry answered.

"Alright you two, enough with the sweet stuff, you're giving me a toothache," Soda smirked, his eyes twinkling. Really though, he had seen Ron's face and while the doctor had stayed back to let the brothers have their moment, Soda could tell he wanted to start.

Pony swiped at his tears. Even pulling away, Darry kept a hand on his brother's back.

"Where were you all night?" Soda asked his oldest brother.

"I stayed over at Ron's place," Darry replied.

"You mean the office?" Soda asked, instinctively thinking of the room near where he had taken those showers some nights ago, "Ron wasn't working last night."

"No, not the office," Darry said, "Ron's apartment. It's not far from here," he paused, "I wasn't even sure if I should come this morning, but Ron convinced me."

"It's not something he should miss," Ron added, smiling.

Pony knew he didn't blame Ron for anything, even though he had been the one to ask Darry to speak privately about the lumbar puncture – instead of telling them all together as a group. Somehow through his thoughts, and talking through it with Soda, he had understood that this was probably standard procedure with a minor. He just wished Darry had told him before he had signed any forms, so that he could have been the one to make the decision about his own body.

And deep down, the crux of the matter boiled down to Pony's overwhelming nervousness, irritability, and whirlwind of emotions.

He was grateful that Ron had convinced Darry to show up.

A few minutes later, a doctor and nurse entered the room. Darry felt Pony clench up and kept a hand on his back to try to make him feel safe. The brothers were surprised, because the doctor was actually a familiar face.

"Ponyboy, you remember Dr. Roberts? From the ER," he said.

Ponyboy gave them a confused look, because truthfully he only had blurry memories of the ER. He liked that the man looked similar to Ron – serious but approachable – with thick wavy hair and sideburns. Darry and Soda remembered him well.

"Dr. Roberts, nice to see you again," Darry said, offering to shake his hand. He felt better knowing that there was someone else in the room he could trust.

"Dr. Roberts is here to do the lumbar puncture," Ron said, looking straight at Darry.

Darry immediately understood what Ron had done. He had managed to wrangle someone reputable to do the procedure – someone with a high success rate, who also knew Ponyboy's specific case. And he had also been the one to safely perform Pony's lumbar puncture the first time, meaning it was likely the second one would be a piece of cake.

Darry berated himself for even thinking a lumbar puncture would be a piece of cake. He didn't know what it was like to have one, like Pony did.

"You're the one who did the first spinal tap," Sodapop spoke up, echoing what everyone in the room was thinking.

"We prefer to call it a lumbar puncture," Dr. Roberts said.

"Does that make it hurt any less?" Soda teased. Ponyboy scowled.

"It shouldn't hurt too much anyway," Dr. Roberts replied. "The first one helped us ensure an accurate diagnosis," he explained, "We'll make sure this one runs just as smoothly." Something about those words gave Darry some relief. Pony didn't look too much better, though.

"Ponyboy," Dr. Roberts asked, making sure the patient himself was being heard, "Do you have any questions? Is there anything you want me to clarify?" he asked.

Pony shook his head slowly, almost robotically, "I did this test once before. Should be a piece of cake right?" he joked, but Darry knew he was scared, "What information do you need to know this time around?"

Dr. Roberts nodded, understanding Pony's concern, "You're right. We did the test to make sure the bacterial meningitis diagnosis we suspected was correct. This time we're checking to see how well your body has responded to the treatment. We need to check the cerebrospinal fluid to be sure the infection is subsiding. It's an important step to make sure we're on the right track in helping you fully recover."

He paused, making eye contact, "Keep in mind Ponyboy, doing the test will also help us understand how well your body is fighting off the infection and if any adjustments need to be made to the treatment plan." Ron nodded in agreement.

Dr. Roberts told him he needs to lie down and Darry and Soda helped him do so.

"Someone want to give me a hand rolling him over?" Dr. Roberts asked aloud.

The nurse stepped forward to help Dr. Roberts as Darry and Soda stepped back and looked on. They collapsed the back of the bed and the nurse supported Pony's head as Dr. Roberts removed the pillow, allowing him to lie flat on his back. The nurse maneuvered Pony's arms, folding them on his chest and Ron arranged his legs.

Soda leaned down, "Just don't let them twist you up like a human pretzel," he whispered to his brother and Pony actually giggled, "Next they'll be asking you to join the circus."

Truth was, Pony felt so helpless – like a rag doll – that Soda's jokes were welcome.

"On the count of three," Dr. Roberts instructed "One…two…three,"

Pony winced as he was turned towards the left, so that the staples on his head were pointed towards the ceiling. Darry pulled pillows down to support his back and the nurse put his arms in a more natural position. She also bunched his legs up a little and then disappeared from sight. Pony couldn't see Dr. Roberts either.

"Could one of you assist me in holding Ponyboyt here in place?" Dr. Roberts asked Darry and Soda.

"No!" Pony blurted out.

"What's wrong?" Darry asked, worried and surprised by the sudden outburst.

Pony squeezed his eyes shut,, "I'm sorry. I just, well, I'd rather it be someone else. Not one of you guys," he mumbled quietly. Truth was, he wanted his brothers by his side where he could see them.

"Not a problem," Ron spoke up quickly, moving in to do the job.

As Pony lay on his side in a fetal position, they rolled up his hospital gown and pulled it aside to view his lower back area. He shivered, feeling very exposed.

Darry pulled up a stool by Pony's face. "Hang in there, kiddo," he told his brother, as Pony's face turned white, "You're doing great." Darry took one of his hands, holding it tightly. Soda pushed some hair back.

"Please don't leave," Pony trembled, looking up at them.

"We're not going anywhere, Pone," Darry replied and also smoothed his brother's hair.

"Ok Ponyboy," Dr. Roberts began, "I'm going to mark the right spot on your back. The same spot as last time," he said. Pony felt the doctor's fingers walking down his spine. "That's L4-L5," he said out loud and Pony could only assume that was doctor speak.

They put some kind of plastic covering over his back, which apparently had a hole in it because Pony suddenly felt a cold patch lower down his spine.

"I'm just cleaning the area first before I inject the lidocaine," Dr. Roberts explained, referring to the local anesthesia that he would put to numb the area first. Like the first time, Dr. Roberts took a swabstick to rub iodine over the area in a circular motion. It felt cold and Pony shivered. Darry gave his hand another squeeze.

"Good," Dr. Roberts said, "And now I'll numb the area, nothing special – just a regular injection. Little prick and that's it."

Though Pony felt something as Dr. Roberts administered the anesthetic, it wasn't really pain. In fact, he felt surprisingly numb about the whole thing.

"All done," Dr. Roberts said, popping the needle into a sharps bin, "Just wait for that to kick in."

Darry smiled down at Pony, though he saw out of the corner of his eye that the doctor was preparing the needles and vials for the 's stomach began to somersaults, though he tried not to show it.

"You ok?" Darry asked him in a low voice, noticing his face had gone a bit white. He continued to stroke Pony's hair.

"Yeah," Pony whispered, swallowing hard

"Guys, if you can make sure Ponyboy keeps his shoulders and head rounded down," Dr. Roberts' voice behind Pony instructed, "Cheryl, keep his knees up tight," he told the nurse.

Though Pony could feel very little now, his stomach knotted as he sensed Dr. Roberts move closer to him again. He clenched his teeth as the needle entered his Soda looked over at Dr. Roberts.

"Sliding in between the vertebrae now," Dr. Roberts explained, "Nice and easy does it."

Pony wanted to tell him to shut the hell up. The commentary wasn't helping. But he lay there frozen and unable to speak. He tried to squeeze Darry's hand harder and Darry realized it, tightening his own grip.

"It's ok, little buddy," he said.

The brothers watched as the needle slipped further into Pony's back and practically winced when it met some resistance.

"Ok Ponyboy, I'm going to get the nurse and one of your brothers to straighten you up a bit," Pony felt Soda comply with the doctor's orders.

"Moving you like this will increase the pressure in your spine, but it helps the fluid come out more easily," he heard Dr. Roberts explain.

Pony squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the play by play. At first, the words fluttered around him but soon everything was a little more still.

"Pony," he heard Darry call after a short while.

He opened his eyes and looked up at his brother, "I'm ok," he replied, although the butterflies in his stomach continued even though he didn't feel any pain.

"Dr. Roberts will just take a couple more samples and he'll test the pressure in your subarachnoid space again," Ron explained from afar.

Pony smiled faintly, but Soda looked down at him puzzled.

"I don't know what that means," Pony mumbled and Soda chuckled.

"You're doing great," he said.

"One more to go," Dr. Roberts interrupted from someplace where Pony couldn't see him.

Darry watched as the stylet was drawn back. For a few seconds there was nothing. But then fluid slowly began to fill the clear tube. Pony's breathing suddenly became more labored, so Darry leaned in closer.

"I know," Darry whispered, "You're almost there, kiddo. Just breathe," he told his brother, though a pang of guilt gnawed at him, like it was his fault Pony was suffering.

"Almost done," Dr. Roberts' voice filtered in, "I just need to check the pressure again and we're done."

Pony lay still for what felt like forever before anyone spoke again. "Everything seems normal, so I'm going to slide the needle out now," Dr. Roberts said. Pony sucked in a quick breath as he did so, causing him to make a sound between his teeth.

"And that's it, we're done," Dr. Roberts said.

Pony let out a heavy, but inaudible sigh of relief.

He looked up at his brothers.

"You did good," Darry assured him proudly as Dr. Roberts wiped the site around the needle mark clean.

"You've got to lie still for a few hours," Dr. Roberts was saying, "On your stomach or your back. Whichever you prefer. Then we'll move you to a more comfortable position after that."

"My back," Pony replied and nodded his understanding as Dr. Roberts filled out paperwork. He felt sluggish.

When he finished, Dr. Roberts helped the nurse roll Pony onto his back as Soda supported his head.

"Ok, I'm going to run this down to the lab and it'll take a day at least to get the full results. Pony can rest here for a while and then we'll move him back to his room, okay?" Dr. Roberts told the group.

"Thanks Paul, and thanks for coming out for the early shift," Ron said, seemingly informing everyone that Dr. Roberts hadn't been scheduled to come in until later that day and that he was doing Ron a favor. Darry was grateful.

Soda turned his attention back to Pony, who had his eyes tightly shut. He leaned down over Pony's face. "Are you ok?" he asked, but Pony didn't answer. "Pony?" he asked again.

Pony opened his eyes, which looked a bit glassy. "I – feel sick," he managed to croak out. The nurse Cheryl managed to grab a bowl from the trolley and reached over to Pony just in time. Soda and Darry managed to lift his head up and help him lean over as he got sick, but it was mostly liquid.

"Is that better?" Darry asked, as he took a paper towel to wipe at Pony's mouth. Pony blinked in reply.

"Sorry about that," Pony mumbled, his ears getting hot. He looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He wondered where all that had come from.

"Don't worry," Ron said, witnessing the ordeal, "I've seen worse. We'll send you a dry cleaning bill," he joked.

They helped Ponyboy lie down. He was worried the headache was already starting.

"Are you sure you're ok, kiddo?" Soda asked, but Pony didn't reply.

"I've heard of post spinal tap headaches, but it shouldn't make you nauseous, right?" Darry asked aloud, mostly to Ron. Pony answered instead.

"I think it was just – nerves," he admitted. He felt a little woozy.

Soda brushed his hair back. Darry rubbed his bare arm with his other hand – the one that wasn't squeezing the life out of his fingers.

"Nothing for you to worry about now," Ron said.

Pony suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone, "You sure made this sound easier than it actually was," he told Ron, though he didn't look too upset. "How do you expect people to believe you?"

"Sure it's no walk in the park, but it didn't hurt right?"

"Not really," Pony admitted. Darry just squeezed his hand, wanting to offer support.

"I'm sure you don't remember this, Ponyboy, but the first time we did the lumbar puncture, in the ER, Paul told Darry and Soda that the liquid that we collected was a cloudy color. It was a very fairly strong indication that you had meningitis, even though the tests hadn't come back yet," he explained. "It was good because bacterial meningitis gets serious very quickly and we were able to act on it fast," Ron explained.

Darry nodded, remembering the moment. Where was Ron going with this?

"I'm happy to report that I noticed it was much less cloudy this time around. Almost clear," Ron smiled, "Seems like things are definitely improving," he said, "This is what we need to see."

Darry let out a breath he had been holding. He smiled, looking down at his brother.

Unfortunately, Pony still looked a bit pale and uneasy.

"Don't say I told you so," Pony muttered to Darry unexpectedly.

Darry cracked a grin, "Ok, I won't," he said, and meant it. He could see that the procedure hadn't been easy for his kid brother. "You hanging in there, little buddy?" he asked.

"Yeah," he whispered, "just glad it's over," he told Darry. He wouldn't let go of his hand.

Ron spoke up again. "Listen, Pony, you're doing great. I need to go look after some of the other patients I got around here. You know you can't have me all to yourself," he joked, "Someone will be in soon to take him back to his room," he said to Darry and Soda. "You can stay with him, of course, but he needs to stay down for at least the next 3 hours. If he gets up, there's more of a chance he'll get one of those post-lumbar puncture headaches," he explained, "And we know you don't want that," he told Ponyboy.

"Got it, stay down," Pony quipped, "That's easy. I've been doing it everyday for a week."

"Yeah, you're a real pro at it now," Soda chuckled.

Ron grinned, "No relay races," he volleyed. "I'll be in later to see how you are," he told Pony, "And we'll schedule the rest of the tests for tomorrow morning. Depends how you're doing. Nothing to worry about, they're easy. Just a routine blood test and a chest x-ray."

"Got it," Darry nodded, "Thanks Ron," he said. Soda noticed that this time he didn't shake the doctor's hand. Instead, Ron gave him a friendly pat on the arm – like they were old buddies – before he left the room.

"You're real chummy with the doc now, ain't ya?" Soda told Darry and Pony's ears perked up.

"Yeah, well, he's a friend now. Been real helpful with my kid brother here," Darry quipped, patting Pony's arm.

"Where'd you go last night?" Pony asked suddenly.

Darry looked at him funny. "I told you already, Pone. I went to Ron's place. It's not but two blocks from here."

"Darry," Ponyboy began softly, his voice hoarse. He glanced over at his older brother, who had taken up position on the stool again, "You know, last night I couldn't sleep at all. I was just lying here, staring at the ceiling, thinking about…well everything."

Darry leaned in, looking concerned, "Everything? You mean the lumbar puncture?"

Pony nodded, looking up but trying not to move, "Yeah, that, and you not being here last night."

"It's true," Soda said, remembering how distraught Pony had been.

"Believe it or not, me too, kid," Darry replied.

"I told you not to come, but I was hoping you'd show up anyway," Pony said.

"And I did, didn't I?" Darry answered.

"Not till the last minute." Pony grimaced.

Darry's expression softened, "I thought it would be good to give a little time. But shoot kid, it was hard not to be around. I was real worried about you."

"See that's exactly what I told you," Soda said, "He wanted to give you space."

"It ain't like I was itchin' to be all by myself with my thoughts," Pony lamented, "And then I was wondering if you were ok…what you were doing…"

"Glory Pone, I'm the one that should be worrying about you," Darry sighed. He reached out and placed a hand on his brother's arm. "You guys know me too well, don't you? I was worried sick, but I wanted to give you some room."

"I can be stubborn sometimes," Pony said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Darry's eyes got big, but he grinned, "Sometimes?!" he said, pretending to be shocked.

"Ok, ok, I see your point," Pony said. He was getting tired and struggling to keep his eyes open. He didn't realize his brothers had let him doze for a bit until there were unfamiliar voices in the room and Pony was sort of jolted awake. He felt himself starting to move.

"What?"

Darry's face filled his line of sight and he suddenly felt a little more relieved.

"Pony? We're right here, buddy. They're just taking you back to your room." Pony looked over and Soda was on the other side.

Then he looked up and winced as the light hanging from the ceiling seemed to sear into his eyes. Why was it so bright?

He wondered if he should say something. Instead, he squinted and closed his eyes, feeling like the movement was lulling him to sleep.


When he woke up again, Darry and Soda were still there and he suddenly had the undeniable urge to pee.

"Soda," he mumbled, catching sight of his middle brother first as he sat up a little too quickly. "I need to go to the bathroom." His brothers helped him slide off the bed and make his way over to the adjacent room. He was still half asleep, and strangely enough felt much dizzier than he expected. But he pushed the disorientation aside and did his business. On the way back, Darry asked him if he wanted some water and he took the cup gratefully before he laid down.

He felt like Darry wanted to say more but he was already sinking into the bed – which ironically helped his spinning head. It was like his body was slowly registering the aftermath of the procedure.

He closed his eyes and the world floated away.

A short time later he found himself awake again and noticed that a dull ache had started to creep in at the base of his skull. As he blinked his eyes open, the ache was gradually intensifying into a pulsing sensation. He sat up immediately – way too quickly – making his head throb even more.

"Ohhh noooo," he moaned, as he pressed his fingers against his temples. Darry and Soda were immediately at his side. Pony shuddered, feeling the queasiness that often accompanied his recent headaches.

"Pony? You alright kiddo?" Darry asked from somewhere near him.

"What happened?" Soda asked.

"My head," Pony moaned.

He winced, his hand instinctively moving to the back where the ache seemed to originate.

Soda was afraid he would touch his staples, and pried his fingers off one side. He exchanged a worried look with Darry.

"Let's call a nurse," Darry responded and he pressed a button. He repositioned the pillow beside Pony's head and made him lay back against it. The lights were bright and glaring, so Pony attempted to shield his eyes.

A nurse arrived and after assessing Pony's symptoms, she spoke up, "Seems like you've got a post-dural puncture headache, hon. You had a lumbar puncture this morning, right? It's not uncommon."

Ponyboy thanked her by telling everyone in the room that he was gonna be sick and retching into an emesis basin. Afterwards, Soda and Darry helped lay him back and tried to make him more comfortable, but nothing was helping. His neck was stiff. Soda adjusted the pillows behind his little brother and tried to prop him up slightly to relieve the pressure on his neck. But the nurse informed them that will probably make things worse and she was right. He needed to lay down.

"You're going to be ok, just try to relax," she said, noticing him squinting at the light bulb. "Is the light bothering you? Let's dim the lights," she told Darry, who made the room darker. "I'm going to go find Dr. Reed and see what he suggests. He'll probably be in soon to see what we can do."

She left and Darry gave Pony some water to cool his insides. It sort of helped. Soda settled in one of the chairs next to the bed. He leaned in, elbows finding a resting place on the mattress near Pony's shoulder and rubbed at his hair.

"What a drag, huh?" He said aloud.

Pony closed his eyes and tried to relax. The soothing helped, as did laying still and the dimmed lights. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until there were more voices in the room.

"Pony," someone was calling out to him, he thought it was Darry, "Ron is here. He wants to check you over."

Pony groaned, realizing the lights in the room were back to normal. Ron called out to him.

"Hi Ponyboy. Your brothers tell me you were sleeping off a headache. How are you feeling now? Can you sit up for me?"

"I'm ok," Pony mumbled, still half asleep but then he sat up and hissed in pain, covering an eye with one hand as if that would take the ache away.

"It's not so easy to sit up," he mumbled.

"Is it worse when you do that?" Ron asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yea," Pony croaked.

"And what else? What other symptoms do you feel?" Ron asked gently. "Are the lights hurting your eyes?"

"Yea and my neck," Pony replied, referring to the neck stiffness and pain.

"Alright I'm going to have to check for a leak of the cerebrospinal fluid from the site of the lumbar puncture. It'll just take a second and then you can go back to sleep. Darry, help me out here," he said, "Pony, we're going to need to roll you over on your side like we did for the lumbar puncture so I can check the puncture site.

"Oh great," Pony moaned as Darry and Ron rolled him over on his side where he was looking at Soda. Soda shrugged and gave him a playful grin because Pony looked so cross. Darry propped some pillows up behind Pony's upper back to make him more comfortable, though Pony didn't have to worry about not moving this time around.

The nurse lifted his hospital gown from the back so Ron could examine the puncture site.

"Alright," he said from somewhere behind Pony, "I can see that there's definitely something, but it's nothing substantial. Unfortunately, it's like what's causing the headache and the other symptoms."

"Christ, how did this happen?" Darry asked in worry and frustration, "I thought Dr. Roberts was one of the best in the biz. Isn't that why you got him to do it?" His thoughts raced, contemplating the possibility that the doctor might have played a role in Pony's current condition.

"He is one of the best, if not the best for lumbar punctures," Ron said firmly. "Sometimes it has nothing to do with the doctor or the technique. Children and teenagers are often more prone to postural headaches – and Pony has already had a lot of them while he's been recovering, hasn't he?" He continued, "Sometimes it has to do with body mass. I don't want to get into it, but generally individuals with lower body mass can be more susceptible to post-dural puncture headaches."

It was true, Pony didn't exactly have a lot of meat on his bones and being in the hospital with a serious illness certainly wasn't helping matters.

"Or," he continued, "it could have to do with positional changes. That's why we told him he had to lie down for a while. If he sat up or stood up, the change could lead to headaches."

"I had to go to the bathroom," Pony spoke up, though he was still turned away from Ron, "So I had to get up to go."

"There you go," Ron said as Darry nodded in agreement, realizing it must have been one of those things.

"I can't stay on my side like this, it hurts," Pony said. He moaned again, trying to push his face downwards towards the mattress hoping it would get rid of the pain. Soda could see in his eyes that he was in distress.

"Hey, it ain't important how it happened, Darry," Soda chimed in, for once being the sensible one, "What matters is he's hurtin'. What can we do?"

"Pony, you can turn back and lay down normally again," Ron told him, as the nurse pulled down the gown over his backside, "Try not to get up for a while. You'll feel better if you keep your head down. But I do recommend trying to drink water when you can – if you don't we're going to have to hook you up to an IV later and I know you don't want that."

Pony laid on his back, groaned and put his hand over his eyes.

"You ok?" Darry asked, standing over him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, the bed rest won't take away the symptoms once they've already started, but hopefully they'll relieve them," Ron explained, "Pony, Nurse Cheryl is going to bring some Tylenol for you to swallow – if that doesn't work we'll try something stronger."

The nurse left. He continued, "And how do you feel about coffee?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Darry and Soda both gave Ron funny looks.

"That's what Darry drinks, not me," Pony mumbled.

"What about coke…tea…Pepsi?"

"Pepsi," Pony took his hands off his eyes and actually smiled, "I'm dying for a Pepsi. I haven't had one in so long!"

Darry looked at Ron in shock, "It can actually help the headache you're experiencing now after the lumbar puncture," Ron explained to the group, "Caffeine has a way of constricting blood vessels and can provide some relief. So I suggest going to get him something. Just remember he stays hydrated too."

Darry's eyes widened in disbelief, as Pony's eyes lit up.

At that moment, Two-Bit sauntered into the room, his grin stretched wide like a Chessy cat. .

"Hey y'all what's shakin'?" he asked.

"Hey Two-Bit, perfect timing," Darry answered, fishing some coins out of his pocket and putting them in his friend's palm.

"What's this for? My expert medical advice?" he winked at Pony, feeling happy when he smiled.

"Go to the vending machine and bring Pony back a Pepsi."

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow, his face a mix of amusement and disbelief, "You're kidding,"

"Doctor's orders," Soda said, tipping his head in Ron's direction.

"Roger that," Two-Bit agreed with a casual shrug, leaving the room without asking for an explanation. He knew he would get one when we got back.

The nurse came back and presented Ponyboy with the Tylenol, which he lifted his head - barely - to swallow begrudgingly, with a cup of water.

"Alright folks, I need to go take care of a few things. Make sure he keeps drinking. Keep me in the loop if anything changes – for better or worse. I'm sticking around for a little while. Pony, feel better," he looked pointedly at his patient.

Pony offered a weak nod, his lips curling into something of an appreciative smile. As Ron left, he laid back down and put the back of his hand over his eyes. He would have looked overly dramatic if it wasn't for his actual suffering.

Two-Bit came back, clutching the Pepsi bottle like it was worth its weight in gold.

His voice carried a sing-song quality as he announced. "Pony, I got your pick-me-up!" He flashed a grin as he pulled out a bottle opener from his pocket, ready to pop the top.

Pony lifted his hand away from his eyes with effort, his discomfort evident.

"Anyone have sunglasses?" he asked wearily, the strain of the headache showing in his voice. Everyone laughed, though the request carried a hint of seriousness. Darry helped him sit up and considered propping up more pillows behind his back, but Pony made it known he couldn't go up too much because of the pain.

So Darry kept his hand around his back.

Two-Bit handed the bottle to Pony, who accepted it gratefully, and brought it to his lips with a cautious sip. The sweet, bubbly liquid flowed down his throat, like a balm for his aching head. He took another gulp, this time too eagerly, sputtering and choking as Darry warned him to take it easy.

A satisfied grin spread across Two-Bit's face, "There you go, buddy. See? Nothing beats a good ol' Pepsi. It's a good sign you're allowed to have it now, ain't it?"

"Maybe," Soda answered, positioning himself next to Two-Bit with his arms crossed over his elbows like a protective security guard, "Not exactly."

Two-Bit looked at him.

"Pony had the spinal tap this morning," Darry spoke up, "And now he's dealing with one of those post-spinal tap headaches because some of the fluid leaked from the hole in his back."

Two-Bit went a bit green, "Spare me the details, Darrel," he said.

Pony let out a sigh, but continued drinking the Pepsi.

"Ron said caffeine might help," Pony elaborated, "I just really wanted a Pepsi – haven't had one in ages."

"Ain't that the cure for all of life's troubles?" Two-Bit smirked.

"You might be onto something," Darry drawled, seemingly in a better mood.

"Yeah, if only it could help me get back to normal," Pony muttered quietly, feeling the frustration. The throbbing persisted as he reluctantly set the bottle aside to avoid worsening the discomfort.

"Thanks, Two-Bit," Pony muttered with genuine appreciation, offering the bottle to whoever would take it, "I need to lie down."

"Sure, buddy, anything to help you feel better," Two-Bit replied, as Darry gently retrieved the bottle from Pony's grasp.

"Can we close the shades or something?" Pony asked.

"Sure, kiddo," Darry replied as he went to turn down the lights. Soda helped Pony lay down.

His eyes were heavy with sleep, but Pony called out to Darry in a plea for presence. Soda understood, after what had happened in the past day. Darry's heart swelled as he came over and tucked his fingers into Pony's loose grip as Pony fell asleep.

"Let's go have a smoke," Two-Bit whispered to Soda, and they grabbed their jackets and left.


Two-Bit pulled out a cigarette for himself and then handed one over to Sodapop. Soda declined.

Two-Bit was startled for a moment, but then shrugged and lit up. "What, you're not smoking today?" he asked between puffs.

"Nah, Pony's coming home soon and I need to cut back,"

That was a surprise. Soda had been smoking everyday, sometimes, a few times a day. It had been a great way to pass the time, or get out of that stuffy room when it all became too much.

But Soda only smoked to steady his nerves – or when he wanted to look tough. So it wasn't really a shocker. The smoking had been to help get rid of the stress.

Besides he wasn't the weed fiend of the family.

Two-Bit immediately knew what that meant. "So Pony's getting better huh?"

"Yeah I think so," Soda replied, as he hugged the jacket tighter to himself. The snow was starting to become less frequent but it was still damn cold. "He's eating more, walking more – starting to act more like the Pony I know – and hopefully these tests he's doing in the next couple of days will show that the infection is going away."

"I'm placing bets on when he'll ask for his next smoke," Two-Bit smirked, wagging his eyebrows, "You in?"

Soda chuckled softly, "Let's hope that happens when he's properly kicked this thing. He knows Darry'll skin 'im if he caught him puffing away too soon. DON'T give him any cigarettes, Two-Bit," he raised an eyebrow, the familiar grin on his lips, though he was completely serious. "Maybe he'll surprise us all and kick the habit for good."

"At least him and Darry are on good terms now," Two-Bit said. "What happened after I left? Darry ever come back?"

Soda frowned, "No, he never did. He told us he stayed over at Ron's place. His actual place. I have no idea how that happened."

"You serious? Didn't realize he was all buddy-buddy with the doc."

"Yeah, well Ron's been good to us. But still – he should have come back sooner. We almost thought he wasn't gonna show for the actual spinal tap. Pony was a mess this morning, couldn't settle down." Soda explained, "Shoot, the whole thing was blown way out of proportion. But hey, Darry showed up in the knick of time – and they patched things up. Thank my lucky stars for that cause the spinal tap this morning? Man, it was not pretty."

Two-Bit shot him a questioning glance. "Really? That bad? Did it hurt?"

"I don't think so – but it scared him. Even threw up afterwards cause he was so nervous."

"Maybe it has to do with what's going on with him now," Two-Bit wondered, "The headache?"

"I don't know, maybe. Ron says it's cause he didn't spend enough time lying down like he was supposed to after the procedure. But he says it could have happened anyway."

"Glory," Two-Bit responded, "I can't believe your brother went through a spinal tap. Twice!"

"Christ, my heart was caught in a vise this time," Soda shuddered, "Last time I didn't know what hit us. And Pony was out of it, you know? And I just wanted them to fix it. But this time – he was wide awake. I'm good with my kid brother but – thank the almighty Darry was there cause I don't know if I could have handled that on my own."

"I can't wait till Pony goes home," he added.

"I bet," Two-Bit replied. "Soon, right?" He puffed on the last remains of his cigarette before throwing it down. And changing the subject.

"You think the Tasty Freez is open now?" he asked.

Soda gave him a funny look, "Yeah…why?"

"I promised Darry I'd bring Pony over one of those milkshakes," Two-Bit said.

"Can't we get him to eat something with a little more substance?" Soda asked.

"Yeah," Two-Bit replied, "I have an idea."


The weariness still clung to his bones as Pony gradually opened his eyes and shook himself from sleep, but surprisingly the headache that had been throbbing in the back of his head had slowed to a dull ache.

His thoughts were sluggish as he tentatively cracked open his eyes and his first thought was, Is Darry still here? For some reason, he was worried his oldest brother had left.

He blinked a few times to clear away the blur and was thrilled to see Darry sitting nearby, that copy of The Fountainhead in his hands. But his attention was on Pony. Darry's eyes met his and a gentle smile formed on his lips.

"Hey there, buddy," he said softly.

"Darry, are you bored?" Pony asked suddenly.

"What?" Darry asked, startled. He looked down at the book in his hand, "Oh, this. Yea, I just needed something to pass the time. I was mostly thinking about you. How's your head?"

Pony shifted his position, to find a comfortable spot but he wouldn't get up just yet, "It's getting better, I think. That Pepsi helped!"

"Oh good" Darry smiled, closing the book and setting it aside, "I'm really happy to hear that. Guess Ron knows what he's talking about.":

Pony let out a small chuckle, which immediately turned into a wince because he was still immediately reached out and rubbed his neck and shoulder gently, "Who knew caffeine could be a lifesaver," Pony said. He squinted at the light, but it was ok.

Darry leaned in a bit closer, "I can't wait until these headaches of yours go away. I don't like seeing you in pain, kiddo." he admitted.

Pony swallowed, remembering the intensity of the pain he'd had in the last few days – the throbbing headaches, the neck and muscle stiffness, the backaches, the overwhelming weakness and fatigue.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to worry you guys," he said innocently.

Darry reached over and gently ruffled Pony's hair, careful of the staples. "I don't want you to ever think this is your fault, Pony. It's not. You're going through a lot," he said, "We just want you to get better."

Ponyboy's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, the warmth of his brother's hand on his head soothing. When he opened his eyes again, he gingerly reached for one of the pillows beside him and carefully placed it on top of the other one behind his head, adjusting them so he could sit up slightly, while still having support.

"I'm tired of being stuck in the hospital, though," Pony replied.

Darry's expression softened even more, "I know, Pony. But you're making progress. Soon enough you'll be back home, driving us all up the wall as you always do."

Ponyboy managed a weak grin, "Can't wait for that." Darry laughed. But then he looked down, and when he looked up again, his gaze was serious, "Listen Pony…about yesterday…when I left after the argument…"

Ponyboy looked at him, curiosity piqued, "Yeah?"

"I didn't know what to do. I knew you needed some time. And I needed to clear my head. So when Ron invited me over to his place for the night, I went. It was close to the hospital. I wasn't even sure if I would show up in the morning, but I had to be nearby – just in case. Later, I realized it wasn't right for me to leave you and Soda to deal with the spinal tap on your own," he sighed.

"Thanks Darry. I'm glad you were there," Pony reassured him.

Darry's hand found his brother's and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Always, kiddo. I might mess up sometimes, but I'll always be there for you."

Pony had a lump in his throat, feeling silly for overacting as he had previously, "I know. I'm sorry for being so difficult," he whispered.

Darry chuckled softly, "You got nothing to apologize for! You're my little brother and I'll always take care of you no matter what."

Pony's eyelids felt heavy again, a tired yawn escaping his lips, although he resisted the pull of was finally feeling a bit better and he wanted to savor these moments of relief. "Hey Darry," he mumbled, "think we'll be able to go home soon?"

Darry chuckled again, "Not just yet, kiddo. We're still waiting for those results. But we're getting there," he answered.

Pony's gaze wandered the room, his eyes narrowing as he suddenly became confused by all the calm, "Heyyy, weren't Two-Bit and Soda here earlier? Two-Bit brought me that Pepsi didn't he?" he looked at Darry quizzically, "Where did they go?"

"I know Two-Bit said they were going out for a smoke," Darry replied, "But that was over an hour ago. I have no idea where they ran off to but they better get back soon so I can go make some phone calls."

Pony looked at him, feeling guilty, "I'll be fine alone if you need to go make calls," he said quietly.

Darry wanted to tell Pony the truth – that he was still worried about leaving him alone since something always seemed to happen to him when everyone was gone. He settled for the safer response, "Not while you still got that headache, pal," he said, "I'll wait until they get back."

Steve came back first, after ending his shift at the DX. He told Pony and Darry that their boss Sam has been acting real decent lately about Soda taking off more time than usual, especially since Steve had been covering for him and helping him make up the hours and all. The day before he had even gone out of his way to help the boss's old lady when her car had stalled on the way back from grocery shopping and her son couldn't get to her for one reason or another. Steve had stepped in, getting one of the other workers to cover for him while he showed up to take care of all the towing. Then he drove the woman back home, listening to her babble on and on like his grandma. Later said the boss was real proud of him for that.

He gave Pony a wink, knowing full well that he was just doing all that so their boss would be on their good side in case Soda needed extra has its own way of working things out.

Pony couldn't believe he was feeling grateful for having Steve in his corner again.

Darry filled Steve in on the lumbar puncture that morning and Pony's headache, which had dulled to something low-level across the back of the head and neck. It was something he had sadly grown accustomed to with meningitis.

Steve sat down next to Pony and was about to deal out some cards so Darry could go and make his calls when Two-Bit and Soda showed up.

The two sauntered into the room like they had wild stories to tell. Soda balanced a four cup tray holder with 2 drinks and both had plastic bags in their hands.

"Where you two been?" Darry demanded, his voice more annoyed than worried.

Two-Bit grinned, "Just took a little stroll. Found ourselves at the Dingo stirring up some trouble, you know the usual. Hey Steve," he said cocked his head towards his friend.

Soda slung an arm around Pony's shoulders, casual-like, after dumping the tray and the plastic sack on the bedside table. "Don't mind him. We went to the Tasty Freez too," he added.

Pony tried to nod but the dull throb at the base of his skull made the movement more of a wince. Soda caught it, of course.

"Head still botherin' ya?" he asked with a sympathetic smile.

Pony shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Yea, but it ain't too bad now."

Two-Bit flopped down in a chair next to Steve, looking at the cards in his buddy's hand. "What's the game tonight?"

Steve smirked, "Poker?" he asked.

Soda grinned at Pony. "You in, little buddy?"

Pony hesitated, glancing at his brothers. "I'm hungry," he announced.

Soda shot his friends wide-eyed glances as Darry's eyes lit up. "Really?!" he exclaimed, taken aback. He couldn't believe his ears.

"Well, how 'bout that," Two-Bit drawled, "I got just the thing," he said, rummaging through the plastic bag. He pulled out a covered paper bowl and a plastic fork, placing them in Pony's lap.

"What's this?" Pony asked, placing his hands around the warm container.

"Open it," Two-Bit answered.

"And there's a milkshake here with your name on it, kiddo," Soda added.

Pony grinned, "Thanks."

"You guys bring back anything for us?" Steve asked skeptically.

Two-Bit leaned over, nudging Pony, "He wants free food and he ain't even in a hospital bed," he quipped.

Steve stood up without waiting for an answer and dug through the bag on the bedside table. He pulled out sandwiches and started passing them around, naming them as he did to make sure everyone got what they wanted. Corn beef, egg salad, turkey melt. Ham and cheese.

Two-Bit looked down at his own sandwich and then back at Steve. "Hey, where's my milkshake?" he asked.

Soda raised an eyebrow, mischief in his eyes, "Thought you were watching your figure, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit scoffed, "Yeah, right. I'll have you know I'm in peak physical condition," he said between bites of his mayo-drenched turkey club.

Steve and Soda exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.

"Ok, princess," Steve quipped.

Darry interrupted before Two-Bit could continue defending his last comment. "Hey Pony, you gonna eat?" he asked.

Pony didn't know what he was waiting for. He felt weak, but he really was hungry. He opened the plastic covering and stared down, his face instantly brightening.

"Mac and cheese!" his eyes gleamed with delight, "How'd you know that's what I wanted?"

"I'm a mind reader," Two-Bit drolled, as everyone laughed. Truthfully, he kne that Pony saying that he loved anything cheese - pizza, rlasagna, and of course the macaroni kind.

Darry couldn't hide his happiness and relief, as his little brother poked his fork into the bowl and began to eat.

Pony settled in – the throbbing in his head fading into the background as the guys traded barbs and jokes. As he took a bite of the warm and gooey pasta, he realized that sometimes even in the midst of chaos, a little comfort food could be what he needed to feel a sense of normalcy again.


Get ready to read Pony going home soon.

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