In this chapter: Darry is sick, and Kate takes care of him.

"Hi Kate!"

I looked up from the table I was wiping down and saw Two-Bit, Soda, and Pony walking towards me.

"Hey guys," I said with a smile. "What are you doing here? I thought y'all were going to the rodeo."

The whole gang had been looking forward to hanging out at the rodeo all week. It had been a while since all seven of them could do something fun together. Usually Darry or Soda had to work, or Dally was either in the cooler or riding horses, but there was finally a Friday night that they were all free. I knew I had to work, and even though some of the guys seemed disappointed that I wouldn't make it, I thought it would be good for them to hang out without me. Guys needed to be guys once in a while without having their girlfriends, (or friends that were girls in everyone's case except Darry,) tagging along.

Soda and Pony both let out disappointed sighs, leaving Two-Bit to answer. "Darry's sick," he said. "So we thought we'd pick up some dinner and bring it to him."

I straightened and put my hand on my hip as I felt my eyebrows pinch together. "How bad is he?" I had just seen my boyfriend the day before, and although he was almost always tired, he had looked completely wiped out, so I had a suspicion that something else was going on. If only I knew he was getting sick, I could've gotten him to take medicine or something.

Soda and Pony shared a look before Soda replied. "He's in pretty rough shape. When we left the house, he was in his room, sleeping like a dead man. He doesn't get sick a lot, but when he does, it knocks him down hard. Not that he'd tell us that though… he's trying to play it off like a simple two-day cold or something."

I could tell that Soda was not only worried about him, but he probably had tried to help Darry somehow and was shut down by his stubborn older brother. The anxious look on Pony's face echoed the concern Soda and Two-Bit were both exhibiting.

I sighed. Darry was a tough guy, but it would be nice if he stopped being tough once in a while, especially when his friends and family were trying to help him in some way.

"Tell you what… you guys go to the rodeo tonight, and I'll bring Darry some food after my shift," I offered. Then I glanced at my watch. "I only have about twenty-five minutes left, so Darry won't have to wait too long to get dinner."

The three of them looked at each other for a moment, probably sharing a silent conversation that I was left out of, then Soda looked back at me. "You sure, Kate? We can always go to the rodeo another time. It's-"

"I insist," I interrupted. "You guys have been looking forward to the rodeo all week, so you should go."

"Hey, why don't you two spend the weekend at my house?" Two-Bit suddenly offered to Soda and Pony. "It'll keep Darry's germs away from yous."

Soda and Pony looked at each other again, then Soda replied. "That'd be great Two-Bit, but someone's gotta be home with Darry. Pony, maybe you should go to Two-Bit's and I'll-"

"You both can go to Two-Bit's and I'll stay with Darry," I said, making the three of them look at me surprised expressions. It's the least I could do. Darry would do it for me. Plus, he would probably enjoy some peace and quiet with the boys out of the house while he's sick. "You guys can hang out with the gang and you won't have to worry about Darry or getting sick yourselves."

"What about you?" Pony asked. "What if you get sick?"

I shrugged. "I have a good immune system. Plus, I don't have to worry about missing school if I do get sick," I said pointedly.

The three of them looked at each other again before Soda spoke. "You sure you're up for dealing with Darry when he's sick? He ain't the easiest person to take care of."

I quirked an eyebrow, smirked at him, then put my hands on my hips, trying to look tough and likely failing miserably. "I'm up for the challenge." They laughed, then I resumed a normal expression and posture. "Really, I'll be fine, and I promise to take care of Darry. You guys have fun this weekend, just not too much fun," I said while giving Two-Bit a look.

"What's that look for?" Two-Bit asked, faking offense. "I haven't done anything to deserve that!"

"If they're spending the weekend with you, don't even think about getting them into any trouble," I warned. "Or else Darry will beat the tar out of you."

"I'm not worried, Darry's barely able to lift his head up, let alone pummel me," Two-Bit said confidently. Then a rebellious look crossed his face before he turned towards the front door. "C'mon Curtises, let's go find some trouble before Superman's feelin' better!"

Soda and Pony let out sounds of joy as they joined Two-Bit walking away.

"I'm not bailing any of you out if you get hauled it!" I shouted after them. It didn't matter; we all knew I was lying.

I walked up the porch steps with a container of the soup our chef gave me to bring to Darry. It warmed my hands, which I was thankful for since it was a strangely chilly night. I was about to knock on the door, but I remembered the door was always unlocked and everyone who was friends with the Curtises just walked right in. Plus, Darry was sleeping, so I didn't want to wake him up if I could prevent it.

I tried to be quiet as I walked into the house and shut the door behind me, but I wasn't quiet enough.

"Soda? Pony?" a hoarse voice asked.

I turned and found Darry lying on the couch, struggling to open his eyes and look up at me. Next to him was a garbage can filled with used tissues. At least it doesn't look like he's used it to throw up yet.

"No Darry, it's me," I said softly, putting the container of soup on the coffee table.

"Kate?" Darry said before coughing horribly. It sounded like his whole respiratory system was filled with phlegm by the sounds he made. He tried to sit up, but his arms were shaking under his body, so I knelt down and helped him sit up. Sitting made it a little easier for him to stop coughing and breathe normally again, but the concern I had for him didn't waver. "What are you doing here?"

I pushed his sweaty hair off his burning forehead and gave him a soft smile. "I'm here to take care of you, sweetheart."

He sighed and shifted a little, probably trying to look healthy and strong, but he couldn't fool me. "I'm fine, Kate. I don't need-"

"Well I'm here anyway," I said defiantly before he could finish. I moved to sit next to him on the couch, and I started running my fingers through his hair.

At first, it looked like he was going to argue with me, but then he closed his eyes and let his head rest against the back of the couch. "How did you know I was sick?"

"Your brothers and Two-Bit stopped by the diner. They said you were sick and they wanted to bring you some food, but I told them to go to the rodeo and I'd bring you dinner. Thought it might be easier on you without a house full of boys making a ruckus," I explained. "They also said you were in bed, sleeping. Why are you out here?"

He studied me, and I didn't know if he was still processing what I said, or if he didn't want to tell me what was going on. Eventually, he responded. "Woke up. Didn't know where anyone was. Came out here in case the phone rang or they needed me," he said breathlessly. Even talking seems like it's tiring it out, but he still wanted to make sure her boys were okay.

I moved my hand so it was massaging the tight muscles in his neck. "Well I'm here now, and your brothers are going to spend the weekend at Two-Bit's, so all you need to do is stay in bed and get some rest, alright?"

"Mhmm," he said, sounding like he was falling asleep.

"Hold on, Darry. You can't asleep yet. I can't carry you to bed and you aren't staying out here," I said lightly. "I brought you some soup, so it's up to you: sleep or soup first?"

I was afraid he already nodded off, but after a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked at me groggily. "Sleep. I'm too nauseous to eat anything."

That didn't necessarily make me feel any better about Darry's condition, but he was at least conscious enough to give me answers, so I hoped he was able to walk mostly on his own still. "Okay, let's get you to bed," I said as I stood up.

He let out a short laugh. "Sorry babe, I think I'm too sick for that."

It took me a second to understand what he meant, but then I laughed and very lightly slapped his knee. "Darrel Curtis, you know that's not what I meant."

He was still smirking when he struggled to stand up. "I know, I know."

Darry looked a little unsteady when he was on his feet, so I wrapped an arm around his waist for stability. "I got you, Darry. Let's get you to bed, so you can sleep, okay?"

"Okay," he said tiredly. The fact that he easily agreed and let me help him told me that he was just as sick as he looked, so I knew I had to get him resting again as soon as possible.

It took a couple minutes to get him situated in his bed, but once he was lying down and as comfortable as possible, I went back to the living room to be the soup in the fridge. While I was in the kitchen, I got a glass of water to bring back to Darry's room. In addition to the water, I made sure to bring everything else I could think of that he could possibly need: a cool washcloth, a bottle of aspirin and whatever cold medicine I could find, and the garbage bin he had brought into the living room. By the time I had brought al of the items into his bedroom, he was already fast asleep.

Seeing that my sick boyfriend was sleeping, I set most of the items aside and put the cool washcloth on his forehead. I knew it wouldn't get his fever to break, but I hoped it would cool him off enough to stay asleep for a while.

With Darry taken care of for the time being, I decided to change out of my work clothes before going to sleep myself. Even though Soda was probably closer to my size, I borrowed some of Darry's clothes since he was my boyfriend and they smelled like him. After changing into the baggy and comfy clothes, I decided to sleep in Soda's old room; it was right next to Darry's, so I'd be able to hear him if he woke up and needed anything.

It felt like I barely closed my eyes before the sounds of feet hitting the ground and someone violently vomiting forced me to open my eyes and rush out of the room. I went to Darry's bedroom, but seeing as it was empty, I went to the bathroom, where the light was turned on, and I found Darry clutching the toilet, his knuckles white.

He retched again, and I knelt on the tiled floor next to him, rubbing circles on his back. "I'm here, Darry. Let it all out. I got you."

After a few agonizing minutes and several episodes of Darry emptying his stomach contents, he rested his forehead on the toilet seat and panted like he had run a marathon. He looked completely drained of energy, and I was once again worried he wasn't going to stay awake much longer.

"You think you can drink some water?" I asked. He shook his head, but I wasn't going to let him off the hook so easy. "How about just rinsing your mouth to get the taste out of it?"

He took a couple deep breaths before nodding, but he didn't take his head off the porcelain.

"Okay, I'll be right back," I told him.

I rushed into the kitchen to get another glass of water, then I went back to the bathroom. As Darry swished the water in his mouth and spit it out in the toilet, I got another washcloth wet and put it on the back of Darry's neck. When he emptied the glass, he set it down on the floor and groaned as he put his head back on the toilet seat.

"I know it sucks right now, but you're doing great," I reassured him as I resumed rubbing circles on his back. "If I fill that glass again, can you drink some of it for me?"

He opened his eyes a little and turned his head so he was looking at me. "Yeah, I think so."

I took the glass, filled it in the sink, then I handed it to him. Thankfully, he drank most of it before setting it down again, closing his eyes, and resting his head on the porcelain. "Thanks Kate. Go on to bed, I'll be fine."

I let out a breath and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm staying right here, Darry."

"But you'll get sick."

"Don't worry about me."

"Can't help it, I care about you," he said immediately, like it was automatic. "I don't want you getting sick because of me."

I smiled at him, even though he wasn't looking at me. "That's sweet of you, but I care about you too, so I'm staying right here until you feel like you can go back to bed."

He let out a defeated long sigh. "Give me a minute, then I'll get up."

I didn't rush him, but true to his word, Darry forced himself to stand up just a little while later. I helped him back into bed, and after getting the washcloths under more cold water, I put one on Darry's forehead and the other under his neck.

"Do you need anything else?" I asked quietly, not sure if he fell asleep already.

"No," he replied, practically groaning from discomfort. Then he pried his eyes open and looked at me. "You don't have to stay here, Kate. You can leave. I'll be fine."

This time, I allowed myself to roll my eyes before smirking at him. "As much as I believe in your ability to take care of yourself, you don't have to. I'm not going anywhere."

Something flashed in his eyes, but then his eyelids fell, and he was out like a light.

I made sure there was water and medicine on his nightstand before I left to return to my temporary bedroom.

The following morning, I made sure check on Darry before doing anything else. He was still sleeping, but he was breathing heavy and sweating, so I got the washcloths cooled with water again and placed them on his skin again. He didn't budge or give any indication he was close to waking up, so I let him be.

I went to the bathroom and decided to give it a quick cleaning since the events of the night before probably made the room unsanitary. After some scrubbing and disinfecting, I went to the kitchen to heat up the soup, and when I glanced at the clock, I was surprised that it was already close to ten o'clock in the morning. Darry and I both are early risers, so this is really late for both of us.

Once the soup was warmed, I brought the bowl and a glass of water into Darry's room and set them on the crowed nightstand. I really didn't want to wake him, but I felt like I didn't have much of a choice; I needed him to eat and get some fluids in him.

"Wake up, Darry," I said quietly, trying not to startle him. Since he didn't stir, I put a hand on his shoulder and shook it. "Come on, Darry. Wake up, honey."

After a few moments, his eyes fluttered open. "Hi Kate."

"Hi sweetheart. I have some soup and water for you. I think you should have some," I said as sweet as I could. I saw his face scrunch slightly, and I knew he was about to argue with me, but I wasn't going to let him. "I know you don't want to, but you really need something in your stomach, and you really need some water."

He sighed. "I know, but I don't know if I can stomach it."

I nodded in understanding. "Can you at least try? For me?"

His eyes softened, then he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

After helping him sit up, I managed to coax him to eat half of the bowl of soup and drink a glass of water. I even got him to take some cold medicine, even though I wasn't sure if it would do anything to quell his illness.

"You eat yet?" Darry suddenly asked me. I nodded automatically, even though after thinking about it, I realized that I was lying. Still, he didn't need to worry about me.

Unfortunately, Darry's gaze was somehow able to see through the lie. "I can tell you didn't."

"Darry, I'm fine-"

"Kate, go eat something," Darry said, his voice suddenly sounding stronger. "I'm not going anywhere, so don't worry about me. Make sure you're taking care of yourself."

I don't know how, but when Darry was able to worry about someone else, he was able to push past any kind of ailment he was facing in order to take charge and take care of others. It was admirable, but a little frustrating. You're really sick, and you're worried about me? That's ridiculous.

"Okay, I'll go eat," I agreed in order to pacify him. "But you get some more rest, alright? Holler if you need-"

The phone in Darry's room started ringing, and before Darry even thought about answering it, I was already reaching for the phone. It was convenient that his parents had decided to put in another phone in the bedroom, and I was thankful I could answer it instead of a sick Darry doing it.

"Curtis residence, Kate speaking," I said into the receiver.

"Kate, how's Darry doing?" Soda asked immediately. His voice immediately gave away how worried he was.

"He's…" I trailed off as I looked at Darry, who had his hand extended towards me, apparently wanting the phone. I smacked his hand away before resuming my conversation with Soda. "Well, he's sick alright."

Soda started firing multiple questions at me, not breathing in between them at all. "Did he throw up? Has he slept at all? What about his fever? Has it gone down yet?"

"Yes, yes, and no, I don't think so," I said evenly.

Soda cursed under his breath. "Do you need any help? I can come over-"

"Take a breath, Soda. I got everything under control," I said, trying to get him to calm down.

I heard Soda forcing himself to take deep breaths before replying. "Really? You sure? Darry doesn't like people taking care of him, so he can be a real pain when he's sick."

I chuckled. "So I've noticed." Darry raised his eyebrows at me in curiosity, but I ignored him. "We're okay here, Soda. You and Pony just stay out of trouble, and try to keep Two-Bit in line too while you're at it. I'm sure his mother would appreciate it."

There was genuine laughter, and I smiled knowing that Soda had to have calmed down if he was laughing. "Yeah, alright. We'll try our best, but he's about the greasiest-" there was suddenly a commotion on the other end of the line, disrupting our conversation. I waited patiently to see if anyone would resume the conversation, but eventually Soda just yelled "good luck with Darry!" before hanging up.

As soon as I hung up the phone, Darry spoke. "Was that Soda checking up on me?"

"Yes it was," I answered, knowing it wouldn't do any good to hide the truth. "He's concerned about you, I think we all are, but I told him everything's fine. Now, in order for me to not be lying to your brother, you need to keep drinking water and get some rest, alright?"

He let out a sigh. "Yes ma'am."

I spent the entire weekend making sure Darry ate, slept, and drank plenty of fluids. In return, Darry kept asking if I had been doing the same, which I was, and I told him so. He didn't need to know that I ate and slept less than him. I wasn't the one that was sick, after all.

He didn't throw up after that first night, and by Sunday morning, his fever finally broke. After that, he was looking and feeling better, and his appetite had also returned. He became restless, apparently sick of lying in bed all day, so he moved to the couch where he could at least watch tv or listen to the radio. When Sunday night rolled around, Soda and Pony returned home.

"Hey Dar," Soda said gently as he approached us. Darry had been lying on the couch with his head resting in my lap when his younger brothers walked through the door, and Soda seemed to think it wasn't a good sign. "You feelin' better?"

Darry opened his eyes and looked at Soda with a small smile. "Hey Pepsi." Then he moved to sit up straight. "Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better. Did you guys behave at the Mathews' house?"

Soda's lips turned up into a grin. "Why does everyone think we're a bunch of lunatics? Of course we behaved! Right Pony?"

Pony walked towards us slowly, like he thought if he moved too quickly, he'd somehow bother Darry or make him sick again. "Yeah, we tried to be polite for Ms. Mathews' sake. Two-Bit was the only menace there."

Darry chuckled at that. "Good, I'm glad you didn't drive her any crazier than her son already does. I'll have to thank her for letting you two stay there. How was the rodeo?"

The three of them dove into a conversation about the rodeo from Friday night, but I sort of zoned out due to how tired I was. Before I knew it, Soda and Pony thanked me for staying with Darry before leaving to get ready for bed.

"Hey Kate?"

I turned to look at my boyfriend. I didn't notice it until his coloring had gotten better, but he really had gotten pale when he was sick, and being dehydrated from sweating and vomiting probably didn't help.

"Yeah Darry?"

He smiled at me and rubbed his hand up and down the outside of my arm. "Thanks for everything. I'm not used to being the one being taken care of, and I know I didn't make it easy, but I really appreciate you."

I cupped his cheek with my hand and smiled back at him. "I'm glad I could help. I understand it's not easy for you to let others help you, so thank you for letting me."

"Glory, I could kiss you," Darry said, his eyes full of love. "But I don't want you to get sick."

I smirked. "Don't worry about me." Then I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.