Chapter Text
In the morning, Dally was the first one to wake up. He would've blamed it on the phone ringing, but he knew that part of him was anxious about Ponyboy. Still, that didn't mean the phone ringing wasn't an issue…
“Curtis residence,” Dally sleepily said into the phone receiver.
“Dallas? Its Sodapop! How's Ponyboy?” Sodapops chirpy voice threw Dally into the moment. Suddenly he was wide awake and unsure of how to answer.
“He's… fine,” Dally lied, trying to put on as much of a nonchalant voice as he could. He heard some moving on the other side as if the phone was switching. “Dallas? Ya ain't let Ponyboy go nowhere until he got his homework done, right?” Darry asked.
Dally rolled his eyes, “He's fine.” After another brief moment of silence, Sodapops voice came back from the other side. “Did Steve ever go there?”
“Yeah.”
“Could you get him on the phone?” Sodapop asked. Dally cringed for a moment. “I think he’s still sleepin’.”
“Still sleepin’?” Sodapop mirrored, “He ain't in the living room?” Before Dally could answer, he watched as Steve walked into the kitchen, looking tired as he reached for a cup of water. “I meant he was in the bathroom. He's right here,” Dally held the phone out to Steve who quickly took it. With a small nod of his head, Dally went to Sodapops and Ponyboy's room to make sure that Ponyboy was okay.
“Hey Soda,” Steve greeted as calmly as he could. “Hey Steve! Hows Ponyboy? Y’all ain't kill each other yet?” Sodapop joked. Steve laughed quietly, his voice shaking. “Nah, he's been… pretty well-behaved.”
“Well, we’re gonna be leaving ‘round 10 am on Sunday, we should be back ‘round 8 PM. Savvy?” Sodapop asked. Steve nodded, sighing slightly. “Yeah, I dig.”
“Can I talk to Ponyboy?” Sodapop asked after a second. Steve froze, stammering until he found a good enough lie. “He’s still sleepin’, I dont wanna wake him.”
Sodapop laughed slightly, “Yeah, he ain't much of a morning person, is he? Well, tell him we’ll be back soon! Bye, Steve.” With that, Steve put the phone back, letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. The second the phone was down, he decided to make breakfast.
Dally sat with Ponyboy, watching as the younger boy moved around more. “Dally?” Ponyboy's voice was weak as he looked up at him. “Yeah, kid?” Dally answered, his brows furrowing as he tried to decipher if Ponyboy was awake or not. “Is someone sick?” Ponyboy asked.
Yup, delirious, Dally thought as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah… go back to sleep Pony.” Ponyboy slightly nodded, his eyelids closing. Silence enveloped the room as Dally leaned back in his chair. He was still aching from the soc he had beat up, and all the bandages were gone. He picked at a scab, ripping it off the moment Steve came into the room.
“Glory Dally, ya need a first aid kit or somethin’?” Steve asked, setting down some hard-boiled eggs for Dally. Dally glared at him, rolling his eyes before grabbing some of the eggs. They ate in silence, up until Steve got up.
“I work until closing today,” Steve said. Dally just looked at him, a small look of confusion until he knew what it meant. “He ain't gonna die on my watch,” Dally retorted, rolling his eyes. Still, Steve worked to get Ponyboy to take medicine, even if was a hassle.
“C'mon kid, you gotta eat,” Steve offered, putting a hard-boiled egg in Ponyboy's mouth. Ponyboy groaned, trying to hit Steve away. Steve wasn't deterred, cutting up the egg and practically shoving it down Ponyboy's throat. After yet another hazard, and shoving more medicine down Ponyboy's throat, Steve went to the bathroom to get ready for work.
Dally sat on the chair, sometimes running his fingers through Ponyboy's hair to check the temperature. Still, Ponyboy was warmer than he knew that he should be, even for being sick. He groaned, the sudden urge to leave hitting him hard. Yet he stayed, finding it harder and harder to leave as Steve told him goodbye.
After a moment of sitting in silence, Dally started to look around for things to do. He found himself at Ponyboy's desk, looking at all the drawings on it. When he found a picture of himself, he quietly grabbed it, shoving it in his pocket before moving to the next picture.
Most of the pictures were just scenery, save for some faces. When Dally got bored of the “art gallery,” he moved on to the actual contents of Pony's desk. There wasn't much other than papers and crumpled-up drawings. Dally read the latest date of a drawing, just a week ago.
The paper was balled up tight, almost as if Ponyboy didn't want anyone to see it. Dally contemplated for a moment, unsure if he should go this far in looking. Still, the date intrigued him, and he unraveled it.
The crumpled paper took away from the beauty that was the family portrait that Ponyboy re-created. Everyone in the gang was in the photo as well, laughing as Mr. and Mrs.Curtis smiled. Dally remembered that day, Darrys 20th birthday. Only a week before the Curtis’s-
“Dally..? Sodapop?” Ponyboy's weak voice spoke. Dally turned around, finding himself shoving the paper down in his pocket once more. His heart pounded through his ears as he walked up to Ponyboy. Ponyboy blinked up at him, almost confused. “Is Sodapop not here?”
Dally shook his head, “He's with Darry, ya remember kid?” Ponyboy blinked at him again, “I need to-” Dally pulled Ponyboy up, unsure if he was going to throw up or just piss his pants. “C'mon, kid.”
Dally half-carried Ponyboy to the bathroom, keeping the door open only an inch to make sure that he didn't die or something. When Ponyboy got out, instead of going back to bed, Dally led him to the couch. Ponyboy sat down, leaning back until his head hit the cushion and going back to sleep.
“Finally…” Dally sighed as he went to the fridge. He grabbed a beer, took some chocolate cake, and went back to the living room. He sat on the recliner, taking note of the late time. It was 2 PM, a sign that he would need to give Ponyboy some food soon…
When Dally finished his cake and found that he didn't like the thought of another beer, he got up. Ponyboy was hardly awake, his glazed-over eyes watching Mickey Mouse. Dally forgot that he even had it on, blaming it on Two-Bit who kept it on no matter what.
Ponyboy's eyes closed again and his breathing seemed to even out. Dally quietly moved to the kitchen, reheating some soup from yesterday to give to Ponyboy. As he took the lukewarm liquid to Ponyboy, he tried to remember what Two-Bit did.
“Open up kid,” Dally ordered, putting a spoon of the liquid in Ponyboy's mouth. Ponyboy's eyes slightly opened, squinting at the light before slightly eating the food. Dally nodded, keeping up feeding Ponyboy until the bowl was empty. Ponyboy's hands wrapped around his stomach, a small sign that Dally picked up as pain.
“You alright kid?” He asked. Ponyboy closed his eyes once more, drifting back to sleep. “Shit Pony, dont go to sleep,” Dally muttered, shaking Ponyboy's shoulder until he was awake again. His eyes were wide as they looked past Dally. Dally got the medicine again, pouring out a serving size for Ponyboy.
As Ponyboy took it, Dally found that almost instantly he fell asleep. Feeling pretty confident, Dally took Ponyboy back to bed. When it was obvious that Ponyboy was going to stay asleep, Dally took a shower. He borrowed some of Darrys clothes, making sure to check on Ponyboy once every ten minutes.
Around 8 PM, Dally started to get nervous…
Why isn't he awake? Dally asked himself as he sat on the chair. He watched Ponyboy, noticing that he hadn't moved a single inch from before. Is he dead? Dally asked, his fingers going right to Ponyboy's neck. After finding a steady pulse, Dally backed off.
The medicine sat on the bedside table, its label right to Dally. Unsure if he wanted to read it, he picked it up. As his eyes scanned the words, he found it harder and harder to understand. Why do I give a shit? Dally finally asked himself, shakily setting down the medicine.
“Sodapop?” Dally's head shot towards the voice. Ponyboy laid still, his eyes closed, but he talked. “Soda?” Dally put a hand on Ponyboy's shoulder, unsure of what else to do. “Soda!” Ponyboy called out, tears starting to slip down his face.
“Mom and Dad… they're dead,” Ponyboy finally whispered his eyes opening as he sat up. He hurriedly wiped at the tears, almost as if acknowledging that Dally was there. Dally sat on the chair, watching as Ponyboy wiped away his tears once more.
“They're dead…” Ponyboy repeated, wrapping his arms around himself in a soothing gesture. “C'mon kid, go back to sleep,” Dally tried to soothe, pushing Ponyboy back down. Ponyboy hurriedly wiped at his tears, curling in on himself. Dally put his hand on Ponyboy's forehead, finding that it wasn't as warm as it was yesterday.
Ponyboy stayed curled up, his eyes closed but obviously awake. Dally watched, half-amused and half-concerned. Part of him was ready to just walk out, maybe see if Steve could leave work early to take care of Ponyboy. Still, even he found his own eyes slipping closed as he sat on the uncomfortable chair.
“Did Steve sleep next to me last night?” Ponyboy asked, his slurring not as bad as it had been before. Dally shrugged, “I guess…” Ponyboy went quiet, his hands fumbling under the blanket. He wanted to ask Dally, but he didn't at the same time. Actually, he was scared just by being near Dally.
“Need me to sleep next to you?” Dally finally asked. Ponyboy froze, slightly nodding. Dally shrugged, knowing that it was going to be better than the couch, and slid in. As he got comfortable he noticed how Ponyboy turned to the other side, away from Dally.
Dally just lay down, unsure of what else to do. Part of him wanted dinner while another part of him just wanted to go to sleep. After a moment, he felt as if Ponyboy came near him. He was half-tempted to push Ponyboy away and go to sleep, but he noticed that Ponyboy was asleep. Carefully he wrapped an arm around Ponyboy, pulling him closer as he fell asleep.
Steve came back late, unsure if he should go to see if Ponyboy was still awake or not. There was no sign of life in the house other than a small porchlight. Carefully Steve walked around, unsure if he should just call it a night on the couch. He found himself standing outside of Ponyboy's room, creaking the door open to see if Ponyboy was alone.
The light was too dim to tell, so Steve walked over, unsure if Ponyboy always breathed so heavily. As he walked, he found that Dally was next to Ponyboy, wrapped around him. A small laugh bubbled out of Steve, one that he stopped the second he saw Dally moving. Instead of going to punch Steve, Dally's hold tightened lightly around Ponyboy.
Carefully, Steve walked out of the room and back into the living room. He laughed, ready to use what he had seen against Dally. Yet, the couch seemed to be welcoming after a whole day of work without Sodapop and he found himself falling asleep.
Once again it was morning, but this time, Ponyboy woke up more energized. He found that it was easier to breathe and that he could actually come up with a thought. But, for some reason, he found it hard to move. Instead of trying to fight it, he stayed still, finding that sleep was coming up to him again.
“Is Ponyboy here?” A voice drifted from the living room. Ponyboy felt as the bed lifted and the arms around him left. He kept his eyes closed for a couple of seconds, unsure if he was still awake or not. His head was spinning, all messed up from the two days of sickness.
“Ponyboy?” Johnny's soft voice gently said. Ponyboy hummed a bit, feeling Johnny’s fingers gently flow through his hair. “Are ya okay Pony?”
Ponyboy nodded slightly, trying to open his eyes. “Im fine.” He sat up after a moment, stretching as he looked at Johnny. “Where ya been?” Johnny shrugged, “I went to Bucks last night, and didn't find Dally there… didn't know he spent the night here.” Ponyboy looked at him confused for a moment. The small pause was enough for Johnny to put his hand on Ponyboy's forehead.
Ponyboy slightly leaned into the touch, finding that it was warmer than he was. Quickly, he pulled a blanket up, shivering slightly. Johnnys eyebrows furrowed as he reached over to the thermometer on the bedside table. “What day is it?” Ponyboy asked, stretching.
“Sunday,” Johnny replied, putting the thermometer in Ponyboy's mouth. Ponyboy glared at him for a moment until it was out. “99.5… that ain't too bad,” Johnny murmured. Ponyboy sighed, “It's fine Johnny, really. Im fine.”
Steve walked in after a moment, looking right at Ponyboy. Johnny showed him the thermometer and Steve nodded. “Want some aspirin kid?” Steve asked. Ponyboy looked at him confused. Steve was acting civil? Carefully Ponyboy nodded, almost as if he was unsure if Steve's mood was going to change or not.
Ponyboy was more confused when Steve actually followed up with his offer. He took the aspirin, trying to ignore the stares of Johnny and Steve as he put three into his palm. Before he could take them, Johnny stopped his hand.
“Three?” Johnny asked quietly. Ponyboy shrugged, gently pulling his hand away and swallowing the pills dry. Once the pills were down, Ponyboy got up. He noticed the amount of sweat on his shirt and quickly made his way to take a shower.
“He better?” Dally asked when Steve and Johnny walked into the living room. Johnny nodded, “His fever is only 99.5.”
“He took some aspirin too,” Steve added, throwing the bottle to Dally who held it. He took out a couple, swallowing them dry to rid the pain from his injuries. “Ya doin’ anythin’ Johnnycakes?” Dally asked. Johnny shook his head, his eyes going to the bathroom door.
After ten minutes, Ponyboy walked out, his hair perfectly oiled and a small jump in his step. “Jeez, kids actin’ like he wasn't on his deathbed just a day ago,” Two-Bit joked from out of nowhere. Everyone jumped, and Dally smacked Two-Bit. “Glory Two!” Steve yelled.
Ponyboy jumped back, looking as Two-Bit laughed. Dally rolled his eyes as Johnny stood frozen. A small smile came to Ponyboy's face as he went back to his room. He knew that he had to get his homework done if he had been sick since Friday…
Instantly his mind went to Mrs.Nil’s class, did he pass? He found it hard to remember anything other than panicking when Darry went to a last resort of asking Dally to watch him. The fear had subsided the second that Ponyboy was sick. Well- kind of. It fully subsided when Ponyboy knew that Dally had stayed throughout the entire weekend even though he was sick.
Ponyboy pulled his chair back to his desk, ready to do his homework. He cleared off his desk, finding that a sketch or two was gone from his wall and floor. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember what had been drawn on the pages. Hoping that it was just Sodapop throwing away stuff without thinking, Ponyboy got to work.
“Breakfast, kid,” Steve called into Ponyboy's room. Ponyboy groaned, erasing the last of his math homework before getting up. He couldn't deny that he was hungry… As he walked into the kitchen, he found that Johnny and Two-Bit were cooking. The second he walked in, Two-Bit looked over at him, a small relieved smile coming to his face.
“Ya feelin’ better kid?” Two-Bit asked. Ponyboy nodded, “I guess?” He shrugged, “I dont even remember being sick.” Steve shuddered for a moment, “Dont try to remember it, kid.” Two-Bit cracked a smile, “Was it that bad?” Ponyboy rolled his eyes, grabbing the eggs that Two-Bit and Johnny made. He saw from the corner of his eyes as Dally and Steve nodded to Two-Bit's question.
Ponyboy sat down on the couch next to Johnny. “Are ya sure you're okay?” Johnny asked. Ponyboy nodded, picking at his eggs, “Im fine… well- feeling better than I did yesterday.” If Ponyboy had to admit, he had remembered glimpses of yesterday. The only thing that he could fully remember was a slight moment of watching Mickey Mouse before promptly passing out…
“So how much medicine did ya give him?” Steve asked, finishing up his food. Dally looked at him, “Just one or two servings.” Steve's eyes widened but eventually, he just sighed. “I guess the kid ain't dead so it's fine…” Two-Bit just looked at the both of them, confused but also not really wanting to open that can of worms.
The second Ponyboy was done with his food, he decided to go back to working on schoolwork. He focused as hard as he could, despite a sudden headache. However, Ponyboy blamed the headache on the noise of the gang messing around in the living room. He listened as people bumped into the coffee table and how the radio was turned up to the maximum volume.
After a moment, Ponyboy heard as the door opened near him. He turned around, looking right as Johnny walked in. Johnny spared him a relieved smile as he walked over to Ponyboy. “Whatchya doin’?” Johnny asked, standing over Ponyboy’s shoulder and looking down. Ponyboy groaned, “Homework, but I ain't
gettin’ any of it done.”
Johnny put a careful hand on Ponyboy's forehead. “Maybe ya should take a break?” Johnny offered. Ponyboy sighed, looking down at his paper. He shook his head slightly. After a moment, he spoke, “Do ya know how sick I was Johnny?” Johnny nodded slightly, then realizing that Ponyboy couldn't see him, he spoke up. “Dally ‘n Steve were talkin’ ‘bout it. Ya threw up once or twice ‘fore they were able to get food in ya.”
Ponyboy nodded, trying to remember it. All his mind could come up with was a blank. “Look Pony… I’m real sorry I wasn't at school Friday,” Johnny said. Ponyboy looked up, turning around to stare at Johnny. “Ya ain't gotta be sorry Johnnycakes,” Ponyboy said, trying to feign a small smile.
“Im sure I was tryna hide it too. Wouldn't make much of a difference if ya were there or not.” Johnny chuckled a bit, pulling Ponyboy up. Ponyboy wobbled for a moment, trying to balance himself as Johnny dragged him to bed. “Rest up Pony, ya ain't fully well.”
Ponyboy frowned, wrapping the blankets around himself. He didn't want to sleep, on the offhand chance that he would have a nightmare. Picking up on this, Johnny slipped in right next to Ponyboy. “Johnny?” Ponyboy murmured, looking right at him. Johnny wrapped his arms around Ponyboy, “Go to sleep Pony… I'll be here.” Ponyboy nodded, drifting into a finally restful sleep.
“So when are Darry ‘n Sodapop comin’ back from work?” Two-Bit asked, throwing down a card. Steve picked up the card, discarding it as Dally picked it up. “They ain't at work,” Dally said, taking the card. Two-Bit looked at Dally, then to Steve. “Whatdya mean they ain’t at work?”
Steve froze, sparing Dally a glare. “They went to their uncles’ for a weekend,” Steve admitted. Two-Bit jumped up, shocked. “Glory! ‘N they left Ponyboy in yer care? I gotta go over and give Ponyboy a trophy for surviving!” Two-Bit's tone was joking, but Dally and Steve could hear a bit of truth in it.
Two-Bit looked at Dally, cocking an eyebrow up. “Didn't think you were one to babysit.” Dally shrugged, “Darry invited me to stay. Didn't know the kid was sick.” Steve shuddered, “Not even Sodapop knew Ponyboy was sick.”
Two-Bit chuckled, “Ya know I did think there was something off with the kid Friday… Just thought Darry went a little hard on him for the quiz.” Steve whipped around to look at Two-Bit, “A quiz?”
“Ya ain’t remember? The one for Mrs.Nil’s class?” Two-Bit asked. Steve's mouth dropped open and he groaned.
“When are Sodapop and Darry comin’ back though? I wouldn't want to leave Ponyboy another day in y’all’s care,” Two-Bit said. Dally glared at him, rolling his eyes, and shrugged. “Actually, they’ll be back soon,” Steve informed them. Two-Bit looked at the time, 6 PM. “Golly, I oughta get back ‘fore my mom realizes I left my little sister alone all day.” Steve looked at the time as well, noticing that he forgot to get Ponyboy lunch.
As Two-Bit left, Steve got up and went to make some dinner. There wasn't much to make and he was starting to be unsure of what Ponyboy would eat. Just as he was trying to decide, Dally walked up. “I’ll make it, ya do the damn dishes.” Steve rolled his eyes, halfheartedly flipping Dally off as he went to the dishes.
Just as Dally was getting some chicken out of the oven, the front door slammed open. Darry and Sodapop walked in, looking tired but with small smiles on both of their faces. “Hey, Steve, Dally, where’s Pony?” Sodapop said instantly. “Ponys sleepin’ I think,” Dally said, putting down the chicken and starting to get to work on other sides. Darry walked over, “He was good for y'all?”
Dally looked to Steve, almost for confirmation to tell Darry about Ponyboy's being sick. Yet, they both stayed silent as Sodapop walked out of his room with Ponyboy and Johnny. “Glory Soda…” Ponyboy muttered, wiping his eyes and stretching slightly. “Stay up too late?” Sodapop teased.
Ponyboy blushed slightly, “No! I just… was really tired.” Sodapop looked at him for a moment longer, as if trying to see if Ponyboy was lying. When he decided that he wasn't, he walked over to Darry. “Golly, but I sure am starving,” He offhandedly commented.
Soon, everyone was just eating dinner, not talking about how Ponyboy was sick. Sodapop and Steve started playing poker, slowly making everyone else play poker with them. Ponyboy sat next to Johnny and Dally, laughing as Sodapop tried to take another ace out of his shoe.
Ponyboy blinked tiredly for a moment, yawning. Dally looked over concerned, “You alright Pony?” Ponyboy blinked, shocked before slowly nodding. Even Steve was watching him carefully as he went to bed. “How hard was it, honestly, to take care of Ponyboy,” Darry asked, cocking an eyebrow up at Steve and Dally. Steve chuckled shyly.
“Well… it was more than what I bargained for.” Dally rolled his eyes, “More than both of us wanted.” Johnny laughed a bit, getting up to go check on Ponyboy. Darry and Sodapop shrugged at each other. I mean- at least their baby brother was still alive!