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Ponyboy had been feeling sick all week. All the symptoms. Lightheaded, dizzy, sore throat, coughing, nauseous, and excessive sweating. The only reason he hasn't been found out yet is because Sodapop is staying at Steve's house for a few days. But he thinks Dally and Johnny are suspicious of him.
Currently, our sick boy is doing homework. But it's hard given the fact the words on the page are not staying straight. Maybe he shouldn't have kept the fact he was sick hidden from Darry?
Ponyboy gets up on shaky legs and walks, more like stumbles, to the living room where Darry and Dally are there. He assumes Sodapop and Steve are doing something together, Two-Bit is probably hooking up with girls, and Johnny…what would Johnny be doing?
Darry was reading and Dally was watching something on the television. Dally looked up at Ponyboy when he walked in and his eyes widened slightly. Ponyboy was shaking and swaying, his eyes half-lidded.
Dally got up and walked over to Ponyboy, setting a hand on Ponyboy's right arm. “You look like you are about to fall over, am I right to assume you're sick?” Dally asked Ponyboy in a slightly hushed tone. Somehow Darry didn’t hear them or even notice Dally walking over.
Ponyboy nods his head, making himself even more nauseous as he sways. “If you pass out, I’m not gonna catch you.” Dally said in a somewhat harsh tone. But Ponyboy’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his knees gave out from under him.
Ponyboy fell forward as Dally wrapped his arms around him. Now Ponyboy was slumped forward in Dally’s chest and Dally held him up. Dally grumbled something and turned to Darry, “Darry, Ponyboy fainted.” That made Darry’s head snap up so hard Dally thought he broke his neck.
Once he saw Ponyboy slumped in Dally’s arms he set his book down (Gently, I would never mistreat a book.) and got up, walking over to them and looking at Ponyboy’s slack face. “Shit, why did he pass out?” Darry asks Dally.
Dally glances at Ponyboy's sweating and pale face, then looks back at Darry in confusion. “He’s sick. How did you not notice this?” Dally questioned. Darry looked back down at Ponyboy and realized he was indeed sick. Then he started feeling like a bad brother for not noticing. (I mean, kinda-)
Dally held up Ponyboy more firmly when he started to slump down further. Dally could feel the sweat on Ponyboy's back, he assumed Ponyboy’s shirt was soaked by now. Dally sighs and sets Ponyboy down for a second to then lift him up bridal style. Dally started walking to Ponyboy’s and Sodapop’s shared room.
Once they get there Dally sets Ponyboy down on the bed and turns around to see Darry looking in the closet for another shirt. Dally helped get the sweat soaked shirt off Ponyboy and threw the shirt somewhere on the floor.
Darry finds a T-shirt and makes Ponyboy sit up for a moment to put it on him. Ponyboy was no help whatsoever, as he stayed passed out the whole time. Dally had at one point left the room and came back with a thermometer.
Once Darry laid Ponyboy back down he stuck the thermometer in Ponyboy’s mouth and waited for the beep to pull it out. (That’s what she said-) He looked at the thermometer and was shocked to see it said 101F. (Help, is that the correct way to write that?)
Dally showed Darry the thermometer, who was then also surprised. “Why was he still going to school with this fever?” Darry asked no one in particular. Dally shrugs and sets the thermometer on the desk near the bed.
Darry goes back to the kitchen and grabs a glass of water before returning and setting it on the bedside table. “Where do y'all keep your medicine?” Dally asks as he leans on the wall with his arms crossed.
“I’ll go get it.” Darry says and he leaves the room to go to the bathroom and flip through the cabinets until he finds some medicine. Meanwhile, Dally was still leaning on the wall and watching Ponyboy with a worried gaze.
Darry comes back with the bottle of medicine and Dally schools his expression. Darry sets the bottle of medicine on the bedside table as Ponyboy is still asleep.
“When did he start getting sick?” Darry asks Dally, not taking his eyes off Ponyboy sleeping not quite peacefully. Dally sighs and shrugs his shoulders. Only to then realize Darry wasn’t looking at him so he said, “I’m not sure when exactly, but I noticed it a few days ago. Probably like three days ago is when I noticed, but he most likely was starting to get sick before that if he looked bad enough I noticed." Darry nods his head.
Then Darry chuckles, “The one time Soda is gone, and Ponyboy gets sick. Sodapop would have noticed..” Darrys voice seemed to be full of guilt and worry. Dally hums his agreement and leans his head back on the wall with a sigh.
Darry leaves the room after another few minutes. Dally stays for a bit after that, but eventually leaves as well.
The next day
Darry and Dally were up, Dally having stayed over for “unknown” reasons. They both heard a door open and some fast steps as another door opens. Then they start to hear loud retching coming from the bathroom. The only person that could be is Ponyboy, so they both jog over to the bathroom and watch as Ponyboy throws up into the toilet. Dally runs off to go grab the glass of water and medicine while Darry sits next to Ponyboy and rubs his back.
There were tears running down Ponyboy's face, so he never looked Darry in the eye. He never liked crying in front of Darry. Ponyboy sighs and gags again when he tastes the aftermath of his throw up in his mouth. It's times like these he's glad his hair isn't too long so he doesn't have to worry about holding it back.
Eventually Dally comes back and sets both the water and medicine on the sink counter. He looks away when Ponyboy throws up again as he knows Ponyboy doesn’t like being weak in front of them.
Ponyboy stops retching and just leans on the toilet with his head bowed. He takes in deep breaths as Darry is still rubbing his back in circular motions. Ponyboy wipes off his chin with some toilet paper and Dally hands him the glass of water. Ponyboy smiles and nods his head in gratitude as he drinks it.
The water is somehow still cold and it soothes his dry and parched throat. Ponyboy drinks half of it before setting it back on the counter and sighing. Ponyboy wipes away his tears and leans back slightly into Darry's touch.
Ponyboys shirt is once again covered in sweat, but Darry doesn't seem to mind. Darry glances over at Dally to silently ask him to hand over the medicine. Dally notices what Darry wants and grabs the bottle. He looks at the words on it before taking out two pills and handing them to Darry. Darry glances at the water and Dally also grabs it and hands it to Darry.
Darry sets the medicine in Ponyboy's hands and also gives him the glass of water. Ponyboy glances at the pills and hesitates, but ends up taking them after he looks at Darry’s face. Just from Darry's face he knew he was going to take them either way.
Ponyboy sighs and flushes the toilet as he forgot to do it earlier. Then ponyboy tries to stand up on his still shaking legs. He fails and grips onto Darry's arms so as to not fall over completely.
Ponyboy sighs in frustration and Darry helps Ponyboy walk back to his room. Dally refilled the glass of water before joining them. Ponyboy sits on his and Sodapop’s bed with another sigh, he seems to not be enjoying the fact he was sick and that Darry and Dally found out. Ponyboy lays down and Dally sets the glass of water and bottle of pills on the bedside table once more. Ponyboy then drifts off to sleep, but he could swear he felt a small kiss on his forehead before he drifted off completely.
Over the next few days Ponyboy improved and by the time Sodapop came back he was no longer sick! Darry gave him a stern talking about telling them when he was sick while Dally snickered in the background, giving Ponyboy a pat on the back once Darry was done talking.