𝗜 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗧 𝗔 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔 | ponyboy curtis

chapter seven: the hospital

~~~ Johnny ~~~

We waited for a really long time. Marina went in too. The nurse said she'd seen worse in this town, and that they got lucky. What a thing to say, I thought, because one of them had literally passed out from being hit on the head. Marina turned out with a sling and a dislocated shoulder. Her leg was also bandaged.

Still crying, she had me stay in her hospital room. Her mom had come, and we told her all about my being her brother. Her mom comforted her, brought her chocolate and sweets, and Steve and Two-bit came later after they heard as well.

A doctor came into the waiting room and told us Pony had woken up. He had a concussion and they were going to keep him for the night. Marina too, because her mom requested it. The two shared a small hospital room separated by only a curtain, which Marina wanted pulled back. There were two kickback armchairs in the room, as well. Marina's mom brought some clothes for her and Darry picked up Pony's. the two were going to stay the night in the armchairs. I offered, but Darry said that I should stay the night at his house in Pony's bed. Soda would sleep in Darry's room. Pony was dazed- kept saying silly things. How he never wanted to have spaghetti again and his shirt was ruined and how Marina was his girlfriend and she belonged to him and nobody else. Over and over until the next morning.

~~~ Ponyboy ~~~

I woke totally dazed and not knowing where I was or why I was there and I could barely see anything.

"Where am I?" Darry was asleep on a kickback armchair beside me.

"In the hospital, little buddy." I remembered bumping into James in town. And Marina. Marina, was she ok?

"Marina," I whispered. "Where.. where's Marina."

"Marina's in this room sleeping in the second bed, kid. Go to sleep, you need rest." And I went into a peaceful darkness of sleep.

-

"Mr. Curtis?" A voice I didn't recognize woke me up. My eyes opened slowly and I turned to face an IV running into my arm and a pulled-back curtain revealing a sitting Marina.

"Dr. Carson?"

"Yes, honey?" he replied.

"Can you move my bed a bit closer?"

"Sure, hun." She reached out toward me and I did the same to her as Dr. Carson pushed her closer.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"No problem, hon. Mr. Curtis, I have to do your blood pressure."

"Alright," I replied, stretching out my arm for him. "Hey, how long was I out for?"

"Around an hour, hour and a half. You were a little crazy after waking up though. Wouldn't eat or drink a thing. Your brother didn't want the IV originally, but if you didn't drink anything you could get dehydrated and get sick." He released the pressure and my upper arm was free again.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Hey, Miss Dicarlo, your mom's gone to get breakfast?"

"Yes, Doc. Darry's gone to get Ponyboy's as well."

"Good. Alright, I'm don't for now. Keep your head on the pillow, Mr. Curtis. You've got a concussion and the fact that you haven't eaten anything will make you dizzier than you probably already feel." He left. And he's right. I was feeling real dizzy, and everything was kinda spinning.

"How are you," asked Marina.

"Fine," I replied. "Little dizzy."

"I'm sure if you ask they'll give you something for it."

"When are we going home?"

"Today, hopefully. That's what they said, anyway."

"That's good. Hey, do you know what they're getting? For breakfast, I mean."

"Dunno. Hope they have tater tots, though. They're my favorite food."

"Mines cake."

"Never knew, always wondered why you had one for breakfast every morning," she said sarcastically. I laughed a little but stopped, as it made my head hurt.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Darry and Miss Lisa came through the doorway, Darry putting the plastic tray on top of my blankets.

"Hey, Pony!"

"Too loud," I said, covering my ears.

"Sorry," he said quieter. Marina's mom asked her how her arm was feeling and gave her her breakfast.

"Here, bud, I got you pretty much one of everything. I didn't know what you wanted." I thanked him for that. I was pretty hungry (as I hadn't eaten anything in 12 hours) and scarfed most of it down. Though the eggs weren't scrambled because they didn't have that, so I didn't eat them because I don't like them any other way. Soda came upstairs with eggs and tiny packets of grape jelly that he took from cafeteria tables. He was stashing them because they were free. He was quiet to start with, unlike Darry. The two also said hello to Marina, but Sodapop had work and missed it yesterday, so he had to go today. Darry said he'd take a bit off for me.

"I'm gonna go back home, Pony. Only for a bit, though. I'm only going back to take a shower and get changed and such," said Darry, standing up.

"Oh, yeah, no problem," I said quietly. "I'll be fine."

He smiled and left, waving. Marina's mum had gone to do the same things after she had finished breakfast.

After ten minutes of conversation, the both of us fell asleep until there was a knock at the door. Unregarded, though, because the three people came in before either of us could be half awake.

"Pony, man, you've gotta get yourself a knife," said the deep voice, coming over to my bed. It was Dally. I sat up slowly, smiling.

"I know," I agreed.

"You alright?" asked Two-bit.

"Fine," I replied. "Tired and dizzy, but that's supposed to go away soon. I hope, anyway."

"Well, we brought you some stuff. From school. Told teach you'd be out for a bit so she gave me your week's work."

"But you're not even in my year," I smiled slightly.

"Well, yeah, but we share some of the same teachers, don't we?"
"Yeah."

"I'll just leave it here."

"Did you bring the book?"

"Which one?"

"The Shakespeare one. It was in my room. The Comedy of Errors."

"Well, no, but I can get it later."

"Call Darry back there, he can bring it when he comes back."

"Alrighty."

"Man, this place is a bore," said Dally, sitting on the armchair and staring at the walls. "What do you do for fun here, play checkers, or something?"

"Mostly, sleep," added Marina, making me laugh, yet suddenly stop at the pounding in the back of my head.

Johnny went over to Marina's bed, whispering something to her as Two-bit and Dally came across to mine, making as quiet a conversation as they could. I'm sure Dally wasn't trying so hard, though.

~~~ Marina ~~~

"Johnny," I said, looking up at him. "You told me everything was going to be okay."

"Yeah?"

"Do you actually believe that?"

"I do," he said. "I do."