Never a Burden (Ponyboy Sickfic)

Chapter 4: Brother in Arms

I cast my eyes down at my littlest brother, loving tears brimming at the sight of him curled up in my arms, finally at ease. He couldn't escape this sickness in any other capacity, allowing his exhaustion to take hold, relaxing him. I would've done anything to take his place, just so he didn't have to feel so awful, so embarrassed.

I carefully placed him down on the bed, stripping him of his soiled t-shirt before covering him in the blankets, allowing them to swallow his quivering frame. He looked at peace lying there, his watery eyelashes brushing his flushed cheeks, the moonlight shimmering off the sweat beading along his brow. It was hard to believe that only this morning he'd passed out cold, only to awake at dusk, unable to withstand the storm raging inside him.

Sodapop seated himself beside Ponyboy's sleeping form, brushing Pony's damp auburn bangs away from his forehead, a frenzy of panic and worry frantically leaping in his eyes. I knew he was trying to be strong. So was I, retaining my facade of strength. I couldn't break; I was the foundation, the stability, withstanding the boiling sun, the pouring rain, the whistling wind. If I shattered, everything would shatter.

I placed a soothing hand on Pony's smouldering cheek, wiping away the final remnants of tears as I trailed my fingers along his jawline. In his unconscious state, he snuggled into the light touch, sighing contently. He seemed younger and smaller, consumed in the bed sheets. It saddened me to see him so sick, so weak, so helpless. I longed to understand why he tried to hide his illness from us. We would've rushed to his aid in an instant. He was special; I only wished he knew just how special he truly was.

"He ain't looking too good, is he?" Two-bit stated rather than asked from his place in the doorway, his wisecrackin' humour nowhere to be seen. He stood beside Johnny, who was watching his closest friend with anxious black eyes, his fists jammed in the pockets of his jeans jacket. Behind them stood Steve and Dally, Steve shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other, Dally wearing his emotionless mask to conceal how he really felt inside. I was glad they were all there. We are brothers in arms, not bound together by blood, but closer than those who are. When one lost their footing, open arms were always waiting to catch them, whether they were aware of it or not. Pony was the one who needed us now, and for the first time out of many, we were there for him.

Looking down on him, I felt a twinge in my chest, reminiscing on a time where once Pony got really sick. Pony wasn't one to catch sickness often, however when he did, he was usually quite worse off. What caused that pang in my chest was the realisation that this was the first time Ponyboy had gotten sick without Mum and Dad. I wondered if he knew it too...

"Mum, Dad, please make it stop." I heard Pony's distressed cry as I passed the bathroom, only to stop in the doorway, not wanting to intrude on my little brother's privacy. A little Ponyboy was kneeling in front of the toilet, his tiny frame trembling with sobs as he hunched over the porcelain bowl, retching and gasping. Both Mum and Dad were there at his sides, Dad with his firm, supporting hands rubbing circles onto his shoulders, while Mum strung her delicate hand through Pony's mattered hair, using the other to massage Pony's sore stomach.

"Shh, you're ok, Little Colt," Mum soothed, her voice having the ability to calm down almost anything. "Just breathe. Everything is going to be alright."

"Be brave, Little Pony," Dad cooed, his tone gentle and kind. "You're doing great. Just hang in there."

Soda came rushing to my side, coming to a standstill in the doorway, his eyes rimmed red with tears. To be honest, I'd been crying to, yet I'd removed the evidence a little better than Soda had. We both hated it when our little brother was sick. We just longed for him to feel better again, for the pain to fade. He didn't deserve to feel so awful...

I feared Pony felt alone in this. This wasn't easy on him without our parents there to give their unconditional love and support. I knew he would've been afraid, with that sickness consuming him without Mum's silky voice or Dad's reassuring touch. He had no reason to be scared though; we'd step up and take Mum and Dad's place if we had to. We'd do anything for Pony, no matter what the case. I really do love Ponyboy, even if I don't really show it much.

"We can stay here tonight, if you want us to, Darry," Steve murmured, bringing me back to reality. I turned my head over to the gang and gave a swift nod. Silently, they spun around and left for the living room. They never made another sound that night.

"You wanna stay here tonight, Darry?" Soda asked, slipping under the covers beside our sick little brother.

I nodded once more, sliding under the blankets and placing an arm protectively over my two brothers. Tonight had been rocky and emotions had run high, yet I had the feeling that we'd get through this, even without our parents there to support us. We still had each other. As long as we were together, everything would, with time, be ok...

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Hey guys!

Thank you so much for reading this story so far! It means the world to me! I'm sorry that the updates are kind of slow and from now on they're probably going to be even slower because I've been working on a novel that I've been planning for almost six months now. It's my main priority at the moment, so unfortunately this story is being pushed a little farther down the line. Don't worry though, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon.

M. Elyse Lynch