Chocolate Cake and Beer for Breakfast

Thirteen

The morning comes like a surprise birthday party. Nurses keep coming, checking up on me, leaving, talking fast, driving me crazy. The doctor is supposed to come soon. If he says okay, I can go. He's my ticket out of here. The nurses say he should be here soon. But that's forever! I've been stuck in this freaking bed for two weeks, and soon just ain't gonna cut it. Soon is a long time. 

"Alice?" It's Darry. "Since you probably don't want to go around outside in a hospital gown, I brought you some clothes from Soda. He was so excited to be giving you another pair of clothes again." We both smile. "I'm...we're all so glad you're staying with us until the fuzz decides what's right for you. We all want your cake. And Steve and Two-Bit, our buds from the gang, are super excited to meet you. They're almost as excited as I am. But I gotta say..." he looks around the room as if checking for spies, "Pony is most excited out of all of us." To top if off he gives me a wink. Every time they visit, these two, they tell me about Pony. Has he said something to them? Am I really obvious about my liking towards Ponyboy? I hope not. "He really likes you, you know. Even if it's only been two weeks of a few minutes of meeting. He really likes you," he pushes on. I can't stop from blushing. I'm not exactly sure how to reply to this. 

"Hello Alice! How are you?" The doctor barges in. 

"I guess you'll have to tell me, won't you?" I say sarcastically. I pretend to pretend hate him, as a joke. But I really hate him. He doesn't understand me. 

"Good point!" He exclaims with a grin. I glare at Darry, who's trying not to crack up over in the corner. 

He uncovers all my wounds, applies some gunk, and gives new bandages for them. He gives me advice to help it heal faster, but I don't give a crap. I just want to get out of here. 

"Looks like you're okay! All set to go. Darry here will take good care of you. Now. Put this cream on each wound two times a day, and try to keep them covered from the outside to prevent infection. Darry, you're in charge of pestering her about the cream," he jokes with a wink to Darry, who is politely smiling at his "joke". "Well! It looks like you're all set to go! Remember now, don't bend your leg!"

Darry comes over and places his arm around my waist, helping me get out of the bed. We walk out to a bathroom so I can change. Changing is quite a challenge, taking longer than usual. Eventually, it's all on me and I look okay. I creak the door open sheepishly, apologizing to Darry about how long I took. 

"Five minutes isn't that long! I wait longer for Soda to get ready!" He ribs.

"ALICE!" My eyes dart down the hallway to see Pony and Soda running towards me from the waiting room. Darry looks at me, grinning as Soda and Pony surround me in a gentle yet caring hug, Darry joining in too. 

"I'm so glad you finally get to come out! I'm tired of coming here," Soda flashes a smirk at me. 

"You have no idea," I giggle back. "Let's get out of this hell hole!" The guys grab my arms and put them on their shoulders, and lift up the rest of my body; carrying me all the way to the car, cracking jokes and smiling the whole way. They put me in the back seat of their truck, careful of my leg. Darry drives, Soda in shotgun. Pony sits next to me, my legs on his, since I can’t bend my leg. Soda and Darry are wise cracking the whole time. Pony sits and listens, constantly looking over at me to check on me. 

It's weird, usually I'm uncomfortable around people. But these boys, this family, makes me feel safe. At home. 

And with Pony, it's extra odd. I'm comfortable around him most of all, like I could tell him anything, but I also feel odd. I know I like him. I just don't know how to act, he's so quiet. 

"Alice?" Pony whispers. I look up and see him, sweating like crazy and pale in the face. 

"Oh my gosh Pony! Are you okay?" I sit up and try to move my leg off of him, but he says I can't move it, that he doesn't mind it on him. I put the back of my hand to his forehead, feeling his hot temperature.  "You're burning up! Soda? Darry? Pony's got a temperature!"