Mean Socs ||Darry Curtis||

Chapter 10

Darry's POV:

"Ponyboy, please calm down," I say, desperately. 

"C'mon. You need to get up and off the track. The ambulance will be here soon." He doesn't budge, just keeps softly crying into his hands. I look at Soda. I may be the oldest, but Soda's always been better at talking to him, and making him feel better.

I remember the day Mom and Dad brought Pony home from the hospital. As our parents rested in their rooms, baby Ponyboy slept soundly in Soda's old crib.

"Dawey," Soda practically screamed.

"Shh. The baby's trying to sleep," I whisper.

He looks sad for a minute then says a little quieter, "But Dawey. He's so wittle!" I nod and smile.

"Yeah, little buddy. It's because he's only a few days old," I explain.

"Do you think he'll like me?" Soda asks.

"I know he will. You're his big brother," I say.

"I'm a big brother!" He declares proudly.

"Do you know what it means to be a big brother?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"It means you have to protect him from stuff, like I do with you," I explain. I was 6 years old at the time, and I thought I knew everything.

Suddenly, baby Pony was crying in his crib.

"Dawey! Whats wrong wif him?" Soda asks. I shrug. Even I didn't know the answer to that one. "Is he otay?" Soda asked me. I shrugged, and he ran into our moms room, worried. He dragged her out, where mom looked tiredly into the crib. Carefully, gently, she picked the baby up.

"Shh, it's ok Ponyboy," She whispered to him, but he still cried.

"Your diaper isn't full, and you just ate. What's wrong, baby?" She asked the few day old child, like she expected an answer.

"Mommy," Soda said, tugging on her sleeve.

"What, Pepsi?" She asked, yawning.

"I wanna hold him!" He exclaims.

"Maybe later, when he isn't crying and he's more awake, sweetie," She says. Soda looks sad.

"But... But Dawey told me I was apost to pwotect him. I know I can make him better," He says, on the verge of tears. Mom sighs.

"Ok, fine, honey. Sit down on the couch. Sit up straight and put your arm on the side. Yep, just like that. Now be careful, PepsiCola," She says, delicately setting the small child in my little brothers arms. Ponyboy immediately stops crying, and rests his hand over Sodapop's pointer finger.

"Mommy!" Soda exclaims.

"He likes me, mommy! He likes me," He says. We all smile at him. That was the first time I knew my two little brothers would be close one day.

"Guys, the ambulance'll be here soon!" A sweaty, out of breath Two-Bit says, jogging back to us, and breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Come on, Pony. Please stop crying. We gotta get you off the field so they can get you," Soda says, soothingly. Immediately Ponyboy listens, and tries to stand. He almost falls back down, but I catch him in time.

"It hurts, Dar," He sobs.

"I know it does..." I say. I really do feel bad. I put an arm around him and Soda puts one around his other side, and we help him off the field. Cheers chorus from both sets of bleachers as we leave, knowing that he was at least okish.