♡ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴀʏ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ♡

3 5

(Cary's POV)

The thing about waiting for something you so desperately want is that time seems to be apathetic, not caring if each minute that goes by feels like an hour. It drags on and on, and the only thing that seems to be going fast is your thoughts.

That's how I felt as I still laid in bed, waiting for the time to come for Darry to take me out of this prison.

By that point, I really had nothing to do. Sometime after Johnny left, I gave in and decided to draw a picture before giving up and deciding to just draw random doodles. It wasn't much of a masterpiece, nothing to be proud of, but I still felt the need to hang on to it, so I slipped it in the canvas bag that Cassie left.

I then packed up everything there was to pack. I even took the hospital comb for the boys, though I knew it was going to break within a few days.

When Darry did finally come, it was thirty minutes earlier than expected.

"You ready to go, kiddo?" He asked, his eyes brighter and more cheery than the last time I'd seen him.

I practically jumped off of the bed. "I've been ready since I woke up this morning."

"You're that desperate to leave?" He looked puzzled. "I would think a nice hospital stay would be refreshing."

"It is," I said matter-of-factly, "but after five days with nothing to do, one tends to get a little bored."

We smiled at each other, he took my bag, and we both headed to the front desk to check out. Katherine saw us leaving and gave me a hug before going back to work, but not before shooting Darry a look that I couldn't tell between flirtatious or warning. Maybe both.

In the truck, Soda sat in the front seat, Pony and Johnny manning the back. I was a little shocked to see that Johnny came, but also relieved.

I squeezed in next to Johnny in the back, and we held hands the entire way home, making sure to keep them low in between us so no one would see it.

Soon they'll know, I told myself, there's no more hiding it.

My brothers would talk to me, but it was mostly Soda who sounded like a toddler with all of the questions he had and his bright, curious eyes.

Even though he was nearly a year older than me, there was a side of him that was still a little boy, and in that aspect, I saw him as my little brother. Not in the annoying-nuisance sort of way, I mean the way I felt with Ponyboy: somewhat motherly and smitten with pride.

Johnny stayed quiet for the most part, but in the rare few seconds of silence, we'd exchange glances, his slight smile and twinkling eyes telling me more than words ever could.

He was happy. He was relieved. He wasn't scared.

Pulling up to the house felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my chest, and I took a deep breath before I got out of the car, taking it all in.

I acted like I hadn't seen it in months, but those five days in the hospital really felt like it.

I guess I didn't realize how little I had been sleeping on that thin cot until I flopped down on my mattress, which, compared to the cot, was as fluffy as a cloud.

I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but I didn't care.

I was home.

I was safe.

And I wasn't scared.

~

(Darry's POV)

I smiled as Soda's eyes gleamed with the childlike curiosity as he asked Cary a million questions: "What was it like?" "How was the food?" "Did you sleep well?" "Were the nurses hot?"

That last question got a unison of laughter. "Soda!" Cary exclaimed. Although my eyes were on the road, her voice told me she had a smile on her face.

And so I had one on mine.

Cary was the first one in the house. I saw Johnny watch her go inside with a sort of admiring wonder, the look in his eyes a mix a of pride and relief. I didn't know much about love — that was Soda's niche — but I was pretty observant. I stared at him, knowing it would get him flustered, and when he noticed me looking he blushed and looked away, acting as if he was focused on a rock he kicked around in the gravel.

I just chuckled. I wished the kid would stop hiding it already; we all knew it. We all knew he liked her. And I didn't mind.

I walked inside and took my work boots off, placing the keys in the bowl by the door. It always felt good to let my feet breathe.

Out of habit, I made my way towards the kitchen, only to find myself wondering where Cary was. I walked to her room, seeing the door wide open, and stepped inside.

There she was, curled up on the bed on top of the blankets. I had tried to make her bed while she was gone, so that maybe she would have a warmer welcome, but I knew it wasn't exactly how she did it. But she didn't seem to care. Or notice.

At the hospital, the sight of her nearly made me sick. Pale skin, dark eye bags, and skinny as a twig, she was what everyone thought of dying hospital patients to be like. And that was what scared me.

But now, even though she looked far from healthy, her pale face now had a healthy, youthful glow to it.

She was smiling.

Despite her state, she was happy. She was at peace. Calm. And I couldn't have wanted anything more.

I took a blanket from the living room and draped in over her small frame. She really had lost a lot of weight at the hospital, and whether that was from the medicine or a loss of appetite I didn't know. But at that moment, I didn't care. She was here. She was safe. She was home.

I smiled, feeling a smile creep across my own lips. I closed the door quietly as I left.

I was on my way to the kitchen when the door opened with a squeak and slammed shut. I turned to see Two-Bit, arms full of paper sacks. "I brought gifts!"

He laid them out on the table and I opened one up to see wrapped up sandwiches. "Aw, Two, you didn't have to..."

He waved me off dismissively. "I had a few extra dollars and decided to get some DQ. Plus," he tossed his leather jacket on the couch, "I figured it's a special day, ya know, with Cary comin' home and all."

I gave him a hard pat on the back. "Thanks, Two. I appreciate it."

Soda and Pony, upon hearing Two-Bit's booming voice, were already coming down the stairs, Johnny right behind them.

"Wow, Two!" Soda exclaimed, his eyes as wide as a kid in a candy store. "At least you're useful for somethin'."

Two-Bit ignored Soda's remark and turned to me. "Where is the princess anyways?"

"Asleep," I warned, "so don't bother her."

He nodded and took a seat by Johnny, and we all started eating.

I suddenly felt a shift from that first night Soda, Pony, and I ate after the incident. Cary's absence left us tense, unusually quiet, and scared. But now, even though Cary was gone, we were as happy and rambunctious as usual, though when it got too loud, I tried to calm everyone down. Cary needed her sleep — I didn't know how little she got at that hospital.

And, for the first time in a while, I felt calm. I felt light.

I felt at peace.

----------------------------------------

This took a bit longer to get out than expected, but that's because I've been sicker than a dog these past couple of days. Enjoy anyways!

Love y'all. Stay gold.