Sworn to Silence

Summary: “I’m sorry, guys, but...” The only people who knew are either dead or sworn not to tell. Everyone knows you can’t break a swear. Darrel has been going to the hospital lately, and Soda and Ponyboy don’t know why. That is, until Two-Bit comes to the house with tears threatening to fall.

---

Silence fell so fast, it felt like Two-Bit’s heart froze. The first one to break out in tears was Steve. He bent forward and cried into his cupped hands, surprising Ponyboy. Soda was the next to crack and break down. He in turn grabbed his brother and held him close, quivering violently. Suddenly, Two-Bit felt like the Devil or something, being the one to tear up this family. He knew he should of informed the rest of them as soon as he knew. But you can’t break a swear. And he swore. Getting to his feet, he went to the kitchen and sat on the counter, looking at the stove and ice box, picturing Darry standing there, laughing, making breakfast like normally.

:Flashback:

“Why don’t you tell them?”

“They’ve been through enough, Keith, they don’t need to go through more. Neither did you.”

“You don’t either. You don’t have to bear it on your own.” Darry only gave a rare grin and put the food on the table.

“When they wake up, tell them I’m at the hospital. That’s all, no details.” Darry’s large hand grabbed Two-Bit’s shoulder and shook him gently. “I appreciate all this, I really do.” The rusty haired greaser only groaned out of defeat, but forced a smile. Darry grabbed his things and left with a soft bang of the door. Two-Bit perched on the counter, munching on a piece of stove baked toast. The toaster was broken ever since Soda said he could fix it.

Speaking of the Devil, Soda came in with a confused look on his face. “Where’s Darry?” he asked, looking at the food on the table. Two-Bit caught his breath as the toast hung from his lips. Gently grabbing it, he looked at the younger boy in the eyes.

“Hospital.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“That’s all he told me.” Accidentally, his toast dropped in the sink, making him look down there. That was when he saw the small puddle of blood resting at the bottom. Without thinking, he turned the water on, washing the blood down the drain with half of his toast.

“Why’d ya do that?” Soda asked.

“Bug.”

:End Flashback:

Looking in the sink, Two-Bit felt disgusted and turned the water on quickly. That was the perfect time to tell Soda, but he didn’t. It was all because of that stupid swear. He turned the water off and leaned against the cabinets. Steve walked in and stood in front of Two-Bit, who’s eyes were clenched shut.

“What’s going to happen to them?” he asked. “What if they go to a boy’s home?”

“They wont,” Two-Bit told him, opening his eyes. “I won’t let that happen.”

“How?” Steve asked, interested. The black haired boy was scared stiff of losing his friend, and Two-Bit could tell. Hell, he was scared too.

“I’ll take them in.”

“How are you going to do that with your record with the fuzz?”

“I’m going to do everything possible to take them in. I’ll beg to the fuzz if I need to.”

“I know you want to help, but...”

“Shit, I don’t want to. I need to. I love both of them in there like they are real brothers to me. I can’t sit here sulking and watch them disappear.” Two-Bit was crying again. Steve was taken back a little, but nodded. He knew the score. Steve reached out and gave Two-Bit a pat on the shoulder, then passed him a rag.

“You keep crying, your face will get stuck like that. All gloomy and shit,” Steve told him. Two-Bit laughed a little, wiping his eyes with the rag.

Steve went back into the living room and it was silent again. Swinging his legs, Two-Bit peered around the kitchen, taking it all in. It was a mess with dished all over the place and the trash bin overflowing. He pushed himself off of the counter and grabbed some plates. He put them in the sink and went back for more. Once they were all together, he turned the water on the proceeded on washing them. Darry never liked it when there were dirty dishes everywhere. Half were clean when Pony came in, sniffling. He froze when he saw Two-Bit washing away at the dishes.

“T-Two-Bit?” he asked.

“Darry never liked a dirty house.”

“You don’t have to...”

“Yes I do,” he interrupted harshly. “I just... feel so guilty.” He cupped his head in a hand and sighed. “I should of told someone. But I didn’t. I swore to him I wouldn’t. You don’t break swears. This swear needed to be broken. And I didn’t do that. I let him die without anyone knowing what the hell was wrong with him.” The glass he was cleaning shattered under his grasp. Pony walked over and grabbed Two-Bit around his waist and squeezed. Two-Bit returned the hug by wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders. He quivered with his sobs racking him. Suddenly, Ponyboy used his shirt as a tissue, making Two-Bit laugh gently.

“My nose is running...” he said as an apology. Two-Bit smiled.

“Where’s it going?” It was Pony’s turn to laugh at the comment. “You going to be alright?” he asked, pushing Pony’s hair out of his face.

“Yeah...”

“Hey, you don’t have to go to school tomorrow if you feel like you’ll have a break down, alright?”

“Okay.” They broke their grasps on each other. Two-Bit cleaned the glass out of the sink while Pony brought the trash bin over for him to dump in the shards. As he dropped them in, one lingered in his hand, slicing the flesh of his palm.

“Be careful, Two-Bit,” he remembered Darry saying, when a larger piece was lodged between his knuckles after punching a glass door in. Pulling it out, he put it in the bin and watched Ponyboy put it back where it was. The whole time, Two-Bit’s eyes were on him, and when Pony returned, he had a puzzled little look on his face.

“What’s wrong, Two-Bit?” he asked, getting more worried by the second.

“What are y’all gunna do about money around here?” he whispered.

:Flashback:

Darry was sitting on the couch, reading the medical bills. Soda and Ponyboy were at school, so he could quietly read his bills with out interference from them. Dally was sitting in the arm chair, already knowing that Darry had an ulcer. Two-Bit looped in, seeing Dally in the chair and Darry reading a hospital bill.

“I’m starting to think that Soda taking that job is a good idea,” he said out loud. Quiety, he added the two bills up on the calculator and sneered at the result. “These treatments are killing me.”

“No,” Dally perked up, “it’s that ulcer.” Darry sighed, then looked up for the first time since Two-Bit came in.

“Hey, Two-Bit. Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“OSS. What’s goin’ on?”

“Bills. Wanna pitch in since I buy your beer?” Two-Bit dug in his pocket and threw a five at him.

“That’s all I got.”

“Ever considered a job?” Dally asked.

“And ruin my rep?” he shot back.

“Thanks anyways, Two-Bit,” Darry said, pocketing the money.

:End Flashback:

If you haven't noticed, I like flashbacks. Thanks for the comments everyone.