A/N: This is my first outsiders story, so I don't want any flames, but writing advice is always welcome! I just love 'The Outsiders" and give all credit of it to S.E. Hinton, and some credit to taekwondogrl006 for inspiration of the idea writing a story of what happened when Ponyboy was sick. When I have an idea, I have to get it down! I really hope you like this chapter!

Just one more thing. I really like to play with perspectives a lot, so I have a new way of changing them. When the writing looks like this, it's in Ponyboy's perspective. When it looks like this, it's in Sodapop's perspective. When it looks like this,it's in Darry's perspective.

I was completely knocked out. Last thing I remember seeing was Dally dying under a streetlight and the ground. I was having a dream, though, where everything was alright. Mom, Dad, Dally, and Johnny were all alive, and it was tuff. We were in the country. The sun was shining, everyone was happy, with no worries. I was lying in the grass, watching the clouds pass by, smoking a cigarette. Then, Johnny joined me.

"Hey," He said.

"Hi," I replied.

"Pass me a cigarette, will you?" He asked me, so I tossed the packet to him. "Thanks,"

"No trouble," I told him. "Lie down with me?"

"Sure," We watched the clouds pass by for a few minutes when Soda came by.

"Hey, guys. Enjoying yourselves?" He asked. I just nodded, and so did Johnny. "Can I join you?" He asked.

"Sure. Wanna cigarette?" I told him.

"No thanks, I'll pass. It's nice and warm, eh?" He said, trying to start a conversation.

"Yup," I answered.

"Uh-huh," Johnny answered. We just lied there quietly, watching the clouds. This was my dream life, alright. I loved it…

*****

Darry and I stared at each other. Pony had just passed out! We had to do something, fast, but what? All I could think about at this point was death. First that Soc, Bob, then Johnny, then Dally, and now maybe even Ponyboy! What would we do? The look in my eyes said What now? And blast it, I knew it. Before Darry could even have a chance to answer, the fuzz told us something. I couldn't hear, though. I was too absorbed into trying to figure something out.

"What?" I asked them angrily.

"Aren't you greasers, or hoods, or whatever you call yourselves gonna do something about this kid?" One of them asked. I nearly beat the tar outta that guy, calling us 'hoods' and 'greasers'. I wasn't proud of it for the first time since the rumble that night, and it was because of Pony. Shoot, it was because we were greasers that he had gotten kicked in the head and passed out in the first place!

"Anyone got any change?" Darry asked.

"For what?" I asked him.

"A payphone, so we can get him to a hospital!" He answered my idiot question. What else was he gonna do with it, get a cup of coffee and have a jolly ol' time?

"Just a sec," I told him. I thought I might have enough change in my pocket. "How much do ya need?"

"I don't know, maybe… 25 cents?" 25 cents, I thought. I get minimum wage, $1.00 per hour, and work 42 hours a week, but my boss often gives me $20-$25 because he thinks I only flirt with the girls. Even though I usually don't get all I deserve, 25 cents was no sweat, even though I usually had to save a lot to keep Pony in school.

"Well, lets see if I have enough change. I don't know why I would have much money with me for goin' to a rumble, but you know me; dumb, and forgetful!" I told him trying to chuckle, as I digged in my jeans pocket. Luckily, I had exactly 25 cents. I gave Darry the money and he ran to the nearest payphone. Meanwhile, I sat by Pony and tried to wake him up. "Pony! Ponyboy!" I kept on shaking him, trying to get him up. Usually, I let him sleep, but not when his life's on the line!

After a minute of trying to get Ponyboy up, Darry came back.

"They have an ambulance coming right now!" Darry panted.

"Okay, that's good," I told Darry. "You guys should probably get some sleep, it's been a rough night for us greasers," I reminded Two-Bit and Steve, who I nearly forgot was there. A few minutes after they went home or to our place, the ambulance came. They put Pony onto a stretcher and carried him in. I didn't know if I could trust these people anymore, after what happened to Johnny.

I went in with Pony and Darry to make sure Pony would be okay. He woke up a couple times, but he seemed to not even notice we were in an ambulance.

"Hey, look Johnny, that cloud looks like Darry. And Soda, that one looks like you!" is all he said. Darry and I looked at each other. I could pretty much read his mind; He's snapped. And I thought Yup, he has. But he's MY snapped brother, and yours too! When Pony was asleep again, I stroked his head and told him it would be alright. I don't know if he heard me or not. I wish I knew if he did, and if he didn't, then gosh I sure wish he did…

*****

We were in an ambulance, and Pony was passed out. He totally snapped after Dally died that night. Blast it, that stupid fuzz! They should've known it was a bluff! A stupid, stupid bluff! Sure, when one of us kills a guy, we go to a hearing and then maybe a trial, but when one of them does, they get off easy just because they're cops! It doesn't make sense, I tell you, it just doesn't make sense at all.

It was a tough ride to the hospital, just thinking my brother might die. But we got there eventually, and I could hardly take it watching Pony being wheeled into the hospital. I nearly cried. Nearly. Soda was by his side while they were wheeling Pony in. Meanwhile, I was worrying about the cost for someone to be treated here! If we're not careful, we could be washed out!

I was dying when I was waiting to hear what the heck was wrong with my brother, and it was also killing Sodapop. He just shook his knee impatiently and sucked in his cheeks.

"Hey, Soda, if you're so bored, why don't you sleep? You sure look tired enough." I told him. He had big bags under his eyes, and gosh, I knew I had them, too.

"Darry, it's not that I'm bored. It's that I'm tense and worryin'. This is all doing me something awful, ya dig?" He replied while searching his mind for words to describe how he felt.

"Yeah, I dig, but I also think you're also tired and yawnin'." I told him. He had been yawning so much that I was surprised he hadn't broken his jaw yet.

"Darry, I can't sleep, thinking my brother might die," he told me. That didn't surprise me, though. I was pretty tired, too, but I couldn't sleep either, thinking the same thing as Soda. Man, it would take a lot to get him away from Pony's side when we were allowed to see him.

A little while later, after I went to the bathroom for a few minutes to try to shed a few tears in private, a doctor was talking to Soda, and he had a sad look in his eyes. "Sodapop, what's wrong?" I asked him.

"He's got a pretty bad fever, and he was in shock and had a minor concussion, most likely from when that dang Soc kicked him in the head, and those cuts and bruises didn't help any either," he answered. Ouch. How'd he get that fever, though? I didn't know, and shoot, I didn't care. All I cared about was my brother, and if he lived.

"Can we at least see him, though?" I asked the doctor.

"Yep, you can see him if you want," He answered. Soda got up right away and started running for the elevator.

"Did you tell him what room he's in?" I asked the doctor.

"Yes, he's in room 407," the doctor explained. Then, I ran out just about as quickly as Soda did.

A few minutes later, I ran into room 407, running into Soda holding Ponyboy's hand and talking to him gently.

"Why don't you try talking to him, Darry? He's started to get semi-conscious again, and he wants to know where you are," he explained to me. So, I walked up to Ponyboy and held his hand like Soda had.

"Hey, Ponyboy. How ya' doin'?" I asked him in a very calm voice.

"Hey, Darry. I'm fine. You wanna join us?" he asked. What in the world was he talking about?

"No, I'm fine. What are you doin'?" I asked him.

"We're watching the clouds. Sure you don't wanna join us?" he answered.

"Sure I'm sure." I replied. Then, I kissed his forehead and walked away. I sat down on one of the chairs in that stupid plain, white room.

"Soda, what does that cloud look like to you?" Pony asked Soda while pointing at a random place in the air.

"Well, what does it look like to you?" Soda asked.

"I think it looks like a flower," Pony replied.

"What kind of flower?" Soda asked.

"It obviously looks like a tulip if it's a flower," Pony answered.

"Yeah, I think it does, too," Soda told him.

"Then why'd you ask me what I thought it was?" Pony asked him.

"'Cause I wanted to see if you thought it was what I thought it was," Soda told him. Soda was so clever with Pony.

"Oh, okay. Hey, Johnny, what do you think it looks like?" Pony asked, looking to his left. What was he thinking was happening? "Yeah, I thought you would," Pony said, again to his left. Then, he looked up again and closed his eyes.

"What was that all about?" I asked Soda.

"I think he's having a dream. The doctor said that he's been acting weird a lot," He told me. "He's just been talking about clouds and stuff," he continued. That explained earlier, in the ambulance. We just sat in silence as that stupid Heart Monitor beeped. I wished we were home at that moment.

A/N: That was my first chapter and I hope you liked it! Please remember to R&R, and if you really, really liked it, don't forget to put it on your faves lists! Keep on checking here for the second chapter very soon!