*Kat's POV*

It hurts... it hurts... please, God, make it stop...

Those Socs took it. They took the only thing a woman can give the man she marries. They took it all away... It hurts so bad...

They took turns. They rotated, like I was some ride. I felt blood dripping out, all over me.I couldn't quite tell where we were, but it was somewhere dark, and whatever the hell I was laying on was uncomfertable. I hated it. Over and over, agian and agian... Someone please just make it stop... Someone... help me... save me...

*Narrorator*

"What?"

Darry exploded out of the kitchen, his face turning red with rage as Johnny told him what had happened to Kat. Johnny simply stood there, looking at his feet. Ponyboy stepped in front of his friend.

"It ain't his fault, Darry," Pnoy explained, "He couldn't do squat."

"I-I'm sorry," Johnny murmured.

"Damn those dirty bastards..." Dally stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. Two-Bit ran his fingers through his greasy hair. Sodapop sat at the table, his fingers interlaced and his handsome face furrowed with anger and confusion. The whole Curtis household was overwhelmingly tense, as if it were holding it's breath. The silence was unusual; Kat always made it seem like the silence was a good thing. Not now. Her presence was thinning, fading from the room with each passing second. Every boy in that house all had one feeling: Vengence. They had to find her, beat those Socs.

Kat's mangled body kept flashing through Johnny's mind, causing him to shake his head occasionally. He couldn't think that way. She was alive... She had to be...

"I'll go look around," Sodapop said, rising from the kitchen table. As if on cue, Steve rose as well.

"I'm comin' to," Two-Bit growled, bloodlust heavy in his tone. "I'mma stomp those fuckin' twats."

With that, the three greasers headed out the door, leaving the house in utter silence. No one moved. Even their breathing seemed obsolite. Not a sound...

"Well," Darry said after a while, " 'Resta ya'll might as well go home. No use stayin' here. I'll call ya'll soon as we find her."

Dally left without saying a word, leaving an extremely hostile feeling hanging in the air. Johnny, however, didn't budge. His whole being was stiff as a board, and his eyes were blank with no expression. Ponyboy sighed quietly and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder, making the pale boy jump. Darry shook his head and headed back toward his rocker. Ponyboy looked at Johnny, and tried to managea smile.

"Don' worry, Johnnycake," he said, "You can stay here 'til they get back."

Johnny glanced at his friend, and nodded his thanks. Then, he and Ponybiy sat down and flipped through T.V. channels, seeing if there was anything good on. They ended up watching The Twilight Zone for about and hour. Johnny was asleep by the time it was over, but Darry and Pony were awake. Or, at least Darry was. Ponyboy was slipping in and out of sleep, trying his hardest to stay awake.

"Darry!"

All three men shot awake at the sound of Sodapop's voice. Darry was the first one to the door, then Ponyboy and Johnny. The sight that greeted them at the door was more terrifying than any of them thought it would be.

There she was. Kat. Soda was holding her in his arms, and she was curled up agianst his chest like she was an infant. She was wearing Soda's t-shirt, rendering the man without a shirt. Her breathing was uneven and heavy, and the look on her face was pure horror. Her body was covered in purple bruises and cuts, still fresh and dripping with blood. Her eyes were closed, but she was still very much alive. She was bleeding profusily from between her legs, near her inner thighs. Her blonde hair was tangled and covered with dirt and the right side of her head was stained with maroon.

"Oh, God..." Ponyboy looked away, holding his mouth like he was going to be sick.

Darry just stared in shock and terror and hatred.

*Johnny POV*

Kat... she was so torn up. Her face was bruised, and she was sweating an awful lot. She seemed like she was made of glass. She looked so fragile, and someone had gone and broken her in all the wrong ways.

I felt sick instantly. I couldn't look at her, she was just too banged up. I almost didn't recognize her. She was bleeding so bad. My stomach was doin' backflips and sommersaults. And why the hell was she in Sodapop's t-shirt?

*Narrorator*

"Soda, why is she wearin' your shirt?" Darry wasn't looking at Kat anymore; his eyes were on Sodapop, who looked grim and forelorn.

"She wasn't wearin' nothin' when we found her," Two-Bit said as he came up behind Soda and pushed his way in. "And we couldn't find her clothes."

Ponyboy made a noise. Then he forced himself to look at the girl. He shook his head, then looked at Johnny. When he did so, Pony found himself in sheer surprise. Johnny was clenching his teeth, and his eyes were full of hatred, replacing his usual timid, cautious expression.

"Set her down on the couch," Darry told Soda. "Say, where's Steve?"

"He went off to go look on the Socs that did this," Soda replied, gently resting the girl down on the couch. "Man, I'd hate to be them if he finds 'em."

"Ponyboy, go get a blanket," Darry barked. Ponyboy went into his bedroom, and came out with a woven quilt. He threw it over Kat, who now was trembling. Darry knelt down next to her and rested his hand on her forehead.

"She's got a fever," he mumbled. He rose and went to get a wet towel. Johnny walked over and stood by her. He bent down and whispered into her ear. Then he stood and walked over and sat on the ground. Ponyboy came over and joined him.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothin', man." Johnny looked away, trying to hold back tears.

Don't die, Johnny prayed, please, don't die. I... I love you.

Little did he know, his best friend who was sitting next to him, was praying the same exact thing.