Again thank you all so much for all of your comments and reviews! You are my driving force. Please keep the comments and critiques and reviews coming, they are so helpful and they mean so much! --Firebunee
Chapter 7
Ponyboy sauntered slowly back towards the waiting room. He noted the three teens napping in the corner. Johnny was leaning on Dallas who in turn was leaning against the wall beside him. Two-bit was stretched out along the row of multi-colored plastic chairs, snoring quietly. Ponyboy looked up at the clock. It was now four thirty in the morning. It was extremely late. To him it was almost comical to see the normally tough brood sleeping so soundly there. He took a deep breath as he walked into the virtually deserted waiting room. He looked to his right and noted the metal ash tray full of cigarette butts.
They must have smoked a pack a piece waiting on me.Ponyboy thought to himself.
He felt horrible about keeping them there, waiting on him for so long. At the same time he was encouraged because they were still there waiting on him at that late hour. He was sincerely impressed that Dallas hadn't left to look for a fight, a woman, or a beer. He knew that Johnny would have stayed there until he had come back, regardless of the other two. He was his best friend, and his brothers had always looked out for him. Then there was Two-Bit. He too had also stuck around to hear that the two older Curtis brothers were okay. Ponyboy wondered if the blond haired nurse had ever come back through to talk to the jovial character, or if she had merely put him in his place and left.
Ponyboy walked quietly towards the sleeping trio and to his relief Dallas opened his eyes before he had to wake him.
"Hey, kid." Dallas lifted his head as he started to sit up which in turn awoke Johnny.
"Hey, Pone, how's Soda and Darry." He asked reaching his arms high up into the air, yawning and then scratching his head.
The sudden noise in turn woke up the sleeping prankster of the bunch. Two-Bit sat up slowly rubbing his eyes with his fists.
"Ponyboy…" he was stretching trying to come back to life.
"Soda's got a concussion and Darry had to have emergency surgery. They'll be fine." Ponyboy suddenly realized how drained he was.
"They comin home tonight?" Two-bit asked slowly.
Ponyboy shook his head. He looked down at the floor rubbing the back of his neck. He was so tired of being in a hospital. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to curl up in his bed with Soda, only Soda wasn't going to be there. Going home meant that he was going home to an empty house.
"I called Steve." Two-Bit yawned as he spoke. "He has ten stitches in his arm where he sliced himself with his own blade."
It was reassuring that Steve was alright. He was glad that one of them had not had to stay the night in a hospital. By this point, the only thing Ponyboy could think about was his empty bed. He wanted to thank Two-Bit for the update on Steve but the filter between his brain and his mouth quite working at that moment.
"I wanna go home." He spilled.
Dallas looked at the kid with his normally cold, hard eyes. They were now red, bloodshot from hours of waiting at a hospital and sleeping in a waiting room. He swallowed and then nodded his head. He seemed to understand how Ponyboy was feeling right then. He looked over at the two still trying to awaken and then looked back at the teenager in front of him.
"Come on, kid, I'll take ya." He stood up stretching his arms over his head.
"Why don't I stay with you tonight, keep ya outa trouble." Two-Bit winked as he pulled his leather jacket on.
"If ya want." Ponyboy nodded his head. "You wanna stay, too?" Ponyboy asked Johnny who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Sure." Johnny answered quietly. "Wasn't goin home anyhow."
"Alright, let's blow this joint." Dallas hitched his thumbs into the pockets of his denim jeans and walked towards the exit.
The three quickly followed him out of the sanatorium.
--
It was just before ten o'clock in the morning when Ponyboy finally rolled out of bed. It wasn't normal for him to sleep in so late. Darrel would have gotten him and Soda out of bed much earlier to get the day started. It was Saturday, but there were still chores to be done, and Soda normally had to work on Saturdays. He was exhausted. Every muscle in his body ached from the tense evening. He didn't remember climbing into bed and he was still wearing his jeans and t-shirt.
What a night.
Ponyboy sauntered ever so slowly out of his room. He was still pretty groggy. The memories of the previous night seemed hover in his mind like a bad dream. The television was blaring where Two-Bit sat in front of the tube watching Howdy Doody. Ponyboy shook his head as he watched him drinking a beer before the sun had come close to reaching the center of the sky. He scratched his head as he wondered where he had found it. Maybe he didn't want to know.
"Good morning, kid!"
It was going on ten o'clock and Two-Bit was wide awake, and chipper. Ponyboy didn't appreciate the greeting, he felt like the walking dead. Pony looked over at the sleeping form on the couch. Johnny was still completely gone. He was covered up under his own tattered denim jacket and Two-Bit's leather jacket. Ponyboy figured it had been a few days since the last time Johnny had gotten any real sleep. He was certain that nobody could rest in the Cade household with the constant bickering between his parents.
"Morning." Ponyboy growled as he turned the corner and walked towards the bathroom. A comb, cold water, and perhaps a shower, that might make him feel a more human.
--
Johnny stirred to life as a car door opened and closed. Dallas Winston walked up the path to the Curtis house taking one more long drag on his cigarette before discarding it in the grass. He looked to the right as the wind blew a little harder through the trees bringing down the first of the red oak leaves. Fall was letting them know it was coming to Tulsa.
"Hey Dally." Johnny stated as Dallas rubbed his head with his bare knuckles.
"Is Pony up yet?" Dallas asked.
"Yeah, I'm up." Ponyboy stated walking into the living room from the kitchen carrying the milk carton. Darry would have had him by the scruff of the neck for drinking out of the container. It really never stopped him, but when Darry was around it did slow him down some.
Dallas looked at him. His eyes were icy, his jaw twitched slightly as he nodded his head at him. Dallas scared Ponyboy a bit when he had that look in his eyes. The wild, uncontrollable look of an out of control animal that was cornered and very angry. He licked his lips as he took a deep breath.
"Those boys who shot Darry..." he began slowly. "They were Soc's."
"Soc's, what would a Soc need to rob the DX station for?" Two-Bit asked slowly raising his right eyebrow.
Ponyboy continued to watch Dally as he filled them in on the information he had.
"Seem's the one that did the shooting, Andrew Fielder, is the son of the Chief of Police Douglas Fielder. Chadwick Michael Phillips is the son of the Mayor. Both of them have been released into the custody of their parents." Dallas concluded.
Ponyboy looked up at Dallas licking the milk from his lips.
"Darry played football with Chad Phillips and Andy Fielder." He shook his head. "Why would they rob the DX station? They both had college scholarships and their parents have money."
"Charges are pending, Ponyboy. It seems they had nothing better to do yesterday." Dallas finished.
Ponyboy sat down on the arm of the couch as he watched Dallas pace back and forth in the living room. He was puzzled by the idea that a Soc would rob the DX station for no reason other than they wanted something to do. But, nothing the Soc's did ever seem to make sense to him. He was curious as to how Dallas had come by this information. Before he had a chance to ask, Two-Bit interjected.
"How'd you find this out, Dall?" Two-Bit asked tugging at the waistband of his jeans as he stood up.
"Buck has a friend downtown, and besides, I know a few of'em down there, too." Dallas pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and pushed one between his lips.
"Soc's…" Ponyboy shook his head.
"Man…" Johnny shook his head and looked the floor.
The phone rang bringing Ponyboy to his feet. Two-Bit was standing next to the phone and reached over plucking it off of the cradle.
"Hello." He stated into the receiver scratching his forehead. "Sure, he's right here."
Two-Bit pointed the phone in the direction of Ponyboy.
"It's the hospital, they wanna talk to you." He confirmed.
Ponyboy felt his stomach knot up again. He felt sick as he handed the milk carton to Johnny and walked over towards the phone. Fear danced within his stomach as he imagined the voice on the other end telling him that Darry had passed away in his sleep and Soda had slipped into a coma. The thought made goose bumps rippled across the surface of his arms as a chill went up his spine.
"Hello." Pony stated slowly, his voice shaking slightly.
"Ponyboy Curtis?" The smooth woman's voice asked.
"Yeah, th-this is Ponyboy Curtis." He answered hesitantly.
"Ponyboy, your brother Sodapop will be ready to be picked up today. Please pick him up before noon or make arrangements to have him picked up before then." She sounded like she was reading a script over the phone.
"Okay, thank you." Pony answered, a wave of relief washed over him.
"You're welcome." She concluded.
The conversation ended with a click from the other end and then a dial tone.
Ponyboy put the phone back down on the cradle and looked over at Dallas.
"Soda needs picked up from the hospital by noon." Ponyboy stated.
"Well, what are we standing around here for?" Dallas asked sarcastically walking out the door.
Ponyboy looked over at Johnny who was starting to stand up.
"I'll stay here." Two-Bit informed Ponyboy. "There won't be much room in the car on the way back." He dropped down into the arm chair in front of the television. He made himself comfortable by kicking his feet up onto the coffee table and lifting the brown glass bottle to his lips again.
"Thanks, Two-Bit." Ponyboy shook his head and couldn't contain the smile on his face as he watched Two-Bit wave goodbye while his eyes were still glued to the magical box.
