Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I own none of the characters created by the wonderful S E Hinton. I do however like to say that Sara Cade is of my own creation.

Sarah's POV


'Don't be afraid' I told myself. I kept the gun pointed at my father and he kept his pointed at me.

"Put it back you good for nothing whore." He spat.

"No." I said as the gun began to shake in my hand.

"I'll shoot you if you like." he said, as if shooting his daughter were an everyday act.

"Go ahead! I'd rather be dead than alive and born to you!" I shouted. I watched his finger pull back on the trigger and I shot. My breath caught in my throat as the ringing of the shot echoed throughout the room. I was shaking all over but my eyes were on him. I hadn't shot him in the head, or anywhere that would cause death. I'd clipped him off the shoulder.

"DAMN YOU TO HELL! I'M GUNNA KILL YOU!" My father shot the gun, but I ducked. I ran out of the room as the shots from his heater rang behind me. I heard him chasing me. His steps made the house shake. Another gun shot rang out and I felt it. I screamed out as the bullet sliced past me, tearing a good chunk out of my arm.

I ran as fast as I could out the front door, my left arm was going numb. I heard one more shot fired before the door slammed shut behind me. I continued down the road, still running, my adrenaline pumped and my hands still shaking. I still carried the loaded weapon, but was anything but capable of pulling the trigger again.

When I rounded the next corner they were all there. Steve, Dally, Two-Bit, Soda, Darry, Ponyboy, and Johnny. They were all running towards me.

"What happened?" Exclaimed Steve.

"Did you hear those guns shots?" Two Bit asked as he stopped in front of me.

"Why are you shaking?" Ponyboy asked.

I was trembling, and unable to answer their questions. Finally my shivering hands dropped the heater. It clattered to the gravel road and I could feel everyone looking at it. I tried to keep my breathing even but it was no use. I was completely stirred and I couldn't feel my left arm.

"She's bleeding." Darry said coming to my side. He looked at my arm. "Who fired at you!?" he exclaimed.

"I only fired once." I said trembling and looking at the gun in disbelief.

"Who shot back?" Dally said he came right up to me and cupped my face.I shook my head and closed my eyes tight. "Dammit Sarah! Who shot back?" He shook my shoulders, and I went ridged. I heard him step back in frustration and punch something like a pole.

"Wrap this around her arm." I heard Steve say. Someone tied a piece of fabric around my arm. Pulling it tight.

"Let's get back to our house, we can talk then." Someone picked me up. I'm pretty sure it was Darry as I could feel all the muscles through the thin t-shirt he was wearing. When we reached the Curits's home, Darry sat me on the sofa, and everyone else sat around me.

"You have to tell us what happened." Steve said, as he sat next to me and placed his arm around my shoulder.

"No, she has to get to a hospital." Two Bit said fiercely.

"No Hospitals!" I said firmly.

"Sarah, you've been shot! You need to get that checked out." Two Bit said pointing at my arm.

"No I don't!" I yelled. Two Bit scowled and sat back in the chair.

"Just tell us what happened." Whispered Steve,

"I couldn't really shoot." I began. "I said I'd rather be dead but then when he raised the gun, and I couldn't help it. I shot. I caught him in the shoulder, but it didn't do anything serious. He shot back at me, and ran after me. I couldn't shoot at him again. My hands were shaking too much. What if I killed him? I wouldn't have lost anything! Why couldn't I kill him!?" I screamed out in frustration. Why couldn't I have aimed and shot correctly?

"Who's she talking about?" Pony asked Soda.

"Our father." Johnny answered from across the room.

I looked to Johnny, sympathy overwhelming me. "I'm sorry Johnny, I just couldn't" The tears began to glide down my cheeks. "You can't go back there Johnny. I'll get a job and we'll find a place of our own."

"No you won't." Darry said determinedly. "You're going back to school."

I glared at him. "I won't." I said back. "I've got what I want from school, and a convenience store or grocery store will hire me in a second."

"You can only make a few bucks there Sarah." Two Bit said sadly.

"Well it's a hell lot better than nothing." I spoke.

"The cops are going to be looking for you." I heard Dallas speak from behind me. His voice was full of something I'd never heard before. "Your father will tell the police. He's not going to let you get away with shooting him."

Dally was right. I'd be sent to jail for what I'd done. I looked at all my dearest friends, and then to my brother. What was I going to do? If I were caught I'd be sent to jail for months not weeks. I looked around the room, and saw the faces of my family. A family that would do anything for me. A family I would do anything for. A family that I wouldn't let loose their futures in order to save me.

"Everything will be fine." I finally said smiling.

Two Bit rolled his eyes but smiled. "Now can we talk about that arm o' yours?"

"You'll need stitches at least." Said Soda said standing up.

"Well I can't just walk into the hospital while my dad's in there." I said loudly.

"What if it wasn't you who walked in?" Steve questioned.

Never in all my life would I have expected to walk into the hospital as Ponyboy Curtis. My hair was cut short, to my chin, and I wore a ball cap that Soda had found under his bed. Wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans, so as not to show off any feminine qualities, I walked in and waited to be called. A young nurse called my name and I walked past her without making eye contact and into the room.

I sat on the uncomfortable table/bed thing the doctors have in the rooms. Posters of hearts, skeletons, digestive systems, and healthy eating were all taped around the white room. I swayed back and forth as I read the stupid saying, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' and laughed to myself when I realized you could replace apple with any word in the human dictionary. "A weed a day keeps the doctor away...A rumble a day keeps the doctor away..." That's when the doctor came in. He looked at me curiously but didn't say anything. I shut completely up and didn't say a word as he poked with a needle to freeze my arm.

He began to stitch up the wound with gentle hands, but I didn't like him. He had a cocky physique, all well bread and not a hair out of place. His deep chocolate eyes told me he was a young professional and that I was the last type of person he wanted to be working on today. He laughed quietly to himself and I glared at him, hating him more. Someone with out a care in the world was stitching up someone that's life could soon be over.

"You don't make a very good male." He said to me after he'd finished stitching me up. I was shocked to hear him say that.

"What are you talking about?" I said in my deep voice. I felt a bit funny, my arm still tingled from the freezing,

"Did your older brothers put you up to this? Or some friends?" He asked as he wrapped some gauze around the wound. He looked at me with an eyebrow raised, and I hated him even more, because I couldn't raise one eyebrow.

"I don't know what you mean." I said still using my deep voice.

"After medical school, I think I'm smart enough to recognized a girl when I see one." He winked at me and patted my arm. "Your all set to go...Ponyboy." he snorted as he said the name and I wanted to kick him, but I didn't. I stood up and glared at him as I walked out the door. "Next time," I heard him call, "use a more convincing name." He was still laughing as I walked out of the hospital.


A/N:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took so long to get up. Thanks to everyone is reviewing! Your reviews really mean a lot!! If there's any constructive criticism, please give it to me!! Thanks so much. I'd also like to know if any of you would like to see this as one story or if you guys would read a sequel. Thanks so much!!