A/N - A new longest chapter:) I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the titles to the chapters are the titles of the songs whose lyrics begin it. So, if you're wondering what song the lyrics are from, just look at the artist mentioned in the disclaimer and the title of the chapter.

Also, please note that when I begin writing a chapter, I have no idea what will be in it. I really write as I go, so if any of you have any suggestions on things you'd like to see happen or anything like that, be sure to let me know, because I'd love to hear it and i might be able to work it in, if I like it enough.

You can PM me or email me at laura. a great day, and a good thanksgiving if I don't update before then.

-Laura

Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders. Train owns the song. I own Sam.

Ch. 10 – When I Look To The Sky

And while I float along this ocean

I can feel you like a notion

that I hope will never leave

Soda's P.O.V.

The next morning at breakfast, the guys asked me tons of questions and I could only smile while giving them the barest of details and letting them know that Sam and I were on. We might not be officially "dating" yet, but we're well on our way, and if tonight goes well, I think I'm going to ask her to be my girl.

Work dragged on as normal, until 3 o'clock when she came in. I chased her down the hallway, tickled her mercilessly while she clocked in until she finally turned around and put her hands up.

"Uncle! You win." She relented.

"What's my prize?" I asked.

Her green eyes twinkled as she suppressed a smile, but I could take a guess at what she was thinking. Thinking the same thing, I shot her a seductive grin, slowly encircled her waist with my arms and pulled her in for a sweet, smooth, slow kiss. Glory that woman has an effect on me! When she's in my arms, I feel like there's nothing that can go wrong.

But the next minute or so proved that theory very, very wrong.

Sam's P.O.V.

When I woke up Friday, I was ready to face the day. Last night went so well! I was proud of my brothers, of Soda, even of myself, and I was happy as could be with the outcome of the evening.

The day went sort of quickly, with me cleaning up from dinner, getting some laundry done, picking out an outfit for tonight and finally, getting ready for work.

The moment before I stepped through the door, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the chase that was sure to ensue. Opening the door, I shot down the hallway, knowing Soda would only be a step or two behind. I pulled out my time card and as I set it in the slot to be clocked, I was assaulted with tickles, and I giggled uncontrollably. Knowing this game could go on for hours if I didn't give up, and also realizing that I had work to do, I cried, "Uncle! You win."

"What do I win?" Soda asked.

All I had to do was smile, look down and peer up at him through my lowered lashes and he knew. He lightly touched his hands to my hips and seductively slid his arms to wrap around my waist, bringing his face just a touch closer and brushing my lips gently. A moment later, we were wrapped up in each other, and neither noticed the phone ringing until Steve called down the hallway.

"Soda! Come get the phone. I think it's important."

Soda reluctantly pulled away, giving me tiny kisses as he did, but I was distracted. I felt the familiar pang of worry deep in the pit of my stomach. Something is wrong, I thought. Something is very, very wrong.

"Go, Soda. Now."

He looked at me confused, but obeyed, and I trailed him only a step behind. When he got to the office, he picked up the phone and as he continued speaking, my heart dropped even lower.

"Hello? Yes, this is Sodapop Curtis. Ponyboy? Yes, he's my brother. He what? When? Which hospital? Ok. Yes. I'll be right over."

When he turned around, his face was white as a sheet and he spoke slowly, as if the words actually hurt to say.

"Steve, I need your car. I need you to cover for me so I can get to the hospital right away. Ponyboy," his voice cracked and he looked near tears. "Ponyboy was jumped and he's in the emergency room. They can't find Darry. I gotta go. Call Darry until you get him."

He stopped, scrawled a number on a piece of paper on the desk and ran toward the door. Steve threw him his keys, and he looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Please come after work. Please." Directing his heart-wrenching gaze Steve's way, he asked him to bring me.

Finally opening the door to get on his way, he added a simple phrase that made me cringe, thinking about this whole Soc/Greaser issue. "Be careful."

And with that, he was gone.

Soda's P.O.V.

Now, I'm normally a pretty fast driver, but I think I made it to that hospital in world record time. Ever since last year's crazy events and Pony's concussion, I've worried about that kid non-stop. He's a good kid, and he's gained most of his build back after losing all that weight, but there's only so much anyone can do. He can't be hurt. He'll be fine. Maybe if I say it enough times, it'll be true.

Running into the Emergency Room Waiting Area, I grabbed the first nurse I saw.

"Ponyboy Curtis. Where is he? I'm his brother."

"Excuse me, sir; you'll have to see the woman at that desk over there. She'll help you," she said, directing me toward an elderly woman who looked at me as if I was crazy for saying the name Ponyboy. Maybe what she really felt was disgust at the fact that I was a greaser. I really hate the hospital; everyone here seems to be Socy, and at the moment, Socs were my least favorite people.

"Hello, ma'am," I began, trying my hardest to be respectful to prove her wrong. "My name is Sodapop Curtis. I got a call about my brother, Ponyboy, being here. Could you show me where he is, please?"

"I'm sorry; you'll first need to fill out these forms. We're still trying to contact your brother Darrel to have his guardian authorize treatment," she said with a cold, trained look on her face.

"You mean you're not treating him? What's wrong?" I was quickly beginning to lose my cool. I really wish I would have brought either Steve or Sam right now, because I was starting to feel dizzy and I was starting to get really angry. "Treat him. Treat him now. I don't care what he needs or how much it costs or anything! You get my brother what he needs!"

As the words escaped my mouth, I heard booming footsteps approach from behind and turned around to see Darry there. I relaxed immediately and let him take over talking to the nurse, whose face had changed to a bit of an ashen color at my outburst.

Darry echoed, in a much calmer tone and voice but in no uncertain terms, what I had said about treating Pony, and took a seat next to me, forms in hand to be filled out.

"So," he began, "Sam told me Pony was jumped but didn't have any information. What's going on, little buddy?"

I relaxed even more at the use of my nickname, which Darry probably used on purpose, but still couldn't shake the nervous energy keeping me from being at ease. "I don't know," I told him. "They called me at work and told me that I needed to get down here for Ponyboy, but then when I got here, they wouldn't tell me anything or let me see him. I'm gonna kill those damn Socs, Dar. They've gone too far. Pony…" My voice trailed off as I was thinking about the sweet boy who I haven't spent near enough time with who was hurt. I didn't really think that we were in any danger of losing him, but the thought of him hurt broke my heart in two. "Pony will be okay," I said, probably trying to convince myself as much as Darry. "How'd he get here, anyway?"

Darry paused, seeming as if he may not have wanted me to know the truth. "The nurse said Shepard brought him in. I have no idea how it happened."

Oh no. Shepard ran in hard circles, in harsh areas. Pony should not have been in any area where Shep would have been. Although, it's possible that maybe Curly called him or something from school. Either way, I'd find out. Shep would tell me; we been friends a long time.

Darry continued filling out his forms in silence as I continued shaking with nervousness. Finally, about an hour later, a doctor came out.

"Darrel Curtis? Sodapop Curtis?"

We both jumped at our names and ran to him. "Follow me." He led us down a hallway of bland, colorless existence and stopped at a door marked 326. His tone was hushed and somber, making me even more nervous considering the fact that my brother probably lay behind that dumb door.

"Your brother," he said, continuing in his irritating tone, "took quite a beating. He is bruised and cut in several places. He had a laceration on his cheek that needed 10 stitches. He has 3 fractured ribs, but all are bruised. We are monitoring him for signs of a concussion, seeing as his chart shows signs of previous experience with those. He may be sleeping now, but he was asking before for you both. You may go in, but please keep the noise level very low. You can count on the fact that he'll have quite a headache. If all goes well with his monitoring, he will be released this evening, as we have no reason to hold him. Please let me know if you need anything. I'm Doctor Marks."

Darry had the presence of mind to thank him, but not me. I ran into the room and stopped short at the site of my baby brother, battered and broken. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but had long since learned that greasers can cry, and should at times like these. I went to the other side of the bed, pulled up a chair, plopped down into it, and set up camp. I was not going to leave him; my baby brother needed me.

Darry stepped in a moment later and I heard a gasp escape his mouth. I wonder if he thought that Pony looked a lot like Johnny had when the Socs had gotten him. I couldn't help but wonder if Pony would be changed like Johnny was, and I shook at the thought. Johnny became scared, and I wanted my brother to keep what little innocence he had as long as possible. I hope this doesn't take it from him.

I held his hands to my lips and stared at the heart monitor, lost in the sound and comfort of its beeps. I couldn't tell you how long I sat there; I was content so long as Pony's hand stayed in mine and that monitor kept beeping away. Eventually, though, my attention was diverted by the opening of the door.

Steve walked in with Sam behind him, and I gave them a slight smile, refusing still to let go of Pony's hand. Sam's face went ashen when she saw Pony looking like he was. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp and I saw her eyes well up with tears too. Even Steve was shushed by his shock, and I could see recognition in his eyes as I had in Darry's, his memory playing a movie of a friend not-so-long gone.

I held out my hand free hand to Sam, and she graciously walked over and took it. She wrapped her free arm around me and held my head to her chest, giving me the nurturing comfort I desperately needed. I felt her pull away after a moment, and I turned my eyes to her to see what she was doing. In an act of bravery and courage I haven't seen from any girl, ever, she walked up to a very confused, hurting Darry, opened her arms and waited for him to let down his walls so that she could cry with him. To my shock, and Steve's as well, I'm sure, after about 10 seconds of stonewalling, Darry broke, letting the tears fall as Sam wrapped his huge frame in her tiny one, and clung to her as if she were life itself.

During all this, Steve looked rather uncomfortable, feeling, I'm sure, as if this was a family moment he could add nothing to like Sam was, so he excused himself to get some coffee for us all. I still clung to Pony's hand, and Sam and Darry stood at the foot of the bed, silent tears still falling.

It dawned on me in a strange fashion that we hadn't said so much as a word since coming into this room, and I decided to remedy the situation.

"Guys," I looked to Sam and Darry. "Come here."

They both did, and we sat, again in silence, for a long while, simply willing with all our might for Pony to wake.

Steve had returned with the coffee but had again left to make phone calls. He said he'd call Tim Shepard and find out the deal, and also let Two-bit know. I had never been so thankful for someone else handling the details. I just wanted to stay, and stay I would.

At around 7 o'clock, Pony's eyes fluttered open to find Darry in the chair I had pulled over, Sam and I sitting on either side, his hand still wrapped in mine.

I noticed immediately he had woken, and I squeezed his hand very gently, knowing that he would have fought back and his knuckles would probably be sore. "Hey buddy. How are you feeling?" I asked.

Pony tried to make words, but mostly groaned in pain. It was killing me to see him like this, but I wanted to be here all the same. Finally, though, words came.

"I didn't see them, Soda. I was walking to the DX, only about a block from school," he paused, gritting his teeth and setting his jaw as though he wouldn't let the pain beat him. "There were lots, Soda. At least 6. I tried to fight. I did. Please believe me! I tried…Soda, it hurts."

Tears were pouring down my face, and I turned and saw that Sam was crying too. Darry stayed strong though, replacing my hand with his, so I could move to talk with Pony better.

"I believe you, Pony. You're a great fighter, and you'd never give up. I know, baby. I know. You're gonna be okay. I know it hurts, baby. You're gonna be okay." I kept repeating it, as if to help me believe as much as him. It seems like I'm doing a lot of things lately to help myself believe. "Go back to sleep, bud. They're gonna let you out soon, and we want you to get better soon, so you gotta sleep as much as you can. I'm gonna go in the hall for a second, but I'll be right here."

"Okay, Soda. I'll try. Darry?" Pony looked so young, so helpless. Darry jumped at the questioning call.

"Yeah, little buddy, I'm here."

"Please don't leave."

Darry squared his shoulders as if to assure anyone around that he meant business. "I'm not going anywhere, baby. I'll be right here."

With that, Pony turned his head and went back to sleep. I felt myself breaking and needed to go for just a second. I would never leave Pony, but I would be no good to him a bumbling wreck. I silently took Sam's hand and led her to the hallway. The moment we stepped out the door, I turned to face her and she gathered me close and held me as I cried.

"I shoulda been there, Sam. I shoulda protected him. He shouldn't hurt. I shoulda been there," I sobbed. My body wracked with emotion, I lost all words and just cried in Sam's arms.

"Shhh, baby, it'll be okay. There was nothing you could have done. He's gonna be okay. It's not your fault and nobody blames you. I love you, baby, and Pony loves you and Darry loves you. Everything will be okay." Sam kept murmuring smooth words in my ears, as my body finally calmed.

"Sam," I said, still clearly broken. "Did you say you loved me?"

Sam's face went slightly pink, but she slowly nodded. "I know we're not dating and all, and I don't mean I love you like I want to marry you, but I just mean that I care about you, and I'm gonna be here. Everything's gonna be okay."

She had hope in her eyes, just like my brothers and friends had for me not so many days ago on my birthday. Sam had hope, and I was going to trust her.

"I love you too, Sam."

And with that, we stood and headed back in to face the music. Maybe we can't protect each other from experiencing bad things, but we sure as hell can stand by each other, and she was doing a damn good job of it. Now I had to do it for Pony and for Darry.

We took our seats next to Darry again. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders to let him know I was there, and together we waited for the okay to take our brother home. It was going to be a long night, a long week, and a long recovery for Pony, but it was going to be okay.

We would do it together.