Soda had the hood popped on a Mustang, searching for the something that was wrong with it. He highly suspected it was the fuel pump, and if that was the case, the car was as good as totaled. Man, if that was the case, his customer was going to be pissed.
"Hey, Soda," a voice interrupted his work. He looked up to see Darry, looking tired.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked, wiping grease from his hands.
"When do you get off?" Darry asked, bypassing the greeting.
Soda squinted his eyes at the clock on the wall. It was about half past three.
"I don't get off for another two hours. Why?"
"It's Mia. She's in the hospital."
Soda could feel his heart skip.
"What's wrong with her?" Soda's voice was husky and thick. "I mean, is she all right?"
"Is there anyone who could cover for you?" Darry asked.
"It's a slow day," Soda said, nodding his head. "My boss is here. Let me see if he'd be okay letting me go home a little early. He's a good guy. He should understand."
Soda disappeared behind a door in the back of the garage before returning a few moments later.
"He gave me the rest of the day off," Soda said, slamming the hood of the car down. "Mr. Mustang here won't be here until next Thursday to pick his car up. Let's go."
Together, they walked to the truck, got in.
"What's wrong with Mia?" Soda asked as they drove off.
"We need to pick Pony up first," Darry said. "I need to have a chat with both of you at the same time."
"Darry?" Soda had a bitter taste in his mouth. His older brother looked tense, his eyes swollen. It occurred to him, with horror, that Darry had been crying. "Is Mia going to be all right?"
"I'm not sure, Soda," Darry replied. They pulled up to the high school. Ponyboy was outside in the cool, crisp autumn air, running round and round track. Darry left Soda in the car, heading towards the field.
When Pony saw Darry walking towards him, somersaults began flipping wildly in his stomach.
"Come on, Pony," Darry said with a beckoning hand motion. "We gotta go."
Pony, still in his sweats, didn't even have a chance to change back into his street clothes or to grab his books before following Darry back to the truck.
"Darry what's going?" Pony asked when he saw Soda in the truck.
"It's Mia. She's in the hospital."
"What's wrong?"
"Get in the truck," was all Darry said. "We're going to the hospital to have a quiet conversation. There's something we need to talk about."
Pony, like Soda, began to get very nervous. Was Mia dying? The way Darry was talking, that seemed highly likely.
XXX
Twenty minutes later, the three brothers sat in the nearly empty cafeteria in the hospital. Darry had refused to give his brothers any information on the way over, saying he wanted a nice, quiet place to reveal that news.
"What's wrong with Mia?" Soda asked nervously, hardly containing his anxiety as they all sat.
Darry turned to look at each of his brothers, staring each of them in the eyes.
"Mia," he began, "has chlamydia."
There was confusion etched on both of their faces.
"You must be mistaken," Pony said with a slight shake of his head. "Chladmydia is a sexually transmitted disease."
"Yes," Darry replied. "I know."
"But," Soda began, "Mia's just a little kid."
Darry heaved a large, tired sigh.
"She was examined this morning by a gyencologist. According to him, Mia was raped." Darry tried his best to keep his voice from cracking on the last word, but couldn't, and tears began to leak down his face. "Not once, dozens of times over several months. It probably started right after she came home from Aunt Margaret's."
Pony and Soda could not believe the words they heard. It just didn't make sense. Why would anybody hurt Mia? Who could hurt her?
"There must be a mistake," Soda said, this throat dry.
Darry just shook his head sadly.
"The Doc said there was... evidence around and in her body of trauma."
With trembling hands, Pony brought his face to his hands. Soda and his younger brother fought to keep the tears at bay.
"Who?" Soda asked, his body shaking as his fought off rage and tears at the same time. "Who did this to Mia?"
"We don't know," Darry replied with a tired shrug. "Mia's really sick. She won't be able to tell us until she gets better."
For a moment, all three of the brothers sat in silence, digesting the knews. It seemed surreal to all of them. How could this be real? They knew of the socs, who liked to beat up greasers for fun. But that was different. At least the socs chose people who matched their size, their abilities and ages. They didn't brutally rape little girls. Who ever did this was a real monster.
"Can we see her?" Pony asked after several moments.
"They won't let you," Darry said, staring somewhere off in the distance. "Not until you take a chlamydia test."
The younger boys looked at their brothers with blank faces before the words sunk in.
"You can't think..." Pony began, but broke off midsentence, disgusted at even the thought.
"I don't think you did it," Darry replied hastily, rubbing his face with his left hand. "I had to take a chlamydia test. It's just... standard procedure."
"Standard procedure to accuse a girl's own brothers of raping her?" Soda spat with venom in his voice.
"You got understand, buddy, they don't want the person who hurt Mia just strolling in there. Honestly, I'm glad they're doing this. What if they do catch the person who hurt Mia this way?"
Soda and Pony said nothing for a very long time. Finally, Pony spoke up.
"How can take the test? I want to see Mia."
Soda nodded his head, agreeing as well.
"We should be up there with her."
Darry stood up, leading his brothers to the pediatric unit.
XXX
Physicall, Mia was feeling only slightly better. Emotionally, though, she was a wreck. All throughtout the past few months, she had felt that as long as she kept what Mr. Crane was doing to her secret, it would be all right.
Now that Darry knew, he would undoubtably tell Pony and Soda and they would look upon her with digust and resentment.
She knew right then that she would never be able to look them in the eye again, much less talk to them. She could just imagine the conlusions they'd make about her: the abuse went on for months. Why didn't she try to stop it? Was she too weak? Did she like it?
Those would only be a few questions they'd want her to answer. But she couldn't talk about; she just simply couldn't. Shame and embarrassment flogged her down.
"Ah," Mia cried as an intense wave of pain hit her abdomen. She considered the IV in her arm, hoping that the liquid coursing through her veins would quiet the pain.
A person walked through the door. Mia, facing away from the door, didn't see who it was. She just hoped it wasn't one of her brothers; she desperately did not want to talk to them, see them.
"Are you all right, sweetie?" a voice asked.
Surprised, Mia turned around to see a nurse. She was young and pretty and looked like the type who would find work as a pediatric nurse rewarding.
"It hurts," Mia whispered through her pain.
The nurse nodded, extracting a needle from drawer. She put the medication in Mia's IV. Slowly, the pain subsided and the girl fell into a deep, restless sleep.
XXX
By the time Soda's and Pony's chlamydia tests came back negative, the sun had dipped below the horizon. All three boys were extremely fatigued, hungry, but none wanted to go anywhere. All they wanted to see was their little sister, to finally protect her the way they hadn't in the past.
"She's probably sleeping," Darry warned before they entered. "Be quiet and try not to say too much."
The two younger boys nodded, and together, the three brothers walked in. The room was dark, the curtains drawn tight. Mia laid in the bed, so small, with an IV coming out of her arm.
"Mia?" Soda asked. He had agony in his voice, a tear or two slipping down his cheek. He had prepared himself to see his sister, but he hadn't expected the emotion to hit him so hard. His sister had been raped and where had he been? The shame, the guilt, it began to eat his insides.
"How're you feeling?" Pony whispered, walking towards the bed. He reached out to touch her, but she jumped back.
"Please, go away," she said, her voice small, barely more than whisper.
They couldn't see her face; she had herself turned away from the door, trying to hide herself, her secret, her soul, from her brothers.
"Mia, we just want to help you." Soda choked back a sob.
"I just want to be left alone. I'm very tired."
There were two chairs in the room. Soda took one, Pony the other.
"Pony and I are going to stay here with you," Soda said. "We don't have to talk, but we're just gonna sit here, okay?"
Mia said nothing, just gave her thin shoulders a half way shrug.
"Hey, Darry?" Soda asked softly, turning to his brother. "You've been with Mia all day. Why don't you go home and let me and Pony take care of her for a bit, okay?"
Darry began to argue, but then a thought suddenly struck him.
"Okay. Call me right away if something happens or you need me or if the Detectives need me or anything, you hear?"
"We got it, Darry," Pony said, leading his older brother to the door. "Get some rest. You hear?"
Darry smiled softly at his youngest brother before leaving the hospital room, walking down the long, white corridors of the pediatric ward.
XXX
Steve Randle was at home after a long day of school, then work. He had been very surprised when he went to the gas station and found that Soda had gone home early. Boss had said his sister was in the hospital. That worried Steve. What could possibly be wrong with Mia?
It was past ten in the evening. Steve had just gotten out of the shower, toweling his dark, curly hair off, contemplating going to sleep. His old man had went to work at his night job about an hour ago, and he was looking forward to having the whole house to himself, to having a nice, restful, peaceful night's rest.
He dressed in a clean pair of boxer shorts and a soft cotton shirt and was halfway in the bed when he heard it: the knocks on the door.
Who could it be? Usually no one called, especially this late. Drowsy from his hard day, he walked to the door, cursing as he stubbed his toe on a misplaced boot. Opening the door, he was surprised to see his best buddy's brother, Darrel Curtis.
"Darry?" Steve asked, incredulous. "What's going on?"
"Hey, Steve," Darry said in a low, cool voice. It reminded Steve of something, and it took him a moment to remember; Darry sounded exactly like Dallas Winston in a dangerous mood. "Get dressed. We're going for a ride."
"I heard Mia's in the hospital. Is she all right?" Steve asked, his concern authentic.
"How would you know that?" Darry snapped, slamming his hand on the door frame. "I've been with Soda all afternoon and he hasn't even touched a phone."
"My boss told me," Steve replied defensively. "Darry, what's going on."
"Get dressed, Steve," Darry repeated himself. "We're going for a ride."
Steve was scared. He had seen Darry worked up, passionate about rumbles or fights or something. But he had never seen the eldest Curtis quite like this before. Nonplussed, Steve nodded his head.
"Okay, Darry. Just give me a moment."
He kept the door open, disappearing into his bedroom. If this was anyone else, he would have slammed the door or at least punch the fellow in the face. This was Darrel Curtis, though, practically a brother. Steve jammed himself into his clothes, pulling on jeans, a long sleeved shirt, his jacket, his canvas sneakers before running back to the door.
"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" Steve asked as he closed the door, walking towards the truck.
"I don't know, Steve," Darry replied, still in his cold vernacular. "Why don't you tell me?"
"Darry, I don't know." Steve threw his hands up. Darry opened the door for Steve, and the teenager climbed in the car, the door slamming shut behind him. Darry took his place in the driver's seat, driving off.
"Darry?" Steve asked carefully, afraid a small mistep might set the man off. "Is everything all right? How is Mia? Is she okay?" He vividly remembered how when Johnny died, Dallas went off the deep end. What if Mia died and this was Darry's descent into his own death? What if this was a suicide mission and Darry was taking Steve with him?
Darry didn't say anything; they just drove and drove and drove, Darry constantly accelerating rhe car, going faster and faster and faster. They were just past the Tulsa city limits, on a quiet country road, pitch black in the autumn night, when Darry pulled over and killed the engine.
"Steve, do you know what's wrong with Mia?" Darry asked, the cool venom thick in his voice. "Do you know why she's so sick?"
"I have no clue. Is she all right?"
"She'll live, if that's what you mean."
Steve released a sigh of relief he had not realized he had been holding.
"That's good," Steve commented. "Why did you bring me out here?"
"Do you have chlamydia, Steve?" Darry asked, ignoring Steve's question.
"What?" The teenager shook his head, sure he had heard wrong. "What did you say? Do I have what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Randle. You heard me right; do you or do you not have chlamydia?"
"I do not. Why are asking?"
All of a sudden, Darry's tough front faded. His shoulders drooped and his head dropped to the stearing wheel. Steve had never before seen Darry cry, but with horror, the teenager watched as tears began to slide down the man's face, disappearing in a thick forest of stubble.
"Mia... Mia has chlamydia," Darry sobbed.
It took a few moments for Steve to realize all the implications of Darry's words.
"Oh God," Steve uttered, cursing under his breath. And then, a new thought struck him. "Darry, you don't think I..." He trailed off, unable to complete the thought.
"When you were tickling her on Thanksgiving, she screamed at you to stop touching her. And then today, the doc gave me the news. What else was I supposed to think?"
Steve nodded, and for a moment, he tried to imagine himself in Darry's spot. Steve quickly decided that Darry was being down right cordial compared to how he would act in the same situation.
"I never... I would never... I could never hurt Mia," Steve said softly.
"I know," Darry replied. He knew all along it wasn't Steve. If felt good, just for a moment, to have a scapegoat, somehow to blame for the horrid atrocity that had taken place. "I would feel more comfortable if we could test you for chlamydia."
Steve felt like decking Darry for that comment, but, instead, he simply nodded.
"Of course, Darry. Anything for you. You're like a brother, man."
Darry gave a friendly look towards Steve before starting the car, heading towards the hospital.
"Thanks, Steve. And I'm sorry about this. It's just... I don't know what to do."
"I can't even imagine what this is like." Steve returned Darry's gaze. "Anything, you need, man."
Drying his tears, Darry tousled Steve's hair as if he was one of his brothers.
XXX
Mr. Crane sat in his room, contemplating the day. Mia hadn't shown up for school, but that was hardly surprising. She had been so sick the day before. He had grown curious over her condition, and, after school, had driven to a clinic a town over. He was hardly surprised when his test for chlamydia came back positive; he had slept with some pretty strange people in the last few months.
Oh well. A few doses of his antibiotic and he would be rid of the disease in less than twenty-four hours. Or, he would, at least, be rid of it enough to test negative for a chlamydia test.
With that little fact clearing his conscience, Mr. Gregory Crane climbed into bed and fell into a restful sleep filled with dreams of little girls who looked like Mia.