A/N: I got a little ahead with the editing, so we decided to post another extra chapter. We like to spoil you when we can :) Thanks for all the reviews! Another chapter tomorrow (the usual Thursday chapter).

Chapter 36 – "Did You Expect any different?"

Johnny woke up to the sound of a bell ringing. It was boiling hot in the room and he started coughing as he took a deep breath and got his lungs full of smoke. His eyes were tearing up and the room was full of smoke, but he could still see the flames licking up the opposite wall.

"T-Tyler? Anyone?"

He remembered that Tyler was home sick with the flue, but Victor and Harry were nowhere to be seen either. His head was heavy and his mind dazed, but he knew he had to get out, so he climbed off the bed and staggered through door. The hallway was also full of smoke and students were emerging from their rooms. Johnny coughed violently and tried to follow the rest, but he was so dizzy that just staying on his feet was difficult.

o0o0o

"SODA? SODA?" Steve yelled into his phone but got no answer.

"What the hell?" a voice sounded from behind, and Steve turned around to spot Victor and Harry gaping at the smoke rising up from the living quarters.

"How did you guys get out so fast?" Steve asked. "Did you bring Johnny?"

Victor shook his head. "We were already here. We came outside for a smoke. That nerd is really critical with smoke in the dorm."

o0o0o

Sodapop raced across the courtyard to the sound of sirens in the distance. He hadn't wasted time putting shoes on so he was running in his stocking feet.

There were people gathering at the entrances to one of the Houses; the House Johnny belonged to, Soda realized with horror. People were streaming out, some coughing, some crying. The crowd kept growing and people were milling about in confusion.

"Johnny!" Soda kept yelling as he ran around searching for him and asked people who had just come out from the house if they had seen him.

Ponyboy and Darry were not far behind Soda. They too started searching, Pony's eyes scanning the crowd for both Johnny and Cathy.

"Pony!" a voice called and they spotted Cathy coming out from the entrance, barefooted, dressed only in her nightgown. She threw herself in Pony's arms and Pony hugged her tightly.

When Sodapop had checked the whole crowd and found no Johnny, he realized he must still be inside, and without considering it for a second, he raced into the building.

"SODA, NO!" he heard Darry holler behind him, but he didn't stop.

The corridor leading to Johnny's dorm was filled with smoke and there were still students making their way toward the exit, breathing through their sleeves.

o0o0o

Johnny rubbed his watery eyes, which stung badly from the smoke. He coughed again and put his sleeve up to his mouth, trying to prevent the smoke from going into his lungs. Leaning against a wall for support, he tried to figure out where the door for the exit was, but he was dizzy and disoriented and suddenly had no idea where in the building he was.

Then suddenly he thought he heard someone call his name. First, it was unclear to him who it was, or if it was even real, but then he recognized Sodapop's voice.

"S… So..." he tried calling but started coughing violently as he inhaled more smoke.

o0o0o

The smoke was ripping painfully at Sodapop's lungs and he pressed his nose and mouth hard against his raised arm. A little further down the corridor he spotted a small figure leaning against the wall. "JOHNNY!"

Johnny coughed and tried to move toward Soda but he felt odd. His body was getting heavier and his vision going blurry. Suddenly Soda was there and Johnny threw himself at him, holding on for dear life.

Sodapop knew there was no time for a reunion scene. He was getting dizzy and Johnny looked like he might collapse any time, so he hooked an arm around his waist and lead him back down the corridor toward the exit.

Firefighters had arrived in the meantime and two of them passed Sodapop and Johnny as they neared the exit. Another met them at the door and escorted them away from the building.

"SODA! YOU STUPID KID!" Darry roared. "Why didn't you wait for the firemen?"

Darry would have gone in after Sodapop but he had had to grab Ponyboy and hold him back.

There were several ambulances and a handful of students sitting around breathing into oxygen masks and being checked by medics. Seeing the condition Johnny and his brother was in, Ponyboy wasted no time; he got the attention of a couple of the medics and made them follow him back.

Johnny and Soda had been sat down on the curb, Darry and Steve standing over Soda, and Evie and Cathy over Johnny.

Johnny was coughing and wheezing badly, panic gripping him as he felt like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. The medic quickly slipped an oxygen mask over his head and instructed him to take deep, calm breaths.

Sodapop was struggling against his medic, resisting getting the mask on and trying to get up. He wanted to go check on Johnny.

Darry roughly pushed him down by the shoulders and said in a tone that left no room for argument, "SIT STILL, Soda, and get that mask on! Johnny's being taken care of."

Soda finally allowed the medic to secure the mask on him, and he had to admit it felt wonderful getting clean air into his lungs. "Johnny - is Johnny ok?" he mumbled.

"He'll be fine. He just needs a bit of oxygen," said the medic, glancing over at her colleague who was taking care of Johnny.

Johnny's breathing became steadier after a few minutes with the mask on and it felt good to finally be able to catch his breath. He turned his head and, spotting Soda, reached out his hand toward him.

Getting eye contact with Johnny made all the emotions well up in Soda; he ripped off his mask and moved over to Johnny. He dropped to his knees in front of him and buried his face in his shoulder as violent sobs rolled through him.

Johnny moved his weak, shaking hand up to Soda's shoulder and rested his cheek against his hair, feeling tears starting to overflow his eyes. He had thought he was going to die and then suddenly Soda had been there to save him.

It seemed that all the students had gotten out safely and were sitting or standing around, talking and watching the firefighters trying to get the fire under control. Ponyboy noticed that several of the people near them had turned their attention to Johnny and Soda.

When Soda had gotten somewhat control over his sobbing, he lifted his head and cradled Johnny's face between his hands. "I was so scared… I didn't know where you were... I kept thinking - what if I lost you? I couldn't... I wouldn't have been able to stand it..."

Johnny tried to say something but his throat felt like sandpaper, and the mask covering his mouth and nose didn't make it easier. With tears rolling down his face, he moved his hand to Soda's cheek, cupping it tenderly and looking into his eyes.

They had caught the attention of even more of the other students, Sandy as well and she narrowed her eyes. Don't tell me they hooked up! she thought and took a tight hold of David's arm.

Sodapop pushed Johnny's oxygen mask down and kissed him as if his life depended on it.

Several of the onlookers gasped. Sandy sent a glare of hate and got up. "Come on, David!" she hissed and marched off, dragging David with her.

Johnny heard the gasps, but he couldn't care less if the whole world saw them; he only cared about Soda and kissed him back desperately.

After a moment, Sodapop pulled back so they could catch their breaths again. He kept his hands on Johnny's cheeks and rested his forehead against his. "Don't ever do that to me again," he said in a low voice. "Don't scare me like that again." His body was still shaking from the shock and maybe a bit from the cold as well.

Johnny gasped for breath and closed his eyes. "I… I won't," he sobbed. "I was so… scared… The fire -" He started coughing again and Soda pushed his mask back on for him.

In the meantime, the firefighters had gotten the fire mostly under control and every student had been accounted for. A few were taken to the hospital for smoke poisoning but no one was seriously hurt.

"I'm c-cold," Johnny stuttered and tried to pull himself closer to Soda, feeling him shiver as well.

"Do they need to go to the hospital or can I take them home?" Darry asked the medic who was still standing there.

"I think it's mostly shock and maybe mild smoke poisoning. It's probably best to take them in for observation, though. Especially the dark-haired one. Take them in for a proper check-up, and they will probably let them go home later tonight."

"Steve," Darry said, "Can you give us a ride to the hospital?"

Steve nodded and hurried off to get his car.

Darry turned to Pony and Cathy. "You two and Evie go back to the house and wait." Ponyboy was about to protest but Darry stopped him. "Do as I say, Pony! You take care of the girls and I will call you when I know something!"

Pony sighed and nodded. He put his arm around Cathy, who leaned against him.

Steve arrived with the car and Darry helped Sodapop and Johnny into the back seat. Steve found a couple of blankets and handed them to Darry so he could cover the boys with them.

Johnny's teeth were chattering and Soda could feel himself shiver from the cold as well. He pulled off his wet socks and tucked his bare feet under himself on the seat.

Johnny's breathing started to give a wheezing sound and Darry leaned back from the front seat and handed Sodapop the oxygen mask the medic had given them.

Soda put the mask on Johnny and pulled him close again. He was starting to feel really tired and wished they could just go home and directly to bed. Maybe have a hot shower first. They were both dirty, soot smeared on their faces and clothes.

"I... love... you," Johnny mumbled behind the mask and laid his head against Soda's shoulder.

Soda started crying again silently, tears drawing lines down his sooty cheeks, and kissed the top of Johnny's head. "I love you too."

o0o0o

Steve pulled into the parking lot at the hospital and he and Darry helped the boys out. Noticing that Sodapop had bare feet, Steve took off his own shoes and gave them to his friend.

It took a while before a doctor was ready to see them. There had been around ten other students in with a mild smoke poisoning so it was getting to be a routine for the staff.

They waited in the doctor's examination room for a while, Soda sitting on the examination table and Johnny beside him with his head on his shoulder and the mask still on his face. He was breathing normally now but as soon as it was removed his breath got a little short again.

The doctor examined Johnny and said, "Stay here for an hour with the mask on and you should be good to go. I think it's mostly the shock, but if you're still wheezing then, we'll keep you overnight."

Darry asked, "My brother is recovering from pneumonia. Should we be worried about that?"

"Are you still on antibiotics?" the doctor asked.

Sodapop nodded. "Two more days."

"Well, I'll give you a prescription for another week. Just to prevent the infection coming back. Well, I'll leave you boys for an hour and then we will see if you're well enough to go home," finished the doctor and closed the door behind him.

Darry sighed, relived, and sunk down on a chair. "Thank God no one got hurt."

"Where's Steve?" asked Sodapop, suddenly noticing his friend wasn't in the room.

"He's in the waiting room," said Darry. "Maybe I should go tell him what's going on…"

When Darry had left, Johnny pushed down his mask to say something to Soda. "T-thank you... for... fetching me."

"Of course I did," smiled Sodapop, running a hand over Johnny's back. "Did you expect any different? I was scared shitless."

"I... I'm sorry," Johnny said and took the mask back on to get some air. He took a few deep breaths before pushing it down again. "The fire... It was in my room."

"Your room?" said Sodapop surprised. "It started in your room?"

Johnny nodded.

"What?" said Soda and jumped off the examination bench. "It's them bastards! They were standing smoking when I met them earlier!" Soda's eyes were flashing with wrath and his hands curled into fists. "Man, I'm gonna kick their teeth in - I don't care if I get in trouble for it!"

"Soda, what are you talking about?" asked Darry, who had just appeared in the door.

"They… They weren't there when I... woke up," said Johnny.

"Who?" Darry asked confused. "Do you know who started the fire?"

"Johnny's roommates!" yelled Sodapop heatedly. "They were smoking, and Johnny says the fire started in his dorm! It's them fucking dickheads!"

Sodapop rarely swore, so it was clear how angry he was now.

"Sodapop, calm down!" said Darry. "Calm down. We will figure this out but for now just take it easy. No one got hurt, that's the main thing. Just get better and we'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

"They could have killed him!" yelled Soda, refusing to calm down. "They could have killed a bunch of kids! People die in their sleep from smoke poisoning!"

"But no one did!" Darry roared, making Johnny jump. He continued in a calmer voice, "Don't you think I want justice as well? But I can't just go over and beat the living crap out of them, no matter how much I want to. I'll have a serious talk with the school tomorrow and get to the bottom of this."

Sodapop sat back down on the bench and Johnny leaned against him, mumbling something illegible.

"Breathe into your mask," said Soda in a mild voice, returning his attention to Johnny. There was no use discussing with Darry now. Right now revenge wasn't top priority. Later...

An hour passed and the doctor checked on Johnny again and agreed to let him go home on the condition that they bring him back should there be a change for the worse.

o0o0o

When they came home, Darry put Johnny straight to bed and Soda stood there for a minute, debating with himself whether or not he was too tired to take a shower. Maybe he should just go straight to bed and look after Johnny. Then he saw the way Ponyboy was looking at him and decided Johnny could wait a few minutes. He was already sleeping, anyway, and Darry had left the door open so they could hear him if he called.

Sodapop sat down on the couch and pulled his little brother into a hug. "I'm ok, Pony," he whispered.

Of course Pony had been worried about Johnny and Cathy as well, but Soda knew that what had scared him the most was when he had run into the building.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I scared ya."

"It's ok," said Ponyboy. "You had to save Johnny."

Tears were welling up in Pony's eyes and he buried his face in Sodapop's shirt, trying to hide it. Crying was embarrassing enough, but crying in front of Cathy... He knew he would hate himself for it in the morning.

"Do you think it's safe to go back or what?" Steve asked. He didn't live in the House that had burned but Evie and Cathy did. "Place is probably soaked as hell. I ain't even sure how bad it was?"

"It was pretty bad," Cathy said.

"Everybody from that house are sleeping in the dining hall tonight," said Evie. "They started gathering students right after you left."

Darry looked over at Sodapop, whose face and blond hair was almost black with soot. His clothes were blackened too and flying embers had left a few holes in them.

Sodapop didn't bring up the topic of Victor and Harry. Steve would just get mad and then a big discussion would start. And Soda didn't have the energy for it right now. He barely had the energy to get up and move to his room. He would talk to Steve in private tomorrow.

o0o0o

Johnny was stirring a bit in his sleep when Sodapop came in. Soda crawled under the covers and pulled him close. He must have startled Johnny because he jerked awake, eyes flying open.

"A-are you okay?" Johnny asked, a little confused.

"Yeah," said Soda and ran a hand through Johnny's dirty hair. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Go back to sleep."

Johnny cuddled in against Soda's neck and mumbled sleepily. "Sorry about... making you worry... And sorry... that I got you bed... dirty..." His voice got even lower as he started to doze off again. He was so exhausted and the sound of Soda's breathing relaxed him.

"It's okay. Just don't do it again. The scare me part. You can get my bed dirty anytime." said Soda and closed his eyes.

A/N: Hope you guys aren't too disappointed. We could kinda tell from the reviews that you wanted Johnny to be badly hurt. Well - there will be more angst later in the story, so don't despair :)

Remember to check out the illustration for the chapter (link on my profile).