(Darry's POV)

When someone shook my shoulder, I opened my eyes. Apparently I had fallen asleep, but judging by how dark the room was, it was still the middle of the night.

"You got some explainin' to do, Darry," Two-Bit said with a grin. "Apparently we're all in trouble for breakin' ya out of your cell- I mean room."

I was confused at first, but I looked over Two-Bit's shoulder and I saw Nurse Carrie. She had been my nurse every day since I had been awake, which wasn't a real long time, but it was long enough for me to decide that she was my favorite hospital employee. Besides her gorgeous red hair and green eyes, she was nice, but she still had an edge to her. She was tough enough to get people like me to listen. Whenever she told me that she was going to give me pain meds, I didn't argue with her as much as I did with everyone else. She actually seemed to care about me and my brothers too. Plus, Nurse Carrie never kicked Two-Bit or Steve out, even when they'd sneak food into my room or when Two-Bit was being obnoxious. In fact, she actually laughed at a couple of his smartass remarks.

I was worried that I actually was in trouble, but the grin on Carrie's suggested otherwise. "Hello, Darry." Even though I told all of the hospital staff to call me Darry instead of Mr. Curtis, she was the only one that seemed to listen. "I see you didn't want to follow the doctor's orders."

"I had to see my brother," I said as politely as I could, although it probably didn't sound polite at all. I was tired, in pain, and sick of everyone trying to keep me away from Soda. It was hard to feel bad if I sounded a little harsh.

Carrie gave me a big smile. "I understand, and honestly, I don't blame you. I would've done the same thing if I was in your shoes. If people tried to keep me away from my little sister, I would've told them to go to hell." That made me grin. She really does get it. She looked over at my sleeping brothers before looking back at me. "As your nurse, I have to suggest that you listen to your doctor, but if that's not gonna happen, then I might have a solution."

Within half an hour, another hospital bed showed up in Soda's room, and Carrie helped me into it. Soda woke up, and after he found out I was going to be in the same room as him, he seemed relieved and he fell back asleep. Meanwhile, Ponyboy slept the entire time, not reacting once to all of the noise. Golly, he must've been exhausted.

Nurse Carrie checked my vitals, put another IV in my arm, and even though I told her I was fine, she put something under my nose to make breathing a little easier. Once I was settled just a few feet from Soda and the wheelchair was placed against the wall, she addressed me again with the same beautiful smile. "Can I assume you won't disappear on me again?"

I smirked. "Yes ma'am."

She gave me a soft glare. "Now what did I tell you about callin' me ma'am?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry. Thanks for everything, Carrie."

After Carrie left the room, Two-Bit gave me a soft punch in the arm. "Darry, you dog… you got a thing for your nurse!"

"Shut it," I said. I wanted to sound stern, but I felt my cheeks getting hot, so I knew he wasn't going to take me seriously.

Steve was leaning against the wall, smirking, but he was smart and didn't say anything. He knew I could still throw just fine from my hospital bed.

I was the first one awake the following morning. Thanks to the hospital's apparent rule of not putting clocks in easily-seen locations, I only knew it was morning because the sun was shining through the window. Two-Bit and Steve were both sleeping in the chairs lining the wall next to Soda's bed, both of them looking surprisingly comfortable with their sleeping arrangements. I couldn't help but smile; not only did Carrie manage to get me and Soda to share a hospital room, but I had a feeling it was her that brought the guys some pillows and blankets.

A yawn pulled me out of my thoughts, and finally I saw someone else stir. Ponyboy blinked a few times before he carefully sat up straight in the hospital bed without waking Soda. He rubbed his eyes, then he caught sight of me. His eyes widened in surprise. "Darry? What's goin' on? How'd you get a bed in here?"

I chuckled. "Nurse Carrie helped with this arrangement. She was here late last night. I'm staying in here now."

Pony nodded a little, then he grinned at me. "Carrie… that's the pretty redhead, isn't it?" When I nodded, his grin grew, but he didn't say anything, and neither did I.

Our conversation caused the others to stir, and within minutes, all five greasers in the room were awake. We talked like everything was totally normal about all of us spending the night in the same small hospital room. At one point, Two-Bit told Ponyboy that he sweet-talked Carrie into letting me stay in Soda's room, and when Pony didn't believe him, Steve told my little brother that I got to room with Soda because Carrie liked me and didn't want to argue with me. I didn't necessarily agree with Steve, but I kept my mouth shut. I couldn't keep the grin off my face, though. If Carrie actually wanted to kick me out of my brother's room, she would've. Maybe she does let me get away with some stuff…

Just then, Officer Goodwin walked into the room with a smile on his face. "Good morning, gentlemen. I have some news for you all." We all waited in anticipation. Soda and Pony stared at the police officer with wide eye, Two-Bit's leg was bouncing nonstop, and Steve looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. "Thanks to Ponyboy's statement and sketches, we found the man that we believe is responsible for the accident. He is in custody and awaiting trial."

My brothers and I looked at each. They found him. Luck might actually be on our side for once.

"You serious?" Steve asked, stunned.

"Golly, it's about time!" Two-Bit exclaimed. Then he added, "no offense, officer."

"None taken," Officer Goodwin said. Then he looked at me directly. "The man's name is Robert Martin. He's pleading the fifth, meaning he's not saying anything, but between everything that Ponyboy and the other eyewitness have told me, along with all the evidence that I have collected, there's a solid case against him."

Everyone else seemed like they were happy with the news, but I had a feeling that there was more to it. "What's the catch?"

"Come on, Darry. Can't you just be happy they caught that guy?" Soda asked.

"There is just one thing," Officer Goodwin said, still holding my gaze. "It would help a lot if Ponyboy could testify in court."

I didn't respond. My immediate reaction was to tell the cop there was no way in hell I was going to make my kid brother talk in front of another court. I didn't want to traumatize him anymore, and if that Robert guy got within arm's reach of Pony again… well, I'd probably be the one going to court. If this guy is responsible for hurting my brothers, he's going to wish he never crossed me.

Before I could say anything though, Ponyboy spoke. "I'll do it."

The room was silent as we all looked at him. Finally, Soda wrapped an arm around him and looked at him right in the eyes. "You sure, honey? If you don't wanna go in another courtroom, nobody will blame ya."

That was true. Just a couple months before, Ponyboy had to tell the judge about how some Socs almost killed him, which led to Johnny killing Bob as well as everything else that happened that chaotic week. And it all started because I hit Pony…

"I'm sure." Pony's voice stopped my mind from spiraling into the immense amount of guilt that I carried with me every day. He spoke with such determination, that I was surprised the words came out of my youngest brother. "I wanna make sure the right person is held responsible for hurting my brothers."

Soda squeezed Pony closer to him. "And you too, Pony. You didn't just jump outta that car without a scratch." I knew Soda and I felt the same way about Pony getting hurt, we hated it and were furious at whoever caused it, but Pony didn't seem to think he even got hurt.

Officer Goodwin grinned. "Alright Ponyboy, I'll find out when you'll need to testify." Then he looked at me again. "Don't worry, Darrel. I know he has school, and I'll try to get the judge to work around that."

"Thanks," I said. Then, the cop's statement reminded me of something. "Pone, don't you have school today?"

He looked at me with surprise in his eyes, like a deer in headlights. "What time is it?" He looked around the room, probably trying to find an elusive clock, then he said, "Glory, what day is it?"

I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else in the room. "I don't know, kiddo. I lost track too." I took a moment to reflect on everything. I had always pushed Pony to do well in school and track, always getting on him if he didn't perform great, and I had an opportunity to give him a break. He deserved it. "Why don't you just take the day to relax, Pone. A lot's been going on, and you don't look like you're one hundred percent yet." It wasn't a lie; even though he slept through the night, probably for the first time in weeks, he looked exhausted.

Pony's eyes widened. "Really?" When I nodded, he smiled.

"I'm sure your teachers won't mind you taking a day off, Ponyboy," Officer Goodwin said. "Is Mr. Syme still teaching there?"

All of us stared at the young officer. How does he know Ponyboy's teacher? Unless…

"You went to the same school as us?" Ponyboy asked.

The cop nodded. "I lived not too far from where you all do. My mother, sister, and I moved into that neighborhood after my father died. They just moved into a different neighborhood last year." We were all silent, obviously blown away at Officer Goodwin's newest revelation. "Most of my teachers figured I wouldn't make much of myself, but Mr. Syme and, oddly enough, the gym teachers believed in me. Between them, my family, and the police officer that I kept running into in my adolescence, I had enough people pushing me to make something of myself."

We sat there in silence until, of course, Two-Bit was the first one to speak up. "So exactly how old are you?" Steve rolled his eyes, but the look on his face told me he wanted to know the answer too.

The cop chuckled, then nodded his chin towards me. "I'm just a couple years older than Darrel here."

So this cop really does understand us.

Pony shook his head, looking like he was bringing himself back to the present. "Uh, Mr. Syme's still there. He's my teacher."

"Would you mind telling him Charlie Goodwin says hi?" Officer Goodwin asked.

"Yeah, sure," Pony said, still obviously shocked.

Seconds later, both my doctor and Soda's doctor walked into the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Dr. Wright said, looking surprised by the amount of people in the room. He, at least, seemed entertained by the fact the hospital room was full of people, while Dr. Downing looked less than pleased.

"I see that you didn't want to follow my instructions," Dr. Downing said to me. When I met his gaze with a straight face, he let out a short laugh. "I should've known better than to argue with both you and Carrie. You are two of the most stubborn people I've met." I ignored the looks I was getting from my brothers and the guys.

"Does this mean he can stay?" Soda asked. I couldn't help but hear the pleading in my kid brother's voice.

"Yes, he can stay, but he needs to follow the rest of my instructions," Dr. Downing told Soda before he looked back at me. "First, the IV and oxygen canula stay." I grumbled something about not needing anything, but then he spoke over me. "If you disagree, then I'd be more than happy to move you out of this room."

"Ohhh someone's bossin' Superman around," I heard Two-Bit say as quietly as he could, which isn't all that quiet.

"I mean it," Dr. Downing said, completely ignoring Two-Bit's remark. "The wellbeing of my patients is my top priority, and if I need to make an ultimatum to help you recover, I will."

After I reluctantly agreed to Dr. Downing's orders, Dr. Wright spoke again. "Now, if you all haven't noticed, this room isn't that big. We'll be happy to accommodate visitors and whatnot, but if anyone steps out of line or causes a ruckus, they will be kicked out. Understood?" He was speaking to all of us, but I didn't miss the fact that Dr. Wright's eyes lingered on Two-Bit the longest.

"We will be on our very best behavior, sir," Two-Bit said with a wild grin and a salute. "I mean, there's a cop right here… we wouldn't risk actin' like delinquents with him around."

Everyone, including both of the doctors, grinned at that.

The doctors gave us more instructions and reminded us that Soda had occupational therapy every day and the room may need to be cleared out for those appointments with the exception of me; I was allowed to stay in the room, but if I became a nuisance, then I'd be kicked out too. It was up to Soda's occupational therapist, Sarah, if the guys needed to leave or not.

After a quick discussion about the trial with Officer Goodwin, Dr. Downing agreed that Ponyboy was fit to appear in court as long as environment didn't make his chronic headache worse. He also said that there was a chance that I could be discharged within days if I kept healing fine. I wanted to ask about Soda getting discharged, but I decided to ask Dr. Wright in private since he seemed to not only be more involved with Soda's care, but he also seemed a little more laid back and approachable.

Once the doctors and Officer Goodwin left, the five of us greasers were finally left alone.

"Alright you heard them," Two-Bit said in a mock superior tone. "Absolutely no fun allowed in this room."

Over the next few days, I slipped into a routine that I assumed was similar to what Soda had been doing while I was in a coma. I slept, ate when I was given food, played cards with the guys when they visited, talked with Soda or whoever else was in the room, and I spent a lot of time thinking. I thought about Soda and his recovery, the scars that were likely to litter the skin of my brothers and myself, our financial situation, the upcoming trial, our demolished truck, and so many other things. I tried to remind myself to take one day at a time, but I never was good at talking myself down when I was stressed.

We had plenty of visitors, and they seemed to stay even longer since their time was no longer divided between Soda and me. Tim and Curly visited, and my boss even stopped by once. Two-Bit asked him if he was making sure I wasn't just skipping work, and while I glared at my friend, my boss just laughed. Thank God he can take a joke.

Carrie continued to be the nurse I saw most often, which I was completely find with. Based on her constant smile and laughter while being in our hospital room, it seemed like Carrie enjoyed spending time with Soda and me, too. When her back was turned to him, Soda gave me wild looks and hand gestures, referencing Carrie. I

One thing I observed in my newfound free time was Soda's ever-changing mood. In the rare times that we were alone in the room, I could tell that he was stressed and worried, but the moment anyone else entered the room, he'd put on his happy, smiling face. It was most obvious before and after his occupational therapy sessions with Sarah. He got really quiet leading up to the sessions, and when Sarah was in the room, Soda would joke and make her smile, but when she left, my brother's brows would be furrowed, and his temper reflected how well or terribly he thought the session went.

"Soda, you need to give yourself time to heal," I said when we were alone after a particularly difficult session. Soda was sitting in bed, using his hands to lift and bend his "good" leg up without bending his back too much. I knew he was still in a lot of pain by the amount of pain medication they kept pumping through his IV, but he was almost as stubborn as me. He didn't want to accept what he considered to be defeat, which meant he never told anyone about the pain unless it was a doctor or nurse who asked. "You were hurt pretty bad, little buddy. It's-"

"Don't you think I know that?" Soda shot back at me. I knew he was upset, but I was stunned by his sudden temper. He must've seen my surprise because he sighed and softened his voice. "I'm sorry, Darry. I'm just… what if this is as good as it gets?"

I had spent a lot of time thinking about that particular scenario. "Then that's fine. No matter what happens, we'll figure everything out."

"It's not fine!" Soda shouted. "Lifting my foot off the bed is a long ways away from being able to stand and walk by myself."

"You told the kid you weren't gonna give up," a voice said from the doorway. Soda and I turned to look at Steve, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed across his chest. "You want to walk again? Prove it."

I flinched at the harshness of his voice. Give him a break, Steve. He's been through a lot. I wanted to scold him and tell him to leave Sodapop alone, but I let him keep talking.

Soda softened slightly as he approached Soda's bed. "Sarah told me you were able to lift your foot off the bed… she said you able to hold it in the air for a few seconds."

Soda scoffed. "Yeah, so? That ain't the same as walkin' Steve, and you know it."

Steve rolled his eyes and looked like he was about to smack Soda. "No, but it is something you weren't able to do just a few days ago, right?" When Soda didn't reply, I knew Steve was right. "You're getting' better, Soda. Even if you don't see it, you're getting better." Soda stayed silent, and Steve and I both knew he was getting his message across, despite Soda's understandably poor attitude. "Whether it's because you're a stubborn Curtis, or you just wanna keep your promise to Pony, you're healing and making progress. Nobody said it was gonna be easy."

Even though I was a few feet away, I saw the tears forming in Soda's eyes, and I knew they were tears of frustration and desperation.

"I just want everything to go back to normal," Soda choked out. He let go of his leg so he could rub the tears off his cheeks. "I'm so sick of being stuck like this."

Steve placed a hand on Soda's shoulder. "I know buddy, but you'll get through it. You have to be patient, and I know how hard that is for all you Curtises," he said, glancing at me as Soda laughed.

Soda pulled Steve into a hug, and while Soda's back was facing me, I grinned and mouthed the words "thank you" to Steve. He nodded in reply.

By the time Pony, Two-Bit, and Officer Goodwin walked into the room half an hour later, Soda's mood had improved and Steve had started a game of poker. We welcomed the distraction, especially since Soda kept winning and we couldn't figure out how, but it was still a gut reaction to assume there was bad news whenever I saw a cop, so I tried to prepare myself.

As Ponyboy and Two-Bit sat down in their chairs, Officer Goodwin spoke to me. "We have a court date."

Finally. Maybe this whole thing can be over soon. I looked over at Pony, who seemed to be lost in thought, almost distant from the world. Same old Ponyboy.

"When?" I asked Officer Goodwin.

"Tomorrow."

Almost done with this story! Thank you to those who have read this far!