8. The new arrival.

I woke up in a cold sweat. I reached for the lamp beside my bed, and turned it on. For a moment I thought I was back in the church, cold, tired, and hungry. I took a deep breath, and told myself that it was only a stupid nightmare. I was safe home with Darry and Soda! But I was still having trouble breathing. I hadn't dreamt of that time in ages, but it must have been seeing Mrs. Cade which brought it back. I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get myself a drink, as quietly as I could. I was shaking a little from the reality of the dream, and I drank the water in one long gulp.

"Ponyboy?" Darry's voice made me jump a mile.

"Darry! You scared the hell out of me!" I complained.

"Sorry." Darry said, but he didn't sound very sorry at all. "Why are you up?"

"I couldn't sleep." I muttered.

"Did you have another nightmare Pony?" Darry asked softly.

I hesitated, and then shook my head. "No, nothing like that." I lied.

"Pony, if you want to talk to me you know you can. I know that in the past we haven't been very close, but I'm here for you. I know what you've been through-"

"How do you know?" I demanded. "Were you there when Johnny killed the Soc? Were you there when we were hiding in the church so scared? Were you there when the there was the fire?"

Darry sighed, and scratched at his head. "Pony, I thought you were better. What's made this all come back up?"

"I don't know." I muttered. "Maybe Steve being in the hospital. Maybe seeing Mrs. Cade."

Darry nodded slowly. "Yeah, before all that you were coming along fine...listen Pony, I've been thinking. I think it might help for you to see someone!"

I stared at him. "See someone?" I repeated.

"A doctor, or a psychiatrist, or a counselor. Someone who can help you talk through everything. Someone to help you deal with it better." Darry replied.

I shook my head. "No. No way Darry! I am not going! Could you imagine what everyone would say?"

"They wouldn't have to know!" Darry argued.

"They'd still find out." I insisted. "Besides I'm fine. I can work this out myself."

"If that's the case you're not doing a very good job of it." Darry said.

"Stop acting like my father Darry!" I said angrily. "I'm old enough to know what's best for me!"

"Yeah, that's obvious." Darry snorted.

I was about to yell at him, and tell him to butt out of my life once and for all. But we were interrupted by a call from upstairs.

"DARRY? PONY? Where are y'all?" Soda bellowed.

"Down here!" Darry called back, looking at me strangely. I shrugged, and then the two of us hurried upstairs, meeting Soda on the way down.

"Sandy's going to have the baby!" Soda said. "We've got to get her to the hospital."

Darry turned to me, his eyes wide. "Go back the car out Pony, get it warm while I help Soda with Sandy! And Pony-do you think you're up to going to the hospital?"

I glared at him embarrassed. "I'll be fine." I muttered, and I went back downstairs to get the car ready to go.

On the way to the hospital Soda was sitting in the back with Sandy, holding her hand and telling her to take deep breaths. For my part I was thinking carefully; the baby seemed to be arriving a few weeks before I thought it was due. I didn't think that was too dangerous nowadays but you never knew. I glanced over at Darry, wondering whether he could go any faster, but his eyes were on the road, and his face was set with concentration, and I knew he was already way over the speed limit-something he doesn't do that often. It's always Soda who speeds!

*****

Darry and I were sitting silently in the hospital waiting room. A few times I'd seen him glance at me like he wanted to ask something, but my glare stopped him. I didn't need him asking me whether I was alright or not! Johnny's face had come into my mind a few times, but it was more like he was there watching over the whole event than memories of what had happened. For a moment I debated telling Darry this, simply as proof that I was alright, that I hadn't regressed back to what I had been like before, but I didn't. The daylight broke as we waited, and then Darry got up slowly. He was stiff from sitting in the chair for so long. "I've got to go call work. I hope they don't mind me taking the day off." He said, more to himself than me.

"They won't mind Darry." I assured him. "I don't think you've ever taken a day off before without a good reason! Even when Soda and I tried to convince you otherwise!" That was true; Darry had gone to work with the flu on two occasions, and with a migraine on another. Like I said, Darry believes in hard work.

"I might also give Two-Bit and Steve a call, and let them know the babies coming." Darry added, and he wandered off leaving me alone. For a moment I sat there, and then I got up, an idea in the back of my mind.

The room was empty when I walked in, which was probably lucky! I went over to the bed where Johnny had died, and sat on it. "Hey Johnny. I bet you're watching over us now, aren't you? Can you believe Soda and Sandy getting married? Can you believe there is going to be a baby in the Curtis house?" I smiled slightly. "I bet you would have liked a baby around wouldn't you? I saw your Mom the other day and I am sorry for yelling at her Johnny, but I know you wouldn't care that I did it. She was never really family to you was she? She could have stopped your father from beating you up, but she never did! I've been doing alright lately. I never thought I would, but I am. I will miss you forever of course, and I even miss Dally which is a little concerning!, but I think I've really began to come to terms with everything which has happened."

It was a few minutes later when I left the empty room, and it was strange, but I almost felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. As I walked back into the waiting room I saw Soda there hugging Darry. I hurried over, and Soda threw his arms around me, and we had a three-way hug.

"It's a boy! I've got a son!" Soda told us.

"Way to go Soda!" I said.

For a few minutes we stood there like we were. The three Curtis's. Then Soda went back to Sandy, and Darry and I waited for the arrival of the other two. Darry looked at me.

"Are you alright Pony? You seem..different.." He said, struggling to find the words for it.

"I'm fine! I'm great actually!" I said. "I went and said goodbye to Johnny."

Darry looked at me strangely for a moment, but he didn't ask, and I didn't tell him. Then he grinned, and reached out to ruffle my hair, like he occasionally did to Soda. "What do you reckon Ponyboy? We're uncles!"