(Steve's POV)

Despite Darry telling his doctor that he was okay enough to be discharged, Dr. Downing kept him in the hospital while Pony had to testify in court. Since Darry couldn't be there, Two-Bit and I went with the kid to court. We promised Darry that we'd keep Ponyboy safe, and if that drunk guy got within ten feet of him, we'd force him to back off one way or another.

The three of us met up with Charlie right away at the courthouse and sat where he told us to. Pony sat at a table with Charlie and a couple strangers, and Two-Bit and I sat in the first row right of seats behind Pony, quite literally watching his back. I knew deep down that Ponyboy was nervous, but he put on a brave face while we waited for the trial to begin.

The man of the hour, Robert Martin, showed up about half an hour after we all sat down. He looked disheveled, and he was escorted in by two other police officers. Robert was instructed to sit down at a table similar to the one Pony was sitting at and his handcuffs were removed. He looked around the room with a scowl on his face, and when he spotted Ponyboy across the room, his eyes lingered for a moment. I knew Two-Bit noticed too because he stopped telling me whatever he was talking about, and he got real tense. Right as I decided to say something to get the guy's eyes off of the kid, the judge walked in, and the trial officially started.

Basically, the trial was to determine if Robert Martin was guilty of driving while drunk and going after the Curtis brothers. If he was found guilty, he'd have to do jail time for sure, but the lawyer that was sitting next to Pony wanted Robert to pay for not only damages to the demolished truck, but also all the medical expenses. I could only hope that Pony's appointed lawyer was a good one.

As time ticked by, people went up to the seat next to the judge and talked in front of everyone. I had heard Pony's side of the story, which I knew was the truth, but it was still interesting to hear it from other people. The eyewitness that helped Ponyboy after he got out of the truck was there, as were a couple people from the races that saw Robert bothering the Curtises. All of them agreed that Robert Martin was drunk and looking to start something. Some of them even saw him get into his red truck at the races. Everyone that testified believed that Robert had it in him to follow the Curtises and crash into their truck while he was drunk.

Then it was Pony's turn to testify.

Honestly, the kid did pretty well. He answered the questions that everyone asked him and he kept his composure. I was glad the judge treated him nicely since he was just a kid and all, and everyone else in the room seemed to understand it too. Well, everyone except Robert Martin.

"Your brother cheated me out of money!" Robert suddenly shouted as Ponyboy was explaining what happened at the races. Everyone was stunned at the outburst, but Robert stood up and pointed at Ponyboy. "Your brother's a cheat! He owes me money! You all have ruined me!"

Two-Bit and I both tensed up, and we probably would've shouted something back if Ponyboy hadn't replied first. Surprisingly, he was calm, but stern. He glared at Robert and kept his voice steady. "My brother's not a cheat." Ponyboy's never been one to talk back to anyone other than members of our gang, especially not adults. I was real proud of him for standing up to Robert, especially because it was on behalf of his brothers who weren't able to be there. You tell him, Pony. This asshole deserves it.

Ponyboy's reply seemed to make Robert even madder, but Robert's lawyer made him sit down and be quiet while Pony told the rest of what he remembered. Once he was done talking and everyone was finished with their questions, Ponyboy was allowed to return to his seat next to Charlie. Once he was sitting in front of us, Two-Bit squeezed his shoulder in a display of support. Pony glanced back at him and nodded before turning back to face the judge.

When Robert Martin took the stand, he kept glaring at Ponyboy while he told his side of the story. His lawyer tried to make him out as the victim and the horrible crash was just an accident, but Pony's appointed lawyer tore Robert's defense apart. Apparently, Robert had a history of assault, drunken incidents, and he had some massive gambling debts. The cops around town knew him by name, and not in the semi-endearing way they knew Two-Bit.

After Robert, Charlie took the stand. It was obvious that while he was being fair and professional, he wanted Robert locked away so something like this never happened again. He listed out all of the evidence, eyewitness accounts, and he said that he believed Mr. Martin was the one responsible for the crash. Charlie was on our side, and it was nice to know that as we sat in the courtroom and listened to the rest of the trial.

After a few hours, the judge had made up his mind. Robert Martin was going to be sentenced to ten years in prison, and he had to pay for Darry's truck and all of the medical bills the Curtises would get from the hospital. Everyone in the room seemed to agree with the sentencing except the defendant himself.

"I'm tellin' ya, they crashed into me!" Robert shouted as he stood up. He looked at the judge before scowling at Ponyboy. "All you boys are cheaters and liars! I ain't gonna pay for nothin'… it ain't my fault!"

The kid didn't back down. Instead, he stood up and cried out, "my brothers almost died. Do you realize that? You almost killed the last two family members I have left!" The room fell silent at the weight of Pony's statement. Once again, I felt sick at the realization of what happened and how close we were to losing the Curtis brothers. My best friend almost died, along with his brothers. Three of my closest friends were almost killed. "One of them was in a coma for weeks, and the other still can't walk, and that was because of you!" Ponyboy said as he lifted his casted arm and pointed at Robert. I could tell Pony was shaking, likely from a surge of varying emotions, but to his credit, he didn't break eye contact with Robert.

After the exchange, there was a commotion in the room, and the judge wanted "order in the court." The judge told everyone the case was closed and to peacefully exit the courtroom. Most of the people obliged, but apparently, Ponyboy's statement was the final straw for Robert, because when he was going to be escorted away, he tore away from the cops and had his sights set on Ponyboy.

In one swift move, Two-Bit and I both jumped forward and blocked Robert's path to Ponyboy. Robert reached forward like he was about to grab Pony, but a quick punch to the jaw made him fall flat on his back. My knuckles throbbed, but I ignored it as I looked down at the man responsible for the Curtises suffering.

Robert looked up at me, bewildered. "You just punched me." Then he looked at Charlie, who was suddenly standing next to me. "Did you see that, officer? This man assaulted me!"

Charlie shook his head. "He was defending this minor that you tried to attack."

By then, two other officers reached down and grabbed Robert. They got him to stand up, and Charlie went behind him to put handcuffs on him. That's when Robert started really resisting. He tried to pull his arms away from the officers, but he was no match for their strength. After all, they weren't chronic drunks. Even though he seemed fairly young, Robert Martin was weak, but that didn't stop him from trying to prove otherwise.

The officers easily restrained him, and when Robert finally stopped fighting against them, he glared at something behind me, and I knew it must've been Ponyboy. "You're gonna pay for this, kid. I'm the victim. You and your brothers should-" he stopped short when Two-Bit and I moved forward to put an end to his rant.

Before we could do anything, Charlie put an arm up, separating us and the person I hated even more than the Socs. "That's enough, boys. We'll get this taken care of," he said in a stern voice that he had never used with us before. Then he softened a little. "Why don't you take Ponyboy to go see his brothers? I'm sure they'll want to know how the trial went."

I knew Two-Bit and I both wanted to give Robert a piece of our minds, but we couldn't help Pony if both of us were in jail. Reluctantly, we turned to leave. I looked at Pony for a second before I knew he was shaken. Two-Bit must've known too because he gave the kid a grin and threw an arm around Ponyboy's shoulders. "Alright kid, let's go see your big brothers." As the two of them started walking towards the door, I turned to look back at Robert, who was still glaring in Pony's direction.

"If you go near them again, you'll have to deal with me," I said as cold as I could. "And believe me, you don't wanna mess with his older brothers either." With that, I followed Two-Bit and Ponyboy out of the courtroom.


"You should've seen it! Pony stood up at yelled back at him!" Two-Bit exclaimed, squeezing Pony's shoulders a little and rubbing his knuckles in the kid's hair.

After we left the courtroom, we stopped to get some lunch before going back to the hospital. When we entered Darry and Soda's room, Soda was sitting in his bed and Darry was in a wheelchair next to him. I wasn't surprised to see that Darry was out of bed; he was probably restless just thinking about the trial. I could imagine Darry getting fidgety and needing a distraction.

Two-Bit and I were telling them everything that had happened in the court room, with Two-Bit supplying most of the dramatic details while I gave them the important ones: Robert Martin was going to jail and he'd have to pay for their truck and their medical expenses. They did their best to hide their reactions, but I knew it was a huge relief for them to not have to worry about those bills piling up, but they still had to worry about the typical bills they got in the mail.

Once we were done telling them everything that happened, Soda was smiling, which seemed to getting rarer and rarer the longer he spent in the hospital. Darry grinned, despite shaking his head. "Pone, I don't want to encourage you talking back to adults…" then his grin gave way to a smile. He reached out towards Ponyboy, who was sitting between him and Two-Bit, and gripped Ponyboy's shoulder. "But in this case, I'd say he deserved it."

Ponyboy grinned, but then it faded into a frown and he looked down at the floor. "He was talkin' bad about you two, sayin' you're liars and cheats, and… I don't know, I just… I got real mad."

Darry and Soda shared a look while their brother was still staring at the ground. I figured they realized Ponyboy was defending them since they seemed real proud. Seeing that Ponyboy seemed troubled, Soda spoke softly. "You're pretty tuff for stickin' up for us like that."

Ponyboy looked up at Soda. "Yeah?"

Darry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but let's not make a habit of you doing stuff like that. I don't want you getting into trouble on our behalf."

"Why not?" Ponyboy asked incredulously. "You guys do the same for me all the time."

"You're right, but we're your big brothers," Soda said with a tone of mock superiority.

Before Pony had a chance to reply, Two-Bit spoke. "Don't worry about it, Pony. If you wanna protect your brothers, you go for it. Steve and I will always be there to back you up," Two-Bit said with a wild grin on his face. Then he looked at me. "Right, Steve?"

Before, I would've been annoyed that I had to look out for the kid. Honestly, he used to be a pain in my ass. But after everything we all had been through, I found myself not only tolerating Ponyboy Curtis, but we were, dare I say it, friends. That being said, I didn't necessarily have to show it outwardly. He knows we're good now, anyway.

I shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." After a beat, I gave the kid a grin, which he returned. I knew he knew we were friends.

Darry smiled and ruffled Pony's hair. "People can bother us all they want; we'll take care of them. Just don't put yourself in harm's way for us, savy?"

Pony rolled his eyes, and reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, alright."

The five of us stayed in the hospital room all night just talking, playing cards, and acting like everything was completely normal about hanging out in a hospital room every single day. For the first time since they arrived to the hospital, all three of the brothers seemed to get a good night's sleep.


One more chapter to go! Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!