*STEVE'S POV*

The kid's eyes opened slowly as I sat watching.

"Steve?" his voice was a little hoarse.

"What?" I asked, annoyed without knowing why.

His eyes closed again. "Doesn't matter."

I shrugged and walked out of the room. He was fine. Everyone worried far too much. Walking into the living room, I flipped on the TV and flopped down on the couch.

My eyelids drooped lower and lower and the TV sounded slightly buzzy. I laid my head down on the back of the couch, and fell asleep.

I was awakened by a scream.

"What the fuck?" I cursed. I ran over to Ponyboy's bedroom and flung open the door. The kid was drenched in sweat and was moving around in his sleep, as if trying to fight something. He cried out again.

"Oh fuuuck," I groaned. I strode over to his bed and shook him hard. "Ponyboy, wake the hell up."

He didn't respond.

"PONY!" I hollered. He woke up. I could tell he was half-scared of me, by the way he kind of shrank away from me.

"You okay kid?" I said roughly, unsure of what to do. He nodded and buried his face into his pillow, obviously not wanting me to see him sobbing.

Part of me was telling me to get up and leave the kid. The other part was ordering me to stay. For the first time, I listened to the other side. I put a hand on Pony's back. He tensed a little. I ignored it.

"You sure you're okay?" I said, my voice a little softer.

"Yeah," he said. After a long pause, he spoke again. "Thanks Steve," he whispered. It was so quiet I wasn't sure if he had said something. Still not knowing why, I stayed with him, rubbing his back, until his sobs subsided and he drifted off to sleep.

When I was sure he was asleep, I got up and quietly closed the door. I sat back down on the couch.

"What is wrong with you?" I said to myself. "Quit being so damn sentimental."

Shaking my head, I went back into Pony's room and sat on a chair next to his bed. For some reason unknown to me, I didn't want him to be alone again if he had another nightmare.

I had almost dozed off again when I heard a strange sound. It seemed as if someone was struggling to breathe. My head snapped up. Ponyboy was half sitting up in bed, one hand clutched to his chest. He was inhaling, but no air seemed to be getting into him.

"Steve!" he gasped. "I can't breathe . . ."

"Oh my god!"

I jumped up and ran into the kitchen, where Darry had showed me his medicine.

"Okay. Calm down, Steve," I said. "Which one?"

*SODAPOP'S POV*

This was one of the first times I had worked at the gas station without Steve.

"Curtis! There's a customer waiting!" someone yelled.

"Coming!" I shouted back.

I started jogging over, but stopped suddenly. What was I doing here? I should be at home, taking care of my kid brother.

"Curtis!"

Suddenly I didn't care if I got fired. It didn't seem important any more. Ignoring the other man, I turned the other way and ran all the way back home.

*DARRY'S POV*

I was carrying up a load of roofing when I figured out what had been nagging at me the whole day. Ponyboy. I should be at home, taking care of my kid brother. I turned to the workman beside me.

"Hey, cover for me okay? I gotta go check up on something."

Without waiting for an answer, I turned and ran to the truck, started it and drove home as fast as I could.

*STEVE'S POV*

"FUCK!" my hands shook as they fumbled through the bottles. Finally, I gave up and ran back to the bedroom to see how Pony was doing.

"Pony, you okay?" I wanted to kick myself in the head. What a stupid question. Of course he's not okay.

"My chest hurts," he whispered. "And I still can't breathe. Steve!" he clutched at me in desperation.

His lips were turning blue and he was very weak. "Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck," I moaned. What was I going to do when the Curtis' got home??

*DARRY'S POV*

I got home as fast as I could, even speeding when there weren't many cares, something I would never do normally after mom and dad's car crash. Something seemed to be telling me that my brother needed me.

I ran through the front door. Steve wasn't in the living room. I flung open Pony's bedroom door and found a distraught Steve and Pony, who couldn't seem to breathe.

Fighting to keep calm, I motioned to get Steve's attention. He looked relieved at finding me home.

"What happened?"

"I have no idea! I swear, Darry. I just walked into Pony's room and he had a nightmare and then I dozed off and afterwards I woke up and Pony couldn't breathe I seriously didn't do anything to him!" Steve realized he was babbling and shut up.

"Okay. We're getting him to the hospital."

I picked up my unconscious little brother easily and headed back to the truck. Suddenly, the front door slammed again.

"Is Pony okay?" came my other brother's voice.

"Soda, get in the truck. We're going back to the hospital," I called.

"What? Why?" Soda shouted. He shut up when he saw me carrying Pony into the truck, with Steve trailing me worriedly.

The trip to the hospital was hurried. Nobody spoke unless they had to. The second the truck stopped I ran out and into the hospital.

I grabbed a nearby nurse.

"I need a doctor right now."

She looked at Ponyboy, and quickly called a doctor over. Somebody else came with a stretcher, and lowered my kid brother onto it.

"We'll take over from now," the nurse I had spoken to said, shaking me from my daze.

"We're going with him!" said Soda, who was behind me.

"I'm sorry, but nobody can accompany him. I suggest you get signed in. You can see him after we've finished, but only immediate family."

She hurried off.