Author's Note: Aloha everyone. Sorry about the slow update, I was away.
Guess who's back, back again. Eh, Man's back, tell a friend.
Mwhahahaha.
Yay! Fifty five reviews! Ok, so one was from myself. And 12 were by Bunin' Church Gal. But still. I feel so loved!
Nicole: Glad you liked it! I don't make you cry on purpose, sorry!
Usagibuffy: Yes. You should. Lol. Thank you for your review! Hmm...Soda freaks a bit here, but not too much.
Tim the Enchantress: Aww, thanks! You don't know how much that means to me, that some people like my little story. Pony is fun to write, Soda...well, he's fun too. I don't really like Darry's POV all that much, because I don't think I get his personality down all that well. Oh well. Tell me what you think!
Karlei Shaynner: Here ya go with the chapter! * hands cookie for reviewing because she didn't get one before *
Remmy: * gives monkey a banana * Pixie sticks are muchly good...
Blatty: Oh I'm so sorry! * exchanges chocolate chip cookie for a peanut butter one * That better? I hope so! Sorry 'bout that... I'm glad you like it!
TallemeraRane: * gives cookie for reviewing because she didn't get one before * Thank you! Yeah, don't you hate it when the main character dies after a long story of him getting better. * rages on authors who do that * I find it kinda pointless. I'll try not to do it here. But it's kinda like a big black hole, you get drawn into it until it's impossible to resist...
Tiffany: Thanks! Here ya go! * hands cookie*
Bella1878: Thank you so much for reading this! Heh. I like to foreshadow. Hmmm....good point about the pain. Actually though, the pain was just going because of the morphine sorta stuff that was being injected into his arm. Painkiller. I didn't say it was morphine directly, because did they even HAVE morphine in 1966?
Burnin' Church Gal, BURNIN CHURCH GAL IN A VERY BAD MOOD!!!, burnin, es the church, johnny, horse, and sparkey!!!! here to bug u!!!!, it's *cough cough* ummm... Ponygrl!!! yeah that's it!, burnin again. , burnin church gal!!!!!! *sixth time now, huh?* , and WUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *yeah i don't think i'm even gonna bother to put my name here* : I don't actually know what to say. Holy crap! 12 reveiews so far! (Only seven for the fifth chapter...) Uhm. Thanks? Thanks very, very much! I'm so glad that you like it! Believe it or not, your reviews spurred me on drastically. Something about someone continually nagging at you to update gets the job done...^_^ * waves to Johnny, Horse, and Sparkey * Yes, I understand about the 'scar-heads'. Lol. You have my permission to hide out here anytime. By the way, want to meet my conscience and, uhm, un-conscience? O_o * Yells behind her * LYNNE!!!! * Lynne bounces in and hugs Man * Uh, hi Lynne. * turns back to Burnin' * Lynne's my conscience. A very hyper conscience, but still. * Lynne waves enthousiastically *
Lynne: I'm her angel!
Uhm. Sure Lynne. Whatever. Where's Kate? * yells over shoulder * KATE!!!!!! * Kate walks in, than stops and glares at Lynne *
Kate: Whats SHE doing here?
Being...good?
Kate: Whatever. * narrows eyes and crosses arms. *
* Man glances at Lynne being happy and Kate being difficult *
Yes. Well. Kate's my...uh...bad side?
Kate: Her devil.
Uh huh. Kate's the opposite of Lynne.
Lynne: Are you going to call your self Man from now on?
Uh. Sure. Why not? I'm too lazy to type Eh, Man every time.
Lynne: But...You're a girl!
Kate: * snorts * Thanks for that wonderful observation.
I think I should get on with the story. But yeah. Thank you for the reviews, Burnin'!
Ok, there's not much Pony in this chapter, because he's unconscious. Well duh. I'm also trying my hand for the first time at Darry. Please tell me in a review how I did!
Well, here it is!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders
~*~
(Darry's POV)
"Stay gold."
The haunting words of my little brother as he passed out.
Who the hell made him so wise?
My hands were shaking; I was slightly rocking back and forth, Ponyboy's hand in mine. Soda was staring at Pony. With wide eyes. And a pale face. And tears streaming down his face.
Gently placing Pony's hand on the stretcher he was lying on, I reached over and grabbed Soda's shirt. I dragged him over against me, and he started sobbing into my shoulder. He grasped a fistful of my shirt in on hand, and clenched his other fist.
His tears ran down his face; tears ran down my face. I was crying, too. My little brother lay unconscious on the stretcher.
Pony wasn't gunna die. I wouldn't let him. Not after all this. Especially after all this.
The paramedic looked up at us with a strange look in his eyes. Sadness, pity, sympathy. He was a young guy, not much older than me.
"Where's your parents?"
Not that question again.
The paramedic was fiddling with Pony's oxygen mask. I had a strange urge to lean over and make sure my littlest brother was alive. But I had to look under control, responsible for my brothers. Brother. Pony wasn't awake to see.
Soda finally pulled away, his eyes red, and grabbed Pony's hand again.
"They're dead." I said quietly to the paramedic.
"Oh." Was all he said. He glanced at the driver, and at the other paramedic in the back who was fussing over some machines by the door.
Ponyboy was breathing slowly through the mask. His face was pale and bruised from getting almost beaten to death.
I had a memory of Johnny, after he had been beaten. He had looked like Pony; broken.
Damn the Socs.
But Johnny was dead now. And so was Dally. And no one suffered more than Pony.
I had read his English theme. He didn't know I had, but I did. After he spent almost all night writing it, he had fallen asleep over his cluttered desk. Soda had called me in when he had gone to bed to find Pony there. Soda had carried him over to their bed, and I had checked to see it Pony had finished. He had.
I had read the first line, than grabbed the thick stack of papers and taken it into the kitchen.
'As I stepped out into the brightness from the movie theatre...'
I had no idea what he had been through.
I had read it all, and slipped it back onto the desk. I had stumbled back to the living room and collapsed down on the couch, staring at the turned-off TV.
He had never told us any of it. His view of the world, why he loved sunsets so much, what happened in the time at the church. What happened when Johnny killed the Soc....
What Pony really thought of his overprotective older brother.
I put my head in my hands, the siren of the ambulance giving me a headache. My brothers were my life, without them I wouldn't have been able to take the death of both my parents at once.
Suddenly, the ambulance stopped. We were at the hospital. The paramedic pushed open both doors, and him and the other guy near the machines pushed Pony's stretcher out of the car and into the hospital. Soda looked after Pony, seemingly in a trace. I felt the same.
I pulled my younger brother after me out of the ambulance, and walked into the hospital, dragging the stumbling Soda after me.
I went up to the front desk and asked what we should do. The bored receptionist told me stiffly to wait in the waiting room. We sat on chairs inside, waiting for something to happen, or someone to tell us what to do. I had my hand on a shaking Sodapop's shoulder.
Suddenly, I realized he was staring at his hand. There was a dried, reddish-brown substance on it. Blood.
I heard some yelling down the hall, and a hint of a smile came on Soda's face.
"Well, Two-Bit and Steve are here." I muttered. I had to smile softly myself, too. I would have been amazed if they had come in quietly.
Two-Bit strolled down the hall towards us, slightly pale, but otherwise normal. He grinned at a blonde nurse walking by, but his heart wasn't in it.
Steve jogged after Two-Bit, ignoring the disapproving glances of the doctors. He had a bundle of something in his hand, and had a smoke dangling out of his mouth. "Where's the party?" Steve asked, taking a drag on the cigarette and ignoring the no-smoking sign.
"Right here, buddy." Soda said with a small smile. He stuffed his hands in his pockets because they were shaking. He stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, causing a nurse to trip over them. She glared at Soda, but he grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and continued on. Soda turned back to us, still grinning, but we all knew it was fake.
"Here." Steve grunted, and handed the bundle of clothing to Soda. Steve glanced around carelessly, taking another drag on his smoke. "You guys look like shit."
I glanced at Soda, and realized that he had blood all over his pants. And shirt. And hands. I looked down at myself to see blood covering my shirt and arms. Dammit. Pony's blood.
Two-Bit crossed his arms and surveyed us critically. "I think they look tuff."
Steve punched him in the arm. Hard. We don't do things soft. "Shut up you Greaser."
Soda tossed me a shirt, and I pulled of my old one and threw it in the garbage can. I wouldn't wear that shirt again even if I could get the blood stains out.
Soda yanked off his white t-shirt and stared at the shirt he was about to put on. It was a nice shirt, one with a collar and buttons up the front.
"What the hell?" Soda muttered, as he started to undo the buttons. I raised an eyebrow at Steve.
He shrugged. "When was the last time you did the laundry, Darry?"
I snorted, and went to kick him in the shins from where I sat, but he backed away.
Soda didn't button up the shirt once he put it on, and undid the cuffs. He pulled off his pants and put on a new pair in the middle of the hallway, ignoring the startled glances of the passer-bys.
Steve laughed. Soda threw his old clothes into the garbage can like I did, and sat back down.
"Like I said. I think there's a rule or something. Sorry, dude." Steve said with a grin.
Soda shrugged, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Two-Bit laughed.
"That was great." Two-Bit told Soda, giving him a thumbs up. "Maybe more of strip show next time."
We were all trying to ignore the fact that my brother was in intensive care. And possibly dying.
The young paramedic from the ambulance coming up to us, wrecking our mood.
"Darrel and Sodapop Curtis?" He asked with a small smile, reading from a clipboard.
The gang was suddenly silent. I stood up and walked with the doctor to an empty room to talk.
"I'm Darrel. How's my little brother?" I asked immediately. The doctor sighed.
"Before that, I'm Doctor White." The young doctor said. "I work part time as a paramedic, but my shift is over now, and I find you're my patients."
I looked again at the doctor. He had brown hair that went to just above his ears, and blue eyes. He didn't look much older than me. He wasn't wearing the green uniform he had been in the ambulance, but a white coat, ironically matching his name.
"You can call me Joe if you want. You heard my diagnosis in the ambulance, I presume."
I remembered. Ponyboy had been awake, and listened with a sort of calm acceptance.
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Well," Joe said, "I'm not going to ask what happened. We get a lot of beat up people in here. But I'm going to ask once if it was you or your brother. You said your parents were dead, and I believe you. But when a kid comes in almost beat to death, we have to ask some questions. So, truthfully, was it you or your brother."
I couldn't believe he was asking this. Soda loved Pony more than anything. Soda wouldn't hit Pony if his life depended on it. I wouldn't hurt either of my brothers. And yet... I had hit Pony the night Johnny died. I had, and it would forever lie on my conscious.
"No." I said quietly. "It wasn't either of us."
Joe looked at me for a while. I think in the end he believed me, and glanced down at his clipboard.
"Your brother will live." Joe said. I breathed a sigh of relief. "But it was close. He lost a lot of blood, and the broken ribs almost damaged his lungs. He has some bruised internal organs, but we stopped the bleeding. His fever was dangerously high, but we got it lowered. But what were interesting were the marks on his neck. Bruises and cuts, and his air supply got cut off. He'll live, but he's got some recovering to do first."
Joe tucked his clipboard under his arm. "You and your brother can see him, as can other family." Yelling suddenly started coming from the hallway, obviously from Soda, Steve and Two-Bit. Joe winked at me.
Family. Right.
"They're our...cousins." I said quickly.
"Of course." Joe agreed. He held open the door, and I walked back into the hall.
Soda was standing face to face with a black haired lady in a yellow dress. Her glasses were pushed up her nose, and she was holding up papers.
"Social worker." Steve mouthed to me.
Oh shit.
~*~
Author's Note:
Kate: REVIEW!! * shakes fist threateningly *
Lynne: You shouldn't do that Kate.
Kate: What, you're gunna stop me?
Uhm. Guys? I think you should stop threatening the readers now. * Kate and Lynne leave *
By the way, Kate and Lynne are my....well, devil and angel I guess. Lynne's my conscience, and Kate's the opposite of Lynne.
But please review!!!
All right, till next time, bye!
Luv ya,
~Eh, Man
Guess who's back, back again. Eh, Man's back, tell a friend.
Mwhahahaha.
Yay! Fifty five reviews! Ok, so one was from myself. And 12 were by Bunin' Church Gal. But still. I feel so loved!
Nicole: Glad you liked it! I don't make you cry on purpose, sorry!
Usagibuffy: Yes. You should. Lol. Thank you for your review! Hmm...Soda freaks a bit here, but not too much.
Tim the Enchantress: Aww, thanks! You don't know how much that means to me, that some people like my little story. Pony is fun to write, Soda...well, he's fun too. I don't really like Darry's POV all that much, because I don't think I get his personality down all that well. Oh well. Tell me what you think!
Karlei Shaynner: Here ya go with the chapter! * hands cookie for reviewing because she didn't get one before *
Remmy: * gives monkey a banana * Pixie sticks are muchly good...
Blatty: Oh I'm so sorry! * exchanges chocolate chip cookie for a peanut butter one * That better? I hope so! Sorry 'bout that... I'm glad you like it!
TallemeraRane: * gives cookie for reviewing because she didn't get one before * Thank you! Yeah, don't you hate it when the main character dies after a long story of him getting better. * rages on authors who do that * I find it kinda pointless. I'll try not to do it here. But it's kinda like a big black hole, you get drawn into it until it's impossible to resist...
Tiffany: Thanks! Here ya go! * hands cookie*
Bella1878: Thank you so much for reading this! Heh. I like to foreshadow. Hmmm....good point about the pain. Actually though, the pain was just going because of the morphine sorta stuff that was being injected into his arm. Painkiller. I didn't say it was morphine directly, because did they even HAVE morphine in 1966?
Burnin' Church Gal, BURNIN CHURCH GAL IN A VERY BAD MOOD!!!, burnin, es the church, johnny, horse, and sparkey!!!! here to bug u!!!!, it's *cough cough* ummm... Ponygrl!!! yeah that's it!, burnin again. , burnin church gal!!!!!! *sixth time now, huh?* , and WUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *yeah i don't think i'm even gonna bother to put my name here* : I don't actually know what to say. Holy crap! 12 reveiews so far! (Only seven for the fifth chapter...) Uhm. Thanks? Thanks very, very much! I'm so glad that you like it! Believe it or not, your reviews spurred me on drastically. Something about someone continually nagging at you to update gets the job done...^_^ * waves to Johnny, Horse, and Sparkey * Yes, I understand about the 'scar-heads'. Lol. You have my permission to hide out here anytime. By the way, want to meet my conscience and, uhm, un-conscience? O_o * Yells behind her * LYNNE!!!! * Lynne bounces in and hugs Man * Uh, hi Lynne. * turns back to Burnin' * Lynne's my conscience. A very hyper conscience, but still. * Lynne waves enthousiastically *
Lynne: I'm her angel!
Uhm. Sure Lynne. Whatever. Where's Kate? * yells over shoulder * KATE!!!!!! * Kate walks in, than stops and glares at Lynne *
Kate: Whats SHE doing here?
Being...good?
Kate: Whatever. * narrows eyes and crosses arms. *
* Man glances at Lynne being happy and Kate being difficult *
Yes. Well. Kate's my...uh...bad side?
Kate: Her devil.
Uh huh. Kate's the opposite of Lynne.
Lynne: Are you going to call your self Man from now on?
Uh. Sure. Why not? I'm too lazy to type Eh, Man every time.
Lynne: But...You're a girl!
Kate: * snorts * Thanks for that wonderful observation.
I think I should get on with the story. But yeah. Thank you for the reviews, Burnin'!
Ok, there's not much Pony in this chapter, because he's unconscious. Well duh. I'm also trying my hand for the first time at Darry. Please tell me in a review how I did!
Well, here it is!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders
~*~
(Darry's POV)
"Stay gold."
The haunting words of my little brother as he passed out.
Who the hell made him so wise?
My hands were shaking; I was slightly rocking back and forth, Ponyboy's hand in mine. Soda was staring at Pony. With wide eyes. And a pale face. And tears streaming down his face.
Gently placing Pony's hand on the stretcher he was lying on, I reached over and grabbed Soda's shirt. I dragged him over against me, and he started sobbing into my shoulder. He grasped a fistful of my shirt in on hand, and clenched his other fist.
His tears ran down his face; tears ran down my face. I was crying, too. My little brother lay unconscious on the stretcher.
Pony wasn't gunna die. I wouldn't let him. Not after all this. Especially after all this.
The paramedic looked up at us with a strange look in his eyes. Sadness, pity, sympathy. He was a young guy, not much older than me.
"Where's your parents?"
Not that question again.
The paramedic was fiddling with Pony's oxygen mask. I had a strange urge to lean over and make sure my littlest brother was alive. But I had to look under control, responsible for my brothers. Brother. Pony wasn't awake to see.
Soda finally pulled away, his eyes red, and grabbed Pony's hand again.
"They're dead." I said quietly to the paramedic.
"Oh." Was all he said. He glanced at the driver, and at the other paramedic in the back who was fussing over some machines by the door.
Ponyboy was breathing slowly through the mask. His face was pale and bruised from getting almost beaten to death.
I had a memory of Johnny, after he had been beaten. He had looked like Pony; broken.
Damn the Socs.
But Johnny was dead now. And so was Dally. And no one suffered more than Pony.
I had read his English theme. He didn't know I had, but I did. After he spent almost all night writing it, he had fallen asleep over his cluttered desk. Soda had called me in when he had gone to bed to find Pony there. Soda had carried him over to their bed, and I had checked to see it Pony had finished. He had.
I had read the first line, than grabbed the thick stack of papers and taken it into the kitchen.
'As I stepped out into the brightness from the movie theatre...'
I had no idea what he had been through.
I had read it all, and slipped it back onto the desk. I had stumbled back to the living room and collapsed down on the couch, staring at the turned-off TV.
He had never told us any of it. His view of the world, why he loved sunsets so much, what happened in the time at the church. What happened when Johnny killed the Soc....
What Pony really thought of his overprotective older brother.
I put my head in my hands, the siren of the ambulance giving me a headache. My brothers were my life, without them I wouldn't have been able to take the death of both my parents at once.
Suddenly, the ambulance stopped. We were at the hospital. The paramedic pushed open both doors, and him and the other guy near the machines pushed Pony's stretcher out of the car and into the hospital. Soda looked after Pony, seemingly in a trace. I felt the same.
I pulled my younger brother after me out of the ambulance, and walked into the hospital, dragging the stumbling Soda after me.
I went up to the front desk and asked what we should do. The bored receptionist told me stiffly to wait in the waiting room. We sat on chairs inside, waiting for something to happen, or someone to tell us what to do. I had my hand on a shaking Sodapop's shoulder.
Suddenly, I realized he was staring at his hand. There was a dried, reddish-brown substance on it. Blood.
I heard some yelling down the hall, and a hint of a smile came on Soda's face.
"Well, Two-Bit and Steve are here." I muttered. I had to smile softly myself, too. I would have been amazed if they had come in quietly.
Two-Bit strolled down the hall towards us, slightly pale, but otherwise normal. He grinned at a blonde nurse walking by, but his heart wasn't in it.
Steve jogged after Two-Bit, ignoring the disapproving glances of the doctors. He had a bundle of something in his hand, and had a smoke dangling out of his mouth. "Where's the party?" Steve asked, taking a drag on the cigarette and ignoring the no-smoking sign.
"Right here, buddy." Soda said with a small smile. He stuffed his hands in his pockets because they were shaking. He stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, causing a nurse to trip over them. She glared at Soda, but he grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and continued on. Soda turned back to us, still grinning, but we all knew it was fake.
"Here." Steve grunted, and handed the bundle of clothing to Soda. Steve glanced around carelessly, taking another drag on his smoke. "You guys look like shit."
I glanced at Soda, and realized that he had blood all over his pants. And shirt. And hands. I looked down at myself to see blood covering my shirt and arms. Dammit. Pony's blood.
Two-Bit crossed his arms and surveyed us critically. "I think they look tuff."
Steve punched him in the arm. Hard. We don't do things soft. "Shut up you Greaser."
Soda tossed me a shirt, and I pulled of my old one and threw it in the garbage can. I wouldn't wear that shirt again even if I could get the blood stains out.
Soda yanked off his white t-shirt and stared at the shirt he was about to put on. It was a nice shirt, one with a collar and buttons up the front.
"What the hell?" Soda muttered, as he started to undo the buttons. I raised an eyebrow at Steve.
He shrugged. "When was the last time you did the laundry, Darry?"
I snorted, and went to kick him in the shins from where I sat, but he backed away.
Soda didn't button up the shirt once he put it on, and undid the cuffs. He pulled off his pants and put on a new pair in the middle of the hallway, ignoring the startled glances of the passer-bys.
Steve laughed. Soda threw his old clothes into the garbage can like I did, and sat back down.
"Like I said. I think there's a rule or something. Sorry, dude." Steve said with a grin.
Soda shrugged, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Two-Bit laughed.
"That was great." Two-Bit told Soda, giving him a thumbs up. "Maybe more of strip show next time."
We were all trying to ignore the fact that my brother was in intensive care. And possibly dying.
The young paramedic from the ambulance coming up to us, wrecking our mood.
"Darrel and Sodapop Curtis?" He asked with a small smile, reading from a clipboard.
The gang was suddenly silent. I stood up and walked with the doctor to an empty room to talk.
"I'm Darrel. How's my little brother?" I asked immediately. The doctor sighed.
"Before that, I'm Doctor White." The young doctor said. "I work part time as a paramedic, but my shift is over now, and I find you're my patients."
I looked again at the doctor. He had brown hair that went to just above his ears, and blue eyes. He didn't look much older than me. He wasn't wearing the green uniform he had been in the ambulance, but a white coat, ironically matching his name.
"You can call me Joe if you want. You heard my diagnosis in the ambulance, I presume."
I remembered. Ponyboy had been awake, and listened with a sort of calm acceptance.
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Well," Joe said, "I'm not going to ask what happened. We get a lot of beat up people in here. But I'm going to ask once if it was you or your brother. You said your parents were dead, and I believe you. But when a kid comes in almost beat to death, we have to ask some questions. So, truthfully, was it you or your brother."
I couldn't believe he was asking this. Soda loved Pony more than anything. Soda wouldn't hit Pony if his life depended on it. I wouldn't hurt either of my brothers. And yet... I had hit Pony the night Johnny died. I had, and it would forever lie on my conscious.
"No." I said quietly. "It wasn't either of us."
Joe looked at me for a while. I think in the end he believed me, and glanced down at his clipboard.
"Your brother will live." Joe said. I breathed a sigh of relief. "But it was close. He lost a lot of blood, and the broken ribs almost damaged his lungs. He has some bruised internal organs, but we stopped the bleeding. His fever was dangerously high, but we got it lowered. But what were interesting were the marks on his neck. Bruises and cuts, and his air supply got cut off. He'll live, but he's got some recovering to do first."
Joe tucked his clipboard under his arm. "You and your brother can see him, as can other family." Yelling suddenly started coming from the hallway, obviously from Soda, Steve and Two-Bit. Joe winked at me.
Family. Right.
"They're our...cousins." I said quickly.
"Of course." Joe agreed. He held open the door, and I walked back into the hall.
Soda was standing face to face with a black haired lady in a yellow dress. Her glasses were pushed up her nose, and she was holding up papers.
"Social worker." Steve mouthed to me.
Oh shit.
~*~
Author's Note:
Kate: REVIEW!! * shakes fist threateningly *
Lynne: You shouldn't do that Kate.
Kate: What, you're gunna stop me?
Uhm. Guys? I think you should stop threatening the readers now. * Kate and Lynne leave *
By the way, Kate and Lynne are my....well, devil and angel I guess. Lynne's my conscience, and Kate's the opposite of Lynne.
But please review!!!
All right, till next time, bye!
Luv ya,
~Eh, Man