Chapter 4

I felt something soft brush against my forehead, and managed to open my eyes to a slit to see what it was.

Soda was standing over me anxiously with Darry behind him and Steve not far behind. They must have just gotten home because all three of them still had their coats on.

"Hey Pony, were home." Then he saw that I haven't moved since he left, "You feeling okay, you look a little whiter than before I left this morning."

"Yeah" I mumbled softly, I realized that I had slept the entire day away and was pretty embarrassed. Just then the phone rang and Darry, giving me one last concerned look went to answer it.After about thirty seconds we heard Darry yelling his brains out from the kitchen.

"What the hell were you thinking even asking if he could go stay there…I don't care what you think is best…what?... Sarah come on you know you wouldn't do that to us…Sarah come on please I'm begging you please don't do that…Damn it."

I heard him slam the phone down on the table, then he came back into the living room closer to tears then I ever saw him, with out actually crying.

"Pony." He had a blank look on his face as he faced me.

"What?" as soon as I said it I wished I could take it back.

"Pony I'm really sorry…" was all he could get out before I ran from the room trembling. I heard Soda calling me to come back, and we could talk about it. For the second time in two days I ran out of the house. Before I could even get off the porch I collapsed. I tried to stand up but fell back down again before I could even get to my knees. I heard pounding footsteps coming my way. Then I passed out.

When I finally came to I had absolutely no idea where I was. I looked around. Every thing was so white: the ceilings, the walls, the bed sheets, even the chair in the corner that held Soda, and the one that held Darry in the other corner.

"Soda," I called in a hoarse whisper that couldn't be recognized as my own.

In an instant Soda's head was up and staring around to see who called his name, When he realized I was up he threw his coat, which he was using like a blanket, across the room at Darry, who jumped up like someone had shocked him.

"Pony, Your up, how you feeling?"

"Fine," I answered in the same hoarse voice, "What happened? Where am I?"

"Soda go get the doctor, tell him Pony's awake." I saw Soda run from the room with one last look over his shoulder at me.

"Darry what's going on, why does Soda need to get a doctor, is someone hurt?"

"Yeah Pony, someone's hurt, but don't worry about that now, we'll let the doctor explain everything when he gets here."

Fiver minutes later Soda turns up in the door way with a man dressed all in white not far behind.

"Good morning Ponyboy, I assume you have a lot of questions," the man in the white coat said as soon as he caught his breath," but please let me try to explain everything first, then if you still have questions you can go a head and ask them." He said all this so fast it was as if he didn't even take a breath.

"Pony, let me begin with the fact that you are in the hospital and you have a concussion, which means that you might not be able to understand all of what I am saying right now but don't worry bout that your brothers will explain it all to you later."

He was right I couldn't understand it all, but from what I could understand I figured out that when I fell off the porch I must have banged my head on the railing and that's why I passed out and why I had a concussion.

All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in the side of my head; it felt like someone was trying to cut my head open with a jack-hammer...