1Disclaimer: I own nothing that S.E. Hinton owns.

Here's the next chapter! Thanks to those people who reviewed.

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"Ponyboy?" I opened my eyes slowly. I was lying in my bed, in my bedroom, and Darry was sitting right in front of me. He looked tired. "Pony?" I moaned in response. Darry brushed my hair out of my eyes. "You okay?" I wasn't. My head felt like it was about to explode and my arm was throbbing and I felt like I was going to be sick. Darry seemed to realize this because he held up a trash can and tilted my head forward a bit. I vomited and he wiped my mouth with a cloth. Boy, was this ever embarrassing. "Here, you need to drink this." He held a glass of water up to my face and gently trickled the cool liquid into my mouth. It made me want to be sick again. I looked down and saw for the first time that my arm was in a cast.

"He's awake!" Sodapop came running into my bedroom, looking just as tired as Darry. I was beginning to wonder. Were they all tired because of me? "Hey, Pony! Glory, we was worried 'bout you!"

I coughed and then said, "You were?"

Soda and Darry looked at me incredulously. "Of course! Two-Bit brought you in and laid you on the sofa and you were bleeding and looked–bad." Darry was making signs for Soda to stop talking behind my back, like he thought I couldn't see, but good ol' Soda wasn't paying any attention and he just went on anyway. "...and we called Mom and Dad and they were on their way and...and..." He stopped and cleared his throat, eyes suddenly tearing up.

"Sodapop!" Darry said, and then more softly, "Pepsi-Cola, come here..." but Soda pulled away.

"Don't you call me that! That was Dad's name for me and you can't use it!" He sounded like a two year old. I was really confused by now. This wasn't normal Sodapop behavior. He never snapped at Darry like that. They got along real good. I figured something bad must've happened, but what? That was when that feeling, the one I had on the night of the party, came back. (Don't think of the party, Ponyboy. Don't think of how stupid you were to believe Shannon could actually be inviting you for something more than a prank. Don't think of those guys. Don't think of how they beat you up and gave you that stuff. What was that stuff, anyway? It doesn't matter now, just don't think. Don't think.)

I looked around, realizing for the first time that morning that my mother wasn't there. She was always there for me if I got hurt or sick, stroking my hair, talking to me. Where was she now? And my dad? "Guys," I said quietly. They didn't hear me. "Guys!" Soda and Darry turned around, their expressions softening. "Where's Mom and Dad?" I had no idea what those four simple words could do to the atmosphere of a room.

"Pony..." Darry sat down next to me again. He had this look in his eyes that I've never seen before. It was kind of a hopeless look, like a little boy that's just found out the hand he was holding to at the bank was not his mother's, scared even.

"Ponyboy, they...uh..." Soda settled down next to me, looking as though he was about to cry again.

"Here, doc says you have to drink this." He handed me another glass of water. "To wash out what's in your system." I pushed the glass away impatiently.

"Where'd they go?" I was getting scared by now. My brothers told me the truth. They didn't try to change the subject with water and doctor's orders. What had happened that it was so different this time.

"Hey y'al–the kid's up!" Two-Bit practically bounced into the room. "You had me scared to death, kid. I thought you was dying!"

"Two-Bit!" Darry warned him in a low voice. Two-Bit cocked and eyebrow, but he didn't say anything else. Johnny and Steve came in a minute later.

"Hey, Ponyboy." Johnny looked worried. "You okay now?" I just shrugged. I would be okay, if they would just tell me where my parents went.

"Look, kid..." Steve started, stepping forward. I remembered our fight and the broken glass. Steve didn't like me. He thought I was just some dumb tag-along kid. He didn't care. He was probably glad I got hurt. "...I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't want you to get hurt from that Soc-broad, cause you're Soda's little brother. Much as you get annoying sometimes and all. But I was right, wasn't I?"

"Thanks." I said stiffly. I guess that was the best apology I'd get. Soda looked at me. "All right, I"m sorry too. Hey, where's Dally?"

"Good ol' Dal's in the cooler. Tried to rob a drug store to get you some bandages and aspirin and stuff." Two-Bit said, grinning. That sounded just like Dally.

"I gave him the money for it." Said Soda, shrugging. Two-Bit laughed. "You hungry, Pony?"

I looked up fast. You had better believe I was hungry. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days. "Yeah!"

"I'll go get something." Darry left and came back a minute later with an armful fruit. "Doc says yo have to eat a lot of fruit and drink a lot of water and milk." He explained. Doc nothing, I wanted chocolate cake, but Darry wasn't budging.

"Look, me and Dar'll eat it too, okay?" Soda took and apple and bit into it, smiling at me as juice dribbled down his chin. "How bout you guys?" He glared at them.

"Anything for the kid." Two-Bit said, taking a banana. "Come on, Johnnycake." Johnny took another apple.

"Steve?" Soda looked over at his best friend with a face full of apple. Steve groaned but Soda glared at him and he said, "Okay." He didn't have to sound so happy.

Darry looked at me and handed me the last apple. I got the message. "Fine." The room was filled with the sounds of crunching and chewing and Two-Bit's occasional sigh of happiness. Gee, he really was laying it on thick and all for me. I finished my apple then looked back to Darry. "You never answered my question."

"Hmmm, what question?" He asked innocently between mouthfuls of banana. So, he was playing dumb.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Everybody stopped and looked at me. "Come on, guys. I'm not playing around. Where are they?" I was getting really frustrated.

"Ponyboy, on the night you got..." Darry began.

"You were really hurt..." Said Soda.

"We called your parents..." Two-Bit said.

"They were on their way and..."

"They...uh...a train..." I wasn't liking this all of a sudden and I wished they'd stop. I didn't want to hear it anymore.

"They drove over the train tracks, they didn't hear the train coming..."

"It hit them."

"I'm sorry, Pony." Soda was crying again and Steve led him out of the room.

"Sorry, kid. We're all here for you."

"I'm sorry, Ponyboy." Johnny looked at me. "Really."

I turned away as tears started forming in my eyes. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Oh god, please don't make this be true. "No."

"Ponyboy..." Darry reached out his hand, but I hit it away.

"No, it's not true! You're lying to me! You're all lying. You're lying..." I broke down crying and stuffed my face into the pillow. I was disgusted with myself for crying in front of the gang, but I didn't stop. It felt good to cry, like somehow it made everything less real, like a dream.

"Ponyboy, we're not lying to you." Two-Bit's voice sounded from above me. I ignored them. I didn't want to listen. Listening to that, it would make it real.

"They didn't suffer." Darry said quietly, as though that helped. "Have some water." Was that all Darry cared about? The water? Before I knew what I was doing, I had swung around and hit Darry with a hard blow to the jaw. He didn't even blink. I got up, not really sure of what I was doing. He did, too. "You have to understand..." I didn't let him finish. Instead, I hit him again. "Pony, you gotta listen to me."

"I don't have to listen to anybody!" He came toward me, but I shoved him off. "Just go away! Leave me alone...all of you...go away..." This time, I let Darry pull me toward him. He hugged me tightly and I buried my face in his shirt. My arm hurt.

"Everything's gonna be okay..." He whispered. Soda came in with Steve and started crying all over again. "Come here, little buddy." Darry pulled him in and we all stood there, hugging with me and Soda crying. I didn't even notice the other guys leave. "We're gonna be okay." Darry said. "We'll be okay." And I knew he was right. Darry could fix anything, just like my dad. We'd be okay.

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Here's the next chapter. I hope y'all like it. That's the end, guys. I hope y'all liked the story. Maybe one day I'll write an Outsiders sequel. Lol. PLEASE REVIEW!