Disclaimer: I still don't own The Outsiders.

Warnings: Same as the earlier chapters. This is a slashy story (though I haven't really gotten that far in it yet) and there is some bad language. That's about all. I hope they aren't all too out of character. I really really appreciate all the reviews I've gotten so far. You guys are the best. 

Tim didn't like it letting Curly sit there with everyone else. It was only a matter of time before Curly said something so excessively stupid that Tim couldn't explain it away. That would be bad. So since Dally seemed like he'd be okay, Tim said goodbye to the Curtis's and Johnny and headed out, dragging Curly after him. Curly had been hoping that they'd stay around others for the rest of the night, that way Tim wouldn't be able to beat him, but obviously that wasn't happening.

Tim walked quickly and angrily, Curly had to practically run to keep up.

"If Dally hadn't of slashed your tires we wouldn't have to be walking," Curly sulked.

Tim whirled around to face his brother and Curly nearly walked straight into him. "Do you have any idea, even the slightest, just how stupid you are?"

Curly did at least have the sense to know that that wasn't the sort of question that you should answer.

"You're lucky you didn't kill him, you know that?"

Curly looked down. Didn't Tim understand that he'd done it for him? "I didn't kill him," he pointed out.

Tim shook his head. "That ain't the point. You better pray Dallas keeps his mouth shut, otherwise you're in for it." Tim knew Dally well enough to be pretty confident that Dally wouldn't squeal, but there was no harm in letting Curly sweat it out for a while. "You're paying the hospital bill too."

"Aww, come on Tim, where am I supposed to find that kinda money?"

Tim shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care. You deserve worse."

"He slashed your tires," Curly pointed out, as if that explained everything.

"Curly, just stay out of things you don't understand, you got it?"

Back at the hospital everyone was getting bored. Ponyboy and Johnny had stretched out on one of the couches in the waiting room. Soda was asleep in one of the chairs. Darry was busy thinking though. Something didn't seem quite right about the whole thing. Dally and Tim fought. Then Dally got jumped and stabbed and didn't even pull the knife he had. Then Tim and Curly happened to find him. And Curly had told about five different versions of how they'd found him. No, something definitely didn't add up. Even allowing for the fact that Curly wasn't known for honesty or brains, it all seemed a bit odd.

The doctor came out then. Since everyone else was asleep, he spoke just to Darry. "Mr. Winston will be fine. He's very lucky, another couple of inches in either direction and it would have hit a major organ. My medical advice would be for him to stay here for at least the night, but he isn't willing to do so."

Darry nodded, no surprise there.

"Will you be taking him home?"

"Yes sir."

The doctor handed Darry a script for pain killers and told him that Dally would be out in a minute.

Dally sighed, he was tired and felt like shit and people wouldn't stop asking him questions.

"You're sure you'll be okay," the doctor asked. "I've told you before that my professional opinion is…"

"Yeah, I heard your professional opinion. I'm outta here."

"You're very fortunate, that those boys that attacked you didn't kill you. You're sure you didn't see any of their faces."

Dally shook his head. "They came up behind me, I didn't see anything."

The doctor reluctantly signed the discharge papers. "You already filled out your billing information correct?"

Dally nodded. He couldn't believe how expensive the whole thing was. And there was no way he was going to be able to do any rodeos within the next week or two. He was barely able to stand.

The doctor led him back out to the waiting room. Darry had woken the others up by then.

"Don't take any pain killers for at least eight hours. We already gave you some intravenously remember?"

"Yeah, right. Later doc."

Dally strolled over to the other boys as coolly was possible. He was still wearing his blood soaked tee-shirt and clinging onto Tim's shirt.

"Ready to go?" Darry asked.

"Very ready."

They all headed out to the truck.

"Did Tim and Curly leave already?" Dally questioned.

Darry nodded. He couldn't help but think that Dally looked disappointed.

"Is it too late to get that prescription filled?" Dally asked.

"Sorry, I think everything is closed by now."

"Next time I'll try getting stabbed earlier in the day."

Dally sat up front with Darry again and the others piled in the back.

"You're gonna help clean the blood off the seat when you feel better." Darry commented.

Dally nodded. He was too tired to argue. "Thanks for the ride man."

Darry smiled faintly. Dally might be a hood, and nothing but trouble, but he'd grown up with the boy and he would do anything for him. Hell, he'd do anything for any of them.

"Care to tell me exactly what happened?" Darry asked.

"Didn't the Shepards explain it all?" Dally was pretty high on pain meds and didn't really trust himself to stick to the right story.

"Well Curly mentioned something about saving you from aliens with ray guns and then a group of CIA agents."

"Yeah that's it." Dally agreed, not paying attention. It was kind of interesting how everything out the window blurred together just little streaks of light from the street lamps and other headlights. Dally stared mesmerized. This was why he didn't smoke pot. He didn't like feeling this out of it.

Darry gave up with conversation. They were almost home anyway.

Once they arrived back at the Curtis's house, Darry half dragged Dally into the house. Despite the other boy's protests that he could walk just fine.

"Soda, go get him one of your shirts, would you?" Darry asked.

Soda ran up to the bedroom obediently.

"Take off your shirt and hand me Tim's. I'll throw them out." Darry was still in parental mode.

Dally was sitting on the couch leaning against the cushions. He obediently removed his own shirt, cringing when he raised his arms and handed it over.

"Maybe Tim'll want his shirt back," he said, clutching it.

Darry laughed. "Even the Shepards ain't that poor. He's never gonna get the blood stain out."

Dally shrugged. "I'll hold onto it for him just in case."

"Suit yourself." Darry wasn't about to argue with Dally about it. He looked at Dally sitting there without a shirt. He was on the petite side (of course compared to Darry everyone was) but his chest hair was starting to grow in a little. He had twelve stitches in his side. The doctors had washed him up the best they could, but there was still a fair amount of blood dried on his skin.

Soda came down with a tee-shirt in hand then. "I'm not sure if it's clean," he warned, sniffing it. "Close enough though."

Dally mumbled his thanks. He didn't think he could stand the pain of raising his arms to put it on though. Instead he just laid it out over himself like a blanket. Darry brought in an extra blanket and put that over him as well.

Johnny headed out then. Since the Socs were obviously out looking for people to jump, he opted to go home instead of to the lot.

The Curtis's all went up to bed, and Dally was left there on the couch by himself.