When I woke up next, Dallas was there with Pony and Johnny. I wondered how many days had gone by.
We were in a car at a DQ. Johnny and Pony were wolfing down sandwiches while Dallas was eating a hot dog.
The car started up and we were on our way back to the church. When we got there, it was on fire.
What in the world? I thought. What happened?
There were people surrounding the building. Pony jumped out of the car and ran toward the church. I followed him.
When one of the adults said some of the kids were missing, we heard a scream come from inside. Pony ran to the church and climbed inside through a window.
"Hey, Pony."Johnny said. I hadn't realized he was there, too.
Pony and Johnny found the kids inside, and started getting them out through a window. Dallas was on the other side, taking the kids as Johnny and Pony handed them to him. When the kids were all outside, Pony went to the window. Johnny fell down when a piece of timber hit him.
Dallas grabbed Pony before he could go back inside. I noticed, frightened, that Pony's arm was on fire. Dallas put it out and went back in for Johnny. Ponyboy lay unconscious on the ground.
I was with Pony when he was in the ambulance. I was afraid he wasn't going to be okay, but when he came to, he seemed fine.
We waited in the waiting room after Pony was taken out of the ambulance. We watched Johnny and Dallas come in. Johnny looked lifeless, but Dallas was fine. He cursed at Pony, telling him if he ever did that again, he'd kill him.
Jerry Wood, the teacher who was there at the church, sat next to Pony. He was talking to him about how he shouldn't be smoking, but that didn't stop Pony. Finally, Jerry said, "You've got visitors. They claim to be your brothers, or something."
Pony jumped up, and ran to the door. Sodapop was there. He grabbed Pony, hugging him tightly. When he set him down he looked at his hair.
"Oh, Pony, your hair. Your tuff, tuff hair." Soda said.
Then I noticed that I was standing in the door way. My hands were in my pockets. The only thing I said was, "Ponyboy."
After staring at me for a few minutes, Pony ran up to me, hugging me around the waist. "Darry, I'm sorry." He said. Why was he sorry? It was all my fault.
"Oh, Pony. I thought we lost you. Like we did Mom and Dad." The sobs were racking me. I realized that I must not be that bad of a brother after all. I do care, I just find it hard to show it.