Dallas' POV

I walked down the hallway, feeling relieved that the truth had finally come out. I was not going to be the one to tell Darry that I had saved Pony. It would sound like I was doing it for the fame or something. But now that it was in the open, maybe Darry would finally stop hitting me.

I grinned as I ran my hand over my nose. It was still sore from his punch. I knew it was broken, because when Darry hit you, something always seemed to be broken. But then I thought of how Darry had hit Pony, and my smile vanished. I didn't like the fact that he hit Pony, but I knew now that he hadn't meant to. He was just worried. Those Curtis brothers worried about each other a lot. Too much, in my opinion.

I passed Two-Bit as I was headed out the door.

"Hey, man. How's the kid?" Two-Bit asked, his voice still as cheerful as ever.

"Not too good. He was asleep when I got in there. They had to sedate him. Soda and Darry told him about how he might not be able to walk again.

All of his former joy had vanished.

"Damn. Poor kid. I hate seeing him like that. But we have to keep face, right?"

"I guess. I'll see you around."

"See ya!" Two-Bit called after me.

Good old Two-Bit.

Darry's POV

I couldn't believe what I had done to poor Dallas. I owed him my life for what he did for Pony. How could I go and hurt him like that? I felt guilty for what I did, but, knowing Dallas, he didn't care one way or the other.

I looked across the room at Soda. He was dozing off in the chair beside Pony's bed. I was sitting against the wall.

Soda was holding Pony's hand when he fell asleep. His head hit Pony's bed and stayed there.

I smiled sadly. Poor Soda. He hadn't been sleeping much lately. It was hard enough when we didn't know where Pony was, but then with Sandy leaving him and all. Now he's sleeping even less because he's worrying too much about Pony needing him.

I quietly walked over to Pony's bed. I sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed, opposite Soda.

I watched Pony as he slept. He wore a troubled frown on his face. His eyebrows were drawn together. Was he in pain?

I stroked his hair, trying to let him know that I was there with him.

Pony made a small whimpering sound that woke Soda.

"Darry?" Soda said, his voice fearful and uncertain.

"He's okay." I replied.

But, apparently, he wasn't. Tears began sliding down his face and he began to sob. His eyes were still closed, but I wondered if he was awake.

"Pony?" I said.

In response, he began to cry harder.

I move onto the bed and take him in my arms. He turns his face, and buries it in the front of my shirt.

Soda gets in on the other side of Pony and hugs him around the waist.

"Why me, Darry? Why?" Pony cried as he gripped my shirt in fistfuls.

"I don't know, baby." I said, trying my best to sound stronger than I was, considering my heart was breaking. "You'll get through this, though. I promise."

"Are you sure?" Pony asked, looking at me with those pleading, desperate green-grey eyes.

"I'm positive." I said, hugging him back to my chest.

Pony wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. He cried for a little while longer, and then he began to fall asleep.

I rubbed his back with one hand and held him close with the other. I felt good with him in my arms, like I was able to protect him from this new heart ache. He'd been through enough with losing Mom and Dad. Now he had this to face. I didn't know how he'd get through it, but Soda and I would be with him every step of the way.

Johnny's POV

I walked into the hospital room where Pony was staying, expecting to see him lying in bed. But he was dressed and looking ready to leave.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Pony gets to go home today. He still has to be kept on the oxygen tube, but we can take it with us." Soda said, motioning toward the air pump attached to Pony's tubes.

I smiled at Pony.

"You must be ready to go, huh?" I said.

Pony nodded, but there was still no happiness to be found on his face. There hadn't been since Soda and Darry told him about his legs.

"Can your bandages come off yet?"

"Not for a few more weeks. The doctors want him to come back once a week so they can change the bandages." Darry said, moving around the room, gathering any last minute things.

Pony looked me in the eye and I saw his unsaid message there. He was scared. He didn't know if he'd be okay. And he didn't know if he'd ever walk again.

I nodded back to him, trying to convey the message that I knew he'd be all right.

The doctor walked in then, and I turned to hear what he had to say.

"Well, Pony, it looks like you're good to go home. We'll still be keeping an eye on your breathing and your legs, but, you won't have to stay here for that anymore. You'll just have a few more appointments. Do you have any questions before you leave?" The doctor said.

Pony shook his head.

"Well, then, you're free to go. Take care of yourself, Pony." And with that, the doctor left.

Soda pushed the wheel chair closer to Pony. Darry scooped him up in his arms and placed him in the wheel chair. I noticed the stubborn set to Pony's jaw as he looked away from Darry. I could tell he didn't like having to be babied, but it was easier that way.

I walked with them out to their truck.

"You comin' with us?" Soda asked.

"No. I think I'll go catch a movie, or bother Two-Bit or something." I said.

"Okay. Come over later, if you want." Soda said. He was distracted, though. His attention was on Pony, and I didn't blame him.

I wondered how he'd adjust to not being able to walk in his own home.

Soda's POV

I watched Pony as Darry lifted him into the car. I slid over, making room for him.

Darry put Pony's wheel chair in the back of the truck, and then came around to get in and drive.

Pony fastened his seat belt, still silent as ever. I was worried about him. I didn't like his quietness.

We drove home in silence. It didn't take long. I was glad to see Pony going home. It had been a long time. It'd be a lot easier on Darry and me now, too.

Darry pulled up to the house. He got out first and got the wheel chair out of the back. Pony looked down at the ground, even when Darry came around to pick him up.

Since our house had steps, instead of a nice slope, Darry just carried Pony into the house, while I carried his wheel chair.

Once Darry got in the house, he stood there, holding Pony in his arms until I came in with the wheel chair. I set it down on the floor and Darry placed Pony down in the seat.

"I guess we'll have to stop being so messy, huh?" I said, as I looked around the house. Pony could hardly get anywhere without having to stop and clear things out of the way.

Darry and I started cleaning a path for Pony. Pony tried out his wheel chair, pushing it over the house.

"What do you think?" Darry asked as Pony maneuvered around the house.

Tears were in Pony's eyes as he looked at Darry.

He turned from us, and quickly moved his wheel chair into our room, closing the door behind him.

Darry looked at me with sad eyes.

"This is going to take some getting used to, isn't it?" He said.

"Yeah. A lot of getting used to." I replied.

We started fixing the house so that Pony could move around without any trouble. It would be a miracle if we were able to keep this house clean.