Soda's POV

"What!" I exclaimed, dropping the cup of chocolate milk I was drinking.

I dropped down on the ground to clean up the mess I made.

"It's true. The fuzz must have found out that he was back, or someone called him in or something. It's going all over town." Two-Bit said, still breathless.

I glanced over at Pony who had set down his fork and was staring at his plate.

"Have you told Dallas or Steve, yet?" Darry asked.

"I figured they might be here, so I didn't go anywhere else yet."

Just then, Dallas walked into the room. We all turned and looked at him.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking from face to face.

"Dallas... Johnny was arrested. The police took him to the state prison in Oklahoma." Darry said as calmly as he could.

"What!" He exclaimed, just like I had.

"It's the truth, Dally. Someone must have called him in or something." Two-Bit said, backing what Darry said.

Dallas sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. It was the most shook-up I'd seen Dally before.

Suddenly, Dallas got up and stormed out of the room, cursing all the way.

"I'll go tell Steve. See ya'll later!" Two-Bit said, running from our house.

I turned to Pony.

"I'm not hungry anymore." He said, pushing away from the table.

"But you haven't eaten hardly anything today." Darry protested.

"I'm not hungry." He said, and went back to his room.

I looked at Darry.

"It's okay, little buddy. He's just upset about Johnny." Darry said to reassure me.

"He doesn't need this on top of everything else." I replied, tears shining in my eyes.

"I know, little buddy." Darry said, giving me a small hug.

A couple hours later, I went to bed, after helping Darry with the dishes.

It didn't take long for me to fall asleep. I wrapped an arm around Pony and then drifted off to sleep.

I was awakened in the middle of the night by a hand grabbing a fistful of my shirt and pulling.

I opened my eyes and found Pony gasping for air. Something was wrong with his breathing tube.

I saw the fear showing plainly in Pony's eyes. I wondered how long he had been like this.

I quickly got out of bed and knelt by his breathing tube and the container that held the air for him.

I found that the tube had come unconnected to the machine, but I couldn't find where to reattach it.

"Darry!" I screamed as loud as I could. I knew I was scaring Pony with the panic in my voice, but I didn't know what to do.

Darry came running in the room soon after I called his name.

"What is it?" He exclaimed as soon as he came in the room.

"His breathing tube's come undone. I don't know what to do!" I said, panicking all the more.

Darry pushed me aside and started working on Pony's breathing tube. He quickly found the spot and placed it back in.

I stood hugging myself in the corner of the room, watching what was taking place with fearful eyes.

Pony turned on his side, gasping and coughing from not being able to breathe fully.

"Just breathe, baby. You're okay now." Darry said, rubbing Pony's back.

Pony's breathing was coming in ragged gasps. He clutched the bed sheets tightly, fighting to control his breathing. It seemed harder since it was only in his nose.

"Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth." Darry ordered. It seemed to help because soon his breathing sounded more normal.

Tears were streaming down Pony's face from the fight of trying to breathe.

I hesitantly came over and sat on my side of the bed by Pony.

Pony remained on his side, coughing every now and then.

Darry wiped Pony's face with his handkerchief and soon Pony calmed down. He started drifting off to sleep, exhausted.

"Sh." Darry soothed, Pony when he saw him shudder.

I reached out and touched Pony reluctantly, as though he might break.

Soon Pony fell asleep. He still gave little whimpers or shudders, but he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"You okay, little man?" Darry asked me.

I shook my head no and began to cry. I doubled over, frightened from what I had just gone through. I wasn't able to save Pony from it. I felt ashamed.

Darry walked around the bed and pulled me into his arms. I felt safe and protected from the world. I just wished Pony could feel the same way when I held him.

I tried to calm down, and when I finally succeeded, Darry gently pushed back from me.

"You going to be okay?" He asked.

"I think so."

"You know I'm not that far away if you need me." He said.

"I know."

"Okay." He smiled reassuringly at me, and stepped out of the room.

I crawled back into bed and wrapped my arms around Pony once more. I held him tightly, for my sake as much as his.

Johnny's POV

The walls seemed to close in around me. I wasn't getting enough air.

I had been placed in a jail cell, and I was all alone. I could see the other criminals across the way. But I could only see them through the metal bars. They seemed to mock me, and I shivered with fear.

This wasn't like anything I'd ever felt before. Fear clutched at me. I hated this place. The fear that crept inside me was worse than the fear I felt when the Socs came after me.

I wasn't supposed to be here. I didn't mean to kill Bob. It was self-defense. Couldn't they see it?

"What you in here for?" One of the prisoners closest to my cell asked.

"He's in here for murder. Ain't ya, boy?" Some mean-looking man said.

I nodded silently, not wanting to admit it.

"You got it written all over your face." He said.

I knew I did. I looked guilty and if I looked guilty, they'dknow I am.

"The Socs get all the breaks." I reminded myself quietly.

I curled up on my bed, and cried myself to sleep.