Hey, guys! I figured I'd better update now because I'm going to be too busy to this weekend. Sad, I know. I'm going to a baseball game Saturday night and we're going to stay in the city overnight tomorrow. The ball game is a night game, so I won't be back until later. I'll try to update again Sunday. I hope this can hold you over until then. I made sure I didn't make it a cliffhanger. LOL. I'll miss you!(it's only a couple days, but still!)

With Steve, I'm trying to get myself to like his character to more. I see I've helped RockerLane with that already. It's my initial plan. There aren't many Steve fans out there and, honestly, I'm not one of them either. So, this is as much for your sake as for mine. I've never liked Steve. I don't know why. Also, I took some liberties by his mom's story, since they never really mention her in the book.

I'll try to keep from doing this day-to-day thing. I doubt all this would happen in a week or so.

Soda's POV

I opened my eyes, my vision a little blurry. When my eyes focused, I found Darry looking down at me. My head was laying across his lap.

"You okay, little buddy?"

I searched my mind, trying to figure out what had happened.

"What happened?" I asked when I couldn't think of what happened.

He smiled, pushing my hair back, rather than ruffling it for once.

"You passed out, buddy. Steve has been hurt. I guess you were just shocked or something. Are you feeling okay now?"

I felt my stomach drop as I remembered seeing Steve's side. It was one of the worst wounds I'd seen. It was deep and bloody. He had obviously been stabbed with something extremely sharp.

"Soda?" Darry asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"I'm okay, Darry." I sat up and got off of Darry's lap.

Pony was watching me silently me. I looked over at him and smiled, knowing he had been worrying about me.

"I'm okay, kid," I said, hitting his shoulder affectionately.

We sat there for a few minutes, waiting on a doctor to come and tell us more.

"Do you think I should call Two-Bit?" I asked.

Darry nodded. "That'd be a good idea. He probably wants to know what's going on. I'd say call Dally, too, but who knows where he is anymore?"

"Yeah. I'll go call him. Can I have a quarter?"

Darry dug in his pocket and handed me the quarter. I took it and went to one of the pay phones.

I dialed Two-Bit's house, doubting he'd actually be there. I was surprised when he answered, his voice not slurring.

"Hello?" He barked, sounding irritated.

"Two-Bit? It's Soda. Steve's hurt."

His voice immediately changed. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. It looks pretty bad, but he should be okay."

"Where are you?"

"At the hospital."

"I'll be there in a minute."

I felt a lump in my throat. Actually voicing what happened made it hit me awfully hard.

"Soda?"

"I'm here, Two-Bit." My voice was strained, even to my own ears.

"It'll be okay, man. I'm on my way." He hung up the phone.

I shakily walked back to the waiting room. Darry and Pony were watching me, but I didn't care.

I sank down in the chair beside Darry once again. I leaned my head back, staring at the ceiling. I never understood why Pony did this. Where there answers written there that I couldn't read?

"Soda?" Darry said my name, sounding concerned.

"Two-Bit's on his way, so, knowing him, he'll be here within the next couple of minutes."

"That's good."

"Hey, Soda?" Pony's voice called to me. I finally took my head back down and looked at him.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Steve's going to be okay."

I smiled, knowing he was trying cheer me up.

"I know. It's just scary, you know? I'd hate to lose anyone from the gang."

We fell silent then, the thought rather sobering. What if we did lose one of the gang? I couldn't imagine us being able to function without one of them. We all had a certain role to play, so without one, it just didn't work.

I was still thinking about it when Two-Bit rushed in.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Two-Bit asked as he skidded to a halt in front of us.

"Calm down, man. He's okay as far as we know," Darry informed him.

Two-Bit sighed, then went to sit in one of the chairs across from ours.

"I was about to get wasted when you called. Sorry I sounded so mad. I don't like people interrupting Miller time." He grinned goofily. Good old Two-Bit.

"How you doing, Pony?" Two-Bit asked.

Pony looked up at Two-Bit.

"I'm okay."

Two-Bit grinned and I knew he had something to tell us.

"I heard a certain three Socs got into some trouble last night." He was nearly bursting, wanting to tell us what happened.

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing it would make a good story.

"Me? I'm pure of heart, remember?" Darry snickered, then Two-Bit continued. "Let's just say that they'll think twice before going to the movies without a car. It's not smart walking home in the dark, you know."

I grinned. He had to have had help, but I was thankful that he had done that. I had wanted to myself.

"Anyone here for Steve Randle?" The doctor from before asked. When he saw us, he recognized who we were and came forward.

"How is he?" I asked, standing.

"He's doing fine. We had to take out some glass from the wound, but he's going to be all right. We had to stitch up his side quite a lot. He's on a blood transfusion from the large amount of blood loss. He should be able to go home within the week."

I smiled with relief.

"Can we see him?" Two-Bit asked.

"Sure. He's just down the hall, room 456."

"Thank you, doctor," Darry said, extending his hand to the doctor. After they shook hands, we all went to Steve's room.

He was laying in bed, looking drowsily around the room.

"Hey, man. How are you?" I asked, stepping to the side of his bed.

"I feel like shit, man."

I chuckled. The same old Steve.

"What happened to you?" Two-Bit asked for the third time.

Something close to anger flickered in Steve's eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Darry, Two-Bit, and I exchanged glances. What happened that made him so secretive?

"Okay, buddy. Whatever you say. Did they give you anything for the pain?"

"Yeah, but it hasn't kicked in yet, unfortunately."

"Well, this'll give you an excuse to take some time off from work."

He laughed, but without humor.

"That's just what I need. Now I'll be paying these damn bills, on top of everything else."

I watched him, confused.

"What are you talking about, man?"

He sighed, looking defeated.

"It's official. I should have seen it coming all along. It didn't make it any easier, though."

"What is it?"

"My father kicked me out. For good this time."

I gasped. I should have seen it coming too. It didn't take away the surprise.

"Are you sure?" Darry asked.

Steve smiled, scaring me with the bitterness on his face. "Oh, yeah. I'm sure."

A thought occurred to me as I put the pieces together.

"Steve... did, did your dad do that to you?"

Steve looked at me and I could see the answer on his face.

"Oh, Steve, man. I am so sorry."

Steve turned his head, not meeting my gaze. I could see him fighting his emotions. It wasn't fair! I couldn't imagine what his dad did to him, but this? This was awful. I never understood because my dad had been loving and kind. What makes a father do that to his son?

"Can you leave now?" Steve asked.

I nodded.

"Sure thing, buddy. I'll come visit you tomorrow before I go to work, all right?"

"Sure." He sounded as though he really didn't care one way or the other. And that scared me.

Steve's POV

I sat alone in my hospital room. A nurse walked in and gave me my supper tray, though nothing on it looked too appealing to me.

Bitterness was all I could feel. How could a father act that way to his son? I know I never respected my father. I was just as hateful toward him as he was to me. But after watching him beat my mother and me for so many years, I had a right to hate my father. I was just thankful that Mom had gone long ago. Suicide wasn't a bad way out for her. If she could see me now, she'd want to kill herself all over again.

I never resented my mother for killing herself. I knew it wasn't her fault. It was Dad's. And that was just one more reason I hated him.

Even now, the words she had written to me so many years ago rang in my head.

It's not your fault, sweetie, and don't blame your father either. This was my choice. You two had nothing to do with it. Forgive your father, Steve. He really does love you.

It was the first time my mother had lied to me, at least with my knowing. Dad never loved me. If he did, he wouldn't beat me or Mom. He would have been the kind of father Mr. Curtis had been. Why couldn't she see that? Why had she always been so blinded toward him? He's nothing but a villain, but she would never see him that way.

Dad was the reason Mom killed herself. I never blamed myself, though I felt guilty that I hadn't done enough to stop her. But at eleven, there's not much you can do about it.

I fought to see her face, but her image had long since faded from my memory. It was rather scary when you couldn't picture your own mother, hear her voice, smell her scent.

I turned over on the bed, my back to the wall. I stared out the window and into the dark night.

For the first time in years, I allowed myself to cry over my mother.