A long chapter is here for all of you!

Mrs.Cade-thanks for all the reviews for each chapter. Craziness!

kaz456 thanks for the review! I am glad you stumbled upon it…hopefully you'll check out the next story I write.

Ok everyone…I am going to try to finish this story soon. But if you care-I will be starting the third story soon after. It will basically pick up where this one leaves off…not a time gap at all.

Leave me more reviews please! ;) Any ideas for the next story…or things you'd like to see?

XXXX

"Running from a gun

Or some brain that weighs a ton

And my God, it hurts to get so low

Searchin' through the cars

Cold, still searchin' through the night

I think I will run, to you, but I refuse to fuss and fight

And God may find a reason

Well I'm sure you'll find a rhyme

Because it takes up nearly all my time…"

--Sublime

XXXX

Voices swirled in and out of my cloudy head.

"Is he coming around?"

"Yeah, it looks like he is."

"Go tell Caplan," The door slammed, footsteps echoing down the hall. Crock's face appeared in front of my squinting eyes. The doctor scooted around, checking monitors, my stats.

"Soda, how're you feeling?" Crock asked, plopping himself into a chair next to my bed.

I licked my lips and turned toward him. "Who are you?"

Panic flitted across Crock's face, the doctor paused from his duties to look at me.

"Wha-?" Crcok stuttered.

I laughed weakly. "Gotcha."

"Shit. Shit, kid! Asshole!"

I kept laughing until my stomach and ribs started to burn. My laughter broke down into a few soft chuckles and then I began to wince in pain.

"Serves you right," Crock glared at me, rubbing his temples.

The doctor interrupted us, "Glad to see you awake." I tried to sit up but couldn't. I hurt like hell.

"How long have I been out?"

The doctor checked his notes. "Oh, about a week or so. Semi-conscious. This is the first time you've been fully alert. We weren't sure if you were going to make it or not."

"How're you feeling?" That was Caplan, being followed by Shepard.

"Like I got hit with a 2X4," I groaned. My eyes flitted to the needles stuck in my body. I stared at the ceiling with horror. I hated needles. "Can you take these out? Please?"

"You had to eat somehow," the doc told me a little too eagerly. He touched my forehead with the back of his hand. "You still have a bit of a fever. The wound is clearing up. You'll have to remain in the ward for about 2 more weeks. Let those ribs heal up." He paused. "Even when you're out of here you'll still be hurting mighty poorly. It will take a while to heal." The doc left, leaving us to talk.

Shepard gave me thumbs up, which quickly turned to flashing the middle finger at Crock as Crock stretched his legs out, causing Shepard to trip over them as he walked around the bed. "You know," Crock said, "I should be pretty pissed at you. You took a bullet for me that could have sent me back to the states."

I blinked away the fuzziness, wondering if I had heard correctly. "I'm…going home?"

Caplan smiled. "Yep. You got that million-dollar wound that's gonna send you back to Tulsa." He saw my face: unsure and afraid. I wanted to go home, but felt shitty for getting out of it this way. I felt bad leaving Crock and Shep. "Curtis, you wouldn't be able to fight anyways with those wounds. You heard the doc; you'll be hurting for who knows how long. Best to send you home."

I jerked myself up suddenly, ignoring the pain. "Did you call Darry and Soda?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Kid, are you sure you didn't hit your head on the way out? Because last time I checked you was Soda."

Caplan jumped in to help me out. "Curtis," he said as if speaking to a five-year-old, "we called your brothers: Darry and Ponyboy." I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to speak.

Crocker bit his lip. "Go ahead. You can laugh," I told him, flashing back to our first conversation. Shepard and Crocker burst into loud guffaws, while Caplan rolled his eyes.

"Ponyboy!" Shepard wailed, laughing.

"We're going to leave you to get some rest." Caplan patted the end of my bed. "I'll be back tomorrow." He pointed at Shep and Crocker, ushering my two friends out. "Smartasses, the both of you," I heard him say as they left.

XXXX

"I think you would have gotten along with my son."

Startled, I looked up from my book. There wasn't much to do except read or sleep and I was happy to do either. I was awfully tired.

"He liked to read," Caplan told me. "I didn't appreciate it. I was always telling him to go out for sports or…oh I don't know…play more, think less."

"You sound like my brother, Darry."

"Well, I know now I was wrong. I pushed him-Daniel- too hard, too much. And he's gone and I can't do jack shit about it."

I shifted awkwardly. I didn't know how to comfort my Sergeant, usually a tough-as-nails kind of guy. He cleared his throat roughly and pulled the phone on my nightstand over to me. "I was going to call your brothers myself, let them in on the good news, but since you're awake I thought I'd let you do it."

My mouth dropped open and I stared at Caplan. "Go ahead, Curtis. Tell 'em you'll be home in a month." He shoved the phone at me, dialing the number. Instantly, I went hot and cold all over, gripping the phone tightly. I was nervous. I hadn't spoken to them in nearly 9 months. As it rang, Caplan motioned to me that he'd wait outside. Sickly, I nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat.

"Hello?" It was Two-Bit.

"Hey…Two-Bit," my throat was scratchy, my voice sticky. "It's Pony." It was quiet for a minute; he didn't say anything. "I'm back from the dead," I joked feebly, hoping he'd appreciate it. Then I heard him yelling for Darry.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Darry asked angrily, coming on the line. In the background I could hear Two-Bit and Soda talking fervently.

"No, Dar, it's me."

"God. Oh my God. You nearly gave Two-Bit a heart attack. Pone, what…how…are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm still in the hospital, but my Sergeant says I'll be coming home in a month. I just wanted to let you know." Again silence. "Hello? Darry?"

I heard him release a sob and then try to stifle it. "Thank God, Pony. We've been so worried. Don't you ever do this to me again…"

Holding the phone tightly, I blinked away my own tears. "I won't," I said almost inaudibly. "I'm sorry Darry."

"Don't be sorry. Just get home," he told me. Then he spoke to Soda, "You want to talk to-"

Apparently Soda had grabbed the phone from Darry's hands because Darry was cut off and Soda was on the line. "Ponyboy! You're all right! I can't believe it's you." His voice was joyful but I could tell he was trying not to cry.

"Hi Soda," I smiled widely, suddenly excited to see my brothers again. God, I had missed them.

Soda's energized voice suddenly dropped lowly. "I don't know what I would have done if…if…"

"Well I'm not. I'm coming home in a month," I interrupted him.

"Holy shit," he breathed. Caplan entered and tapped at his watch.

"I gotta go Soda. But I'll see you soon."

"You better believe it. I love you Pone."

"I know. I love you too." Then I hung up.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot for that," I told Caplan happily.

XXXX

Ok-I hope that was a decent chapter.

Review!

Also-I'm not a doctor. I have done research…but this is my best shot at medical terms. Go easy on me!