Two-Bit waited in the car, while Pony and I went into the drugstore to get Darry's medicine. When Mr. Bryer handed it over the

counter to us, he was asking about Darry, and bein' real nice, and concerned.

The charge for it was a bit more than Soda had given Pony, and Pony repeated the part about paying the rest

the next day.

"Fine, fine," Mr. Bryer said, waving a hand. "You kids tell Darrel that I'm thinking of him, and to take it easy, alright?"

We said we would, and drove the rest of the way to the house in mostly silence.

The only time there was any conversation was when Ponyboy said, "Darry oughta have stayed at the hospital for

tonight."

Two-Bit said, "Yeah," in agreement, but I was quiet and nobody said anything more.

At the house, the boys let me out, and then left again, immediately, to drive to the job site to bring Darry's truck

home.

I went into the house, turning on some fans to cool it down, and then I went to wash my hands, and begin

frying up the chicken again. In between doing that, I put clean blankets on the couch, and got some pillows from

Darry's bed, bringing them out and propping them on the couch.

I remembered the laundry hanging on the line in the backyard, and went out to retrieve it, covering the fried

chicken with a lid before I went.

I was pulling down the sheets, and the work shirts-both Soda's and Darry's, from the clothesline, when everything really got to me. Darry was hurt. Not

life-threatening, or anything like that, like Soda kept saying. But, he was still hurt, and not just a little, either.

I've been around some of the job sites with Darry in the past. I've seen how high he has to climb on some of the

larger houses. Up to the tip top of the roof sometimes. A fall from there could kill a person! Darry could have been killed!

I pressed my face into one of the freshly washed and sun-dried shirts of Darry's, and sobbed. The lump in my throat

grew larger, and my heart pounded with the fearful thoughts running thru my head.

Eventually, I got hold of myself. I had to. There was things to do-to prepare. I took the laundry in, and

folded it, putting away the shirts, minus the one that I'd gotten my snot and tears all over.

I took the clean-smelling sheets, and remade Darry's bed with them. After that I went back to the kitchen,

and made coffee. I didn't know if Darry would want any, or not, but it would be there if he did.

I kept the chicken on warm-it was finished cooking. It was too late, I thought, to make mashed potatoes, but I

opened up a jar of green beans from the pantry that my mother had canned a couple of years earlier.

I had everything warmed and ready, and was watching out the window when I saw Pony pulling into the driveway

in Darry's work truck, Two-Bit behind him in the car.

After that, we all waited. Watching out the window.

"They're here," Pony said, when Soda's truck pulled onto our street.

Two-Bit hung back a bit, and Pony held open the door, as Darry got out of the truck, really slowly, and

headed up the sidewalk to the porch. Soda was at his elbow, not touching him, but, seeming as if he thought Darry might

just suddenly topple over. I stepped out of the way, as they came thru the front doorway.

I thought for a moment that Darry was shuffling like an old man, but then he seemed to get a burst of something, and

walked more like himself.

He was still holding his side as he came in.

"Got my truck home," he said.

"Yeah," Ponyboy said.

"Have any trouble?" Darry asked.

"Naw," Pony said, and Darry gave a nod.

"Good boy," he said.

"Get to the couch and sit," Soda ordered.

Darry went to the couch and sat down, holding his side, and with a slight wince that I knew he was trying to hide.

"We got your medicine, too," Pony said.

"They said he can have a pain pill, when he eats somethin'," Soda said.

"I'll fix a plate," I said, and hustled to the kitchen, where I two pieces of the still-warm chicken, and scooped some

green beans, and a piece of bread and butter, taking it and a cup of steaming coffee back to the living room.

Two-Bit was sitting opposite Darry, and Soda and Pony were still standing there.

"Here, Darry," I said, holding out the plate to him.

"Thanks," he said, taking it with his good hand. He cast a look at the four of us, just standing and watching him.

"Ya'll eat, too," he said. "I don't wanna be the only one eatin'."

So we all went to get our food, and sat around the living room, eating. Darry was saying that he needed to call Butch, one of

the guys on the roofing crew, to make sure that everything had been cleaned up, and finished up at the job site.

"You don't gotta worry about that right now," Pony protested.

"Yeah, I gotta call him," Darry insisted.

"After ya eat, and take your pill," Soda said.

Darry ate most everything that I'd put on his plate for him, and when he was finished, I went to take it from him.

"That was real good, Junie," he told me.

I gave him a half-smile, and went off to the kitchen. Pony was already there, running soapy hot water in the sink to do

dishes. We worked together to do them, while Soda and Two-Bit stayed in the living room with Darry.

"He ate real good," Pony said, into the quiet. "That's gotta be a good sign."

"Yeah," I said.

"Sorry about earlier, snappin' at ya the way I did," Pony said.

I shrugged. "It's okay."

"It sure is scary-seein' Darry like he was at the hospital," Pony said.

I kept drying the plate I was holding, looking at Pony. "I know. I busted out cryin' awhile ago."

"I near did, too," Pony admitted.

"It was thinkin' that he could have died, Pony!"

"I know," and gave me a look with fear in his eyes.

When we were done and went back to the living room, Darry was leaning back against the pillows on the couch.

He'd called Butch while we were in the kitchen, and apparently Butch said everything was fine and good at the job site.

"The owner oughta be happy about everything," Darry said. He coughed, holding his side.

I was sitting on the floor, my knees tucked up to my chest, mostly keeping my eyes on Darry.

He got quieter, and Soda said, "Your pill kickin' in?"

"I'm fine," Darry said.

"Do ya want some more coffee?" I asked, beginning to get up.

Darry held up his hand. "Naw, I don't need any more."

"I guess I'll shove off," Two-Bit said, standing up. "Ya'll need anything else tonight?"

"Naw, we're good for tonight," Soda said.

"Okay," Two-Bit said. "See ya'll tomorrow-call me if ya need me."

Pony and I called out our goodbyes, and Soda said, "Thanks, Two-Bit."

"Yeah. Thanks for bein' there for the kids," Darry added.

"Aw, no worries," Two-Bit said. He waved and went out the screen door.

When he'd gone, the four of us sat there. Pony seemed as nervous as a cat on a hot roof, and so was I.

"Wanna watch television, Darry?" Pony asked.

"No. I think I'm gonna head to bed," Darry said.

"That's good," Soda said, standing up immediately. "That's the best thing-"

"Yeah," Pony agreed, standing alongside of Soda.

"I'll sleep out here tonight, on the couch," Soda was saying. "Ya just holler out in the night if ya need somethin'-"

"Sleep in your own bed," Darry told him. He moved to get to his feet, and immediately both Soda and Pony went to

grasp at one arm each, to help pull him up.

I stood up, watching, as Darry tolerated their pulls, but, then, once on his feet, he stood there, looking at the

three of us.

"I've got somethin' to say. To all three of ya. I misjudged somethin' today, and that's why I fell. The doc patched

me up, and, from here on, I'm gonna be fine. I'll take a couple of days, and then life's gonna go on, just as usual. I know

it was worrisome to ya, and I'm sorry about that. But, I'm not gonna have ya all sittin' around, watchin' me like I'm a

bug under a microscope, or somethin'. If I need help with somethin', then I'll say so. Otherwise-we're just gonna

carry on. Alright?"

That was a lot of words for Darry at one time. A lot.

None of the three of us said anything right off.

"I mean it," Darry said.

"We just wanna take care of ya, Darry," I spoke up. "Like you would, if it was us."

"I know, Junie," he said. "And, I appreciate it. I do. Just-don't fret so much about me."

We were all quiet, and he said, "See ya'll in the mornin'." He began ambling towards his bedroom. "Pony, if ya really wanna

help me with somethin', ya can pull my boots off for me-"

"Sure," Ponyboy said, and followed Darry.

I stood there with Soda, and after a couple of moments, he gave a heavy sigh, going to the door, and locking it for the night. Then

he picked up the couple glasses that were left on the coffee table, and paused, looking at the pillows still on the couch.

"Those Darry's pillows?" he asked me.

"Yeah."

"Better take 'em to him," Soda said.

I picked up the three pillows and went to the doorway of Darry's bedroom. Pony had one of Darry's boots off, and

was tugging gently on the other one, while Darry sat on the bed. I noticed how Darry wrapped both arms around his middle when Pony was pulling.

Pony set the boots neatly beside the bed, and went to the chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of sweatpants.

"Want that I help ya get out of your roofin' coveralls?" Pony asked him.

"I think I can manage that," Darry said, with a small smile.

"Here's your pillows," I said, coming into the room, and over to the bed, where I settled the pillows at the headboard.

Darry said thanks, and then, looked at Pony and I just standing there beside the bed.

I guess he could tell that Pony and I were both feeling emotional, because he said, "Everything's gonna be alright."

"Damn, Darry!" Soda said, and then his voice sort of broke off. All of his worry and fear was wrapped up in those two

words. "Damn, Darry!"

At Pony's emotion, I felt my own resolve weaken, and my eyes filled with easy tears.

"Ya could have died, Darry!" I burst out.

Darry hesitated a moment, looking at us, and then he said, "Both of ya, come here and sit beside me."

Pony went to sit on Darry's left side, and I went to sit on his right. He put his good arm around my waist, and put his

broken hand in the center of Pony's back.

"Not likely to die from a fall-" he began.

"You could have!" I insisted, swiping at my wet cheek with my hand.

"Okay. I could have. But, I didn't. I'll be healed up in no time."

"Don't make it like it was nothin', Darry!" Pony said, sounding furious. "It wasn't!"

Darry was silent, looking at Pony, and then at me. He sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry. I know it scared the daylights out of

both of ya." In a rare show of physical affection, Darry leaned and first kissed Pony on the top of his head, and then

turned, kissing the top of mine.

"I can't promise that nothin' is ever gonna happen to me," Darry said, quietly. "You both know that's not somethin' that

anybody can really know." I knew Darry was thinking of our parents, and how their death had been so sudden, so unexpected. "But, I

promise that I'll be as careful as I can be, so I can always be here for both of ya, and for Soda."

"More careful than ya were today," I told him.

"Yeah," he agreed. "That's my solemn promise to both of ya."

He looked at me. "Okay?" he asked me.

I nodded and he turned to Pony. "Ponyboy? Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay," Pony said, sounding subdued.

"Okay. Now, both of ya-clear out of here so I can get some sleep."

Pony stood up, and I leaned into Darry's arm, feeling the need to be close to him a moment or so longer.

Outsiders