Disclaimer-I do not own The Outsiders

I bent over and put my hands over my legs and panted. It was hard to catch my breath. I gave a dry heave and looked at my watch. 9:30 I was late for work. If I had known Soda was going to leave without me I would have had Two-Bit pick me up. He isn't all that reliable but it would still be better than running, or rather trying to. How the kid could make it looks so effortless was beyond me.

Catching my breath I rounded the corner and approached the DX station. Darry's car wasn't there so I assumed Soda was already inside. I was going to knock him a good one.

I stuck my head in the door. "Sodapop Curtis I'm going to kill you. You were supposed to give me a ride this morning. Now I'm late and…….."

I looked around. He wasn't in here. Instead our boss was standing at the convince store counter ringing up a costumer. He looked very grave and bored. The customer walked out eyeing me cooly.

"Soda isn't here."

"He isn't?" I turned my head. It wasn't Soda's day off and it wasn't like him to lay out either. They needed the money.

"I figured you'd of heard by now. You boys being so close and all."

"Heard what?" I walked closer. I knew good news wasn't coming. I can always tell.

"His older brother called just a few minutes ago. They're at the hospital. Sodapop's little brother is in the ICU. Apparently there was a very nasty mugging…"

I didn't hear the rest of what he had to say. I didn't want to. I'm not nuts about the kid but man oh man…… I mean Soda was just plum crazy about him, took him just about everywhere with us. The kid was annoying and whiney but he was still Soda's kid brother. And if anything happened to him Soda would just lose it. He'd already lost his folks. Losing his brother too was a blow I'm not sure Soda could take.

"Is the kid okay?" Of course he wasn't okay. The ICU, stupid he was in the ICU.

Stan, my boss, just shook his head. "It doesn't look too good. I gave Sodapop some time off to sort things out. I know you're close to the family and you probably should be there but can you possibly pick up the late shift tomorrow. I don't think Sodapop's going to be up to it."

"Yeha, um sure." I felt my stomach drop. No matter how much you dislike a person that doesn't mean you want them to die. Was the kid going to die? I hoped not. If for nothing else then at least for Soda. I couldn't admit to myself that I might actually care about the kid too.

"Hey Steve?" I nodded.

"Yes sir?"

"If you by the hospital on your break please send Sodapop my best."

"Yes sir." He smiled at me ruefully and then sent me to work. Stan may be a good old guy but he is also a stickler for hard work.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was around noon. I hadn't been able to go back and work on any cars since Soda wasn't here to mind the store. Sitting behind the counter was boring and tedious, especially with Soda's gaggle of girls coming to call and leaving as soon as they found he wasn't here.

I sat perched on a stool reading the latest car magazine waiting for another customer to arrive. The bell rang and I looked up. Two-Bit came in looking his rather soused up self. I wonder if he knew yet about the kid.

"Hey Stevie, "he said lazily. "Why aint you in back. Those super charged cars too much for you or did Soda finally run of with his fan club to Mexico? He grinned wildly. He hadn't heard.

"Two-Bit Soda's not here."

"He's not?"

I shook my head. I didn't know how to tell Two-Bit about the kid when I didn't even like thinking about it. Besides he is crazy about the kid.

"Two-bit Sodapop's at the hospital."

Two-Bits face fell. "Hospital?"

I nodded. "Pony was jumped last night. It don't look so good Two-Bit."

He forze. "Jumped but I was with the kid most of the night…." He gasped. "I've got to go Steve." He ran out the door. Something told me my friend knew more then he was telling. This was agonizing, painful.I watched Soda just sitting there holding Ponyboy's hand, stroking it. Pony didn't move, didn't flinch. He didn't holdf back onto Soda's hand. He was totally unresponsive.

He'd never looked so helpless, so fragile. He was a tiny, even sikly little baby but never like this. It made my stomoch clinch and I had done this to him. There is no way he would be laying there, just laying there if I had not hit him. He would be home, maybe playing football or spending time with Johnny.

Oh glory, Johnny. I hadn't even paused to think about him. Was he as bad as Pony? I sighed.

"Mr., Curtis?" I turned around. The nurse from before entered the room. "You have a visitor he claims to be your cousin. I was wondering if I should let him in, a Mr. Matthews…."

So Two-Bit knew. "Yeha let him in."

"Alright." I walked over to Pony's bedside but I didn't touch him. He wouldn't want me to anyways. "Two-Bit is coming." I said softly. Ponyboy has always been found of our crazy friend. He was a good old guy even if he didn't know the meaning of the words, work, serious and paying.

"Hey." I turned around.

"Hi Two=Bit. He nodded and turned his face to Pony's bed.

"Oh glory….." His face became grim and stoic but his eyes were awfully sorrowful. "Ah glory kid……"

"Hi Two-Bit." Soda said softly.

"The kid, what, I mean I know he got jumped but….."

"They tried to drown him. Almost succeeded. He's alive but it aint good." I said softly and sighed. "The doctors don't know if, if he's ever going to wake up."

"That's hard." I was astounded, Two-Bit not knowing what to say. "Darry I was with him most of the night, him and Johnny were walking home when I left them. I swear."

"It aint your fault buddy. It's mine." There Is aid it aloud.

"No Darry…." Soda said shaking his head, "No Darry you got it all wrong."

" I HIT HIM SODA. I HIT HIM AND HE RAN. THEN THIS, THIS HAPPENED!

Two-Bit became stiff. "Darry, you didn't….." He knows as well as I do that nobody in my family ever had hit Ponyboy. My parents didn't believe in spankings even.

I nodded. "I hit him and he ran."

"Ah glory."