*I do not own the Outsiders.

Excuse any grammatical errors and thank you all for your review and reading my story.

(DPOV)

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I was sipping a disgusting brown colored drink the hospital named coffee. I don't know how they make people feel better with gross food and a bad atmosphere.

I read somewhere that colors can have an affect on a person, I bet there was a color that was suppose to make people feel good. Red was for angry, purple was suppose to make you sleep better, I don't remember anymore. Where'd I read that?

Ponyboy's psychology paper for health. Damn it and here I am trying to focus on something else. For the past three hours I have tried to think about anything besides the situation at hand, it works for two minutes and somehow comes right back to Ponyboy.

Dallas and Johnny showed up together a little while after Two-Bit and Steve. I was worried about Johnny. He'd been white as a ghost when he came in, I thought he'd have gained a little color back but he hadn't. That last jumping had scarred him in ways that couldn't just be taped up or stitched, I hope last night hadn't made it worst.

I hope the Socs didn't scar Pony. I hope I didn't either. How the hell is he ever going to forgive me. The gang all told me that he would, even Johnny had given me some reassurance. Personally, I wasn't as sure as them. Only Soda had seen that look he gave me.

Sigh.

I looked over at the gang, all I had left, all I lived for. Soda's head was in Steve's lap, sleeping but not peacefully. His brow was knitted together and his legs were pulled to his chest.

Steve had fallen asleep after Soda, his head rested on the wall behind him. He was going to be sore later. Dallas was sprawled in the chair next to me, his eyes were closed but I couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

Two-Bit was on his back on the ground. He looked stupid. I would have laughed at the site of him, with one arm under his head and all his limbs going in different directions, if I had been anywhere else but here.

Johnny was asleep, finally. Kid might be quiet and usually just goes with what you say, but he could be right out stubborn. He'd caught us all by surprise last night.

Flashback

"Hey, y'all hear anything about the kid?" I glanced up to see Dallas Winston in front of me. Dal can be hard to find, but I guess Johnny knew where to look. Johnny, white as snow, stood a few steps behind him.

Dallas was still staring at me for an answer. Before I opened my mouth Soda answered for me, "No, they won't tell us anything."

Steve and Two-Bit's antics weren't working with me. Both were telling each other off in very colorful ways. The only reason I hadn't knocked their heads together was because it was distracting Soda, that was until Dally said something.

"Hey Johnnykid, you alright? Your looking a little pale, try and catch some shut eye," I turned to look at the rest of the gang, "That goes for you guys too. I don't want you getting us thrown out of here."

Mockingly indignant Two-Bit cried, "Do you think I'd really do that to you, Dar?" I rolled my eyes at his act.

I turned back to Johnny who was seated next to Dally, "Really kid, you haven't slept tonight."

"Neither have you." It wasn't one of Johnny's quiet replies, it was a right out snap. "I ain't tired." He added quietly. The entire gang was staring at him, they all saw the flash of defiance, anger, and the stubborn set to his jaw. I hadn't seen that in him before.

So quiet, I knew I was the only one who heard Soda say, "Pony is his best buddy, I can't imagine watching that happen to Steve and not being pissed or wanting to go to sleep when I don't know what's gonna happen." I barely nodded, forever understanding Sodapop.

I looked at the clock for the millionth time, unsurprised to see that the minute hand had only moved two notches since I last looked at it.

Through the double doors of the emergency room entrance I could see shades of oranges, pinks, and yellows drifting into the dark blue sky, stars slowly disappearing as the sun came up.

The door near the nurse's office opened too, a middle aged man with graying hair walked towards me.

(Third Person POV A/N I was going to stop here, would have been a good cliff hanger, but you've all been waiting long enough, will Pony die or not?)

Darry shook Soda awake. Soda woke with a jump and ended up on top of Two-Bit who was on the floor, waking Steve who swore, and their noise woke Dally and Johnny who hadn't been able to fall into a deep sleep.

Darry was a little embarrassed when he saw Dr. Mark Jobson laughing at all of the boys, especially the two laughing on the floor.

Soda saw Darry wasn't laughing and followed his gaze and met the doctors. Bounding to his feet, the humor was soon drained from everyone. Serious expressions making their way onto the six boys faces.

"I'm looking for a Darrel Curtis?"

"That's me, sir." Darry stood up and shook the doctor's hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Mark Jobson. Most people just call me Dr. Mark though. I'm here to discuss your brother Ponyboy's condition."

Dr. Mark was about to continue but Soda was too impatient, he only needed to know one thing. "Is he going to be alright?"

Turning, the doctor looked at the boy with golden hair and a worried face, he'd read the Curtis's file and guessed this was the middle brother Sodapop. He liked the strange names these children were given, he always liked something a little out of the ordinary. A shame that their parents weren't here, though it looked like they had strong ties to the young men that now all stared at him.

"Yes."

The relief was tangible. The golden haired boy looked stuck between running around and yelling or sitting down and sobbing. The other brother had an almost child like look, a strange expression on a twenty year old's face, especially considering he was rather large. He looked like the child who stared at his first Christmas tree, carefree, joyful, like he was the luckiest kid ever. The others around the doctor all sagged back into their chairs, they could get through anything as long as Pony was okay.

Darry turned toward the smiling doctor. "I was his surgeon. He gave us quite a scare when he came in, he lost a lot of blood, but he pulled through. The blade had punctured his intestine but we were able to sew that up, we had to crack one of his bottom ribs in order to do so. He has an IV, we're giving him blood, but he should wake up soon. Most likely he'll want to be put out again. The near drowning didn't cause any damage, no damage was permanent. He'll be in a lot of pain for a week or two, then it'll become bearable." The young men all took this with stoic faces.

"He's extremely lucky, if he'd gotten here any later he probably would of died, almost did." The doctor looked at Darry with knowing eyes, at the mention of how close Pony had come to dying, his bright smile dimmed a little.

Darry sighed, looking older than he had a moment ago, "Thank you so much Dr. Mark, thank you."