Where the hell were they? When Soda told me he was going to pick up Ponyboy from the movies, I didn't expect him to be gone for over an hour. I willed my mind to think of anything that they could be doing. Maybe Soda took Ponyboy out for a burger and fries on the strip. Maybe there was traffic. Maybe the truck got a flat and Soda stopped to change it. Yeah, okay, maybe that's why they weren't home yet.

After another fifteen minutes went by, I wasn't so convinced anymore. If they weren't home in ten minutes, I had no other option but to go out and look for them myself. I didn't exactly want to spend my night searching every square inch of Tulsa, but is that's what I needed to do, then so be it. I grabbed the newspaper and tried to distract myself with the sports section, but my thoughts were wandering. I had to read the same paragraph three times before it made sense.

I was just about to leave when Two-Bit wandered through the door. "Anyone home?" He called, with a beer in his hand.

"Just me. Soda went to go pick up Pony from the movies. Steve is out with Evie."

Two-Bit paled. "Wait- Pony ain't back yet?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Well-" He stuttered, and I lost my patience with him.

"Two-Bit Mathews, if you're hiding something, you better tell me right now before I smack you into next week."

"We went to the movies, but I left him to take Kathy to dinner. He said he was fine and he would call Soda to pick him up. I haven't seen him since."

"You left him there by himself? Do know what could have happened to him with all these hopped up Socs running wild?" I was so ready to smack him upside the head that I had to jam my fists into my pockets.

"He said he was fine."

"I'll deal with you later," I mumbled to myself, and went to push past Two-Bit, but then decided not to, because I needed him to drive me.

"C'mon Darry," Two-Bit understood me and handed me his car keys. We hopped into his car and I groaned as I turned the key a few times but nothing happened. On the fifth try, it sputtered to life and we were off.

There was more than one way to get to the movie theater, but I tried to think like Soda, and I chose the fastest way down the strip. He was tired tonight and he wouldn't want to take longer to get to his destination.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Two-Bit. Be on the lookout for my truck." I expected him to come back at me with a clever retort, but he said nothing and listened to my instructions.

"I'm sorry Dare, but I ain't seeing anything," He said, after I cruised up and down the strip four times.

I pulled the car into an empty parking lot and stopped to think aloud. "Ok, so the strip is packed with cars driving up and down. Maybe Soda hit traffic and took a side street. But which one?" Soda was good with directions and he knew a lot of the side streets that I didn't. This may prove to be more of a difficult task that I anticipated.

I sped out of the parking lot and headed down Elm Street, then to Maple, and I was just about to turn again, when a familiar glint of blue metal caught my attention. I pressed my foot down on the gas and went to help Soda with what I thought would be a flat tire, but I was not prepared for what I saw.

My old truck was destroyed beyond the point of repair. All the glass was over the seats and the street, the driver's side door had a massive dent in it, and the engine hood was crumpled like an accordion. My brothers were nowhere to be seen.

A red Corvair was stopped on the left side of my truck, and judging by the lack of damage, I'm guessing the accident wasn't Soda's fault. But that was none of my worries right now.

"My God," Two-Bit whispered behind me. He was standing a few steps behind me with his eyes glassy and his mouth agape. I forgot he was even there.

"Darry," Two-Bit said, "They were probably taken to the hospital. There's no use in standing around here. We should go."

The closest hospital was twenty minutes away. I shortened it to ten. I parked in front of the hospital, not even caring about the signs outside that said not to. Tow the car for all I care. It wasn't even mine.

"Excuse me," I said to one of the nurses at the front desk, "My brothers were in a car accident. I think they were taken here. Their names are and Sodapop and Ponyboy Curtis."

The nurse scowled again. "I need their real names sir. No nicknames aloud."

"That is their real names." My patience was really thinning. This was no time to be explaining my parent's weird name choice. The nurse recognized the severity in my tone and went to check with the emergency room doctors.

She returned shortly. "I'm sorry there's no one here by that name."

"No, but there has to be," I insisted. "Check again. Sodapop and Ponyboy."

"Wait, did you say Sodapop?" Another younger nurse asked me from the desk over.

"Yes. Have you seen them?"

"I saw them but only for a second. They were both rushed back to surgery before I could examine them. I asked the older one what his name was, and he said Sodapop. I'm sorry but I thought he wanted something to drink."

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "Do you know when they'll be out of surgery?"

"No I don't, but I can get a doctor to tell you," She said.

"Thank you." I found my way over to a chair and let the worry of the night catch up with me. I've been running on autopilot ever since I discovered the wreck, but now the weight was crushing down on my shoulders. I felt a massive headache coming on and I've never been so scared in my whole life. What would I do if I didn't have my brothers anymore? Please, just be okay. I'll work every day for twelve hours straight to pay for their hospital bills if I had to. Just please, be alright. That's all I want.

XXXXXX

I couldn't follow Darry into that hospital and face Soda and Pony after what I did. I couldn't bear to look at them. Too many thoughts were swirling around and I ached for a beer. If I didn't take Pony to the movies, if I didn't bail on him for Kathy, if he didn't call Soda to pick him up…well, none of this would have happened.

I left my car at the hospital for Darry to have if he needed it for anything. It was the least I could do after I caused this whole disaster. If Darry could sit by his brothers' side while they were all bandaged up, then I could walk around town, and lucky for me, Buck's wasn't too far.

"Damn Mathews," Buck said from behind the bar. "You look like shit."

"Just gimme a beer," I said, and took a swig gratefully. Then another gulp, then another, then another, until I needed a new beer. The thoughts in my head were slowing with each sip, but I couldn't help but think what if I never left Pony at the movies.