3 Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own "The Outsiders" or any of the Curtis' Gang. Sigh. The real owner of "The Outsiders" is my favorite author, the fabulous S.E. Hinton. I also do not make a profit from the stories that I write here on this site.

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Darry's POV

I walked into Pony's room and saw a young, pale kid in a hospital big bed surrounded with wires and tubes. He was wearing the annoying and ugly hospital gown. The heart monitor beeped, assuring us that he was alive. I knew that this kid had a good heart, but was no longer innocent. He had reddish-brown, greased hair and closed green eyes.

This kid was my little brother, and that's what scared me.

X

It has been three days since Pony had last opened his eyes. The doctor tried to assure me that he was alright and it was just the pain medicine, but I was getting concerned. I missed his smart-mouthed comments and watching him absorb himself in a book or movie. Most of all, I just missed having him around, alive.

Soda was a Craig like a zombie, well, more of a walking worried zombie. Johnny was worried also, it was his best friend in a hospital, but he was also scared that he was going to get jumped next. He was about Pony's size, which made him an easy target. Dallas was drunk at Bucks after deciding we were a lost cause. Two-Bit tried to cheer us up, but he was slightly concerned too. Even Steve couldn't deny that the gang wasn't complete without Pony.

Speaking of Steve, he hasn't been to the hospital once. I thought he would have come to comfort Soda. Sodapop says that when he stopped at the house Steve was there, drunk out of his mind. He told Soda that it "was his fall that the Soc-scum jumped the kid" or something like that. He used a few unprintable words to describe the Socs. Dal woulda been proud. Yeah right, I thought.

I held Pony's hand and squeezed it. I felt his fingers twitch slightly at my touch. An electric shock of happiness filled me. I tried to get him to wake up, and after some coaching his green eyes that I missed so much opened up. He groaned at the bright light, but Johnny took care of that for me by shutting the blinds.

"They're shut now, Pone," I informed him. Relieved that the darkness wouldn't aggravate his headache now he opened up his eyes fully.

"Darry?" He asked me in a hoarse whisper, "How long have I been out?" He seemed tired, even after sleeping for days, but I guess that that was normal for someone.

"A few, long, worrisome days, lil colt, but you were on a lot of medicine," I told him honestly. He nodded after a moment. I noticed that he was struggling to stay awake.

"It's okay, go to sleep, Pone," I assured him, though, if it was up to me he would get out if the hospital today and stay awake, at least until Soda got here to see him. He would be awfully upset that he missed Pony being awake.

Pony closed his eyes and was back to sleep in a moment. I realized that he hadn't noticed Johnny, who was right next to him with a sullen expression.

"Are you alright?" I asked. He fiddled with the blanket that covered Pony.

"I guess. Just stressed, ya know?" He asked. I nodded and to my surprise he laughed.

"Your the expert on stressing yourself out," he told me. I nodded truthfully, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"I guess I am, Johnnycakes. But that's what I'm good at."

Ponyboy's POV

"Pony, come on, wake up," I heard a rough voice command me.

My eyelids slowly fluttered, but the room was too bright for my head.

"They're shut now, Pone," the same voice informed me. I opened my eyes and saw Darry's worried face looming above my vision.

"Darry?" I questioned in a hoarse whisper, "How long have I been out?" Just those few words exhausted me. My throat was sore and dry. It felt like I hadn't drank anything in a month or more.

"A few, long, worrisome days, lil colt, but you were on a lot of medicine," Darry informed me. I nodded. I was struggling to stay awake and I Darry noticed me right away.

"It's okay, go to sleep, Pone," he assured me. I closed my eyes, I was too tired to fight.

Sodapop's POV

I had to get who did this. I needed to know, and I needed to know now. My leg bounced in anticipation of the rumble I was imagining. But I couldn't ask Ponyboy yet. The doctor says he probably wouldn't want to talk about it right away, plus he recorded a few blows to the head. It was possible that he had suppressed the memory of the jumping, but that was okay. I would find them on my own if I needed to.

A/N: Uh-Oh. Soda-vengeance, never good.