Chapter 12

Anyone's POV

Darry saw Soda holding Ponyboy, and he was still trying to apply pressure to Pony's stomach to slow down the bleeding, but it wasn't working. Darry could tell that Pony was starting to go limp. They needed to get him to a hospital, and so Darry told Soda to go and get help. Soda nodded and gently laid Ponyboy on the ground, trying not to cry, and ran to the nearest payphone.

Darry put his fingers on Ponyboy's neck, and was relieved when he felt a weak heartbeat. He had lost so much blood.

His breathing was different. He was hardly inhaling any air, and he was breathing really quick, shallow breaths. he was pale too.

The ambulance came, and they took him to the hospital. Soda came running back to Darry, and so they ran home and drove to the hospital. The drive there was silent.

They got there, but were told to wait in the waiting room. They used a payphone and called Steve and Two-bit, who were there in a matter of minutes.

"Is he okay? What happened?" Two-bit asked as him and Steve entered the hospital.

Soda continued to look at the floor, feeling guilty. Darry told them about how Soda's friends had come along and stabbed him. Two-bit was doing a mix of glaring at Soda, and giving Soda a sad look. Steve didn't glare at Soda, but he was a bit angry and upset as well. He truly did care for Ponyboy.

They all waited for a while, until a nurse came over to them.

"Family of Ponyboy Curtis?" Everyone stood up, and Darry walked over to her. "I'm Darrel, his guardian."

She nodded. "I'm doctor Miller." She looked through some of her papers, then sadly looked at Darry. "I'm very sorry Darrel. We did everything we could, but, I'm very sorry. It was just too late."

As soon as she finished talking, Soda fell to his knees, crying. Steve crouched next to him, while Darry did the same on the other side. He was upset, but he didn't want to see Soda hurt.

Two-bit just stood there, starring at a wall with a blank expression.

XXX

Ponyboy's POV

I felt weird. I almost felt like I was floating. There was a really bright light. That bright light slowly turned into a room. The room had white walls. I was up high, close to the ceiling, but I didn't know why. I looked down and saw what looked like nurses working on somebody. I floated down and landed on the ground. And that's when I saw it.

I saw a sight that I never wanted to see. The nurses were working on me. It was me on that operating table. It was me. They were working on my stomach, where I had gotten stabbed. They were calling out stuff like, "He's flat lining!" And "Were Losing him!"

I went over to the table and tried to put my hand on my other hand to see what would happen. My hand went through my other hand and through the operating table as well. I froze. I was hoping that this was a nightmare, but I had a feeling that it wasn't.

I looked up and saw a sign that said ICU. I looked back and saw the nurses still working on me, but I could tell that some of them had given up. I couldn't watch the sight any longer.

I went up to the doors and tried to push them open, but instead my hands went through them. I gasped, but once I got over the shock, I went up to the door and walked through it. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight I saw.

I saw Sodapop on his knees, crying. Steve and Darry were next to him, and Two-bit was just standing there, starring off into space. A nurse was there, and I figured that they were crying over me.

That's when I realized that I had actually done it. I had died. I was dead.

I wanted so bad to tell them that I was fine, that I was right there with them in that room, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get them to hear me.

I started shouting at them that I was right in front of them. I walked over to them, but they couldn't hear me or see me.

I knew that this wasn't a nightmare. It was reality.

XXX

Still Ponyboy's POV

I'm not sure how I did it, but I was able to get to my house. Everyone was there already. Soda sat on the couch, crying non-stop, while Steve tried to comfort him, but it wasn't working. Darry was making phone calls in the kitchen.

Two-bit was just starring at my room, trying to think of a way to lighten the mood. He couldn't though. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.

"Two-bit, are you okay?" I asked. He didn't move or anything. That's when I remembered that I was dead. I was a ghost.

Even knowing this fact didn't stop me. I sat on the other side of Sodapop and put my hand on his, even though my hand went through his hand. After a few minutes, I got up and went into the kitchen by Darry, who was on the phone. He was making funeral arrangements.

"Darry." I whispered, even though I knew full well that he couldn't hear me. "Darry I'm right here." I said as my eyes got watery.

I wanted him to stop. Hearing Darry plan a funeral for me made the whole situation more real. It made it sound like there was no chance of me ever coming back. I knew that there wasn't a chance, but this just made it seem worse.

"Darry!" I tried again, as my eyes got more watery.

"Darry I'm right here!"