(Ponyboy's POV)

I was woken up by someone rudely shaking my shoulder, which sent tendrils of pain shoot up my spine and into my head, and also down my back and around my ribs. I knew it wasn't either of my brothers because they would be gentler, and it wasn't either Steve or Two-Bit because my brothers wouldn't let them be so rough with me, especially since I was still aching and in a hospital bed. Or at least I was pretty sure I was still in the hospital. With my eyes closed, it was hard to tell.

"Wake up, greaser," some guy's voice spat in my ear.

Even though us greasers sometimes joke and call each other that name, we never say it with such venom, so I knew whoever was shaking me was no friend. I thought about keeping my eyes shut or pretending to be dead, but I had a strange feeling whoever was trying to get my attention would just do something more dramatic and probably more painful, so I decided against it.

I pried my eyes open, which took more effort than I anticipated. After blinking a few times, I recognized the ugly big nose on the Soc's face. It's that Soc. What's his name? Ed. As the seconds ticked by, I slowly started gather awareness, and I realized that we were alone in my hospital room. Where are the others? I panicked, so I opened my mouth to yell for someone, but Ed covered both my mouth and nose with his hand, sufficiently stopping me from crying for help.

Since I couldn't yell, I tried to fight, but even before I got hurt, I wasn't the strongest fighter. While one of Ed's hands remained covering most of my face, his other hand managed to block the punch I threw his way, then he pinned that hand down and his elbow jabbed me in the ribcage. I tried to bring my knee up to defend myself, but then Ed just rested his knee on my thigh. Once I was effectively pinned down and struggling to breathe, Ed glared down at me.

"Ain't no use in yelling or fighting, grease. Docs did their rounds, your brothers are gone, and your friend's on the phone down the hall." He was harsh and quick to the point, so it seemed like he was in a rush for some reason. "I ain't gonna be here long, I just need information."

I tried to glare back at Ed and look tough, but it was hard to do while I was struggling to breathe with his hand covering my face and elbow in my ribs. What kind of information could I have that he needs?

"I'm gonna move my hand and let you speal," he said slowly and quietly. I felt right hand being released from his iron grip and I was so grateful that I didn't bother trying to hit him again, but a couple seconds later, the relief I felt disappeared as he brought a blade right in front of my eyes. Glory, not again. I don't need to see another blade for the rest of my life. "But if you get any funny ideas or yell for help, it'll be the last thing you do. Understand?"

I did my best to nod my head. Slowly, Ed released his hold on me and took a small step back, but he remained close to my side with the blade close to my neck, likely in case I looked ready to start yelling. He didn't need to worry though, I just glad to be able to breathe without his hand in the way.

I tried to fill my lungs with oxygen using short, shallow breaths, but it was futile. A few moments later, I realized that the thing that was giving me oxygen before wasn't on my face anymore. Curious, I looked up and down my arms and noticed that I wasn't connected to anything anymore; the spot where my IV was previously had haphazardly been taken out and bandaged by someone that wasn't a professional, and blood has seeped through most of the bandage.

I turned to look at Ed. "Why'd you take… 'vrything off?" I asked, words slurring together once again. My head was throbbing, so along with my confusion and slurring, I was starting to feel like something else was wrong. I'm not a doctor, but I sure need one. I can't yell for one, though.

"I want the money you and the other kid stole," he shot back viscously and quietly. "And if you need to go somewhere to get it, then we're going to get it now."

That made no sense to me. But I'm in the hospital. I'm hurt. I can't just leave. My brothers wouldn't let me. And I don't even know where it is anyway. I tried to take a couple more breaths before replying. "I don't… don't have it."

Ed pushed the blade into my neck more and I knew it would pierce skin. He leaned his arm on my ribs again, and got so close to me that his nose took up half of my field of view. "Don't lie to me, grease. I know you and your friend stole it."

"I… I-" I couldn't speak or even breathe anymore, not with my ribs being pushed in, a knife to my neck, and no oxygen being giving to me by machines.

"Where is it?!" Ed asked louder.

The sides of my vision started to turn black, and even when I blinked, it didn't improve. Ed looked furious that I didn't respond, but I couldn't help he anyway. I didn't know Curly took money in the first place, let alone what happened to it.

I shook my head, trying to find the words that were eluding me. "Don't know."

Ed angrily shoved me into the hospital bed even more, and I yelped as my body exploded in pain. My ribcage shifted under Ed's arm and a lightning bolt of pain shot throughout my torso. The darkness that was surrounding my vision immediately began to cave in. I started hyperventilating, and I could feel liquid on my neck, which meant Ed's blade went through at least one layer of skin. My head was throbbing, and I felt like I was either going to pass out or throw up, but I wasn't sure which was going to happen first.

"Tell me where it is, greaser, or I swear-"

A deep, furious voice cut Ed off, and I was vaguely aware that I knew who the voice belonged to. "Hey!"

A moment later, the weight of the angry Soc was off of me, but I still felt miserable. I could hear noises and I was aware there was at least one other person in the room, but everything was dark.

Seconds later, it felt like I fell off a dark ledge into an even darker abyss.

(Two-Bit's POV)

As soon as I got to the phone, I picked it up in a hurry. "Steve?"

"Finally," my irritated friend blurted out. "What took so long?"

I turned so my back was resting against the wall. "I can only walk so fast, Steve. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he said, sounding almost confused. "I uh… I'm callin' to see how the kid's doin'."

I stood there with my mouth hanging wide open. I always knew Steve secretly cared about Ponyboy, or at least he would have the kid's back in a fight if it came down to It, but it was surprising that Steve would call the hospital just to check on Ponyboy.

I must've been stunned for too long, because Steve spoke again, sounding worried. "Two-Bit? Did something happen?"

"What? Oh, no. He's fine Stevie," I said, trying to fight the smile that was creeping on my face. "I've just been hanging out with him while his brothers are kicking some Soc butt. He's been sleeping the whole time." I watched some cute nurses walk right in front of me and I let out a low whistle. They rolled their eyes, but they still gave ol' Two-Bit smirks that told me they appreciated me appreciating them.

"Good, that kid needs some rest, and he don't need to know Darry and Soda are takin' care of those Socs," Steve said like some mature hoodlum.

"If I didn't know any better, Steve, I'd say you cared about him," I said with mock surprise. "Dare I say, you're worried about him."

I heard Steve groan on the other end. "Whatever." Even though I'm sure he was rolling his eyes, I would bet a pack of cigarettes that he was smiling because he knew I was right. "Look, I'm closing up here, then I'll stop by at the hospital. Any idea when Darry and Soda will be back?"

I glanced down the hallway, and I was suddenly sure that Steve was psychic or something because the Curtis brothers were walking towards me. Both of them had a couple marks on their skin, but I could tell just by looking at them that they won the fight. It's not like it was going to be a close competition anyway.

"Well well well, speak of the devils," I said loudly as Darry and Soda walked up to me, so both they and Steve could hear me.

"Two-Bit?" Darry said, looking at me. "I thought you were going to be in Pony's room the whole time we were gone," Darry said, trying and failing to hide the irritation in his voice.

"I know, and I was plannin' on it, but our friend Steve here was worried about the kid, so he called and wanted to know how he was doing," I explained with a huge smile on my face. Then I spoke directly into the phone. "Isn't that right, Steve? You love that kid so much, you just had to make sure he was safe and sound."

Soda beamed, and Darry grinned a little. I knew both of them were glad Steve and Ponyboy got along better, even if neither of them outwardly said they were friends.

"Shut up, Two-Bit," Steve snapped at me. "Darry and Soda both there now?"

"Yeah, they're both here," I said.

Soda extended his hand to me. "Let me talk to him."

The moment Soda started talking to Steve, Darry interrogated me. "How is he? Did he wake up at all?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Slept like a baby grease the whole time you were gone." I couldn't tell if my answer made Darry relieved or not, but I moved on to my questions. "How was the mini rumble? Did you kick some Soc butt?"

Darry folded his arms in front of his broad chest and smirked. "Of course we did. Do you think Tim, me, and Soda would let those Socs off the hook for messing with our brothers?"

The short answer: no, absolutely not. There was no way any of us would let Socs get away with it, let alone the older brothers of Curly and Ponyboy.

A moment passed, then a look crossed Darry's face. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's just… the one that Curly said pulled a blade on Pony, Ed or something like that, he wasn't even there." Darry sounded troubled, almost like he suspected something. "He was the one I was really looking forward to pummeling, and he never showed."

"Coward," I muttered.

Darry's eyes were narrowed and he nodded his head. "Yeah, he sure is, especially since he let his friends take a beating while he was hiding out somewhere."

I was disgusted. Not only were Socs disgusting people anyway, but for one of them to pull a blade on the youngest and brightest greaser, then hide and let his friends get pummeled on his behalf… that Ed guy was the worst.

"You'll find him eventually," I assured him. "If you don't, one of us will."

Darry grinned. "I appreciate that, Two-Bit." He looked down the hall, towards Ponyboy's room. "I'm going to go sit with Pony." Before I even could reply, he walked away, leaving me standing next to Soda, who was still talking to Steve.

I wanted to jump into the conversation between Soda and Steve, but then an angry voice down the hall yelled "Hey!"

I turned just in time to see Darry, looking into Pony's room, furious at something or someone, before disappearing into the room.

"Shit," Soda muttered before hanging up the phone and sprinting towards Ponyboy's room. I immediately followed him.

What the hell is going on?

(Darry's POV)

I was surprised and a little frustrated to see Two-Bit on the phone when we arrived at the hospital, especially since he promised to stay with Pony the entire time Soda and I were gone, but I couldn't be too mad since he only left because Steve called to check up on Pony. That was surprising too, for Steve to call and ask about Ponyboy, but I decided I had enough things on my mind and I was just glad Steve and Pony didn't hate each other anymore. Plus, Ponyboy could use as many people looking out for him as he could get.

I left Two-Bit and Soda so I could go sit with Pony, wanting to do nothing more than see my kid brother and sit down. Unfortunately, when I approached Pony's room, I heard a faint yelp, and I was met with a sight I wasn't prepared for.

The Soc that was suspiciously missing from the fight Soda and I were at was pinning Ponyboy down in his hospital bed. The Soc's arm was pressing into Pony's torso, which I figured was only one of the reasons Pony looked like he was struggling to breathe. More disturbingly, I saw the blade pressing into Ponyboy's neck, causing red liquid to drip onto Pony's strangely and incredibly pale skin. He looks awful. Was his skin that color when we left him earlier?

I gathered all of the information and sights within a moment, and as the shock wore off, the Soc dared to threaten my brother right in front of me.

"Tell me where it is, greaser, or I swear-"

"Hey!" I bellowed. I didn't even give the Soc time the completely turn around before I was on him.

I pulled the Soc off Ponyboy, slammed him onto the floor, and started the beating the tar out of him. I had so much hatred for the Soc, not only for getting Ponyboy sent to the hospital in the first place, but he skipped the fight so he could sneak into Pony's room and threaten him while Soda and I were gone. Ed must've had a death wish, and I was more than happy to grant him that wish.

I was punching the Soc in the face when Soda and Two-Bit ran into the room.

"What the- Pony!" I heard Soda's voice over the sounds of my own effort mixed with the grunts of pain from the Soc I had pinned against the floor.

I glanced over and saw Soda rush over to Pony's bed while Two-Bit stood between the bed and me, probably unsure of what to do.

"What's going on in here?" I didn't recognize that voice right away, so I gave Ed a reprieve from my fists driving into his face and torso so I could turn around. It was Carl; out of everyone in the hospital it could be, it was Carl.

I stood up and pointed to Ed on the floor as I stared daggers at Carl. "He's the one that put my brother in here. He had my brother pinned down and had a knife at his throat!"

Carl's eye widened. He looked at Ed, then me, then Pony, and then he turned his heard towards the door. "I need help in here!" Carl shouted loud enough so anyone in the hallway would coming rushing in. When he turned back at me, his eyes had a strange, dark quality to them. "Your brother is my patient, he," Carly nodded his head towards Ed, "is not. I need this room cleared out. Get him out of here."

Somehow, I felt like Carl and I had an understanding.

Take it outside.

"I ain't leavin'," Soda said. He was sitting on the side of the bed, looking like he'd protect Ponyboy with his life. I know he would.

Not leaving anything up for debate, I bent down and hoisted Ed up from the ground by his arm. Then I looked over at Two-Bit. "Help me out here, Two-Bit? We're escorting our friend out of here."

Two-Bit gave me an evil smile. "My pleasure."

Once Two-Bit got on the other side of Ed, I looked over at Soda, who had already gone back to focusing back on Ponyboy. "Keep an eye on him, Soda. I'll be right back." Soda nodded, but didn't take his eyes off our brother as Two-Bit and I took Ed away from Ponyboy's room.

Thank you for those who have read the story so far! Just a couple more chapters to go!