Ponyboy didn't remember anything as he woke up. There was a strange beeping from next to him and some words were spoken. All he knew was that there was a familiar feeling of someone holding his hand. Although, he couldn't feel it as much as he wanted to.
"They drove hours straight just to bring them to this hospital?" Someone asked. Ponyboy strained his ears to hear. It was like he was underwater.
"Yeah, although, doc says the girl might not make it."
"Wha-" Ponyboy got out. There was a sudden gasp.
"Ponyboy? Are you awake? Ponyboy!" Ponyboy knew the voice. He had heard it too many times through the phone…
"Soda?" Ponyboy asked.
"Yes Pony- Im here," Soda said as he held Ponyboys hand.
"Darry?" Ponyboy asked again. "Yes kiddo- we're both here…" Ponyboy knew it was Darry who had been talking to Sodapop.
"Where?" Ponyboy got out. His voice was weak and he found it hard to string a sentence together. Ponyboy sat up though, letting his numb hands guide him up.
"Open your eyes-" Soda said as he ran his fingers through Ponyboys hair. Ponyboy tried to open his eyes but was blinded.
"Gah!" Ponyboy almost screamed as his weak arms went to shield his face. Sodapop pulled his hands down and gave Darry a worried glance. Darry nodded and went over to the windows, covering them gently. The monitor next to Ponyboy rang out loudly as tried to calm down.
"It's okay… open your eyes."
Ponyboy tried again. This time, it was easier to look at Sodapop and Darry in the dim light. He could see the happiness in Sodapops eyes. But he saw something else.
They were both crying.
"What-"
"We thought we lost you," Darry hugged Ponyboy. Ponyboy just sat there and Sodapop hugged him next.
"Glory Pony- never- ever do that again," Sodapop gently reprimanded. Ponyboy wanted to nod. He wanted to agree but there was something on his mind.
It took him a moment to think about it. He was just staring at Sodapop as he racked his brain for an answer. When he finally found the answer, he couldn't help but scream it out in his weak voice.
"Kitty!" He tried to scream. Sodapop and Darry shared a worried glance as they pulled away from Ponyboy. Before they could say anything, Two-Bit was at the threshold of the hospital door, almost as if he was summoned.
"Dying."
Ponyboys eyes widened. His mind supplied him with what happened and what Kitty looked like before he passed out-
"No!" No! Not- why," Ponyboy started to cry, his mouth struggled to speak as fast as Ponyboy wanted it to. Sodapop hugged him, trying to reassure him, and Two-Bit just sighed.
"You can't lose almost half your blood without some trouble…"
Ponyboy almost flinched at his cruel words. Pony was scared for Kitty. Would she stay alive? Two-Bit sounded too serious for him to be joking.
"Look kid, you scared all of us."
Ponyboy hung his head down, his eyes burning from tears ready to fall. Unresolved guilt filled his throat, causing a small tear to trail down.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I- I've hurt you guys," Ponyboy apologized. Sodapop was the first to hug him, accepting his apology. Darry stayed still, tears still falling from his eyes. Two-Bit looked outside into the corridor. He watched as the gang sat in the chairs, obviously dying to go inside of the room. After a bit, Darry cleared his throat.
"Don't just apologize to us," Darry said. Ponyboy looked at him from the hospital bed. Darry looked at Ponyboy, noticing how much paler he was. And he couldn't help but look for the innocence in Pony's eyes. His heart ached as he saw that Pony's eyes seemed to only be a shade of stormy gray. They had lost any other light.
A light Darry, as the older brother, was supposed to protect.
"Cmon guys, let's go see him," Two-Bit called out. Instantly everyone was up and filed into Ponyboys room. They all just stared at him before Johnny was the first to move. He hugged Ponyboy, almost crushing him in his embrace.
Ponyboy flinched back and so did Johnny. Johnny looked at Ponyboy and hugged him again- harder that time. "Don't ever do something stupid like that again." Ponyboys eyes widened at the statement as Johnny pulled away.
As Johnny pulled away, Ponyboy was able to see the bags under his eyes. He saw how scared and worried Johnny was for him. It only made the guilt in him grow.
Steve practically tackled Ponyboy in the embrace he gave him. "Ack!" Ponyboy made the sound as Steve crushed him.
"You- fucking idiot," Steve practically growled. Ponyboy tried to breathe and Sodapop pulled Steve away. Ponyboy recollected his breath and looked at everyone in the gang. Only Two-Bit and Dally looked well rested.
"If you ever do something like that again I'll skin ya," Dally growled. Ponyboy flinched back and Dally instantly shut up. Still, Ponyboy looked down at his lap as tears fell from his eyes. Guilt consumed him as he was around his gang.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I just- I didn't know what do to…" There was a small amount of silence again. The only sound that saved them from complete silence was Pony's heart monitor and an alarm from the hospital.
"Code blue-" the siren wailed, "room 85." Two-Bit stiffened at the alarm. Ponyboy looked up in alarm and caught the stiffness. He looked at him and Two-Bit bit his lip.
"That's-" A nurse ran by, a stretcher following. Doctors screamed and Ponyboy saw the patient.
She had brown hair but most of it was wrapped. He knew the girl. Ponyboy felt the guilt hit him. It was like he could see the scene in the warehouse again. In vivid detail, he painted the scene as he remembered Kitty on the floor. Her body limp and cold as Two-Bit had to run to her.
That was right before Ponyboy passed out into Dallys arms. Still, the scene was stuck in Ponyboys mind. He couldn't help but remember the sick feeling he got from looking at Kitty. Although, he never knew that now it would feel like throwing up. This time- he couldn't hold the bile.
"BAG-" Ponyboy yelled as he reached for anything. Sodapop ran into action, he grabbed the trashcan and everyone looked away from Ponyboy.
"Are you okay?" Sodapop asked. Ponyboy shook his head, tears falling down his cheeks. He couldn't speak. His mouth was dry, the only taste being the bile in his throat. He was dry heaving.
"Should we call a doctor!?" Johnny asked. Darry tried to comfort him, "Pony's fine-"
After a couple of ragged breaths; Ponyboy nodded, "I'm fine- it's - it's Kitty…" his words got caught in his throat. He let out a shaky breath, trying to ignore the taste of bile in his mouth. A doctor came in not too long after. He looked over at Ponyboy.
"He's suffering from a lot of shock. Not to mention that he's as traumatized as someone could get. I think maybe another day or two and he'll be okay to go home. After though, the state will need to check him and get him a therapist," the doctor told Darry. Darry nodded as he looked to Ponyboy. Ponyboys eyes were still glazed over, as if he wasn't there.
"You okay?" Sodapop asked him. He shook his head. His mind was running wild with everything. How- he thought- how could something like this happen?
Then he remembered. He remembered Tim and running away. How it was all his fault. There were so many how's in his mind that he just knew that it really was all his fault.
Even as the tears fell, and he saw the pity the gang was giving him, he just didn't feel fulfilled. He accepted the warm blobs of tears as they fell down his face. He also accepted that now, there was nowhere to run.
"Is he ever going to be okay?" Sodapop asked Darry. Darry held his breath, his jaw clenching. No matter how much he could hope for, he knew that Ponyboy most likely wouldn't be okay.
I mean- how would you feel if you saw a half-dead body?
"Pony?" Sodapop asked for the third time. Ponyboy shook his head, finally paying attention. Soda gave him a worried glance. "You okay buddy?" He asked.
"You already asked that," Ponyboy said. Sodapop furrowed his eyebrows. "I know, just-" Sodapop took a deep breath, "-I wanted to make sure." Ponyboy nodded, trying to understand.
His eyes went to the window. A golden sunset was blooming from the sky. Again his mind wandered to everything.
What was going to happen with Kitty?
"Visiting hours are over," a nurse said to everyone in the room. The gang looked to each other, all not wanting to leave. Still, Darry made them leave. Just so they didn't get kicked out.
"You should go home to sleep Dar. I'll be with Pony," Sodapop told Darry outside of Ponyboys room. They had left him so that the doctor could talk to Ponyboy. Still, they were trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements for Pony at the hospital.
Darry was close to shaking his head before he saw how determined Sodapop was. With a nod, Sodapop was next to Ponyboys bed. Ponyboy looked at him, or almost through him.
The wires that were connected to Ponyboy had been removed. Even some alarms had been removed to give Ponyboy more leverage as to what he wanted to do. Although, Ponyboy didn't have any place he wanted to go to.
Sodapop slept, almost peacefully. Ponyboy couldn't sleep, his mind kept supplying him with the image of Kittys half dead body. If that wasn't on his mind, then the alarms of other patients were.
After a while, Ponyboy got up. His legs were shaky as he tried to steady himself. "Room 83," he told himself as he took a step outside of the room. The hospital had their lights dim, mostly to try and help the patients to sleep.
Ponyboy started walking, looking at every number on the door. Part of him worried that Kitty wouldn't want to see him again. That she loathed him for leaving her. Still, he couldn't keep himself from trying to erase the image of her half-dead body from his mind.
When he finally saw 83 he walked in. The room was cold, and no one was in there. No one except the body on the bed. Ponyboy let out a soft gasp as he watched Kittys body work to try and survive.
There was an oxygen mask on her, and her arms were covered in IV's. Not to mention the bruises that were freshly littered on her body. With a small observation, Ponyboy saw that the cut on her hand was bandaged up correctly.
On a chair, Kittys red cardigan sat, taking up all of it. Ponyboy reached over to it, picking up the soft cloth between his fingers.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice asked. Ponyboy whirled around, looking right at Kitty. Her eyes were barely open enough to look at Ponyboy. When she finally realized who it was, she struggled to get up.
"Pony!" She said relieved. Ponyboy sat down on the chair looking at Kitty. Her hair peaked out from the bandages on her head. Not to mention that her chest also had many bandages on it.
"I'm sorry," Ponyboy instantly started. Kitty just looked at him, confused. "For what?" She asked.
"For leaving you," Ponyboy cried. He let the guilt consume him as he continued, "I should've never left. If I hadn't left- you'd- you'd be-"
"Ponyboy. You saved me," Kitty interrupted, trying to speak loud enough past the oxygen mask. "How?" Ponyboy asked incredulously, "by getting you into this mess?" Kitty shook her head, some wires jingling as she did so, "for getting me to the hospital."
Ponyboy slammed back into the chair. Tears were falling freely from his eyes as he eyed the cardigan again. This time, he caught sight of a letter on it. He looked up to Kitty who held her hand out. Nodding, he grabbed the letter and handed it to her.
She eyes past the words, drinking them in. Then, her eyes stopped and she looked to Ponyboy. "What's wrong?" He asked instantly. Her hands shook gently as she gripped the paper harder. The machines started to beep a bit, startling Ponyboy. "Hurry- leave!" Kitty tried to say before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body started shaking. Suddenly, more alarms were being sounded as the machines around her fought to keep her alive.
Ponyboy ran all the way back to his room, dodging doctors as he did so. When he made it back, Sodapop was surprisingly asleep still. Thinking he was in the clear, Ponyboy lay back down.
"There's the patient!" A doctor suddenly said. Ponyboy froze as he looked at the doctor. The doctor gave a weak smile as he walked over to Ponyboy.
"Needed to check your vitals," the doctor reached over and started to put an IV into Ponyboy. "-What!?" Ponyboy said as he tried to pull his hand back. The doctor gave him a look and in an instant, Ponyboy had his arm with an IV.
"I understand wanting to see your friend, but-" the doctor pulled out a stethoscope, "-I must ask you to focus on your health right now." Ponyboy nodded, albeit numbly as the doctor worked on his heartbeat.
While Ponyboy had lost the imagery of Kittys half dead body, he had gain the one of her shaking. The way her eyes rolled back as the letter she had fell. Ponyboy wished for a moment that he could've read the letter and understood why she would've acted in that way.
Barely three days later, Ponyboy was released. He didn't have anymore reasons to go to the hospital, so he couldn't visit Kitty. Instead, he had to settle for waiting for anything.
The days went on and he started to finish up school. It was only about spring break time that he got the news.
Ponyboy walked home, not waiting for Johnny. He tried to reason with himself for the whole time he had been back. Trying to reason that what he did was good and that even Kitty was happy.
But he just couldn't.
Absentmindedly, Ponyboy grabbed the mail and flipped through it. He felt the soft papers fly through his hand. Overdue bills and paid off rent filled his hand for a moment. Then, it stopped.
"To the Curtis family. Court notice for Ponyboy M. Curtis."
His hand stopped at that and he rushed inside. The house was empty, giving Ponyboy the time and space he needed. He ripped the letter open, Ponyboys mind blanked as he read the letter. There were more words, but none of them made sense. As Ponyboy looked he felt an overwhelming urge to leave. If screamed at him, clawing it's way out.
He was gone before Sodapop came back.
His arms pumped his way to the hospital. Ponyboy briefly wished that Kitty didn't have any parents but that wish seemed to almost disapate as he entered the hospital. It took three doctors to get to Kitty. All either forgot her, or didn't know which doctor worked for her.
"Kitty!" Ponyboy called out the second he made it to room 83. A familiar figure looked back at him, his gray eyes meeting Pony's.
"Two-Bit?" Ponyboy asked. Two-Bit took a bit of a step backward, holding a letter. Ponyboy looked to it confused, "did you also get a court letter?"
Two-Bit shook his head, quieter than ever. "What's wrong?" Ponyboy asked, taking a step near Two-Bit. "Nothing kid. Don't worry about it." From behind him, Ponyboy caught a glimpse of Kitty. As he stepped around Two-Bit, she looked back at him.
"Hey," she greeted. "Hey," Ponyboy replied. They looked at eachother, both unsure how to feel.
"Sorry about the court thing," Kitty said, looking down at her own letter. Ponyboy sighed, "it was bound to happen. I mean- I did steal a car and leave you for dead." Kitty shook her head, "it- it isn't that." Ponyboy lifted his head, "What's it for then?"
"Being disowned," Two-Bit said bitterly before he left the room. Ponyboy watched as he soberly sauntered off. Then he looked back to Kitty, "What's got him all riled up?"
Kitty shrugged, "It isn't my place to say." After a moment or a few, Ponyboy finally walked home- letter in hand. As he walked to the gate, he heard distinct yelling.
"Where is he?" He heard Sodapop yell. "Hell if I know!" Steve retorted, Ponyboy could hear the eyeroll. "Two-Bit! Help us!" Sodapop yelled to Two-Bit. Ponyboy started going up the stairs, watching from the porch door.
Two-Bit stayed on the floor, beer in hand. His eyes seemed glazed over as he watched the cartoons on the TV. Ponyboy walked in, the door slamming behind him. "Kids here," Two-Bit quietly announced; not even turning around.
Sodapop suddenly sprung out of nowhere, trapping Ponyboy in a hug. "Where have you been?" He asked worriedly. "Soda- I was at the hospital I'm fine. Just-" Ponyboys voice wandered off, "-checking on someone."
Before Sodapop could say anything, Two-Bit spoke up. "You ever gonna show him the letter?" Ponyboy looked down at the letter, his name bright on it. Sodapops eyes followed and there was the brief sound of choking from him.
"Soda- you alright?" Steve asked, rushing over. Steve spared Pony a glare and instead guided his friend to the couch. Sodapop couldn't sit still though as he sprung back up. He ripped the letter out of Ponyboy's hands and began reading it.
"Next week," Sodapop said. Ponyboy nodded and Two-Bit did too.
Ponyboy remembered one thing after that, it was a hell of a week.