(Darry's POV)

I woke up with a start, shooting straight up into a sitting position and a cold sweat covering my forehead and back. I was panting, not able to take a normal breath in. It was just a dream, Darry. Just a nightmare.

In the dream, there was a burning building right in front of me, and I could hear Ponyboy screaming for help. He was yelling my name, and as much as I wanted to run to him, my feet wouldn't budge; it was like they were cemented to the ground. I heard my kid brother's screams, and it was absolutely torturous for me not being able to reach him. An ominous voice rang overhead: "Ponyboy Curtis is pronounced dead."

I jumped to my feet, barely able to stay steady and see where I was going as I moved around my room in the dark. I have to see him. I have to know he's okay. I tried to be quiet, yet quick, as I made my way to the room that I knew held both of my younger brothers. What if he really is dead, and I just imagined saving him? My heart rate spiked and I made my feet move quicker.

Once I reached the door, I opened it as quietly as I could. There, lying peacefully with their eyes closed, both of my brothers were sound asleep and safe. I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Darry?" I heard Soda's quiet voice say. His eyes were barely open, but I could tell he was looking right at me. He kept his arm protectively wrapped around Pony, then he picked his head up a little. "Everything okay?"

My breathing was still ragged, but I nodded in reply. Pretend to be fine. "Yeah. Go back to sleep." Before he could ask again, I turned and walked to the kitchen, hoping that drinking something would help calm me down.

I poured myself a glass of chocolate milk, chugged it, and set the cup in the sink before lowering myself down into one of the kitchen chairs. Then I rested my elbows on the table and covered my face with my hands. Breathe in and out, Darry. Everything's fine. Pony's alive. He's sleeping next to Soda.

Between my shaky breaths, I heard someone move nearby, then they sat next to me. "What's goin' on, Dar?" Soda asked.

I wanted to assure him I was fine, but I couldn't. I wanted to say something to him, but focusing on my breathing was hard enough, so I remained silent. Soda must've understood though, because he gently rubbed circles on my back, simultaneously being careful of my burns and also apparently not caring about the sweat. "Keep breathing, Dar. You're doin' good."

After a while, I felt myself start to relax slightly. "I'm okay," I finally said, my face still covered by my hands, which were suddenly wet. Was I crying, or is it sweat? "Sorry for waking you."

"Don't be," Soda said kindly. "What happened?"

I shook my head, not wanting to relive the nightmare. "Bad dream."

"Yeah? Want to tell me what it was about?" Soda gently pressed.

No.

My silence must have been enough of an answer for him, because Soda spoke again. "Well, you came to check on either me or Pony, so is it safe to assume it had to do with one of us?"

I nodded my head.

"And since we've been at the hospital with him for a couple weeks, I'm guessing it was about Pony, right?" Soda asked.

I nodded again.

He reached moved his hand to massage the spot in my shoulder that always had a tight knot in it. "I get it. You practically haven't let him out of your sight since that day, and you probably woke up and needed to see him. Right?"

I uncovered my face and looked at him. He's smarter than he gives himself credit for. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged. "You ain't the only one with nightmares." He said it so casually, but it wasn't a light topic in our house. We all knew Pony had nightmares, but by the way he said it, I wondered if Soda did too. I made a mental note to myself to ask him about it some other day. "Talking about it helps, Darry. I promise."

I nodded and let out another breath. Listen to Soda. Talk about it. Don't keep it in.

"I couldn't save him," I said plainly as I focused on a small crack in the table. It was apparent Soda was going to stay silent and let me speak at my own pace, so I continued slowly. "In my dream, I heard him yelling, he was calling my name, but I couldn't move… glory, it was awful. Seeing all those flames and not being able to get to him…" I trailed off, not able to say anything more.

I felt Soda squeeze my shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Darry, you did save him. You got him out."

I nodded, then pressed the heels of my hands into my forehead before taking another deep breath. "He… he was gone. In that nightmare, he didn't make it." Saying those words made me sick to my stomach. "When I woke up, I had to make sure that I didn't imagine the hospital or him coming home. I had to know he was okay." Tears were falling, but I didn't feel like wiping them away.

I hated letting people see me in such an emotional state, but out of everyone, I was glad Soda was the one that was there to witness it. He had always been caring and kind, and especially after our parents died, he has been my rock. I leaned on Soda for so many things, even if I hated to admit needing to lean on anyone, and he never complained or even mentioned it once.

Soda sat there, his strong grip on my shoulder in support of me and my fragile emotional state. A few moments passed before I felt arms wrap around me, holding me in a tight, but not too tight, embrace. Once I realized Soda's hand never left my shoulder, I immediately pulled my head away from my hands to see who else had shown up. Ponyboy was hugging me, and judging by the sniffles I heard coming from him, he was crying too.

"Come here, little buddy," I managed to say before wrapping my arms around Pony. Another pair of arms wrapped around us, which told me Soda was hugging us to.

"You saved me, Darry," Ponyboy said, his voice sounding so young. "I'm okay because of you. Thank you."

I sobbed and held him tighter. "I love you so much, kiddo. I'd do anything for you." I'd die for you if it came down to it.

"I know," Pony said, his voice sounding a little stronger. "I know you would."

(Ponyboy's POV)

I woke up to the bed shifting beneath me. I let out a groan, more so from my sleepiness than from pain.

The movement from the mattress suddenly stopped. "You alright, Pony?" Soda asked quietly.

I opened one of my eyes, and saw Soda standing between me and the door. "Why're you gettin' up? It's still night," I mumbled. I didn't know exactly what time it was, but our room was really dark, so I knew it was far too early for anyone to be up.

"Gotta take a leak. Go back to sleep," he said, giving me a grin that looked forced. He's lying.

After Soda left the room, I was tempted to listen to him and fall back asleep, but before I could, I heard a voice come from the direction of the kitchen.

"What's goin' on, Dar?" Soda asked. His voice was quiet, but in the silence of the house, it was still loud enough for me to hear through the thin walls. I didn't hear a response, and after a few long moments, Soda spoke again. "Keep breathing, Dar. You're doin' good."

What's going on? Is something wrong with Darry?

As tired as I was, I knew I couldn't go back to sleep after hearing that. I slowly got to my feet, and once I was standing, I crept to the bedroom door that was left more than halfway open. I stood just inside my room, hoping neither of my brothers knew I was eavesdropping.

"I'm okay," I heard Darry say, but his voice was hoarse and tired. "Sorry for waking you."

"Don't be," Soda said. "What happened?"

I was more than surprised by what Darry said next.

"Bad dream."

Darry had a bad dream? That never happens. Then I thought about it for a moment and felt guilty. Does he really never have nightmares, or does he just not tell us about them?

"Yeah? Want to tell me what it was about?" Soda asked softly. He was the best person to talk to after a nightmare, and I hoped Darry could confide in him like I always could.

There was a prolonged moment of silence before Soda spoke again. "Well, you came to check on either me or Pony, so is it safe to assume it had to do with one of us?"

More silence.

"And since we've been at the hospital with him for a couple weeks, I'm guessing it was about Pony, right?" Soda asked.

I wasn't hearing anything from Darry, so I dared to peak my head out of my room and look towards the kitchen to see if he was giving any nonverbal cues. I spotted my brothers sitting at the kitchen table, Darry covering his face and Soda obviously trying to offer his support.

"I get it," Soda started gently. "You practically haven't let him out of your sight since that day, and you probably woke up and needed to see him. Right?"

Darry uncovered his face, and even though it was dark, the moonlight shining through the windows made it possible to see the glassiness of his eyes. "How'd you know?"

Soda shrugged. "You ain't the only one with nightmares." Soda had more experience with nightmares than anyone thanks to me. But on a few occasions, I could tell he was having a bad dream too; he'd wake up, take a few deep breaths, tighten his arm that was always draped around me, then he'd fall back asleep like nothing happened. I always wanted to him about his dreams, but he always seemed like nothing bothered him, and I let myself believe that Soda's nightmares didn't affect him at all. "Talking about it helps, Darry. I promise."

Darry nodded, then he sighed before he spoke. "I couldn't save him."

It felt like all the blood drained from my body. Me. I'm the "him" Darry couldn't save in his dream.

Darry continued. "In my dream, I heard him yelling, he was calling my name, but I couldn't move… glory, it was awful. Seeing all those flames and not being able to get to him…"

I stepped towards the kitchen, suddenly needing to be close to Darry and show him that I'm, in fact, alive, so the sounds and images from his nightmare could hopefully disappear. I was standing just outside the kitchen, scared to make my presence known, but also not wanting to leave my brothers.

"Darry, you did save him. You got him out." Soda's voice seemed ever-so-slightly louder, like he was trying to prove a point.

Darry nodded, then pressed the heels of his hands into his forehead, obviously still stressed. "He… he was gone. In that nightmare, he didn't make it. When I woke up, I had to make sure that I didn't imagine the hospital or him coming home. I had to know he was okay."

His nightmare was me dying. I had plenty of nightmares involving all sorts of awful things, but I could only imagine what Darry felt like when he thought I was dead, even if it was only for a moment. Darry was my big brother, and he loved me and Soda more than anything; if he thought something happened to one of his kid brothers, especially if he thought one of us died, it would devastate him.

I couldn't handle it anymore, I had to be close to Darry and help him through the wave of emotions I'm sure he was feeling. I walked towards the kitchen table, and when Soda spotted me, he gave me a sad smile. He had told me to go back to sleep, but it seems that he understood why I didn't listen to him. While Soda kept his grip on Darry's shoulder, I went to Darry's other side and immediately hugged him as tight as I dared, careful not to hurt his burned back. I thought it was strange that I was crying since it wasn't me that had the bad dream, but I was a crybaby, and I let the tears fall.

"Come here, little buddy," Darry muttered before he turned to wrap his arms around me. After a moment, I felt Soda join the embrace.

"You saved me, Darry," I said before I even thought about it. "I'm okay because of you. Thank you."

Darry chocked out a sob and I felt his arms tighten around me. "I love you so much, kiddo. I'd do anything for you."

"I know," I said confidently. "I know you would."

After some time passed, we eventually pulled away from one another, but my eyes stayed on Darry's. You took the brunt of the fire for me. You could've died because of me. I couldn't force the words out of my mouth, but I had a weird feeling that Darry could read my mind.

"Look," Soda started, earning mine and Darry's attention. "It's been a rough few weeks, we're all probably not gonna sleep real good for a while after everything that's happened. But can we promise not to keep it from each other?" Darry and I both nodded in reply, and Soda let out a sigh and smiled. "Good. Now let's all go back to bed, alright?"

We all stood up, but before we went to our respective rooms, I grabbed Darry's arm. "You okay, Darry?"

My big brother looked at me and gave me a small grin before he ruffled my hair. "Yeah, I'm okay kiddo. As long as you're okay."

I looked at him carefully. He was telling me the truth, I knew that much, but I was pretty sure I could see worry still in his eyes. "Darry, you wanna sleep in our room tonight?" I offered.

Darry hesitated, and I instantly knew he wanted to accept my offer, but he probably didn't want to seem weak or scared; two things that nobody would ever associate with my big brother.

"Good idea Pony," Soda said brightly. "C'mon Dar. We can all fit on the bed. Plus, won't have to worry about where your brothers are."

Darry gave us a grin, and nodded his head. "Yeah, okay."

The three of us went into the bedroom that was technically mine, but had been shared with Soda since our parents died, and at least for one night, it was going to fit all three of us. I was surprised that we all could fit on the small bed, and even more surprised by how fast we fell asleep.

Over the next few days, I did homework and wrote papers that my teachers let me turn in late so I could finish the school year. Darry helped me a lot since Soda still refused to let him work and he was stuck at home, and when he wasn't helping me, Darry was either sleeping or reading most of the time. I was glad Darry was resting and taking care of himself; he deserved it.

Once my head wasn't aching too bad, I called the college track coaches. I made sure to wait until the house was nearly empty so it wouldn't be too loud. Only Darry was home, and he was sleeping, so I figured it was the best opportunity I'd get. Both of the coaches seemed eager to finally talk to me, and they were glad that I was recovering alright. They were short conversations, and we mostly talked about school, track, and my brothers. At the end of each exchange, I assured them I'd continue updating them on my condition, and once I was feeling good as new, they both wanted me to tour their campuses. Is this real? There's no way, I must be dreaming.

I hung up the phone, and Darry's voice suddenly appeared. "Who was that, Pone?"

I looked up from my spot on Darry's recliner. The hint of a smile forming on his face told me Darry already knew what I was doing and who I was talking to, but he wanted me to tell him. "Coach Anderson and Coach Johnson. Decided I should call 'em back."

His smile fully appeared. "Yeah? What'd they say?" Darry asked, gingerly lowering himself to the couch.

I couldn't help but smiling too. "They wanted to know how I was doing, then we talked about school and stuff… they said they'd like me to go look at their schools."

Darry's smile somehow grew, even though I could tell he was trying to stay calm and neutral. "We'll make sure you can go see the schools, but don't feel pressured into either of them, alright? I'm sure more colleges will be looking for a track star."

I beamed. My brother's proud of me.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit loudly walked into the living room, making my head ache a little.

"What's shakin' bacons?" Two-Bit asked as he moved towards the kitchen, assumingly to grab a beer.

"Can you guys do anything quietly?" Darry asked with a grin.

Soda dropped onto the couch next to Darry and gave him a wild grin. "Nope." Then he looked at me. "What're you up to, Pony?"

"Called those coaches back," I said, trying not to sound too excited or giddy.

"Yeah? They still lookin' for rugrats to run for them?" Steve asked, leaning against the wall next to me.

"Shut it, Steve. He can run circles around you," Darry said. He didn't sound too heated, but he wasn't going to let Steve talk to me like that.

Steve put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, my bad. What did they say, kid?"

I was surprised Steve seemed genuinely interested. "Just walked to talk, ask how I wasn't doing. They want me to go visit their campuses at some point too."

"Really?" Soda asked excitedly. "I can't wait to go see those fancy colleges!"

"Hey, did y'all tell them about the rumble?" Two-Bit said as he walked back into the room, beer in hand.

That piqued my interest. "What rumble?"

"The one with the Socs that put you in the hospital," Two-Bit said simply before taking a swig of his beer.

I must've looked confused, because Steve sounded bitter and incredulous when he spoke next. "You didn't think we'd just let them get away with it, did you?"

If I was being honest, I didn't think about what was going to happen with the Socs at all. I knew Darry talked to the school about what happened in the locker room, but the Socs just got community service because the school and the cops considered the fight as typical teenage behavior and the fire was labeled accidental.

I shrugged. "Didn't really think about it."

"You serious?" Steve asked angrily.

"Steve, lay off," Darry said as he got to his feet. Even hurt, Darry could knock Steve out if he gave my brother a reason to.

"We ain't gonna let them get away with hurting you, Ponyboy," Two-Bit said in a nicer tone than Steve, although I could still tell that he was upset about the Socs.

"When's the rumble?" Darry asked, his voice strong and dangerous.

"Next Saturday," Steve answered immediately.

"Darry, you're still hurt," I said. I know you want to go after them, but you're gonna hurt yourself. I noticed Soda stayed silent, and he looked a little anxious.

Darry didn't take his angry eyes away from Steve. "I'll be there."