Dally Pov:

I was chain smoking my second pack of Kools while everyone else was dealing poker. It was

the second day Ponyboy was gone. It worried me, it worried me a lot. Ever since Ponyboy got

here, I've been constantly worried. He completely changed from when he was little. From when I

left him. I knew I had to tell him at some point the reason I left, but for now he needed time to

heal. I continued to be lost in the mess of my thoughts until a phone call broke through the

chaos. I instantly knew it was about Pony when Soda paled and hollered for Darry. Everybody

tensed as they heard the word Hospital. My brother had already been through enough. First he

lived alone in New York for eight years, was there when both our parents died (once alone), lost

his leg, and now what? My heart literally dropped when I heard the word fire, but not in the good

rodeo way. Instantly Two-Bit loaded his car and Steve got in. I sprinted to Curtis's car and Darry

jump started the engine. Soda/Johnny softly sobbed in the back car seat, and to be honest I

never wanted to cry so badly in my entire lifeline. Dallas Winston never cried, but family was an

exception. Darry ran all of the red lights and made it to the hospital in record time. Two-Bit was

right behind us the entire time as we all made a mad dash to the entrance. A loud BANG

echoed through the building as I pushed aside people and demanded where Ponyboy was. Five

minutes later we were all sat down waiting for Ponyboy to come out of surgery.

This felt exactly like when Ponyboy lost his leg. I don't think either of us could take it if he lost

something again. It would completely break him and heart. Suddenly at hour two, the door

separating the operation table from the waiting room was flung open. The alarms blared code

blue and nurses rushed inside slamming the door shut behind them. The same thing happened

twenty minutes later. I knew exactly what code blue meant, it happened to mom before she

died. Soda let out a loud sob and Darry comforted him with a few tears running down his own

face. This was the breaking point for Superman and definitely the end for me. Within the blink of

the eye I was gone. I tore down the three flights of stairs and out into the parking lot. I knew

from the silence in the operating room that HE was already gone. Eventually my knees gave out

and I punched the ground until my knuckles turned red. I should've been there to protect him. I

should've never left him. I should've hugged him one more time. I should've been there to talk to

him like Soda does. Soda is so much better than me. I DON'T deserve to be his brother.

Ponyboy I'm so sorry …. Ponyboy. Steve patting my back and Two-BIt's concerned face broke

me out of my trance. My punching slowed and Steve reminded me to breathe. By this point I

didn't even care if I looked like a pansy. My brother just died, the last thing keeping me from

breaking just DIED. Two-Bit seemed to know that I was breaking apart by how I was acting and

shouted.

"Ponyboy is alive Dallas! He's F*G alive, HAHA!" - Two-BIt laughed through his tears. Then

Steve started to laugh and wipe his own tears away. When the good news of the situation just

hit me, I started laughing maniacally. They both helped me up and we all cheered and whooped

like crazy psychos and rushed inside to get an update on Pony. By the time we got in, Soda

tearfully grinned and announced that he's out of surgery.

Things were finally going right for

once.