I Need You

by Ellivia22

Alternate version of the book. When Ponyboy returns home from an uneventful walk to the park, all he wants is for Darry to leave him alone. When Darry does just that, Ponyboy is relieved. But what happens when Ponyboy starts to miss his oldest brother? Will Ponyboy and Darry make up or is it already too late? Curtis brother bonding. I hope you like it. Please review. COMPLETE!

1. Prologue

(A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back with another Outsiders fic. This idea hit me and just wouldn't leave me alone. I really hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think. Love, Ellivia22)

A/N: This story takes place after Darry hits Ponyboy, but there is no confrontation with the Socs at the park.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. The brilliant S.E. Hinton does.

I Need You

By: Ellivia22

Prologue

Ponyboy

The ambulance speeds fast down the streets of Tulsa. It's going so fast that I can feel every hard bump from the various potholes on the worn roads. The shrill sound of the siren is so loud it hurts my ears, but not nearly as loud as the pounding of my heart. Two paramedics are in front of me tending to my motionless brother as they struggle to keep him alive. A brown-haired paramedic with a mustache is pressing a white cloth hard over my brother's bare chest in an attempt to stop the steady flow of blood. The cloth immediately becomes red.

"Stab wound to the chest. BP is 80/50. Pulse 20 BPM." Another paramedic on the other side says as he secures an oxygen mask on my brother's face. His red hair is drenched in sweat.

Tears stream faster down my face, making my cheeks throb painfully. I long to wipe them away, but I don't dare let go of my brother's hand as he fights to stay alive.

This can't be happening. This can't be happening!

"P-please big brother!" I beg desperately, squeezing his hand. It's cold, clammy, and covered in blood, just like mine. "D-don't die. I beg of you!"

Beep! Beep! Beeeeeeeep-

"He's crashing!" The red-haired paramedic says in panic, his blue eyes staring at the large monitor next to him. The line showing my brother's pulse is no longer showing a beat, but a long, straight line.

No!

I can't bear to watch another second. I close my eyes, so I won't see the paramedics place two paddles on my brother's chest.

"Clear!"

A sob escapes my throat. Today is turning out to be the worst day of my life. I'm about to lose my big brother and it's all my fault.

---

Twenty minutes later I'm in the middle of the hospital waiting room, pacing back and forth over and over again. My heart still hasn't stopped pounding. The paramedics were able to get my brother's heart beating again, but he's still very weak. All I can do now is wait for the doctor to come out with the inevitable news of my brother's passing. I don't think I can bear it.

Several sobs escape my throbbing throat. This is all my fault. If I hadn't pushed my brother away. If I had just listened to him in the first place, none of this would've happened. Now he's going to-.

"Ponyboy!"

I turn around. My eyes are so blurry from tears that I can barely see Sodapop running up to me, still dressed in his blue DX shirt and hat. The rest of the gang is right behind him, all four of them just as frantic, an unusual look for Dally and Two-Bit. "Pony!"

Sodapop grabs me in a tight hug. I collapse into him and begin to break down. I clutch onto him, not caring if I'm getting blood all over him. Unlike all the other times Sodapop comforts me, his hand rubbing my back is doing nothing to console me. I sob hysterically, grasping desperately onto his blue DX shirt. "Are you all right?! Are you hurt?" Sodapop asks frantically. His voice is high-pitched and just as hysterical as I'm feeling right now. "What happened?!"

I clutch onto him even tighter. I can't stop sobbing, no matter how hard I try. I don't answer his frantic questions. "D-darry," I choke out in between sobs. "H-he saved me."

To be continued…