Chapter Text
The first thing Ponyboy noticed after running home when he fell asleep in the lot was the porch light. He really hoped Darry had fallen asleep and forgotten to turn the thing off, but deep in Ponyboy’s gut he knew Darry had not forgotten. It was way past his curfew. Ponyboy really had not meant to stay out at all. He was daydreaming with Johnny after a movie and happened to drift off. Darry never cared about stuff like that though, only cold hard facts. Right now, the cold hard fact is that Ponyboy was two hours past curfew.
Ponyboy took the deepest breath he could and pushed open his front door. Sure enough Sodapop was dead asleep on the couch, still in his DX uniform, and Darry was stress reading the newspaper—well before he slammed it down on the armrest of the loveseat. Ponyboy felt every word and excuse in his throat die the second Darry stood up.
“Where the hell have you been?” Darry yelled in an accusatory tone that made Ponyboy flinch. Sodapop jolted awake from his slumber.
Sodapop yawned, “Heya Ponyboy, it’s a little late.” Ponyboy knew he wouldn’t be able to turn to his middle brother this time.
Ponyboy avoided any eye contact with Darry and walked to the bathroom. He hoped he could at least wash his face, Ponyboy didn’t know how Johnny could stand that dirty lot all the time. Darry wasn’t giving up though, Ponyboy didn’t know why he couldn’t just cool off.
“One more hour and we would have had to call the damn police department. Does it ever strike your mind that you got two brothers worried sick over you?” Darry slammed the bathroom door right back open. Sodapop followed closely behind.
Ponynoy hastily turned away from the sink, “I fell asleep in the lot!” He was holding back tears at this point and he hated it. He didn’t wanna cry in front of Darry. Hell, he didn’t even wanna cry in front of Sodapop though it was thousands of times easier to.
Darry only got redder by the second, “You did what now?!” Ponyboy never got used to Darry’s hollering.
“I was talking to Johnny and I fell asleep in the lot! It’s not like I did it on purpose!” Ponyboy yelled back, well tried to, it came out more like pleading.
“C’mon Ponyboy, let’s get to bed.” Ponyboy had almost forgotten Sodapop was standing behind Darry. He had this look of sensitive sympathy written all over his handsome face. Ponyboy slid by his eldest brother.
“I’m not done with this damn conversation! But I am done with you not using that head on your shoulders! You could’ve gotten seriously hurt in the lot at night!” Darry fumed at Ponyboy even more. Ponyboy’s head was starting to ache horribly, from the yelling and holding in the waterfall begging to come out of his eyes.
“Darry, it’s late and he’s safe. Let’s just talk about this in the morning.” Sodapop yawned while gesturing towards where their rooms were.
Darry spun away from his youngest brother and faced Sodapop.
“Shut your trap! I’m sick and tired of you two ganging up on me!” He hollered at Sodapop.
Ponyboy thought that was the wrongest thing he’d ever seen. Nobody should ever holler at his brother like that. Sodapop hadn’t done anything wrong but stuck up for him. Ponyboy felt himself get even angrier, tearier, and sicker.
“Don’t you yell at him!” Ponyboy's voice cracked.
Before Ponyboy knew it Darry’s hand was raised and he felt it come down hard on his face. Darry was strong, too strong for his own good. Ponyboy flung backwards where the kitchen furniture was.
Everything rang for what felt like forever. Ponyboy stared at the blurry sights of his older brothers while sitting on the cold kitchen tile. Ponyboy felt this awful feeling in the back of his head.
Ponyboy’s vision circled in and out of a blurry consciousness. Suddenly he felt something wet run down his neck. It was warm compared to the floor.
Darry and Sodapop stood frozen.
Darry made a sound Ponyboy never thought he’d hear come out of his big brother's mouth and then, “Po-Ponyboy?”
Something about the way Darry said his name gave Ponyboy the strength to lift up his hand and felt what his head was doing. He felt his head, of course. Then, the table.
He pulled back his hand which was coated in warm blood. Ponyboy couldn’t think. It felt like something had started eating away at his brain. Suddenly he was wishing for the headache from earlier because it felt so good compared to this. Ponyboy felt his head loll a bit and saw Sodapop run to him before it went to ringing and darkness.
Sodapop Curtis couldn't believe what was in front of him. His kid brother's head impaled on the corner of a kitchen table, all because of Darry.
Sodapop doesn’t know why he waited so long to move. Everything had happened so fast and now he’s staring at blood drizzling down Ponyboy’s neck.
Sodapop ran forward, “What the fuck did you do Darry?” He wanted to shout but all that came out was a pained whisper. Darry was quiet, deathly quiet.
Sodapop wrapped his arms around Ponyboy, “You’re okay baby brother.” And peeled his little brother off the table. Sodapop couldn’t bear to look at the back of Ponyboy’s head but he saw enough when he stared at the corner of the small dining table already soaking in blood. Ponyboy’s hair was already matted to his head. His little brother's poor smart head.
“We gotta go—Darry we need a hospital—fuck!” Sodapop picked Ponyboy up like he was nothing. Ponyboy suddenly felt like a four year old again in his arms.
“I didn’t mean to” Darry choked out while slipping to run to grab the car keys to their old Ford truck. It didn’t slow him down, the keys jingled violently as they ran out the front door. Sodapop jumped down all three steps leading down to their car. He’s been carrying Ponyboy since he was born, he wasn’t worried about dropping him.
Darry unlocked the car door and threw himself in the driver's seat. Sodapop hopped into the backseat, putting Ponyboy’s head in his lap. Darry wasted no time starting the car and speeding out of their driveway. The hospital was about twenty five minutes away.
“Shit! Drive Darry drive!” Sodapop wailed, tears finally falling from his eyes when he realized his grey blue DX pants were slowly turning red. Darry sped up, Sodapop had never seen Darry drive so fast.
Darry dug through the car compartment where they kept stuff and pulled out a box of tissues. Steve was always getting bloody noses so they kept a box of tissues at all times. He tossed them back to Sodapop while taking a sharp left.
“Press those to his head the best you can. Don’t let him lose any more blood.” Darry instructed, their old car screeching, going speeds even Dally had never reached before.
Sodapop’s hands shook violently, one keeping Ponyboy’s head stable and the other reaching for tissues to stop the bleeding. Sodapop couldn’t care less about his DX uniform. He wanted to throw up when he felt the dent in the back of Ponyboy’s head.
Sodapop held on tight as Darry ran every light, took every turn going a little off the road, and weaved through traffic. The tissues got so wet they began to tear. Damn tissues, never reliable.
“How’s his pulse?” Darry’s voice shook violently.
Sodapop didn’t know where to find a pulse so he pressed his head to Ponyboy’s chest. It rose, then Sodapop waited a few more seconds, then fell again. It was slow as ever.
Sodapop panicked, “It’s slow, too damn slow, is it supposed to be that slow? Darry drive faster!” Sodapop started sobbing. He’s always been a crier, but now he was just ugly crying.
Darry sniffled a little then shook his head.
“Hold him tight, we’re just a few minutes away.” Darry was going so fast Sodapop thought the wheels would blow off. Sodapop cried into Ponyboy’s chest, already almost out of tissues. Sodapop felt helpless. Ponyboy was gonna be okay, he’s a tough kid, that’s what Sodapop repeated to himself.
Darry stopped the car abruptly when they reached the hospital parking lot. It sent Sodapop flying forward but he didn’t care. Darry didn’t even take the keys out of the ignition. They both sped out of the car, shoving past some old guy with a walker. Sodapop still holding onto his baby brother desperately.
The second they ran in, the receptionist stared, stared at two tear stained boys, one covered in blood, one wide eyed, and a third one leaking blood. The lady immediately called for back up. Soon enough three women came running with one man.
Sodapop sobbed, “No! Don’t take him! This is my little brother!”
The nurses reached for Ponyboy carefully, “Please, sir, we need to help him.” Sodapop held on tight until Darry grabbed his shoulder.
“They need to help him.” Darry’s voice broke.
Eventually Sodapop’s grip loosened and a limp unconscious Ponyboy slipped out of his grip. He was taken to another room. A doctor quickly assured them they’d be back shortly before running off with the nurses and Ponyboy. Sodapop didn’t believe the ‘shortly’ part one bit.
Sodapop kept crying in front of that poor receptionist. She didn’t try to comfort him, just stood there awkwardly. Darry stood there too. Staring at the floor.
“Let’s sit down Pepsi-Cola” Darry pleaded.
Sodapop shoved his hand away, “No! Our little brothers head was cracked open and it’s all your damn fault!” Sodapop covered his face with bloody hands.
Darry went deathly silent and walked over to a wall by the seats. He slumped down on it, covered his face, and sobbed.
Cried like a little kid who scraped his knee with no mom to kiss it.
“You think I meant to do that?” He cried, really to no one but himself.