Archive of Our Own

The clock on the wall seemed to be moving in slow motion. Steve knew full well that watching it certainly wasn’t making the time go any faster, but glory he was out of things to do! 

He’d restocked the whole store, cleaned the counters, mopped the floors and wiped down the windows. And that was all after he’d finished fixing all the cars in the garage. 

Not a soul had shown up in over an hour, and Steve was starting to wish they would. He was afraid he’d die of boredom before Josh arrived to relieve him in…fifteen minutes. He groaned, rolling his eyes as he willed the time to go faster. 

A loud rumble from outside made him look up from where he’d been leaning over the counter and slowly nursing a bottle of coke. Glancing out the glass doors he saw the clouds were dark, and it was awful windy. It didn’t seem to be raining yet, though. Steve supposed this could be the reason nobody was here, apparently all of Tulsa was scared of a little thunderstorm. 

The bell atop the doors suddenly went off, and Steve actually felt a pang of excitement in his chest. “Welcome to the DX…” He narrowed his eyes when he got a good look at the person though. “We’re closed.”

Ponyboy rolled his eyes and walked up to the counter. “No ya ain’t. It ain’t even six o’ clock yet.”

“Don’t I know it.” Steve sighed. “I get off at six and the time is just crawlin’”.

Pony looked around, noticing the freshly mopped floor, and that nobody else was here. He smirked. “Bored there, are ya Steve?”

“Ain’t been a soul here for at least an hour and a half. I was beginin’ to think there was a zombie apocalypse I ain’t know about or somethin’”.

Pony raised an eyebrow. “Ya sayin’ you’re glad to see me?”

Steve opened and closed his mouth, before rolling his eyes. “Don’t let it get to your head, kid. I woulda been happy to see a grizzly bear walkin’ through that door.”

Pony rolled his eyes. 

“So, what are ya doin’ here anyway? Ya know Soda ain’t workin’ right?”

“I know. I just went on a run and stopped by to get a Pepsi.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Ain’t ya s’posed to drink water after goin’ on a run?”

Pony wrinkled his nose. “I had a sip from the water fountain at the park. “Sides, I ain’t had a Pepsi all day.”

Steve hesitated for only a moment before shrugging and walking to get him a Pepsi. “Whatever. I ain’t your big brother.” 

“I can get it, ya know.” Pony called out. 

“I got it!” Steve yelled from the back of the store. “I gotta do somethin’ kid, otherwise you’ll have to carry me to the hospital when I die of boredom."

“Hospitals don’t take dead people. You’d have to go to the morgue.”

Steve rolled his eyes as he handed the Pepsi over to Ponyboy. 

“Thanks.” He reached into his pocket to get out his money, but Steve held out a hand. “It’s on me, kid.”

Pony furrowed his brow. “Really? How come?” 

“Don’t question it.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Just accept the gesture, huh?”

Pony stared at him for a moment before nodding and opening the Pepsi. “Well, thanks.” 

“No sweat. And now, I am outta here!” He jumped over the counter and started heading towards the break room.

Pony took a swig of the Pepsi, following the other Greaser.. “It’s only 5:57, you got three minutes left.”

Steve sighed as he walked into the break room to get his things. “By the time I clock out, it’ll be six.” He grabbed his keys and jacket, before standing in front of the punch clock and waiting for the time to change. Once it finally did, he clocked out, leaving the break room with a whoop. 

“Steve. Are you the only one working?” Pony followed him back to the front. 

“Right now, yeah. Josh is workin’ the closin’ shift.”

Pony looked around, and that’s when Steve realized what he was saying. He threw his head back and groaned. “I can’t leave ‘til he gets here.” 

“Nope.”

He sighed. “Well, if I ever do get out of here, you want a ride home?”

Pony shook his head. “Nah, I can walk.”
Steve raised an eyebrow. “Ya just went for a run? Ain’t ya tired?”

Pony shook his head. “Runs don’t make me tired, they make me feel alive. Anyway, ya know how much I like walkin’. It gives me alone—”

“...time to think, yeah yeah, ya talk about it all the time.”

They both looked up when the doors opened a moment later and Josh walked in. “Whew! It’s really comin’ down out there!”

“Josh! You’re soaked man! What happened?”  He sighed, rubbing a hand through his wet hair. “It started pourin’ halfway here. I mean, I didn’t think I’d need an umbrella to walk thirty feet from the parkin’ lot to the front door – but I guess I coulda used one, huh?” 

He held out his arms, they were completely dripping with water. He looked like he’d been swimming. 

“It wasn’t even rainin’ fifteen minutes ago!” Pony exclaimed, looking at him with wide eyes. 

“Well, it is now, I can assure you.” Josh said. 

Steve grabbed a towel from behind the counter, tossing it to Josh. 

“Thanks, man.” He wiped his face with it, followed by his hair. 

“Well, kid looks like you’re ridin’ with me after all.”

Pony sighed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, yeah alright.” 

“You good here, Josh?” Steve asked, turning to face him. 

Josh nodded, removing his DX shirt and hoping there was a spare available in the break room. “Yeah, you get on home before the storm gets worse.”

“Well, listen, I did just about everything that could be done outta pure boredom. Nobody’s been here for a couple hours now, so you may not have much to do anyway.”

“Sounds good to me. See y’all later.”

“Bye, Josh.” Steve said, walking out the door, Ponyboy on his tail. 

They hurried to the car, Steve running, Pony walking. 

“Ya know,” Pony began, shutting the car door. “Running in the rain makes ya get wetter than walking does.”

Steve ran a hand down his face, looking over at Pony. “What?”

Pony nodded. “It feels like it don’t, but you get hit with more raindrops that way. So. Wetter.” 

Steve looked him up and  down. “Well, ya don’t look any dryer than I do, kid.”

Pony looked down at himself before looking over at Steve. “Fair point.” 

Steve started the car, before slowly pulling out of the parking lot. Josh was right, it was absolutely pouring out here. The drive to the Curtises wasn’t a long one by any means, but it certainly felt that way with the weather being so bad. And Steve also had to drive very slowly. 

Pony leaned forward, peering out the windshield. “I think it’s starting to hail.” 

Steve clicked his blinker on and turned left, looking out the windshield, and sure enough a little clanking sound could be heard as they hit the windshield. “Well, they only look about quarter sized right now.”

“Hopefully they don’t get bigger. Tennis or baseball sized and your car’ll definitely get damaged.”

Steve stiffened, even if they were safely home and the hail got that big, it’s not like he had a garage to park inside. His car could still get damaged. He really hoped that didn’t happen, he’d built and paid for this car himself.

He and Soda had found it in a used car lot about a year ago. It was practically a hunk of junk, and hardly ran at all - so Steve got it for super cheap. But he knew how to fix it. 

The process had taken a lot of time. Gathering used car parts from various places, saving up to buy all the parts the car needed (which was a lot.) He spent months basically building it from the ground up.

But finally, after about four months of hard work and long hours, Steve got his car to work. Sure, it wasn’t perfect. There were a couple dents, one in the passenger door and the other on the trunk. He had to replace parts every few weeks, and it seemed to run out of water all the time. But it was Steve’s car, that he’d built out of junk parts from the ground up. 

He’d turned it from an ugly, rusted old car, ready for the incinerator, to a beautiful baby blue convertible that could take him wherever he wanted. And she was his pride and joy. 

Suddenly, the entire sky lit up like a lightbulb with a lightning strike. 

“Woah!” Pony gasped, “did ya see that?”

“You’d have to be blind as a bat to miss that.” Steve remarked. 

Pony bit his lip as a clap of thunder boomed, he swore he felt the car shake. “We nearly there?” He looked out the window, but could hardly tell where they were for the storm. 

“Yeah. We’ll be there any—” 

Another boom of thunder sounded and another flash of lighting lit up the sky, but this time, it hit a tree. Steve watched as it started falling to the ground right in front of his car. He tried to swerve out of the way, but he could barely see anything. 

The last thing he heard was a loud crash, before the entire world went dark. 

Pain. That was the first thing Steve felt when he woke up. And he wasn’t sure why he was in so much pain.

He slowly lifted his head, blinking in confusion when he saw that it had been resting on his steering wheel. Why the heck had he been lying on his steering wheel? 

He rubbed his forehead, hissing when it stung at the touch. Bringing his two fingers back in front of his sight he saw that they were now crimson. “Great.” He muttered. 

Finally looking up and out the windshield, Steve’s eyes widened. “What the–?!”

There was a tree on the hood of the car. Steve couldn’t believe his eyes. How in the world did that even happen? One second he was driving, the next he was—And that’s when he remembered what he was doing. 

It was storming. He was driving and could barely see. He was driving Ponyboy home. Ponyboy. 

Steve turned his head to the right, heart beating out of his chest with fear, he kicked himself for taking so long to remember the kid was in the car with him. 

Pony was lying back against the headrest with his eyes closed. There was blood on his forehead, just like Steve’s. He quickly shook the young greaser. “Kid! Kid, come on, wake up!”

He didn’t move, and Steve instantly started to panic. “Oh, no. No, no no.”

Steve placed two fingers against Pony’s neck, letting out a sigh of relief when he did in fact feel a pulse. When he looked closely he could also see that his chest was moving up and down, but it didn’t look….right. It seemed like it was moving too quickly. 

He reached over to shake Pony again, this time a little harder. “Kid. Kid, come on please wake up. Ponyboy!” 

Steve suddenly sniffed, what was that smell? Was it… He looked over at the windshield, blood turning to ice at the sight before him. The car was smoking. They needed to get out, now. Whether Pony was conscious or not. 

He glanced over at Ponyboy again, the kid was still out cold. He may have to do this the hard way, but he was going to do it.

Steve unbuckled his seatbelt, and by some miracle he was still able to open the door and exit the car. But the second he took a step he let out a cry of pain. He carefully lifted his shirt, looking down at his stomach, and the bruises he saw only confirmed what he already knew. His ribs were broken. 

He’d suffered from broken ribs before, back in the last rumble, and his dad had broken one or two over the years. Steve knew the drill. They were painful as anything, and it hurt to move every which way, but there was pretty much nothing that could be done. Some ice would help a little, but the only cure was basically time. Although, he certainly hoped Pony would wake up before he had to lift him out of the car — glory would that be a painful endeavor. 

One hand on the car for support, Steve slowly but surely made his way to the other side of the car. He went around the back, luckily most of the damage seemed to be in the front of the car. 

He had to take deep steadying breaths as he walked, each step causing pain. Finally, he made it to the passenger side door. He glanced over at the hood before opening it, the smoke was getting heavier. They needed to hurry.

With a grunt, Steve opened the door. Ponyboy was still out cold. He sighed, giving the young Greaser a once over. He didn’t see any major injuries at a glance that should be causing him not to wake up. Although his arm was at a funny angle, Steve wouldn’t be surprised if that was broken. 

With a deep breath, he shook the young greaser again, praying he would wake up this time. “Pony. Ponyboy, come on, wake up.”This time, he groaned. 

Steve’s eyes widened. “Pony?” He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, there was always the chance he was injured in ways Steve couldn’t see. “Hey, hey, kid wake up. Please, Ponyboy.” He was glad Pony wasn’t aware enough to hear the way his voice cracked the last time he said his name. 

Another groan, and finally, Ponyboy opened his eyes.

He blinked, trying to clear his vision as confusion laced his face. “Steve?”

“Hey, kid.”

Pony looked around, eyes widening as he took in the sight with a gasp. “W-where am I? What happened?” 

“We got in a wreck. I know you’re probably in a lot of pain, kid, but we gotta get outta here ‘fore this whole thing bursts into flames.” 

“Flames?” Pony shook his head. “What are you—” Pony’s eyes went wide as he stared in front of them at the tree, the smoke. “Oh, glory!” 

A large piece of hail suddenly hit the windshield, this one now the size of a golf ball. The glass didn’t break, but it did leave a large crack. 

“We gotta get outta here, kid! This thing’ll go up in flames any second.

Pony took a couple quivering breaths as he stared ahead of him before finally turning back to Steve. “O-okay.”

“Okay, it looks like your arm’s broke, so try not to move it.”

Pony looked down at his arm, and when he just barely moved it he let out a cry of pain. 

“I just told ya not to do that.” 

“Sorry.” Pony shrugged. 

“Are you hurt anywhere else? Can you get out?”

Pony thought for a moment, looking himself up and down. “I-I don’t think so.” 

“Alright. Good. Give me your good arm and I’ll help you out.”

Pony did, and Steve took him by the hand, both of them looking over when there was a loud noise. The smoke had turned into flames, and it was spreading quickly. 

“Get out, now!” Steve yelled, pulling Pony to his feet before the poor kid could even register what was happening. 

Pony cried out in pain as he was pulled from the car. Steve kept a hold of his arm, running quickly in the opposite direction. Pony didn’t know where they were going, but he followed behind him on shaky legs. 

Once they seemed to be a safe distance from the car, Steve finally stopped. 

Pony let go the second he did, collapsing to the ground, and taking gasping breaths. He squeezed his eyes shut and put his arms around his stomach. 

Steve noticed, walking over and kneeling next to Ponyboy, ignoring the way his ribs burned like fire from that run. “What’s wrong? I thought ya said you weren’t hurtin’?”

Pony shook his head, eyes still squeezed shut tight. “I-I wasn’t, but now—”

“Is it your stomach?” Steve asked, and Pony slowly nodded. 

Steve carefully lifted his shirt, and Pony finally opened his eyes. 

They both gasped at the sight before them. The majority of Pony’s stomach was black and blue, almost like a giant bruise. 

Steve shook his head, staring down at Pony with wide eyes. “That’s…what is that?”

Pony swallowed hard, taking trembling breaths as he stared down at his stomach. “That means I’m bleeding internally.” 

‘BOOM’

Their heads snapped to the wreckage at the loud explosion. The entirety of Steve’s car was on fire, along with most of that tree. Not even the rain seemed to be slowing it down, it looked like it was spreading by the second. 

“We gotta get out of here.” Steve said suddenly, looking over at Ponyboy. But the kid seemed to be lost in some sort of trance. 

His gaze was fixed on the fire, eyes wide, but Steve could tell they were unseeing. He’d seen the kid get lost in his head plenty of times. That came as easily to Ponyboy as breathing did, but never like this. His breathing was picking up speed, and Steve was horrified to suddenly see tears running down his cheeks. And he knew they weren’t because of the wreck. 

Suddenly, Steve realized what the kid was thinking about. The fire in the church, Johnny. With a pang in his heart, he remembered how Pony became a shell of himself those first months after Johnny and Dally died. He hardly spoke, he never smiled. Speaking to him was no different from speaking to a wall. 

Steve still remembered the day he’d held that broken bottle up at those Soc’s at the gas station. He and Two-Bit walked out there to back him immediately, they’d seen it all happen. Steve nearly ran over there but Two-Bit stopped him, watching with an unreadable expression on his face. 

He remembered the look on Pony’s face when he said he would’ve cut them up. When he smashed the bottle, and he could tell he meant it. That was a look he never wanted to see on Ponyboy Curtis again. 

Steve knew exactly what it felt like to be transported back to that night…the night the entire world turned upside down all over again. 

Every time he heard a car backfire, or saw a cop, or even watched a Western movie with cowboys and guns…it felt like the night Dallas Winston died all over again. 

He could be completely fine, happy even, and then the littlest thing would remind him of that night, and it felt like he was living it all over again. 

He could see it all so clearly in his head. 

Dally crumpling to the ground. He heard the sound of a gun going off, bullets piercing skin. He could still smell the blood. Then he was drowning in that ocean of grief all over again. He wondered if there would ever come a day that he would swim to shore. 

That look in Pony’s eyes was one Steve recognized, one he had felt himself many times. And he knew it had to be so much worse for Ponyboy, he was actually there at the fire. He watched Johnny die, and blamed himself for the longest time. Steve wasn’t sure if they’d ever fully convinced him that it wasn’t his fault. 

They needed to get out of here before Pony got too lost in his head all over again. Plus, well…plus they just needed to get out of here! 

“Pony! Ponyboy!” Steve shook him, probably too forcefully but it got the kid’s attention. He suddenly gasped, turning to face Steve with wide, fearful eyes. Steve could see the reflection of the fire in his pupils. He took a shaky breath, ignoring the tear streaks he saw on Pony’s cheeks.

“We—we gotta get out of here. Now! That fire’s spreadin’ fast!” 

Pony shook his head, looking around. “Where—where are we? Where do we even go?!”

Steve stood, looking around and trying to find something he recognized. But it was pouring, and hailing and windy, and the fire was making his eyes burn. He rubbed a hand over them, trying to get them to stop watering. 

“Is–is there a payphone or somethin’? We can call 9-1-1?”

“No. No, I don’t see nothin’ like ‘at.” 

“How can you see anything with all this smoke and rain?” Pony asked, letting out a large cough, before reaching down and grabbing his middle. 

“Hang on.” Steve took a few steps forward, and if he looked real hard and squinted, he saw a street sign at the very end of the block. “There!” He pointed. “Come on, let’s go down there so we can see where we are and figure out what the heck to do.”

Pony nodded, starting to stand. Steve ran over to help when he let out a cry of pain at the movement. “Can you walk?” He asked as Pony got to his feet.

“I can walk.” He said determinedly. 

Steve raised an eyebrow. “You could barely stand.”

“I can do it! I have to! I mean we can’t just stay here.”

“Here kid.” Steve put an arm around his waist.

Pony looked at him hesitantly for a moment before sighing and putting his own arm around Steve’s waist. As he said, he really didn’t have a choice. They needed to get out of here. 

They walked to the end of the block slowly but surely.

“I really wish it wasn’t rainin’.” Pony said. 

Steve scoffed. “If it wasn’t rainin’ we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. Ow!” 

“What happened?” Pony looked over at him. 

“A piece of hail got me on the head.” Steve rubbed the side of his head, “glory, them suckers are big.”

“They look golf ball sized at least.” Pony said. “You probably already have a concussion, that’s a common injury in car crashes. So that hail can’t be doin’ ya any favors.”

Steve looked down at him. “Ya know you don’t always have to say everything ya know out loud.”

Pony rolled his eyes, but still let out a small laugh.  

“Alright.” Steve said, once they finally arrived at the stop sign. He gently removed his arm from around Pony, walking over to read the crossroads. 

“We’re at…Berry Boulevard and Maple Street.”

Pony’s eyes widened when Steve spoke. “What? We’re nowhere near the house. Were you even goin’ in the right direction?”

“Probably not.” Steve ran a hand over his face. “I couldn’t see a dang thing with this STUPID RAIN!” He looked up at the sky and shouted that last part, as if it would cause the rain to stop. But instead there was simply a loud boom of thunder, as if to mock him. He groaned. 

“No. No, we're not anywhere near your place.” He ran a hand through his hair, before looking up at Ponyboy. “But we are near the hospital.” 

Pony raised an eyebrow at him. “Steve, the hospitals at least a mile away, what’s your idea of near?”

“Well, your house it at least five miles in the other direction. And I’m pretty sure you need a hospital, kid.”

Pony sighed, looking around, willing for a car to drive by or a payphone to appear out of thin air. But of course, nothing of the sort happened. He bit his lip. “I don’t know if I can walk that far, Steve. It’s really hurtin’ now.”

“All the more reason to get ya to the hospital. I’m gonna help you, just like I did before. It might take a minute, but we’re gonna get there and they’re gonna fix ya right up.” 

Pony shut his eyes tightly as another wave of pain hit him. He knew they had no other choice, they needed to go to the hospital anyway, and nobody was coming for them in a storm like this. He pressed his lips together, letting out a shaky sigh, wincing when it caused him pain. “Okay.”

Steve nodded, walking over to Pony and putting an arm around him just like he had before. Pony placed his own arm around Steve’s back, and Steve could tell he was giving over even more weight than he had been a moment ago, he didn’t say how much this scared him. 

As the young greasers walked, Steve’s ribs flared in pain, especially with Pony’s added weight. But he ignored this, saying nothing about it to Pony. If the kid thought he was causing him any  amount of pain he certainly wouldn’t let Steve help him walk. And Steve knew he wouldn’t make it very far without help.

“How ya feelin’ Pony?”

“Oh, I’m just Peachy, Steve how ‘bout you?” 

Steve scoffed. “How bad’s it hurt?”

“Well, I’m bleedin’ on the inside of my body, so it’s pretty painful.”

“Ya hurtin’ anywhere else? How’s your arm?”

Pony glanced down at his arm where it was curled up against his chest. “Hurts, not as bad as my stomach though. I think I got a concussion too. I’m nauseated and my head hurts.”

“Are those symptoms of a concussion?” 

He nodded. “Darry got a couple when he played football.”

“Yeah, I remember that.”

“Plus, I just think biology is real interestin’. I’ve read a few medical books.”

“Of course ya have.” 

After that, Pony seemed to get real quiet, and Steve felt him giving over more of his weight. He looked down to see the young boy’s eyes fluttering.

“Hey.” Steve shook him. “Hey, ya gotta stay awake, kid.”

Pony blinked his eyes open, looking blearily up at Steve. “I–I’m pretty tired.”

“No.” Steve said. “No, Ponyboy ya can’t go to sleep. We’re almost there.” He looked up, noticing they really weren’t almost there, but he needed to do anything to keep Pony awake. 

“I-I don’t think I can.” Pony’s head fell forward, and Steve snapped his fingers in front of his face, tapping his cheek. “No, Ponyboy! You wake up, ya hear me?”

Pony gasped, raising his head and looking over at Steve, looking confused for a moment.

“Tell me ‘bout the book you’re readin’ right now, huh? What’s it called?”

Pony blinked heavily, but opened  his mouth to answer. “The–The Wizard of Oz.”

“What’s it about?”

“A-a girl. D-Dorothy. A twister takes–takes her from Kansas to a-a magical place c-called…Oz.”

“Yeah? What’s it like in Oz?” 

“There’s witches, good a-and bad ones. Munchkins, flying m-monkeys. And a–a Wizard. The-the wizard is s’posed to h-help her get…get home. She has to-to find him, but she meets–meets people along the–the way.”

“What kinda people?”

“A–a scarecrow. A l–lion, and a–”

Suddenly, Ponyboy fell forward, becoming dead weight in Steve’s arms. “Woah, woah, hey hey. Pony!”

Steve slowly lowered him to the ground, shaking him. “Pony! Ponyboy, wake up, come on!”

Pony’s eyes were closed, and Steve could hear how shallow his breathing was. “Ponyboy! Open your eyes kid, come on.”

Steve shook the kid hard, but he wasn't waking up. He carefully lifted his shirt, letting out a gasp as he did. It was hard to see in the dark and the rain, but they happened to be near a streetlight. Steve could clearly see the bruising on Pony’s stomach was even worse. It was hot to the touch too. He was certainly no doctor, but Steve knew that couldn’t possibly be a good thing. 

He carefully placed a hand underneath Pony’s legs, and the other beneath his back and arms. (He made sure to be careful of Pony’s broken arm.) With a little effort, Steve managed to pick Pony up in his arms. Normally he would be able to lift Ponyboy with no problems, but he certainly wasn’t at his full strength right now, plus his ribs were practically screaming at him. 

Steve let out a cry of pain, but he began walking. He had to get Pony to the hospital, he was more important than any amount of pain he was in. 

Pony’s head fell against Steve’s shoulder as Steve walked, Steve could hear his shallow breathing, and feel the heat from his body radiating against his skin. Even with the rain falling, he was still practically burning alive. This scared him more than he thought possible, and despite the pain, he walked faster.

“Stay with me, Ponyboy. Stay with me.”

And if Pony had heard his voice, he would’ve wondered how he ever thought that Steve Randle didn’t like him. 

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Steve arrived at the hospital. He made his way through the double doors, dripping wet from head to toe and out of breath. “Help! Please, someone help us!” 

A couple of nurses ran over and Steve watched someone grab a stretcher. “We were in a car wreck. He’s bleedin’ internally, and his left arm’s broken.”

“How’d you get here?” One nurse asked, confusion on her brow.

Steve shook his head. “We walked. From the corner of Berry and Maple.”

Her eyes went wide. “Oh my word. Okay, lie him down here, hon, there ya go.”

Steve gently laid Pony’s body on the stretcher, and before he could say anything more he was wheeled away. Steve tried to follow, but was stopped by a nurse. “Where are they taking him?”

“They’re gonna get him all fixed up, dear. Don't you worry about that.” 

He stared at the double doors Pony had just been wheeled through for a moment before finally turning back to the nurse. Steve ran a hand through his hair. “I–I need to call his brothers.”

“We’ll take care of that. I think you need to sit down, we oughta get you checked out.” 

Steve shook his head. “His–his name’s P-Ponyboy. Call-call his brother…his brother…Darry Curtis.” 

“Okay, hon. He’s in good hands. I promise.”

He’d done it. He’d gotten Ponyboy to the hospital in one piece. He was safe. Steve could finally let go. And he did. 

“He said he’d be home two hours ago, Soda!” 

“Calm down, Dar, this ain’t helpin’ nothin’.”

“Where is he?”

Soda sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t know. He said in his note he was going for a run, remember?” 

Darry stopped pacing and turned to face his brother. “He also said he would be back in time for supper and that was two hours ago!”

“Ya know how Pony is, he loses track of time real easy. Gets lost in his head.”

Darry shook his head. “I think somethin’s wrong, Soda. 

As if on cue, a large clap of thunder boomed from outside, lighting lit up through the windows five seconds later. 

“It’s stormin’.” Darry said, running over and looking out the window. “It ain’t safe for him to be out in this.”

Soda followed Darry over to the window, eyes widening. “Is that hail?”

Sure enough, hail was coming down from the sky and hitting the window. Darry backed up, looking over at Soda. “We gotta go find him.”

Soda bit his lip, starting to feel equally nervous himself now. “Hang on. He ain’t necessarily out in the storm. Maybe he’s at Two-Bit’s or somethin’.’”

Darry shook his head. “He woulda called if he was there. At the very least, Two-Bit would’ve.”

He was right, and Soda knew it. The more he thought about, the more it seemed like something must be wrong. Soda didn’t want to admit it, because he was afraid of whatever it was that was keeping his brother away in this storm. “Okay, well, let’s at least call Two-Bit and check. At the very least he could know something we don’t.”

Darry stared at Soda for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Okay, yeah that’s not a bad idea. “

They walked into the kitchen together, stopping at the phone. Darry put his hand on it to pick it up and it rang at that very same second.

Darry and Soda looked at each other with wide eyes, before Darry hurriedly took it off the receiver and put it up to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hi. Is this Darrel Curtis speaking?”

“Yes, it is.” Darry replied, heart pounding in his ears. He didn’t recognize that voice, and anytime someone called and asked for him by his full name it was never good news.

“Good evening sir, this is Millie, I’m a nurse at Tulsa General. “Are you the…brother and guardian of Ponyboy Curtis?” 

“Yes, ma’am. Is he there? Is he hurt? What happened, is he okay?” Darry’s breathing picked up speed, a million thoughts and questions raced through his head as he sat there, not one of them good.”

“He’s alright, sir. I’m afraid he was in a car accident. We’ll explain more when you get here, but the doctors are working on him now.”

“I’m on my way.” Darry hung up the phone, running across the house to put shoes on. Soda was behind him, asking a thousand questions. “What’s wrong, Dar? What happened?  Is Pony okay? Who was that?” 

“That was the hospital, Pony was in a car wreck, we gotta go!”

“What!?” Soda yelled. “Is he okay?”

Darry laced up his boot, finally stopping to look at Soda. There were already tears in his eyes, fear and worry etched deep into his face. Darry could see that he was about three seconds from breaking down.

He stood up, walking over and wrapping his arms around Soda. His little brother clung to him tightly, burying his face in his chest. “Shhh, it’s alright, Pepsi. It’s alright.”

“Is Pony okay?” Soda’s voice was muffled, but Darry knew exactly what his brother was saying. 

Darry let out a shaky breath. “She said he was alright, but that’s about all she said. They’ll tell us more when we get there.” He rubbed gentle fingers through Soda’s hair, trying to calm him. “We gotta get goin’ though, okay?”

He felt Soda nod against him, before slowly pulling away, wiping at his eyes and nose. 

“I’ll get the keys, you get your shoes and we’ll go, okay?”

“Okay.” Soda’s voice was shaky, but he hurried off to get his shoes so they could go. 

Darry had the sense to grab the umbrella as they walked out the door. The hail was much bigger now, golf ball sized at least. Luckily the truck hadn’t been damaged by any yet, he just hoped it stayed that way when he was driving through it. 

Calming Soda down had been exactly what Darry needed to calm himself down. He was still completely terrified and drove a little too fast (especially in a storm) to the hospital. But taking care of Soda and his fears had sort of given him a reset. He still had two brothers to look out for, and he was going to do that to the very best of his abilities, no matter what. 

“Excuse me? I’m here to see Ponyboy Curtis. He’s my brother, I’m his guardian. Someone called and said he was here. Please.”

“Darrel Curtis?”

Darry and Soda turned at the voice, seeing a man in a white coat, clipboard in hand standing a few feet away. “Yes?” Darry asked hesitantly. 

“I’m Doctor Ross. I’ve been taking care of your brother.”

Soda and Darry quickly walked over to the man, shaking hands. “I’m Darry. This is my brother Sodpaop. How’s Pony?”

Dr. Ross sighed, holding the clipboard under his arm. “Your brother was in a car accident. He suffered major internal bleeding. He also has a broken arm and a concussion.”

Darry shook his head, trying to take in all this information. “Is he alright?”

“He’s in surgery now, to repair the bleed.”

“But he’s gonna be okay, right?” Soda said desperately. 

The doctor looked over at him, sympathy in his eyes. “We’re gonna do everything we can.” 

“You said he was in a car accident—who was he with?” Darry asked.

The doctor got out his clipboard looking down at it. “He was with another young man, and they arrived here on foot.”

“On foot?!” Soda said, eyes wide. 

“Your brother was unconscious when he arrived, his friend was carrying him.”

“Who? Who was he with?” Soda pressed. 

He glanced down at the clipboard again. “A Steve Randle.”

Darry and Soda’s eyes went wide as they stared at each other. 

“Steve?!” Soda said. “Where is he? Is he okay?”

“You know him? We’ve been trying to get a hold of his family but his emergency contact isn’t answering.” 

Darry and Soda glanced at each other, before Darry spoke. “Listen, Doc. The only family Steve’s got is his old man. And he’s…well, he ain’t around much. When he is, he's drinkin’. Steve’s more our family than his, sir. He and Soda have been best friends since grade school.”

Dr. Ross sighed. “I understand that, but hipaa laws prevent me from sharing personal information with anyone that isn’t family.”

“Sir, please.” Soda begged, and Darry could see that he was getting worked up again. “I don’t think his dad would show up if you did get a hold of him. Steve’s just as much my brother as Pony and Darry are. Ya gotta tell me how he is, I gotta see him.”

Dr. Ross looked between them for a few moments before sighing. “Alright. Steve has a few broken ribs, a concussion. As I said earlier, he was carrying your brother when he came in – which didn’t do anything to help those ribs. I’m not sure how far he carried him, but he had to be in a fair amount of pain. One of the ribs did puncture his lung, I’m afraid.”

Soda felt his mouth dry out as he swallowed hard. “His–his lung?”

Dr. Carter nodded. “It’s not severe enough for surgery but we did insert a chest tube. There’s no way to know for sure, but based on the X-ray and how severe the breaks are, it looks to me like the puncture happened because he was carrying your brother.” 

Soda let out a sudden sob, and Darry immediately pulled him close. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby, it’s alright.” He kissed Soda’s head, rubbing a gentle hand up and down his back.”

“I’m sorry. I know this is a lot to take in. But, your friend should be fine. He’ll be in the hospital for a few days, and in a fair amount of pain for a while, especially when breathing. But he’ll be okay.” 

“When can we see him?”

“In just a few minutes. We’re getting him settled into a room now. Someone will come get you and take you to his room.”

Darry nodded, still holding Soda to him tightly. “Thank you, sir.”

Dr. Ross nodded before walking away. 

Darry coaxed Soda over to one of the chairs in the waiting room, keeping his arm firmly around his brother’s shoulders the entire time. “How ya doin’, honey?”

Soda let out another sob, and Darry tightened his grip. “Pony’s in surgery, Steve has a punctured lung, I–I can’t do this, Darry.”

“Yes, you can, little buddy. They’re gonna be just fine. The doctor said so.”

“He didn’t say that about Pony. What if there’s a complication during the surgery?”

“No.” Darry shook his head. “No, we can’t think like that, Pepsi. We can’t.” 

Soda sat up, looking at Darry. “Steve carried Pony all the way to the hospital? And now he has a punctured lung? Why were they even together? Where were they going?”

“I don’t know.” Darry sighed. “Guess we’ll have to ask Steve when we see him.” 

“I-I can’t lose anyone else, Dar.” He leaned forward, elbows on knees, head in hands. “If I lost Pony and Steve…glory, Darry I can’t lose them. I wouldn’t survive it.” Soda’s breathing started to pick up speed, coming much too quickly. And his crying certainly wasn’t helping.

Darry got on the floor in front of his brother. “Hey, hey, look at me, baby. They ain’t dyin’.”

Soda lifted his head, continuing to gasp for breath as he shook his head. “Dar, I–I can’t—they—they can’t—”

“Breathe, honey. Breathe, Soda, ya gotta breathe for me baby.” 

But it was too late, Soda’s eyes suddenly closed as he fell forward into Darry’s arms. 

As Soda woke up, the first thing he noticed was that the lights around were much too bright, even before he opened his eyes. He also seemed to have a headache that he didn’t remember having before. He groaned, hand flying to his head, as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

Immediately, there was a voice gently shushing him, grabbing his hands. “Soda? You’re okay, baby. I’m right here.”

Darry. 

Soda recognized the voice instantly, and forced his eyes open. He had to blink a few times for his blurry vision, but after a moment he could make out his brother’s face. “Dar?”

Darry let out a sigh of relief at the sound of his brother’s voice. “Hey, little buddy. How ya feelin’?”

Soda blinked up at him. “I got a headache.” He glanced around, suddenly realising he was lying in a hospital bed. “What the–” He started to sit up, but Darry gently pushed him back down. He placed a hand over his eyes, “dang, them lights are bright.”

Darry looked over to the corner of the room. “Two-Bit, would ya turn the lights down?” 

A moment later the lights dimmed, and Soda slowly moved his hand, the throbbing behind his eyes slowly starting to lessen.

“Better?” Darry asked, and Soda nodded. 

“Why am I in a hospital bed?”

Darry sighed, taking Soda’s hand in his and gently rubbing his thumb across his knuckles. “You passed out, honey.” 

Soda’s brow furrowed as he blinked at his big brother. “I did?”

Darry nodded. “Doctor said it was shock, and ya probably got overwhelmed. But he was nice enough to move ya to a room.” 

“I sure wasn’t happy when I found out I was gettin’ a roommate though.”

Soda gasped, head turning to the right when he heard the voice. “Steve?”

Steve turned his head, giving Soda a small grin. “Hey, man.”

Soda laughed, practically leaping out of bed. Darry put his arms out, but Soda seemed to make it across the room okay, if he stumbled slightly at first. He sat down in the chair next to Steve’s bed. “You okay, Stevie? But glory, I was so scared when I found out you were in the car too.”

Steve nodded. “I’m just a little banged up, man. Got some broken ribs, but nothin’ I ain’t been through before.”

“The doctor said one of ‘em punctured your lung.”

“Well, breathin’ ain’t so easy, I’ll admit. But they do got me hopped up on all kinds of pain meds.”

“Steve.” Soda sniffled, wiping the tears that were falling from his eyes. “They said—they said you carried Ponyboy in here.” 

Steve nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing. “Is–is he okay?” 

Darry answered this time, taking a seat on the bed Soda had vacated. “He’s in surgery. Doc said he had some internal bleedin’. He’s got a broken arm and a concussion.” 

Steve shook his head, letting out a breath and leaning back against the pillow. Soda saw tears appear in his eyes, but he pushed them back. “I–I’m so sorry. I just…I don’t know what happened. We were drivin’ and it was stormin’, then there was this big lightnin’ strike. We had to walk all the way here in the rain.”

“Walk?” Two-Bit questioned, having been the only one who didn’t already know this information. He walked across the room, standing at the foot of Steve’s bed. “Where’d y’all walk from?”

“The corner of Berry and Maple.” 

The other three Greasers looked at him with wide eyes. “You walked all that way after a car accident? That’s at least a  mile.” Darry said. 

“Well, we didn’t really have a choice. Nobody was out cause of the storm, never saw any payphones or nothin’ either. Kid passed out halfway here and I had to carry ‘im the rest of the way.”

Soda and Darry glanced at each other. “Yeah, the doctor told us that.” Soda said. “Steve…I can’t thank you enough for takin’ care of him. I know that wasn’t easy, they said that’s how your lung got punctured, from carryin’ him.”

Steve shook his head. “I wish I coulda done more, man. I shoulda gotten ‘im here sooner, maybe he’d be better off.” 

“Hey.” Soda said quickly. “No, don’t do that. You got him here, you carried him here. You hurt yourself more makin’ sure he got here okay. You’re the reason he’s okay at all. You saved Pony’s life, Stevie. Thank you.”

Soda leaned forward, wrapping his best friend in a fierce hug, doing his best to be gentle and careful of his injuries. 

Steve was slightly surprised at first, but he returned the hug gratefully, surprised at how much better it made him feel. Even though it hurt his ribs slightly, but he didn’t care.  

“I love you and I’m so happy you’re okay.” Soda whispered, so only Steve could hear.

“I love you too, man.” Steve whispered. 

Eventually they pulled apart, Soda wiping at his eyes, and Steve trying hard to hide the fact that he’d shed a couple tears. But nobody said anything about it, Soda just squeezed his shoulder and gave him a smile. 

About an hour later they were updated on Pony’s condition. He was finally out of surgery, and it had all gone smoothly. He’d needed a couple blood transfusions and a few stitches in his head, but he would heal just fine. 

They were finally allowed to see him shortly after. Steve was upset that he couldn’t go, so Two-Bit offered to stay with him and they could see Pony later. He figured the brothers may want some privacy anyway. 

Once Darry and Soda arrived at the room, they both stopped for a moment at the sight of their brother. 

Truthfully, he didn’t look too bad off. There was a cast on his arm and some gauze on his forehead. That was pretty much all. But seeing your baby brother in a hospital bed never did get any easier. 

Pony’s eyes were closed, and Darry couldn’t help but notice how pale he looked. Especially in that white hospital gown and white room underneath the white blankets. But his chest rose and fell steadily. 

Darry couldn’t help but remember the concussion Ponyboy got last fall, the last time he was here in the hospital. The way he’d called out for Johnny, their parents. He and Soda, even when they were right next to him. He hoped this one wouldn’t be so bad. 

Soda found his footing first, and Darry was right behind him. They each took a seat in the chairs on either side of Ponyboy’s bed. 

Sodpaop instantly took Pony’s hand, holding it gently between his own. He ran a gentle thumb across Pony’s knuckles, noticing a few cuts and scrapes from the accident. He gently kissed the back of Pony’s palm. “Hey, honey. I’m right here, okay?” 

Darry reached out, gently brushing Pony’s bangs back from his forehead. “You’re gonna be just fine, little buddy.” 

A sudden sob made his gaze snap across the room at his brother. Soda still had a firm grip on his brother’s hand, but he was wiping his eyes with the other. 

“What’s wrong, Pepsi?” Darry asked, brow furrowed in worry. 

Soda sniffled. “It’s just…we almost lost him today, Darry. Again. Steve too. I just—I can’t—I can’t lose no one else. Especially not…” His gaze shifted down to his brother again, he ran a gentle finger along Pony’s cheekbone.

“I know.” Darry’s voice was quiet. “I know, baby. But…but we didn’t lose no one today. Pony’s still here, and he’s gonna be just fine.”

Soda nodded. “Yeah, but…it’s still so hard. Seein’ ‘im like this. And just…feelin’ scared all ‘at time. Not knowin’ if he’s gonna come home or not.” 

Darry knew exactly what his brother was talking about. He still had nightmares about that week when he didn’t know where Ponyboy was. And the time when he was so sick, it was like there was no light or life behind his eyes. That look still haunted his dreams, and sometimes his waking hours. 

He looked down at his littlest brother on the bed, watching his chest rise and fall. He didn’t want to take his eyes off of Pony, afraid if he did that his brother might disappear or just stop breathing on him. 

“I don’t think I’ll feel better until he opens his eyes and I can hear his voice.” Soda’s gaze was fixed on his brother, as if he could make him wake up from sheer willpower. 

Turns out, Soda may have been more powerful than Darry thought, for Pony groaned only a moment later. 

“Pony? Soda leaned forward, squeezing Pony’s hand tightly in his own. 

Ponyboy’s eyes fluttered before slowly opening. He blinked a few times, staring blearilly up at his brothers. “Soda?”

Soda smiled down at his brother, tears glistening in his eyes. “Yeah, baby. Yeah, I’m right here.”He held Pony’s hand between both of his own, kissing his fingers gently.

Pony blinked at him before turning his head to the left, making eye contact with Darry.

Darry had a gentle hand on his head. “Hey, little buddy. You’re in the hospital, but you’re okay.” His voice was thick with emotion as he spoke, and Soda could tell he was trying to hold back tears. 

Pony stared between his brothers before speaking. “What happened?”

They glanced at each other before Darry answered. “You were in a car wreck, baby.”

Pony’s brow furrowed. “A car wreck?”

“You remember?” Soda asked, voice gentle.

Pony thought for a moment, before a look of realization appeared on his face. “With Steve.”

“That’s right.” Soda told him. 

“Is he okay?” Pony asked, looking worried. 

Soda nodded. “He’s gonna be alright. Got some busted ribs, and a punctured lung…but he’ll live.”

“How’d he get a punctured lung?”

Soda opened his mouth to speak but Darry cut him off. “What all d’ya remember, Pone?”

Pony turned to face his oldest brother, sighing, as he thought about it. “Well, it was stormin’ so Steve drove me home from the DX. Next thing I knew we were off the road, Steve was wakin’ me up. The car caught on fire and we had to walk.” 

“It caught on fire?” Soda said, eyes wide. 

Pony glanced at him, nodding. “We barely got away in time. The rain wasn’t even puttin’ it out…almost seemed like it was makin’ it worse.” 

“He never even mentioned that.” Soda shook his head, knowing Steve loved that car. He had to be devastated. 

“Anyway…it gets a little fuzzy after that. I remember startin’ to walk to the hospital, but that’s it until I woke up here.”

Darry put a hand on his forearm. “Well, kid, ya passed out on the way. Steve had to carry you.”

Pony’s eyes widened slightly. “He carried me all that way?” 

“Yeah, darlin’ he did.” Soda said. 

“But–” He shook his head. ”With his broken ribs that had to just be killin’ ‘im.” 

“You were more important to him than some broken ribs, kiddo.” Soda told him. 

A look of realization suddenly crossed his face. “That’s how his lung was punctured ain’t it? From carryin’ me with broken ribs?”

Soda and Darry glanced at each other. Of course Pony would figure that out, he really was too smart for his own good sometimes. 

Pony let out a sob. “I’m sorry. I–I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“Hey, no, honey, none of that.” Soda was quick to reassure his brother. 

“It’s my fault.” Pony cried. 

“No, kiddo, it ain’t.” Darry said. “Steve knew what he was doin’.”

“But he’s hurt because of me.” 

“No, Pony, this was a car wreck.” Darry said. “That’s how Steve got hurt, and that’s how you got hurt. This wasn’t your fault. Steve cares about ya, he wasn’t just gonna leave ya out there. ‘Sides, I woulda skinned ‘im if he did.” 

This finally got a smile out of Pony, and a small chuckle. 

“Yeah.” Soda said. “He was probably just scared of gettin’ pummeled by Darry.” He winked. 

Pony laughed, looking a little less distressed than he had before.

“How ya feelin’, kiddo?” Darry asked him. 

Pony sighed, thinking — he hadn’t paid much attention to that until now. “Sore. Tired. My head kinda hurts too.” He raised his arm slightly, brow furrowed at the cast around it. “My arm’s broken?”

Soda and Darry laughed. “Yeah, baby, it’s broken.” 

He sighed, lying back against the pillows. “What else is wrong with me?”

“Well, ya got a concussion, they had to put some stitches in your forehead, there. You had to have surgery for internal bleedin’, so that’s why you’re sore, I’ll bet. But, they said it went well.”

Pony blinked slowly up at him. “So…I’m gonna be okay?” His voice was marginally quieter than it had been before. 

“You’re gonna be just fine, baby.” He yawned and Darry kissed his forehead. “Why don’t you get some sleep, honey?” 

Ponyboy didn’t need to be told twice. 

“How ya feelin’?”

“Alright.” Steve shrugged. “Just a little sore, ain’t nothin’ I can’t handle. Listen, Dar…thanks for...this. I mean, ya know how strict they are in these places, they refused to let me leave without someone signin’ me out, and once I got it through their skulls that my old man wasn’t comin’...they finally agreed. Albeit reluctantly, but…” 

Darry shook his head, looking up from where he was filling out Steve’s discharge papers. “No problem. Listen, you sure you want me to be your new emergency contact? I mean, I’m happy to, but…you’re sure?”

Steve scoffed. “Well, you’re here and he’s not. Then at least the docs will be able to tell ya things without ya havin’ to beg. I mean—” Steve swallowed, placing a hand on the back of his neck and looking down at the ground. “You’re more of a brother to me than he’s ever been a father.” 

Darry’s pen stopped moving and he sucked in a sharp breath. Steve cleared his throat. Neither of them were any good at this part. 

“Steve?”

Steve hesitantly glanced up at Darry, feeling slightly awkward. 

“I, uh…I’m glad you’re okay, man. I mean that.” He put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, squeezing slightly. 

Steve gave him a small, crooked grin. “Thanks, Dar.”

Darry finished filling out the forms and the boys headed towards Pony’s room. He still hadn’t been discharged yet, but was recovering. The doctor said he should be able to go home pretty soon. 

“Listen, Steve. I never thanked you for savin’ Pony.”

Steve shook his head. “You ain’t gotta thank me, man.”

Darry stopped walking, turning to look at Steve. “I think I do.” 

Steve took a breath, looking up at Darry. 

“You carried him a mile with broken ribs. You got him outta that car and to a hospital. You saved Pony’s life, Steve. I really can’t thank you enough for that.”

Steve shook his head. “I put ‘im in that car, man. I nearly cost him his life, too.”

“Hey.” Darry put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, forcing the man to look into his eyes. “No, no, don't do that. Don’t beat yourself up. Ponyboy’s gonna be alright, and so are you. That’s what matters.”

“Ya…ya don’t blame me?” Steve’s voice was small, sad, Darry wasn’t sure he’d ever heard him sound that small or fearful. 

Darry shook his head. “You saved my little brother, Steve. I’m so, so grateful.” 

Steve let out a breath, his shoulders slumping as he visibly relaxed. “I woulda done it for any of us, man. I mean, we’re all brothers. It ain’t just you three, ya know?”

Darry smiled. “I know. Thanks, Steve. I mean that.”

Steve nodded, smiling a little. 

The boys made eye contact before slowly and hesitantly wrapping their arms around each other. In the ten years they’d known each other, Steve and Darry had never hugged before. But it was a moment they both needed, they were both truly grateful for one another, and felt more like brothers than they ever had. 

They pulled apart, small smiles on their faces, both of them feeling a lot better. 

“Ready to go see Pony?”

Steve nodded and the boys continued their trek down the never ending hospital hallways. 

When they arrived, Soda and Two-Bit were already there with Ponyboy. Soda was sitting in a chair next to the bed, while Two-Bit told a story nobody seemed to be too interested in. 

A smile lit up Soda’s face when he saw Steve and Darry walk in. “Hey, Stevie.” He jumped up, giving his best friend a gentle hug. “Ya get discharged, finally?”

“Yup. I’m free.” Steve laughed, and Soda smiled. “How ya feelin’?” 

“Alright, mostly. Just a little sore.” 

“He lives!” Two-Bit shouted, walking over to Steve. “Got any fun stories from the inside?”

“Just bad food and cranky nurses, mostly.” Steve sighed. 

“Awh, ya ain’t had no cute nurses? Pony, here sure had a couple, ain’t that right?” He wiggled his eyebrows at the boy on the bed whose face immediately turned red.

“Come on, Pone, don’t get shy on me now.” Two-Bit walked over to the bed and put an arm around Pony’s shoulders. “This real young gal came in with his lunch today. She had long, red, curly hair, and couldn't keep the smile off her face when she looked at Pony.” He leaned forward, speaking quieter. “She even brought him an extra jell-o cup.”

“Two-Bit!” Pony yelled, pushing him away, and crossing his arms. His face really was redder than a tomato. “He–he’s lyin’! I think she just…had some extra jell-o left or somethin’.” He shrugged, staring down at the bedsheets as his brothers and friends started cracking up laughing. This only caused Pony to roll his eyes, glaring at Two-Bit, who merely laughed even harder. 

“Oh, leave my kid brother alone, Two-Bit.” Darry said, but he was still trying to contain his laughter. Ponyboy had always been way too easy to rile up, even as a child. And it seemed Two-Bit just couldn’t help it. 

Ponyboy looked around at them all, the glare never leaving his face. Soda walked over, sitting on the bed beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders. “Yeah, he is still recoverin’ from surgery.” The smile was still on his face. 

“Here, Steve, have a seat there. I’m sure standin’ this long’s gotta hurt your ribs.” Darry told him, nodding to the chair Soda had been sitting in when they walked in. 

Steve sat, thanking Darry. 

Darry walked over to the opposite side of the bed, kissing Pony on the head and sitting down. “How ya feelin’ kiddo?”

Pony looked over at him. “Okay, I guess.” He shrugged. “I’m tired all the time. I wanna go home.”

“Doc says it should just be a few more days, honey.” Soda ran gentle fingers through his brother’s hair. 

“Days?!” Pony questioned, looking over at Soda with wide eyes. “That’s too long.” He sighed, leaning his head back against the pillow. 

“You had surgery, baby. They just wanna make sure you’re better before dischargin’ ya.” Darry told him. 

“You’ll be home again ‘fore ya know it, sunshine.”

Ponyboy slowly nodded, yawning. 

“Ya tired Pone?” Darry asked. 

“Yeah.” Pony sighed, laying his head on Soda’s shoulder. “Don’t know why. Seems like all I’ve done while I’ve been in here is sleep.”

“You had surgery honeybee.” Soda said quietly, beginning to rub soothing circles along his brother’s back. “That’s hard on your body. Rest’ll help ya get better.” 

“‘ome?”

Pony’s voice was quiet, and Soda could see him fighting to keep his eyes open. He continued rubbing his back, Darry began stroking his hair. “Yeah, darlin’. Restin’ means you’ll get to go home sooner.”

That was all Pony needed to hear. He was out like a light seconds later. 

When Ponyboy woke up, the room was quiet. He blinked his eyes open, glancing over at the window, where he noticed that it was much later in the day. He was surprised when he didn’t see (or hear) his brothers as he looked around the room. At least one of them had been with him his entire stay thus far. If not, then Two-Bit would be there instead, but that had only happened once, and they were gone for barely an hour. 

“Hey, kid.”

Pony turned his head to the right, surprised to see Steve sitting there. In the same place he’d been sitting when Pony fell asleep. “Steve?” He blinked. “I didn’t even notice anyone was here.” 

“Yeah, well.” Steve sighed, leaning back. “Your brothers and Two-Bit went to grab some food across the street. I didn’t feel like walkin’ all ‘at way so I offered to stay here.”

Pony nodded. He sighed, biting his lip before finally speaking. He knew he’d have to say this sometime, and he supposed he should just get it over with. “Listen, Steve—”

Steve shook his head. “Ya ain’t gotta say anything, kid.”

“I think I do. You saved me.”

Steve looked up at him, pressing his lips together. “No big deal.” He shrugged. 

“But–” Pony shook his head. “Your lung got punctured cause ya carried me to the hospital. Ya woulda been a lot better off if ya hadn’t done that I bet.” 

“It ain’t nothin’.” Steve shook his head. “We’re—we’re all brothers right? We look out for each other.” 

Pony stared at him, thinking. “Yeah, right. But—I guess I just—” He sighed, finally looking Steve in the eye. “Thanks Steve.” 

Steve gave him a grin. “You’re welcome Pony.” 

Pony’s eyes went slightly wider before he could stop himself.

“What?” Steve asked. 

“Nothin’.” Pony looked down, rubbing his neck. “It’s just…I don’t think I’ve ever heard ya call me by name before.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, he wasn’t sure he’d ever even thought about that before. He clearly remembered calling Pony by name a few times after the car wreck…but he doubted Pony recalled any of that. And Steve preferred not to think of it at all, so he didn’t mention it.

 “I guess you’ve just been Soda’s kid brother to me for so long that I never thought of callin’ ya anythin’ else.” 

“I’m sorry.” Pony said, and Steve furrowed his brow. 

“What for?”

“...For thinkin’ ya hated me all that time. I know now that it ain’t true. Actually, I can’t believe I ever thought so to begin with.”

Steve shook his head, sighing. “Look, ki–Ponyboy. I’ve known ya since I was six. I mean, Soda introduced ya as his kid brother to me all those years ago. Kid brother…and best friend.”

Pony looked up at Steve. “He said I was his best friend?”

Steve smirked. “Yup. That was how he always introduced ya to people. Course, when he introduced me to you, he said I was his new best friend too. We both were.”

Pony smiled, wondering why nobody ever told him that. 

“Anyway, I just…When we were kids, I guess I was real jealous of how close y’all were. The three of ya, really. I never had siblings or a family I could be close with like ‘at. Soda was the first friend I ever made. And since y’all were brothers…” He sighed, looking at the ground. “I always figured one day he may choose you over me.” 

“Steve…” Pony shook his head, looking sad. “Soda loves ya a lot. You’re his best friend.” 

“I know.” Steve nodded. “I know that. I was a lot different then. My mom ran off, my dad never cared about me. I thought everyone ya loved eventually left. But then I became friends with Soda, and Two-Bit, and you and the whole gang. That’s when I learned what a family was, what real love felt like.” 

“I really am sorry about that, Steve. You don’t deserve it.”

“Thanks.” Steve sighed. “Look, maybe when I was younger I just thought of you as Soda’s annoyin’ kid brother — and sometimes ya still are. But—but now…you’re my annoyin’ kid brother too.”

To Steve’s relief, Pony chuckled. “Thanks. I think?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Steve laughed, squeezing Pony’s shoulder. “You’re an okay kid, Ponyboy Curtis.”

“You’re okay too, Steve Randle.” 

Steve and Ponyboy weren't best friends like Soda and Steve, and probably never would be. And they weren’t brothers like Soda and Pony either. But…Ponyboy Curtis and Steve Randle were brothers in their own way all the same.