A/N - This chapter goes out to greaserbabes and  for motivating me to pick this story up again !! Thanks for commenting on my wall, bbg. xo

Ponyboy's POV 

I woke up feeling like absolute crap. I looked around at my surroundings, when I suddenly noticed that I was in a hospital room. 

The white color of the walls made my eyes sting, and my head throb. I felt like I was having a stroke, even though I knew that it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. 

I blinked a few times, before I noticed a nurse standing at the side of my bed, a look of concern on her face. I immediately recognized her as the nurse who held off Johnny's mother when she came to see him after the fire. 

"Ponyboy Curtis? How're you doing?" she asked. I immediately covered my ears. Her voice sounded so loud. 

"What're you yellin' for?" I replied. She gasped.

"Oh, sweetheart, I ain't yellin'! You still must be sensitive," she whispered, making me feel a bit better. 

"What happened?" I questioned, unable to remember anything. Why was I in the hospital? Had I dreamed about getting better after the fire? Was I dreaming this whole time?

I was suddenly taken out of my thoughts when she began to speak. 

"You're brothers and a few other guys came in carrying you, sayin' that you passed out cold after school. Everybody was mighty worried about you, darlin'," she stated. I tried to smile, but I couldn't.

"What's wrong with me?" I questioned. I could see her eyes get glossy, as she looked down at the floor.

"Turns out you're malnourished," she stated, shaking her head. I felt like I couldn't breathe. 

"Malnourished? That's impossible!" I replied, a bit loudly. I knew that I was lying, and she clearly did too. 

"Don't lie to me, doll. Just lay down, and I'll get a doctor to come check up on you. Then, I'll call your brothers. Is there anybody else you want me to call?" she questioned quickly. I could tell that she was getting stressed. 

"Y- yeah. Call Steve Randle for me, and tell 'em to bring Jonathan Cade with 'im," I whispered. 

Before I knew it, she had turned around and disappeared.  

-

The doctor had come in, but I practically ignored him. He did some tests, telling me what I already knew. 

I was going to die unless I started to eat better again. 

I couldn't handle what he was telling me. 

Maybe I should die already.

-

Thirty minutes later, Darry and Soda walked into the room. Almost immediately, they ran to the side of my bed. 

"Ponyboy? How're you feelin'?" asked Soda. I nodded a bit. 

"I'm feeling fine," I replied, too tired to talk. I heard Darry sigh. 

"You don't look fine, little buddy," he mumbled. He could clearly tell that I was lying. 

"That's alright. When do I get out of here?" I asked the both of them. I saw them glance at each other nervously. 

"We don't know, Ponyboy. They said it all depends on how you recover," whispered Darry. 

I didn't expect the reaction that I got. 

Darry broke down, and started to sob. 

-

About an hour later, a nurse stepped into the room, looking at Sodapop and Darryl.

"I hate to disturb y'all," she started, "but the person Ponyboy asked for is here. I think you guys should step out, and let them talk alone for a while."

Johnny shyly stepped into the room. I could tell that he was feeling scared. 

Soda looked at me, then at Johnny, then back at me. 

He glared, but then turned to the nurse. 

"Of course, miss. Just let me say something to my brother," he said. She nodded. 

"Of course," she replied, sounding a bit impatient.

Sodapop leaned in close to my ear, and said something in a threatening voice. 

"Remember, I said I was watching."

He had walked out with Darry, still glaring at Johnny with hard eyes. 

This was only the beginning....