One Moment

We die young

A square-shouldered Soc came at me, and I smirked as his punch went wide and missed me. He stumbled a step, and while his arms were up to catch from the fall, I kicked my foot into his side, sending him sprawling into the dirt.

It was than that I felt the first of the raindrops.

"I thought you were in the hospital," I heard Ponyboy yelled as another Soc came at me and managed to get a solid punch to my stomach before I could react. I coughed, gasping for air before I got back up and snapped my fist against his jaw. I felt the crack and gave his shoulder a hard kick back when he bent over with a howl of pain.

"I was." I heard Dally's voice from off to my left, and while I had no Socs attacking me, I snapped my head around looking for him. I found him standing beside Ponyboy, who was on the ground, while he had a hard time using his left arm since it was still wrapped up. "I ain't now."

"But you should be." I said as I came up behind the Soc he was fighting and jumped onto the guys back to limit his movements so Dally could get a couple good swings at him before he flopped over. I stood back up and glared at him for a moment. "I warned you, Dallas."

"Now isn't really – right!" I stepped to the right and just missed a Soc trying to get me from behind. He collided with Dally instead and got a well aimed punch to the nose. Blood gushed down the guys face and I turned away in time to see another guy coming at Dallas from behind. I tackled him to the ground, and we wrestled around in the turned up dirt. It was more like mud now because of the rain. I was drenched already, and the guy was sitting on my chest. I tried to get out from under him, but he punched me in the face and my vision narrowed almost to the point of going completely black.

"How?" I could hear Ponyboy's voice somewhere around me, but I felt like I was losing consciousness, and I was fighting hard against it.

"Talked the nurse into it with Two-Bit's switch. Don't you know a rumble ain't a rumble unless I'm in it?" Next thing I knew, the weight was gone and I was slowly getting my vision back. I felt a hand grab my arm and yank me up. Dally came into my vision and he was smirking.

"Still don't want me here?" He asked snidely. I shook my head and turned away as more Socs came at us from all angles. Darry had pulled Ponyboy up from the ground where he had ended when a Soc toppled him to the ground, and he was now back up on his feet and trying to help Dally. I would have gone to help them both out, but I had 2 other Socs trying to get a good hit at me, and I was having a hard time keeping my mind focused on the fight and not on passing out.

I cussed under my breath as they both took swings at me at the same time. I was only able to dodge one, and the other hit me in my bad shoulder. I screamed with pain and passing out seemed like a better idea than trying to stay awake. I gritted my teeth through the pain and flipped myself backwards. I managed to aim right, and caught them both below the jaw as my feet swung up over the rest of me and I landed back on the ground. But instead of getting back to my feet, I fell to the ground, my arms sinking into the the mud.

Get up! I snapped at myself. Get up and fight!

With a groan, I managed to push myself up, just as another Soc was coming at me. I heaved myself up the rest of the way and managed a good swing at his jaw to knock him back, but it wasn't hard enough to knock him to the ground. As he came back at me, I scrounged up the last of my energy and put all my effort into another swing. When he stumbled back, I kicked him in the side and sent him sprawling across the mud.

"They're running!" I heard a voice call out joyfully. "Look at the dirty fuckers run!" The Soc I had been fighting gave me one quick look before running off in the direction of the cars waiting for them.