Golden Greaser

- 23 -

      The phone rang as I walked in the living room. 

      "Hello?" Darry looked at me. "Yes, this is he..." 

      A worried look overtook his face as the other end of the phone was speaking. It'd been three days since the cops last came, and we'd hadn't heard anything new about the boys.

    "Is he alright?"

     I felt my breathing quicken as Darry's tone changed once more.

    "Okay..." He nodded. "Yes, we'll be right there. Thank you, sir."

    Hanging up the phone, he was on his feet in an instant and yelling for Soda to get ready to go.

    "What happened?" I asked.

    "Pony and Johnny are at the hospital..." He was breathin' hard. "Johnny's been burned pretty badly but the man said that Ponyboy was alright..."

    I could tell he barely knew what to do. His voice was slightly shaky, and he couldn't find the truck keys that he had set down just minutes before.

   "Johnny..." I whispered. "Burned?"

   "I don't know all the details..." He shrugged. "Are you coming or stayin'?"

   "I'll come."

    "Alright..." He turned on his feet and padded his shirt as if he was looking for something. "I've got to find those keys..."

  "The keys are on the table!" Soda was almost to tears he was so elated. "Let's go!"

    Darry and Sodapop practically jumped into the truck and it was already started out of the driveway by the time I closed the door. 

   My stomach was in knots as I thought about Johnny. 

    I mean, I'd known him since we were kids...

    And Ponyboy...

    I couldn't imagine how the boys felt.

     When we got to the hospital, time seemed to move slower and faster all at the same time. 

   I followed behind the brothers, but decided to hang back a little bit to give them some respect.

    My stomach felt like it was jumping hurdles inside of me. I couldn't tell if it was unnecessary nerves, or it was because the thought of Johnny just made me sick.

   But as I neared the corridor where I had watched the boys walk, it seemed I could hear their muffled voices much louder than the hospital's buzz.

   "Oh, Pony..." Darry's voice was the first one I could hear clearly. "I thought we lost you...like we did mom and dad..."

   I could feel the slight, sudden sting of tears kiss the rims of my eyes as I listened. It was just one of those scenes that'll rock you deep inside when you first see it...

   Darry had his arms wrapped around Ponyboy as if it was his last moments on earth. His head was buried in Pony's shoulder, and you could see the slight glint of tear stains streaking his cheeks. 

   Ponyboy had his arms wrapped around Darry just as tight, if not tighter.

   And Sodapop, well, you could tell he was just happy to have his kid-brother back. You could practically feel the joy and relief radiating off him.

  It was as if the world had stopped moving around them, leaving the three brothers to their beautiful and long-awaited reunion.