The Outsiders- extra chapter

Chapter 13

One day at the hospital I was watching this kid in critical condition. When someone is that badly hurt and there is nothing you can do for him you just leave him be and you only allow immediate family in the room. That kid was Johnny Cade and his friends Ponyboy and Two-bit wanted to see him. I knew the kid Ponyboy from the papers and he was a hood turned hero, which I didn't think was possible. Then when I told them they couldn't see Johnny the doctor came by and said they could. So I had to let them in even though I didn't trust them. Then when
Johnny freaked out about his mom I had to make them leave. The kid
Ponyboy wanted to leave Johnny with a copy of gone with the wind which
I thought was pretty stupid considering he was dying. Then I thought
oh golly this kid was dying and his friend just wanted to give him
this book, so I gave the kid the stupid book. Once he calmed down
Johnny asked for a pen. That was three years ago yesterday.

One day I wanted to find out what happened to Johnny's "gang". So I
just stood outside Ponyboys house for about twenty minutes. In the
small neighborhood full of small houses I was noticed quickly in my all
white nurse's get up because clearly I didn't belong. A rude looking
kid who I would soon learn was named Steve, Soda Pop's best friend,
took me into the house. I kept in touch with the Curtises and today we
are having a picnic Next to Johnny's grave. In the grave next to him
lies Dallas Winston who I only saw once when he was alive, the time he
was at his worst. I never met the kid they call Dally but I was told
we wouldn't have gotten along.

Now I sit here at this picnic and think it is very strange. I am an adult hanging out with a bunch of kids eating food that was bought at the gas station Soda now manages. Every once in a while he is still sad about his girlfriend leaving but mostly he is just cheerful and
telling jokes. Even though we are at a memorial we are all still telling jokes because that's the way Johnny would have wanted it.

Ponyboy was the most affected by Johnny's and Dally's death so he wrote this theme for English. According to Soda Pop Pony's teacher thought it was so awesome that he published it and it sold about a
million copies. I believe it but Ponyboy isn't the type to brag. Now Ponyboy has a scholarship to The University of Oklahoma next year. For a little while everyone thought that Ponyboy might fail freshman year because he was hiding then sick and missed so much work. Obviously he pulled through and didn't fail.

Darry nudges me and my immediate thought is dude personal space then
I notice the Cleary home made most likely illegal fireworks in the background. ''As a police officer is it not your job to stop illegal things," I ask him. Darry responds with a shrug and then says, "You can't arrest every one and besides there is no proof any one is doing anything illegal." In that moment I know that Darrel Curtis just wants to help anyone he can as a cop, just like me as a nurse, and his old "gang" doing whatever they do no matter how ironic it is.