The outsiders preferences and imagines

Vietnam - Ponyboy (2)

It was night when I woke to keith crying against my chest. I heaved in the familiar humid air. I had no idea what was going on. I tried to stroke keith's hair. I groaned in pain when i tried to move. His head shot up. 

"Pony", he had a barely breathed out the word, "I thought you were gone. Your breathing was so shallow, and your heartbeat was barely detectable." He kept crying. I tried to shush him. "You're gonna go home Pony. Your wounds are severe enough", he laughed it was kinda ironic."God You're lucky." 

He was crying. Fat, hot tears landed on my exposed stomach. I looked down to see a bandage wrapped fully around my waist. I didn't recognise this location. 

"Where are we two?" I sounded hoarse. I was surprised to even hear myself speak.

"We're almost to one of the helicopter pick up sites." I looked around. The dark of the night shrouded us from prying eyes. I couldn't believe that I was about to taken away from this hellhole. I always heard of soldiers who shot injured themselves on purpose. I didn't want Keith to have to hump, hump is to carry, me all the way there. 

"Where are the other guys?" I had noticed that there was no one around. I had moved myself so I was sitting up. Two-bit leaned back on his heels. He inhaled deeply. "What aren't you telling me Keith?" 

"there are only four of us left". My eyes widened. I had friends. Jimmy Novak and Dean Winchester, were my friends. They were the only other people keeping me sane through this, well thoughts of my lover was the other thing.  I can't lose them. They were there for me. Dean was someone i had met in tulsa. His dad had been evading shipping out. Dean took his place to protect his brother Sammy. His lover. He refused to name, couldn't lose him. 

We were laying there in the mud, when bullets started whizzing by. Keith grabbed me by the armpits and dragged me behind a couple of rocks. I could have walked but it would have been too slow. 

Keith reached for his gun. It was nowhere to be found. He turned his head to the left. It laid on the ground in the patch of undergrowth i woke up on. He stole a quick glance at me. His face was sullen.

"OH god, keith don't-"Irony was present in my words.  He had dashed out from behind the rock. Rounds shot off. I heard a groan, as his body jerked backwards. He grabbed the gun, and ran back to the safety of the rocks. 

The blood was dribbling out of the bullet wounds. Two-bit had a total of three that were visible. He hissed in pain. Shooting off a few rounds, he ducked behind the rocks. Fewer shots hit the rocks. The blood had turned his fatigue jacket dark. He continued to shoot off rounds. I could hear screams. 

Two-bit shot the M16 multiple times. The enemy shots stopped, as the whirring of the helicopter approached. I stood up and let Two-bit lean on me. His Breathing was labored. The guys in the chopper got down. They helped me and two get up there. As we were about to leave a couple of shots fired. One struck my helmet, barely missing my skull. Another one hit a soldier through the skull. I turned as the other way as blood sprayed everywhere. 

Keith got his wounds dressed. The bullets were removed, the blood was wrapped in gauze. He leaned against a wall of the helicopter. His breathing was shallow. He grabbed at my arm, smiling weakly he said.

"Ponyboy, I kept my promise." He seemed happy, even in his current state, but with him like this a memory flooded back into full color. Each line, and phrase as clear as they were when i first heard them uttered. 

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I heard clattering downstairs. Rushing out into the living room, i found Two-bit. He was laying on the floor. Cuts and bruises littered the poor man's skin.