HE'S AWAKE!

Ponyboy fainted after Dally was killed. Soda told me that Pony woke up once, but he told him to go back to sleep. Soda told me that he had asked if I was sorry he was sick.


After that I made sure I stationed myself by his bedside. I dragged the airchair up to the room he and Soda shared, and stayed there for most of the time; if he was going to wake up again, I wanted him to know that I was there.
****************************

Finally, he's awake!


I must have dozed off, but he woke me up, thankfully.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Gosh, kid. You scared us half to death." I said, exasperated.
"What was the matter with me?" Ponyboy asked, his brow furrowing. Surely he remembered about Dally's suicide? Surely he would remember fainting....wouldn't he?
Shaking my head, explained, "I told you you were in no condition for a rumble. Exhaustion, shock, minor concussion-- and Two-Bit came around blubbering over here with some story about how you were running a fever before the rumble and how it was all his fault you were sick. He was pretty torn up that night."
After a silence, I continued in a slightly smaller voice "We all were."