Around and Back {The Outsiders}

Chapter 13

        I woke up to Apollo whimpering and licking my hand.

      He had apparently got off the bed and couldn't get back on. I reached over the edge of the bed and lifted him into the bed. He contently crawled under my arm and underneath the covers with just his little head popping out.

I fell back asleep but woke up to weight all over my bed. I poked out from under the covers and saw that Steve was next to me, Two and Dal were at the foot of my bed, Soda was on my other side, and Pony and Darry were in the middle of the bed.

I glanced at my alarm clock, 2:30. I heard a crack of thunder and squealed in fright, waking the boys.

     Then I got an idea. "Darry, Soda go get the mattresses from your rooms and stack them next to mg bed along with some blankets." The boys did as told and we laid down. The order went; Two, Dal, Pony, Darry, Steve, me, Apollo, Soda.

      Soda and Steve scooted in a bit closer after a big crack of thunder that shook the house made me whimper.

We woke up and our day went on as normal. "Hey Doll i got a question?" "Ya Bubby?" I called

       "You wanna go drag racing tomorrow night?" I started to nod and smiled.

*flash back*

       "Come in Bull go faster goddamn it!" I growled as he whipped into first place around a sharp bend. 100 feet, 50 feet, 25 feet.

    "WE WIN." I whooped and hollered all the way out of the car where I was met by Soda. I hugged him then turned to Curly.

      I ran and jumped into Curly's arms wrapping my legs around his waist. We kissed and pulled away laughing. We had split up knowing we were better off as friends.
*flashback*

"Absolutely not!" I whined for a bit and finally Darry gave in.

     Steve wasn't to happy but he let it slide but warned me to be careful.

  *Friday night*
           "Come on Soda!" I yelled as I ran out of the door and jumped into our car. It was yellow with a big black stripe down the middle of it.

    We arrived at the spot and we were racing Tim Shepard and a few of his buddies. Shit. I had a feud with a guy named Alex. We were in grade school and I beat him in a boxing match and he never lived it down for the rest of his years in school.

    We got in the cars and started the engines. Two walked out and took off his shirt revealing his toned body. I chuckled a little as I got myself hyped up. "One, Two, go!" And we were off.

    We were in second right behind Alex. We came around a corner and got up next to him. I could see the finish line closing in but that's when. "DUCK!" I ducked my head and heard shattering glass.

      I spun. One, Two, three, black......voices, sirens, yells, crying, nothing. The silence pounded at my insides begging me to move, to speak, to do something.

I woke up. "Bubby!" I wailed feeling tears slide down my cheeks as I cried for my brothers. "Huggie.....BB!" Darry Came in then Pony, But no Soda.

They began asking me question but I kept glancing towards the door. Darry noticed. "He's in a coma." The words felt like a punch to the gut.

Spinning.....spinning.....spinning.....black. Then a light. I went towards it and when I got to the end I was shocked. At the end was me? No not me. But it was, it was a different me.

I was laying on my hospital bed with doctors surrounding me. "Doll?" I heard Sodas voice. I
turned around and he was there....his face soaked with tears.

   "Bubby!" I yelped and threw myself into his arms beginning to cry again. "Doll Im so-" a wail of agony cut him off. "Bubby where are we?" He sighed. "We can see everything that happens but they can't see us....this is what happens to people in a coma."

      "How long have you been here?" I asked "for about two hours." "Are there more like us?" He nodded solemnly "yes...listen Doll I'm so sorry this is all my fault." I shook my head "no Bubby it's Alex's fault." Another wail.

    We finally followed the cries down the hall to the waiting room. We saw the gang. Two was bawling, Pony was too, Darry silently let the tears roll down his face, Dally was silently shaking with sobs, and Steve just sat there as the tears slipped down his face.

    And that's when I realized that even though we may be the toughest greaser gang in all part of Tulsa.....we wouldn't stay together if it wasn't for.....well for me.

    I was what our gang revolves around.....I was everything to them....I was their little sister...we were a family....and it hurt to lose one of us....not to mention two of the brightest of our gang.

     "Soda.....I want to go back...I want Darry to hold me like he used to when I was little." My voice cracked as I clung to Sodas shirt. "I know you do....Darry misses cuddling with you.....he stopped because he thought you were getting tired of him treating you like a baby." I was shocked

I shook my head as I saw Darry start to shake with sobs. "I wanna go back." I whispered.

We walked out of the waiting room and down the hall, watching two little kids run through people as they chased eachother. "Bubby." I shook my head and we kept walking.

    "You know Bubby I've been thinking." We had been in a coma for a day now. "Mhm" he looked at me. "I think me and Stevie would be better as friends ya know?" He nodded "ya Doll I know."

      I told him I was going back to my room. I sat down in the chair next to my seemingly life less body.

     The doctor walked in with Darry. "Only one visitor at a time." He held up a hand as the rest of the gang went to walk in. They filed back to the waiting room.

"Munchkin....I miss holding you like I used to when you were little, your my baby sister and you mean everything to me, I don't want to lose you or Soda." The tears started down my face and yours "I love you." I smiled a bit "I love you too Darry."

Next was Dally. "Listen Baby, Im not good with the mushy stuff....But you mean so much to our gang, to me, I need you to pull through baby, please." A tear slipped and he walked out from the room.

Two came in blubbering like a baby. "Minnie please come back...the gangs a wreck without you.....Dally won't stay around the House longer than he needs to, Pony can't go sleep in his room because it's to close to yours, Darry won't even open your room, Steve's stopped eating, and Me I'm just out of it without my best friend." He sobbed for a minute "please try to come back."

I walked over and laid on my body. Spinning, black, light, yelling, crying. "HUGGIE." I bolted up and began crying.

The doctors checked me out before the gang was allowed in. "Can I talk to her alone?" Steve looked at the boys and they nodded.

"Listen Tiny, I've been thinking we would be better as friends ya know?" I nodded "Ya Stevie I know." He smiled "still friends." I nodded and we hugged.

He walked out and I jumped out of my bed and ran down the hall to Sodas room. "Bubby you've gotta Listen to me. Lay on your body and relax and you'll come back. Come on try." I spoke to the empty room but I knew Soda was in there, I could feel it. He gasped as his body came to life.

      The doctors rushed me out of the room and I ran down the hall into the waiting room. I jumped into Darrys lap and held him tight. "I heard everything." He looked shocked. "And I would never get tired of you holding me.....and as for me and Steve we know we are better as friends."