Ponyboy Pov

We finally got the Socs to go away. It wasn't easy. Soda and I just stood there in silence for a moment. I didn't know what to say. Darry just saved my life. That Soc was trying to kill me, and Darry just charged in… and the Soc just stabbed him in the side.

"What do we do now, Sodapop?" I asked. He was silent for a moment.

"The only thing we can do is call for help." So that's what we did. A little bit later, a guy ran up to us.

"What's the problem?" Soda pointed over to Darry. The man's eyes went wide.

"What happened?"

"We'll explain later. Can you please help us?"

"Yeah. We gotta hurry, though."

So we got in the man's car and took Darry to the hospital, and on the way there, we tried to find ways to get the bleeding to stop. I really felt bad about all of this. It was my fault.

All of it.

Every tiny drop of blood that he lost was because of me. I hoped desperately that he would live; I didn't want him to die thinking that I still hate him. Soda and I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like hours while the doctor was trying to fix Darry up.

I looked over at Soda and he tried to smile. Still no word about Darry. I didn't want the last thing I said to him to be refusing to forgive him. I need to talk to him at least one more time. I was about to stand up and ask a nurse if I could talk to him when the doctor came in.

"Sorry boys, we're losing him." No. That can't be right. He has to be lying. Darry can't die. Not now.

"Is there any chance of him surviving?" I asked.

"Only a very, very slim chance. I'm sorry." I felt tears in my eyes.

"Can I see him?"

"You can, but…" I didn't hear the rest. I jumped up from my seat and walked into the room. Darry was lying on the bed. I walked up closer, and I could just barely tell that he was breathing. He can't die. He can't die thinking that I hate him.

"I'm sorry, Darry," I whispered, "It's all my fault. You don't deserve to die. I take back all I said during our fight. I mean it. I don't hate you. You're a good big brother and you take good care of us. You saved my life, even after I was a big jerk to you. Me and Soda still need you. All of us do. Our gang already lost Dallas and Johnny, and we can't afford to lose you now. You're Superman. The hero isn't supposed to die at the end, even if it is saving someone's life. I'm so sorry for hurting you, Darr. And I forgive you, even if it wasn't your fault. I love you, Darry. Please… please wake up." Tears welled up in my eyes again. I looked down at the floor.

"Do you really mean that?" I heard a voice ask. I looked up.

"Darry?"

"Yeah." I felt tears slide down my cheeks. Before, there would be no way that I would cry in front of Darry, but now, I knew that it was okay.

"I did mean it. Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm alive. I forgive you, too." I smiled.

"So, no more fights for real this time?" I heard Soda ask. He'd been there the entire time, and I never noticed.

"Yeah," we both said.

"Ponyboy, I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again. If something else happens, and I get mad, just remind me of this and I will try not to yell, okay?" Darry said.

"Okay. And I won't run off anymore."

"Good. Do I get more chances this time?"

"Yeah. Let's hope you don't need them." I grinned. Then the doctor came in. He looked surprised. And no wonder, he did say that there was only a very slim chance that he would live.

"Wow. I've never seen someone live through something like that. You're a very lucky young man. How do you feel?"

"Not that good. And I'm really tired."

"I would think so. You should actually start feeling a lot better soon, and you are going to need to take it easy for a while. You'll have to be careful, or you'll end up right back here. Got it?" Darry nodded, and he started to get up.

"Do you need help?" I asked.

"No, I'm not helpless." I had a feeling that he would probably say that. Then we walked home, and no one bothered us. I knew for sure that Darry and I would keep our promises this time. I was glad. There was absolutely no way that we would ever fight again.

A/N: Yay! It's done. No flames please! I almost cried when I was typing this chapter. That's because I'm in love with Darry, of course! :) Please review!