Muffler pipe ? ('97 Honda Civic DX)

Hello, on of the cars I own is a 1997 Honda Civic DX sedan. Last night, I'm
driving across the bridge from Washington D.C. to Arlington, VA when I start
hearing the loud sounds you start hearing when your muffler isn't working
properly. I also heard something that was obviously scraping across the
ground under my car so when I got home I looked under my car and saw that
the 'S' shaped pipe connected to the muffler was lying on the ground (one
end is still connected to the muffler, but the other end is disconnected). I
don't know much about car terminology and such, but connected to the end of
the pipe going away from the muffler, there is also some wider,
bottle-shaped object that was also disconnected and is laying on the ground.
I remember getting my muffler replaced at Midas (or Meineke) a couple years
ago and they suggested I get some pipe replaced in the near future... can
anyone tell me what the problem is and what I need to do to get this fixed
(e.g. will it just be the pipe I have to get replaced or will I have to get
the muffler or some other parts replaced??). I'm asking now before I take my
car to the mechanic... any advice is appreciated, thanks!!!

 

"Bottle-shaped object" is probably your catalytic converter--expensive
(~$650), so don't let it drag on the ground! Wire it up with wire coat
hanger in the mean time, so you don't damage it or do any more damage to
your "Pipe A", which is also costly (~$400). "S-shaped pipe" is called
the "Pipe B" in the 94 Civic (which I have), or "pipe plus resonator
assembly" in aftermarket terms. Long sucker, connects the cat to the
muffler.

You're lucky, in a way--I couldn't disconnect my Pipe B from the cat
(WAY too rusted together), and have been driving around with a nice new
Pipe B *inside* my friggin car, which sounds like a a serious fart can
right now with no muffler, until such time as I can get to the machanic
to have them deal with it.

I gotta say, the OEM pipe is NICE. ;-)