Chapter Text
It was a cold night in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The starlit sky covered by dark, inky black clouds that threatened to send down buckets of rain as a young Johnny Cade, a boy no older than sixteen, with long dark hair and big brown eyes, sits at the bedside of his friend, Ponyboy Curtis. His fingers running through Ponyboy’s light auburn hair as it laid sprawled out across the pillow under his head, with his friend’s silvery-green eyes closed in an almost peaceful looking sleep as Johnny moved his gaze from Ponyboy’s face to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest, which was being helped along by the ventilator next to his bed. His skin, which was normally a pale shade of ivory when Pony was healthy and warm, now an almost translucent and sickly shade of white, and cold to the touch, with his lips being tinged a pale shade of blue from a lack of oxygen in his blood. His body covered by a thin white blanket that didn’t do jack sh*t in hiding the deep, dark purple bruise that was forming on the younger boy’s chest from Johnny performing CPR on him when he pulled him out of the fountain at the park.
“Johnny?” a voice said. Trying to get his attention as Johnny ignored them in favor of listening to the slow, steady beeping of Pony’s heart monitor. The only thing that gave him the slightest bit of reassurance that his friend was still alive. That he didn’t screw up while doing the CPR, and accidentally puncture something important when he inevitably broke some of Ponyboy’s ribs and cracked his sternum doing the chest compressions for so long.
“Johnny,” the voice repeated. His name leaving their lips as more of a command as Johnny bit back an annoyed sigh, and turned to look at whoever was calling for him. Only to be shocked to see his friend Dallas standing in the doorway to Ponyboy’s room.
“Dally! W-What are you doing here?” Johnny stammered out once he’d found his voice.
“Shepard called me. Said he saw you and Ponyboy getting loaded into an ambulance when he was passing by the park,” Dally said as he leaned up against the doorframe. “Figured I’d come by and see which one of you got hurt before I let Darry and Sodapop know.”
“How’d you get them to let you back here? It’s family only.”
“I did the same thing you did. I lied and said I was a relative,” Dallas said. Looking over at Ponyboy as Johnny felt his fingers catch on a knot in Pony’s hair. “What happened, man?”
“Gang of Socs jumped us while we were at the park,” Johnny said. Trying to keep his voice steady as he picked apart the tangle in Pony’s hair with his fingers. “T-They drowned him in the fountain. I-I tried to get to him. But–”
“Alright, kid. Take a breath. I get the point,” Dallas said. Taking a step into the room as Johnny choked back a sob, and used his free hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes.
“Th-They killed him, Dal…” he said, holding back a sniff. “Pony, he was…He was dead. H-He wasn’t breathing. I-I don’t know how long. But–”
“Breathe, Johnny,” Dallas said. Placing a hand on the younger teen’s back as Johnny forced himself to take a deep breath before he started sobbing.
“They didn’t wanna do anything, you know?” he continued. Feeling Dallas move his hand up to caress the back of his neck before continuing. “The paramedics. W-When I told them I didn’t know how long Pony was in the water for, they didn’t want to do anything. They wanted to call him dead right then and there. I had to do CPR on him the entire way to the hospital. Broke three of his ribs trying to save him.”
“They check you out at all, since you’ve been here?” Dallas asked.
“Yeah, one of the doctors in the Emergency Room looked me over after they finally pulled me off of Ponyboy,” Johnny said. “Said I had a concussion and a sprained wrist, along with a couple of cracked ribs. But I’m alright.”
“If you say so,” Dallas said. Taking another look at Ponyboy before he shrugged off his coat, and draped it over the younger boy in the bed so he wouldn’t have to look at the bruise on his chest. “Kid looks cold. You talk to the cops yet?”
“No. Not yet,” Johnny said. Letting out a bitter sounding laugh as he picked apart another knot in Pony’s hair, and watched his friend’s face to make sure he wasn’t hurting him. “I don’t think I should have to remind you that the cops don’t care when we get hurt.”
“Did you at least call Darry and Sodapop while you were here?”
“Tried to,” Johnny said. “I called the house, and didn’t get an answer. So they’re probably out looking for him.”
“Figures,” Dallas said. Rolling his eyes as Johnny tried and failed to hold back a yawn. “You tired?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “It’s been a long night.”
“I’ll bet,” Dallas said. Rubbing his friend’s back as Johnny straightened up in his chair with a wince. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m alright,” Johnny said. Sinking back into his chair with a sigh as Dallas moved his hand to grip his shoulder. “Do you think you can try calling Darry and Soda again? They’re probably worried about him.”
“I’ll get around to it in a few minutes,” Dallas said. Sitting down next to his friend as Johnny rested his head on his shoulder. Barely able to keep his eyes open anymore as he took his friend’s hand into his, and silently hoped it wasn’t his sprained one as he gave it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “Once I get you to sleep.”
