Disclaimer: THE OUTSIDERS is owned by S.E Hinton, also, do not read this fic if you have morals issues with the subject or are just not into slash.
Tashue-*jumps up and down* Yes, someone noticed the Darry thing! The weird thing is that the Dally and Darry pairing is rapidly becoming my favorite even though no one has really written about them. I even wrote a fic about the two, which I might post, depending. Anyway, just…. Don't forget about those two in this fic….hehe. Let's just get Dally sane first….
FLASHBACK
I stumbled through the hospital corridors, my hand trailing against the wall as I passed by the rooms. Peeking into them to try and find my Johnnycake but only greeted by sights worst off than I had ever been. I wondered how bad Johnny looked. I kept quiet since I knew if I was caught, I would be sent back to my room. But Dallas Winston isn't one for listening to rules. Regulations were meant to be broke to get what you want, that is.
And right now, what I wanted the most was too see Johnny Cade. I had my jacket over my shoulders since it hurt too much to slide it on, my ribs were tightly bandaged and my arm had a small cast on it. I've been in this type of pain before so, It wasn't anything unbearable. Although, I wish I didn't have the fuckin' soreness all over my body. One of the reasons why I was practically tiptoeing through here was that after I finished talking to Johnny, I would try and catch the rumble which was going down tonight. The Greasers against those measly Socs. They had me fed-up and sore or not, I wasn't going to miss out on bashing a damn Socs' head in. Show them that they didn't mess with us hoods…..They don't mess with Johnnycake and get away with it.
That was what I had told Two-Bit and Pony when they came to visit me this morning. The rumble was only partly for filling that void in everyone, but my purpose was Johnny. Always that little dark-haired JD.
I stopped in my tracks as I came into view of a folder hanging on the door outside of a room, which read: Cade, Johnny. Sever burns, critical condition.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and without glancing back to see if anyone was around, I slipped silently into the room and closed the door just as quietly as I had came in from- behind me. I closed my eyes briefly as I saw the Greaser I had anticipated on seeing before me, laying almost lifelessly on the bed. His back was showing to me, he was being held face down on something that looked more like a strap board than a bed. Damn Doctors, what are they going to have next? Patients hanging off from they're limbs?
With a disgusted snarl at the oddity of Seniority, I stepped forward and came closer to the bed "Johnny?" I said his name, biting down hard on my bottom lip at the sight of his burned flesh.
"…Dal?" He croaked, stirring slightly as if he had just awakened from a bad dream.
"Yeah Man, it's me. Dally. How ya' holdin' up?" I asked yet I already knew the answer. NOT GOOD
"…I'd be better if I could see ya'…" He murmured softly, I
could tell by only talking he was wasting his energy.
"I can fix that," I said as I got down on my knees and crawled under him, lying straight on my back to stare up at the younger Greaser. Greeted by a small but tiresome smile.
"What do these bastards have you on?" I wondered out-loud
"It helps to straighten out my back but I don't know why they bother…. Dal, I can't…. I can't feel anything below the middle of my back, the Docs say I might…. might never walk again…" He manages to tell me and I bite my lip harder, almost drawing blood. He didn't deserve this, out of everyone; Johnny Cade wasn't supposed to be lying strapped to this bed. I should be, Tim Shepherd should be, even 'The Brumly brothers' for Christ sakes, some tough-dangerous hoods like them not innocent little Johnny. Life works in some fucked up ways that I can't even begin to understand, maybe I never will.
"They'll be here soon to put me on my back again, I don't know if they'd like it very much to find you here" He broke into my reflections and I thanked secretly for that, I didn't like the way I was thinking lately. Would it ever stop?
"Uh, yea', It wouldn't be Tuff' if they found me under another guy…" I tried to joke but it wasn't working. Johnny seemed to flinch.
"…I'm not going to make it, Dal and you know it" He said, looking down intently at me but one thing I picked out of those strong eyes of his were fear. He was still a lost boy floating inside those big orbs of his.
"Ssh, don't talk like that. You'll be out of here in no time, back to the streets to cause some trouble with me" I offered a lop-sided grin to him and after a pause, he returned it.
"…. You're goin' to the rumble, ain't ya?" He asked or stated, I didn't know which so I answered with a 'yes'
"Can't wait to beat the tar out of some Soc, that will teach them," I said, my seething hatred for those madras idiots notable with every word I say.
"…That won't help with nothin', in the end, we're just Greasers…. The ones with the struggle and low lives…. and they'll always be the Socs, the rich kids with the breaks. Nothing is going to change Dallas…. no one seems to get that…" He broke in, shaking his head and his teeth grinding.
I didn't respond, "…I should go, I don't want to miss the fight…" I said about to shift myself from underneath him but stopped by his whispers "I don't want to die, Dallas. I'm scared"
"You shouldn't be, you're going to be OK, I told you that" I reassured, sighing
"…. Not that. Not because of my life…. If I …don't make it and don't try to tell me 'it's goin' to be alright', I heard that enough today…. If I don't make it, even though I haven't seen too many things, I don't want to feel like I didn't do the one thing I've been wanting to always tell you, I don't want to die without regrets…. I gotta tell you now, before you leave…." He broke down, tears beginning to streak his face and I fidgeted awkwardly. I didn't know how to handle someone or better yet, myself, in these kinds of situations.
"You've always been there for me, right Dal?" He waited for my reply and I simply nodded "…. Yeah, Johnny. And I still am" I said, trying to get my voice from rising with the emotion I was suddenly feeling for the kid.
"…And I know you wouldn't ever deny who I am…. Would you?"
"No! Never, Johnnycake. I wouldn't do that to you" I exclaimed, the urge of wanting to reach out to him hitting me like a load of bricks. Feel his face, touch his quivering lips….
"Then this makes it even harder to tell you…" He choked up another sob and wiped hurriedly at it with the back of his hand.
"Me accepting you makes whatever you're goin' to admit…. hard?" I clarified but still left confused by what he meant. What was he getting so worked up about?
But maybe I shouldn't play this game of 'guess what?' anymore. I wasn't a total idiot; I might have the slight idea of what the hell he was about to tell me.
Oh, god…
"We've been friends for so long and I don't want…. anything to change…I-I don't want you to be…disgusted with me…. but I'm weak, I feel like I'm falling and I can't stop to get up, no one's saving me…So, I have to tell you that I've l-.."
He was never able to finish. We heard the heavy footsteps of Doctors or maybe Nurses approaching the room and I quickly became alert. "I gotta' get out of here,'" I said in a hush tone.
"Dal" He pressed on "Don't leave"
"I'll be back, ok?"
"…. Bring Ponyboy, I've gotta talk to him too…" He agreed yet I could tell he didn't want me to leave.
"…. I promise I'll come back for you Johnny, and Pony will be here too. Just…. hold on" I made an attempt to leave but I stopped once more, and staring up at Johnny's painfully contorted face, I decided I had to give him some sort of idea that…. He didn't need to tell me anything. I already knew. As much as I don't want to admit it out-loud, even think it, I felt the same towards him as he did for me.
I raised my self higher with my hands and pressed my lips against the side of Johnny's mouth, barely missing his lips but I did that for a purpose.
"Hold on" I repeated and quickly left. Leaving Johnny's eyes wide and glossy.
QUICK JOHNNY POVWhen Dallas disappeared from under me, I couldn't help but let the tears that I had been holding in all this time out. Not knowing if he was still in the room or not, I said, "I love you"
…He never answered back.