Well folks last time I left off Steve was in the hospital with paralyzed legs. A thank you going out to silverstagbeauty and 123-.-HighOnLife-.-321 for reviewing the last chapter, and now on with this one. Oh I guess I must: I own nothing but my notebook.
Well the next morning I awoke and saw that I was still sitting with Steve in the hospital and as I looked at his feet I was shocked to see that they were moving, well more like he was stretching them. I looked up at Steve and saw he was looking at his feet and smirking.
"Amazing ain't it?" He asked.
"What that now you can move your feet again?" I answered.
"Yeah and I can feel it to."
"Let's see if all the feeling has returned." I said pinching him.
He smacked me and hollered "Ouch that hurt."
"I guess that answers my question. Oh morning doc." I said looking in to the smiling face of the doctor.
"Well it seems that you have feeling returning to you." The doctor said before running a few tests and then coming back. "We'd like to keep you here for a few more days to make sure but I think you're gonna be just fine."
"Thanks Doc. Hey Ash can you go call the boys? I'm sure they'll want to know and who's gonna get custody of you now?" Steve asked.
"My brother, you know as much as he probably hates me to admit it I know he loves me and if I can convince him to come back we would get along just fine."
"Baby you told Dal you didn't want the S.O.B. to take care of you. What's making you change your mind?" he asked looking a bit mad. I sunk down a bit in my chair before answering.
"I also told Soda I didn't have a phone number and address for him and that he ran to Texas because of the fighting. He's in Oklahoma City with a full time job and a new life because that's what he wanted. Look I have to go home right about now and give him a call right after I call the boys and I'll be back after practice." I said standing.
"Do you really have to go? I mean can't you just call him from here?" Steve pleaded.
"What is it with you and Soda asking stupid questions you already know the answer to?" I said kissing him.
"I really don't want you to go."
"But I must so I'll see you later." I walked out the door.
Three days later Steve was released and Dally got a new girlfriend named Tiffany Jackson but everyone is forced to call her Tiffy. I hate that and if you ask me, I would rather puke than call her that. Come to think of it I'm the only one who doesn't speak to her at all well except Johnny. He's become even quieter when she's around and I had stopped being so mad at Darry but only because Steve convinced me it wasn't Darry's fault.
About 2 weeks later I walked in on something I hoped I would never have to see and frankly it pissed me off to have to see it. As I stood in the doorway I watched Tiffany bring her hand down across Johnny's back harda few times and him not even flinch. I cleared my throat and she stopped and walked out the door passed me hissing that if I told any one I would be next. "Johnny how long has this been going on?" I asked.
"Ever since we were introduced about 2 weeks ago and no one's been around." He answered looking down.
"Does anyone else know about this?" I asked walking towards him.
"No but please you can't say anything please Melissa. Dally is so happy with her I don't want to end that." Johnny said pleading with me. I hate the name Ashley and so most of the guys just call me Mel, except Soda who calls me Meli or Ash and Steve who usually calls me Ash or Ash-Bash. The only time the guys use Ashley is when they are being dead serious or I'm in trouble and Melissa when they're pleading with me.
"Look I promise I won't say any thing until it gets out of hand and you're put in the hospital."
"Thanks so much. I owe you one."
After that I went home to call my brother yet again. The cops and social services were laying off until they could find my brother it didn't help them that they thought he was in Texas and so while they were searching there I was calling his apartment in Oklahoma City. Finally I got through to him. I explained the situation and after three days of begging and telling him the same thing I finally got up enough courage to tell him what social services was planning. "Jason they're planning to only look for you for 2 more days then they're shipping me to California. You know the reason you told mom and dad you were in Texas but stayed in Oklahoma was so you could be close. Jay-man you know you don't want me to go to Cali and never see you again. Please Jay come home and let me stay here." I begged him.
He told me he would and a day later he showed up and was granted immediate custody. Due to my dad's wishes or at least that's what case worker told us when she brought the papers over.
For the next three weeks I watched Johnny suffer, every time she hit him and yell at him and burn him with scalding hot water, and him lie to the boys about getting them from fighting and his dad. I really, really, really wanted to beat the tar out of her but I knew that would only make it so I would have to tell the guys and Johnny would have to fess up and hate me for it.
Then on Sunday I came in the front door and saw Johnny lying on the floor and Pony was trying to help him but Johnny was knocked out. "Pony did you see who did this to him?" I asked.
"No I just found him like this when I came in." Pony answered.
"Alright here's what we're gonna do, you call an ambulance and I'll round up the boys and Pony don't you leave his side until they take him into his room and the doctor forces you."
"Ok hurry please. Dally said something about Buck's party last night we haven't seen him since and Two-Bit said something about the Dingo before he took off this morning."
"Alright I'll seeyou guys in a bit." I said before running to the DX. "Soda call Darry and have him met you at the hospital." I panted when I got there.
"What? Why? Is Pony ok?" He cried.
"Yeah Pone's fine, its Johnny just get there I got to go get Two-Bit and Dally."
"Is everything ok?" Steve asked.
"No but I'll explain when I get every one to the hospital." I said stretching out my legs and taking off for the Dingo. When I got there I found Two-Bit sitting with 2 blonde greaser girls. "Two-Bit I'm sorry to break this up but we need to get to Buck's to get Dally and then get to the hospital for Johnny. Please this is important." I said taking a deep breath. Two-Bit pulled out a couple of bills and put them down on the table and walked out the door apologizing to the girls.
"Ok so now that we're here what's so important." Two-Bit asked when we reached the waiting room. I looked around at all the guys looking for the one guy who would know something.
"Pony is he ok?" I asked totally ignoring the fact that the rest of the guys wanted to know what happened.
"I don't know the docs are with him right now." Pony answered.
"Ok well here's the story. I was going to see if Pony and Johnny wanted to do something today and when I walked in the house Pony had Johnny's head in his lap and Johnny was knocked out cold. So I told him to call the ambulance and said I would get you guys."
"No you said you would get the boys and there's more then just the boys here." Pony said angrily.
"I know but Dally insisted." I said before going on with the rest of the story, "So first I went to the DX and had Soda call Darry and then come here, then I went to the Dingo where I found Two-Bit with two blondes and then he took me to Buck's where we got Dally who insisted she come along." I explained.
"Do you have something against her?" Steve asked.
I was about to answer when the doctor came out, it was the same doctor Steve had, and said "Well I see you all are back but does Johnny Cade have any family?"
"Yeah us, seeing as how his parents don't care about him." I said.
"Ok then I'll tell you guys. Johnny will be ok in a few days we hope. He is still knocked out but he should be coming around soon. There's only one thing that's worrying us. Do any of you know where his bruises come from? He seems to have a lot of them across his back and torso and a few on his arms."
"They're from his dad." Soda said quietly.
"Ok that's all I have. You can go in and see him if you like." The doc said before leading us all down the hall.
Once we reached the room only me and Pony went in at first. "Hey Johnnycakes I hope you're ok, I mean you got to be man." Pony said.
Johnny rolled over and opened his eyes. "Hey y'all. Where am I?"
"The hospital. Johnny man did she-it happen again?" He nodded. "Here's your chance I said I would say anything till you got put in hereand I'm giving you another chance. The guys are outside the door. I'm gonna bring them here and either you can tell them or I will." I said.
"I can't he's so happy this will hurt him. I don't want to do that to him." Johnny answered.
"Johnny with us and the rest of the guys, the gang comes first before anything else you know that. It's the gang, then other gangs like Shepards, then relationships, then just girls, then everything else. That's how it works."
"I know I just can't tear him apart like this."
"Alright then since you won't, I will." I said before walking to the door. Sticking my head out I said. "Guys he's awake and there's something we need you tell you so if you could come in here for a second. Oh and he said he wanted to see every one except Tiffany."
"Stay here I'll be right back." Dally said before leading the guys in. Once we were all inside I looked at Johnny and Dally said "Alright what's going on?"
"Last chance kid tell him or I will." I said looking around.
"Then go ahead and tell them." Johnny said looking directly at some point on the ceiling.
"Guys not all of those bruises are from his dad. Especially the ones that look like they have fingernail marks in them."
"If they ain't from his dad who are they from?" Two-Bit asked.
"Tiffany, ever since Dally introduced them she's been hitting him and blaming him for her not have that much time to spend with Dally, she says that Johnny's just a little brat that shouldn't even been born and that she'll get rid of him one day." I answered.
"How long?" Steve asked.
"Have I known? Since about 3 weeks ago. I walked in one afternoon while it was going on and he made me swear I wouldn't say anything unless he got put in this god for saken place."
"Johnny is this true? Did Tiffy really do that to you?" Dally asked.
He nodded and I added, "It wasn't just her hitting him, there's been a few instances with boiling hot water on his back and her yelling at him."
"You saw all this and didn't come to one of us. I can't believe you would do something like this Mel it ain't your style to sit back and watch." Darry said.
"Dar do you know how many times I wanted to be the living tar out of her for doing this? Way too many to count, but I couldn't. If I did then she would go crying Dally and I would have to explain it and break Johnny's trust. As much as it hurt me to see him go through that after all he has to go through at home I just could not break his trust. That too hard to gain back, you of all people know that Darry." I explained on the verge of tears.
"Why didn't you tell me Johnny? I'm supposed to be your best friend and you can't even tell me about it. Some friend you are." Pony said.
"Guys seriously I just couldn't tell you guys." Johnny said trying to take their attention off me.
"Why couldn't you tell us? You shouldn't have to go through that after all that you go through at home." Dally said getting mad.
"Cause I knew this would happen I knew you would get mad at me, you're so happy with her and I guess I just didn't want to end that. It hurts to see you unhappy." Johnny said. For Johnny this was a lot, seeing how he never really spoke that much after what happened with those socs, but he did owe them some explanations.
"Shoot kid she's just a girl I'll be over her by tomorrow but what I won't be over is how hurt you are. I can't believe I put you in this situation to begin with if I had known she was gonna do this I would have never stuck with her so long." Dally added before disappearing out into the hallway.
"Well what was all that about?" Steve asked after the shouting from the hallway died down and Dally walked back in.
"Nothing much it's just over." Dally said simply. "So kid when you getting out of here?"
"I don't know a few days maybe." Johnny answered.
"Alright do you want one of us to stay with you?" Darry asked.
"No I'll be fine." Johnny said right before a doctor came in and shooed us out.
3 days later Johnny was released, Dally hadn't found a steady girlfriend, although I don't think he was look for one, school was going ok and Jason came home from working and the 2 of us were eating dinner. "Lis what are you doing this weekend?" He asked.
"I don't know. Steve said there was a rodeo Friday night, Saturday I've got a gymnastics meet at the Y and Sunday I planed on taking it easy. Why?" I answered.
"No reason really, I was just checking your plans."
"Jay-man is you doing something this weekend you don't want me to know about?"
"Well there is supposed to be a party at a friends' house that I said I would be at and I really don't want you to go there and I'm not sure I want you here by yourself."
"Jay when's the party?"
"Friday night after the rodeo."
"Let me call Soda I'm sure he'll let me crash there for the night and then Steve can take me to the Y Saturday morning at eight."
"You think he would?"
"Of course now hold on." I said getting up and walking to the phone. "Hey Soda?...Steve? Put Soda on…hey Soda I got a question…my brother doesn't want me to stay in the house alone while he goes to a party Friday night so would it be ok if I stayed there?...Ok and then the next morning can someone take me to the Y for my meet?...Yup that's it exactly…He said yes? Man you guys are the best." I hung up and sat back down, "The guys said it was no problem for me to stay the night and then Steve would take me before he had to go into work and one of them would give me a ride home afterwards."
"Good now how are you getting to their house on Friday?"
"Probably going there after school with Pony."
-Welp another chapter done-
