Chapter 6: Extended Reality

"Is she gonna be okay, Doc?"

I feel a hand in mine before I open my eyes. The last thing I remember was being in Dally's room at Buck's, but something makes me feel like I'm not there anymore.

"Your sister most likely has a grade three concussion, and should have been brought to me as soon as it happened." An unfamiliar voice says. I groan, and open my eyes to a bright, white light, that makes my head hurt.

"Doctor, she's awake." Sodapop says from my side. His hand is tightly grasping mine, almost to the point of where it hurts.

"Hi, Kittalayn, I'm Doctor Martin Abrams. Can you answer some questions for me?" He says, from my other side. Dr. Abrams is about medium height and build, with crystal blue eyes and blonde hair. For an older guy, he's rather handsome.

I nod my head. "Okay." He takes out a clipboard, and a pen. "What is your full name?"

"Kittalayn Jane Curtis."

He writes something down on his clipboard. "Good. Where do you live?"

"Tulsa Oklahoma." I feel Sodapop squeeze my hand tighter. He's probably worried out of his mind.

"Can you give me a specific address?"

I think about it. I know where I live, but I can't remember our address. I know I know it, I've lived there for my entire life. "No, I can't"

The doctor writes some more on his clipboard. "Who is the current president?"

I think harder. "Lyndon Johnson?" I look over to Darry, who shakes his head. I'm wrong, but Johnson is the only name that's coming to mind right now.

More writing. "Can you please repeat these numbers in reverse order? Ten, twenty-four, seven, ninety-six, two?"

I shake my head. I can't even remember the last thing he said.

"Three, five, thirteen, eighty-four, thirty-eight?"

"No."

"Forty, fifty-seven, seventeen, sixty, fifteen, eleven?"

"No."

"Okay Kittalayn." Doctor Abrams says, setting the clipboard down. "Can you sit up and swing your legs over the edge of the bed?"

I realize I'm laying in bed. Soda puts his hand behind me, and helps me sit up. I do as the doctor says, and swing my legs over, but the minute I'm situated I feel lightheaded.

"Easy now." Darry says, resting his hand on my knee. Well, I think it's Darry. My vision is kinda blurry.

"Alright Kittalayn, I'm going to test your reflexes. Just sit there, and move if you feel something." The doctor says.

A few minutes pass, and nobody says anything. All of a sudden, I feel a wave of nausea, and gag. "Shit, she's gonna puke." Darry says as I let it out.

Soothing hands are on my back, as the entire contents of my stomach comes out of my mouth. "It's gonna be okay, Kitty." Sodapop says, rubbing circles on my back.

When I'm done puking, I lean back against Soda's arms, and he helps lean my back into the bed. "I'm going to order a CT for her, but I think it's pretty clear she has a grade three concussion." The doctor says. I close my eyes. All I want to do in this moment is go to sleep.

"Darryl Curtis?" I hear a deep voice say. I open my eyes to see a two police officers walking our way.

"Yeah?" Darry says, walking over to them.

"Can we talk to you?"

Darry makes a puzzled look. "What's this about, Officer?"

They start talking, but I can't make out their words. I turn to Soda. "Pony and Johnny are gone." I mutter, grasping his hand tightly. "They ran away after Johnny killed a Soc."

Sodapop stares at me in disbelief. "Johnny killed a Soc?" He says, running a hand through his hair. "Why on earth would Johnny Cade kill a Soc?" he asks me.

"It was Bob Sheldon, Sodapop." I whisper, trying not to draw attention from the others. "He tried to rape me, and his friends tried to drown Ponyboy. Beat Johnny up." I sigh, and stare directly in his eyes. "Johnny Cade saved my life."

"Excuse me, Miss?" The police officer says, walking toward me.

"Officer, this girl has suffered a traumatic injury to her head, questioning her would not be wise." the doctor says.

"It's alright." I say weakly, sitting up slightly. "I'll tell them everything they want to know."

"I've given her some medication to help with swelling and pain. It'll help, but it will also make her sleepy, so she'll rest" Doctor Abrams says to my brothers from outside my door. "I'm also going to keep her overnight, for observation. After the police questioned me, I was taken to get a scan for my head. Before that, the nurses helped me change into a hospital gown, and after I was moved to a private room.

"Thank you, Doc." Darry says, entering my room. He walks over to me, and grabs my hand. "Hey, honey." He says, kissing my forehead.

"Hi." I say, looking up at him. We're silent for a moment, before I say, "I'm sorry Dar."

"It's not your fault." He says patting my hair. "You didn't cause any of this." He sits down on the edge of the bed. "I did."

I yawn, and he clasps my hand in his. "Darry I'm sleepy." I mutter, shutting my eyes. They're growing heavy, which probably means I'm going to fall asleep.

"Just sleep, sweetheart." Darry says, kissing my forehead.

I lean my head against the pillows, and feel myself succumb to sleep. Well, at least everyone will be safe in my dreams.

"Kitty?" I open my eyes to see Dally sitting next to my bed. His hand is grasping mine, his eyes not meeting my own.

"Dallas? I mutter, sitting up slightly. "What are you doing here?"

He grasps my hand tighter. "You're hurt, and I brought you in. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He says, his gaze meeting mine. " I'm glad you're okay, Kitty."

"Why?" I ask, sleepily. "You always seem so cold toward me." I know it's the drugs talking for me, but I figure screw it. It's the truth.

"Kitty it's more complicated than that." He says, wiping sweaty bangs out of my face. I really must look a sight, hair sticking all over me, paper thin hospital gown, eyes wild from the drugs they're pumping me with.

"It shouldn't be that complicated, Dallas." I said, feeling a few tears fall from my eyes. What is with me? Why am I crying over Dallas Winston? I don't understand this at all. He's been around for a majority of my life, but nothing like this has ever happened. What is he doing.

"Kitty, shit, please don't cry." he says frantic, wiping my tears away. "I can't deal with it, I can't deal with this." He gets up frantically, and starts to walk away.

"Please don't go!" I yell, almost pleading. He's always walking away from me. Why does he continue to do this to me? What is going on with me?

He stops by the door, his hand clutching the frame. "Kittalayn if I don't go, I'm going to break something, and I just got out of the cooler." His grip suddenly tightens on the frame. "I can't see you like this right now, and process the emotions runnin' through my head girl, shit." He punches the wall. "I'm not gettin' messed up over some broad." He storms out.

Some broad? Is that all he thinks I am?

"Dallas!" I yell after him, but it's no use, he's gone. My head is spinning in circles, and tears are spilling out of my eyes like a waterfall. I'm screamin' and sobbing, and people are rushing into my room to see what's wrong, but I don't care. He doesn't care. He's sending me in circles and I don't even know what's going on with me. Why do I feel like this? He's a hood, I know that. Then why does it hurt so much?

"Kittalayn, honey, you need to calm down." I hear someone say in a distance, but I'm too far gone to care.

"Someone hand me that sedative!" I hear someone yell faintly, and suddenly everything starts to fade to white.

"There." Someone says far away as I drift into nothingness.