Chapter 7

My knees buckled, my heart sank to my feet, and my vision went blurry. I had to clasp my hand to the counter to not fall.

"Is he okay?" I asked quickly.

"I don't know, Two-Bit told us to get to the hospital quickly."

"Dar? What's going on?" Soda asked, walking into the kitchen with Pony hobbling in next to him. In the light I could clearly see his lip was cut and his arm was bloody despite his arm wrapped tightly.

"Dally's in the hospital." He said.

The two boys rushed to get their stuff not even caring to ask questions. I shut off the stove and took the pasta out of the pot and into a random bowl not even caring if I made a mess with the water. Then, I dashed out to grab my shoes. We all piled into the truck, even though it was for three I managed to sit in between Pony and Soda. Thank goodness for me being too small for my age. As we drove to the hospital I remembered something scary.

Ponyboy predicted this.

I quickly glanced over at him and his face was pale and he looked deathly sick. This can't be happening again. He can't go through this again. We all can't go through this again. Dally meant too much to all of us. Me especially, even though no one knew.

We ran into the hospital so fast. Two-Bit was already there with Steve.

"What happened?" Darry asked.

"Dal got hit by a train." Two-Bit explained, all joy and happiness gone from his face.

My mind blanked. Train? The only train tracks around here was on the way to the warehouse. He must of gotten hit going back for Buck's car.

"Oh my god." I whispered, knees buckling and I fell into Soda's arms.

"Bethany, what's wrong?" Soda asked.

"It's all my fault." I couldn't process anything.

Nothing was right. Ponyboy was hurt, Two-Bit looked upset and not happy, Soda was scared not joyful, Steve didn't have a glare on his face like normal, Darry was even more worried than usual, and Dally was in a little hospital room possibly dying and it was all my fault.

It was all my fault.

"What's your fault? Beth?" Soda tried to coax me into talking. He led me to one of the hard white plastic chairs to sit in.

When I didn't answer Steve decided to talk.

"I guess two guys found him lying a little off the railroad tracks by your house when they were hunting. No doubt hit from a train."

"Why was he back there?" Darry asked.

Two-Bit and Steve remained silent, they didn't know. No one knew. I was the only one who did.

"Is there a family of Dallas Winston here?" A doctor came into the waiting room questioning with a clipboard.

Darry walked up to him. They seemed to argue for a minute then the doctor started talking. Darry nodded and walked back over.

"He just got out of surgery. He has deep cuts and many broken bones. Other than that he seems fine. They think he tried to jump right before he was hit, leading to minor injuries." Darry explained.

"Why was he there?" Soda asked.

"They think it might have been an attempt at suicide, but he regretted it at the last second and tried to jump out of the way." Darry said.

No. They had it all wrong. Dally wouldn't try to kill himself again. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to explain, but my whole body shut down.

"Can we see him? Pony spoke for the first time since arriving.

"He's in ICU right now, we can't go in his room, but we can see him from a window the doc said."

We all got up and followed a nurse to the ICU wing. I was leaning against Soda and Two-Bit the whole time. We approached the window and I slowly rose my head to look in. All of the boys gasped and I soon followed.

Dally looked dead. He had tubes and machines hooked up to every part of his body. His body was completely cut up with deep gashes and his skin was a sickly green color. The only thing proving he was alive was the tube down his throat helping him breath and the heart monitor still showing up and down movement of his heart beat.

Tears filled my eyes and the only reason they didn't fall was because I couldn't bear crying for Dallas. He would hate the pity. He would hate me showing weakness for him. So I didn't. I didn't cry for Dallas. I didn't cry for my boyfriend.

"It's my fault." I said again, without realizing it.

"What was your fault Beth?" Darry asked again.

Everyone turned away from Dally's window and watched me, waiting for me to speak.

"He was going to get Buck's car from the warehouse after he walked me home. Oh my god if I just walked home by myself he never would have had to go back! It's all my fault." I then started crying. I hated crying because Dallas wanted me to be strong, but I couldn't anymore. My boyfriend might die because I was afraid of a few Socs! I'm such a terrible person.

So there we were. A group of six tough members of a gang in the hallway of a hospital. One crying, and the others about to.

"Would you like to go somewhere private?" A nurse walking by asked.

"Yes thank you." Darry said.

Once we were alone in a small room I spilled. I said how Dally and I have been dating. How we went to the warehouse to be alone because we didn't want to tell everyone because I was afraid of how everyone would respond. How it's been a month. How the warehouse was our spot to be together without worrying about the rest of the gang. How, no, we didn't do anything bad, thanks to Darry carefully, yet eagerly asking. And how I wanted him to walk me home today so he must of gotten hit after he went back for Buck's car.

Once I was done I couldn't breath. I was crying and watched as the boys reacted. I always imagined being at the house when this happened and I expected Dally being right beside me, not lying in a hospital bed a few feet away, unconscious.

Everyone seemed supportive. Steve, Two-Bit, and Pony seemed to not really mind and just nodded. Soda and Darry were alright, but definitely had their suspicions I could tell. Either way no one said anything.

"We're happy for you and Dal, Beth." Pony decided to speak up since no one else seemed to be able to.

I gave him a small smile through my slowly drying tears.

"It's not your fault Beth." Soda assured me. I nodded even though I didn't believe him.

After a few more seconds of silence I got up and pushed to the door. I told the truth so I wasn't going to waste my time in a small room when I could go see Dally. I walked up to his window and just stared at him. He looked so young and helpless. He looked younger than Ponyboy lying in that hospital bed. It made me sick, but I vowed to be strong from now on. I felt the gang come up behind me and saw them in the glass reflection. We didn't say anything, just stared at our Dally.

Our Dally. Our tough no good Dally. Our juvenile delinquent we all grew up with. Our hardened by life eyed Dally since he was ten. Our Dally who always had a soft spot for the ones he cared about. Our Dally who would do anything for someone he loved. Our fellow gang member. Our friend. And most importantly,

My boyfriend.

It was almost peaceful for a second. We all knew Dally could survive a few cuts and broken bones. We were worried, but knew everyone would turn out okay.

And then we heard the beeps.

At first I didn't know where it was coming from. Until I noticed it was coming from Dally's room. All his million of machines he was connected to started ferociously beeping and flashing. His body started thrashing around and blood was coming through the tube in his mouth. I screamed.

Before I knew it nurses were rushing in and Dally was being yanked out of the machines and connected into movable ones. He was being rolled out of his room and down the bright white walled hospital halls.

I watched in horror as Dally was being pulled away from me and down an unknown hall out of my sight. I stood hopelessly as he went from bad but okay to bad then worse then terrible. I cried once again even though I vowed not too. Then, I started screaming and wouldn't stop because Dally was dying and even though no one blamed me.

I blamed me.

And that was all that mattered.