Okay,I'm having a blast writting this story. You people are so worried about Angel's health. I'm touched. Really,I am. I've got writter's block on another of my stories,and it's starting to suck. But my other story is a smash hit. Someone even put it on their Favorite Stories list! Wow,I'm surprised that people like my stuff. Can someone tell me how to add stories to my favorite stories list? Please? Well,here's chapter 19! Enjoy.
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(Angel's POV)
The world was dark. Vaguely, I heard people talking now and then. I was fighting to come back to reality. I felt so weak. What had happened? All that I remembered was the machines beeping and then there was darkness. I wanted to cry out for someone to save me. I wanted Johnny. I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to look into Dally's eyes again. I wanted to see Joe and Jade and the others. I needed to know weither I was dead or not.
Where was everyone? Why couldn't I open my eyes? Why couldn't I move at all? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME? These questions kept running through my mind. I was scared to death and I hated it.
How long all of this went on, I didn't know. Then, I finally had enough strength to open my eyes. I looked around slowly. That simple action cost me percious energy. I was in the hospital. A new wave of fear rushed over me. How long had I been here? Then my eyes landed on someone sitting in a chair beside my bed with their head resting by my hip. I couldn't see exactly straight and the colors were distorted. I couldn't focus either. So, naturally, I wasn't sure who it was. It wasn't Jade, unless she had cut her hair short, so it had to be one of the guys. I tried to move my hand to touch their elbow. I was so weak. Even those few centimeters that I had to move to touch them used up my energy. The person stirred and looked around. Though their face was turned towards me, I still couldn't reconize them. They hugged me and I breathed in their aftershave. I had smelled it too many times not to know who it was. Johnny.......
"Angel," he said,squeezing me a little too tight. "You're awake. Don't try to talk. I shouldn't even be in here, talking to you. They don't want you getting all juiced up and passing out again."
I tried to smile at him, but couldn't. My poor Johnny. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days and there were little circles under his eyes.
"Rest," he said. "You need your sleep. I'll be here as often as I can. Just sleep now."
I let my eyelids close and drifted off again. I was glad that I wasn't dead. But there was something wrong. There was something that Johnny wasn't telling me. I felt it in my bones.
(Johnny's POV)
I watched Angel fall asleep again. She looked so sad,lying there like that. The doctors weren't telling us what was wrong with her. But they had said something when I was in here,half asleep. But I couldn't tell Angel. I knew how much that talent meant to her. Joe had told me about it, that it was the only thing that Angel really had while they were in New York. If I told her,it would crush her and she would surely die. But maybe that wouldn't happen. Maybe the doctors were wrong. Angel could do amazing things, I knew she could. She would prove them wrong.
(End of POV)

The next time Angel woke up, she was strong enough to talk. Dally was there this time. He was staring out the window when she opened her eyes. She smiled.
"Dally," she whispered. He jerked around and stared at her. Then he rushed to her side and grabbed her hand.
"Angel," he breathed,tears running down his face silently. He looked like he didn't know quite how to cry. She brushed one away gently with her forefinger.
"How ya doin'," she asked.
"I'm fine,kitten. Just fine. How are you feelin'?"
"I feel like crap," she answered truthfully. "But things could be worse. What happened yesterday?"
"Yesterday," he repeated in confusion. "You were asleep for about three months before you woke up and saw Johnny. That was a week ago now."
"Three months?!"
"Yeah, guess I should call ya Sleeping Beauty instead of kitten,huh," he asked.
"Don't you dare," she said good naturedly.
"I won't," he assured.
"Now," she said seriously,"tell me what happened to me."
"No one's exactly sure about that. The docs figure that your body had some kinda reaction to the tranqulizer and you went into shock. By the way, thanks for your help."
"It's no trouble. Anytime you need some more,just ask. There's something else wrong. Tell me," she pleaded.
"I shouldn't--," Dally started to say as the others came in, followed by a doctor. They all hugged her gently, as if they were afraid of hurting her.
"Would you like to sit up," the doctor asked. "You're strong enough now if you want to sit up."
"Yes,please," she said. The doctor sat the bed up to where she was in a sitting postion. She felt dizzy at first but then she got over it. She noticed the I.V. was still in her hand, but she was breathing on her own now, unlike when Johnny had visited.
"Now, Ms.Marquin, you're a dancer,are you not," the doctor asked.
"Yes," Angel said,proud that they had noticed.
"And I'm sure that you want to know what happened." Angel nodded. The doctor continued. "Well,the tranqulizers that were injected into your body were rejected and accepted at the same time. Your body became confused and shut down from both that and over-whelming emotions. Something went wrong, and your legs won't function for a while. Maybe never. I'm sorry,Ms.Marquin."
"What are you saying," Angel said,not quite getting this. It didn't even feel like this was happening to her.
"You might never dance again. You may walk, but dancing isn't looking good," the doctor said grimly.
Everyone looked at Angel. Tears ran down her face. She couldn't believe this. She prided herself on dancing. It was her life. She'd spent so much time perfecting it that it seemed impossible that she would never dance again. And she may never walk again.... Why? She started to try to say something,but she passed out again.

The next time Angel woke up, she was all alone. She felt weak again. She was still in the hospital. She wanted out. Then she remembered what the doctor had said about her not dancing and maybe never walking again. Dally and Two-Bit came in and smiled at her. She didn't return the gesture.
"Hey,kitten," Dally said. "You gave us a scare there. How are you? Can you talk?"
"Barely," she said. She couldn't say more than one word at a time.
"Well,how's life treating you," Two-Bit said cheerfully.
"Bad," she said.
"Poor kitten," Dally said. Great,now she had their pity. She didn't want it. She hated pity.
"Home," she asked hopefully.
"They aren't sure when you can leave," Dally said, rubbing the back of his head. Angel could see the stubble of colorless beard on his chin. He needed a shave and some sleep.
"Please," she begged.
"I'll see what I can do," Dally said. "Now,you sleep. You're as pale as a sheet."
"No," she stated firmly.
"Suit yourself," Two-Bit said.
"Johnny," Angel asked.
"He's fine. That kid is gonna worry himself grey over you," Two-Bit said.
"Dancing," she asked hopefully. They both looked away. So,she really wouldn't dance again. Well, she thought, I'll prove them wrong.
"Home," she asked again.
"We already told you about that," Dally said.
"Home," Angel said firmly.
"There's nothing I can do about it," Dally said.
"Home.Now," Angel managed. Dally sighed and walked out of the door. Two-Bit smiled.
"What," she asked.
"You," he said, chuckling lightly. "You've got that guy wrapped around your little finger."
"No," Angel said.
"Yeah," Two-Bit said. "You do. Weither you know it or not. He'd jump off a cliff if you asked him. You should have seen him when he heard about what you did, just to help him. He said all sorts of stuff. Mostly how dumb you were to save him. He said that you shouldn't have been that stupid. And he cussed up a storm. When he saw you lying in that bed,he came as close to crying as I've ever seen him. He couldn't get along without you or Johnny. I swear I don't think he could. Him and Johnny almost went to pieces. Jade has been in a fit. She almost got hauled in for pulling a heater on a doc."
"What," Angel asked,her eyes widening.
"It wasn't loaded. She was just carrying it to use for a bluff. The socs are jumping us right and left. They almost beat the tar outta me and Jade. Can't walk no where's by yourself anymore. They're miffed about something.
"My fault," Angel said.
"Naw," Two-Bit drawled. "It's not your fault. It's the soc that stabbed Dally that started this. It's all his fault."
"Charles," Angel whispered.
"What," Two-Bit asked.
"Charles," Angel repeated louder. "Charles McPhearson."
"Glory,are you serious?"
"Positive. Saw it." Angel remember that like it was yesterday. She was so mixed up. She didn't even know what day it was.
Dally came back into the room with some nurses and a doctor. One of them was pushing a wheelchair. The doctor handed her some clothes. She didn't reconize them.
"Clothes," she asked.
"My sweatshirt and a pair of Johnny's pants. Johnny was the littlest one of us," Dally explained.
"My clothes," she asked.
"The doc said not to let you wear those jeans. Say's they're too tight for your legs. Not good for them," Two-Bit said.
"Bra," she asked,embarrassed. Why did she have to ask?
"Don't got one," Dally said,blushing slightly.
"Jade," Angel said. Her throat was starting to hurt from all of this talking. She would have to work on talking later. Her voice was starting to sound hoarse from lack of use.
"I'll be back," Dally said.
True to his word,Dally returned with one of Jade's bras in his pocket. He looked embarrassed to be carrying the rose pink thing around. He handed it to her quickly.
"This isn't anything you haven't seen before," she said,finally managing a whole sentence. Two-Bit and Dally laughed. She decided not to try that again for awhile. Single words were enough of a strain without having to add whole sentences on top.
The doctor pulled back her drapes. She was having trouble. She got the bra on fine, but she was too weak to manage much more. She asked the nurse for help.
"Belt," she asked Dally. He pulled one out of his pocket. He had to put it on for her. It was too big, so Two-Bit pulled out his switchblade and made a new hole. Angel had gotten skinnier. Her arms and legs looked so small. She tried to stand up, but quickly fell over. Luckily, Two-Bit and Dally caught her. So,she couldn't walk, much less stand? Angel's spirit broke then and there.
They sat her in the wheelchair and she didn't say a word. Dally pushed her down the hallway and into a waiting room. The rest of the gang was there. They looked happy to see her. Angel smiled weakly, still saying nothing. They took her back to the Curtis house and sat her in an armchair at first. She wasn't hungry and took none of anything they offered her.
"The doc says that when you can put a whole sentence together with ease that you can start rehabilitation to walk again," Dally told her. Angel's eyes widened. She would be walking again! She smiled at him. She simply couldn't wait.

It took another month for Angel to regain enough strength to talk again. She had spent most of her time awake, burning energy, because she was suffering from depravation from coffee. She hadn't had any for about five months. Darry said that she probally should drink any because it would wreck her nerves now. But Johnny, Dally, Soda, Two-Bit and Jade started giving her some now and then, when Darry wasn't around or not looking. She finally had enough energy to talk up a storm. And she let everyone know right off the bat.
It all happened one night while everyone was sitting around the Curtis house. Soda and Steve were playing poker, Jade was arm-wrestling with Two-Bit, Ponyboy and Johnny were watching television, Joe was asleep, Darry was reading the paper, and Angel was simply sitting in her wheelchair,reading "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Alan Poe. She was really getting into the book and forgot about everyone around her. That is, until someone let out a whoop of laughter. Angel screamed and threw the book in the air. Everyone looked at her.
"Don't do that," she screamed at Soda and Steve. She leaned down and grabbed the book.
"She said a whole sentence," said Soda.
"Yes,I said a whole sentence,Soda. What did ya think I did? Squwak? And another thing,don't do that when I'm reading. It scares me something awful. And speaking of reading, I'd like to know where all of my books keep dissaperaing to. I'd like to read them, but when I do,they're never there. And you," she said,pointing at Darry,"since you're the only person who knows how to drive around here, I need you to take me to the doctor's tomorrow. I'm taking him up on that deal. I'm gonna be rid of this wheelchair if it's the last thing I do!"
"Why don't ya keep it," Two-Bit joked. "You look good in it."
"You keep mouthin off like that,and you'll be the one needin' it, Keith Mathews," Angel called over her shoulder while she rolled towards the kitchen for some water.
"She's definatly ready to walk if she's dishing out insults like that," Dally said.
"I heard that," Angel called from the kitchen. Everyone laughed.

The next few weeks, Angel was slowly being taught to walk again. She thought that this was a stupid idea because a seventeen-year-old girl like her doesn't just forget how to walk. But she'd been strubbon and tried to walk on her own,refusing help, and had fell. The nurses came to help her, but she refused. She didn't need their help. They got Johnny to help her, since he was the only one Angel would let near her during her lessons.
"You're doing great,honey," he congradulated as she finally took a step without falling.
"Thanks,Johnnycake," she said. She then turned her attention back to walking. With enough practice,she'd be able to start ballet again. She'd have to start from scratch again, but it would be worth it to be able to dance again.
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Okay,I ran outta ideas for now. I'm getting close to finishing this story. ::starts to cry:: But never fear. My friend will be writting a sequel to my story. It will be Jade centered. But the whole gang will hopefully be in on it. She's writting it now, and I'm loving it. It's great and I hope she'll have some more chapters done so I can read. Well,Later Days, Loyal Readers!