Everyone sat silently in the Curtis living room as Darry mended Johnny in the back room, which once belonged to Mr and Mrs Curtis but was now occupied by the oldest living Curtis.
The door creaked open and instantly everyone was on their feet. Two-bit wrung his hands, Dally swore, Pony and Soda stood very close to one another both with their hands in their pockets with the same worried look, and Steve ran his hand through his hair while he waited for Darry to give them the news…some news any news.
Darry looked up slowly and creaked the door shut. His brow was furrowed; deep in thought. Awkwardly he padded out to the living room where his friends waited. His large muscled body shifting uncomfortably as he headed their way.
"Well?" Two-bit moaned impatiently.
In turn Darry ran a hand through his hair nervously. "He's…he's…" Darry paused, "he's going to recover physically. But he's pretty bad. I still think we should call the doctor."
"No," Dally growled. All eyes went to him, and now in the spot light, Dally hesitated and grew angrier with each passing second of uncomfortable silence. "Johnny wouldn't be happy. He don't want the doctor to come."
Two-bit nodded, "Yeah, Johnny didn't want to see him."
"Can we see him?" Pony questioned barely above a whisper.
"Well," Darry thought on it. "Sure, you can see him."
"Is he awake?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," Darry said.
The entire gang headed for the hall, but Darry held up a hand. "He asked for Pony."
"Damn it," Dally swore.
"And you," Darry said to Dally. "Go on you two."
Dally stalked past the bunch, and headed behind a curious Ponyboy who was currently pondering what in the world he and Dally had in common that struck Johnny so much to ask for them both. By the time they'd gotten to the door Pony decided they were nothing alike and Johnny was just out of his element in this weakened state.
"Well go on," Dally pushed Pony; who hadn't realized he'd been standing in the doorway unmoving for some time.
Pony pushed the door open and in Darry's bed Johnny lie very still. "Hey y'all." He smiled, though it was obvious to the pair that he was forcing the fake grin that now occupied his face.
"Hey Johnny," Pony said. "How ya feelin'?" The question came out, though Pony knew the answer and didn't know what better to ask. Pony shifted uneasily, Johnny's face was half covered with white gauze and though it was fresh blood was already starting to redden through the new cloth.
"Tired, I'm real tired," Johnny's words were forced, but Pony and Dally could feel the spirit in them; however something was wrong, something in Johnny's eyes like neither of them had seen before from innocent, quiet Johnny…he was scared, real scared. Pony watched Johnny sit up with little effort, as if he had no pain; Pony knew that was a falsity as well, Johnny had to be in pain lots of it. Dally was proud of Johnny's strength, it was obvious through his eyes though he'd never admit it; but Dally's heart was on his sleeve at that moment.
"We'll get 'em Johnny, we'll get 'em," Dally assured.
Johnny tried to smile but his face hurt too much for it to come out right. "Thanks man," he said quietly. Dally was pacing back and forth in the little room, and Johnny could almost see him going up to attack the Socs. Hit first ask questions later as usual…then a stab of fear shot through him. What if there were too many Socs? What if Dally got hurt…what if they did to him what they said they'd do…
"Yeah, don't worry Johnny, the gang'll get even with 'em," Ponyboy added.
"No!" Both boys stared at Johnny. "Don't, Ponyboy you'll get hurt. Don't get hurt. Don't you fight Ponyboy!" Johnny lay back down on the pillow, trembling. He hadn't even realised he'd sat up. Dally could take care of himself, he wouldn't let the Socs hurt him that bad. But Ponyboy was…more delicate. Johnny wasn't going to ever let him get hurt.
"Hey, take it easy Johnnycake," Dally said softly, soothingly. Ponyboy stared at him, surprise written all over his features. First Johnny's outburst, completely out of character for him and now Dally was talking nice. The gang was just full of surprises.
"Don't worry, Darry wouldn't let Pony near anything that he couldn't handle," Dally was saying. "Most likely Darry'll be watching out for him, or Soda will, or someone. Jeez, Johnny, if it bugs you that much, I'll just go with Darry or something-"
"No," Johnny said weakly. "Not you either. Or Darry."
Dally shook his head. "We gotta get even man. Look what they did to ya."
Johnny tried to shrug. "I'm alright." He gave Dally a tough look. "I ain't that bad off."
"Sure you are," Ponyboy said quietly. "You'll be fine in a few days. But the gang's gonna get even Johnny. We all care 'bout you too much to let it go."
"They'll hurt you," Johnny said. "You don't know…what they said…"
"DALLAS! Ponyboy, y'all DONE yet?! We wanna see him too-" There was a muffled thump and a chorus of whispered "Shut up Two-Bit"s. Dally laughed, breaking the mood.
"Got no goddamned patience," he growled, reaching for a cigarette.
"Neither do you," Ponyboy muttered, then said loudly. "And Darry's gonna kill you if you smoke it here."
"Fuck!" Was Dally's response as he replaced the cigarette in the pack. Pony snickered in spite of himself, he knew Dally didn't want to tangle with Darry…as much as Darry didn't want to tangle with Dally.
"Y'all don't," Johnny's face had become pale stricken and fearful, as that of a wounded animal.
"The other guys wanna see ya," Dally said sharply spinning on his heels abruptly, he would not promise Johnny something he couldn't uphold. Dally had every intention on beating those Socs heads in, as soon as he could get his hands oh them. Dally had to push the door open because of the guys leaning on it. "Goddamn it, MOVE!"
They scattered quickly at Dally's words and parted letting him pass and head out, slamming the screen door as he took his cigarette on the porch.
The other guys gathered around Johnny. "Geez, Two-bit," Johnny grinned, "you really do look funny without your sideburns."
Two-bit scratched his soft, hairless cheek and muttered something about still owing Sodapop a good whipping. Pony didn't stay when they all got started on some idle conversation. He was still half sick from seeing Johnny all beaten and the blood that was still leaking from his wounded friend. He walked out into the living room where Darry was still standing aimlessly.
"I'm goin' for a walk," Pony said.
"All right Pon, be back before dark," Darry said.
The door creaked open and instantly everyone was on their feet. Two-bit wrung his hands, Dally swore, Pony and Soda stood very close to one another both with their hands in their pockets with the same worried look, and Steve ran his hand through his hair while he waited for Darry to give them the news…some news any news.
Darry looked up slowly and creaked the door shut. His brow was furrowed; deep in thought. Awkwardly he padded out to the living room where his friends waited. His large muscled body shifting uncomfortably as he headed their way.
"Well?" Two-bit moaned impatiently.
In turn Darry ran a hand through his hair nervously. "He's…he's…" Darry paused, "he's going to recover physically. But he's pretty bad. I still think we should call the doctor."
"No," Dally growled. All eyes went to him, and now in the spot light, Dally hesitated and grew angrier with each passing second of uncomfortable silence. "Johnny wouldn't be happy. He don't want the doctor to come."
Two-bit nodded, "Yeah, Johnny didn't want to see him."
"Can we see him?" Pony questioned barely above a whisper.
"Well," Darry thought on it. "Sure, you can see him."
"Is he awake?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," Darry said.
The entire gang headed for the hall, but Darry held up a hand. "He asked for Pony."
"Damn it," Dally swore.
"And you," Darry said to Dally. "Go on you two."
Dally stalked past the bunch, and headed behind a curious Ponyboy who was currently pondering what in the world he and Dally had in common that struck Johnny so much to ask for them both. By the time they'd gotten to the door Pony decided they were nothing alike and Johnny was just out of his element in this weakened state.
"Well go on," Dally pushed Pony; who hadn't realized he'd been standing in the doorway unmoving for some time.
Pony pushed the door open and in Darry's bed Johnny lie very still. "Hey y'all." He smiled, though it was obvious to the pair that he was forcing the fake grin that now occupied his face.
"Hey Johnny," Pony said. "How ya feelin'?" The question came out, though Pony knew the answer and didn't know what better to ask. Pony shifted uneasily, Johnny's face was half covered with white gauze and though it was fresh blood was already starting to redden through the new cloth.
"Tired, I'm real tired," Johnny's words were forced, but Pony and Dally could feel the spirit in them; however something was wrong, something in Johnny's eyes like neither of them had seen before from innocent, quiet Johnny…he was scared, real scared. Pony watched Johnny sit up with little effort, as if he had no pain; Pony knew that was a falsity as well, Johnny had to be in pain lots of it. Dally was proud of Johnny's strength, it was obvious through his eyes though he'd never admit it; but Dally's heart was on his sleeve at that moment.
"We'll get 'em Johnny, we'll get 'em," Dally assured.
Johnny tried to smile but his face hurt too much for it to come out right. "Thanks man," he said quietly. Dally was pacing back and forth in the little room, and Johnny could almost see him going up to attack the Socs. Hit first ask questions later as usual…then a stab of fear shot through him. What if there were too many Socs? What if Dally got hurt…what if they did to him what they said they'd do…
"Yeah, don't worry Johnny, the gang'll get even with 'em," Ponyboy added.
"No!" Both boys stared at Johnny. "Don't, Ponyboy you'll get hurt. Don't get hurt. Don't you fight Ponyboy!" Johnny lay back down on the pillow, trembling. He hadn't even realised he'd sat up. Dally could take care of himself, he wouldn't let the Socs hurt him that bad. But Ponyboy was…more delicate. Johnny wasn't going to ever let him get hurt.
"Hey, take it easy Johnnycake," Dally said softly, soothingly. Ponyboy stared at him, surprise written all over his features. First Johnny's outburst, completely out of character for him and now Dally was talking nice. The gang was just full of surprises.
"Don't worry, Darry wouldn't let Pony near anything that he couldn't handle," Dally was saying. "Most likely Darry'll be watching out for him, or Soda will, or someone. Jeez, Johnny, if it bugs you that much, I'll just go with Darry or something-"
"No," Johnny said weakly. "Not you either. Or Darry."
Dally shook his head. "We gotta get even man. Look what they did to ya."
Johnny tried to shrug. "I'm alright." He gave Dally a tough look. "I ain't that bad off."
"Sure you are," Ponyboy said quietly. "You'll be fine in a few days. But the gang's gonna get even Johnny. We all care 'bout you too much to let it go."
"They'll hurt you," Johnny said. "You don't know…what they said…"
"DALLAS! Ponyboy, y'all DONE yet?! We wanna see him too-" There was a muffled thump and a chorus of whispered "Shut up Two-Bit"s. Dally laughed, breaking the mood.
"Got no goddamned patience," he growled, reaching for a cigarette.
"Neither do you," Ponyboy muttered, then said loudly. "And Darry's gonna kill you if you smoke it here."
"Fuck!" Was Dally's response as he replaced the cigarette in the pack. Pony snickered in spite of himself, he knew Dally didn't want to tangle with Darry…as much as Darry didn't want to tangle with Dally.
"Y'all don't," Johnny's face had become pale stricken and fearful, as that of a wounded animal.
"The other guys wanna see ya," Dally said sharply spinning on his heels abruptly, he would not promise Johnny something he couldn't uphold. Dally had every intention on beating those Socs heads in, as soon as he could get his hands oh them. Dally had to push the door open because of the guys leaning on it. "Goddamn it, MOVE!"
They scattered quickly at Dally's words and parted letting him pass and head out, slamming the screen door as he took his cigarette on the porch.
The other guys gathered around Johnny. "Geez, Two-bit," Johnny grinned, "you really do look funny without your sideburns."
Two-bit scratched his soft, hairless cheek and muttered something about still owing Sodapop a good whipping. Pony didn't stay when they all got started on some idle conversation. He was still half sick from seeing Johnny all beaten and the blood that was still leaking from his wounded friend. He walked out into the living room where Darry was still standing aimlessly.
"I'm goin' for a walk," Pony said.
"All right Pon, be back before dark," Darry said.