FOREVER CHANGED

CHAPTER 11

IN-DEPENDENCE DAY

All their hard work paid off, after three weeks, the renovations on the inside of the house, were done. The new second floor consisted of two nice sized bedrooms that shared a full bathroom. The downstairs changed a great deal too; to make room for the new staircase, the boys decided to give up the dinning room, a room that hadn't been used since their parents died, over a year ago. The rest of the former dining room was used to expand the kitchen and bathroom.

Pony looked around, it felt weird to him, like he was standing in someone else's house. The walls were patched and freshly painted, new carpeting was laid; luckily, the boys were able to salvage enough of a nice tan color to go throughout the living room and up the stairs. Their old furniture and appliances looked somehow out of place in the 'new' rooms.

He walked into the old bedroom that he and Soda used to share, it was empty now, and smelled strongly of disinfectant. This was to be Johnny's room, now. Ponyboy smiled as he remembered all the nights he shared this room with Johnny; Soda would walk over to the lot, and without a word, put his arm around Johnny and brought him back to their house for the night. Soda never complained, he graciously took the couch, so Johnny could get a good nights sleep in a nice warm bed.

Pony peeked into Darry's room, it was the only room that was the same as before.….just cleaner. He then jogged up the stairs, something he was still getting used to, and laid across his bed.

"Hey Pony, whatcha thinkin' about?", Soda asked from the doorway.

"It's funny isn't it, Mom and Dad always wanted to make this place bigger for us, now they're gone and their wish comes true", he stated, almost sadly.

Soda nodded, then laid the opposite way, across Pony's bed. "Mom also had another wish, remember?", he asked. Pony smiled. "She always tried to get Johnny to come stay with us so he wouldn't get beat no more.…and now he's gonna be livin' with us".

Darry stomped halfway up the stairs. "Are you two gonna come down and help me", he hollered. They had forgot they left Darry, painting the outside of the house, all by himself.

"Comin' Darry", Soda called, jumping to his feet. Pony rose from his bed and followed his brother out. . "Thanks Mom", he whispered, as he passed a picture of his mother hanging on the wall in the hallway.

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Ponyboy walked into Johnny's room, pleasantly surprised by what he saw. "Well look at you", Pony exclaimed. Johnny was laying in a regular hospital bed, still flat, but with his head resting on a skinny pillow. He was still bandaged up to his chin and a stiff back brace covered his entire torso, but he looked so much more comfortable.

"Hey Pone……how's it goin'?", Johnny greeted, raising his bandaged right hand a few centimeters off of the pillow it was laying on. Pony's smile widened as he rushed over to Johnny's side, that was the most movement anyone had seen him make in almost four months.

Pony noticed that Johnny was also free of the iv wires and oxygen tubes. "No more oxygen?", Pony asked. With the way Johnny was struggling to breathe, he was surprised the doctor had removed the nasal mask.

Johnny tried to nod, then cringed in pain when he remembered he couldn't. The burns to his neck made it almost impossible for him to move his head, contracture scar tissue developed when the burned skin, muscles and tendons, healed. This was also the case with the burns on his forearms and hands, the burn specialist was hopeful that physical therapy would improve mobility, if not, Johnny would have to endure more painful surgeries.

"They're seein'.…. how long I can go without it…..'s only been 'bout an hour", he explained in short gasps.

Pony nodded sadly. "The house is all done...it looks so different, you're hardly gonna recognize it when you come home", Pony chuckled. "That sounds funny, callin' my house home, huh"?

Johnny smiled. "When'd the doctor say you can leave?", Ponyboy asked.

"Day after...tomorrow, if all...goes well", Johnny whispered, he was getting tired.

Just as Johnny's eyes began to droop, Maggie walked in to re-insert the oxygen tube.

"Few more...minutes Mag-gie", Johnny pleaded.

"Can't do that Johnny, your oxygen levels are getting too low. You did great though, ten minutes more than yesterday", she encouraged. "Hey Ponyboy", Maggie greeted over her shoulder. Pony waived.

Maggie brushed Johnny's cheek with her hand and smiled as she replaced the oxygen. Ponyboy noticed his breathing even out after a few minutes, and he knew Johnny was asleep.

Maggie's breathing, however, had become fast and ragged. "Maggie, what it is? What's wrong?", he asked, concernedly.

Maggie shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I off the next four days, for the holiday, so I wont be here when...I want you to have this, it's the phone number to my parents house, I still live with them", she stated, writing on a notepad from her pocket. "If you or Johnny ever need anything, don't be afraid to call...and I want updates, I want to know how he's doing. Okay"?

Maggie handed Pony the folded piece of paper and gave him a big hug. "You take care of that sweet Johnny Cade, you here me? He's a very special boy", she sniffled and nodded in Johnny's direction.

Ponyboy nodded in agreement. Maggie smiled through her tears and hurried out of the room.

"She's nice ain't she?", Johnny whispered from his bed.

Pony laughed out loud, "I thought you were sleepin'".

"I was, but then she...said my name...", he sleepily replied.

"Looks like she's really gonna miss you." Johnny cracked his eye open and looked at Ponyboy.

"Yeah...I'm sure gonna...miss her too", Johnny added, before falling back to sleep.

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"What the hell did you do Darry, buy the entire drug store?", Two-bit chuckled from his place on the couch.

"Well there's twenty more boxes and a couple of other things still in my truck. So, get off your lazy ass and start helpin'", Darry scolded as he lugged the heavy box into Johnny's room.

Ponyboy and Steve heard Darry's voice and came out from the kitchen, to see if they could help.

"Steve, go help Soda and Two-bit...Pony come in here and help me", Darry ordered, putting the box he was carrying, on the bed.

"Hospital call?", Darry asked, pulling medication from the box.

"Naw, not yet", Pony answered, watching as bottle after bottle filled the dresser top. All the medication's were liquids, because trying to swallow dozens of pills each day, would irritate Johnny's scarred throat. Then Darry started to pull out huge jars of creams and ointments. Finally he unpacked some weird looking cylinders of medication.

"Where's this go?", Steve asked, carrying in a strange looking machine. "Next to the bed Steve, on the nightstand.", Darry answered, barely looking up from his sorting.

"How 'bout these?", Two-bit asked as he and Soda carried in two large oxygen tanks. "Put one by the bed and the other in a cool, shady corner", Darry replied.

"I put some of my old clothes in the drawers, for Johnny to wear", Pony said, helping Steve bring in boxes filled with bandages.

Darry smiled. "That's nice of you Pony, but it'll be a while before Johnny can wear regular clothes, that's why I bought a bunch of these", Darry replied, and held up a package of men's size small pajamas. "I need ya to go and wash them."

"They look so small", Pony exclaimed, opening a package.

Darry frowned and shook his head, "Johnny's barely a hundred pound soakin' wet, now. These'll probably be too big on him".

Steve, Soda and Two-bit kept coming in and out with boxed full of bandages.

"Darry, I think you over did it on the bandages", Ponyboy chuckled.

Darry glanced over at Pony, seriously. "Johnny needs his burns cleaned and bandaged twice a day. Druggist said this might only last a week or so". Pony hung his head low.

"Hey Darry...", Soda called from the doorway. Darry looked at Pony and then back at Soda, he nodded. "Put in in the closet for now...keep it outta the way", he said in a rather shakey voice.

Soda gave Ponyboy a sympathetic look as he passed him and pushed the metal wheelchair into the closet.

Hot tears sprung to Ponyboy's eyes. With all the emphasis on Johnny's burns, Pony forgot his best fried would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Ponyboy was dangerously close to crying, when the telephone rang. "Darry it's for you", Two-bit called from the hall.

Soda and Pony closely followed their brother. "Yes, thank you. No, I understand. That'll be fine. Okay, bye", he conversed with whomever was on the other line.

Hehung up and looked at his friends wide eyes. "That was the hospital, there was some problem with the paperwork...Johnny won't be released 'til tomorrow", he stated somberly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I see a pattern forming; long chapter, short chapter, long chapter...you get the picture. Many, many hugs and thank you's to; WhoaaReally53, iheartponyboy33, wopo12(welcome to my story), Blondie 24-7, and Maddiecake, for the reviews. Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating! Thanks again.