Chapter 4

"We won!"

Dally came tumbling through the door to the hospital room, making Pony, who had stayed there during the rumble, and Johnny jump. "We beat those Socs!"

"No need scaring the kid, Dally," Darry said as he followed him into the room. The rest of the gang followed, spirits high.

Pony got up from his seat and walked over to Darry, who looked awful. His hand was bleeding and he had a few cuts and bruises on his face. Nonetheless, he seemed in a good mood.

"Did... did you guys really beat 'em?" Pony asked and smiled as Darry nodded.

"How are ya, kid?" Dally asked and sat down next to Johnny on the bed. Dally had a large bruise on the side of his head and a cut on his lip. The blood was running in a fine line down his chin.

"I-I'm fine, Dal," Johnny responded and smiled, gazing into the air.

"Hey, Johnnycake." Two-Bit dropped down into a chair and swung his legs up onto the small table in front of it. "When you get outta here, can I take you to the park?" he asked. "I might be able to pick up a few broads if I bring a blind kid along. I'll seem all caring and stuff," he laughed, clearly pleased with himself for his ability to make jokes out of serious situations.

Steve slapped Two-Bit upside the head as he went past him to sit down. "Two-Bit, you idiot."

"Ouch, Steve! Don't hit my head, man. I already took a few blows and if I get brain damage it's your fault," Two-Bit complained.

"Doesn't that require you having a brain, Two-Bit?" Soda snickered.

Johnny laughed for a brief moment but then his face turned back to its usual worried and sad expression.

Darry sighed and went over to sit on the other side of Johnny.

"Listen, kid," he started. "I talked to the doctor earlier. Before the rumble. He said you could come home in a few days." He put a hand gently on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'll talk to the police tomorrow and ask them if we can have you stay with us until the trial."

"The trial?" Pony asked.

Soda got up and nodded as he stepped close to Pony.

"Yeah they told me last night," Darry said and scratched his neck.

"Are they gonna split us up?" Pony looked worried as his eyes went from Darry to Soda and then to Johnny. "And what about Johnny? He didn't mean to do it! He - he wanted to save me! It was self-defense!"

He had picked up a newspaper earlier and had started to read the column the reporters had managed to put together. It had mostly been about the brothers and how they lived alone. He had put it down after that, not wanting to read the crap those reporters had to say. They didn't know any of them well enough to write anything.

"Pony, stop it already," Dally snapped and got up. "I ain't gonna sit here and listen to you talk about this shit! Johnny ain't going to jail and if they try I'll freaking kill 'em."

Pony felt bad for his outburst. He didn't mean to freak out like that.

Johnny's head dropped.

"We ain't gonna talk about this now," Darry said and got up as well. "I'm sure we can figure this out. This Cherry girl said she would testify, right?"

Dally nodded.

"Besides, they don't do shit to hero's," Steve laughed. "You guys will be alright."

"Wha-what about the Soc that was here last night?" Johnny stuttered.

"What about him?" Dallas said. "We beat each and every one of 'em, so you don't need to worry about that damn Soc, man."

Johnny sighed and shook his head. " He said he would get me no matter what." His voice was trembling.

Pony went over to him to sit down and put an arm around him.

"Man, that guy ain't gonna do nothing," Dally said, seeming very irritated by the whole conversation. "We beat all of 'em, so they're probably at home, crying."

"Nonetheless," Darry said, "we're still taking turns staying here until you get home." His eyes landed on Pony. "And you're going home tonight, kiddo."

Pony leapt up from the bed, startling Johnny.

"I wanna stay here, Darry!" he almost yelled.

Darry just shook his head. "I think it's time for you to get back to school."

As Pony was about to start arguing, Dally cut in.

"I'll stay here tonight, man. No problem. You guys go do your stuff."

Darry nodded at him with a sign of relief in his eyes. "Alright, Dal. Let's go. All of ya," he said as he took a hold of Pony. "See you tomorrow, Johnny."

Pony struggled, but it was no use and he was dragged out of the room. The rest of the gang followed, each of them saying goodnight as they left.

OooOooOooO

This room's driving me crazy! Dally thought to himself as he sat down in a chair next to the hospital bed. He didn't like hospitals at all. It was to white and quiet for his taste. In some way he was glad Johnny couldn't see this room. It would probably have made him insane as well. As he sat there he started to think about the last week's events. How they had met the girls in the drive-in. How he had come on to that red head and how Johnny had told him to cool it. He smiled to himself. Johnny had stood up to him. That little kid had actually said stop for once in his life and it wasn't even for himself. It was for some broad he didn't even know. And later? Later that broad's boyfriend had attacked the two younger boys. If anyone asked Dally he would say it was their own damn fault. They started it and Johnny just protected his friend. But as always, everyone blamed the poor kids, not taking into consideration that maybe there was more to the story than just, "Hood killing rich kid."

"Are you okay, Dal?"

Dallas woke from his thoughts and looked over at Johnny.

"Huh? Yeah, man, why shouldn't I be?"

Johnny shrugged. "You were just breathing kinda heavily," he said in a low voice.

Dally got up from the chair and sat on the bed, close to Johnny.

"Sorry, man. I'm just a little worked up over the fight, that's all," he laughed.

They sat there for a few seconds in silence. Johnny was the one to break it.

"How bad did you get beat up?"

Dallas was caught a bit off guard for that one. Yeah, his face was cut up and bruised but if it was bad?

"Nah, kid. I didn't get hurt at all," he decided to tell him.

Johnny bit his lip, suddenly moving his arms out. His hands bumped into Dally's chest, surprising them both a little. The hands flattened out and moved up across Dally's chest, his shoulders, the side of his neck and finally reaching his face.

Why Dally hadn't brushed the hands away he was unsure of. Maybe it was because he had actually been a bit startled by Johnny's sudden interaction - that he just didn't know how to react.

Johnny's fingers ran over Dally's temples and down his jaw and his face turned sad. "I thought you said you weren't hurt."

"I ain't hurt," Dally responded, not really sure what the hell was going on.

Johnny's hands made their journey across Dally's face and stopped on each side.

"You have a cut on your lip," he started. "And your face seems swollen. Also…" He titled his head. "Do you have a fever? Your face is kinda hot."

Dally felt his face turn red and quickly took a hold of Johnny's hands, removing them as gentle as he could.

"Ehm, well yeah I probably am," he said as he placed Johnny's hands on the blanket. "What the hell d'ya just do, anyways?" he asked.

Johnny shrugged. "I saw a movie once with Pony about a blind man. He was able to see how people looked just by touching their face." He lowered his head. "I guess it's true you can see with your hands." His voice was low and it sounded like he was about to cry.

Dallas scratched the back of his head before placing a hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid. You'll get your sight back."

"How do you know?" Johnny sobbed as a few tears landed on the blanket.

"Have I ever lied to ya?"

"You did just two minutes ago," Johnny snickered.

Dally couldn't help but laugh a little at this. "Okay, fair'nough but I've never let ya down before, have I?"

Johnny shook his head.

"Well then trust me on this. Also the trial ain't nothing to worry about either. That Cherry broad will tell 'em all it was the Socs' fault. So it's cool."

"I guess..." Johnny sighed.

Dallas ruffled Johnny's hair gently and got up from the bed.

"Now go to sleep," he ordered.

Johnny lay down and pulled the covers over him.

"You'll stay here, right? All night?"

"Yeah, man. I'll stay," Dally nodded and watched Johnny close his eyes before sitting down in the chair again.

After a few minutes he could hear Johnny's breathing had become slow and steady and he figured the kid was asleep. Dallas leaned back his head against the walland sighed. He somehow felt he had failed Johnny. He had failed to protect him from harm. Every day he just wanted to kill that son of a bitch farther Johnny had, kill him for making Johnny feel worthless and making him scared. He wanted to beat up every Soc in town just to make sure he would get the one that had jumped Johnny a few months back. He didn't care if he went to jail for it. He could take it. But now Johnny had killed the Soc instead and now he would pay the price. Not Dally, but Johnny. The one person that Dally wanted to protect, he had failed. Dally cursed. This fucked up world wasn't fair. Not fair at all. Even if Johnny got off with self-defense, there was still Socs out to get him for what he had done. What if Dally couldn't be there all the time? He sighed. No. He would be there all the time. He would protect Johnny with his life, he swore to himself. As Dally drifted off into sleep, the sound of footsteps and a door opening slightly caught his ear. No one entered the room so he didn't think much of it as the door closed again a few seconds later.

Hello Readers =)

Thank you for all the lovely reviewes. by all means keep them comming ^^

I try to update as much as I can on this story and I hope everyone enjoys it.

thanks once again to my Beta for lovely work and help

Stay gold guys