The following Saturday Johnny was supposed to be discharged from the hospital. He told the doctor that Darry, Soda and Pony would be the ones picking him up and not his parents, that he will be staying with the guys. The doctor informed him that they were required to notify the parents, which was ok with Johnny as he was sure his parents wouldn't give a damn and surely wouldn't go through the trouble of picking him up.
So, the guys went to pick him up, assuming that his parents wouldn't show. They explained to the receptionist that they were there to pick up Johnny. They had to sign some papers, and went to the 3rd floor. Just as they walked into the room, where the nurse was helping Johnny get into the wheelchair, the door opened once again, and to everyone's utter surprise Mrs. and Mr. Cade walked in. Johnny frowned and looked down.
"Hi Johnny," Mrs. Cade said in a surprisingly nice voice. Johnny didn't look up at her, but nodded slightly. "What's the matter? You are not happy to see us?" she shook her head, her cheap fake gold earrings shaking, reflecting the light.
"No," Johnny shook his head still looking down.
"Well, we are happy to see you, that you recovered," she said in a fake sing-song voice. "You can go back home now." Johnny didn't respond. Then Mr. Cade stepped forward, he squinted – "Listen son, we are sorry if we used to give you a hard time. Please forgive us, we wish for you to live with us and be happy. Please forgive us," he repeated. Johnny's eyebrows crawled up, and Pony's eyes got huge. "You mean that?" Johnny said in a high pitched voice, his face pale. No, Johnny, Pony thought, don't believe them, they are lying. Pony wasn't sure what Mrs. and Mr. Cade were up to, but he instinctively knew they were lying. In the meantime Mrs. Cade walked closer to Johnny – "you are our son, we love you." Johnny covered his face with his palm, and started crying. This was all he ever wanted to hear, that his parents loved him, that they cared about him. Darry and Soda seemed startled. Mr. Cade grabbed the handles on the wheelchair, and started wheeling Johnny towards the door. They walked past Pony, Soda and Darry as if they were not even there. Johnny didn't say anything to them, he was crying.
Darry, Soda and Pony went into the empty hallway. "What a hell was that about?" Soda said baffled.
"I know they are lying. They don't care for Johnnycake," Pony said bitterly. Darry was thoughtful for a minute then spoke up. "It may have to do with the fact that now since Johnny is in a wheelchair he will get money from the government for his disability, I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Cade want that money."
"That makes sense, I know they are such snakes in the grass," Pony said, his eyes blazing with anger. Then the thoughts in Pony's head started again, - it's all your fault. He is in the wheelchair, he can't defend himself, they can beat him to a pulp, and he wouldn't even be able to run out of the house like he used to.
When they got home Pony went straight to his room. When it was dinner time, the conversation that was repeated almost every day took place. "Pony get out of your room, the food is ready." Said Darry.
"Not hungry." Said Pony. Darry was at his wits' end. He didn't know what to say or do, he couldn't ground Pony, because Pony hardly got out of his room anyway, so Darry turned to Soda, "please go talk to him, maybe you can talk some sense into him."
Soda knocked on the door – "Ponyboy, please get something to eat. Darry and me, we are really worried, you lost a lot of weight."
"Who cares," Pony yelled, sitting up on his bed, not opening the door, "I am already off the track team so who gives a shit if I lost weight." Soda sighed, thinking of what to say. "We care - Darry and me, we care, it is not healthy, you are going to get sick and you'll have to stay in the hospital." It was Pony's turn to sigh – "fine I'll eat." It wasn't so much the words about the hospital that got through to him as Soda's helpless and worried voice. Pony hated making Soda upset.
Pony walked into the kitchen, where the plate with mashed potatoes, fried chicken and green beans was on the counter. Pony grabbed it, and started walking towards the table. Suddenly his hand shook, and he dropped the plate - the food splashing everywhere, and the plate breaking into a thousand shards. Pony just stood there, his bottom lip trembling, ready to cry, being totally overwhelmed with what took place earlier at the hospital. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"It's ok," Soda mouthed - a pained look on his face, getting up and getting the broom.
"Don't worry about it, I'll get you another plate," Darry started getting up from his chair. Pony just shook his head, "please Darry I am not hungry. I may throw up again if I eat." Darry just sighed, his shoulders slumped. "ok," he said tiredly, "I guess, you don't have to eat." Pony looked up at him – "Darry, we got to get Johnny to live with us. Those assholes will kill him." Darry sighed again, "You know, we can't make him."
"We oughtta try," Pony said firmly, still standing in the kitchen in the middle of the mess that he'd made, and that Soda was cleaning up.
"It's too late today," Darry replied – his voice stern, "but tomorrow afternoon we'll stop by his house, and see if we can talk to him about it. How does that sound?" Darry looked up at Pony, hoping that will make him a little more at ease. "Ok," Pony nodded, and started walking back to his room.
As the night with its darkness and night lights, covered Tulsa, Pony couldn't sleep. The window was opened, and crisp, cool night air mixed with the smoke from Pony's cigarettes filled the room. All Pony's
thoughts were about Johnny. These assholes were now acting nice, because they wanted the check that Johnny would get for his disability. Pony lay in bed – a cold steel of the blade pressed against his skin. He stayed in bed chain-smoking, staring at the ceiling and rehearsing in his mind what he would say to Johnny to convince him to live with them.
In the morning Pony had a terrible headache, but he didn't care. He skipped breakfast, and neither Darry nor Soda tried to convince him to eat after what had happened the previous evening. Pony did drink a cup of coffee in hopes that it would take care of the headache, and he took an aspirin as well. At around 11 a.m. he grabbed Darry's car keys from the table. "Let's go." Darry nodded, "alright." The 2 of them exited the house.
"I am not sure what to say to him," Pony admitted, as he was climbing into the truck. "I've thought about it all night, but these assholes are pretending nice now, and all Johnny ever wanted was for his family to care."
Darry put the key in the ignition, "We just got to let him know that we care, and that our house is always open for him," he said affectionately, "after that it is his decision to make, we can't force him."
"Yeah," Pony sighed.
At this moment they pulled up to Johnny's house, and Pony stopped talking abruptly. He saw through the window something or someone lying in the grass. Pony yanked the door open and ran out. He ran straight to it. Sure enough it was Johnny. He was laying in the grass, unconscious, his hands bleeding. His wheelchair was thrown to the side and tilted. Johnny was wearing just a t-shirt even though it was Fall, and it was freezing out. Pony felt like screaming and running and fighting Johnny's parents.
Darry parked the truck, and ran up to where Pony was standing – "Oh God," escaped his lips. "Johnnycake, are you hurt real bad?" Darry bent over to Johnny's level only to realize that Johnny was unconscious. At this moment the door opened, and Mr. Cade walked outside. He was drunk, and he was holding a rifle, "get off my property," he yelled - his voice slurred.
"You, stupid drunk," Pony yelled, "we are going to report you, and you are going to be jailed up for good." Mr. Cade laughed- "what's that? He tripped in his wheelchair, going down the porch, I had nothing to do with it." He laughed again, "You will never prove anything, now get off my property before I blow your brains out."
Darry scooped Johnny bridal style and carried him to the truck, Pony grabbed the wheelchair and carried it to the truck as well. The whole time Mr. Cade was yelling obscenities at them. Once inside, Pony just cried, hoping that after this Johnny would agree to live with them.
When they got home, Darry carefully placed Johnny on the couch, and held a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to his nose in order for him to gain consciousness. Sure enough Johnny stirred and opened his eyes. He looked down at his arms, and he looked embarrassed. He took one glance at Pony and croaked "'m ok, don't worry about it."
"How are you ok? How can you say that?" Pony yelled.
"Ponyboy, hush up," Soda gave him a meaningful look.
"Ok Johnny, we are going to clean your cuts that's all, ok?" Darry said, getting the first aid kit. Johnny looked down, but nodded slightly. Darry wet a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, "this is going to sting a little," he warned Johnny. Johnny bit his bottom lip.
In about 15 minutes Darry was done. He placed fresh bandages around Johnny's hands. Pony took a seat next to Johnny on the couch. –"You see Johnny, they were lying. I am sorry man, but they don't care about you. You got to stay with us." "Johnny," Soda said softly, "Pony is right, stay with us."
Johnny sobbed, "I just… thought they cared… and they, they were… lying. They just want the money I get for my disability."
"Oh Johnny," Darry took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Sometimes things happen, sometimes it's not fair, but we always got your back. Stay with us, what do you say?"
"Ok," Johnny almost whispered. At this point Pony sobbed, and leaned in and gave Johnny a hug- "thank you Johnny."