Note: I do not own The Outsiders

Chapter 7

Johnny slowly opened his eyes. The light was blinding and disorienting. He couldn't tell if it was day or night - every time he woke up the damn light was shining in his face.

It took him a few minutes to remember where he was, why he couldn't move, then it came back to him in a rush. The fire, the pain, the fear. Then there had been the silence and the darkness, like he was floating in nothingness.

The doc told him he'd been in a coma for almost two months. At first, he thought the guy was lying to him. It felt like only minutes had passed since Pony and Dally had come into his room. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt like a lifetime had come and gone, like he'd aged a hundred years.

A second chance, the doc had said. He'd been given a second chance. Lying here, staring up at the ceiling, paralyzed from the waist down - he was having a hard time believing him. He didn't want to be scared - but he was. He was scared of being trapped in a wheelchair, of being trapped in his house with his parents, of being trapped in a life that went nowhere.

A shadow moved in the corner and Johnny realized he wasn't alone. Probably a nurse, he thought. He'd only been out of the coma for a few hours and he'd already realized just how much nurses loved to fuss. Fixing bandages, drawing blood, checking blood pressure - he hadn't had a moment's peace. He was already itchin' to get out of there.

Carefully, he turned his head toward the corner. His mind was moving sluggishly and it took him a few moments to connect the faces with names - but once he did, a smile spread across his face. "Hey, y'all," he said softly.

Ponyboy and Two-Bit rushed toward the bed as though some invisible force field had suddenly been lowered. Darry stayed by the door - a silent observer.

Pony sat in a chair while Two-Bit remained standing. "Gosh, kid, you sure gave us one hell of a scare," Two-Bit said, trying to keep his voice light, but surprised to find he was getting a little choked up.

"Sorry," Johnny croaked, his throat scratchy and raw from the ventilator they'd taken him off of when he woke up.

Two-Bit gave a wobbly grin, "Just don't let it happen again. Deal?"

Johnny was already beginning to feel better. He could handle anything with the gang around him. "Deal," he answered, returning Two-Bit's grin.

Johnny turned his attention to Ponyboy, who seemed awfully interested in the fraying edge of the faded hospital blanket. Ponyboy looked up, and Johnny was surprised to see his eyes were watery and red, like he was close to tears.

"Pony, you ain't gonna cry, are you?" he whispered. Pony laughed and wiped at his eyes.

"Naw, I ain't gonna cry."

Darry walked over to the foot of the bed, hoping to rescue his brother. "Johnny, did the nurses tell you Pony was here every day. I could of sworn I was gonna have to rent a room for him here."

"Yeah, he kept reading to you from these really thick, really boring books," Two-Bit added.

"They were not boring," Ponyboy retaliated, his unease forgotten.

"Right. I looked through some of 'em. There weren't even any pictures." Two-Bit nudged Johnny's shoulder. "Johnnycake, trust me - if you hadn't been in a coma, Pony's books would have put you in one."

"Two-Bit!" Pony was stunned he could be so insensitive, but then he realized Johnny was quietly laughing. For the first time in a long time, Johnny's dark eyes weren't haunted. Sure, he looked tired and maybe a little weak. It was going to be a long road to recovery - that much was obvious, but he no longer looked defeated. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

They stayed for a few more minutes, but Johnny was fading fast. He was struggling to stay awake, but it was a losing battle. A nurse came in to shoo them out, telling them Johnny needed his rest.

"Johnnycake, see ya tomorrow," Ponyboy said as they left, but Johnny had already fallen asleep.