For The Love of a Greaser
Chapter 42
Talk To Me
As the hours went, so did the night, dragging everyone into the early morning. The rain still poured down outside though, soaking the earth in waves, and not willing to yield for anything or anyone. This meant little to those inside the hospital though as they began to stir, just like it had meant little to Darry. In fact, he'd gone home after leaving the hospital, surrounding himself in the silence that was their house. He'd even found Sparky locked up in a room with a belt secured around his muzzle, no doubt from Abigail's father. He'd pushed that to the side though as his mind began to fog over, allowing Sparky to lay on the bed with him through the hours of the night and morning, eventually managing to fall asleep with the canine resting his head on Darry's stomach. Sleep was the only relief that he procured as he laid there, his mind wandering off into a black endless pit.
T
As ten o'clock rolled around, Darry began to stir, the sound of whining meeting his ears. It was Sparky, scratching at the inside of the bedroom door, whining to be let out.
"Hold on," Darry groaned, slowly pulling himself from the bed and stumbling over to the door.
He wasn't that happy to be up, not in the least, but Sparky needed out. So, grunting in dismay, he walked downstairs and pulled his shoes on before grabbing the leash. He then clipped it to Sparky's collar as he ran a hand through his hair, grabbing a plastic bag before walking outside with his jacket on, ready for a walk.
T
"Hey, Dal?" a voice called, wheeling into the room. "Dally?"
This caused Dally to jump, falling backwards out of his chair and onto the floor. He'd originally had it tilting back a bit, a foot propped up on the end of Abigail's bed. Now, he sat on the floor holding his head.
"Damn it!" he hissed, pushing himself up into a sitting position.
His eyes landed on Johnny finally after a moment, his eyes softening just a bit.
"Sorry Dal," Johnny said skittishly, wheeling back a bit in his wheelchair.
"Forget about it man," Dally said, waving it off as he got up off of the floor. "You're up early," he muttered.
"Not really," Johnny mumbled, rolling back and forth in his chair a bit.
It was hard always having to sit so still. Sometimes, it annoyed him to no end because he was stuck in that chair, still unable to walk. That was another reason why he was up, he didn't like laying around in that bed all day long.
"I wanted to come down and see her," Johnny finally said, rolling forward toward the bed, his hands gripping the wheels as he stopped.
"Figured as much," Dally mumbled, moving toward the door. "I'll leave you to it then. I'll be back after a while though. Gotta take care of a few things," Dally told him, before walking out of the room, easily closing the door behind him.
That left Johnny alone with Abigail, a breath escaping from his slightly shaky lips. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do, but he knew that he wanted to see her. After everything that she was trying to do for him, he wasn't about to leave her hanging, even if she was unconscious.
"Hey there Abby, it's me, Johnnycake," he said, a small smile pulling on his lips.
She didn't do anything though as he spoke, but he didn't really expect her too either. He just sat there in his chair staring at her while fiddling with her fingers.
"They said I'd be able to leave soon if I want," he started, looking up at her sleeping form.
Her head was tilted slightly to the side in that neck brace of hers, even a large bandage wrapped around her head. He actually winced when he looked at it, blood staining the back. They'd actually ended up having to shave the back of her head even to treat it properly. He could just imagine her response when she woke up, especially, with having Two-Bit and Steve around. They'd probably end up giving her a hard time about it, but Johnny didn't see her any differently. She was still the same loving friend that she always was and she'd always visit him at least once a week.
"I don't wanna leave though unless I'm goin home with you," he told her, moving a bit closer to the bed. "I can't wait to come live with you guys. That way, I won't have to worry about my parents anymore."
He then reached out and touched her hand, her hand twitching slightly at the contact making him look up. He was disappointed though seeing that nothing had changed, but at the same time, he had a feeling that she could hear him. That put a smile on his face.
"You can hear me, can't you?" he asked, gripping her hand lightly in his, just as she had done may times before after his accident.
This time, she made no movement at all, but he still felt in his heart that she could hear him. The earlier twitch had just been her trying to fight her way to tell him, that he knew for sure.
"Man, if only Dar were here to see," he mumbled, letting out a sigh a moment later. "He's worried, you know? We all are," he admitted. "He's not here right now though. I think he went somewhere for a while, but I'm sure he'll be back. Dally was here though. I actually landed him on the floor," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
He really hadn't meant to startle Dally the way that he did, it just sorta happened. After all, how was he supposed to know that Dally would practically jump out of the chair and crack his head on the floor?
"It was an accident though, I swear," Johnny said, trying to defend himself.
He knew if she were awake though, she probably would have laughed. Things between Dally and Abigail didn't always make sense to Johnny. Then again, there were a lot of things that didn't make sense to him at times, but both Dally and Abigail could be confusing on their own to begin with. Being around each other just made things even more confusing. Although, he knew it couldn't be helped. After all, when they'd first been acquainted, it'd just been because Dallas was being an ass for the most part. He'd be giving her a hard time at work every now and then, grabbing at her butt and making things difficult. It took a while for them to come to terms with each other, but after that, things were cool. In all honesty, he felt that it made things a lot easier, having Dally and Abigail as friends. After all, it was better than them fighting all the time.
"Ya know, Dal came up to see me last night," Johnny started. "He was pretty bummed out about the whole thing. He was wet too, so I think he probably shut himself out in the rain for a while last night."
At that, Abigail's fingers twitched. She didn't liked what she was hearing.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. What do you expect though? He's not exactly the brightest when he's mad," he told her.
Granted, Johnny would never say that to Dally's face, but it was still the truth. Dally never was very logical about his actions when he was mad. It was also how he ended himself in jail a few times. It was also another reason why a few people didn't like messing with him. Granted, that was a good thing when it came to Socs and stuff, but he didn't like it when Dally acted that way around his friends. Still, he knew that Dally could look after himself. He always did, so it wasn't really anything new.
"He didn't like it much when I first got here either," he muttered, earning another twitch. "Come on, you keep that up and you'll be all used up with nothin left for Darry," he told her.
There was nothing after that though, so he allowed a smile to pull onto his face.
"Mr. Cade, it's time for your physical therapy," a nurse called, opening the door to Abigail's room.
No doubt, Steve or one of the others had told her where he was.
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, rolling backwards away from the bed.
He then rolled over to the other side of the room, turning a knob on the small radio that sat there. Once he found the proper station, he rolled back over to Abigail's bed, giving her hand one final squeeze.
"I'll see ya later. I turned the radio on for you though, so get some rest," he whispered, before moving out of the room, easily following the nurse down the hall.
Before he got too far though, he turned toward the guys and gave them a smile.
"Talk to her, she can hear you," he told them, before rolling along.
T
Dally felt like driving out to Windrixville at the moment, but he just couldn't push himself to go through it. Even though he'd sent Ponyboy and Johnny up there, he'd never really been anywhere like that before. Yeah, there was practically nothing to do out there in his mind, but he knew it was quiet. It was also a bit of a drive too. That was the other reason why he couldn't pushed himself enough to go. He had to stay near, be available incase anything else happened. Otherwise, he'd never hear the end of it because that little voice in the back of his head that's supposed to tell him what to do, it would be kicking him in the skull.
"I can't keep doing this," Dally said, getting irritated with himself as he ran a hand through his slightly messy hair.
He hadn't taken the chance to fix it and currently, he was staring at a red light in front of him. So, with the chance at hand, he pulled his comb from his pocket and raked it through his hair a couple times. He could feel the slight pulling of strands as he ran into a few knots, grunting slightly. Luckily, he never had to worry about it that much. A moment later, the light turned green and he pushed on the gas, the car lurching forward and down the road.
T
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry," Soda said suddenly, standing up from his seat and setting his cards down.
"I'm kind of hungry too," Eden said timidly.
"Well, then I'll go with you," Two-Bit said, getting up and stretching.
He let out a groan as he did this, feeling his back crack, making Eden roll her eyes.
"Oh, come on, that felt good," he chuckled, before cracking his neck.
"And that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That too," he grinned, before throwing an arm over her shoulders and leading her down the hall. "You comin kid?" Two-Bit called, glancing back at Ponyboy.
"Yeah," he sighed, getting up from his seat, following them down the hallway.
"You comin Steve?" Soda asked, looking back at his buddy.
Steve merely shook his head.
"Nah. Besides, someone's gotta stay behind, right?" he said, gesturing toward Abigail's room.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Soda nodded, before looking back down the hallway. "I'll bring ya somethin back," Soda promised, before jogging down the hallway to catch up with the others.
That left Steve sitting there in his seat, eyes drifting toward Abigail's room. No one had gone in since Johnny left, his words still echoing in the back of his mind.
"Talk to her, she can hear you."
"Talk to her?" he mumbled to himself.
Yeah, he wanted to talk to her, but he wasn't sure what to do. He then let out a grunt, getting up from his seat.
"Fine," he muttered, walking into the room, her face the first thing he saw.
He winced slightly when he saw her though, his eyes gliding over her form. He winced against as he glanced at the neck brace and the tube that was down her throat, the tube that was helping her breath while she healed.
He stood there for a moment, hands stuffed in his pockets as he chewed on the corner of his bottom lip, shifting the weight on his feet. Where was he supposed to begin? He wasn't good at these kind of things. The ones that were, were Johnny or Ponyboy. Not Steve.
"Damn it," he mumbled, tilting his head back for a moment. "He said talk, but what the heck am I supposed to talk about?" he asked, looking back down at her.
She didn't say anything, but he didn't expect her too. She merely laid there, her chest raising up and down with each breath. Seeing her like this left him wondering how Darry could stand it. Granted, Steve wasn't in love with Abigail, but Darry was. Steve couldn't imagine having someone that he loved in the same predicament that Abigail was in. It'd probably tear him to pieces, so no doubt, that's what it was doing to Darry.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked once more, hanging his head for a moment, before going and sitting down in the chair that Dally had occupied during the night.
He then pulled himself just a bit closer, leaving about a foot between the bed and the chair, drawing in a breath. He was far from comfortable. He then spoke the first thing that came to his mind.
"I saw Eve again the other day," he started, looking elsewhere for a moment. "She's decided not to talk to me again, sayin I'm not payin her enough attention," he said, letting out a small grunt.
He didn't know why he was telling her this in all honesty. In fact, he hadn't really told Soda much about what had been going on between him and Eve this time around.
"I think she's getting annoyed with all those girls that come around the DX. I mean, it's not like it's my fault they're always goin for me and Soda. Besides, he's always been Mr. Good-looking," he said offhandedly.
He sat there for a few minutes after that, his head leaned back as he stared up at the ceiling, the sound of the music from the radio flowing around him. He then closed his eyes, drawing in a breath.
"I'll never understand how a girl like you can listen to Rock," he chuckled, listening to the upbeat song coming out. "Rip it up alright," he sighed, referring to the song.
After that got done playing, Anyway You Want Me, started playing. This made Steve groan. This song definitely was not meant for him. At least not in his mind anyway, at least not with Abigail around that is. Even then, he wasn't even sure that it'd be right for Eve really. Yeah, he loved her, but sometimes he really wondered. After all, they were always breaking up all the time, then they get back together a few weeks later. It was almost like a game of cat and mouse with them.
"You think it'll ever get better with me and Eve?" Steve asked, glancing Abigail's way.
Her only response was a breath of air and a faint cough from the tube, making him sigh.
"Guess not," he mumbled. "I wish you were awake, then maybe I'd get some real answers."
He then thought for a moment, a small grin etching onto his face.
"You ever think you and Superdope'll get hitched?" he asked suddenly, looking over at her. "Bet you after this, he'll ask ya," he chuckled, looking back over at the radio. "It's kinda strange, he actually seems human now," he breathed, closing his eyes. "He never was that great at times, but after their folks died, it didn't help matters none."
Abigail's hand twitched at that, but Steve didn't see it.
"Sometimes, he'd be about as harsh as Dallas," he told her, shaking his head at the memory. "I'd never admit this to anyone else, but I feel sorry for the kid. Pony got the worst of it."
Again, Abigail's fingers twitched, a faint sputter escaping her lips as she laid there.
"Hm?" Steve turned his head to look at her.
He then watched as another sputter escaped her, her arm twitching, fingers gripping the bed sheet.
"Abigail?" he stood of from his seat, nearly knocking it over as she began coughing, choking. "Somebody, help!" he yelled, running out of the room, catching a nurses attention.
Within moments, medical personnel were running into the room, pushing Steve out of the way.
"Hold her down," one of them said, watching as the nurses complied, holding her arms down as she struggled.
She just kept coughing, choking on the tube in her throat as she tried to breathe on her own. She was waking up, even if only for a bit.
"Honey, you've got to calm down," one of the nurses said, trying to keep her in the bed.
She continued to struggle though, eyes fluttering open and flicking across the room rapidly. Her face was full of fear and confusing as she tried to talk, choking as a result, the tube tearing at her throat as she struggled.
"Da...ry," she managed to choke out, head shaking furiously.
"Hold her still," the doctor instructed, quickly making his way over t the side.
The nurses did their job the best they could, keeping restrained as the doctor injected something into her IV. Moments later she stopped struggling, her mind becoming foggy as she laid there, the muscles in her arms becoming lax. Then, slowly, the nurses released their grip on her as they took a step back away from her.
"That will be all ladies," the doctor nodded, gesturing for them to leave.
He then turned toward Abigail, a curious look on his face.
"Well, this is rather unexpected," he mumbled, stepping back toward her. "Miss Winters, can you hear me?" he asked, placing a hand on the side of her head, earning a small groan in return. "Miss Winters?"
She made no response to answer him though as she laid there, her tired eyes locking with Steve as she fought to stay awake, her arm trying to reach out. She mumbled something, but that too was lost as she fell back into unconsciousness, all thought disappearing.
Yay! Chapter 42! I actually had a bit of trouble getting this one out. I wasn't sure what to do at first exactly, but I figured I'd have a couple one on ones, even if she couldn't really respond. So, what'd you think of the conversations with Johnny and Steve? Don't forget to REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and feelings on this chapter/story. I'd LOVE to hear FEEDBACK on this one and what you thought about the whole thing. Thanks everyone!