(Bex has a near death experience when she is hit by a car after saving someone, resulting in her being hospitalized. She sees visions of Johnny. The gang is greatly affected by this, but not as much as Two-Bit.)
"Sodapop, can you wake up Bex? She's supposed to be up for school." Darry said from the kitchen as he was making breakfast. Bex was up late last night because of some extra homework. Ponyboy was already up and in the shower.
"Okay, superman." Soda agreed, stumbling into their shared bedroom as he buttoned up his DX shirt. Bex was out like a light, laying on her front with her right arm dangling off the mattress. She snored lightly.
He didn't want to wake her up. She was able to sleep without a single nightmare. But he had to because she and Ponyboy had school that they couldn't be late for.
"Bex, c'mon. You gotta get up." he said, shaking her by the shoulder. She stirred in her sleep with a squeak. "C'mon, kiddo. You and Ponyboy got school today." Soda said, shaking her again.
"No… Too sleepy." she moaned, rolling over on her side. "Bexley Lynn Curtis, don't make me get the tickle monster." Soda playfully threatened, something that he uses to get his kid siblings out of bed.
Bexley's eyes snapped open, now fully awake. She hated being tickled almost as much as she hated having her hair messed up. She quickly turned over to face her brother, "You wouldn't." "If you don't get out of this bed, I will get him." Soda said, unable to hold in his laughter.
"Don't you dare. I'm up." she sighed, pushing herself up out of bed. "Next time, I'm bringing out the tickle monster." Soda said, walking out of the bedroom. "Like that's gonna happen!" she said, stretching her aching limbs.
After Ponyboy got out of the shower, she jumped in and was slightly annoyed by the fact that her twin brother had nearly used up all of the hot water. She fixed her hair up, which had grown back down to her shoulders in it's usual messy style, into a bun with some bangs hanging by her face and some hair sticking out of the bun.
She got dressed in a black t-shirt with Donald Duck on the front, her faded jean jacket, some jeans with holes, and some old yellow sneakers that she found in the coat closet.
Darry had made them their usual breakfast and they all ate it up. "Alright, Two-Bit will be here within an hour, so you two get those dishes done before y'all leave. I'll be home at around five or six." Darry informed Bex and Ponyboy.
"Alright, bye Darry! Bye Soda!" the twins called from the kitchen. "See ya guys later!" Soda waved before he walked out of the front door behind Darry.
The twins got done with the little dishes that were in the sink before they waited outside for their friend to arrive.
"You gotta cigarette, Pone? I could use one before school." Bex asked, sitting on the front steps of the house. "Yeah sure." he said, pulling out one of those cancer sticks. She took it and lit it up.
Bexley took a long drag from it before exhaling. "I thought you were gonna cut down on those because of your lung troubles?" Pony asked, taking a drag of his own cigarette. "Yeah, I know. Be happy I'm cutting down. Hell, Darry should be happy that I'm cutting down." Bexley answered, leaning back against the steps with her elbows being used to hold her up as she blew smoke rings into the air.
"You should be cutting down too. You won't get accepted into track otherwise next year." Bex continued, holding the lit cigarette between her fingers. "Yeah, yeah." Ponyboy scoffed, taking a drag of his cigarette.
Bexley had promised Darry that she wouldn't chain smoke like she has in the past. Because of her lung troubles, she couldn't do it. But he allowed her to smoke at least a few each week, not every day.
"I heard Soda threaten you with the tickle monster this morning." Ponyboy teased his twin sister, gently poking her ribs. "He knows I hate bein' tickled. That's always his last resort to gettin' us up." Bexley rolled her eyes, "'Sides, you don't like it anymore than me." Ponyboy felt his ears get hot, she wasn't wrong about that.
Two-Bit arrived within ten minutes, happy to see them, of course. The three greasers made their way to school. On the way there, they had made plans to go to Dairy Queen for lunch, which the twins were perfectly okay with.
The first half of the school day went by pretty fast, meaning that lunch was finally upon them. They got their food while trying to avoid some Soc's that just happen to be there before going back to the school.
Bex had a make-up test that she had to make up for, which caused Darry to rip her a new one. So she had to stay after school. When she was finished with it, she found herself walking alone; Ponyboy had already gone home.
Because of her harrowing encounter with the Socs before, she was carrying a blade in the back pocket of her jeans and had learned to always watch her back when she's out walking home alone. It was now a habit that she developed.
It was around 4:30 in the afternoon, the sun was almost on the other side of the sky. 'Damn, Darry's gonna be home any time. Gotta move faster.' she thought to herself, starting to walk faster. She wished she had some company with her.
She was about three blocks from the house. When Bex turned another corner, the sound of a speeding car coming in her direction hit her ears. She stopped walking and looked around.
Her eyes widened when she saw a kid about a couple of years younger than herself walking out in the middle of the road just as the car was speeding down.
'What are you doing?! Move out of the way!' she thought as she noticed that the kid didn't notice the car speeding right for him because he kneeled down to tie his shoe. She quickly dropped her backpack and sprinted towards the kid than her lungs would allow.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Bexley yelled, pushing the boy out of the car's path. She tried moving out of the way, but the car came full force at her.
The car struck her very hard, knocking her to the ground. She ended up rolling a couple of times until she was on her front, her cut up cheek laying on the asphalt.
The car screeched loudly as it stopped. The driver was clearly intoxicated when they hit her. Bexley groaned weakly as she felt the heavy blow from the car; her head was hurting a bunch, her ribs hurt, and her ankle was for sure broken.
Bex was hurting so badly that she couldn't utter a single word. If she hadn't saved that boy's life, he would've been severely hurt or even killed. Before she could see a familiar rusty-haired greaser running towards her, darkness had taken her.
"Bexley! Bexley, oh my god!" Two-Bit yelled in sheer terror, collapsing in front of her. He flipped her over onto her back and saw what damage had been done. Two-Bit started trembling all over, tears shakily running down his cheeks as he whimpered.
"No… no, please god, no! Please don't be dead... " he wailed, hugging the injured girl close to him as he cried, "Somebody help!" It didn't take him long to realize that he couldn't just sit there, he had to get Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy. As carefully as he could, he laid Bexley down on the ground just as the fuzz quickly showed up. He then bolted down towards the Curtis residence as fast as he could.
Back at home, the three brothers were waiting for their sister to come home. Needless to say, they were a bit panicky after the last time she disappeared. They all knew that she had to be home soon.
Soda was pacing back and forth, Ponyboy was sitting on the couch, Darry was sitting on the arm chair. Neither brother spoke a word to each other for at least a few minutes. That was until Ponyboy broke the silence, "I don't get it. She should've been on her way home."
"Why didn't you stay with her, Pony?" Darry scolded firmly. "She said she didn't want me to wait on her." Ponyboy regretfully said, his hands covering his face. "Well, you should've!" Darry scolded, "You should've gone with her, Pony!" "Guys, knock it off! Fighting isn't going to help us find her!" Soda piped in.
Before their argument could get more heated, it was interrupted by Two-Bit bursting through the front door, a look of horror on his face. Tears were falling from his eyes, which was rare for the wise-cracking greaser.
"Guys! You need to come quick! Bexley got hit by a car!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking something awful. The three brothers didn't hesitate to bolt out of the front door, following their rusty haired friend. They ran about three blocks where the accident occured.
There was a crowd surrounding the accident, two cars from the fuzz were there arresting the perpetrator that hit Bexley. It was safe to say that the brothers were horrified by what had happened to their only sister.
They rushed over to where Bexley was, but some of the fuzz tried to hold them back. "Let us through! She's our sister!" Ponyboy shouted, tears in his green-grey eyes. They pushed through the fuzz and Darry held onto her gently.
At first, Bexley couldn't tell who it was that was holding her. She was too weak to fight them. "Bexley? Bexley, please wake up…" Soda begged, tears falling from his brown eyes.
Darry gently brushed her bangs from her bruised head. Slowly, her eyes opened, her vision was blurry. "Hmm…? Who… Who's here?" she asked, trying to make out the three faces in front of her.
"Bex… it's us. Darry, Soda, and Pony. We're right here." Sodapop comforted, gently taking her hand. She winced in horrendous pain, squeezing her eyes shut suddenly. "Everything hurts…" she whimpered, tears of pain falling from her eyes.
"Help is on the way, Bex." Darry said in a soft voice. Bex wanted to focus on only her three brothers' voices and try to ignore the crowd surrounding them. Darry carefully pulled Bex into his arms so that her face was buried in his shoulder.
"I'm so tired… I… wanna sleep." Bex said softly, her eyes starting to shut on their own. "No, Bexley. Please stay awake for us." Ponyboy said, holding Bexley's feeble hand.
Not long after, the sound of a siren was approaching the scene, getting louder and louder. "The ambulance is here, Bexley. Do you hear it?" Darry said, his voice quivering a little bit. "Huh…? What'd you say...? Ambu…" she sighed, her voice drifting off as she slowly passed out from the pain.
Darry felt his little sister get heavier in his arms. He pulled her back and her head dangled backwards. "Bexley?" Soda said, "Bexley?!" Darry shook her a bit but she didn't wake up.
The paramedics took the injured girl from Darry's arms and put her on the stretcher. She was then loaded into the ambulance. Both Ponyboy and Sodapop were both in tears by then, sobbing their hearts out.
Darry brought both of his little brothers into his arms, whispering words of comfort to both of them. Nobody knew if Bexley was gonna be okay or not. Two-Bit walked over to the brothers, who were still holding onto each other tightly.
"Guys, s-she saved a k-kid from taking the hit." Two-Bit said, getting their attention, his voice was shaky and he trembled visibly. "She did what?" Soda said, his voice hoarse from the constant crying. "It's true. He was about to get hit, but she pushed him out of the way. That girl of yours is quite a hero." a male bystander said, getting the three brothers to look at him.
They couldn't wait any longer, they had to go see their baby sister in the hospital. So they left the scene and made their way back to the truck. They sped off towards the hospital.
(Bexley's POV)
White light; that's all I could see. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but a white light that blinded me. It was so bright that I felt a headache coming on and I hated it.
Next thing I knew, I saw a beautiful sunset in front of me. I was instantly reminded of the sunset in Windrixville. It was a mix of deep red, pink, orange, some blue, and of course, gold. Nothing on my body was hurting; that's when I remember everything.
I couldn't remember how I got here. I looked down at my wrists, they weren't scarred. My face didn't have that scar on it from when I was shot.
Then, I see the silhouette of someone walking towards me. I had to squint my eyes to see just who it was. When I saw just who it was, my heart leapt in my chest.
It was Johnny! Something about him looked different. He was actually walking towards me.
He wasn't scarred from the burns or from when he was jumped by those socs. He didn't have that scared puppy dog look in his eyes. His t-shirt, and jean jacket looked brand new.
Tears ran down my face from the joy I was feeling inside of me. "J-Johnny? Is it really you?" I sobbed, unable to stop them. Johnny stood in front of me and he smiled.
"Yeah, it's really me, Bex." he said sweetly, cupping my cheek with his hand and he wiped a tear away from my cheek. I leaned into his palm, my eyes were blurry from my happy tears.
I was unable to speak. I was in disbelief that I was actually seeing Johnny. My heart was pounding very hard in my chest.
"I've… missed you so much, Johnny. I've missed you so much." I sobbed, feeling more tears running down my cheeks. He pulls me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back and didn't want to let go.
"I missed you too, Bex. I miss both you and Ponyboy." Johnny replied in my ear. We pulled back and traced his cheek with my fingers of where his scar used to be. "Your scar… it's gone." I said.
He takes my hand in mine. "I know." he replied, smiling. He was much happier, happier than he had been in a long time. But at the same time, he looked concerned.
"Johnny, is this… is this heaven? Am I dead?" I asked, looking around. "Yes, it is Bexley. No, you're not dead." Johnny answered.
Not long after, Johnny takes me much further into heaven, never letting go of my hand. It was all so surreal. Johnny was really here, holding my hand. With this kind of thing, I wouldn't be able to touch him, only he could touch me.
All this time, I thought there wasn't anything but a black hole of nothing. But I see now that it was real; heaven is a real place.
The two of us sat down on the grass as we stared at the sunset together in silence. Watching the sunset made me wish that Ponboy was here. He just had to see this for himself.
The longer I sat there with Johnny, the more I started to remember just how much I actually loved him. I remembered sharing my first kiss with him back in the hospital, hours just before he died right in front of us.
"Johnny?" I say, breaking the silence. "Yeah?" he said, looking at me. "I wish Ponyboy was here to see this." I tell him, feeling my heart hammering in my chest. "Yeah. I wish for that too." Johnny said, "Reminds me of when we saw that sunset up in Windrixville. The one place where I felt happy and free."
I looked at him, seeing the smile on his face. The life he lived was so broken that it was dreadfully cut short. He didn't deserve to die so young.
Life is so fragile when you really think about it. It could be snuffed out faster than you can blink. He had died at sixteen years old.
I remember when he said that he wasn't ready to die. There were so many things he hadn't seen nor done. It was unfair, bitter, miserable. But he was happier now in a much better place.
That was when my feelings for him really started to blossom, when he was talking about all of that. "Johnny? Do you remember when I had kissed you?" I asked, feeling my heart beating faster.
He too blushed when I asked that. "Yeah, I do." he replied, "I always kinda knew that you had feelings for me. And… when you kissed me, I think I knew that you were doing more than just thanking me for saving you. I wanted to tell you while I was alive, Bex, that I really did like you."
My face struck red, and my ears were hot. He really liked me? "Why haven't you told me before?" I asked, more curious. "At the time, I didn't think you would like me back. In all honesty, I was more afraid than anything." Johnny said, looking ahead at the falling sun.
"J-Johnny…" I breathed, my face becoming noticeably red. I couldn't help but grab Johnny by the chin and kissed him a second time. This time, I felt him kiss back.
But, while doing so, I began to cry. Tears ran down my face and Johnny noticed. "What's wrong, Bex?" he asked, pulling away but he held my cheeks.
"I want this to be real… When I wake up, you won't be there." I cried softly, closing my eyes. "Oh Bex…" he whispered, bringing me into a hug. I hugged him back, resting my cheek on his shoulder.
"I know you wish that this is real. But I want you to return back to your brothers, Pony and them need you. The gang needs you. Bex, if you really love me, then you'll be happy and live. I'm happy and safe here. Will you do that for me?" Johnny spoke to me softly as he pulled back from me.
I thought about what he said. I have a life still worth living. The gang and my brothers still needed me; I couldn't leave them just yet. I would go back for Johnny; I'd do it for him.
"Okay… Okay I'll do it." I tell him tearfully. He smiled at me again before kissing me one more time. That was the last thing that I felt before falling into darkness again.
The first thing that I was feeling was how bad my entire body was feeling. The light was absolutely blinding when I first opened my eyes. Someone was holding my hand and I felt my ribs, right ankle, and head were wrapped in casts and bandages.
There was an IV sitting next to me, attached to my arm. My entire body was numb.
How was Darry gonna feel about this? I'm just more bills on top of the ones he already has! And that's more than he can deal with.
Glory, it hurt to breathe. Through the blurriness that blocked my vision, I could tell that I was in a hospital room. It felt cold in here, not even the blanket was keeping me warm.
I turned my smarting head to the right and saw who was holding my hand. It was none other than Ponyboy. He was laying his head on the bed, presumably asleep.
Even though I was hurting, I smiled at him weakly. I was happy to see my brother.
Something about him was different, his hair was no longer completely bleached. His auburn hair color was starting to come out and it wasn't greased back. It was also back to its original length. Wait, just how long was I unconscious for? The last time I saw my twin brother, he had short, bleached hair with grease in it.
My throat hurt so much that I couldn't speak. It felt as though I had drank anything in weeks. With the little strength I had, I gently squeezed his hand to get his attention.
He stirred and moaned tiredly. He was always stubborn when he gets woken up. "P… Po…" I spoke, my voice very raspy and low.
Ponyboy's head lifted from the bed, his green grey eyes looking glassy from lack of sleep. "Bexley?" he spoke, his voice scratchy as well. It was so good to hear my brother's voice again.
All I did was smile tiredly at him. He would've hugged me but my body was still smarting something awful. "Thank god you're awake…" Pony sobbed, his voice cracking and tears running down his cheeks.
"We were all scared that you wouldn't wake up…" Pony said, holding my hand up to his face. His cheeks were very hot. My heart ached when he said that and a sob escaped my lips.
"How… gnh… how long have I been out for? Your hair… is tuff again." I ask in a croaky voice. "About a month…" Pony answered. I paled noticeably; I had been out for a month?!
"Are you serious?" I ask, almost shooting upwards. "Yeah…" Ponyboy sniffled, "Don't get too worked up. Otherwise the doctors won't let anymore visitors in." "S-Sorry…" I apologized, taking a deep breath.
The tightness in my ribs caused me to whimper in pain, causing me to cringe. They hurt really, really badly. "What's wrong?" Pony asked me, scooting up in concern. "My ribs… they hurt so bad." I replied, my breath shaking from the nauseating pain.
"Want me to get a doctor?" he asked. Without hesitation, I shook my head. "N-No. Don't…" I wheezed, "What the hell happened to me? Why am I hurting so much?"
"You were hit by a drunk driver. Two-Bit told us you saved a kid from getting hit. You have three broken ribs, a concussion, and a broken ankle." Pony replied in a gentle voice. He knows that any loud noises can cause a headache because he's had one before.
"Oh…" I sighed, "Guess I'm pretty banged up, yeah?" I tried to laugh but it hurt to do so. I looked over to my left and saw a bouquet of flowers sitting next to me; they were lily flowers with a card sticking out of it.
"Those were from that kid's mom. That's her way of thanking you for saving him the way you did." Pony tells me. "Oh… that's awful nice of her." I said, feeling warm in my chest. That mother saw me as that kid's hero, and that made me feel good subtly.
"Pony, where's Darry and Soda?" I asked, looking back at my twin brother. "They're both at work. Neither one of them could get out of it." Pony replied. "Oh… I see. They really need a break from working so much…" I reply, feeling myself become so tired all of a sudden.
"You should try to sleep, Bex. I'm sure I've talked you all out." Pony suggested, smiling at me. "Will you be here when I wake up?" I asked, letting out a sleepy yawn. "You bet I will. Now, get some sleep. You definitely need it." Pony nodded.
I closed my eyes and immediately felt myself falling back asleep peacefully.
(Pony's POV)
I watched as my twin sister went back to sleep. She looked so much younger than I. It was as if she looked at least 7 or 8 years old instead of fifteen.
Words couldn't express just how relieved I was to have Bexley back. We've all missed the hell out of her while she was in that damn coma. But I knew she'd be in the hospital for a little while longer due to her injuries.
Then, the door opened, revealing the doctor that had been taking care of her. "Hello, Ponyboy." the doctor greeted me. I nodded at him with a grin. The doctor looked at Bexley and saw that she was still asleep.
"Has she woken up?" he asked. "Yeah. She did wake up but she was tired so she went back to sleep." I answered, crossing my arms on the edge of the bed. "I see. I'll check her vitals." the doctor said, taking out his stethoscope.
After he checked her over, he saw that she was okay. "Should I call the rest of your family to tell them she woke up?" the doctor asked me. I thought about it for a moment.
"Sure." I tell him, nodding at him. He nodded at me. "Alright." the doctor tells me before leaving. I was relieved that he didn't tell me to leave. The gang, Darry, Soda, and I had came by everyday to see her. We all wanted her to open those green eyes of hers that stuck out so well.
Soda would be in tears most of the time, and he'd beg everyday for her to wake up. Darry would be silent mostly; he'd be silently cursing the driver that got her into this mess. Steve was surprisingly upset about what had happened. Two-Bit was mostly distant from us, only coming by to see her one time.
As for me, I dare not leave her side. I refused to lose another family member, another best friend. I didn't want to leave her, not while she's like this.
About an hour later, I was leaning back against the uncomfortable hospital chair, finding myself getting sleepy from sitting for so long. I looked at my sleeping sister and saw that something was up.
She looked to be in pain, her face becoming crisp. Her breathing was erratic and she was becoming restless. She then let out a small whimper.
"Bex? Bex, what's wrong?" I whispered, taking her hand. I was surprised just how cold it felt. Bex flinched at the abnormal warmth of my hand.
"N-No… I don't wanna leave… Johnny…" she whimpered, a couple of tears falling from her closed eyes. My heart sank to my stomach; she was dreaming about Johnny?
"Bex? Hey… wake up." I said, shaking her shoulder a bit. She awoke with a sharp gasp that caused her to wince from her ribs. She moaned, her green eyes darting back and forth as she tried to catch her breath.
"It's okay, Bex. You're okay." I told her, holding her hand as gently as I could. "Huh…? Wha…?" she panted, closing her eyes again. "Easy now. I'm right here." I said, scooting closer to her.
(Bexley's POV)
My stomach was constantly doing loops, making me feel sick. I actually felt like I was going to vomit. My breathing was faster and I started to gag.
Ponyboy quickly ran to the bathroom and grabbed the trash can. Just as he brought it to me, I felt the bile coming up my throat. I raise up and hover the trash can while dry-heaving.
I then started to throw up into the trash can. It caused me to sob from the pain in my body, my ribs mostly. Everything hurt so much and vomiting didn't help at all; it actually made me feel so much worse. I feel Ponyboy rub my back comfortly and felt his palm through my hospital gown, which was open from the back.
When I finally stopped, I spat in the trash can and gasped for breath. Tears ran down my face. Ponyboy went to dispose of the bile in the can before returning to me.
"Here, let me help you lay back down." Pony said, bringing his mouth up to my ear. He supported my back as I let myself lay back down onto my pillow. I couldn't stop crying from the pain, I couldn't help it.
(Pony's POV)
"There you go." I said, helping her settle down into the pillow. "Mmm… ow…" she muttered, holding her ribs with her right arm. It made me feel hurt knowing that she was in this much pain and there wasn't a thing that I could really do to help.
"Do you need me to get a doctor, Bex?" I asked her, taking her hand. She nodded at me with her eyes shut; she bit her bottom lip to contain the whimpers. "Alright, I'll be right back." I tell her, squeezing her hand once more.
I went to get the doctor that was working on her an hour earlier. After I got him, he wouldn't let me go back into Bex's room. My heart was racing so fast that I was feeling dizzy; the stress of what's happening was getting to me.
I waited for Darry and Soda to show up outside of Bexley's room, rubbing my face. I kept thinking about her dream of Johnny. Why didn't she want to leave?
I got that she had liked him in that way while we were in Windrixville, even though she denied it. A chuckle rose in my throat at the memory of when she had kissed him in this hospital. The look on her face when Two-Bit and I walked in, I'll never forget it.
We had walked in and saw her kissing Johnny. To say that we were surprised was an understatement. Her face was as red as a tomato.
Even when Johnny passed out at the mention of his mother, she looked so sick. And she looked as if she was gonna pass out herself. I mentally scolded myself for not going with her at that time.
It was then I knew that Bexley had feelings for Johnny, his letter proved it even more. I believed that he loved her too.
(Bexley's POV)
After the doctor checked me over, I ended up having a fever of 102.4. That didn't make me feel too hot whatsoever. I rarely ever get fevers.
I was hurting all over and I felt sleepy at the same time. My head hurt something awful and every muscle in my body was smarting and aching. Golly, I don't think I ever felt this much pain in my entire life; except for the rumble we had a year ago.
I was willing for the excruciating pain to go away, not wanting to feel it anymore. But it wouldn't leave. The doctor had given me an IV that would help said pain to go away but it was taking a while to kick in.
Suddenly, I hear the door opening. I opened my eyes and saw Soda and Darry and the gang walk in with Ponyboy behind them. I smiled through my pain.
Both of my older brothers had smiles on their faces. Soda didn't hesitate to rush towards me in joviality. "Bexley! Oh, thank god!" he cried as he pulled me into a hug. I couldn't hug him back though because of how much I was hurting still, no matter how much I wanted to.
"Soda, you're hurting her. Remember she broke her ribs." Darry said, hearing me wince. Soda instantly lets go of me and lays me back down. "Sorry, Bex. You okay?" He sat next to me and started brushing my hair back gently.
"I… gnh… could be better." I said honestly, still feeling the fever from my busted up body. Two-Bit walked to the right side of the bed. "I'm… glad you're awake, little sister." he said, carefully squeezing my shoulder.
I saw that his eyes were puffy and red from crying. Two-Bit normally doesn't cry; so he must've been badly affected by my accident. When I looked over at Steve, he too had a look of subtle relief on his face.
Throughout the day, it was pretty slow. They kept telling me of how much of a hero I am for saving that kid from the car. I felt good to have saved him but I also felt guilty for putting myself in this situation.
The doctor had come in every so often to check me over. I still had my fever and was still feeling sick from throwing up earlier. The doctor had told the gang as well as my brothers that visiting hour was over so they had to leave.
Needless to say, my brothers were so determined to stay with me. They wanted to be here just in case something happened to me. I can't really blame them.
However, the doctors were so consistent with their rules so there was no way that they'd be able to keep me company while I was here. The only thing that I could do was sleep, even if I didn't want to.
I ended up having a nightmare of the day of the accident. I was standing back at that corner where it took place. The same kid was walking out onto the road and noticed that his shoe was untied. My eyes widened as I heard the car speeding down the street like the devil was after them.
I tried running to save him but my feet were not obeying. "NO! Get the hell out of the way! The-The car!" I yelled in a panic when I saw the car run the kid over ruthlessly. There was so much blood on the street that I had the urge to throw up.
Then, I heard people starting to shout at me for not doing anything to save him. The voices were so overwhelming that I couldn't hear myself. "Get away! Leave me alone!" I cried, covering my ears as tightly as I could to block them out. But it wasn't working.
"Bexley! Wake up!" a voice shouted, shaking my shoulders. My eyes shot open and I let out a frightened, short, strangled scream. I felt that my entire body was covered in sweat and I was shaking like a leaf. My fingers were dug into the blankets of the hospital bed with dear life.
"Bex! Calm down! It's alright." the voice said again. It took me a second to realize that it was Darry's voice. I looked over at my eldest brother's worried expression.
"D-Darry?" I panted, trying to catch my breath. "Easy there, baby. I'm here." he coaxed, brushing my bangs back. That nightmare plagued my mind, I couldn't get it out of my head.
Darry saw me starting to cry so he gently took me in his arms. He knew to be careful with any of his siblings if they were hurt. I found the strength to hug him back.
I felt him tenderly rock me back and forth to help me calm down. I buried my face in his broad shoulder and just let it out silently with the occasional whimpers. He spoke sweet nothings to me in a quiet yet caring tone of voice.
After I had calmed down enough, I weakly pushed Darry off of me to tell him that I wanted him to let go. He does so. I glanced down at my shaking hand and balled it up into a fist to help stop the incessant trembling.
The tears were still falling from my eyes. That familiar pressure on my nose and cheekbones were making it hard not to break down again.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asks me, rubbing my back. "T-The car… hit that kid… I couldn't move. I wanted to help him but… And the voices… they were…" I breathed, my heart racing a million miles a minute.
My chest was starting to hurt something fierce and I felt as though I couldn't breathe. I grabbed my ears and started rocking back and forth uncontrollably. The panic attack was starting to take over.
My eyes were shut tightly and I whimpered in fear. Darry knew just how to help me through this. I felt him rub my back in circles and he talked to me.
"Easy, Bexley. You're okay. You can get through this. Take deep breaths for me." Darry said. I did as he asked, each breath sounding shaky with every withdrawal. "There you go. You're doing great, Bexley." Darry tells me comfortly.
"I'm not gonna leave you. Okay?" he assured, making me feel more calmer, "Just keep breathing." I took deep breaths, my lip trembling.
After a minute, I felt my panic attack cease. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You okay?" he asked, squeezing my shoulder.
I nodded at him and smiled at him weakly. "That's good, kiddo." he chuckled at me. I knew that he was relieved that I was much better.
"So I'm guessing you're the only one who could visit me?" I asked him curiously. "Yeah. I got off work early to come see you. Soda wanted to come, but I made him go to work. Ponyboy had to go to school." Darry replied, leaning forward in the chair.
"What about Two-Bit and Steve?" I asked him, gingerly rubbing my ribs. "Steve's working with Soda. Two-Bit on the other hand, I'm not sure. He hadn't been the same since the accident happened. He won't talk to us about it." Darry answered me simply.
I glimpsed down at my hands for a second. "He is?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I was too dizzy and weak to figure who came to my aid.
I felt a raging headache coming on and I had to lay back down. Sweat started to form on my forehead, neck, and face. My entire body felt cold and it caused me to shiver.
Darry noticed immediately and he put a hand on my clammy forehead. "Glory, Bex. You're burning up." he commented, putting the back of his hand on my right cheek. "Y-Yeah… I forgot to mention that I have a fever…" I moaned, feeling my body ache.
"The doctor said you did because of your injuries. Hang on." Darry said, getting up from the chair. My eyes were shut so I could only hear where he was walking to. It was towards the bathroom to get something.
Tears from the pain in my stomach, ribs, and head were streaming down my face. It all hurt something awful. Having this fever didn't help me in the least.
I suddenly feel a cold, wet washcloth touch my forehead. It caused me to whimper in discomfort. Darry quietly shushed me as he ran the cloth from my forehead, to my cheeks, and then my neck.
"Shhh…" Darry soothed me, gingerly sponging my face. Feeling the coolness of the washcloth helped me relax enough so I could sleep. I ended up falling asleep shortly after; this time, I got through the night without any bad dreams.
Darry had told me that I wasn't the only one having terrible nightmares. Ponyboy had been getting them as well as Soda. Even Two-Bit has gotten a few from my accident. I knew that I'd have to talk to him eventually.
The kid I had saved from the car stopped by with his mother to see me. They were both grateful that I had risked my life to protect him. I was modest about it though.
(Third Person POV)
Two weeks had passed by relatively slowly. It would be a lie to say that it was fun for Bexley to enjoy inspecting every crack of the bland, white ceiling. Everyone would come by at least one at a time so she wouldn't be overwhelmed, thanks to the doctor.
Her brothers were frequent visitors. Steve didn't really visit much; he only did when someone wasn't able to. Just their presence made her feel safer. Sometimes when she woke up from a nap, she'd find one of her brothers asleep in the uncomfortable hospital chair.
Bexley would have to stay home from school for at least another week or two as directed by the doctor. But her homework would be delivered to her by Ponyboy, considering they shared some of the same classes.
Two-Bit only visited once. Whenever Bexley would try to talk to him about the accident, he would grow quiet and distant, which was odd for the wild and reckless rusty-haired greaser. Nothing could seem to get rid of that grin on his face but now, it's like it didn't exist.
Bexley was finally rid of that fever that made her sick about a week later, which relieved her. Sometimes she would even feel bad because she thought she was taking away their energy. But they would go and say that she wasn't at all a burden to them.
Not only was Bexley concerned for him, but the rest of the gang was. This wasn't like Two-Bit at all. They all knew him better. Bexley knew she would have to be the one to talk to him about it, even if he didn't want to.
Her heroic act towards the kid she saved didn't go unnoticed. It was in the morning paper with the headline: Local Girl Saves Child. Her picture along with the kid she saved, and the car were all on the front page. She felt proud of herself subtley.
Finally the day came for Bexley to be released from the hospital. She couldn't be more excited. Darry came by with the old, battered truck and they helped her inside. Even though the ride was quiet, Bexley was more than happy to be out of that hospital. Because of her broken ankle, she had to resort to using crutches.
When she stepped inside the house, she was comforted by the familiar, warm walls of it. Darry had told her to go to bed to rest. Being as stubborn as she was, she didn't want to argue so she decided to listen.
After giving her some aspirin, she made her way to her, Soda, and Ponyboy's room. It wasn't easy because of the crutches. Ponyboy decided to go to bed too since it was pretty late. He helped Bexley settle into bed; she was asleep in an instant.
(Darry's POV)
After Ponyboy helped Bexley into the bedroom, I plopped down in the recliner. All I did was rub my tired eyes because there was so much on my mind. First Bex gets run over by a car, gets sent to the hospital, then I gotta juggle between two jobs and get the bills paid.
I felt my stomach turn at the persistent worry for my kid brother and kid sister. They were only fifteen years old; they shouldn't be going through all of this. They should live with freedom and happiness within the neighborhood, not worried about getting hurt whenever they walk out of the door.
Not long after, Steve had stopped by with Soda behind him. They had just gotten home from work. Two-Bit wasn't with them this time. "Hey, where's Two-Bit?" I asked, looking up at Soda and Steve.
"He was with us. Said something about watching his kid sister tonight." Steve answered, grabbing a beer from the fridge. For some reason, I didn't believe that he had said his kid sister is with a friend of hers.
"He might be getting into some trouble. I'll go after 'im. Soda, Steve, you two stay here with Pony and Bex." I told them, getting out of the recliner and went to grab my keys from the coffee table before walking out of the front door.
(Two-Bit's POV)
I had told Steve and Soda that I had to go watch my kid sister, knowing full well that she was at one of her friend's houses. It was an excuse to not go to the Curtis's house. I was still messed up after Bex's accident. I couldn't bear to see her at the hospital.
Seeing Bex get hurt like that scared me to death. I thought she was gonna die from it because of how hard the car had hit her. Hell, she's like my little sister and it killed me inside knowing that she was hurt like that. I couldn't live with myself if she were to be killed, it'd kill her brothers as well.
I found myself going to Tim's in order to get a few drinks, I definitely needed one. During these drinks, I was looking for a way to blow off some steam. Words couldn't even express just much I wanted to kick that bastard's head in for almost hitting that kid Bex saved and for running Bex over.
After my third drink, a few guys who Buck knew were playing poker had caught my eye. I figured that that would help me get my mind off of what happened. After ordering another beer, I went to join them in their next game.
I cannot say that I am a great gambler myself but I was very much an expert when it comes to cheating. It helped me well enough. I can thank Sodapop and Stevie for that little trick.
I ended up losing three games to these guys, and I was getting irritated. My own head was smarting from an excruciating headache. The guys I was playing with wanted to play another round, and I nodded, boosting up the stakes even higher.
Soon, those same guys figured out that I was cheating them off and despite my drunken state, I could see that they were pissed. "You son of a bitch! You cheated us!" one guy roared, shooting up from the table.
"Get him!" another shouted, tackling me onto the floor with a single punch to the face. The punch was so vicious that it knocked me on my own ass. Before I could retaliate, three other guys held me to the floor, getting my head kicked in.
I tried my hardest to block their attacks like I do in rumbles but it was no avail. I can take on one guy but four? No. I was outnumbered.
These assholes started punching and kicking me as hard as they could. They swore at me with every hit; blood was filling my mouth from another punch to the jaw.
One guy picked me up by my shirt and he managed to throw me across a table that had beer bottles on it, making them shatter loudly. I couldn't get to my feet when I landed on the floor, my entire body was hurting like hell.
My headache was gettin' worse and I felt dizzy. My vision was split in two to where I couldn't see straight. I then heard someone say something to me before I felt myself being dragged out of the bar by both of my arms.
"Let go of me, asshole!" I barked, fighting to get loose. I was then hoisted to my feet by the same figure. When I steadied myself, I pushed back the figure roughly to get him off of me.
"Calm down, Matthews. I just saved your ass from getting kicked in there. If you don't want my help, then so be it." that same voice said. I blinked hard a couple of times before realizing who it was that had helped me.
"Oh, sorry, Tim." I said apologetically. I was still feeling dizzy and had to hold my head for a moment. Blood covered my nose and mouth, my head pounded something awful, and I was trying my hardest to keep from crying.
The fight I just had only made my anger worse, it all came at an instant. I was not only hurt emotionally but physically too. I was keeping how I felt about Bexley having that accident to myself; I never told anyone else.
"Since when do you start fights, Matthews?" Tim asked. I didn't want him to see my tougher shell cracked so I pushed passed him. "It's none of your damn business, Shepard. So stay the hell out of it." I scowled.
"Oh, it should be my business." Tim said, grabbing my shoulder. "No, it isn't. Let me go." I say, glaring at him. When he didn't, I ended up punching him in the face.
Needless to say, Tim didn't take that too kindly. He roughly pushes me up against the wall of the bar, which made me cry out from the pain in my body. He punched me in my stomach so hard that I was down on the ground in an instant, nearly making me throw up.
He kept hitting me so hard that I didn't have the strength to fight back anymore. "S-Stop it!" I yelled, holding up my hands in front of me to protect myself. Tim was about to hit me again but stopped when he saw me being submissive and tears ran down my face.
"C'mon, Two, get up. C'mon." Tim said, gently pulling me up to my feet. I wiped my face with my sleeve and looked at Tim with glassy and withdrawn eyes. Of course, Tim could easily tell that something was up with me but I didn't need him knowing what my deal was.
"You okay, Two?" he asked me, helping me to my feet. "It's nothin'. Just leave me alone." I scowl, pushing him back. Tim grabbed my shoulder before I could walk off from him, squeezing a bit too hard.
I was in no mood to be interrogated right now. I glared back at Tim, feeling hurt on the inside. He saw the look in my eyes and let me go. I stumbled off hurriedly from the bar without another word.
(Third Person's POV)
Two-Bit was stumbling on the streets. He wiped the blood from his face that was coming from his mouth and nose. It smeared on his face skin but he didn't care about that. That same anger he was feeling before was creeping up on him again. He was many blocks from the bar and was secretly surprised that he made it this far without collapsing on his face.
Then there was the familiar sound of Darry's truck coming from behind him. It was growing louder and louder. Then, it stopped on the side of the road and Darry got out of it.
"Two-Bit! There you are!" Darry shouted, running in front of the 18-year-old. He saw just how battered Two-Bit really looked. "Tim said you got in a fight. You're covered in blood." Darry asked, inspecting him.
"I know." Two-Bit answered, trying so hard to keep his balance. "C'mon, let's get you back to my place. We can get you cleaned up." Darry said, wrapping an arm around his buddy's shoulders. Two-Bit didn't want to though, despite him looking worse for wear.
"No, Darry. I can't…" Two-Bit said, pushing himself off of Darry. His entire head was pounding with irritation, causing him to grab it. Before Darry could respond, he saw Two-Bit become pale where there wasn't blood. Two-Bit found himself swaying on his feet, his vision becoming blurry in front of him.
Next thing Two-Bit knew, he had collapsed into Darry's arms and everything went black. Darry dragged him back to the truck, got him in it, and they made their way to the house.
When Two-Bit woke up a few hours later, he could feel a cool washcloth being rubbed across his forehead. As he opened his eyes, he could see that it was a pair of emerald green eyes watching him closely. He could see that it was none other than Bexley taking care of him.
"Agh… dammit." he cursed, trying to sit up as the light was hurting his eyes. "Don't sit up, Two-Bit. You've been out for four hours." Bexley said, pushing him back down to his back. "Huh? Bex?" he asked, focusing his vision on the fifteen year old greaser girl. Why was she here? He felt his heart pounding in fear when he saw her.
"What're you doin'? I thought you were… agh… still in the hospital." Two-Bit groaned, not knowing she was released earlier. "Taking care of you, what do you think? I got out of the hospital a little while ago." she said sassily, still running the washcloth across his head.
Two-Bit couldn't believe that she was taking care of him when she was hurt herself. Ponyboy brought Two-Bit some water to help him clear his head. "Here. This'll make you feel better." Ponyboy said, giving his buddy the water.
"Th-Thanks Pony." Two-Bit said, carefully sitting up before taking the water. "How you feelin', man?" Soda asked, coming from the kitchen with a dish towel in his hand. "My head hurts a little." Two-Bit commented, drinking the water carefully.
The three siblings could see something in Two-Bit's eyes, it was a look of hurt. "Um, Pony, Soda, can you give Two-Bit and I a moment to talk?" Bexley asked, looking at her two brothers. "Alright, I'll be in the bedroom if you need me." Ponyboy said, squeezing his sister's shoulder. "I'll finish up the dishes." Soda nods.
The brothers went off where they said they'd go, leaving Two-Bit and Bexley alone in the living room. Things were silent between them for a little bit before either one of them decided to speak up.
"Where's Steve and Darry? I don't see 'em." Two-Bit asked, looking around the house. "Darry had already gone to the store to pick up a few things for me. Steve went with him." Bexley said, moving to the couch next to her friend. She saw that Two-Bit's hand was shaking, making the water he was holding spill a little bit; so she took the glass from him and set it on the table.
"Two-Bit, Darry said that you got into a fight at Buck's bar. Said that you didn't come by with Steve and Soda." Bex tells him, seeing his eyes become glassy. Two-Bit didn't say anything, he felt as though he was gonna break down at any moment. "Two-Bit, please. Talk to me." she tells him, sounding a bit desperate, "Why did you tell them that you were watching your kid sister? Didn't you want to see us?"
His hands shook, tears were in his eyes. He started breathing quickly, trying to hold back a whimper. All he could do was hug himself as the images of Bex getting run over flashed through his mind.
"Two… hey, it's okay. Don't cry…" Bexley said, wrapping an arm around his shaking shoulders. Two-Bit whimpered in sadness, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. Bexley felt her heart wrench, Two-Bit never broke down like this before.
"Are you hurting anywhere?" she asked, remembering his injuries from getting beaten up. "N-No… it ain't that." Two-Bit cried a little harder, his voice breaking with each word. "Then what's wrong?" she asked in a nurturing way, rubbing his bare arm comfortly.
After a bit, Two-Bit stood up from the couch and walked away from Bexley, his back turned towards her. He spotted a picture sitting on the wall of the entire gang hanging on the adjacent wall.
Tears ran down his face as he scanned the picture, it was of when the gang was younger; before everything had gone to shit. Two-Bit had a smile brighter than the sun itself with each arm around the twins.
"Two-Bit?" Bex asked, watching him worriedly, "Are you okay?" She grabbed one of her crutches and staggered over to him. He hated crying in front of the gang, especially in front of the one girl he considered a kid sister to him.
"Two-Bit, look at me." Bex asked, frowning at him in concern. He slightly turned his head to glance at her, his grey eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, he pulled her into a hug, catching her off guard. The hug made Bexley drop her crutch, the only thing holding her up was Two-Bit.
"I thought… I thought you were gonna die…" Two-Bit whispered, making Bexley tense up. "Huh?" she asked, confused for a moment.
"Tell me, Two-Bit." she urged, saying it soberly. Two-Bit wiped his nose with his sleeve and sniffled. "The day… you were hit by the car, I thought you were gonna die… Bexley, I was scared to death that I was gonna lose you. We were all scared." Two-Bit admitted.
Bexley was speechless, realizing now why Two-Bit had been so distant from the rest of the gang. It was because Two-Bit was terrified of losing her like they did with Dally and Johnny. He, along with the rest of the gang were scared that she wouldn't pull through.
Tears welled up in her eyes the more she thought about it. She hugged her buddy back around his waist and cried softly into his shoulder. He squeezed her as he sobbed sorrowfully.
"Y-You're a-a little sister to me, Bex. I don't wanna lose-lose you." Two-Bit sobbed, "After J-Johnny and Dallas… I don't wanna lose another-another friend."
Bex held back a sob when he said that, all that came out a shaky sigh.
"I'm here, Two-Bit. I'm not goin' anywhere. That stupid car can't kill me." she tells him, rubbing Two-Bit's back to comfort him. Bex was surely a tough greaser girl; nothing could get her down, not even a car.
Two-Bit pulled back and wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand. He chuckled tearfully and sniffled. "Are you okay now?" Bex asked. "Y-Yeah. Yeah, I am." he nodded, "Sorry for breakin' down on ya."
"Don't worry about it, Two. Just don't be afraid to talk to one of us if somethin' is bothering you." Bex said, smiling at him in a friendly way. Two-Bit smiled at her back, feeling reassured by what she said.
"I'll be sure to do that, little sister." he replied before feeling his head starting to ache. "Agh, dammit." he groaned, holding his head. "What's wrong?" Bex asked.
"My damn head. It still hurts. Y'all got any aspirin?" he asked. "We should. I'll get them." Bex offered, nearly falling over because of not having her crutch. From the kitchen, Soda was listening to what was being said between Two-Bit and Bex. He couldn't help but tear up when Two-Bit admitted what was bothering him.
He walked back into the living room and picked up Bex's crutch. "No, you need to sit down and stay off of that foot. I'll get the aspirin for Two-Bit." Soda soberly said, helping Bex to the couch. "But I was doin' just fine before, Soda!" Bex stubbornly replied. "But you're recovering yourself, Bex. You. Couch. Now." Soda said, pointing to the couch.
Bex rolled her eyes before doing what her brother said. Two-Bit followed her after. The two sat on the couch as they waited for Soda to return with the aspirin.
"Hey, speaking of Johnny… I had a dream of him while I was in the hospital." Bex said, resting her ankle atop the coffee table. She set her crutches on her right side. Two-Bit looked at her wide eyed, "Ya serious?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure Pony had told you about it by now." Bex said, feeling her heart pound at mentioning Johnny's name. "Actually, he hadn't. You can tell me though." Two-Bit said with a smile.
"I dunno, man." she said shyly. Two-Bit nudged her a couple of times with his fist gently. "C'mon, you got me to talk. Now it's my turn. Tell me about your dream." Two-Bit said sheepishly.
Bex went on to tell him about her first dream of Johnny. She was left blushing madly by the end of it. "I knew that you two liked each other. The signs were so obvious!" Two-Bit teased, smiling childishly.
She bit her lip and felt her heart thumping hard in her chest the more she thought about Johnny. "Two-Bit, I… I loved him. I really did." she said, closing her eyes. "I know you did, little sister. That kiss between you two proved it. As I said before, I could definitely see y'all in a relationship." Two-Bit said simply.
Bex and Two-Bit both felt better about the situation. Her and Ponyboy would always be buds with Two-Bit. That'd never change.