My Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter XXV

I started becoming aware of things. I hadn't opened my eyes, so all I could see were the backs of my eyelids, and the gentle light that leaked through them. All was silent.

I'd had the most wonderful dream. I had been riding a horse on the land we used to own in Kansas. I'd ridden through the woods past our fields, jumping over longs. I could feel the wind rushing through my hair as we sped along the edge of the creek.

It was all over now, though—the dream, I mean. "Where am I..." I mumbled.

Without even opening my eyes, I could tell who was speaking: Wendy. "You're in my makeshift hospital."

I groaned. "What?"

"Well, the past couple days, Wanda hasn't been eating, so I've been forcin' her to take it easy. I've been monitoring her food intake. She's been a mess lately. I mean, we all have. And you, my dear, have been out cold for nearly two days, so to speak. I say that because you haven't been out 'cold.' You've had a fever."

Wendy seemed calm and under control, despite the tragedies she had alluded to. The tragedies...

Then I remembered—Dally was in jail, and Soda was dead. I had opened my eyes, but I closed them again, silent tears seeping down my face like rain. There was an ache in my heart, and I was suddenly sick to my stomach.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw that Wendy's were also full of tears. "His funeral's in a week," she whispered. "Anyway, I'll make you up something to eat. I'll call and tell the boys you're up. I said I wouldn't allow visitors until you were awake."

I sighed again. "How are the others doin'?"

"Well, I suppose they're doin' the best they can, considering the circumstances. But take it easy for a while, will ya? You'll be stuck in the blues if you dwell on that stuff."

"What else am I supposed to think about?"

Wendy thought for a moment. "Think about blue skies and clear rivers and red roses. You were mumbling 'bout that stuff right before you blacked out."

Wendy left the room, and I sat up. Well, I tried, but I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, and I laid back down. I could feel the fever—it felt like I'd been outside too long on a hot summer day, yet I had the chills.

When Wendy came back with the soup, I had her grab a book for me. Any book, I told her, but she picked out my favorite, anyway: Pride and Prejudice.

I settled down and got into reading, but was soon interrupted when the gang, or what was left of it—now it was only Ponyboy, Darry, Steve, and Two-Bit—showed up. Wendy helped me prop up a few pillows, so I could sit up. "Heya guys. How are y'all holding up?"

Steve shrugged. "Well, we're alive. That seems to be a miracle at this point. But the real question is, what happened to you?"

I laughed weakly. "Shock. That's what happened."

"She was overwhelmed with a ton of things," Wendy added. "In less than half an hour, she found out that she had another brother, she was told her fiancée was in jail, and her friend died."

The boys looked wide-eyed at me, but their attention was taken by Wanda, who walked into the room, rubbing her eyes. They were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying—actually, I know she was. Everyone went to check up on her, except Steve, who sat down next to me

"Does Dallas know?" I asked quietly.

Steve looked confused. "Does he know what?"

"About all of this. Has anybody told him?"

Steve shook his head. "We figured we'd give him a couple more days to cool off."

I looked down. "That's probably a good idea, I guess." I glanced out the window and looked at the rain sliding down the glass. The mood in the room was solemn, and heavy. "I'm gonna go for a walk," I mumbled.

I got up—I was extremely dizzy and thought I'd pass out at first, but I didn't, so I went outside. I didn't put on shoes or a jacket or anything, even though it was pouring rain. I only walked a little over a block before I stopped and just stared at the curb. I small river of water was running down the side of the road, draining into the gutter. I watched as it washed leaves and old cigarettes away.

I looked down at my feet, only to find myself staring back—the puddle on the road reflected all the grief and pain I felt. In my eyes, I could see the loss I had experienced. In the curve of my lips, I could see the uncertainty in everything I held dear. In my composure, I could see the betrayal of a friend.

Each raindrop that fell onto the puddle caused ripples that distorted my face. It surprised me time and time again. Drops of water started to land in the puddle that didn't come from the sky—they were my tears. It was just me, the rain, and my tears outside in the cold.

Suddenly, a car sounded its horn and tried to swerve around me, but the sideview mirror struck my shoulder, and I lost my balance. My head crashed against the ground—

Everything was fuzzy... and I was disoriented. I tried to keep myself from blacking out... but the world was spinning. Slowly, the darkness overtook me...

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Author's note
Lol I'm done procrastinating. You're welcome

Your friendly neighborhood greaser, signing off...
Stay gold y'all ⭐️