Fold (Dallypop)

Chapter Sixteen: Anxiety

(Darry's POV)

Johnny was in the hospital. Ponyboy was covered in soot.

As the dusty old doors of the Tulsa hospital swung open, my heart pounded against my chest like a wild stallion against a corral gate. Ponyboy, my kid brother, sat along with some older guy. Relief washed over me like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Seeing Pony's face, albeit weary and worn, filled me with a sense of profound gratitude.

Soda, my other brother, stood beside me, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears of relief. We exchanged a silent nod, understanding each other's emotions without uttering a word. Ponyboy was safe, and that was all that mattered in that moment.

"I thought we lost you like we did mom and dad..." I muffled out. I was crying? Sobbing.

I held both Soda and Ponyboy tightly. I didn't want to lose either of them again. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them. I couldn't deal with the sleepless nights again.

But my heart clenched at the thought of Johnny. His innocent eyes, now clouded with the weight of the world. I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt gnawing at me. Guilt for not being there when he needed us the most. Guilt for failing to protect him like I promised I would.

And I watched Dallas, his usual tough exterior cracking under the weight of uncertainty. He paced back and forth, his movements restless, his eyes darting between Me, Soda, and Pony. Dallas was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

I could see the fear, the anger, the confusion swirling beneath the surface of his hardened facade. He was struggling, just like the rest of us, but he would never admit it. Not in a million years.

As Pony was taken away for more treatment (just in case), I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The adrenaline that had fueled me through the night began to wane, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness that seemed to seep into my very soul. But I couldn't afford to collapse, not now. Not when my brothers needed me the most.

Soda placed a hand on my shoulder, offering silent support, and I drew strength from his touch. Together, we would weather this storm, just like we always did. As long as we had each other, we could face anything that came our way.

But deep down, beneath the facade of strength and resilience, I couldn't shake the nagging fear that things would never be the same again. That the events of tonight had changed us all in ways we couldn't even begin to comprehend.

The hospital corridors echoed with the sounds of whispered prayers and silent tears.

Johnny's condition remained uncertain, a heavy silence settled over us. The hospital room, usually a place of healing, now felt like a battleground where we fought against the unknown. I couldn't bear the thought of losing another family member, not after everything we had been through.

In the dim light, Dallas's restless pacing continued, a reflection of the confusion within him. His eyes, usually hardened, betrayed a vulnerability that was rare to witness. I wanted to reach out to him, to offer a blanket of comfort, but words seemed useless in the face of our shared fears.

Ponyboy, covered in soot but alive, slept fitfully across the hospital chairs. His face, though uncertain, held a trace of the resilience that defined him. I couldn't help but marvel at the strength of my younger brother, at how he carried the weight of our crazy and unfair world on his shoulders.

Soda and I took turns keeping vigil by Pony's side, sharing stories, reminiscing about the good times to distract ourselves from the ominous cloud hanging over Johnny. The waiting seemed interminable, each passing moment etching lines of anxiety on our faces.

As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the hospital window, I whispered a silent prayer for Johnny's strength and a brighter tomorrow for all of us. The journey ahead remained undecided, but with my brothers by my side, we would face it together, just as we always had.