𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 :: 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

Twenty.

DECEMBER 2, 1966

ROSEMARY HAD NO IDEA WHO THE BOY STANDING IN FRONT OF HER WAS but was horrified by her husband who was already running towards the stranger who seemed to be about Felicity's age. She watched as Billy's hands gripped the bloody collars of the boy.

"You son of a bitch, you killed my daughter!" Billy yelled.

"Get off that boy right now!" Rosemary ordered her husband.

"I didn't kill her, you did!" Dallas fought back, pushing Billy away.

Rosemary looked at Billy, dumbfounded.

"You hit your own daughter and ran off like the coward she's always thought of you as." Dallas spat.

"Billy, what is this boy talking about?" Rosemary asked, tears forming in her eyes.

As much as she didn't want Dallas' words to be true, she had to just find out from a stranger. Her fingers fell over her trembling lips when she only saw Billy as the man who almost killed their daughter.

Billy's head turned back to Rosemary who took slow steps away from him.

"I didn't know it was her, okay? I panicked and I just had to go!" Billy defended himself.

"It didn't matter who it was, you still made our daughter end up in the hospital." She corrected him. "I want you to tell me why you were hitting cars last night."

Billy swallowed a lump in his throat from the pressure Dallas and Rosemary's eyes laid on him.

"Tell me right now, Billy, I want to know now." Rosemary demanded.

"I was drunk, I got drunk and was on my way home but I wasn't looking at the red light." Billy cried. "Listen, I didn't mean to at all."

"You didn't mean to but it still almost killed my daughter." Rosemary choked.

During their argument, Dr. Charles returns with two police officers following him. Billy's palms only absorbed his sweat when he was face to face with the three men who only eyed him.

"Billy Whitlock?" One of the officers asked, Officer Dunham.

"Yeah, who's asking?" Billy answered with intimidation.

"You're under arrest for attempted vehicle manslaughter," Dunham stated, "you have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be used against you in court. If you don't have an lawyer, we'll appoint one to you."

The metal handcuffs that Dallas was always used to every now and then was only a prop to him, like a he was watching something straight out of the television. His eyes watched them tighten themselves around the thick wrists of Billy's.

Billy was silent when taken away, he had nothing else to say but to put the blame on himself.

Rosemary watched her husband be dragged out of the hospital with the two men in uniform, tears streaming down her face when it marked a new beginning for her. Dallas didn't share the same reaction, most of him felt that it was well deserved for Billy and part of him kept asking what Felicity was going to do with being stuck with her mother.

He felt a hand on his back, turning around to face Rosemary who was wiping her tears with her other hand.

"Thank you, for taking care of my daughter." She said.

"Not like you could've done a better job anyways." Dallas rolled his eyes at her.

Dr. Charles stopped Dallas before he could say any more.

"Are you Felicity Whitlock's mother, correct?"

Rosemary nodded, "Yes, yes, where is she?"

"She's in here, ma'am, but I do have to warn you that she isn't awake and there is no saying in when she will wake up." Dr. Charles notified.

His words made Rosemary break even more. But before she could sob, Dr. Charles brought her into Felicity's room where Dallas could hear her cries from outside the door.

He sees Ponyboy, Johnny, and a sober Two-bit run down the hall towards him. They looked like they had rushed out of the house to be at the hospital.

"Is she okay?"

"Where is she?"

"Is she dead?"

"Pony!" Johnny and Two-bit scolded.

Dallas pinched the bridge of his nose, "No she isn't dead, you doof."

"Then what, what's going on?" Two-bit anxiously asked.

"Doc said she's got some fractures on her leg, they don't know when she'll wake up but I need it to be soon." Dallas debriefed. "She's got her mom in there, man. What if Felicity wakes up to her mom and not me?"

Johnny stood next to Dallas, "It'll be alright, she isn't going to wake up to anyone but you."

"And how would you know that, and don't give me some wiseass answer." Dallas threatened.

"I know, Dally, I just know."

During the hour Rosemary spent in the room with Felicity, the four boys sat in the chairs next to Felicity's door. Dallas fought the urge to fall asleep but it was too late, the boys sat through the sounds of Dallas' snoring.

That hour turned into three since the boys had been sitting in the chair, they were all famished by the time. Dallas was still asleep but they all went down to the cafeteria to grab a bite for themselves and something to bring up to Dallas.

Dallas woke up to Johnny handing him a club sandwich. He was out of his mind for the second and his face made him look like he didn't know what a sandwich was, he stared at Johnny in confusion.

"It's a sandwich, Dal, you eat it." Two-bit dumbed it down sardonically.

"You'll be in the next room over if I hear another one."

He opened the plastic, taking the sandwich out before his teeth bit into it. He didn't remember the last time he ate as he was up all night with no food and water, just standing outside of a hospital room and waiting for his girlfriend to wake up which she never did.

Johnny had also handed him his water bottle, the water bottle that Dallas had chugged not even a minute after receiving it. He handed Johnny the empty plastic which was thrown out by Johnny himself.

Dr. Charles and Rosemary exited her room, she left but her tears never did. All four stood up from their seats, waiting for answers.

"She's awake, for your information." Dr. Charles revealed.

Dallas pushed past him but was stopped, Dallas could've swung his fist but he didn't want that to be the first thing Felicity saw from Dallas.

"She's out of it so I'd go easy on her." He warned.

Dallas removed himself from Dr. Charles' grasp, running towards Felicity's side.

"I'm so glad you're with us, doll." He greeted with many emotions.

Felicity's lips pursed into a smile when she watched her friends walk in. She could feel Dallas' thumb rub over her hand, their fingers locking in together.

"How long was I out for?" She first asked.

"Since last night." Dallas told her. "Listen, what I said last night, I didn't mean any of that at all. Felicity, I am so sorry and I know you don't hear me say t-"

"Dally."

"I am just so sorry that happened to-"

"Dally!" Felicity giggled.

"What, what?" Dallas looked up at her with concern.

"You're babbling."

𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆