No Angel - Dallas Winston

34

"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'm gonna kill you!" Dallas's deep voice rang out. 

I sprung awake, as I gasped for air. 

I was being wheeled through the hospital now. 

People were sitting in the chairs in the waiting room, watching our three stretchers being pushing in a line. 

I was at the back of the line, as I sat up a little bit to try to get my bearings. 

Dallas was in the stretcher in front of me. 

He was half sitting up and half leaning over the side. 

His finger was pointing at Ponyboy, scolding him, as he sat in one of the waiting chairs. 

Ponyboy was covered in soot. 

He leaned back in his chair, and took a long drag from his cigarette. 

Ponyboy's eyes seem to sink a little bit, as we all finished driving past him. 

Johnny was on the stretcher in front of Dallas. 

I couldn't really see him from where I was at, but I did get a glimpse as we turned a corner. 

Johnny didn't look good. 

His forearms and legs were burnt bad. 

Johnny's eyes were closed. 

The only movement I saw from him were his quick shallow breaths. 

Johnny seemed to let out painful groans with every breath. 

I was just glad he was still alive. 

They wheeled all of us down a long hallway. 

They stuck me and Johnny in the same room since we were both on oxygen, and they stuck Dallas in the room next door. 

Nurses, doctors and aids flooded in. 

There were so many people doing so many things at once, it was hard to comprehend what was going on. 

They lifted me up and put me into a different hospital bed, before taking the stretcher away. 

What scared me the most was they quickly wheeled Johnny out of the room. 

"Where are you taking him?" I asked the nurse that hovered above me. 

"Scans." She said, as she pushed a syringe into my IV. 

"What's that?" I watched as the medicine traveled down the tube and into my arm. 

"For pain, good night." She said, as my eyes fluttered shut. 

...

"Dallas." I groaned, as I woke up again. 

"Not even close." Twobit said, as he stood over me. 

Him and Ponyboy were standing between Johnny and I's bed. 

Johnny was awake now, he was lying on his front facing the floor talking to Ponyboy. 

"You know, you talk in your sleep." Twobit chuckled. 

"No, I don't." I coughed out. 

Man, my lungs hurt, and my feet. 

"Oh, Dallas." Twobit jokingly mocked me. 

"When can I get out of here?" I asked them. 

Twobit's face seemed to drop to a more serious tone. 

"The doctor told Darry last night that you can't leave till you're not dependent on the oxygen.  They said when you're not wearing it, it drops down in the eighties.  They said the smoke damaged your lungs." Ponyboy looked like he was trying not to cry. 

I felt bad for him. 

I know in his head he was blaming himself for all of this. 

"I'll be alright, Ponyboy." I reassured him, as I sat up on the bed. 

I was wearing a hospital gown now, thank God. 

I still was sort of pissed they cut my fucking clothes off. 

As I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, I almost gasped. 

My feet were bandaged up to the knees. 

"The book, man.  I need to finish the book." Johnny managed to push out

"What book is he talking about?" Twobit asked Ponyboy. 

"Gone With The Wind.  I read it out loud in the church to pass time." Ponyboy said, as he stepped closer to Johnny.  

"I'll go see if they have one in the gift shop." Twobit then left the room. 

"I don't wanna die now," Johnny's voice was shaking, "The doctor said I busted my back, and I'm never gonna walk again.  He said I was gonna be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.  I know I always talked about killing myself, but I don't wanna die.  There are so many things I haven't seen yet.  Being at that church was the first time I have ever been away from town.   I can't die now, sixteen years ain't gonna be long enough."

Ponyboy paused for a moment, trying to keep his composure. 

"Quit saying that, you're gonna be okay." Ponyboy seemed to mumble out.

Twobit returned with the book in hand, and a nurse followed him in as well. 

"Your mother is here to see you." The nurse told Johnny. 

"No! I don't want to see her!" Johnny seemed to become almost frantic. 

"But she's your mother." The nurse argued back. 

"She's only here to yell at me, and tell me how much trouble I'm causing! So why don't you go out there and tell her to leave me alon-" Johnny couldn't even finish his sentence before he passed out cold. 

This was worse than I thought it was. 

Johnny was in really bad shape, so was I. 

"What happened to him?" Twobit asked. 

"You just can't see him right now." The nurse quickly said, as she pressed the call button. 

"Make sure he gets this." Twobit then handed her the book. 

The nurse nodded in response.  

"Let's go see Dallas." Twobit told Ponyboy. 

Ponyboy was in such shock, I don't think he would have moved if Twobit wouldn't have grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. 

"Tell Dal I want to see him!" I yelled out to them. 

Twobit gave me a thumbs up, as him and Ponyboy left the room. 

I moved up on the bed, and leaned my ear against the wall. 

I listened as Ponyboy and Twobit went into Dallas's room next to ours. 

"Hey, man! How's she doing? How's Johnny doing, man?" Dallas seemed cheerful, as he asked the two of them. 

"Stuff like this... I don't know about this... but it don't look good, Dal. Johnny passed out cold right before we left." Twobit spoke back. 

I moved my head away from the wall, as another nurse came in the room. 

I laid back down, and looked up at the ceiling. 

Everything seemed to hit me at once. 

The overwhelming anxiety of everything almost made me burst into tears. 

This was bad. 

This was really fucking bad.