"Erm, so, how does it feel to be in a chair now, Johnny?" The question escapes Ponyboy's mouth before he can stop himself, and for the first time in his entire life, he realizes and understands why Darry often shouted at him for not using his head. He was so insensitive! He was very lucky, though, that it took a whole heck of a lot to offend Johnny Cade. At least he can answer questions like that with honesty.
"Well, I can't exactly feel anything below my bellybutton," Johnny replies, glancing over at his friend. "It didn't even hurt when they rubbed all my burned skin off. Sitting on the chair feels like I'm just... sitting. The hard part is being able to wheel it myself. My arms are really kinda... weak." Even when he answers like the question was nothing different from asking the time, Ponyboy felt like he was terrible friend.
"I'm real sorry for askin," he mutters, ears turning pink. "I shouldn't have asked at all."
"Aw, it's okay Pone," Johnny smiles encouragingly. "Everyone else is all scared and treats me like I'm fragile about it. Though I do wonder what made ya ask."
Ponyboy doesn't know how to answer that. Well, he knows the answer pretty well, actually, but it was hard for him to voice it. "It's just..." he struggles, turning even more pink by the second. "I-I guess it just looked like it... hurts you." That was a lame excuse. He was really curious because of how much he blamed himself for it.
"It only hurt a bit in the hospital," Johnny shrugs, obviously not catching Ponyboy's struggles. "If you ask me, the most painful thing was livin with my parents after a while. They made me lay in my room all day long until meals, and they yelled at me for being useless at the table. Being here made me the happiest I've been in months."
"It did?"
"Yeah! It's my real home, Ponyboy!" Johnny assures his friend, setting a hand on his shoulder. "I just wish it could last forever."
"Nothing gold can stay," Pony sighs, thinking of how he had said that at the church in Windrixville as well. Boy, did he hate how right it was.
***
I do it short. I'm sorry, I just have bigger plans for the next chapter, so it should be much longer. Plus, I wanna get an update started ASAP. So, I will leave y'all till maybe later tonight, or early tomorrow. I hope you have an awesome, tuff, awesome day. Arrevederci~!
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Wishful Thinking | The Outsiders
Fanfiction"Johnny, you're dying." At least, that's what the doctors thought. But when Johnny makes a miraculous recovery, he's released from the hospital - unable to walk. His friends rejoiced, his family remained the same, and the gang of seven special greas...
