Tulsa Ripper

Chapter 19

Darry talked with the police officers for several minutes before joining Steve and Tim on the other side of the trees where they'd dragged Dally out of the way. Two-Bit had come running back by then and was standing hunched over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Dally was looking so full of anger that Darry wasn't sure that speaking to him would be such a good idea, but he figured he'd better just get it over with. Steve and Tim had finally let go of him. He was leaning up against a tree and the look of agony on his face that was masked by rage did not go unnoticed by anyone. "There's an ambulance right over there, if you want to have a doctor take a look at you," Darry offered. Dally offered his own response that Darry just ignored. He looked over at the three other boys. Wordlessly, he asked them for a few moments alone to talk to Dally. All three wandered off just out of earshot. "Dally, I know you're mad," Dally stared at him, his eyes positively piercing. "MAD? You don't know anything. How the hell could you just let him walk away after what he did?" Darry kept his voice calm. "In case you missed it, he wasn't exactly walking-" "He should have to pay for what he did to Johnny! To YOUR brother! Don't you even care?" Darry looked him square in the eyes. "What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I do! You know I do! That's why we have to let it go-" "Let it go?! No way! You might have protected him this time, but I'm not through!" Dally was out of his mind with anger. And now Darry was getting mad. But he still kept his wits about him. He knew Dally. And he knew where all this was stemming from. "Protected him? Dally, listen to yourself! I was not protecting him, I was protecting Ponyboy and Johnny and, dammit, I was protecting you!" Dally swore at him. Darry grabbed him by the shirt collar. "You know where I'd be if I just let loose and gave that guy what he deserved? I'd be in jail and Pony and Soda would be on their way to a boys home. And if I'd let you go? You'd be in the back of that cop car, headed off to the cooler again. He's a Soc, Dally! You know as well as I do, there's NOTHING you can do." "Look, I-" "No, you look! There's a kid back there that needs us," Darry pointed in the direction of his house. "He needs YOU! He's got nobody at home, Dal. Did you see him? Did you see the look in his eyes? He was scared to death! How can you turn your back on him?" "I'd never turn my back on Johnny!" They were screaming at eachother. Steve, Two-Bit and even Tim looked around nervously. They couldn't be out of earshot now unless they walked all the way back to the Curtis house. "That's what you'll be doing if you don't drop this! You're not going to be any help to Johnny in jail!" Darry yelled. But then, he lowered his voice and threw his hands up in the air. "You know what? Forget it. Go then. Johnny's got the rest of the gang to look out for him " Dally started to yell something back at him, but suddenly caught his breath and cringed. He let out what started as a groan, but faded to more of a whimper. Darry caught him as he started to fall to the ground. "Dally? Dally, c'mon, let's get you home..." The other boys ran over to them. "Steve, go get the truck,"Darry said as he and Tim carefully lifted Dally to his feet. Dally made a feeble attempt to fight them off, but he had no strength left. As he rose to his feet, a pain so intense shot through his side that he passed out cold. Soda and Pony boy helped Johnny up stairs to the couch. They laid him down and Soda covered him with a blanket. Ponyboy walked over to the window and looked out nervously. "Where are they?" he asked absently. "Soda?" Johnny said weakly. Soda got down beside him. "Yeah, buddy, I'm right here..." "Soda, where's Dally and Darry? They didn't go back outside, did they?" Johnny was getting worked up. "They'll be right back, don't worry. Look, you need to sleep, ok?" Johnny tried to keep his eyes open but couldn't. His fever was burning and he had no energy left. I have to stay awake, he thought desperately. I have to tell Soda to stop them... make them come back inside... Soda was gently stroking Johnny's forehead. Johnny was asleep within seconds. When he awoke again, it was dark. It took a moment for him to remember all that had been going on, but when he did, his stomach sank. The last time he'd been awake, half the gang had gone out looking for the killer. He still had no idea how many had returned in one piece. The room was completely dark, except for one light that was on in the corner next to the chair where someone was sleeping. Johnny rubbed his eyes and struggled to focus them. It was Darry. A little bit of relief swept over Johnny, but then he wondered, why is Darry out in the chair? Why not Steve? Or Two-Bit? Or... Johnny swallowed hard, "Darry?" he was surprised at how quiet his own voice sounded. Darry opened his eyes immediately and sat up. "Johnny?" Darry rubbed his eyes and came over to the couch. He sat down beside Johnny and touched his forehead. "How ya feelin' kid?" Johnny searched Darry's face for any sign that anything bad had happened. Finding nothing he could identify as threatening, he relaxed only slightly and answered, "OK." "Yeah? You hungry? You want anything?" Johnny just looked at him. He was too afraid to ask. "What?" Darry grinned a little. He was playing with him. "Oh, you want to know what we found?" But Johnny was in no mood for games. And he was still half asleep. He couldn't fathom why Darry would be joking around with him. In his dreaming mind, everyone had been cut into pieces by the Tulsa Ripper and he'd been alone until that very moment. And quite frankly, he was completely terrified. Darry caught the look in Johnny's eyes as he had started to tease him. "Oh, hey... what's the matter, kiddo? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- what's the matter?" Darry sat closer to him put his arm around him. Johnny just looked at him with big, scared eyes. "Is everybody..." he didn't want to ask. Darry just waited. Johnny took a deep breath and just blurted it out. "Is everybody ok?" Darry turned to face Johnny and took him by the shoulders. "Oh! Johnny, yes! Yes, everyone's fine. My gosh kid, I forgot, you were asleep! I'm sorry." Johnny's shoulders sagged in relief. He wanted to cry, but you just didn't do that in front of Darry. But Darry could tell. He hugged Johnny. "Everybody's ok, baby. We're all fine. I'm sorry! There was so much going on when we all came home, so much noise and goofing around that I forgot nobody filled you in. But everybody's fine." Johnny just took another deep breath and looked gratefully at Darry. Darry grinned at him. "And you're gonna be ok, too. Let me get you something to eat and I'll explain the whole thing. You hungry?" Johnny nodded. Darry weht to the kitchen and brought back a half of a sandwich for Johnny and the other half for himself. He sat up with Johnny for about an hour, telling him all the details of what had gone on. He told him about Ricky and how his little "prank" had gotten way out of hand and about the police and the ambulances and about how mad Dally had been. Darry noticed eventually that everytime he mentioned Dally being mad, Johnny would eat a little slower until finally, he stopped eating all together and just put his head in his hands and groaned. "Johnny?" Darry looked at him, confused. "Do you feel sick, buddy?" Johnny shook his head and looked up. He didn't look sick, only sad. "He was mad before he even walked out the door. He's really pissed at me." "Oh, he'll get over it!" Darry said, obviously not taking the situationn as seriously as Johnny. But then, upon seeing Johnny's forlorn expression, he added, "And he's not mad at you..." Johnny looked at him, not convinced. "Well, not exactly... See it's kind of like me and Soda or Ponyboy. When they do something that scares me, it REALLY makes me mad, you dig? I just don't want anything bad to happen to them. That's how it is with Dally. You scared him- but don't tell him I told you that." "Oh, I already know. He told me himself." Darry forced his jaw not to drop, but he couldn't keep the disbelief out of his voice. "He did?" Johnny shot a guilty glance at him then, as though he'd let out a secret. Darry composed himself, though he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to actually hear Dallas Winston admit to being scared. "Well, there. You see? That's all it is then. He'll be fine! I never stay mad at Ponyboy or Soda." Johnny shook his head. "Dally ain't like you. He stays mad at stuff for a long time." Darry laughed. That was true. He looked down at Johnny. "But not at you, kid." "Where is he now?" "Over at Buck's probably." Johnny paused. "Has he been by?" Darry sighed. This had bothered him a little too. "Not yet, but he was hurtin' pretty bad... I kind of...uh... may have cracked a few of his ribs when I had to tackle him. He's probably sleeping it off." Darry looked guiltily at Johnny. Johnny's eyes widened. "He's fine, kid. We taped him up and he left. He refused to go to the hospital. And I think he's probably more mad at me than you right now." But it was not like Dally to stay too far away when anything was wrong with Johnny, and that had concerned Darry. He didn't say anything to Johnny, but he intended to go find him if he didn't show up by morning. "But he'll come around," Darry added. Johnny doubtfully met his gaze. "Trust me," Darry said and ruffled Johnny's hair. "Now finish up your snack and lie down and get some sleep. Everything's all right now." Johnny did what he was told. He was still exhausted, but the last thing on Earth he wanted to do was go back to sleep.