Tragic Kingdom (80s/90s imagines)

60. Johnny Cade (The Outsiders)

For Blue_Areo048

"I promise, I'm fine," you coaxed.

Johnny's eyebrows knitted together. "But Kadence, you're in the hospital."

You offered him a soft smile. "I'm just a little under the weather. Stop worrying so much."

Johnny did not but worry about you. Even before you got sick. He had always been protective over you when it came to socs and even other greasers, but this was different. He couldn't protect you from it.

He visited you every day, even skipping school to keep you company. Every day, he watched as you slowly got worse. No one said it, but everyone could see it.

"Hi, Johnny," the nurse greeted him. All of your nurses knew him by now. "I'm just bringing Kadence some food." Giving Kadence a pointed look, she added, "Which she better eat. See to it, please?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. She'll eat."

You sighed. "I'm not hungry."

"Please, Kadence. Just a bite or two." He got up to look at the tray. "Look, she brought you your favorites. You have to eat just a little."

Relenting, you picked up the fork and poked at your food, putting some in your mouth every now and then.

When you were done eating, or rather, when Johnny said you had eaten enough to stop, you drifted to sleep. You were often tired, and most of the time he was there, Johnny just made sure you slept well.

Your mom came in, smiling at the sight in front of her. "I've come to replace you."

Johnny looked up at her. "Oh, hey." Stretching, he got out of the chair that he hadn't left for hours. "She ate a little lunch, but she slept through dinner."

Your mom nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Johnny. For staying with her. She really appreciates it. We do too."

"Yeah. No problem. I like being here. Makes me feel like I'm doing something to help her." Johnny wouldn't meet her eyes, and when he raised his hand to his face, she knew why.

"She'll be alright."

He looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "What if she doesn't, though? She's too young for this. She doesn't deserve this. What if I lose her?"

Your mom took your best friend into her arms and patted his back, and it was all she could do not to cry herself. "Don't you lose hope, Johnny Cade. Kadence is a strong girl, and she'll make it through this. We've just got to be here for her, okay? We have to be here."

And he was. He was the first person you saw when you woke up the next morning.

"Kadence, I have to tell you something," he announced as you nibbled on breakfast.

Taking a sip of juice, you looked at him expectantly. "What is it?"

"I care about you. A lot."

You smiled softly at him. "I know that."

He looked almost surprised. "You do?"

"Why else would you be here all the time?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I never really thought about it like that. I just thought you needed company."

"That's why I love you, Johnny," you replied. "Because you don't even realize how amazing you are."

"Aw, just finish your breakfast. No reason to get all mushy this early," he mumbled.

"You started it," you pointed out.

"That's beside the point."

"Dally is really rubbing off on you, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sat up in his chair, looking genuinely confused.

"You sounded like him just then, that's all," you giggled.

Johnny was there every day, and when you started getting better, he was just as ecstatic as anyone else, if not more. He was there the day you got to go home, and he visited you at home until you could go to school again. Johnny was there every step of the way.

Gah that ending line was corny as heck. I'm sorry. I hope you liked it, and thank you for requesting! M'kay.

~Mariah