Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 25: They Broke Him

Vikki's POV

I woke up before anyone else the next morning, wrapped in Soda's tight embrace and my back was killing me. The birds chirped lovingly outside, with the sun peaking through the blinds. I knew it was a bad idea to sleep on the floor, but everyone else was and I didn't want to be too far away when Johnny woke up. Rubbing my eyes, I took in my surroundings.

Cookie and Two laid on the other side of Ponyboy from me wrapped tightly together in a pile of long limbs, closer together than I had ever seen them. Darry lay fast asleep on the recliner at an angle that was sure to hurt his back in the morning, and Steve and Ponyboy were snoring louder than I ever thought a person could snore. Everyone looked so peaceful and I smiled pleasantly before looking over to the reason why we were all on the floor. Only to see the dining room table empty.

"Guys!" I yelled and everyone jumped awake, "guys! He's gone!"

In a few seconds flat, everyone was standing. Cookie and I were panicking as the guys got up to look around, searching for Johnny who had gone missing from his makeshift bed on the table. He was hurt. How could he be gone? I doubt he could have made it far. My suspicions were confirmed when we heard Darry holler from the hall. All of us raced to his side to find him looking into Pony and Soda's room, finding Johnny fast asleep on the bed in the nearly spotless room.

"Thank god, Ah changed the sheets." Cookie said and everyone's glances flashed to her. She shrugged at all of us and I realized she was no longer wearing her blood soaked and stained clothes, but a clean pair of men's pajamas. "What?" she asked our questioning glances.

"Why are ya in my clothes?" Ponyboy asked with confusion.

"Ah took a shower tae get the blood off of meh last night and went into yer room cause Ah figured yer lad's clothes would fit meh better than Darry's. Ye dinnae expect meh tae put those bloody clothes back on did ye?" She asked. Pony shook his head in reply.

"And why is the room so clean?" Soda asked.

"Because Ah couldinae sleep and needed tae busy mah hands. By the way, ye have a laundry bin fae a reason. Use it." She scolded. Cookie? Cleaning? On purpose and without being told to? I'll believe it when I see it. She's definitely hiding something, but I didn't bother prying at the moment.

"Oh." Soda and Pony answered in unison, glancing at each other as if to push the blame of a messy room off on one another.

"So he's okay at least." Darry replied, "well, he made it in here, so he should be fine with a little more rest." We all nodded and followed Darry back into the living room. He started to grab blankets off the floor and toss them onto the recliner before turning back to us. "This house ain't gonna clean itself. Everyone get to work so we can start making breakfast and have something for Johnny to eat when he wakes up again." He directed as he walked into the kitchen and began washing the pans he would need to make breakfast.

It was Sunday, so nobody was in a rush to be anywhere, so we all took our time cleaning up. Soda and Steve began cleaning the kitchen, starting with alcohol wipes from the first aid kit to disinfect and remove all the blood from the table, while Two and Pony focused on the living room. Cookie and I worked together to fold the blankets that littered the floor, and now the recliner, until I tried to run my fingers through my hair. My fingers got blocked by the dried stickiness from last night, and I realized I forgot to shower. I knew that I couldn't let Johnny see me like this, so I pulled Pony aside and asked to borrow some clothes.

"Ya girls are gonna make me clothesless by the end of the week." Pony said, handing me a folded pair of grey sweats and a light blue t-shirt. "Sorry, it was all I could find, now that everything isn't where I left it." He said, with a mocking glare to Cookie who giggled.