~Cicada~ Johnny Cade x male reader

Johnny "Cicada" Cade (1/2)

This one is slightly longer to make up for my sins.

I blink my eyes open, the familiar sight of a hospital playing out before me. As I recollect everything, my eyes go wide and I sit up immediately. My hands from the middle of my forearm and down are wrapped and stiff, as well as slightly sore. My lungs still hurt from the amount of smoke I'd inhaled. I didn't even notice the pretty nurse who'd been changing my IV, which was inserted underneath my bandages. "Sir, take it easy, please," she said. Her voice was soft and carried like the songs of the bluejays back home. Home. I guess I never realized how much I missed my empty old house. Looking up at her, I utter, "Johnny?"

She got this look in her eye, like she knew I'd ask this question and was dreading answering it. "I'm sorry, but you can't see him." I give her a pleading look. "At least tell me he's okay."

"I can't do that."

"Then tell me he's alive then, surely you can give me that at the very least."

Her hesitance to respond scares me, but surely enough, she sighs, "He is alive, Mr. (L/N)." Letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Finally, I lean back and relax a little, doing as she'd requested when I first awoke. She smiled slightly, the light from the window dancing off of her slightly curly brown hair. "I should let you know that you have visitors waiting in the lobby." My ears perk up and I look at her once more. "Shall I get them?" I nod eagerly, desperate to see a reassuring face.

Surely enough, Two-Bit and Ponyboy come waltzing in, leaving the door wide open. Two has this cheesy grin on his face, and Ponyboy's greased up hair makes me chortle a little. "It ain't funny," Pony smiles, just glad to see I was okay. "Whatever," I chuckle, "Doc tell ya what's wrong with me?" Two's smile falters slightly, but he ruffles my hair and maintains it. "I won't sugarcoat it, kid, you burnt up your arms pretty bad. 2nd degree they said, but I haven't even gotten my first degree, so I don't know what the hell they're taliin' about." It was obvious he was trying to lighten the mood. "And I don't know how you managed to burn up your arm that bad and suffer through splinters that big without crying like a baby, especially since those pieces of wood were long enough to lobotomize someone."

I laugh at his jokes, and look down at my bandaged hands. I know what I have to ask next. "Have you..." I trail off. Both of their eyes watch me intently, urging me on. "Have you...seen Johnny yet? The doctors won't tell me nothin' about him." They didn't say anything for a moment, but Ponyboy's eyes crinkled slightly. "He...well..." Two-Bit jabs him in the side with his elbow. I look up hopefully. "So you have!? You have to let me know how he's doing, I'm not allowed to leave this room." Two's face goes slightly upset. "Aw, come now, we was in the middle of a conversation." My eyebrows knit together the more my frustration builds up. "Two, don't do me like this, man. I have to know. I have to."

Two-Bit sighs and waves Pony on. Pony, finally getting a chance to finish what he was saying, informs me, "He's not doing to good. Covered in nasty burns and in and out of consciousness. Can't even hardly move." My heart drops as I hear this, but the fact that he's at least conscious gives me hope, even if it's just half the time. "Well...I believe he'll be okay." I don't fully believe that. I'm scared I didn't get him out fast enough, or was to rough in handling his burned and mangled body. If he doesn't survive, it's on me, and I'm well aware of that. I take a deep breath, then grin again. "How 'bout Dal?" Two immediately perks back up. "Just about as well as you think. Won't stop harassing his nurse. They fight just about like a toxic married couple."

This makes me grin. "Of course. Expected nothin' less." I look around to make sure nobody's listening. Then, I say ina hushed voice, "Take me to see Johnny." Both of their eyes are wide. "But," Ponyboy begins, "you're not allowed out of this room! You said-"

"Forget what I said. Bust me out. I have to see him." Two gives me a crazy look. "And why do you have to see him so bad, hm?" I look him dead in the eye. "You know why." Two-Bit thinks back to the drive-in and sighs. "God damn it, fine. Yer lucky I like trouble." He cracks a wild grin and I yank out my IV with a grimace, hiding behind the two boys as we leave my room. They saunter down the hall like normal, the doctors not even giving a second glance. Eventually, we made it to the room.

Oh boy.

There he lay, in all his glory, which was now contaminated with deep magenta burns and dead peeled skin jutting out every which way. He laid face down, and I couldn't tell if he was awake or unconscious. "They said that even if he recovers, he ain't never gonna walk again." I shake my head. "They say that a lot. A bit of physical therapy and he'll be just like normal." Two-Bit eyes me funny. Putting a hand on my shoulder, he says, "Y'know, I don't think this is that kind of situation, (Y/N)." I shake his hand off and retort, "Yes it will. It has to be." I walk over to Johnny, crouching slightly to his level.

"...Johnny?" Nothing. "Johnny." He stirs slightly, but still nothing. "..." "Cicada?" He opens his eyes slowly, squinting as they adjust to the light. "(Y/N)...? That you, man?" His voice is hoarse and strained, but hearing it makes me undescribably happy. "Yeah, it's me Johnnycake," I say softly. The corners of his lips upturn slightly. "How...how are you, after-" he cuts himself off with a cough before continuing, "after what happened?" I laugh slightly. "My hands are fucked for the next couple weeks." I put my bandaged hands in his field of vision and he dryly chuckles as well. "You look like Mickey Mouse with your hands all wrapped like that." I grin, glad he retains his personality even lying at death's door. "I'm shocked you'd call me a rodent when you're the one with a nickname based on a species of locust."

I couldn't see it, but I could feel Johnny smile at that. "Man...I just wanted to say...thanks for saving me. Sorry about your hands." My grin lessens. "I would burn my hands over and over for the rest of eternity if it meant you'd be alive right now. It's just collateral damage, Johnny, I don't want you thinkin' it's your fault." Johnny stays quiet, and I reach out to grab his hand before stopping myself. The last thing I want to do is hurt him. "Johnny...I feel like I should tell you something." His head shifts slightly. "I... well...I-"

"You need to go back to your room, Mr. (L/N)." The door burst open to a doctor with a name tag that read "Dr. Henney". "You shouldn't be in here." I look over disdainfully. "Wait," Johnny croaked, but it was too late. The doctor had grabbed me by the arm, despite me protests, and took me back to my room. Two and Pony made it away undetected during all of this and met me back in my room, where I'd been detained by a locked door since they brought me back. The nurse let them in and warned them of my "escape", to which they acted like they didn't know, then shut the door. "Look," Two-Bit said, "there's gonna be a rumble tonight. If you can sneak past Ms. Thing out there, we'd love to have you." I nod, and they leave without another word.