Don't Leave Me Johnny Cade!

Chapter 20

I had been waiting almost half a day for at least Kayla and Pony to come see me. It was a super long, boring wait, but I survived long enough for them to come in. Two-bit was also along with them.

"Hey Johnnykid," Two-bit walks closer to the bed. I looks over at him, but it was still hard to move with my injuries.

"Hey y'all," I spoke. My voice was cracking and weak, but it didn't sound too bad. Today was the first time I had spoken since I got here.

"They treatin' you okay, kid?" Two-bit spoke softly, and he kept calling me kid. It almost made me feel small or young. I didn't like it to much, but I just let him call me that.

"Don't...." I sucked in a deep gulp of air. I felt like I couldn't breath, and the air wouldn't go into my body, "....don't let me put enough grease in my hair."

"Don't talk," Two said, pulling up a chair to the bedside, "Just listen. We'll bring you some hair grease next time. We're havin' a big rumble tonight."

My eyes grew wide, and I looked right at Kayla. I didn't want anyone to fight because I didn't want them to be in a condition like mine. I sort of calmed down when I saw Kayla's beautiful face, but I was still on the edge about the rumble. I was also hoping that Kayla wasn't planning on fighting in the rumble tonight. She is in absolutely no shape to fight with anyone.

Two-bit continued, "It's too bad you and Dally can't be in it. It's the first big rumble we've had -- not including the time we whipped Shepard's outfit."

"He came by," I gasp out. It was still really hard to breath. It had been hard to suck in breaths while I would try to talk to someone or sleep. 

"Tim Shepard?"

I slightly nodded, but it was hard for me with my condition, "Came to see Dally."

"Did you know you got your name in the paper for bein' a hero?"

I managed to smile a little, but Pony looked like he could see right through me. He knew I was happier than I was acting. I was still smiling a little and said, "Tuff enough."

"You want anything besides hair grease, kid?"

"The book..." I looked at Pony again, "can you get me another one?"

"He wants a copy of Gone With The Wind so I can read it to him," Pony explained to Two-bit, "You wanna go down to the drugstore and get one?"

"Okay," Two-bit grabbed his jacket off the chair, "Don't y'all run off."

Pony sat in the chair Two-bit pulled up and started talking to me for a little about Dally. I didn't want to die now though. Sixteen years ain't long enough for me. I have gotten to do anything with my life or see the outside. The only time I had been out of my own town was when we were in the country. Then, I turned to Kayla. She looked so beautiful, and I just had to talk to her. We talked for a little, but I slowed down talking once she started crying. I really wanted to go give her a hug, but I couldn't. She wiped up all of her tears as one of my nurses came in.

"Johnny," she said quietly, "your mother is here to see you."

I could tell my eyes were light because I was shocked, but soon they turned dark, "I don't wanna see her."

"She's your mother."

"I said I don't wanna see her," my voice rose as I started to get mad, "She's probably come to tell me about all the trouble I'm causing her and about how glad her and the old man'll be when I'm dead. Just tell her to leave me alone. For once..." my voice broke and fell back down, and for seconds there I couldn't breath, "...for once just to leave me alone."

Black. That's all I saw as I told the nurse that, and I bet she made the boys and Kayla leave. Damn it. I really wanted to keep talking to them, but she wasn't going to let them see me now.