Heart Breaker

Chapter 33

It was awful quiet. It was scary quiet. I looked at Johnny. He was very still, and for a moment I thought in agony: He's dead already. We're too late.

Dally swallowed, wiping the sweat off his upper lip. "Johnnycake?" he said in a hoarse voice. "Johnny?"

Johnny stirred weakly, then opened his eyes. "Hey," he managed softly.

"We won," Dally panted. "We beat the Socs. We stomped them--- chased them outa our territory."

Johnny didn't even try to grin at him. "Useless... fighting's no good..."

Dally licked his lips nervously. "They're still writing editorals about you in the paper. For being a hero and all." He was talking too fast and too calmly.

"Yeah, they're calling you a hero now and heroizin' all the greasers. We're all pround of you, buddy." I said.

Johnny's eyes glowed. Dally and I were proud of him. That was all Johnny had ever wanted.

"Ponyboy," Johnny said. Pony leaned over to hear what he was going to say. "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." Johnny said then he closed his eyes.

Dally swallowed and reached over to push Johnny's hair back. "Never could keep that hair back... that's what you get for tryin' to help people, you little punk, that's what you get..."

Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face.

"Damnit, Johnny..." he begged, slamming one fist against the wall, hammering it to make it obey his will. "Oh, damnit. Johnny, don't die, please don't die..."

He suddenly bolted through the door and down the hall.
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I just broke down and stared at Johnny. For some odd reason his chest was still moving up and down.

"Pony, do you see what I see?" I asked. "His chest is still moving up and down."

"No way." Pony said.

"Pony, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I need you to call in the nurses and call Darry. Tell them I have gone after Dallas. I know this is what will cause him to snap. He is going to go get himself into trouble or worse killed. Tell them to stay at home cause I am going to call them. Alright?" I said kissing his forehead.

"Alright." He said and I ran out of the hospital.