Reunited | Dally's Little Sister

forty seven

CH 47

Sage P.O.V.

I wasn't sure what I was thinking when I went to see Johnny. Knowing Ponyboy and my brother were fine, I assumed he couldn't be that bad. But with the look Soda gave me and the hesitation to let me walk in that room, I knew it couldn't be good.

When I laid eyes on him, it took me a few moments to process what exactly was going on. The word "bad" seemed minor and didn't really explain the extent of his injuries. He was lying on his stomach with sheets covering him from the waist down. From the door I could see how bad the burns were on his back and arms. They seemed to make his skin look like it was a crisp, burnt paper that could tear at any time. Angry red whelps ran over most of his body, making it seem like there wasn't an inch of skin that was free form burns. And the smell. The smell of burnt flesh mixed with disinfectant was nearly worse than when I walked in on Angela. A machine next to the bed was the only noise in the room that could be heard. The steady beeping was the only indication that Johnny was still alive.

I was frozen at the door when a hand landed on my shoulder making me jump. "Sorry darlin. Didn't mean to scare you."

All I could do was nod at Soda. Words were not something I could form at this point. My brain was still trying to comprehend how bad this all looked. "The Doc said it doesn't look too good. They are trying to keep him comfortable."

Trying to keep him comfortable and not working to get him better told me everything I needed to know. I could feel the tears forming and shook my head, stepping back out of the room. "Hey, hey. Talk to me Sage."

Soda's hand fell from my shoulder as I took a few quick breaths, "I can't be here. I can't watch another friend die."

I was backing up as I said that, only stopping when my back hit something solid. I looked up to see Darry standing behind me. "We have to talk to the cops one more time, but we will leave after."

It felt like the walls were starting to close in on me. A slow suffocation and I had to get out before it succeeded. I side stepped Darry's large form and started trying to find my way out of the hospital. Soda was following close behind me, trying and failing to get me to stop. When I finally reached the doors to get outside, I took a deep breath willing myself to calm down. "Darlin please wait for us to leave. I promise we will go the second we are done with the cops."

I shook my head and started walking towards the road. Part of me knew I was being unreasonable, that it was their friend in there too. But I couldn't face death again. A part of me died along with Angela and I couldn't lose another part of me. Watching Johnny die knowing that this could have been avoided as well is something that would break me. I would lose it on Ponyboy for putting them in this situation, ultimately pushing Soda away from me for good. My brother would see a side of me I've worked so hard to keep away. I would go back to that cold and empty person I was back in New York, not really living just existing. So, because of that, I continued to walk towards the road. Soda eventually gave up and stopped following me, allowing me to walk in peace.

On the car ride over here, I was so lost in worry that I didn't know how long it took us to get here. Which meant I had zero idea how long I would be walking until I reached home. My feet were starting to get sore and blisters form on my heels. But I made my bed and now I have to lay in it.

I kept walking, watching the sun start to set and cursed myself for not just taking a breather and going back in. It was starting to get chilly, and I didn't have a jacket. A honk and the U-turn of a truck had me stop in my tracks. The thing was too rusted to be a Soc, which was the only comfort I had when it stopped next to me. Steve rolled the window down and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Get in the truck, Sage."

I didn't have to be told twice as I scrambled into the passenger seat. The heat in the truck wasn't the greatest, but it was better than what I was in before. We rode in silence for a few minutes until Steve asked if I was alright. "My feet have seen better days."

He gave me a look at that answer, and I knew that wasn't what he was asking about. I shrugged my shoulders, "Just needed to get away from it."

"Darry called me asking if I could go find you. All he said was you walked out of the hospital after seeing Johnny. Nothing was going to stop you." I looked out the window at the fading sun, trying to pick my words carefully.

"I know you all are closer with him, but it's too soon to deal with something like this." He knew I was talking about Angela and dropped the subject.

When we got closer to town, he asked me where to drop me off. "Buck's. I'm going to pick up some shifts and try to forget about all this." It wasn't the healthiest option, but it could always be worse. I could drink myself into forgetting like I've done before.

And working at Buck's is what I did for that night and the next. I kept my head down and didn't deal with anything that was related to the gang. I had heard a rumor that a rumble was going to happen because in this town, rumbles are the only things that seem to fix anything. Even if it's temporary.

Steve checked in with me right before the rumble to make sure I was still doing okay. He didn't stay anything to me, but I saw him walk in and mention something to Buck. Buck didn't give two shits what was going on in our lives. He only cared about making money and drinking. So whatever Steve told him probably fell on deaf ears.

It was getting near the end of my shift when Tim walked in. He was sporting a black eye and bruised jaw, but it just made him look tougher. I watched him scan the bar until his eyes landed on me. I gave him a questioning look when he took a few steps towards me and stopped. Almost like he was trying to figure out what to do. He seemed to snap out of it and finished closing the distance between us. "I need you to come with me."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why? I still have thirty minutes left."

He ran a hand through his hair which told me he was nervous. What the hell did Tim Shepard have to be nervous about? "Please, Sage."

I froze when those words left his mouth. The word "please" has been one I have never heard him use. Especially when asking someone for something. "What happened?" He put a hand on my arm that most people would see as comforting, but I knew it was to stop me from running.

"It's Dallas."