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Pony hadn’t seen anyone bleed as much as johnny did that day.
They’d found him in the lot, his face torn up and his body shaking. The poor kid was scared to death. He looked like he was dead.
Soda was the first to get there, reaching to hold Johnny and check him for a pulse.
“Johnny?” Soda spoke softly, holding the boy close and brushing back his hair, “Hey, Jonnycake?”
“Soda?”
Ponyboy winced at how hoarse his voice sounded, like every word sliced his throat when he talked.
“Yeah it’s me,” Soda motioned for Steve to come closer and check johnnys back for lashes, “don’t talk. You’re gonna be ok.”
Johnny didn’t listen, it took a minute but the story came out. By then the rest of the gang had showed up.
Two bit looked like he was gonna kill somebody, and Dally wasn’t doing much better. Pony wondered dully why he looked so sick, how could Dally, the toughest of them all, be so broken over this?
Darry was the only one behaving at all rationally, and after they’d made sure Johnny wasn’t gonna bleed too much, he suggested that he come back to their place.
“Listen Jonnycake, you’re looking real pale, and i don’t think you should go back home,” Darry was sitting next to Soda, checking him for a fever.
Johnny gave a weak nod, leaning on Soda, “i’d like that.”
Ponyboy helped Soda carry Johnny back to the house. He always admired how Soda could calm someone, talking to them like they were a wounded animal.
Darry was good with medicine, more so than soda or Pony or anyone for that matter. So when they got home he was already setting up a place on the counter for johnny to sit.
Darry pulled out the first aid kit, opening it up and taking out some peroxide, “Soda, get the kid up here yeah?”
“‘m coming, ‘m coming,” Soda was struggling with carrying Johnny, he may have been the smallest but he wasn’t light by any means, “jesus Darry, relax for once.”
Johnny groaned when he was set down, his head falling against Sodapop’s chest.
Darry helped Johnny lean into the wall behind him, calling for ponyboy to get a bowl of warm water and a rag.
Pony watched sickly while Darry started to wipe away the blood from Johnnys wounds, grimacing when his friends face contorted with pain.
Soda stood behind his younger brother, rubbing his shoulders and trying to calm him down.
Darry worked quickly and easily, trying his best not to hurt the boy when he used peroxide to clean it out.
“Shit,” Johnny spoke for the first time in almost a half hour, “shit, Darry that hurts.”
Darry just hummed in response, “i know, you’ll be ok kid.”
Johnny wouldn’t shut up after that, cursing whenever he was touched. Pony ended up hiding in sodas chest. He didn’t like hearing his friends hurt. He liked it even less when Johnny started to cry.
Soda traded with Darry once he was done, the cut had to be stitched up and Sodapop was the only one who knew how to sew.
He was gentle, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt. It was when Johnny started to actually scream and yell out that Darry suggested Pony go outside.
He sat on the front steps, he could still hear Johnnys cries. It was bad.
Ponyboy smoked to calm his nerves, it didn’t help, but it gave him something else to focus on. He liked to see the smoke, the way the embers glowed. He always wanted to be inside one.
Ten minutes later, about, Soda came out and sat with him.
“Johnnys restin’” He mumbled dully, studying the blood on his nails, “Figured you’d be ok if he took our bed, Darry ‘n i will share his room and you can have the couch.”
Ponyboy nodded, watching as Soda got up again and went inside.
Once he’d finished smoking his cigarette he went inside too, going to check on johnny and grab what he needed from his room.
He was startled by what he saw.
Johnny was crying out weakly in his sleep, curling in on himself.
Ponyboy had seen Soda calm Darry down from nightmares, and he knew it worked, so he tried his best. He sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on johnnys shoulder.
“Johnny? You gotta wake up Johnny,” He kept his voice low, smiling when Johnny opened his eyes, “Hey, you ok?”
Johnny gave a small nod, wiping his eyes and sniffling, “yeah, ‘m ok. Bad dream.”
“You want me to stay with you?” Ponyboy asked, starting to comb through his dark hair. Johnny nodded again.
“please? don’t think i can be alone right now.”
When Soda went in to check on Johnny, he found Ponyboy curled around him. Almost like how Soda would curl around him. He cracked a small smile at the scene, closing the door as he left.
He’d be ok, Pony was a good kid. Johnny was in good hands.