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Dally was in the hospital. Which made sense because he had gone into a burning building as it collapsed so he could get Johnny out of there but still it sucked, he hated the nurses and doctors there and all of the clothes were uncomfortable at best. So when a nurse came in, you can guess what happend.
“The hell do you want,” I had said.
“I have a letter from a boy named Johnny. He said he wanted me to give this to you.” The nurse had told me in a bit of an annoyed tone. She put it on the table along with my breakfast, and left. I grabbed the note and read it over. None of it made sense, he was talking like he was dying, he wasn’t gonna die, he couldn’t die. By the time I finished and before I could leave the room, Ponyboy and Two-bit arrived to see how I was doing.
“Hey Dally how ya doin’?” Ponyboy asked me. “The rumble is happenin tonight. Sucks that you’re going to have to miss it”
I had just realized that, well of course I knew I had to miss it, but it was only just now that I had really thought about it. “What are ya talking about Ponyboy of course I ain’t gonna miss it, you guys know that it just ain’t a rumble without me.” and before Ponyboy could say anything “Hey Two-Bit can ya hand me your knife, you know, the nice one.”
“Sure” Two-Bit had said if a bit confused.
I took the knife and I broke the cast on my arm. “I am not missing the rumble tonight and neither of yall are gonna say anything about it until I get there.” I know that the first thing I was going to do after they left was go see Johnny and talk to him because he wasn’t going to die.
“Can you guys go now? You need to be ready for the rumble tonight.” I had told them.
“Alright” Ponyboy had told me, “I really don’t think you should go but I won’t stop you.”
“How would you stop me in the first place?” I said back.
“Ok Dally see ya later I guess.” He sounded a bit disappointed but I don't care.
After he left I waited a bit because I didn’t want the nurses to think they did something. I may not let them get in my way but I won’t do something to jepardize them with what could potentially later be police. So after about 10 minutes when the nurse was done making sure they hadn’t brought in anything they shouldn’t have and I had made sure I hid the knife well enough. I left to go talk to Johnny and I was hoping he was awake because it meant I could talk to him before the rumble later tonight. So I snuck into his room before I left for the rumble and was hoping we could talk about the note he had givin to me. It had said “Hey Dally I know your not doing great right now, but Ponyboy taught me a poem while we were camping out in that church
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
I had thought about it for a while and I relized what it meant. It’s about someone’s life growing up in our world, Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold, like when you’re a kid and still full of wonder, but is constantly getting stomped out, the green and the gold, then the hardest hue to hold, then Her early leaf’s a flower, But only so an hour like when you are learning and growing but it can’t stay. I don’t feel great so I’m going to end it here. It means that in this world nothing good can stay, so appreciate the good things, maybe talk to Ponyboy about sunsets he likes and I think you would too. If you can’t do it for yourself then at least do it for me” The gold may be gone from you but life is still worth living if you can find it. -Signed Johnny”
It all looked rushed at the end like he didn’t have time and I was scared, I would never admit it but Johnny was the whole reason I was still alive. I had to see him. I ran into his room and there he was asleep but he looked like he was waking up so I talked to him. “Johnny, Johnny, come on man you gotta be alive. You there? Please be alive.” I said and I was not nervous no matter what Johnny would have said.
“Hey Dally – How ya doin - I don’t feel great myself -” Johnny said a little shakely
“Hey Johnnycakes, the rumble is happening tonight” I said
“Yeah I know – Ponyboy and – Two-bit told me – earlier” Johnny said sounding worse then before.
“Great then you know we are going to beat those Socs, we’ve even got Sheapards Outfit with us to beat the Socs.” I told him
“That’s awesome Dally.- did you read my letter?” Johnny replied
“Yeah I read it. Why did you do that? You were talking like you were gonna die real soon.” I said quickly
“Man look at me – do you really think - I can li– live through this” Johnny said with a sort of acceptance in his voice.
“No no no no no no, you can’t die man come on.” I said I couldn’t help but admit it but I was scared. Johnny knew he was gonna die and I just didn’t want to accept it. I couldn’t accept it.
“Look man- Dally even if I – even if I live through this – mom and dad are just – are just going to be worse and I can’t stay with you or Ponyboy, and – and Soda, and Darry. It would take too much from you guys” Johnny said. And he sounded bad. “Dally I’m just going to — just going to sleep now, — and seriously try watching the sun — the sunset. It's nice. Talk to Ponyboy about it to –, if not for you then do it for me. Just try and find the good in the world. It will make life just a bit more worth living.” Johnny told me and then he closed his eyes, it looked like he was sleeping until…he just stopped.
“No no no no no no no no no, Johnny don’t be dead, come on don’t die on me Johnnycake, don’t die on me.” I said to myself. I knew he was dead, he died right there infront of me. One of the docters came in at that moment and asked me what I was doing here. I couldn’t say anything other than “Johnny’s dead” he died, right here, I failed. If I had been faster he wouldn’t have died. I was thinking to myself now, but he had asked me to do something so I went. It was still about 7PM so I might not miss it. I ran from the room and back to the streets. I was looking for where the rumble was going to be and I went up to a hill nearby and I saw that redhead and Ponyboy. So I just went on over to join in and chat.
“Hey Cherry, oh hi Ponyboy” I say “Anyways what were ya talking about.”
“The sunset,” Cherry says.
“How she was going to help us in the hearing later,” Ponyboy says at the same time as Cherry.
“Well I better get going now,” Cherry said. “Don’t want to be here when you guys all fight each other.” And she got in her car and left.
“Oh well, anyway hey Ponyboy, Johnny told me to talk to you.” I told him because what else was there to do.
“What did he want you to talk about” he replied, sounding a bit curious.
“He said to ask you about the sunset and watch one with ya” I said.
“Oh ok, good timing then the sun’s about to go down real soon anyways” Ponyboy said.
“Nice” I said because I didn’t know what else to say. “How is the view from here anyways”
“This spot has the best view in the whole neighborhood,” he replied. As he said that the sun started going down and the sky became a beautiful hue of orange turning pink. The sight filled him with determination. To at least live to the next day, for Johnny, I told myself.
“The view is beautiful, no wonder you always liked it so much.” I replied.
“Never thought you would be one to say that” He replied sounding really surprised. And well it’s always a good thing to be unpredictable, so I smiled.
“Neither did I,” I said back. Maybe all isn’t bad, maybe, just maybe, is there still gold in my life. “Hey Ponyboy,”
“Yeah?” He questioned
“This feels like something Johnny would say but, Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold.” I said to Ponyboy and smiled as I watched the sunset.