The first thing I felt was a sharp pain shoot through my chest as I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes. Bright, blinding lights hovered above me, causing me to blink a few times to adjust. I glanced around the room I was in, which appeared to be a small hospital room. There was a thin, white curtain to my left that separated me from the other side of the room, where another bed stood waiting for the next patient. A few different machines beeped and buzzed behind the bed I was laying in. There was an open window to my right, where no sunlight shined in, meaning it must be nighttime. Two chairs and a table stood below the window, but no one was sat in either of them. The door in the left corner of the room opened and a middle aged nurse walked in. She was dressed in all white. Her brown hair was pulled back in a low bun with a pen sitting on top of her ear. The nurse carried a clipboard with different papers placed on it, along with an ice pack. She closed the door behind her and made her way over to the side of the bed I was sitting on. "Glad you're awake, Miss Westbrook," she said with a small smile. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. How did she know my last name? I only told Dally my full name and I doubt he'd ever tell anyone my secrets. Maybe Bob finally outed my past to the whole town. This whole thing was starting to feel like a bad dream, and I desperately wanted to wake up already.

I glanced at the white, ugly hospital gown I was wearing. My jaw was stiff and sore from the punch I received last night. "How long was I out?" I asked. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest again when I spoke and even when I breathed. Every single movement hurt terribly.

"Just a day," the nurse commented. Noticing my discomfort, the nurse grabbed the ice pack off of her clipboard and shook it before handing it to me. "You'll want to keep that rib iced to help with the swelling." I nodded and placed the ice pack onto my chest gently. When the coldness touched my skin, a slight feeling of relief took over the burning sensation but not the sharp pains. "You're friends have been driving me crazy," the nurse laughed softly. "That boyfriend of yours hasn't left your side since you got here the other night. He's definitely a keeper."

I tried my best not to laugh. "Dallas isn't my boyfriend," I said with a lopsided smile.

The nurse chuckled and rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Sure, hun," she said as she walked back over to the door. Her hand wrapped around the handle as she pulled it open. "The doctor will be in shortly to talk to you. For now, I'll let you see some of your friends." I nodded and watched as the nurse stepped outside the door and into the hallway. "She's awake but I can only let a few of you-"

"We'll take it from here, Linda," Two-Bit said from the hallway. I could see him pat her shoulder before pushing her aside and stepping into the room with open arms and a grin. "There she is!" Two-Bit exclaimed. Ponyboy, Johnny, Steve, and Dally filed into the room after their friend.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. This was the kind of energy I needed right now. "Hey, Two," I said. Two-Bit made his way over to the side of the hospital bed I was sitting on and leaned over to hug me. My breathed hitched in my throat as I flinched at the pain.

"Careful, man," Dallas said. Two-Bit put his hands up in surrender and sent me an apologetic smile. He stepped back, joining the rest of the gang.

"Dally," I said with a smile. He met my eyes, returning the smile as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around me gently.

"You're okay," he breathed. When I heard the relief in his voice, my heart melted in awe.

"I'm okay," I said, closing my eyes for a breath moment as my head lay on his shoulder. We pulled away, still smiling. Dallas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the lighter he had gifted me last night. I accepted the present again and frowned. "Damn, I never got those Marlboros." Dallas rolled his eyes and Two-Bit laughed.

Johnny stepped forward and handed me a pack of cigarettes. "Pony and I got these for you," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Thanks guys," I said. I ripped off the plastic packaging, and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with my new lighter. I held the cigarette up to my lips and took a long drag, blowing out the smoke slowly. I fell into a painful coughing fit because of the sharp stabbing sensation in my chest. Dallas rushed for my side and took the cigarette out of my hand. He rubbed comforting circles onto my back, and I finally caught my breath. My friends watched with concerned eyes, but I tried my best to ignore them. I hated feeling weak.

Knock. Knock.

A young man pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. He wore a white coat and had a stethoscope hanging around his neck. He glanced down at the clipboard in his hands before meeting my eyes again. "Diana Westbrook?" I nodded. "I'm Doctor Graham. Nice to meet you."

"I'd say likewise but I don't really want to be here," I admitted honestly. Dallas chuckled and rolled his eyes. "No offense."

Doctor Graham smiled and shrugged. "None taken," he said humorously. The blonde doctor shuffled through the papers on his clipboard, his eyes scanning each one carefully. "Well, Diana, looks like you got very lucky with your injury." I sighed. Lucky isn't exactly the word I'd use. "Your ribs aren't broken, but they are bruised."

"Bob has a pretty shit punch," I said with a cocky smirk.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," the doctor chuckled. "You're ribs are borderline fractured, and it'll take about six weeks to heal." My eyes went wide. "Not to mention that it'll hurt like hell to fully recover."

I shrugged. "I've been through worse." Doctor raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Ignore her," Dallas huffed. He crossed his arms over his chest. I smiled and feigned my laughter.

Doctor Graham nodded and continued to read off his papers. "For the next month you're going to have to stay here so we can monitor your injury. You're going to be experiencing trouble breathing, pain at the sight of the injury, and pain during any movements. Some other symptoms include muscle spasms around the rib cage, irregular appearance of the rib cage, and feeling or hearing of a crack in the bones. As for your jaw, the stiffness should wear off but you will be a little sore."

My eyes went wide because of all the overwhelming information the doctor was telling me. For once, I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to react. My head ached but I couldn't tell if it was from the punch I received last night or the affect that the beat up was taking on me now. I couldn't believe this is where I'm at right now. Stuck in a hospital for the next month in the worst pain I've ever felt in my whole life. Honesty, what has my life become? I feel like everything that's happened to me recently has just been a series of unfortunate events. I guess that's my fault, really. I started this when I hopped on that train to Tulsa. Everything all goes back to that day in New York, and my past was beginning to catch up to me.

"Diana?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched. My eyes found Dally's and I tried to shake off my somber mood. "You okay?" Dallas asked carefully. I faked a smile and nodded, shifting my attention back to the doctor, but I could feel his eyes still focused on me. He knew me too well.

Johnny and Ponyboy glanced between each other, while Steve and Two-Bit shared hushed whispers. I tried my best to ignore everyone and their concerns. It was becoming too much for me to handle. I'm not used to people caring about me like this and it was starting to feel overwhelming.

"For the first few days, you're going to want to ice your injury to reduce inflammation. We'll supply you with over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications. Although all of this will help with the healing process, the best way to fully recover is by resting," Doctor Graham—finally—finished. He looked up at me with a small, reassuring smile that I couldn't return. "Alright, Diana, I'll return with some more ice and your medicine."

"Thanks," I said with a small wave goodbye. Doctor Graham shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind him. He left an uncomfortable silence behind. There was an unsaid conversation between the five of us.

"I hate hospitals," Johnny said in a hushed tone. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, unsure of what to do with himself.

Ponyboy nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything.

"They creep me out," I replied honestly. Everyone was dressed in matching white uniforms with different tools dangling around their neck. Not to mention, everything was so sad. There was a different feeling whenever you stepped into a hospital. It was like a wave of depressing emotions crashed over you, drowning you into the depths of the ocean that represents all hospitals.

Without warning, the door swung open once again with Evie and—surprisingly—Sandy. The two girls had smiles on their faces as they rushed over to the side of my bed, opposite to where Dallas was standing. "Oh my god, Diana!" Sandy exclaimed. "When I heard that you were in the hospital I came as quick as possible."

I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Sandy has been absent for so long, and then she just shows up out of the blue. She didn't even look like herself. Instead of her usual girly outfits, she was dressed in a dark blue, oversized sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and her face was completely clear void of makeup. She looked like she had gained some weight too. Although she still acted her her bubbly self, I could tell that something was definitely off with Sandy.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Sandy laughed to herself. "We stopped at Buck's and picked up some things for you." She smiled and motioned towards Evie, who held up my backpack.

I smiled at my two friends. "Thanks," I said. Evie nodded and handed me my bag.

As I unzipped it, Sandy chimed in again. "There wasn't much to choose from, but we did our best." I rolled my eyes. She never liked how I dressed.

Inside my backpack was a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, along with my personal necessities. This next month was definitely going to be a long one.

Evie sent me a smile before joining Steve and Two-Bit, while Sandy said she was hungry and left the room in search for the cafeteria. Ponyboy watched her with curious eyes. He is probably going to tell Sodapop that she was here.

"Haven't seen her in awhile," Dallas commented. He turned to me for my answer, considering I was one of her friends.

I shrugged, not really sure why she was here either. "Do you think Soda knows that she's back?" I asked.

Dally shook his head, no. "He said that she broke up with him." My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. I never heard anything about this from either of my friends. I guess it's really not any of my business though. I think I'm just surprised that both of them were able to keep it a secret.

"Why did they break up?" I asked. Something really bad must have happened because they were so in love. I always thought they were going to get married someday.

"Soda didn't say," Dally replied. I hummed in response. This whole thing kind of came out of nowhere. Sandy was her happy and loving self one minute and then she just disappeared from all of our lives the next. Now, she's back again, but for how long?

"Hey, Diana, it's getting late," Steve said. "I think I'm gonna head out." He grabbed Evie's hand and began to lead her out as she smiled and waved goodbye.

"Bye guys," I said.

"I'll make sure these two idiots get home," Two-Bit chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Ponyboy and Johnny's neck before pulling them out the door, the three of them all laughing and waving.

When everyone else was gone, I turned to Dallas and asked, "Are you leavin' too?"

"No," Dally said. He glanced over at me. "You tryin' to kick me out?" He said, almost chuckling.

"No," I said. Dallas gave me a look as if he knew I was lying, which—for the most part—I wasn't. I didn't want him to leave, in fact I'd rather him stay, but I also knew that Sandy was still here and I wanted to talk to her alone. "You already stayed over last night."

"I wasn't going to leave you here alone," Dally replied. "You were unconscious."

"Well, I'm conscious now," I retorted. Dally rolled his eyes, clearly becoming annoyed. With a small smile, I grabbed his hand and made him face me. "I'll be fine. You can just come back tomorrow."

Dallas hesitantly nodded and gave in, "Fine. Tomorrow." He let go of my hand as he made his way over to the door. He pulled it open and then paused in the doorframe, glancing back at me. His dark brown eyes met my own and for a minute, I thought he was going to say something, but then he just turned on his heel and walked out.

The small hospital room was completely empty of my friends, and I couldn't tell if I felt more relieved or alone. Everything was so quiet and peaceful that I could easily become lost in my own thoughts, but between Bob and the socs, along with my own problems with New York and the robbery, my mind was the last place I wanted to be right now.

The door to the room slowly opened, causing me to jump. I held my stomach in an attempt to rid myself of the pain I had just caused by my sudden movement. Sandy walked in with an apologetic look on her face as she began to ramble, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. If this is a bad time I can just go-"

"No," I cut her off. "It's okay. You can come in." I offered her the best smile I could muster up, and patted the side of my bed.

She walked over and looked around the room before sitting down carefully beside me. "Where is everyone?" She asked.

"Ya just missed 'em," I said. "They all left. Said it was gettin' late."

"Oh.. Right," Sandy replied. I watched as she fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater. She was never this quiet before. The Sandy I knew was always lively and bursting with new things to talk about. She was a completely different person now and I had no idea why.

"Why are you here, Sandy?" I finally asked. I couldn't handle the silence anymore. I wanted answers.

She looked at me as if it were obvious. "For you, Diana. I heard that some socs jumped you and I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

Although that may be partly true, I could see through her lies. I sighed agitatedly. "Come on. I know that's not the real reason you're here right now," I said. Sandy remained quiet but kept her eyes locked onto mine. "You just up and left. For weeks. No one knew where you went or if something happened to you. You just.. disappeared."

Sandy's forrest green eyes glazed over with tears. "I-I know and I'm really sorry," she said shakily. A tear delicately rolled down her cheek. I had no idea what was going on or why she was crying, but before I could ask or say anything else she completely broke down. "Diana, I'm pregnant," Sandy blurted. Tears began to stream down her pale skin. My lips parted as I gasped softly, totally taken aback.

Sandy brought her sleeves up to her face to hide her tears as she leaned into my shoulder and continued to cry. My eyes went wide and I tried my best to gather myself, so I could comfort my friend. I wrapped my arm around her carefully. None of this made sense to me. Why would she break up with Sodapop after finding out she was pregnant with his baby? I know for sure that Soda would've done everything to help her out.

Sandy pulled away from me and wiped her cheeks with her sweater sleeves, which were already soaked with her tears. "It's not Soda's baby," Sandy admitted.

I tilted my head to the side, confused by what she had just said. "What?" I asked.

Sandy tore her eyes away from mine. "I cheated on him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I couldn't believe what she had just told me. She didn't seem like the type of girl to cheat on her boyfriend, but I guess people aren't always who you think they are.

I could tell that she was disappointed in herself because she refused to look at me again. Honestly, I'm disappointed in her too. I never would've thought that she would be the type to cheat on someone, especially Sodapop. He loved her so much, and this is what he got in return. I didn't know whether to feel angry with Sandy because she hurt Soda, or feel bad for her because now she has to live with her mistakes.

"I'm moving to Florida to live with my grandparents for awhile," Sandy said. "They said they would help me." She sniffled as she dropped her head to stare at the ground.

"How did Soda take that?" I asked. He was probably heartbroken that she is moving away. Not to mention that he'll feel totally betrayed when he finds out that she's pregnant with some other guy's baby.

"He proposed," Sandy said, void of emotion. "My parents wouldn't let me accept though. They said we were 'too young' for these types of decisions." She laughed sardonically and shook her head. "Can you believe that? I'm too young to get married, but not too young to get knocked up."

"Jesus Christ," was all I said. I was at a loss for words.

Sandy stood up abruptly and turned to face me. Her eyes were red and puffy, while her cheeks were stained. "I'm leaving tonight," she said. "I need you to tell Soda."

"No way."

"Please, Diana."

"I can't!" I exclaimed. "You should be the one to tell him."

"I know," Sandy sighed. "I want to—believe me—but I just can't face him. Not like this."

I rolled my eyes. "So you expect me to."

"Yes," Sandy said. "Please. You're strong. Stronger than I'll ever be. All I ask is that you just do this one thing. For me."

"I'll think about it," I huffed. I really don't want to be the one to tell Sodapop about all of this. It's not my place.

"Thank you," she said, relief washing over her face. I could tell that a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, but that burden was just transferred onto me. "Please tell Evie I said goodbye. You guys were the only real friends I ever had."

I nodded. "Okay."

Sandy frowned. "You'll be okay, right?"

"I'll be fine," I said. "I get to leave this place in six weeks."

"Just one month," Sandy said.

I watched as she made her way over to the door and left. Suddenly, I wasn't the only runaway in Tulsa.