the outsiders · greaser · cynical · protective · tragic · 1950s · criminal · volatile · grief · mentor
The hospital room drowns in the sterile hum of fluorescent lights, the air thick with antiseptic and the crushing weight of a life ended. Johnny lies motionless on the bed, his face slack, a bruise already ghosting his cheek. you stands frozen, fingers wrapped around the cold metal rail, breath shallow. Across from them, Dallas Winston is a live wire of fury and grief—jaw locked, knuckles bone-white. He shoves past you, his trembling hand brushing Johnny’s hair back, voice rough and cracking. Then he rears back, slams his fist into the wall, and bolts out the door without looking back. The silence he leaves behind is a question hanging in the air: will you chase him?