At first I didn't recognize him, though getting that first glimpse of him sparked something in my memory I just couldn't name at the time. It had been such a long while since I had even seen Soda and Darry and I couldn't tell who they were at first when I had woken up- save it be their gentle voices; those caring voices I heard everytime I was pursued by my nightmares or I was too afraid of something terrible happening to someone I loved. But as I focused more on the stranger's facial features I began to find the dreaded familiarity of his dark blue-ringed eyes and a slight grim expression of being in my presence. That was the expression of someone I had never wanted to see as long as I had lived for the rest of my life.

"Hello, Ponyboy," said the stranger in a naturally quiet tone. I felt myself get pale and I started backing up into the wall at the head of the hospital bed, trying to get as far away from him as I could. Soda wrapped his arms around my shoulders and squeezed them hard looking at me and the stranger- by that time he had been back already, but no food. Darry got up, strode over to the stranger and whispered something in his ear. The stranger nodded, then looked at me. Darry put a firm arm on the strangers back.

"WAIT! You know him?" I shrieked. How would he know the guy who I had mistakenly shot? The guy who had threatened to kill me? Of all the people he had to know (because he knew practically everyone) he had to know HIM?

"Ponyboy there's nothing to worry about-"

" OH YEAH SURE! There's nothing to worry about when being in the same room with the guy who I shot, who also evidently jumped me too, crippled and still recovering!" I burst out in a bitter and horrified tone. Doesn't Darry know that this is the guy who made all this happen in the first place?, I thought foolishly. I wasn't sure of whether or not I should be scared or angry at the stranger standing by my brothers- but I was being torn in half just trying to decide. That same stranger who had scared me into believing I had lost my brothers... That same stranger who had lead me to believing I would never be able to get home and see the gang ever again...

"Pony, this is Luke... Luke Yu..." such an asian name... I thought with jealousy rolling my eyes; when I had caught Darry's flash of warning towards me I quit it though. He looks asian... I thought observantly.

"Hi Luke..." I mumbled, waving a shaky hand towards him. Luke then relaxed into a smile- he no longer looked like that ruthless, give-him-no-mercy soc that had threatened to kill me in the alley that depressing night. It was as if he had these different sides to him... a pissed off side he always gave greasers, as all socs did... and now, he was showing a- a school friend kind of side, one who never really talks to you, but always smiles everytime you look his way because in some way, you and him were alike... and he knew that...

"You don't need to be sorry for... uh... you know..." he said slowly, twiddling his fingers. I looked down... Sheesh, you know even for a soc who was approved by my brothers to be in this room, he sure still made me feel awkward- like all socs did to me.

"Sorry..." I said involuntarily in a small voice. It seemed to make him laugh, and he looked at Darry and Soda for some guidance as to what to say next. Here comes that awkward feeling again...

"Luke helped us find you..." Soda spoke for him, running his hand along my back softly. Luke stared at the floor(making it look like he had spotted something absolutely fascinating like chinese penny or something) looking a little embarrassed, and Darry slapped his back playfully. He took it as a surprise, but smiled real big-like. Huh, I thought suddenly, He has to be okay for Darry to do that to him!

"Sure at first we didn't like him, but he proved himself true to the end!" Darry said proudly, as if he was reading my thoughts or something.

"He has no parents or siblings... He came to us because he knew what it felt like to not know where his family was," Soda added in a quiet tone, trying not to remind Luke, I'm sure of it; and when I had looked back to Luke I could see the hidden pain beneath that wall of aloofness he wore as a mask. I smiled. No family, huh? I guess Cherry was right when she said things were rough all over... I thought, remembering that young and beautiful red-headed girl who like sunsets and hated fights once more. It's hard to not have family... I thought some more. It reminded me of when I had been hiding, not only in Iowa but in Windrixville too. No family made everyday hurt at some point- because I loved my family more than ever.

"Well, then hi Luke! I uh... I'm glad you helped find me..." I said with an awkward smile- a little too awkward because then I ended up having a coughing fit. Soda patted me on the back lightly and I looked at him and Darry, wondering how I would've ever gotten along without them.

"Me... too..." Luke said awkwardly. I looked down and stared at the intricate sewing patterns of the blanket covering me, ready to make something of it just to start a conversation going that didn't include us sitting around like speechless bums; but he beat me to the punch.

"Um, I'm gonna go and get us a snack of some sort..." Luke said quickly. I looked up at him suddenly, with a puzzled expression; And the awkward feeling continues...

"Why don't you do that?" Darry hurried him out the door and went with him.

"Heh heh!" I smiled with a weak wave, dismissing them both. As soon as the door closed I sharply turned to face Soda, feeling my ears getting a little red.

"A little warning next time, will ya?" I asked a little hurt that they hadn't told me this before. Soda gave me a Really? After all this time you still don't get it? type look- I could see it in his eyes. He was quiet for a minute.

"Well, first off, you aint been up for a while so in a sense we wouldn't have remembered to tell you anyway... Second, Luke was a soc... and one that you definitely knew because of... well you know... And third, he seemed so desperate in helping us- neither me nor Darry found it unreasonable to use his help so we used it," Soda said with finality, he started playing with my hand, and a sad bleary-eyed gaze fell upon his face as he thought some more. "We were desperate too, Pone..."

"But I was kidnapped... By some wierdo psycho path who probably had me out in the middle of nowhere and threw me in a closet after almost killing me with his big meaty hands!" I flailed my hands around and made sure to emphasize 'big meaty hands' with the gestures I was using. I caught what his look meant and squeezed his hand.

"How could he have known where I was, if I was kidnapped...?" I asked softly, feeling my world slowly break away in small pieces floating adrift a big white sea that had already engulfed all of reason's inhabitants...

"That's a different matter..." he said gravely. I opened my mouth up to say something, then all of sudden closed it, for fear that I had already pressed on too much. Instead I lay down and made myself comfortable; Soda got off the bed and helped tuck me in.

"I'm here now..." I said softly. That made him smile.

"Yes... And that's all that matters," he whispered; he leaned over and kissed the top of my head softly, just like mom used to.

"I'm sorry..."

"What for?" he asked, a little concerned. I closed my eyes, and started thinking about shooting the soc; I started thinking about watching him leave the trailer, walking up the side of the huge field in Iowa, looking behind himself just to make sure I wasn't following. I started remembering Darry's angry voice in demand to know where I was when I had been kidnapped... That soft desperate voice begging me not to die... because I was all he had left... And I did nothing to prevent it from happening... I hadn't realized I had said my thoughts aloud, but when I opened my eyes, Soda was already blowing his nose into a second tissue, small tears running down his cheeks. He didn't look at me.

"That wasn't your fault... you had to do what was best for you... I'm sorry, Ponyboy. I'm the one who should be sorry! For leaving you... For not coming out to find you the night you shot Luke... For not being a better brother, like I should be..." he said in a small shaky voice. We both sighed. This was going to be a long and hard life in the next couple months... much healing to take place.

Hey guys I'm super sorry that this chapter is so short but I promise I'll make the next one a whole lot longer... Just wait a little...

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The Outsiders EXPERT-101