Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders

Chapter Five

The Quiet

Steve left soon after the two of them ate lunch. It was quiet again. Soda could hardly remember what real quiet was like. It had been months since he could remember being in complete silence. Even at night, Vietnam was never quiet. Soda had been tuned in to every little noise, trying to listen for anyone who might be approaching.

Soda had switched off the radio and was sitting quietly in Darry's recliner. Before he had left he would lounge on the couch, but he was quickly realizing how much more comfortable Darry's recliner was for him now. It sat higher than the couch and it was easier for him to sit in and get up from. He closed his eyes and listened to the silence for several minutes. Suddenly it felt unnerving. Like there was something missing. Something he should be hearing, but he wasn't. His heart started beating faster. He couldn't miss any noise, he had to hear everything, if he didn't hear everything he could be killed.

His eyes flew open, his muscles tense. He looked around at the quiet house. He had almost expected to see the mountains of Vietnam. He shook his head as if he could shake his demons away. His breathing was suddenly shallow, as if he had been running. He leaned forward and looked at his hands, which were trembling.

"What is wrong with me?" Soda said quietly. After all this time he hardly even recognized himself. He felt out of place in his own home.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself at that point. He still had hours until Pony got done with school or Darry would get off work. He took Darry's warning about not watching TV very seriously. He had hated the reporters he had seen overseas. He couldn't exact place why he hated them so much… maybe because he hated the idea of the people back home knowing what he had done. He didn't want to go anywhere near the TV. The radio had started to bore him as well.

He rocked the recliner back and used the forward momentum to help him up out of the chair. He remembered one thing that he always wished he could do during his tour. Sleep. Even when they were supposed to be sleeping Soda could never let go of the idea that he would be completely vulnerable to attack if he were to really sleep, though this thinking had actually helped to save his life. He limped into his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed, feeling how unbelievably soft it was. He felt like he could just melt into it after spending so long sleeping either sitting up or laying on the hard ground.

XxXxX

Pony was on the edge of his seat all day, his eyes on the clock. He was relieved when the final bell rang. He couldn't stop thinking of his brother, home alone all day. He had asked Darry if he could just skip school, but of course Darry didn't even consider it.

Pony was the only Greaser still in school at this point, so he didn't have a ride home anymore. Sometimes if either Two-Bit or Steve were off they would swing by and get him, but Pony knew they were both working today. Darry had him start carrying a blade just in case, but Pony had never had any problems walking home from school.

Usually he would take his time on the way home, especially over the last year when he was heading home to an empty house. Sometimes he wouldn't even go home, but rather he would go to the movies or to the DX. But today he was anxious. Today he ran.

Pony was fast, one of the fastest on his track team. Today he poured on the speed, listening to his sneakers pound the pavement and his light panting. It took him no time at all to reach his neighborhood. Soon the house was in sight. He ran right up the porch and threw open the door with a bang, before he realized that was probably a bad idea. I gotta use my head… he thought to himself.

Pony surveyed the empty living room. It was very quiet with both the TV and the radio off. Pony figured that Soda might appreciate the quiet more than he used to. He placed his backpack on the ground rather than just letting it drop, more aware of the quiet.

"Soda?" he said carefully. Suddenly he felt nervous not knowing exactly where his brother was in the house. How Soda had acted the night before really scared him. It hadn't seemed like his brother at all, it was like he was a completely different person. Pony walked carefully through the living room and crept down the hallway toward the bedrooms. "Soda?" he said again, not wanting to sneak up on him.

Soda's bedroom door was slightly ajar and Pony peaked in. He was relieved to see Soda sprawled out on top of his covers fast asleep. He smiled, glad that Soda was getting some rest as he walked back down the hallway and into the kitchen. He knew it was his job to make dinner.

Pony wasn't surprised at all when Darry came home early. He was a lot quieter with the door than Pony had been, and Pony found himself very thankful that somehow he had not woken Soda when he had come home a few hours before.

"Hey kid," Darry said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hi Darry," Pony said. "How was work?"

"It was fine," Darry said shortly, stretching his back out. He glanced around. "Where's Soda?"

"He was sleeping in his room when I got home," Pony said. "I figured I probably shouldn't wake him."

Darry nodded. "Good idea," he agreed. "I'm glad he's getting some rest though."

Just then they heard a car pull up outside and two car doors slam. A minute later Two-Bit and Steve were crowding into the small kitchen.

"Howdy!" Two-Bit said happily.

"Keep it down," Darry said as he sat at the kitchen table. "Soda's sleeping."

"Hey Pony," Steve said. "Catch."

Pony turned around just in time to catch a small box that Steve had tossed to him from across the kitchen. He curiously looked down and found it to be a carton of cigarettes.

"What's this for?" Pony asked, confused. "I got a whole 'nother pack in my room."

"Not anymore you don't," Steve said with a laugh. "Soda got into them today. He asked me to get you another pack while I was visiting him over my lunch break."

"Oh," Pony said. He should have realized that Soda wouldn't have been alone all day. He wondered if Darry had told Steve and Two-Bit what had happened the night before.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised," Darry said, rubbing his shoulder. Then he slowly stood. "I'm gonna wake him for dinner." He turned and disappeared down the hallway. No one made any attempt to follow him. Everyone was suddenly quiet as they listened to Darry quietly knock on Soda's bedroom door. They heard it creaked open, and then closed again.

"Heard you guys had a scare last night," Two-Bit said in a low voice, looking a Pony.

So they did know. "Yeah," Pony said, starting to move the food to the kitchen table. "I honestly didn't think it would be that difficult for him to adjust to being back." Pony didn't look at either of the other boys in the room, feeling ashamed for admitting this out loud.

"I don't think any of us did," Two-Bit said quietly.

Pony looked up, surprised at the seriousness in Two-Bit's voice.

A minute later they heard the door to Soda's bedroom open again and they all busied themselves in trying to look occupied. Darry walked back into the kitchen, his face drawn with exhaustion.

"Hey, make sure you guys be careful about loud noises near the house," he said in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, looking concerned. "Soda alright?"

"He's fine… but I guess when you two slammed your car doors it woke him and spooked him a bit," Darry said with a sigh.

Two-Bit swore under his breath.

A few minutes later Soda appeared in the doorway, leaning heavily on his cane and reaching out his other hand to grip the doorway. Though he had been sleeping for several hours he still looked tired.

"Hey guys," he said with a tired smile.

"Hey Soda!" Two-Bit said brightly.

"Why don't we eat in the living room again," Darry said as he started helping Pony gather up plates.

Soda took the recliner once again and Pony was starting to think of it as Soda's recliner instead of Darry's now. The conversation wandered easily around lighthearted subjects mostly about girls and cars.

"Hey, that reminds me," Steve said as they talked about the gas station. "I talked to the boss today. He said that you could come on back to work with us tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Darry said, surprised.

"Darry, I can't just sit around by myself all day," Soda said a note of pleading in his voice. "I've been stuck in the army hospital for weeks, I need to get out a do something."

"Yeah, okay," Darry said with a sigh, seeing his point. "Just take it easy, okay?"

"Really, Darry, I was hoping Soda would do all the heavy lifting tomorrow," Two-Bit said with a laugh.

Soda grinned. He seemed happy that Two-Bit was able to still poke fun at him. It was like things were finally getting back to normal.

"Then I was thinking about challenging Pony to a footrace after work," Soda said.

Everyone laughed, mostly out of relief that Soda was still able to joke.

Soda headed to bed early that night, still looking tired. Pony watched him worriedly, wondering if he's have another night like the last one. He obviously hadn't gotten much sleep after they had left him.

"Hey, keep an eye on him tomorrow," Darry said in a low voice to Steve and Two-Bit. "Don't let him do too much."

"It'll be fine, Darry," Steve assured him. "He'll probably just mostly do fill ups."

"Yeah, stop worrying," Two-Bit agreed. "We'll be back to pick him up in the morning."

"Alright, alright," Darry said as Two-Bit and Steve headed out. "Pony, did you work on your homework tonight?"

"No," Pony admitted. "I'll go work on it now." He paused. "You think Soda will have another nightmare like last night?"

Darry sighed. "Let's hope not," he said. "But remembered, if he does don't rush at him. Don't even go into his room without me."

"You make him sound dangerous," Pony said, feeling troubled.

"We just need to give him some time," Darry said, though he didn't sound very convincing. "Now go on and get that homework done."

Pony sighed and walked to his bedroom, his eyes lingering on Soda's closed bedroom door. As far as he could tell Soda had had a fairly normal day. He hoped that somehow they would be able to find some sense of normalcy after everything they had been through.

XxXxX

Author's Note: Sorry this was a bit of a slow chapter, I needed to get in some expositional stuff in. Things will really pick up in the next chapter though! Please review!