Chapter eleven

A/N- Holy crap I haven't posted for years! Thank you to those who kept pushing me to update, I appreciate you wanting to see more of this story. I do feel as though this story will be coming to an end soon, it's been my baby for too long and I'd like to move on. But maybe I'll write a sequel of the aftermath… Who knows? Enjoy this very late update :') (I realised after writing this chapter that I'd already written half of a chapter eleven 2 years ago, and it's so much different to this one. I think I like this one better though...)

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders or S.E Hinton's amazing characters, though some are my own.

Darry's POV

Pony had been sleeping restlessly for a few hours now, waking up startled a few times only to fall back to sleep when he realised he was safe. I combed his long and shaggy hair back from his eyes- he always suited long hair. It had been a week since we'd rescued him from the camp, and I was yet to question him about what had happened to him in there. Something in his eyes were holding me back from doing so, it was like his whole world would come crashing down if I mentioned it.

Just then, Soda walked in. He had been a lot cheerier and I could see the light his eyes had lost during the last couple weeks return, illuminating the light brown orbs he'd inherited from our mum and he was almost back to the bouncy Soda we once knew.

"Her Dar, how's Pony doin'?" I shrugged in response, not wanting to wake the kid up. Man had he grown throughout the last 8 months. His round baby face he once used to have was now replaced by one similar to Soda's and my own. He had sharp cheek bones and jaw line, and his once pale skin was now sun tanned. He looked an awful lot like Soda, just a lot more rugged whereas Soda liked to be well groomed like me. It suited him.

He began stirring, and I knew that this time he'd wake up for real. And I was glad, I really needed to talk to him about what happened in the POW camp.

Steve had just come bustling in also, looking exhausted. "Hey Superman, the doc just rocked up. He wants'ta take a look at Ponyboy." I gave him a nod and shook Pony awake. He bolted upright, breathing heavily and I felt guilty for scaring him.

"Sorry for waking you, kiddo. The doctor is here to check over you. C'mon, we better go up and meet the guy." He groaned in response and stood up, fear flashing across his face for not even a second, I might've even imagined it being there.

He trailed behind Soda and I, while Steve went off and did his own thing, not wanting to overcrowd Pony while he had his check-up. The doc was a tall, tanned man in his late thirties. He had a hard and uninviting face that looked exhausted. So really, he looked like the rest of us fighting and surviving in this war. I just hoped he didn't take his anger out on Pony like I had done so many times before, he didn't need it right now.

"You must be Ponyboy. Sorry it's taken me so long to get here, I've had a lot of injured men to tend too. take a seat of the stretcher if you will." He said curtly and tiredly, facing Pony. "Interestin' name you got there, is it a nickname?" He was nosey, too.

"Naw, it's my real name, it even says so on my birth certificate. My dad was an original guy." Pony had to rehearse from a young age that yes, his name was indeed Ponyboy, and he did indeed have a brother named Sodapop. There were so many curious people in this world. I personally liked their names, but I was glad that dad had decided to name me after him, I was too serious and straight to have such a weird name.

"Was an original guy, huh?" The doc mumbled to himself. I could tell that he probably thought our parents were crazy but I ignored it. "Okay I'd like you ter stick your arms out in front of you and flex you fingers please." Pony did as he was told, and I could see him flinch slightly at the command. "Okay thank you. Take your top and bottoms off please, I need to check for breaks, sprains and bruises." Pony went sheet white but complied, looking around nervously. I shut the tent door to give him a peace of mind. The doc ordered him to lie down on the mat and pressed down on random parts of Pony's body. I could see Pone squirming and I could tell that he was uncomfortable and scared by his teary eyes. "Okay, you have a few bad bruises near your ribs, but they should heal up in no time and few more minor bruises along you stomach and on your legs. It appears that one of your ribs is cracked, but there isn't much I can do about that but bandage it I'm afraid. Can you please turn around on your stomach please?" Pony turned onto his stomach, revealing bruises all along his back and thighs. The doc pressed down on his back and legs, and briefly on his butt. I would've laughed if Pony hadn't let out a hiss of pain. He shot up onto him feet faster then I'd ever seen him move and began changing back into his clothes.

"Thanks doc, but I can just get Darry or someone to wrap up my ribs." And with that, he sped out of the tent as quickly as he could, not looking back once.

"What the hell was that about?" Soda asked from next to me. I shrugged in response and looked over at the doctor, who appeared to be deep in thought.

"Um, so, what do you think?" I asked the doctor. I was very experienced in bandaging cracked ribs.

"Yes, if he feels more comfortable with you then I'll leave the supplies you need. Unfortunately there's no pain meds I can give you, we ran outta them a while ago for the minor injuries. They're used for the men that need them the most. I would also ask him about all the bruises near his thighs, I think there might be some damage around that area that he isn't comfortable sharing with anyone, but maybe you guys could get it outta him." He opened up his supplied bag and gave me a roll of bandages and some pins and tape. "The bandages might need changing every couple of days to avoid bacteria, but other than that he's good to go." I said my thanks and he shook both Soda and my hand then left us alone to think.

What did he mean when he said there was damage that Pony would be too uncomfortable to share with us? And he didn't even seem like a good doctor, I wouldn't trust him for a second I thought grumpily.

Soda sighed beside me, "I don't want him to be good to go, I want him to stay here where it's safe." I had to agree with Soda on that one, we were stationed in a safe zone for the time being while Pony healed. I wished we could spend our remaining 3 and a half months here.

"Me too, little buddy. But we're together now and we still have at least another 2 weeks here. I guess we could exaggerate Pony's injuries a little, that'll give us some time." I ruffled Soda's grown back hair and grinned, he grinned back.

Pony's POV

I ended up walking to the little lake we had by our camp site. I could see Vietnamese kids running around and smiled. They seemed so innocent and carefree, either not aware of the dangers surrounding them or not caring. I wished I could've stayed a kid- Well, I technically was still a kid. They then noticed my presence and ran over to me, cheerful and bouncy, like kids should be. I felt bad that they had to deal with this in their own country, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if there were bombs being dropped in my backyard, and foreigners suddenly took over everything I once knew and loved.

After 10 minutes of trying to understand what they were saying to me, they ran off and began playing again. I smiled to myself. I hope they never have to go through what I did. I hope this war is over before they need to be shipped off to fight like I was.

"Hey Ponykid, how was the check-up?" I swivelled around, not hearing Steve approach. God, maybe I should start listening out better.

"It was alright, the doc felt me up a little then I was free to go." Steve laughed at my joke but let the subject drop. Perhaps he knew I wasn't in the mood for talking about my 'injuries'.

"Well I heard from a certain beverage that you up and left as soon as the doc went for yer privates." I chuckled and decided to play along.

"Well, I didn't wanna show 'em all my true nature now, didn't I?" I joked back, receiving another laugh from Steve.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a smatass, kid?"

"Oh, only every day, Steveo." We both sat in silence for a while, looking out onto the water, watching the sunlight gleam off the huge murky puddle.

Steve sighed next to me and I knew things were about to get serious. "Okay, listen kid, I know you don't want'a speak about it or anything. Just know that I was stuck in one of those hell camps for a bit too. I might not have gone through whatever you went through, but I can imagine the horrible things that coulda happened. I just wanna let you know that if you feel comfortable talkin' to me or anyone for that matter, we will be listening and we won't judge you. I swear on my life that we won't, we care for ya kiddo." I looked at Steve and gave him the best surprised face I could muster.

"The Steve Randle actually gives a hang about moi? Ponyboy Curtis? Man this needs to be put in a history book or somethin'." He mockingly glared at me and I laughed. I then started thinking about what had happened to me and my laughter faltered. Did he really mean it when he said they wouldn't judge me? But surely they have no idea what actually goes on down there. They would never think of it. They probably just thought I got beaten up a little too hard, or the gooks used some crazy torture device on me.

"Look kid, I can see the wheels turnin' in that big head of yours. I know you wanna tell me." Did I want to tell him? Did I really want them to start looking at me as if I was filth? Because they would if they found out. I shook my head at him, an indication to drop the subject, but the bastard didn't let up. "C'mon, Pone. If you don't speak about this it'll kill you inside. Hey how 'bout this. Why don't we both share what happened when we were down in the Devil's cage, huh?"

I shrugged, that didn't sound like a bad idea at all. And I could always lie a little bit or under exaggerate what happened to me? "Sure, but you bags going first."

He smiled and began sharing his experience whilst in the camp. "So, I went to get some fresh water with my troop pal Doug, and me and my bad luck we walked right into where those sons of bitches were staying didn't we? I thought for sure I was dead, but instead they tied us up and we trekked for what felt like months, but really it was only a little under a week. They literally threw Doug and me in the same cell for the first day which we were grateful for, at least we didn't have to be on our own in there. But then a few hours later they dragged Doug by his hair and into a cell near mine and started torturing the poor sucker. I got my fair share of beatings and all that jazz, but he got the worst of it. Hell, I was only in there for a few days and I don't think I've ever been through something so terrible. But you were in there for over a week, Pony. I can't imagine what happened to you. I can't imagine what happens to those who are stuck in there for months, even years." He stopped talking then and we both fell into silence again. No, Steve hadn't even been close to the suffering I'd been through. "So kid, your turn. Spill the beans."

I sighed, "Well, I went through pretty much what you did. I just had more beatings and stuff." Damn I was a crap liar. He looked at me as if to say continue. "And well, one of them in particular did… stuff."

"Did stuff how?" I could see in his face that he was catching on, but I knew he didn't want to believe it.

"Y'know, he kissed me stuff." I saw it click in his eyes and I looked down at my combat boots. I was too scared to look up at his face and see the loathing for me on his face. Just then, he started whispering profanities under his breath and they started to get louder the angrier he got. I sucked up the courage and looked at him in the face. He was pissed, and I mean really pissed.

"Get up now, kid. We're goin' to Darry and Soda." I looked up at him with wide eyes, my mouth agape.

"No Steve! Can't we just leave it alone? I'm fine, really!" But to no avail. He grabbed me by the arm and yanked me up.

"They need to know! Why don't you trust them for?" I don't know, maybe because I didn't want my brothers to think I was disgusting maybe? I thought to myself.

"They won't understand, they'll hate me, Steve!" He snorted and dragged me along, back to camp. I could see our shared tent in the distance.

"Nothing would ever make them hate you, Ponyboy! Besides, this isn't even your fault. I don't know why you're getting so worked up."

"I think you're the one getting worked up, Steve." I answered sarcastically. Why was he forcing me to do this? It was my decision whether I wanted them to know or not. "I wanna be the one to tell 'em Steve, just give me some time! I'm not ready, yet! Please." I guess begging worked, because he slowed his pace and we finally then stopped.

"I'm giving you two days Ponyboy, if you don't do it, then you better believe that I will." He then turned on his heel and stormed off, heading towards the make shift kitchen we had set up.

Well crap, now Steve was going to be in one of his moods for God knows how long. I sighed and walked back to my tent, my feet dragging along ground.

Running away sure seemed like a great plan right about now.

A/N- Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry if my writing is crap, I haven't written anything for 2 years. I know, how bad is that? But I really did enjoy writing this :) Thank you for your continuous support. And sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I really can't be bothered ever re-reading over anything :') Much love, you lot.