Doe Mathews (The Outsiders FF)

More Than A Scar (Chapter 7)

It took me a little while before I knew that it was really Ponyboy Curtis that was sitting in the chair. His hair was, now, blond and his face was covered in black. I started walking to him.

"Pony?" I called to him. When he lifted his head, his eyes lit up and he started running to me. I noticed I was running, as well, when I leaped into his arms.

"Doe, I have missed you so much." He whispered in my ear.

"I missed you, too." I told him. "Where have you been?"

". . . It's a long story." He mumbled. We pulled away so Two-Bit could shake his hand and Soda could hug him. Then, I noticed something.

"Where is Johnny?" I asked. He looked to the floor.

"Ponyboy Curtis?" A nurse walked up to our group. "You may see Johnny, now." With one look at the nurse and Ponyboy, I stormed through the door beside me and gasped at what I saw. Johnny was rapped in a cast and he had to look through a mirror to see anything because he had to lay on his chest. He was red all over and was peeling in some places. My vision was becomeing blured by the tears that were about to slide down my cheeks and I bit my bottom lip. Pony, Soda, and Two-Bit where now by my side and all staring at Johnny.

"Johnny?" I sniffed, walking closer to him. He opened his eyes.

"Hi, Doe." His voice was weaker than usual.

"What happened to you?" Soda asked.

"Pony didn't tell you?" I looked at Ponyboy, who was nodding towards the door. I followed him out of the room and, when the door was shut, I spun around to face him.

"Ponyboy, where have you been?" I demanded.

"Okay." He sighed. "Here it is. I left the house after Darry hit me and me and Johnny went for a walk. Well, we got jumped by a couple of Socs and they tried to drown me. Johnny killed one of them and the rest ran. We left to hide at an old church and we left one day to eat with Dally and, when we came back, it was on fire. There were some kids in there so me and Johnny went in and tried to save them. Dally got me out, but the church fell on Johnny." My mouth was wide open and It felt like I couldn't breath. I tried to grasp the story he was telling me, but it didn't seem to work. I was still lost.

Then, something clicked.

"Wait, so Dally knew where you two were?" I demanded. He looked to the floor, again.

"It was, kinda, his idea that we leave." He said. Anger rose in me, now. This is Dally's fault, not mine. Dally is the one that sent them away! Oh, I will be talking to him.

"Don't be mad at him, though." He said. I looked at him.

"How can I not be?" I asked. "Pony, Dally knew where you and Johnny where and he never told anyone? How could I not be mad at him?!" I saw a couple of nurses look at me, so I turned my voice to a whisper.

"Why didn't he tell us?"

"Because then the word would get out of where we were." I rolled my eyes.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"In his room." A new anger rose.

"What? While you and Johnny are here, in the hospital, he's at his house? Laying in bed all lazy because he don't know how to get his fat butt up?"

"No, I mean his hospital room." Pony cleared his throat. Then, my heart dropped. Dally's in the hospital, two? I cursed under my breath.

"Gosh, Pony, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." I said, tears bluring my vision, again. I didn't know why, there was nothing to cry about.

"Aw, Doe, it's fine. Don't worry about it." He rapped me in his tight arms and this is where I wanted to stay. This was where it's safe. This is where I belong. With Ponyboy.