Race walked down the road, taking a long drag on his cigarette. It had been a long day with a crappy headline and he'd just finished selling his last pap to a guy in a bar. He sighed and flicked the butt away, continuing to stride down the road. It was a beautiful night but lighter than most. New York was rarely dark, even at night. Race glances at the moon and smiled. Then, he tripped over something and almost fell. He heard a low moan and a whimper. Race turned around and saw a curled up figure on the ground, clutching his side. He smirked a little and stood over him.

"Well what do we have here?" he said and crouched down in front of him. "Whoa, what happened to you?" he asked and saw that his clothes were torn and he was bleeding intensely. The dark-haired boy moaned and rolled over a little.

"We need to get you outta here," Race said and looked him over. He could only be thirteen at the oldest and he had a black eye, cut lip, a gash going down his right cheek, a gouge from his left shoulder, and a long, deep, cut going clear from his right armpit to his waist that he was clutching. Race looked around for help. He saw Mush, another newsie, across the street and yelled to him. "Hey Mush gimme a hand!" Mush ran across the road.

"What is it?" he asked annoyed.

"I found dis kid in the road and lookat 'im," Mush examined the boy on the ground. He watched as the boy rolled over and looked up at them. He seemed to whimper a little and try to retreat.

"Well wad do ya wana do wit' the kid?"

"I dunno, but let's get 'im back to da lodgin' house," Mush nodded and the helped the kid up. He leaned against them and they got him to the house. They dropped him between their bunks and a few other newsies gathered round.

"What happened?"

"Who's he?"

"You soaked 'im?"

"Where ya ben?"

"Whats up wit da kid?"

Race got a little frustrated and yelled. "Just shut up for a minute an' maybe we can figure sumthin out!" Everyone got quiet and looked at the boy. Race turned around. Mush had him leaning against the wall but sitting down still.

"Was ya name kid?" Race asked, crouching down to eye level with him. The boy winced and one or another of his wounds.

"should we fix 'im up or sumthin? Mush asked. Race shrugged.

"If ya know how," he said sarcastically. Nobody there was a doctor so the kid really had no chance. Race looked around at the other newsies and they each shook their heads. "Well dat leaves me an' Mush," he said and turned to Mush who was scratching his head.

"Les get started," Mush said in a sarcastic eagerness. He walked over with an unusual overconfidence. Race just stood back and watched for a few minutes as Mush ripped the boys shirt into strips and tied them around his side to stop the bleeding. Then he tied another strip around the boys arm for another cut.

Mush stepped back and looked at Race for acknowledgment. Race just smiled a little and nodded.

"Das all I can do. Now we jus need to talk to 'im," Race nodded and they walked over to the boy.

"Where'd ya learn to do dat stuff anyway?" Race asked.

"I saw…um…dis goil helping a guy that was mugged…" Mush replied. They turned to the injured boy.

"Was ya name kid?" Race asked again. The boy whimpered and Mush reached out and wiped some blood off his forehead. He flinched as Mush's fingers made contact.

"Mush! You guna scare da kid at death before we can ask 'im anything'!" Race said somewhat scolding.

"Sorry," he said.

"You try askin 'im sumthin cuz he wont say nutin to me," Race spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Fine!" Mush sighed and turned to the boy who's eye looked at him fearfully. He patted the boys shoulder. "Tell me yor name kid," he said. The boy seemed to be struggling for a minute and his big black eye closed for a split second, but it shot back open.

"M-m-max," the boy whispered. "P-please! I-I'm real sorry! P-p-please d-don't hurt me! I-I'll do anything!"

"Whoa boy!" Mush stopped him before he could go on. "We ain't guna hurt ya. We'r tryin' to help. So…Max?" the boy nodded and his black hair bounced a little. "You can stay the night here," Mush said and Max sighed relief.

"Thank you sir," Max whispered.

"It's Mush," Mush replied.

"But tomorra you gotta sell da paper with da rest of us. Four cents a night at stay here," Race said. Max nodded. "An' I'm Race. Now you gotta get some sleep Max,"

"We'll see ya tomorra mornin" Mush said and watched as Max slumped a little and closed his eye. His breathing became at ease and his chest moved rhythmically.

"We betta get some shut-eye too," Race stated plainly and started off to bed.

"But Race! Wat are we guna do wit dis kid?" Mush had stood with Race and noticed most of the others were asleep.

"He'll be a newsie like us," Race spoke in an over-obvious tone. "He'll figure out how at take care of himself," Mush nodded a little.

"I'll show 'im how at sell paps then he'll be off I guess…" it didn't seem that hard.

"See Mush? That simple! Now lemme sleep!" He climbed into his bunk and Mush got into his. Max lay on the floor between them. Mush looked at Max and saw him in the moonlight.

Mush thought. I wana help 'im out more but how? He thought for a minute or so then something came to him. I'll take 'im under my wing! Like, be 'is role model or sumthin! Yeah! An' maybe when e get's olda he'll look up ta me! Mush enjoyed the thought and almost fell asleep with it running through his head. Then something else hit him. We need to give this kid a real name