The day started just like any other. All the boys got up from the Newsie's lodging house and headed out to buy their papers to sell. Crutchie bought his and stuck them in his bag before going out.

"Crutchie!" yelled Jack running to him. "You heading down to the corner?"

Crutchie shook his head. "Not today, he shouted as he continued on. "I'm going the harbor see if the fishermen want any."

He hobbled away on his crutch passing through the boardwalk to sell a few and then down to the harbor. It was a long day with a boring headline and not too many people wanted any. If they did it was out of pity because of his leg. Some of the boys were jealous saying that his crippled leg was a goldmine but it wasn't. He had learned to work with it but how could a useless limb be helpful? He stopped at a stand in the market to buy a hunk of bread and some cheese and headed back down to the harbor to sell. By the time he had sold them all it was past 5:00 and to save time he tried going through some alleys as shortcuts.

Crutchie was heading down a particularly gross alley and was almost home when he heard a moan coming from underneath a pile of cardboard boxes. He figured it was just a normal street bum when he heard another moan and a figure sat up jostling the boxes. The figure had cuts and bruises all over his face and was pretty small looking. "Poor kid probably got into a fight with someone a lot bigger than he was." Crutchie thought. He tried to hobble a little faster down the alley to see the kid and check to see how bad of a shape he was in.

Just as he approached, the kid tried to stand up but fell back down onto the boxes. "Wow, he thought taking in all of the kids bruises, gashes, and small cuts. "This kid is in really bad shape." He bent down over the kid who had crumpled into a ball on their stomach. Crutchie noticed how long the boy's hair was and turned him over. Crutchie gasped not only due to the condition of the kid's wounds but also because this boy was a girl!

Before he could say anything her eyes flew open and she started screaming and tried to get up but fell. She inched toward the alley wall and put her hands in front of her face.

"P-please don't hurt me!" she stuttered. "I'll l-leave I promise!"

Crutchie sat down laying his crutch on the cement and put his hands up surrendering. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said slowly scooching toward the cowering girl. "Who did this to you?"

She shook her head and then stopped putting her hand on a large bruise on her neck. "I-I don't remember." She said shivering in the cool air. Crutchy took off his jacket and draped it across her shoulders over the ratty dress she was wearing. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Sixteen." She said leaning against the wall.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Nowhere." She sighed. "My mom just passed away and I lived with my uncles for a few weeks but they hate me."

"Ohh, said Crutchie. "That sucks."

She gave him a small smile. "I'm Emma." She said holding out her hand which was red and bruised.

He gently shook her hand. "The guys call me Crutchie." He said.

She instead of the normal look of pity people gave him that he hated, she laughed softly. "Creative name." she said and began to cough.

She began to stand up but wobbled and put her hand on the wall for support. She took off his jacket and handed it to him. Her skirt was ripped and tattered and he could see many more bruises on her legs and bare arms, whoever did this really did a number on her. "Thanks but I should really try to go find a place to sleep." She said. "Apparently this alley has a lot of traffic." She began to walk but stumbled and fell onto the boxes. Crutchie stood up, he couldn't just leave her, what if the person who did this came back? She would never be able to fend for herself. Or worse, someone from the Refuge might come get her.

"Hmm, he thought, Maybe she could stay on the rooftop with me and Jack until she gets better. But there's no way I can carry her." Then he had an idea. They were pretty close to the lodging house and Jack usually stayed on the corner till about six. "Stay right here." He said to Emma who had sat up and was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. She groaned and Crutchie figured that meant ok.

He hobbled out of the alley and to the corner where he saw Jack from across the street counting his earnings. "Jack!" yelled Crutchie. Jack looked up, stuffed his money into his pocket and trotted over. "What's up?" he asked. "And why are you out of breath?" Crutchie told Jack all about how he had found Emma all beat up in the alley and that he needed his help. Jack ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know Crutchie, he said, Do you really think that it's a good idea?"

Crutchie nodded, "Jack they got her bad. She's in worse shape than I was when you found me. We have to help her Jack." Jack finally nodded. "Alright where is she?"

He followed Crutchie to the alley and saw her sleeping body on the flattened boxes. His eyes went huge. "You said it was bad but this…, he sighed, "This is worse than bad."

Crutchie knelt down by her side and gently tried to shake her awake. This startled her and she immediately flinched but when she saw that it was only Crutchie she relaxed. "Emma, he said, "This is my friend Jack." Jack gave a small wave from behind him. "We're going to take you someplace else." Emma nodded slightly before passing out and falling back asleep. Crutchie stood up and backed away as Jack bent down to pick her up. "She's really light." Jack said as he carried her out of the alley fireman style. Together they walked and hobbled back to the rooftop of the lodging home.