Hi I'm Mouse Maxwell I usually I like to read and write this is my first fic so if you see something totally wrong please tell me. Hope you enjoy it.
He did it again. David got in to an argument with papa. He was talking of how much he hated living here. Papa stormed out in a fit of rage, and hasn't come back yet.
"Kris. I don't know how much longer I can stand it. He never hit us when mama was here! I'm leaving before he comes back! I'm going to Brooklyn to see if I can find Allen." David looked into Krystal's bright green eyes, brushing a strand of auburn hair out of her face before continuing. "I don't think you remember Allen he was our older brother, he's two years older than us that would make him twelve now. When we were six, Uncle Davis needed help with his bakery in Brooklyn. Papa sent Allen, the bakery burnt to the ground a year later. No one knew what happened to him. Then just after mama died I got this letter from him, he's in Brooklyn he's a newsie and he said if anything should happen we can look for him their." David sat back and looked into Krystal's sad green eyes before continuing once again.
"Kris I'm leaving and not coming back are you coming with me or are you staying here?" He asked her, brushing his auburn hair out of his face.
"David I have to stay here when you find him please write and let me know." Krystals voice shook with emotion yet she could not let her brother know how much it hurt her that he was leaving her.
"Krystal if you decide to come looking for us you'll know us by our pendants never loose the pendent it was mama's I'll miss you." David took one fleeting look at Krystal before disappearing out the door.
Krystal watched in shock when she heard a noise, which startled her out of her daze.
***********Two years later **************
"David come here boy." Her father slurred voice startled her.
"Papa he left he went after Allen." Krystal told the drunken man.
"Why you little bit***. It's all your fault," His eyes came alive with a flame of rage that Krystal had never seen before. He threw the bottle that he had been holding in his hand at her. She turned her back and the bottle shattered, embedding a large piece of glass in her right shoulder. Krystal let out a cry, of pain falling to the floor in pain. Before she knew it he was on her, he bloodied her nose and lip with his right fist and blacked her right eye with his left before slamming her into the apartment wall. Frank her father, continued his onslaught of violence for a few more minutes before storming out into the dark night.
A few moments after Frank left Krystal became aware of a dull ache in her shoulder were the bottle had hit her. Krystal eyes explored the apartment a moment before her eyes fell on a pile of David's clothes that he had left. A thought struck her David had said that she could go to the lodging house if anything happened.
Krystal painfully changed into a pair of her brother's pants and eased a shirt over her sore shoulder, before placing a change of clothes and some of the money that she had been saving into a bag. Taking a knife she then took a handful of her long hair and cut it so that it now was an inch below her ears.
Well it couldn't get any worse at least Frank won't be able to beat me. Krystal thought to her self. Making sure she had her mothers pendent she steeped out into the cold October night, heading towards Brooklyn unaware of the dangers that lay lurking in the shadows ahead of her.
Krystal walked down a dark alleyway that would take her to the Brooklyn Bridge when she heard a noise behind her.
Krystal spun around and looked at the two boys that had been following her.
"Well what 'ave we here Morris? A little goil so far from home." Oscar Delancy taunted Krystal, while Morris grabbed her from behind.
"Lets have some fun with her shall we?" Asked his brother before kissing Krystal on the lips.
Krystal did the only thing she could think of at the time, she bite Morris's lip hard.
Morris jerked his head away from Krystals and backhanded her reopening her lip were her father had hit her. He then threw against the alley wall.
Krystal let out a blood-curdling scream before darkness swirled in front of her eyes. Krystal heard footsteps echoed off the walls of the alleyway. Three boys ran into the alleyway and chased the Delancey brothers away from Krystal's prone body.
She was aware of voices around her. She guessed that she had made noise because when she opened her eyes there was a dark blonde haired boy leaning over her, with an eye patch over his right eye.
"Hey kid yous going to be alright just be still we'll leave in a moment." The boy reassured her.
"Can she walk?" A blonde boy with light blue eyes and a gold tip cane asked while knelling down beside them.
Krystal shook her head yes and stood up slowly winching a little at the pain in her shoulder.
"Youse got a name?" Asked the boy with the eye patch, while the other boy looked her over.
"Krys is that you?" A dark haired boy asked from behind the other two boys Krystal stared at the boy in shock trying to place the face when the ground suddenly rushed up to greet her.
When Krystal woke up she was in a room with bunk beds and chairs and a small nightstand. On the nightstand a candle burnt illuminating two boys sleeping in chairs, another candle was lit illuminated two boys sleeping on the floor. Krystal shifted on the bed to get a better look at the boys on the floor beside her. When her shoulder hit the bed and she let out a scream, which awoke the four boys.
"Sh" the boy with the light brown hair comforted her. "I'm Spot Conlon," he said. "This is Kid Blinks," pointing to the boy with the eye patch. "This one with the auburn hair is Smartiee." Spot said introducing the two boys that were sleeping on the floor.
"Now what was that scream about did those Delancy brothers hurt you bad?" Spot gave Krystal a critical look before ordering her to lie back down and go to sleep.
Krystal lied back down on the bed on her stomach ready to go back to sleep when she heard a gasp from the four boys. "Krystal what happened to your back?" Spots gentile voice took on an edge of authority.
Krystal gasped when she heard her name being said. "What do you mean? What's wrong with my back?" Her voice shook with fear.
"Krys look at me, now who do you see?" Smartiee asked as he came into her line of vision. Krystal tried once again to place his face; a look of confusion appeared over her face, before she could place his face. Krystal remembered the time when she had been sick and he had stayed and played cards with her teaching her the finer points of Poker and Black Jack. She remembered him comforting her when their mama died of fever. She also remembered the night he had left and how sad she had been when he was gone.
"David what wrong with my back?" She asked her voice shaking with fear, her eye's were shimmering with unshed tears of pain and emotions.
"Krys, this is going to hurt, there is a piece of glass in your shoulder. It's going to have to come out." Smartiee told his sister.
"David can I talk to you for a minute before you do that?" Krystal asked.
"Sure Krys, give me a minute to ask, and call me Smartiee now," David told her before looking over at Spot.
Spot thought the request over for a moment before signaling for the others to leave. He got up and followed but not before Krystal saw a look pass between the two boys.
"Who is the other boy he looks familiar?" Krystal asked Smartiee as he settled on the edge of the bed.
"He should that was Allen but they call him Jumpy now, because when he first came here five years ago he jumped at every thing. Krystal you do know I have to tell Spot what happen to you?" Smartiee told her. He noticed the fear in her eyes when he mentions telling Spot the truth. "Come on Krys it's better for Spot to hear this from us than from one of his little birds," he saw a hint of a smile on her face before a movement at the door drew his attention.
At the door in the shadows stood Spot and two other figures. "Well Krys, you don't have a choice he's right behind you." Smartiee told her a grin on his face.
"Smartiee, Krys I'd like youse to meet Alexia and Paige better known as Tiger and Lily I brought them to take care of Krystal." Spot smirked at the brother and sister on the bunk bed.
"Come on Smartiee, lets get out of the ladies way." Spot told Smartiee as he left the room.
"Thanks Spot. Could you please send in Patches, Charm and Lacey if you can get her away from Jumpy." Tiger told them before they left.
"Hey I'm Tiger and this is Lily." Tiger introduced her self and the blonde girl beside her. "Welcome to the Brooklyn Lodging House this is the girls bunk room. I'm the leader of the girls and my guy is Grins." Tiger laugh a little at the last part.
"Hi! I'm Lily, my guy is Kid Blink." Three girls coming into the room interrupted Lily.
"I's Patch." A girl with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes said as she approaches the bed were Krystal lay.
"I's Charm." A girl with bright green eyes, olive skin and black hair said.
"Hi! I'm Lacey, Jumpy told me all about youse." A girl with blonde hair and dark blue eyes told Krystal.
"Hey Krys how about telling me how a piece of glass got in your shoulder?" Tiger asked as she brushed a strain of red hair out of her bright green eyes. So she could look into Krystals green ones.
"My fadder did it. Is it bad?" Krystal asked trying to look over her shoulder were the glass was.
"Turn over so I can take the glass out of your shoulder." Tiger scolded her when Krystal tried to see the glass in her shoulder.
"Hey take a look at her shoulder." Tiger told the girls once she had gotten the blood soaked shirt off of the piece of glass.
"Now be still this is going to hurt a lot." Tiger told her, her voice taking on a gentile tone of comfort.
There was an intense pain that seemed to burn in her left shoulder when Lily's hand touched her shoulder.
Krystal started to scream and thrash around but Tiger, Patch, Charm and Lacey held her still while Lily worked at removing the piece of glass and cleaning the other cuts on her back. First by cleaning then with warm water and secondly pouring peroxide over the larger cuts.
Krystal passed out from the pain before Lily had gotten very far.
"It's better this way if she's out she can't fill any pain." Lily told the worried group of girls.
After Lily had removed the piece of glass from Krystals shoulder she stopped the blood flow with one of the bandages that Spot had brought with him earlier. Tiger and Lily eased Krystal into a sitting position while Patch and Charm secured a bandage around her shoulder to hold a folded bandage over the deep cut in her shoulder.
Tiger left the girls bunkroom to where the boys were waiting. Spot had explained to the boys a little about what was going on.
"Hey Tiger how's every thing going." Smartiee asked nervously rubbing his shoulder were Spot and Grins had to hold him back when Krystal had screamed.
"Fine Smartiee. Hey Spot can I get a shirt from youse. Hers is soaked in blood." Tiger asked worriedly.
"Sure Tiger," Spot told her as he got up from where he had been playing a game of poker with an Italian boy, name Race Track.
"Hey Race how's it rolling? Come to see Charm?" Tiger greeted the boy.
"Hey Tiger yea, I's come to see my goil." Race answered her.
"Don't worry were almost done. She'll be out in a minute." Tiger was interrupted by Spot carrying a soft light blue shirt.
"Here youse go Tiger." He said while he handed her the shirt.
"Thanks Spot." Tiger told him before going back into the girl's room.
"Hey Charm someone's here to see ya." Tiger teased the dark haired youth. "Hey Patch help me get this shirt on her then go get the anxious brothers before Spot an Grins kill 'em." Tiger laugh to the reddish-brown haired girl.
"Ready to break in here already. Can't say I blame them though I 'meber when Legs broke 'is arm and youse were ready to kill anyone who'd come near 'em after he screamed." Patch laughed at the sour expression on Tigers red face.
"Yea if I 'member right Grins had to keep youse from killing the doctor and you decked Spot." Lily broke in.
"Yea and Spot had a black eye for a week after. Boy I've never seen youse so upset." Patch continued.
"Youse know I sometime think the only thing that kept Spot from killing me for that was Legs." Tiger laugh with them.
Patch and Lacey eased Krystal once more into a sitting position while Tiger and Charmed eased the shirt over her head. While, Lily cleaned up the medical supplies.
Patch left the room.
"Hey Lily you going to see Blink before he and Race have to leave to get back to Manhattan? Charm how bout you?" Tiger teased the two girls before smiling at them to go see their guys.
"Hey Tiger. How's Krys doing?" Jumpy asked before greeting Lacey with a hug and a smile.
"Fine, she's asleep. Why don't you go and gets something to eat its been a long night and we've got to sell tomorrow." Tiger warned her friends.
"Hey youse two send Grins, Pips, and Smartiee in. Tell Spot also I know he probably wants to speak with me."
"Right as usual." Tiger was interrupted by Spot who was leaning against the girl's room doorframe with a smug grin on his face.
Everyone left the room but Spot and Tiger. "She's asleep we did all we could." Tiger yawned.
"I have to go talk to Grins, make sure Legs and Pip get to bed, can you watch her and get Smartiee to get some sleep."
"Sure Tiger."
"Why don't youse go get some sleep too. Youse got to sell tomorrow also. I'll watch 'ere from now on, though remember we got to get her a nickname soon." Spot sent Smartiee out of the girl's room before pulling a blanket off one of the chairs and tucking it around Krystals slightly shivering sweaty body. It really wasn't that hot in mid October.
Spot was worried that a fever might come, he hadn't let on how bad the cut was, and Tiger had said it was a bad cut, to Smartiee. Spot left the room to go to the washroom were he collected a washbasin and a small clean rag. He filled the basin with water then returned to the room placing the basin on the nightstand at the head of the bed, he dipped the rag into the cool water and started to clean out the cuts on her face were it looked like the Delances had used their brass knuckles.
After Spot finished washing out her bruised and cut face, he dipped the rag in water again and laid it across her forehead.
Spot fell asleep in the chair watching her sleep. He was awoken by the shots of Terry the Brooklyn Lodging Houses caretaker, waking the boys. The girls had already been woken and were waiting for the boys down stairs in the lobby of on there way to the circulation center. Spot left the room after taking one final look at Krystals pale face. The fever that Spot hoped to avoid had set in during the night.
"Hey Smartiee come 'ere a minute would ya?" Spot called out comely across the room of the half awoke newsie getting ready for the day.
"Yea Spot." Smartiee asked his eyes showed how worried he was.
"Yea Smartiee, go on over to the Shamrock and see if ya can get some soup or something for Krystal."
"I need some of youse to check here during the day and maybe set with Krystal for a few minutes. Grins, will youse get my papes and bring em here for me?" Spot asked before tossing him three quarters.
"Alright get out here!" Spot sent them off towards distributing office to get their papes. "Hey Legs." Spot called to the smallest member of the house, and his house massager.
"Yea Spot," Legs asked?
"I need you to run a message to Tiger, I need her to come here as soon as she can if she asks why tell her fever, and she'll under stand. Spot told the little boy, before he headed back to the girls room.
"Here's your papes Spot." Grins said as he placed a stack of papers on the table in the lobby.
"Thanks Grins. Stay here with Krys until Tiger gets here then you can go sell you papes. Tell her I'll be here when I'm done selling. And send Legs and Pips to Manhattan when they get back ask them to get Fly she should know what to do with a fever." Spot asked his redheaded second in command.
"Sure Spot." Was the only reply Spot heard before he left out the door of the lodging house and ran right into Jumpy and Smartiee.
"Hey youse two going to be staying here today?" Spot questioned the two boys.
"Yea Spot. Ran into Tiger a little while ago said that Krys was awake." Jumpy replied.
"Good don't tier her out and watch out for her fever," a voice came from the door.
"Well Tiger since youse are here I'm going to sell and I see youse knew about the fever." Spot stated before he disappeared out the door into the weak October morning sunlight.
Spot took two hours to sell all his papers before he started back towards the lodging house. When he came in sight of the house he noticed three figures setting on the steps talking and a fourth figure hiding in the shadows of the steps unnoticed by the three on the steps. As he got closer he recognized the three figures as Smartiee, Jumpy, and Krystal. He also realized that the one hiding in the shadows was Pips, Legs selling and messenger partner.
Spot approached the group cautiously, ignoring Pips for the time being.
"Hey Krys how's it rolling?" Spot asked the girl that had just recently had joined there ranks as a newsie. "Shouldn't you be in bed or something?" he asked taking in the small trimmers of a chill that passed over her body.
"We's tried Spot but she just flitters from the bunk to the window to the door we's even had to get her off the roof. Tiger thought it would be best for us to take her outside for some fresh air. She sent Pips and Legs to get Fly from Manhattan but they haven't returned yet." Jumpy told Spot.
"Alright Pip where's Legs you didn't leave him in Manhattan did you? Tiger will kill you if youse did." Spot asked. "Come on out so we can see you." He commanded gently.
When Pips stepped out into the light of day, everyone let out a gasp of surprise. Pips red hair was matted from were there was a small gash on her scalp. She held her arm against her body a large cut was visibly bleeding there. A large bruise was starting to show on her cheek and around her eyes. Her lip was split and also bleeding and her body shook with fear an anticipation of what had happened.
Spot took one look at the frightened girl, one of his youngest newsies. Before he went to her side and started to comfort her.
"Sshhh Pips it's going to be alright." Spot began before he turned to the three siblings on the steps. "You go back to bed," Spot said pointing to Krystal. "You go find Grins," he indicated Jumpy. "And you go to Manhattan and see if you can find out what happened from ButterFly or Jack." He told Smartiee before turning back to Pips.
Spot gently picked up Pips while Krystal held open the door for them and went upstairs. Spot placed Pips in the bunk bed beside Krystal's. Pips promptly began to cry when they had entered the bunkroom. Krystal went to her side and laid a calming hand on her back before Spot could say a word Krystal had Pips quieted and almost asleep.
"Hey Pips I'm Krystal. You want to hear a story?" Krystal asked the little girl. The only reply she got was a shake of Pips head.
"Once a long time ago there was a girl who fell in love with a prince but love was forbidden between the two. Do you want to hear the poem?" Krystal quietly asked the girl. When she noticed the girls even breathes.
"Well I guess that's that Krystal sighed before returning to her bunk and falling into a troubled sleep.
That's all I have for now if you have suggestions or comments please tell me Newsies belong to their respected company Krystal and all belong to me. Thanks
He did it again. David got in to an argument with papa. He was talking of how much he hated living here. Papa stormed out in a fit of rage, and hasn't come back yet.
"Kris. I don't know how much longer I can stand it. He never hit us when mama was here! I'm leaving before he comes back! I'm going to Brooklyn to see if I can find Allen." David looked into Krystal's bright green eyes, brushing a strand of auburn hair out of her face before continuing. "I don't think you remember Allen he was our older brother, he's two years older than us that would make him twelve now. When we were six, Uncle Davis needed help with his bakery in Brooklyn. Papa sent Allen, the bakery burnt to the ground a year later. No one knew what happened to him. Then just after mama died I got this letter from him, he's in Brooklyn he's a newsie and he said if anything should happen we can look for him their." David sat back and looked into Krystal's sad green eyes before continuing once again.
"Kris I'm leaving and not coming back are you coming with me or are you staying here?" He asked her, brushing his auburn hair out of his face.
"David I have to stay here when you find him please write and let me know." Krystals voice shook with emotion yet she could not let her brother know how much it hurt her that he was leaving her.
"Krystal if you decide to come looking for us you'll know us by our pendants never loose the pendent it was mama's I'll miss you." David took one fleeting look at Krystal before disappearing out the door.
Krystal watched in shock when she heard a noise, which startled her out of her daze.
***********Two years later **************
"David come here boy." Her father slurred voice startled her.
"Papa he left he went after Allen." Krystal told the drunken man.
"Why you little bit***. It's all your fault," His eyes came alive with a flame of rage that Krystal had never seen before. He threw the bottle that he had been holding in his hand at her. She turned her back and the bottle shattered, embedding a large piece of glass in her right shoulder. Krystal let out a cry, of pain falling to the floor in pain. Before she knew it he was on her, he bloodied her nose and lip with his right fist and blacked her right eye with his left before slamming her into the apartment wall. Frank her father, continued his onslaught of violence for a few more minutes before storming out into the dark night.
A few moments after Frank left Krystal became aware of a dull ache in her shoulder were the bottle had hit her. Krystal eyes explored the apartment a moment before her eyes fell on a pile of David's clothes that he had left. A thought struck her David had said that she could go to the lodging house if anything happened.
Krystal painfully changed into a pair of her brother's pants and eased a shirt over her sore shoulder, before placing a change of clothes and some of the money that she had been saving into a bag. Taking a knife she then took a handful of her long hair and cut it so that it now was an inch below her ears.
Well it couldn't get any worse at least Frank won't be able to beat me. Krystal thought to her self. Making sure she had her mothers pendent she steeped out into the cold October night, heading towards Brooklyn unaware of the dangers that lay lurking in the shadows ahead of her.
Krystal walked down a dark alleyway that would take her to the Brooklyn Bridge when she heard a noise behind her.
Krystal spun around and looked at the two boys that had been following her.
"Well what 'ave we here Morris? A little goil so far from home." Oscar Delancy taunted Krystal, while Morris grabbed her from behind.
"Lets have some fun with her shall we?" Asked his brother before kissing Krystal on the lips.
Krystal did the only thing she could think of at the time, she bite Morris's lip hard.
Morris jerked his head away from Krystals and backhanded her reopening her lip were her father had hit her. He then threw against the alley wall.
Krystal let out a blood-curdling scream before darkness swirled in front of her eyes. Krystal heard footsteps echoed off the walls of the alleyway. Three boys ran into the alleyway and chased the Delancey brothers away from Krystal's prone body.
She was aware of voices around her. She guessed that she had made noise because when she opened her eyes there was a dark blonde haired boy leaning over her, with an eye patch over his right eye.
"Hey kid yous going to be alright just be still we'll leave in a moment." The boy reassured her.
"Can she walk?" A blonde boy with light blue eyes and a gold tip cane asked while knelling down beside them.
Krystal shook her head yes and stood up slowly winching a little at the pain in her shoulder.
"Youse got a name?" Asked the boy with the eye patch, while the other boy looked her over.
"Krys is that you?" A dark haired boy asked from behind the other two boys Krystal stared at the boy in shock trying to place the face when the ground suddenly rushed up to greet her.
When Krystal woke up she was in a room with bunk beds and chairs and a small nightstand. On the nightstand a candle burnt illuminating two boys sleeping in chairs, another candle was lit illuminated two boys sleeping on the floor. Krystal shifted on the bed to get a better look at the boys on the floor beside her. When her shoulder hit the bed and she let out a scream, which awoke the four boys.
"Sh" the boy with the light brown hair comforted her. "I'm Spot Conlon," he said. "This is Kid Blinks," pointing to the boy with the eye patch. "This one with the auburn hair is Smartiee." Spot said introducing the two boys that were sleeping on the floor.
"Now what was that scream about did those Delancy brothers hurt you bad?" Spot gave Krystal a critical look before ordering her to lie back down and go to sleep.
Krystal lied back down on the bed on her stomach ready to go back to sleep when she heard a gasp from the four boys. "Krystal what happened to your back?" Spots gentile voice took on an edge of authority.
Krystal gasped when she heard her name being said. "What do you mean? What's wrong with my back?" Her voice shook with fear.
"Krys look at me, now who do you see?" Smartiee asked as he came into her line of vision. Krystal tried once again to place his face; a look of confusion appeared over her face, before she could place his face. Krystal remembered the time when she had been sick and he had stayed and played cards with her teaching her the finer points of Poker and Black Jack. She remembered him comforting her when their mama died of fever. She also remembered the night he had left and how sad she had been when he was gone.
"David what wrong with my back?" She asked her voice shaking with fear, her eye's were shimmering with unshed tears of pain and emotions.
"Krys, this is going to hurt, there is a piece of glass in your shoulder. It's going to have to come out." Smartiee told his sister.
"David can I talk to you for a minute before you do that?" Krystal asked.
"Sure Krys, give me a minute to ask, and call me Smartiee now," David told her before looking over at Spot.
Spot thought the request over for a moment before signaling for the others to leave. He got up and followed but not before Krystal saw a look pass between the two boys.
"Who is the other boy he looks familiar?" Krystal asked Smartiee as he settled on the edge of the bed.
"He should that was Allen but they call him Jumpy now, because when he first came here five years ago he jumped at every thing. Krystal you do know I have to tell Spot what happen to you?" Smartiee told her. He noticed the fear in her eyes when he mentions telling Spot the truth. "Come on Krys it's better for Spot to hear this from us than from one of his little birds," he saw a hint of a smile on her face before a movement at the door drew his attention.
At the door in the shadows stood Spot and two other figures. "Well Krys, you don't have a choice he's right behind you." Smartiee told her a grin on his face.
"Smartiee, Krys I'd like youse to meet Alexia and Paige better known as Tiger and Lily I brought them to take care of Krystal." Spot smirked at the brother and sister on the bunk bed.
"Come on Smartiee, lets get out of the ladies way." Spot told Smartiee as he left the room.
"Thanks Spot. Could you please send in Patches, Charm and Lacey if you can get her away from Jumpy." Tiger told them before they left.
"Hey I'm Tiger and this is Lily." Tiger introduced her self and the blonde girl beside her. "Welcome to the Brooklyn Lodging House this is the girls bunk room. I'm the leader of the girls and my guy is Grins." Tiger laugh a little at the last part.
"Hi! I'm Lily, my guy is Kid Blink." Three girls coming into the room interrupted Lily.
"I's Patch." A girl with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes said as she approaches the bed were Krystal lay.
"I's Charm." A girl with bright green eyes, olive skin and black hair said.
"Hi! I'm Lacey, Jumpy told me all about youse." A girl with blonde hair and dark blue eyes told Krystal.
"Hey Krys how about telling me how a piece of glass got in your shoulder?" Tiger asked as she brushed a strain of red hair out of her bright green eyes. So she could look into Krystals green ones.
"My fadder did it. Is it bad?" Krystal asked trying to look over her shoulder were the glass was.
"Turn over so I can take the glass out of your shoulder." Tiger scolded her when Krystal tried to see the glass in her shoulder.
"Hey take a look at her shoulder." Tiger told the girls once she had gotten the blood soaked shirt off of the piece of glass.
"Now be still this is going to hurt a lot." Tiger told her, her voice taking on a gentile tone of comfort.
There was an intense pain that seemed to burn in her left shoulder when Lily's hand touched her shoulder.
Krystal started to scream and thrash around but Tiger, Patch, Charm and Lacey held her still while Lily worked at removing the piece of glass and cleaning the other cuts on her back. First by cleaning then with warm water and secondly pouring peroxide over the larger cuts.
Krystal passed out from the pain before Lily had gotten very far.
"It's better this way if she's out she can't fill any pain." Lily told the worried group of girls.
After Lily had removed the piece of glass from Krystals shoulder she stopped the blood flow with one of the bandages that Spot had brought with him earlier. Tiger and Lily eased Krystal into a sitting position while Patch and Charm secured a bandage around her shoulder to hold a folded bandage over the deep cut in her shoulder.
Tiger left the girls bunkroom to where the boys were waiting. Spot had explained to the boys a little about what was going on.
"Hey Tiger how's every thing going." Smartiee asked nervously rubbing his shoulder were Spot and Grins had to hold him back when Krystal had screamed.
"Fine Smartiee. Hey Spot can I get a shirt from youse. Hers is soaked in blood." Tiger asked worriedly.
"Sure Tiger," Spot told her as he got up from where he had been playing a game of poker with an Italian boy, name Race Track.
"Hey Race how's it rolling? Come to see Charm?" Tiger greeted the boy.
"Hey Tiger yea, I's come to see my goil." Race answered her.
"Don't worry were almost done. She'll be out in a minute." Tiger was interrupted by Spot carrying a soft light blue shirt.
"Here youse go Tiger." He said while he handed her the shirt.
"Thanks Spot." Tiger told him before going back into the girl's room.
"Hey Charm someone's here to see ya." Tiger teased the dark haired youth. "Hey Patch help me get this shirt on her then go get the anxious brothers before Spot an Grins kill 'em." Tiger laugh to the reddish-brown haired girl.
"Ready to break in here already. Can't say I blame them though I 'meber when Legs broke 'is arm and youse were ready to kill anyone who'd come near 'em after he screamed." Patch laughed at the sour expression on Tigers red face.
"Yea if I 'member right Grins had to keep youse from killing the doctor and you decked Spot." Lily broke in.
"Yea and Spot had a black eye for a week after. Boy I've never seen youse so upset." Patch continued.
"Youse know I sometime think the only thing that kept Spot from killing me for that was Legs." Tiger laugh with them.
Patch and Lacey eased Krystal once more into a sitting position while Tiger and Charmed eased the shirt over her head. While, Lily cleaned up the medical supplies.
Patch left the room.
"Hey Lily you going to see Blink before he and Race have to leave to get back to Manhattan? Charm how bout you?" Tiger teased the two girls before smiling at them to go see their guys.
"Hey Tiger. How's Krys doing?" Jumpy asked before greeting Lacey with a hug and a smile.
"Fine, she's asleep. Why don't you go and gets something to eat its been a long night and we've got to sell tomorrow." Tiger warned her friends.
"Hey youse two send Grins, Pips, and Smartiee in. Tell Spot also I know he probably wants to speak with me."
"Right as usual." Tiger was interrupted by Spot who was leaning against the girl's room doorframe with a smug grin on his face.
Everyone left the room but Spot and Tiger. "She's asleep we did all we could." Tiger yawned.
"I have to go talk to Grins, make sure Legs and Pip get to bed, can you watch her and get Smartiee to get some sleep."
"Sure Tiger."
"Why don't youse go get some sleep too. Youse got to sell tomorrow also. I'll watch 'ere from now on, though remember we got to get her a nickname soon." Spot sent Smartiee out of the girl's room before pulling a blanket off one of the chairs and tucking it around Krystals slightly shivering sweaty body. It really wasn't that hot in mid October.
Spot was worried that a fever might come, he hadn't let on how bad the cut was, and Tiger had said it was a bad cut, to Smartiee. Spot left the room to go to the washroom were he collected a washbasin and a small clean rag. He filled the basin with water then returned to the room placing the basin on the nightstand at the head of the bed, he dipped the rag into the cool water and started to clean out the cuts on her face were it looked like the Delances had used their brass knuckles.
After Spot finished washing out her bruised and cut face, he dipped the rag in water again and laid it across her forehead.
Spot fell asleep in the chair watching her sleep. He was awoken by the shots of Terry the Brooklyn Lodging Houses caretaker, waking the boys. The girls had already been woken and were waiting for the boys down stairs in the lobby of on there way to the circulation center. Spot left the room after taking one final look at Krystals pale face. The fever that Spot hoped to avoid had set in during the night.
"Hey Smartiee come 'ere a minute would ya?" Spot called out comely across the room of the half awoke newsie getting ready for the day.
"Yea Spot." Smartiee asked his eyes showed how worried he was.
"Yea Smartiee, go on over to the Shamrock and see if ya can get some soup or something for Krystal."
"I need some of youse to check here during the day and maybe set with Krystal for a few minutes. Grins, will youse get my papes and bring em here for me?" Spot asked before tossing him three quarters.
"Alright get out here!" Spot sent them off towards distributing office to get their papes. "Hey Legs." Spot called to the smallest member of the house, and his house massager.
"Yea Spot," Legs asked?
"I need you to run a message to Tiger, I need her to come here as soon as she can if she asks why tell her fever, and she'll under stand. Spot told the little boy, before he headed back to the girls room.
"Here's your papes Spot." Grins said as he placed a stack of papers on the table in the lobby.
"Thanks Grins. Stay here with Krys until Tiger gets here then you can go sell you papes. Tell her I'll be here when I'm done selling. And send Legs and Pips to Manhattan when they get back ask them to get Fly she should know what to do with a fever." Spot asked his redheaded second in command.
"Sure Spot." Was the only reply Spot heard before he left out the door of the lodging house and ran right into Jumpy and Smartiee.
"Hey youse two going to be staying here today?" Spot questioned the two boys.
"Yea Spot. Ran into Tiger a little while ago said that Krys was awake." Jumpy replied.
"Good don't tier her out and watch out for her fever," a voice came from the door.
"Well Tiger since youse are here I'm going to sell and I see youse knew about the fever." Spot stated before he disappeared out the door into the weak October morning sunlight.
Spot took two hours to sell all his papers before he started back towards the lodging house. When he came in sight of the house he noticed three figures setting on the steps talking and a fourth figure hiding in the shadows of the steps unnoticed by the three on the steps. As he got closer he recognized the three figures as Smartiee, Jumpy, and Krystal. He also realized that the one hiding in the shadows was Pips, Legs selling and messenger partner.
Spot approached the group cautiously, ignoring Pips for the time being.
"Hey Krys how's it rolling?" Spot asked the girl that had just recently had joined there ranks as a newsie. "Shouldn't you be in bed or something?" he asked taking in the small trimmers of a chill that passed over her body.
"We's tried Spot but she just flitters from the bunk to the window to the door we's even had to get her off the roof. Tiger thought it would be best for us to take her outside for some fresh air. She sent Pips and Legs to get Fly from Manhattan but they haven't returned yet." Jumpy told Spot.
"Alright Pip where's Legs you didn't leave him in Manhattan did you? Tiger will kill you if youse did." Spot asked. "Come on out so we can see you." He commanded gently.
When Pips stepped out into the light of day, everyone let out a gasp of surprise. Pips red hair was matted from were there was a small gash on her scalp. She held her arm against her body a large cut was visibly bleeding there. A large bruise was starting to show on her cheek and around her eyes. Her lip was split and also bleeding and her body shook with fear an anticipation of what had happened.
Spot took one look at the frightened girl, one of his youngest newsies. Before he went to her side and started to comfort her.
"Sshhh Pips it's going to be alright." Spot began before he turned to the three siblings on the steps. "You go back to bed," Spot said pointing to Krystal. "You go find Grins," he indicated Jumpy. "And you go to Manhattan and see if you can find out what happened from ButterFly or Jack." He told Smartiee before turning back to Pips.
Spot gently picked up Pips while Krystal held open the door for them and went upstairs. Spot placed Pips in the bunk bed beside Krystal's. Pips promptly began to cry when they had entered the bunkroom. Krystal went to her side and laid a calming hand on her back before Spot could say a word Krystal had Pips quieted and almost asleep.
"Hey Pips I'm Krystal. You want to hear a story?" Krystal asked the little girl. The only reply she got was a shake of Pips head.
"Once a long time ago there was a girl who fell in love with a prince but love was forbidden between the two. Do you want to hear the poem?" Krystal quietly asked the girl. When she noticed the girls even breathes.
"Well I guess that's that Krystal sighed before returning to her bunk and falling into a troubled sleep.
That's all I have for now if you have suggestions or comments please tell me Newsies belong to their respected company Krystal and all belong to me. Thanks