It was almost three in the morning. The newsies were still asleep, but were to be awakened within a couple of hours. Other than Kloppman, no one had woken up when Lexi and Skittery carried Racetrack inside the lodging house. The old keeper begged for the girl and boy to get some rest, but they refused. Lexi would not leave her brother's side and Skittery would not rest until Lexi did. They watched as Kloppman cleaned up and covered the gash in Race's forehead with strange-smelling liquids and patch up some areas on his arms, legs, back, and stomach. It was gruesome, both the way Race looked and the way Kloppman tried to fix him up. Skittery couldn't barely stand to watch what he was doing half the time. He'd look across the bed at Lexi, who never once tore her eyes from her brother. She didn't flinch, but she was scared. She didn't sleep, but she was tired. She didn't have the power to help Race, but she kept on fighting for him. Skittery looked down at the ground. He wanted to know what Lexi was thinking. He was worried about her more than he was of Racetrack.
"He'll need to stay in this bed for a few days, no working. He'll wake up soon, I promise you," Kloppman said at three in the morning. "Please, Lexi, Skittery, get some sleep."
"I'm not goin' anywhere, Kloppman," was their simultaneous answer. All he could do was sigh. "Well, when the others wake up, keep your mouths shut. I don't want anybody comin' in here. Race's going to wake up to quiet, not to a crowd of people in his face." At that, he left to get what was left of his usual seven hours of sleep.
Skittery looked over at Lexi again. "You'se should really get some sleep."
"I told you, I'm not sleepin' till my brudda's awake. I ain't sellin' today." Lexi held Race's hand in hers. She broke her long-lasting gaze at her brother's face and looked up at Skittery's. His hair was messier than it usually was. He had huge bags under his eyes, and he was trying to hold a weak smile. Lexi looked over at the clock. She did not notice the time until now. Looked out the small window at the end of the room. Dawn was coming soon. She didn't know if she was picturing it in her head or if it was real, but she could see faint colors of pink, purple and blue floating in the sky. She was tired, and she could feel sleep coming over her. Lexi tried not to give in, but her eyes would not obey. Still holding Race's hand, she rested laid down her head on top of theirs and fell fast asleep. Skittery saw this and thought that it was awful cute. He slouched down low in his chair and went into a deep sleep as well, knowing everything now would be okay. Race just needed to hold on for Lexi, and everything would be fine.
A couple of hours later, it was five 'o clock. Kloppman forced himself to get up out of his bed and wake the newsboys. There was no need to be quiet about it. While he passed by the sick room, he saw Lexi and Skittery fast asleep on both side's of Racetrack's bed. And besides, he needed to act like nothing happened.
"Wake up, Cowboy! Stop dreamin' of sellin' papers, go out there and do it!" he shouted. "Boots! C'mon, now! Sell them papers!" With the usual moans, one by one, they all woke up for yet another day of selling newspapers to New Yorkers. Kloppman walked over to Mush's bed. He saw that the poor boy looked confused as he spun his head around the room in search of three significant persons.
"Mush, why don't you get dressed and come with me before you sell your papers. I know what you're wonderin'. There's no worry," Kloppman reassured him as he shook Bumlets awake. Mush nodded his head and quickly got dressed. A few minutes later, he found himself in front of the counter, where Kloppman was counting off the boys as they went to sell.
"'Morning, Mush! What're ya waitin' for? Let's go get our papes," Crutchy greeted him as he hobbled down the stairs, followed by Blink.
"Where's Lexi 'n Race, Mush? And Skittery, too," Blink asked as he helped Crutchy down the last step.
"I was just gonna ask ol' Klopp about dat. You'se go ahead an' get your papes. I'll catch up wit ya," Mush replied. Crutchy and Blink were the last two to leave the lodging house and head for the distribution office. Mush noticed that Jack was standing at the doorway.
"Ya heah ta find out what happened wit Lex, Race 'n Skittery, too, huh?" Jack asked him. Mush thought that his tone of voice was a bit grave and serious.
"Yeah," he answered faintly. He was feeling uneasy and nervous. So many questions were running through his head. Mush turned back around and saw Kloppman come out of the sick room.
"Follow me, you two," he simply said, turning back into the room. Mush and Jack followed him to find three people sleeping soundly. Or what looked like three people sleeping soundly. Lexi was still holding on to Racetrack's hand. Skittery's head was tilted all the way back, his mouth open, and hair still a mess. One arm was hanging off to the side, the other laying across his middle. Racetrack still looked as disheveled as Skittery's hair, but, as Kloppman saw it, improving in health. All Mush and Jack could do was stare with an open mouth.
"What happened, Klopp?" Jack finally asked.
"Racetrack and Lexi went to Brooklyn to gamble with Spot. They came back late and on their way back they ran into Oscar and Morris Delancy," the old man answered.
"And what 'bout Skittery?" Jack asked again.
"He was waiting up all night for them to come back, but when they didn't, he went out to look for them. He found them not too far away in an alleyway. Good ol' Skittery came just in time to save Lexi from gettin' hurt, but Racetrack was already unconscious, I'm afraid." He paused and looked at the two boys. "Skittery picked up Racetrack and carried him all the way back here."
Mush walked over to Lexi and shook her gently. At first, she didn't wake up, but the second time, she opened her eyes.
"You'se alright, Lexi?" he asked softly. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. She saw that Skittery was still asleep, and then looked down at Race. He still had not woken up. It made her feel depressed and distressed, but she had to look on the bright side of things, if there were any.
"Don't worry, Lexi, we're gonna get the Delancys back!" Jack stated as he pounded his fist in his other hand. She didn't respond to this, but she felt a bit better knowing that she could rely on good friends.
"Mush, Kelly, go sell your papers. Go on, he'll be alright when you get back," Kloppman reassured them. "Lexi, I'll let you, your brother and Skittery stay her tonight for free, because of the circumstances."
Lexi smiled and said, "Thanks, Klopp." He left the room to get her and Skittery some fruit for breakfast. She woke up Skittery, who looked dazed and confused.
"Wha?" was all he could say. Lexi let out a little laugh.
"It's alright. Hey, ya know Kloppman's lettin' us stay heah a night for free?"
"Oh, dat's real good news, dat is," he said as he got out of his chair and stretched his arms and legs. As he stretched his arms again, he rounded Lexi up into a big hug. "Ya really had me scared, Lex." His tone was soft, but full of concern.
"I'm okay, Skitts. Honest."
He gave her one good look and kissed her on the forehead. "Good."
Just then, they heard a grumbling coming from the bed. "Race!" Lexi yelled. She took his hand again and touched his cheek. "You'se awake?"
"Mhm," he mumbled. "Me head! It's achin' like crazy. What happened?"
"It was Oscar and Morris. They hurt you real bad," Skittery explained the story as Lexi tried slowly to get Racetrack to sit up in bed.
"Wow." was all he could say.
"My, my, Racetrack," Kloppman said as he came back in with the fruit.
"Hiya, Klopp," Race greeted him in his carefree way. He was back to his old self. "Thanks for patchin' me up, Doc."
Lexi, who took Race's earnings from the poker game, handed it back over to him. Race recounted the money and found all two dollars and eighty cents in tact. Skittery's eyes went wide. "Dat must've been a hell of a pokah match!" They all laughed.
Later on, the newsies came filing back in. Mush and Jack must have spread the word, and they all came in to check up on Racetrack. He loved the attention he was getting, and he loved showing off all of his earnings in the poker match against Spot and the others in Brooklyn. Night suddenly came and it was time for the newsies to go to sleep. Lexi and Skittery were back in their old bunks, knowing that Race was now feeling better, but Kloppman still ordered him to stay in the sick room for another night.
Over the next few days, Race's health improved more than was to be expected. He was back at Sheepshead, gambling away. Lexi was selling with Mush at the harbor- Mush spending his spare time with Cassie, Lexi spending her spare time with Skittery. Jack had organized a few newsies, including Spot, Lucky and the others at the poker game, to come together and let Oscar and Morris pay for what they did to Racetrack and Lexi. Crutchy happily agreed to join in and gave his crutch a few swings at the sinister brothers. All was going well again, but there seemed to be a pattern going on. It was not so easy to distinguish, but it was there. First everything would be going fine, then something bad would occur, then everything would be fine again. What was it with these repeated chain of events? No one knew, and no one really cared much about it. After all, they were newsies, and they were living in the moment.
