Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from the movie.
He looked horrible. Both eyes were swollen, bruises had begun appearing all over his body, even his breathing was ragged. Every time he moved his upper body, he let out a moan of pain. Owl hoped his rib wasn't cracked or worse. If Owl believed in any god, she would have been praying.
She was sitting next to him holding his hand and murmuring comforting words. She didn't know the newsie but he had wanted someone to stay with him and she couldn't leave him alone. They were in Spot's room since it was the only room with privacy. When she and Spot had arrived back at the lodging house, they had found him lying on a couch surrounded by Brooklyn newsies. It only took one look at to know that he had been jumped by some professional muscle. Spot had ordered him moved to his room and then took everyone back downstairs to figure out what had happened and to give him time to rest.
Owl would have left with them but the newsie had reached for her hand. The gesture pulled at her heart and she had stayed with him. She didn't even know his name. She thought it was something like Eli or Extra, something with an E. She shook the thoughts out of her head and concentrated on nursing him. She dabbed at the cuts on his face with a washcloth while she cooed at him, "Shh, this won't hurt, sweetie." As she washed the blood away, she silently hoped for one of the other girls to arrive soon. Being a nurse had never been her calling. She was petrified that she would hurt him more and was tempted to walk out of the room every time he made a noise of pain.
He moved his head away from her cloth as he wheezed out, "Woman, get me Spot." Owl couldn't get mad at him in his condition and smiled softly at him as she shook her head. She hoped his gruffness was a sign that he was going to be fine. She continued to try to wipe away the blood but he growled at her. He tried to speak but stopped and grabbed his ribs again, moaning in pain. He reached for her hand again and squeezed it, in need of comfort.
Owl shook her head as she squeezed his hand back, "Shush, Spot will get here when he gets here. You know he can't be ordered around." Owl finished cleaning his face and opened his shirt to clean his chest wounds. At the sight of all of the bruises and cuts, silent tears began streaming down Owl's face.
Once she was finished, she opened the door and looked out in the hallway as she wiped any remnants of tears from her eyes. She saw Flips leaning near the door. Even while she was being a nurse she had a babysitter. She shook her head and whispered to him, "He won't settle down until he sees Spot. I'm worried he will hurt himself worse."
Flips nodded and turned to go find Spot. Owl turned back into the room and bit her finger nails nervously while she waited. She leaned against the wall next to the door, scared to get too close to the injured newsie. It only took a moment before there was a knock on the door and Spot walked into the room followed by Flips.
Spot walked towards her and nudged her shoulder, "How is he?"
Owl glanced at him in disbelief, "How should I know? I ain't no doctor."Spot shot her a warning glance. She shrugged and rolled her eyes, "Lotta cuts, bruises. Maybe a cracked rib. I don't really know. Like I said, I ain't a doctor." She knew her irritability was stemming from her worry about the newsie's condition. What if he died and she had done nothing but make it worse? They should have brought him to a doctor to begin with, Owl thought.
Spot nodded to her before walking to the bed. "Hey Liver, how you feeling?" He sat on the bed where she had been sitting before.
So maybe his name didn't start with an E, Owl thought. It had an E in it at least. At least he was a lot calmer now that Spot was here. Liver turned to Spot and grimaced in pain, "You're gunna find him, Spot, right?"
Spot nodded, "Of course." He glanced at Flips and nodded. Flips opened the door and a newsie walked in. He was short, skinny, and was the most average looking newsie Owl had ever seen. She figured he had to be one of Spot's birds. Spot turned back to Liver, "Who was it?"
"I ain't never seen him before," Liver wheezed out. "Tall, dark curly hair, muscles, heavy accent." Owl felt her heart quicken and bit her lip out of fear. It sounded like….no, it couldn't be. She knew in her heart it was though. Don't say it, she thought, just don't.
Spot's bird shrugged, "With just that, there's no way to know who it was. Could have been anyone." Owl almost sighed in relief but knew it would give her away.
Spot nodded, "Anything else? Scar? Tattoo?" Owl bit her lip, hoping, praying again that he wouldn't say it.
"There was something else. A scar." Owl's heart fell to her stomach. Bliss. There was no doubt in her mind or heart that it was Bliss. She didn't even have to hear what the scar looked like. He had been an acquaintance of hers in the Bronx. She had to stop herself from gasping and covering her mouth or else Spot would know.
"He don't sound familiar." Spot's bird mumbled.
Spot turned to her, "Owl?"
She quickly shook her head, "Don't know him." She lied automatically, without thinking. As soon as she did, she knew it was a mistake. Why was she lying? She had no reason to protect him. She shook her head in confusion. Spot mistook it for a reassurance that she was telling the truth.
Spot's bird spoke up suddenly, "He's a Bronx newsie. He's pretty new, that's why I didn't recognize him at first." Owl imagined kicking him really hard in the shins out of retaliation.
They both turned to Owl. Spot's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Name?" he growled.
Owl was torn. She could try to deny it but Spot would find out the truth. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth but a lie came out instead, "I don't know him, Spot." She resisted the urge to shamefully look at the floor. She held Spot's harsh gaze until the bird spoke.
The bird shrugged, "It's possible she never knew him. The kid is new to the Bronx. He ain't been there but a month or two." Hope surged through her that she might get away with it. Spot was still glaring at her. She made her face look as innocent as possible until Spot looked away.
He turned to Liver, "Don't worry about anything. You rest. I'll take care of it." His voice was menacing and it sent shivers up Owl's spine. She was suddenly filled with dread and the knowledge that nothing good could come out of this. She glanced at Flips but he didn't seem to have been affected by anything that had been said. He walked back to the door and nodded for her and the bird to leave. She had no choice but to comply.
Owl was waiting for Spot in the hallway. She had to say something to him. Maybe she could stop it. She shook her head in disgust at herself. There was no way she could change his mind but she had to try. She had known the Bronx was going to start something. It had been brewing since the strike. Keys had been upset that Manhattan had gone to Brooklyn, declaring Spot Conlon as the King of New York. Keys thought it should have been him up there next to Jack at the rally at Medda's.
The door to Spot's room suddenly opened and Spot stepped out. He looked haggard and strained. He saw her and smiled softly, "Couldn't get enough of me, eh?"
Spot's eyes had lit up when he saw her and Owl's heart melted. She shook her head, she didn't have time to play word games with him. She needed him to understand what would likely happen. Owl grabbed Spot's arm desperately, "What are you going to do?"
The sparkle in his eyes disappeared. He looked down shook his head and Owl wasn't sure who he was saying no to. He glanced back up at her, "I'm not sure." He saw the hope in her eyes and sighed, "I'm gunna have to do something."
Owl shook her head and voice her worst fear, "But what if your retaliation leads to a war?"
Spot ground his teeth as he thought for a moment. Owl knew it wasn't the first time he was thinking it could happen. He turned to her and put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, "I can't do nothing, Owl."
"I know that but," she paused and realized that she did not know what to say. Spot was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he did nothing, it would be a sign of weakness and Keys would attack again. If Spot retaliated in any form, Keys would use it as an excuse to attack as well. She sighed and put her head in her hands. Damn Keys.
His voice broke her musing, "Owl." She glanced up at him and saw that his face had softened. He reached up and held her face in his hands, "Victor won't be hurt."
Owl pulled her head out of his hands and glared at him, "You can't promise that and you know it." She hated that he knew why she was so torn.
Spot sighed, "Listen, I know you're worried about him and that's why we're talking." He raised an eyebrow at her, "Right?" His last comment came out skeptically and Owl suddenly realized that he was probing to see where her allegiances were. She was slightly hurt but tried to tell herself he was being practical.
Owl nodded and let the hurt shine out through her eyes, hoping to make him feel at least a little bad. "Yes but, Spot, nothing good can come out of this." She grabbed his hands, fearful that he would get fed up and leave the conversation.
Spot shook his head sadly and tried to pull her into a hug, "Owl."
"No," Owl pulled away in frustration, "All that will come out any retaliation is blood and pain. And you know it. How can you let that happen?" Her voice was becoming louder and Owl knew she was on the verge of tears. Spot couldn't let a war break out, he just couldn't.
His voice was harsh, "I don't know what you want from me." His eyes flashed a mixture of confusion and frustration. He turned away from her and took a deep breath. Owl stood quietly, a tear slipping down her flushed cheek. When Spot turned around, he saw her face and sighed. "I can't do nothing," he said quietly.
She sighed and nodded, "I know, I know." She paused and thought. She just needed a day to go to the Bronx. Maybe she could fix this. She smiled at him, "All I'm asking is that you wait a day or two and think on it. Don't do anything rash. Don't let your boys do anything rash." She placed her hand on his chest, "Please, Spot."
Spot looked away in frustration and Owl knew he would agree. Spot looked back down at her and saw she had a soft smile on her face that melted his heart, "Okay."
Owl nodded and turned to walk away but Spot grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "When you go see him, don't get caught."
Owl pulled back, her eyes wide in surprise. How did he know? Spot gave her a knowing look. She nodded slowly and walked away. As Spot watched her, he prayed that whatever she had up her sleeve would work and save Brooklyn from bloodshed.
A/N: Yay, another chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews. You all are amazing. Like it? Dislike it? Indifferent? Let me know!