It was a muggy afternoon on September 6th. The air seemed to move before the eyes of the newsies. Business was incredibly slow many had barely sold enough to cover their expenses. The humidity at Coney Island was a bit less oppressive but the air still hung like a wet blanket over those in search of diversion. On the boardwalk three newsies stood trying to sell their papers to the passing wealthy tourists. A fourth newsies was leaning heavily on the railing heaving breakfast over into the Hudson.
"Kit youse sure youse want to stay here? Bait can walk youse back to the lodging house." Spot walked over to Kit as she stood up wiping her mouth on her handkerchief. He had decided to stick with them when Kit had come down from the bunkroom looking green. And now he was glad he had.
"I am fine. I shouldn't have eaten that sauerkraut that's all." Her brava was refuted by her ghost white skin, glazed eyes and shaky steps.
"Kit youth othay?" Bait came over, concerned, lisp coming from the losing of teeth the night before.
"Um, yeah Bait. I just have a stomachache." She closed her eyes, which helped a bit. "How many papes do I have to sell?"
"Youse got none to sell Kit. Youse going to either sit here or go back to the lodging house." Spot put his arm around her shoulders and lead her to a bench.
Kit tried to push Spot away. "I am fine. I can sell. I need to sell." She moved quickly and the world began to spin, "Whoah I need to sit down." Spot caught her as her knees gave way.
"Kit youse ain't proving that youse are fine. Sit down or Ise taking youse back to the lodging house."
Kit did sit down then, Spot sat down also and Kit leaned on him suddenly tired. Finally her stomach settled down and the world stopped spinning. Spot got up and went back to the boys. As she sat back up, a pain shot from her back around front across her lower abdomen and settled in her lower back and in front. She doubled over from the pain trying hard not to cry out loud.
"Kit are you okay? Kit?" Spot ran over put his arm around her yet again.
"Just let me alone. I'll be fine." She clutched her stomach, "I take that back can you help me home?" Spot nodded and helped her up, keeping his arm around her as they started for the lodging house.
"Jolly, Bait, Ise want youse to find Rounder and Falcon and finish selling with them." They nodded and scampered off. As they left, Kit let herself totally lean on Spot barely standing on her own.
Kosei saw them come in and helped Spot get her upstairs and into her bed. "Kit do you want some laudanum?"
"No, no laudanum." Kit gritted out between clenched teeth "It makes me fuzzy headed and when it wears off I feel ten times worse, no none of that horrible stuff." She laid back down and began to consider ways to maim guys. Kosei headed downstairs and Spot stood in the doorway wondering what he could do. Spot finally, cautiously ventured a question. "Kit youse want anything?"
"A hot water bottle and some clean rags." Kit's head didn't leave her pillow as she asked for some supplies.
Spot nodded and went down stairs to find what she had asked for.
"Kosei, Kit asked for a hot water bottle and rags. What is she going to use them for?" Spot had a confused look as he tried to piece together the little information he had, but Kosei wouldn't help him figure it out.
"She has her reasons here take these to her and by the time you get back the water will be done warming up." While Kosei had a soft spot for the younger two boys and Kit it didn't extend to the older newsies in such an overt manner.
Andrew Kosei was in his early 30's and had been a newsies when he was younger. He had gotten a job as a junior reporter for the World when he was 20 and married his childhood sweetheart a year later. They had a happy life and the lodging house had been her idea. Samantha wanted to start a place for the newsies to live after a particularly hard winter in the first year of their marriage. It had been what killed her.
Four years ago a newsie had caught the flu, Sam being the women she was took care of the newsie and in the process the flu from him. Their son, Joshua caught it from her and before Andrew knew it he lost his entire family. He left the lodging house open because of her and the newsies filled the void left by the loss of his family.
The whistle of the teapot recalled Kosei to the present. He quickly filled the red hot water bottle and after wrapping it in a towel took it up to Kit. As he entered the bunkroom Kosei heard Kit's suppressed moans, "Kit Ise got the hot bottle youse asked for."
Kit opened her eyes and reached for the comfort that red bottle would bring. "Thank-you Kosei. Can you keep everyone out of here? I really don't want to see anyone."
"Ise do my best, but what about Spot? He's worried about youse a lot." Kosei paused before he left.
"I will not see anyone." Kit's voice became deadly. "I don't care what you have to do, the first guy that comes in here won't be having kids." Kit practically growled as she rolled to her side and clenched the water bottle to her abdomen.
Kosei felt it was in his best interests to leave at that moment. He only stopped to warn Spot, "Ise not go in there if Ise you. She's mad and if youse wants kids don't go in there. She said no one was allowed in."
Spot looked at Kosei in disbelief, "She must of meant everyone except me." His voice held hope and assurance that Kit wouldn't kick him out of his own room.
Kosei looked Spot straight in the eye, "No she said youse especially weren't allowed in."
Spot was floored she was going to kick him out of the room? Who did she think she was? He moved around Kosei and into the room. Immediately he was assaulted by the smell of vomit.
"Get out" Kit lay in bed and if it hadn't been for the pitiful way she looked the steel in her words would have registered with Spot. Spot stood there taking in the sight that Kit made. Her hair was half out of the braids she normally wore. She was only wearing one of his shirts and she was gray as the sheet on the bed.
"No, youse look awful and Ise not leaving until youse give me a good reason not to send Rounder or Falcon for a doctor."
Kit lifted her pain filled eyes and glared at Spot, "I don't need a doctor. I am not sick."
Spot snorted, "Youse think looking like a ghost and puking everywhere isn't sick? Then what's wrong?"
Kit would have answered but she suddenly got up and ran for the washroom. When she returned she found Spot and found a bucked and a scrub brush and was on his knees cleaning the floor. She gathered her strength together. "Why are you doing that? I can do it myself." With each word her energy slowly ebbed away and she leaned on the bunk for support.
"Sure and how could youse if youse can barely stand? Ise almost done with it anyway. So youse still say youse ain't sick?"
"Yes I ain't sick. I know exactly what's wrong and I know I will be fine in a day or two. Now if you value your life you will leave." Kit's voice though weary still carried steel that for once Spot listened to.
Spot helped Kit back into bed. Making sure she was comfortable and warm before he gathered up his blanket and pillow. "Youse know all youse gots to do is yell and Ise be back to get youse anything."
"I know right now I need sleep. Leave Spot." Kit turned over to her side and curled up and closed her eyes. Spot gave her one last glance and then slid out into the bunkroom to find an open bunk and an open game of poker.
AN: Yes Kit has what you are thinking she has, and yes it can be this bad, just ask me about it sometime. I don't condone killing men at anytime but these types of thoughts are common to many women during this time, even if they are just fleeting. Catch you later.
"Kit youse sure youse want to stay here? Bait can walk youse back to the lodging house." Spot walked over to Kit as she stood up wiping her mouth on her handkerchief. He had decided to stick with them when Kit had come down from the bunkroom looking green. And now he was glad he had.
"I am fine. I shouldn't have eaten that sauerkraut that's all." Her brava was refuted by her ghost white skin, glazed eyes and shaky steps.
"Kit youth othay?" Bait came over, concerned, lisp coming from the losing of teeth the night before.
"Um, yeah Bait. I just have a stomachache." She closed her eyes, which helped a bit. "How many papes do I have to sell?"
"Youse got none to sell Kit. Youse going to either sit here or go back to the lodging house." Spot put his arm around her shoulders and lead her to a bench.
Kit tried to push Spot away. "I am fine. I can sell. I need to sell." She moved quickly and the world began to spin, "Whoah I need to sit down." Spot caught her as her knees gave way.
"Kit youse ain't proving that youse are fine. Sit down or Ise taking youse back to the lodging house."
Kit did sit down then, Spot sat down also and Kit leaned on him suddenly tired. Finally her stomach settled down and the world stopped spinning. Spot got up and went back to the boys. As she sat back up, a pain shot from her back around front across her lower abdomen and settled in her lower back and in front. She doubled over from the pain trying hard not to cry out loud.
"Kit are you okay? Kit?" Spot ran over put his arm around her yet again.
"Just let me alone. I'll be fine." She clutched her stomach, "I take that back can you help me home?" Spot nodded and helped her up, keeping his arm around her as they started for the lodging house.
"Jolly, Bait, Ise want youse to find Rounder and Falcon and finish selling with them." They nodded and scampered off. As they left, Kit let herself totally lean on Spot barely standing on her own.
Kosei saw them come in and helped Spot get her upstairs and into her bed. "Kit do you want some laudanum?"
"No, no laudanum." Kit gritted out between clenched teeth "It makes me fuzzy headed and when it wears off I feel ten times worse, no none of that horrible stuff." She laid back down and began to consider ways to maim guys. Kosei headed downstairs and Spot stood in the doorway wondering what he could do. Spot finally, cautiously ventured a question. "Kit youse want anything?"
"A hot water bottle and some clean rags." Kit's head didn't leave her pillow as she asked for some supplies.
Spot nodded and went down stairs to find what she had asked for.
"Kosei, Kit asked for a hot water bottle and rags. What is she going to use them for?" Spot had a confused look as he tried to piece together the little information he had, but Kosei wouldn't help him figure it out.
"She has her reasons here take these to her and by the time you get back the water will be done warming up." While Kosei had a soft spot for the younger two boys and Kit it didn't extend to the older newsies in such an overt manner.
Andrew Kosei was in his early 30's and had been a newsies when he was younger. He had gotten a job as a junior reporter for the World when he was 20 and married his childhood sweetheart a year later. They had a happy life and the lodging house had been her idea. Samantha wanted to start a place for the newsies to live after a particularly hard winter in the first year of their marriage. It had been what killed her.
Four years ago a newsie had caught the flu, Sam being the women she was took care of the newsie and in the process the flu from him. Their son, Joshua caught it from her and before Andrew knew it he lost his entire family. He left the lodging house open because of her and the newsies filled the void left by the loss of his family.
The whistle of the teapot recalled Kosei to the present. He quickly filled the red hot water bottle and after wrapping it in a towel took it up to Kit. As he entered the bunkroom Kosei heard Kit's suppressed moans, "Kit Ise got the hot bottle youse asked for."
Kit opened her eyes and reached for the comfort that red bottle would bring. "Thank-you Kosei. Can you keep everyone out of here? I really don't want to see anyone."
"Ise do my best, but what about Spot? He's worried about youse a lot." Kosei paused before he left.
"I will not see anyone." Kit's voice became deadly. "I don't care what you have to do, the first guy that comes in here won't be having kids." Kit practically growled as she rolled to her side and clenched the water bottle to her abdomen.
Kosei felt it was in his best interests to leave at that moment. He only stopped to warn Spot, "Ise not go in there if Ise you. She's mad and if youse wants kids don't go in there. She said no one was allowed in."
Spot looked at Kosei in disbelief, "She must of meant everyone except me." His voice held hope and assurance that Kit wouldn't kick him out of his own room.
Kosei looked Spot straight in the eye, "No she said youse especially weren't allowed in."
Spot was floored she was going to kick him out of the room? Who did she think she was? He moved around Kosei and into the room. Immediately he was assaulted by the smell of vomit.
"Get out" Kit lay in bed and if it hadn't been for the pitiful way she looked the steel in her words would have registered with Spot. Spot stood there taking in the sight that Kit made. Her hair was half out of the braids she normally wore. She was only wearing one of his shirts and she was gray as the sheet on the bed.
"No, youse look awful and Ise not leaving until youse give me a good reason not to send Rounder or Falcon for a doctor."
Kit lifted her pain filled eyes and glared at Spot, "I don't need a doctor. I am not sick."
Spot snorted, "Youse think looking like a ghost and puking everywhere isn't sick? Then what's wrong?"
Kit would have answered but she suddenly got up and ran for the washroom. When she returned she found Spot and found a bucked and a scrub brush and was on his knees cleaning the floor. She gathered her strength together. "Why are you doing that? I can do it myself." With each word her energy slowly ebbed away and she leaned on the bunk for support.
"Sure and how could youse if youse can barely stand? Ise almost done with it anyway. So youse still say youse ain't sick?"
"Yes I ain't sick. I know exactly what's wrong and I know I will be fine in a day or two. Now if you value your life you will leave." Kit's voice though weary still carried steel that for once Spot listened to.
Spot helped Kit back into bed. Making sure she was comfortable and warm before he gathered up his blanket and pillow. "Youse know all youse gots to do is yell and Ise be back to get youse anything."
"I know right now I need sleep. Leave Spot." Kit turned over to her side and curled up and closed her eyes. Spot gave her one last glance and then slid out into the bunkroom to find an open bunk and an open game of poker.
AN: Yes Kit has what you are thinking she has, and yes it can be this bad, just ask me about it sometime. I don't condone killing men at anytime but these types of thoughts are common to many women during this time, even if they are just fleeting. Catch you later.