Chapter 4: The Mystery of Gabriel

One night, Gabriel didn't come back to the lodge house until way past midnight, like he'd been doing for about a week or so, and he stumbled over someone's jacket that was laying on the floor, nearly tripping, but catching himself just in time. He hurried over to his bed, shivering terribly, but before he could crawl under the one blanket he now had, he caught sight of the window. There was only a small breeze blowing through it, but it was a cold November breeze that blew right across the foot of Gabriel's bed.
Gabriel looked around the dark room for something large enough to shove into the crack and block the cold, but nothing could be found. So he grabbed his own pillow off his bed and stuffed it in the crack, successfully stopping the breeze. Then he literally jumped into bed, pulling the blanket completely over his head and curling up into a ball to keep warm.

*

Mush turned when he heard a terrible cough across from his bunk, where Gabriel stood, tying his shoes. Gabriel stopped for a moment to rub his nose on his long sleeved shirt before continuing what he was doing.
"Hey, you alright, kid?" Mush asked as he put his hat on.
Gabriel nodded. "Yeah, fine".
"Sure? You don't sound too good".
"I'm alright". Gabriel said reassuringly as he stood and headed for the door. Half the newsies were already gone and heading to pick up there papers. "Ain't you got a jacket'er nothin'?" Mush called after him, but Gabriel was already out the door and either didn't here him or ignored him.
Of course, Mush had noticed that Gabriel didn't have a jacket not long after the weather began to change, but never thought to say anything about it. Most newsies had a jacket or something that they whore when the weather got cold.
He's never gonna survive through the season like this, Mush couldn't help but note to himself as he headed for the door himself.

Gabriel shouted as loud as the cold would allow his throat to handle, exaggerating the headlines the way Jack had taught him. He didn't like the job, but it was the only way to save them.
The weather was already too cold, he thought he'd have more time than this. He knew his time was running out, they wouldn't last much longer.
Gabriel's mind began to drift as he shouted; it was something he had learned to do. He could now carry on with his selling as if his full attention was on it, but his mind was on something else. He didn't do this intentionally though.
Gabriel coughed violently then, bending over slightly, but he quickly recovered and returned to his selling.
He just couldn't get them out of his head though, couldn't get her out of his head. They were depending on him. His mind drifted back to that time not so long ago, when this whole mess seemed almost impossible...

(This story to be posted soon.)


"Hey, gimme that!"
Racetrack snatched the towel that had just been taken from him by another newsie, and whipped the cold water from his face.
"Easy, Race, the water ain't gonna get any colder the longer it stays on your face". Jack said with a smirk, whipping his own face with his shirt sleeve and sliding over so Skittery could get at the water.
"Well, the sun's up and I wanna be under it". Racetrack said, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door. Jack merely rolled his eyes and sat down on a stool to put his shoes on.
Crutchy, who stood by his bed buttoning his coat, smiled and shook his head, listening to the ranting and raving of his friends. "Gabriel". He called half-heartedly, having seen Gabriel still in bed when he woke up a little while earlier, but there came no response. Crutchy thought little of it as he fished his rarely used cap from under his bed.
"Hey, Gabby, papes ain't gettin' any cheaper, let's go!" Jack called rather loudly as he sauntered into the room, having heard that the boy was not yet awake. He went over to Gabriel's bed and shook his shoulder, saying, "Gabriel, get up".
Gabriel moved a little, moaning slightly, and Jack frowned. He didn't like how cold that blanket felt under his touch.
"Gabe, you alright under there?" He said, pulling the blanket away from Gabriel's face. He cursed at the sight before him. Gabriel was not alright.

*

"It's a miracle he made it through the night", the doctor was saying to Kloppman. There was only a handful of newsies who'd stayed behind from selling to see what had happened to Gabriel, Jack, Mush, and Crutchy. They were listening from a distance as the doctor spoke with Kloppman about Gabriel's illness. They'd moved Gabriel downstairs to an empty storage room where Kloppman had set up an old cot and some blankets that had been leant out by other newsies.
"You'll have to keep him warm, and try to limit his visitors if possible". The doctor continued, and Kloppman nodded as the two men walked out of the small storage room and closed the door, leaving it only open a crack.
"So how is he?" Jack was the first to venture after the doctor had left, and Kloppman sighed. "Doc says he's got Pneumonia, gonna be tough helpin' him fight it".
"We'll help ya, Kloppy". Mush immediately spoke up.
"Yeah, we'se got a few extra cents, we can get'im food and stuff!" Crutchy added, smiling with the realization that he could help Gabriel.
"I'll bet the others would be happy ta'help out, too". Jack said as well.
"That would help a lot, I'm sure. Half'a the extra expenses go into heatin' this place, so that'll help the boy a lot". Kloppman said.
The three boys hurried out then to get to work selling, and that evening Jack held a meeting upstairs and told everybody about Gabriel. Most everybody was willing to chip in a cent or two every day to help, even Racetrack.
It was usually Jack who bought the food, and they switched off bringing it in to Gabriel. It just so happened to be Mush's turn first, and when he went into the small storage room, Gabriel was asleep.
Mush set the bowl of hot soup that Jack had bought down on a wooden crate next to Gabriel's cot, and then nudged him gently.
"Gabriel, I got some soup for ya". He said, and Gabriel stirred before opening his eyes weakly.
"Wha....what happened?" He spoke hoarsely.
"You'se sick, Gabe. Real bad with pneumonia. Think y'can sit up?"
Mush reached to help him, but Gabriel waved him away.
"H-how long have I been sleeping?"
"'Bout two days. Jack found ya sick yesterday morning. Now here, lemme help ya sit up so you'se can eat this here that Jack got ya, it'll help ya get better". Mush tried to persuade him again, but Gabriel shook his head, trying to sit up, but not to eat.
"No, no, I have to get up". He said, pushing the blankets away and trying to climb off the cot, but Mush gently pushed him back.
"What? You crazy or somethin', you'se is sick as a dog, Gabe!"
"No, I have to work. I have to!" Gabriel looked around the floor, as if trying to find his shoes. But then he began to cough violently, hunching over. Mush waited for his coughing to subside before speaking again.
"You have to stay here, you can't go out this way".
Gabriel only moaned and sunk back down onto the cot, as if his strength had been exhausted just from that small amount of movement.
"Mush, you need t-to do something...for me". Gabriel said, realizing his defeat. He had hoped that this wouldn't happen, but now he was left with no other choice.
"Sure, Gabe". Mush said willingly.
"Go to Tibby's,"
"Yeah?"
"Keep going on that road past two street corners, then take a left,"...