"Damn Cords," exclaimed Dark "Ya look like shit."
Katia Loren looked at her twin brother and smiled wryly.
"Tanks Dark," she whispered "Ya shoah know how ta make a goil feel good."
"Sorry," he replied wrapping his arm around her slim shoulders.
She flipped a long dark braid over her shoulder and coughed into her hands.
"We betta go," she whispered.
"Shoah," he replied looking at her nervously.
"I'm gonna be fine Dark," she said squeezing his hand.
"Ya betta be," he replied attempting to smile.
LATER THAT DAY…..
"Rev?" asked Isabella "Could ya take Mona back to da Lodging House for me? I got sumptin I gotta do."
"Shoah," replied Revolution "Ya want someone ta go wit ya?"
"Nah," Isabella exclaimed, "I'll be fine. Mona, ya stay wit Rev and Itey.""
For once her sister just bit her lip and nodded.
"Just da flu," Cords announced happily as she walked out of the office "I just got da flu."
Dark sighed happily.
"Good," he whispered.
He had no idea what would have happened to him if he had lost her. Cords was his last link to the boy he used to be.
"Take care of each udda," whispered Julitta Loren as she lightly carresed her daughter's hair.
"Momma," whispered Alessandro "Don't leave us,"
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
She slowly closed her eyes as the tuberculosis that had taken out so many before her claimed another victim. In the morning she would no longer be Julitta Loren, proud mother of twins, but just another corpse for the next burials.
"Oh god," whispered Katia "What are we goin ta do?"
Cords looked at her brother sadly, he had lost so much of what she had admired about him. Gone were the lazy days in which they would sit and talk, in its place were violence, smoke and the endless hours of carrying the banner.
"Hey Love," said Spot "What did da doc say?"
"Jus da flu," she replied "Like I told ya."
Dark shook his head.
"See ya around Cords," he said kissing her cheek "Take good care of 'er Conlon."
"Not a problem," replied Spot.
Dark slid his hands into his pockets and walked away.
Isabella looked up and down the street then slid into the alley beside her old house.
"Mystery?" whispered Dark.
He crossed the busy street and followed the now familiar figure inside the large house.
"Whose Dere?" asked a heavily accented Irish voice.
"It's me," whispered Isabella.
Kaitlin Mkiernan smiled.
"Miss. Bella, it does me heart good ta see ya well. Ta be honest wit ya, I though fo shoah dat you an Miss. Mona were wit da angels yaselves," she exclaimed.
Isabella smiled and hugged the kindly elder women who had been their houskeeper for as long as she could remember.
"No Kait, me and Mona are safe," she said….