Jade woke up with a start and almost panicked until she remembered where
she was. She sat up in bed and saw the newsies, half dressed, quietly
getting ready for the day. Kloppman had suggested this so that Jade could
get more sleep, and so that the boys could dress before she woke up.
Race was the first one to notice her. "Hey! Ya bum!" he yelled and threw a pillow at her. "Youse is supposed to be asleep still!" Suddenly the bunkroom became chaos as everyone who was still not completely dressed hurried to hide behind a bed, or rushed into the washroom.
Jade laughed as she saw the mess they were making. Blink came sauntering over to her while still buttoning up his shirt. "So, Smudge, ya feelin' bettah?" Jade nodded her head, but then looked at him quizzically.
"Smudge?" she asked. Blink looked somewhat confused, but then realized that he hadn't told her yet.
"Oh! Dat's yer nickname." He announced, and then proceeded to explain, "when I was puttin' da hot rags on ya yestahday I saw dis smudge on yer face. I tried ta wipe it off, but." he trailed off knowing that she probably already knew. "Anyway, hope dats okay wit youse?"
"Yeah," she said smiling, "dat's fine." She looked around her, "so ya gots any food 'round heah? Ise literally starvin'!" Blink looked towards the door, and nodded his head, "yeah, Kloppman is makin' ya sumtin', 'e should be up any minute." Jade nodded her head in affirmation, then broke into another fit of couqhing.
"Well, Ise bettah be going now." Blink said uncomfortably. "Kloppman'll take good care of ya." He said as he started to walk away. "See youse latah!" he called as he walked out the door.
"Bye!" Jade managed to call out in a hoarse voice before she started coughing again. She listened to the sounds of the newsies as they filed out of the lodging house and onto the streets of Manhattan, New York. Bored, and unable to fall asleep, Jade began to sing another song.
"Seolaigh me ar uisce beo Eist le fuaim an ghaoth Neartaigh ar `ar dtura me Tusa liom go deo
Rinne Tu an Fharraige Finne Tu na slelbhe Thug Tu na blatha duinn Thug Tu Tu fhein
Muscail suas mo chroi inniu Amhran ur a cheol
Shlanaigh nois mo anam lag Lion go hiomlan me Rinne Tu an Fharraige Finne Tu na slelbhe Thug Tu na blatha duinn Thug Tu Tu fhein"
*~* *~* *~* *~* *~*
That afternoon Blink came back to see if Jade wanted to go to Tibby's with him for lunch, but when he went to her he found her tossing and turning in her sleep. He put his hand to her forehead and quickly pulled it back. Jade was burning up in fever! "Kloppman!" Blink called slowly backing away. Then he turned and ran down the stairs. "Kloppman!!!"
When he reached the front desk where Kloppman usually was, he found it empty. Kloppman was gone. Quickly he ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pail, and filled it with freezing cold water. Grabbing some washcloths he ran back upstairs, ignoring the water that splashed onto him.
Quickly he ran to Jade's bed and set the pail down. After soaking one of the rags, and ringing it out, he began to wipe Jade's face with it. For almost an hour he washed her face with cold water, changing the rags every once in a while so as to keep the rag cool.
"Blink?" Jade's voice was barely audible as she asked for the only person that she wanted beside her at that moment.
"Smudge? I'm here Smudge." Blink's voice betrayed the relief he felt when he heard her voice. Jade smiled and sighed contentedly. "Ise glad youse is heah." she whispered. Blink smiled slightly, he was glad that Jade was going to be okay, but he was still scared that she might get worse. "Oh gosh Smudge, youse needs ta git bettah." Blink pleaded with her, but she'd already fallen asleep. Sighing deeply, Blink lay his head down on the edge of her bed and let sleep take him away.
Race was the first one to notice her. "Hey! Ya bum!" he yelled and threw a pillow at her. "Youse is supposed to be asleep still!" Suddenly the bunkroom became chaos as everyone who was still not completely dressed hurried to hide behind a bed, or rushed into the washroom.
Jade laughed as she saw the mess they were making. Blink came sauntering over to her while still buttoning up his shirt. "So, Smudge, ya feelin' bettah?" Jade nodded her head, but then looked at him quizzically.
"Smudge?" she asked. Blink looked somewhat confused, but then realized that he hadn't told her yet.
"Oh! Dat's yer nickname." He announced, and then proceeded to explain, "when I was puttin' da hot rags on ya yestahday I saw dis smudge on yer face. I tried ta wipe it off, but." he trailed off knowing that she probably already knew. "Anyway, hope dats okay wit youse?"
"Yeah," she said smiling, "dat's fine." She looked around her, "so ya gots any food 'round heah? Ise literally starvin'!" Blink looked towards the door, and nodded his head, "yeah, Kloppman is makin' ya sumtin', 'e should be up any minute." Jade nodded her head in affirmation, then broke into another fit of couqhing.
"Well, Ise bettah be going now." Blink said uncomfortably. "Kloppman'll take good care of ya." He said as he started to walk away. "See youse latah!" he called as he walked out the door.
"Bye!" Jade managed to call out in a hoarse voice before she started coughing again. She listened to the sounds of the newsies as they filed out of the lodging house and onto the streets of Manhattan, New York. Bored, and unable to fall asleep, Jade began to sing another song.
"Seolaigh me ar uisce beo Eist le fuaim an ghaoth Neartaigh ar `ar dtura me Tusa liom go deo
Rinne Tu an Fharraige Finne Tu na slelbhe Thug Tu na blatha duinn Thug Tu Tu fhein
Muscail suas mo chroi inniu Amhran ur a cheol
Shlanaigh nois mo anam lag Lion go hiomlan me Rinne Tu an Fharraige Finne Tu na slelbhe Thug Tu na blatha duinn Thug Tu Tu fhein"
*~* *~* *~* *~* *~*
That afternoon Blink came back to see if Jade wanted to go to Tibby's with him for lunch, but when he went to her he found her tossing and turning in her sleep. He put his hand to her forehead and quickly pulled it back. Jade was burning up in fever! "Kloppman!" Blink called slowly backing away. Then he turned and ran down the stairs. "Kloppman!!!"
When he reached the front desk where Kloppman usually was, he found it empty. Kloppman was gone. Quickly he ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pail, and filled it with freezing cold water. Grabbing some washcloths he ran back upstairs, ignoring the water that splashed onto him.
Quickly he ran to Jade's bed and set the pail down. After soaking one of the rags, and ringing it out, he began to wipe Jade's face with it. For almost an hour he washed her face with cold water, changing the rags every once in a while so as to keep the rag cool.
"Blink?" Jade's voice was barely audible as she asked for the only person that she wanted beside her at that moment.
"Smudge? I'm here Smudge." Blink's voice betrayed the relief he felt when he heard her voice. Jade smiled and sighed contentedly. "Ise glad youse is heah." she whispered. Blink smiled slightly, he was glad that Jade was going to be okay, but he was still scared that she might get worse. "Oh gosh Smudge, youse needs ta git bettah." Blink pleaded with her, but she'd already fallen asleep. Sighing deeply, Blink lay his head down on the edge of her bed and let sleep take him away.