Title: Brutal Playground
Author: Shattered Hearts (Sage and Raven)
Fandom: Newsies
Archived:
Pairing: Sage/Jack, Raven/Spot, Hope/Guv, Blink/Sparks, Eve/Mush, Mayo/Race
Rating: PG-13/R Angst, violence, harsh language, angst, gore, character death, angst, suicide, rape, did I mention angst? Category: Drama/Angst
Date started: 12/10/2003
Status: Incomplete Newsies featured/mentioned: Jack, Spot, Blink, Mush, Race, Skittery, Snitch, Davey, Les, Tumbler, Sarah OCs featured/mentioned: Raven, Sage, Mayo, Hope, Eve, Sparks, Pinstripe, Guv, Ginger, Cutter, Hunter
Synopsis: A dispute between two borough leaders escalates into a full- fledged war involving all of the boroughs. The deaths of one of the most powerful newsie leaders in New York and other beloved Newsies, throw our guys and the women that love them into a tailspin. Who will survive? One thing is sure; the lives of the Newsies will never again be the same.
Beta Reader: None Authors' Notes: - We decided that with all of the turf war fics out there, as entertaining as they are, not a lot of them are very realistic in the results of such violence. -This isn't super graphic in each instance but it's not candy coated and appropriate for all readers. -If any of the stuff mentioned is upsetting to you, don't read it. -The nature of the story requires some descriptions that are not pleasant to write or to read. When fighting hand to hand results in murder there is gonna be a gory bloody mess left behind. They didn't have a clean easy way to kill. -The sexual assault will NOT be graphic but will be disturbing.
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Chapter 1
All the newsies sat in a calm silence, just being together was enough for them after the long day selling papes. The silence soon took on an eerie tone as the minutes passed with still nothing to say. Spot sat on the beaten up couch lounging casually, while Raven had rested her head in his lap, letting him run his fingers through her silky auburn waves. Sage rested her head against Jack's shoulder while he hugged her close.
Suddenly a loud and panicked knocking was heard on the front door of the lodging house disturbing everyone from their calm positions. Spot jumped causing Raven to knock her head against his elbow.
"DAMN IT SPOT!" Raven rubbed her head and sat up sharply.
"Well you shouldn't have been there!" Spot retorted.
Jack rolled his eyes and got up, striding over to the door. He yanked it open and in came a panting and forlorn looking Pinstripe.
"God, what's wrong wit you Pin? Ya look like ya.." Jack started but was cut short when Pin grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Where's Spot!? He's here right?" He panted with pure panic in his eyes.
Jack nodded and stepped back to allow him to enter when he saw Guv leaning against the outer wall bleeding terribly from a cut on his arm and stomach. Jack helped Guv inside as Pin made is way to Spot.
Raven jumped up wide eyed and rushed to help Guv as well. "Guv...hey can you hear me? Guv..." She smacked his face and there was still no response from him at all.
Spot rushed over to Pin and yanked him aside.
"Spill Pin...what's goin on?" Spot asked with a worried frown on his face.
The tall Italian boy's eyes were clouded over from pain. In the light of the LH, Spot could see that Pin had been beaten. The beginnings of a black eye and fat lip were evident. "Huntah!" He panted. "An... Shortstop...he's..." Pin swallowed hard as he sank to his knees.
Sage too, jumped to her feet. "Get them into the sick room!" Sage rushed into the small room first and pulled her first aid kit and a large box of rolled strips of linen to use for bandages from the cabinet shelf and placed them on the small table that sat between two of the beds.
Jack hoisted Guv up, though not a huge guy, he was only about 5'10 and maybe 160 pounds, Guv's dead weight was heavy even for Jack. "Some help guys!" Blink rushed over and threw Guv's arm over his shoulder. The two men carried him into the sick room.
Raven helped Pin to his feet and began leading him to the sick room as well. His tall frame hunched from pain and sorrow.
They laid Guv gently on one of the beds. Sage was to his side in an instant. She stripped off his shirt exposing the deep jagged cuts to his stomach and dark bruises on his ribs. She and Jack began packing the cuts with thick clean rags to stop the bleeding.
Pin, still on his own feet, with a good deal of help from Raven, was slower in making it to the sick room. He sat on one of the other beds, thankful for the chance to sit down.
"Pin what happened?" Raven knelt in front of him and furrowed her brow.
Spot stormed into the sick room and started pacing the floor. "He alright?"
Jack turned his head to look at Spot. "I hope he'll be ok.."
Pin leaned back against the wall. "We was sellin' neah da docks in Brooklyn, like always." He stopped to cough, his breath coming in raspy gasps. "Shortstop went ta tawk ta dis goil...ya know how he is..." He gave a beaten chuckle and coughed again. "Dunno who she was... but next t'ing I know, we heah shoutin an a loud crack." Pin was shaking now and stared off as if he were seeing everything again as it happened. "Me an Guv went runnin' ta see what happened an we found five guys beatin da hell outta ShortStop...."
"What'd dey look like Pin...don't stop ya gotta tell me..." Ravey pressed further and cupped his trembling hands in hers.
Another resounding cough echoed through the room. "A big guy wit black hair, one a Huntah's goons...I don't know his name...was bashin him in da head wit a club while da uddahs kicked da hell outta him an more cheered them on." He flinched at the memories of the scene. "He's dead Spot." Pin looked up at his leader. His voice was soft with sorrow. "We tried ta get em offa him... but there was at least ten guys in dat alley. They was gonna kill us too, one awready cut Guv an had a knife ta his throat, an da guy wit da club was hittin me...two uddahs held me..." He shook his head unable to understand the events that followed. "....I knew we was dead... Den Huntah showed up an yelled for dem ta get outtah deh. An, dey left. Jus' stopped ev'ry thin' and left." He had tears streaming down his cheeks. ShortStop and he had been best friends since they were kids.
Spot frowned, the boys attacked were his best mates in all of Brooklyn. Even though Guv was leader of Queens he often visited and sold with them. Had he not been in Manhattan with Raven, visiting Jack and Sage, Spot would have been with them. His blue eyes flashed steel grey with rage.
Raven got up immediately and went to Spot noticing the change in his eyes like only she could, she gently touched his arm with her hand, her own eyes shining with tears she refused to let fall.
The room froze at that moment. A tense, cold and hard feeling flooding the space in the room, anger and hatred for Hunter building in the occupants.
Spot's breath hitched in his chest. "Wh-where is he?" his voice came out high and foreign sounding, he cleared his throat. "Where is ShortStop?" He repeated in his normal voice.
"I...I dunno. I had ta get Guv outtah deh...We seen Cuttah on da way heah...I t'ink he's wit him." His spirit seemed broken. Spot had never seen the usually jovial young man like this before. "I'se sorry Spot...I shouldnt a left him deh alone....oh, God." The realization that he'd left his best friend dead in an alley hit him like a cannon ball to his heart.
Spot shook his head. "No...ya had ta get outta deh."
"Spot...let's go...yer boys need ya..." Raven said into his ear quietly, she needed to talk to him, she knew this would happen sooner or later.
Spot frowned. "No Raven. I'm goin but ya gotta stay heah wit dem." He nodded to his injured birds." Spot was worried. He needed her to be safe. He needed her to help Sage with their care.
"You can't just leave me heah wit'out chu!" Raven didn't want him to go there alone, Hunter was no doubt still out looking for trouble. "Spot Huntah's still out deah lookin foah ya! He'll do anythin ta get to you!"
Blink had been standing just inside the doorway. He noticed a shiny wetness to the hair on the side of Pin's head. He'd though it was just sweat before, but now he could see it was more. "Pin ya heads bleedin."
"Spot you can't go deah alone! Take someone whitcha...please..."
Spot grasped Raven's arms. "Listen ta me!" His voice intense as his icy eyes met her coffee colored ones. "I'se gonna be awright. But I gotta know you'se safe! I ain't playin Ravey. Stay heah." He turned his head to Jack who was covered in Guv's blood and pressing on the wounds. "Will ya go wit me Cowboy? I gotta find out if anyone else is hoit an...an find ShortStops muddah." He swallowed hard.
Raven nodded and hugged him "Go..."
Jack stroked Sagey's cheek and kissed her. "Stay wit Ravey ok? Don't leave heah..." His eyes shown with intense conviction and even fear. Fear of what would happen next. Fear of what would happen to her if she didn't stay put, stay safe. "I love you." He whispered to her.
"I love you moah." She whispered back, forcing a slight smile.
"Not possible." Jack kissed her again.
Spot kissed Raven with deep passion. "I love ya babe. Take good care a me boys."
"I promise..." Raven said her voice merely a whisper.
Sage's emerald eyes reflected the fear in her heart. She had a terrible feeling this was just the beginning. As much as she wanted to be by Jack's side, she knew she had to take care of Pin and Guv. They needed her and so did Raven. Sage nodded. "I'll take care of em."
Spot and Jack rushed out of the room and all was still while they waited for the slam of the front door.
Blink grabbed one of the rags and pressed it against Pin's head. He didn't like the idea of his leader running headlong into the center of the violence. This wasn't Manhattan's fight. Not yet. Until today it hadn't been Brooklyn's fight either.
Raven started pacing the floor. "My brother...he's..." She stopped and looked at the ceiling.
"He's what?" Sage asked.
"Nothin...How's Guv..."
Sage shook her head. "He's lost a lotta blood Ray." She sighed heavily. "I...I think he's gonna need a real Doctor."
"Did it stop?" Raven said biting her lip with worry.
"No...but it slowed. I need ya ta get in me bag Raven, dehs some needles and thread...get one ready foah me. An find some whiskey or somethin. There's gotta be some around heah somewhere."
Raven did as asked immediately and rushed out of the room to find some whiskey, having to shove past the boys that had crowded the doorway to the room.
Sage looked up at the doorway. Mush and Skittery were nearest. "Skitts go help her find some whiskey wouldja, please?"
Skitts nodded and took off after her.
Mush's face was pale. His chocolate eyes were wide with concern. The mood was tense and depressing.
Raven sensed someone behind her and jumped as skitts touched her arm. "AAH! Don't do dat!"
"I'se sorry Raven. Sage sent me ta help ya. I'se real sorry bout ShortStop he was a good kid." He bit his lip.
"Yea I know..." She looked down at her hands.
Skitts reached up and pulled a bottle of cheap whiskey from the shelf. He put his arm around her shoulder, an offer of what comfort he could give. "C'mon, lets get back in deh...see what we can do ta help Guv an Pin." He looked down at her and gave a slight hug. "He's gonna be awright Ravey...he's Spot Conlon..."
"Yea...yer right...what am I worryin foah..." She half smiled at him and went back to Sage.
Guv had been bouncing between consciousness and fitful sleep. Sage took the bottle of whiskey and held it too his parched lips. "Guv, ya gotta drink a little of dis."
He coughed and sputtered but managed to get a few good swigs down his throat.
Sage looked to the boys standing in the doorway. "Skitts, Mush... hold him down." She ordered and poured a little of the alcohol over the needle to sterilize it best she could. Once the boys were in place and holding Guv down on the bed she poured some of the booze into his stomach wound.
Guv arched up and bellowed in pain as the searing alcohol filled his deep and bloody wound. The stinging pulsating deep within his flesh
"HOLD HIM DOWN!" Sage shouted. Race and Specs joined the other boys in pinning the blonde boy to the bed.
Sage placed her hand gently against his cheek. "I'se sorry Guv, I gotta getcha patched up."
Guv groaned, and well let her finish.
Sage cleaned and stitched up his wounds. She wasn't sure when he had passed out, but he lay motionless when she finished the last stitch. She quickly bandaged his cuts.
Pin watched in horror. The things he'd witnessed playing before his eyes, over and over. Raven sat next to Pin and placed her hand over his. "You ok?"
Pin nodded. He wasn't about to force the harsh details into her head. He wished he could get it out of his mind.
Sage moved to Pin's side. Blink moved out of the way. "Sounds like ya got broken ribs...what else hoits?" She said as she checked the gash on his head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Spot entered the Brooklyn lodging house, it was much larger than the one Jack and his newsies had in Manhattan. "Cuttah!" He bellowed into the lobby of the building.
Cutter came charging downstairs looking worn out and tired. His own face tear streaked and his eyes red and puffy.
Relief washed over Spot. At least Cutter wasn't hurt. "Where's he at?"
"He's up here..." Cutter said sadly wiping at his eyes even though the tears didn't fall.
Spot nodded and motioned to Jack to follow him to the sick room. "Anyone else hoit?"
"Not that I know of...but dey ain't all back yet."
Jack nodded and continued following through the Brooklyn LH's hallway.
Spot opened the door and stepped inside. He wasn't at all prepared for what he found. A sheet lay over the body on the bed, but had been soaked through with blood so it clung to the mangled shape beneath it. Spot approached and pulled the sheet back.
ShortStop lay on the bed, his body battered and broken. His scull was bashed in, his face swollen and bloody. Someone had tried to clean him up, but he was gory mess. From the looks of it, his facial bones had been shattered, his left eye had come detached and hung partly out of the socket. There was so much blood it was impossible to tell that his hair had once been a pale golden blonde. Had they not known ahead of time who it was...
Jack looked away from Shortstop, bile rising in his throat. He couldn't take it. This poor kid was only sixteen. He didn't deserve be to dead. He didn't deserve to be mutilated the way he was. He was supposed to be full of life, cracking jokes, and obsessed with girls and baseball.
Spot gasped. Hot tears of loss mixed with those of rage and burned his eyes. Shortstop was the youngest of his small tightknit group of friends. He actually had a chance to make something of himself. He loved to play baseball and was really good. The scouts for the Dodgers had expressed an interest in signing him when he was a little older and they always joked about how they would be proud to claim "they knew him when."
"Such a fuckin waste!" Spot hissed.
Jack didn't know what to say, so he just rested a hand on Spot's shoulder.
"Huntah wants a wah, he's got one." His eyes flashed with rage.
"You got hattan right behind ya..." Jack's voice was full of rage as he stared at the gruesome sight of Shortstop before him.
Author: Shattered Hearts (Sage and Raven)
Fandom: Newsies
Archived:
Pairing: Sage/Jack, Raven/Spot, Hope/Guv, Blink/Sparks, Eve/Mush, Mayo/Race
Rating: PG-13/R Angst, violence, harsh language, angst, gore, character death, angst, suicide, rape, did I mention angst? Category: Drama/Angst
Date started: 12/10/2003
Status: Incomplete Newsies featured/mentioned: Jack, Spot, Blink, Mush, Race, Skittery, Snitch, Davey, Les, Tumbler, Sarah OCs featured/mentioned: Raven, Sage, Mayo, Hope, Eve, Sparks, Pinstripe, Guv, Ginger, Cutter, Hunter
Synopsis: A dispute between two borough leaders escalates into a full- fledged war involving all of the boroughs. The deaths of one of the most powerful newsie leaders in New York and other beloved Newsies, throw our guys and the women that love them into a tailspin. Who will survive? One thing is sure; the lives of the Newsies will never again be the same.
Beta Reader: None Authors' Notes: - We decided that with all of the turf war fics out there, as entertaining as they are, not a lot of them are very realistic in the results of such violence. -This isn't super graphic in each instance but it's not candy coated and appropriate for all readers. -If any of the stuff mentioned is upsetting to you, don't read it. -The nature of the story requires some descriptions that are not pleasant to write or to read. When fighting hand to hand results in murder there is gonna be a gory bloody mess left behind. They didn't have a clean easy way to kill. -The sexual assault will NOT be graphic but will be disturbing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1
All the newsies sat in a calm silence, just being together was enough for them after the long day selling papes. The silence soon took on an eerie tone as the minutes passed with still nothing to say. Spot sat on the beaten up couch lounging casually, while Raven had rested her head in his lap, letting him run his fingers through her silky auburn waves. Sage rested her head against Jack's shoulder while he hugged her close.
Suddenly a loud and panicked knocking was heard on the front door of the lodging house disturbing everyone from their calm positions. Spot jumped causing Raven to knock her head against his elbow.
"DAMN IT SPOT!" Raven rubbed her head and sat up sharply.
"Well you shouldn't have been there!" Spot retorted.
Jack rolled his eyes and got up, striding over to the door. He yanked it open and in came a panting and forlorn looking Pinstripe.
"God, what's wrong wit you Pin? Ya look like ya.." Jack started but was cut short when Pin grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Where's Spot!? He's here right?" He panted with pure panic in his eyes.
Jack nodded and stepped back to allow him to enter when he saw Guv leaning against the outer wall bleeding terribly from a cut on his arm and stomach. Jack helped Guv inside as Pin made is way to Spot.
Raven jumped up wide eyed and rushed to help Guv as well. "Guv...hey can you hear me? Guv..." She smacked his face and there was still no response from him at all.
Spot rushed over to Pin and yanked him aside.
"Spill Pin...what's goin on?" Spot asked with a worried frown on his face.
The tall Italian boy's eyes were clouded over from pain. In the light of the LH, Spot could see that Pin had been beaten. The beginnings of a black eye and fat lip were evident. "Huntah!" He panted. "An... Shortstop...he's..." Pin swallowed hard as he sank to his knees.
Sage too, jumped to her feet. "Get them into the sick room!" Sage rushed into the small room first and pulled her first aid kit and a large box of rolled strips of linen to use for bandages from the cabinet shelf and placed them on the small table that sat between two of the beds.
Jack hoisted Guv up, though not a huge guy, he was only about 5'10 and maybe 160 pounds, Guv's dead weight was heavy even for Jack. "Some help guys!" Blink rushed over and threw Guv's arm over his shoulder. The two men carried him into the sick room.
Raven helped Pin to his feet and began leading him to the sick room as well. His tall frame hunched from pain and sorrow.
They laid Guv gently on one of the beds. Sage was to his side in an instant. She stripped off his shirt exposing the deep jagged cuts to his stomach and dark bruises on his ribs. She and Jack began packing the cuts with thick clean rags to stop the bleeding.
Pin, still on his own feet, with a good deal of help from Raven, was slower in making it to the sick room. He sat on one of the other beds, thankful for the chance to sit down.
"Pin what happened?" Raven knelt in front of him and furrowed her brow.
Spot stormed into the sick room and started pacing the floor. "He alright?"
Jack turned his head to look at Spot. "I hope he'll be ok.."
Pin leaned back against the wall. "We was sellin' neah da docks in Brooklyn, like always." He stopped to cough, his breath coming in raspy gasps. "Shortstop went ta tawk ta dis goil...ya know how he is..." He gave a beaten chuckle and coughed again. "Dunno who she was... but next t'ing I know, we heah shoutin an a loud crack." Pin was shaking now and stared off as if he were seeing everything again as it happened. "Me an Guv went runnin' ta see what happened an we found five guys beatin da hell outta ShortStop...."
"What'd dey look like Pin...don't stop ya gotta tell me..." Ravey pressed further and cupped his trembling hands in hers.
Another resounding cough echoed through the room. "A big guy wit black hair, one a Huntah's goons...I don't know his name...was bashin him in da head wit a club while da uddahs kicked da hell outta him an more cheered them on." He flinched at the memories of the scene. "He's dead Spot." Pin looked up at his leader. His voice was soft with sorrow. "We tried ta get em offa him... but there was at least ten guys in dat alley. They was gonna kill us too, one awready cut Guv an had a knife ta his throat, an da guy wit da club was hittin me...two uddahs held me..." He shook his head unable to understand the events that followed. "....I knew we was dead... Den Huntah showed up an yelled for dem ta get outtah deh. An, dey left. Jus' stopped ev'ry thin' and left." He had tears streaming down his cheeks. ShortStop and he had been best friends since they were kids.
Spot frowned, the boys attacked were his best mates in all of Brooklyn. Even though Guv was leader of Queens he often visited and sold with them. Had he not been in Manhattan with Raven, visiting Jack and Sage, Spot would have been with them. His blue eyes flashed steel grey with rage.
Raven got up immediately and went to Spot noticing the change in his eyes like only she could, she gently touched his arm with her hand, her own eyes shining with tears she refused to let fall.
The room froze at that moment. A tense, cold and hard feeling flooding the space in the room, anger and hatred for Hunter building in the occupants.
Spot's breath hitched in his chest. "Wh-where is he?" his voice came out high and foreign sounding, he cleared his throat. "Where is ShortStop?" He repeated in his normal voice.
"I...I dunno. I had ta get Guv outtah deh...We seen Cuttah on da way heah...I t'ink he's wit him." His spirit seemed broken. Spot had never seen the usually jovial young man like this before. "I'se sorry Spot...I shouldnt a left him deh alone....oh, God." The realization that he'd left his best friend dead in an alley hit him like a cannon ball to his heart.
Spot shook his head. "No...ya had ta get outta deh."
"Spot...let's go...yer boys need ya..." Raven said into his ear quietly, she needed to talk to him, she knew this would happen sooner or later.
Spot frowned. "No Raven. I'm goin but ya gotta stay heah wit dem." He nodded to his injured birds." Spot was worried. He needed her to be safe. He needed her to help Sage with their care.
"You can't just leave me heah wit'out chu!" Raven didn't want him to go there alone, Hunter was no doubt still out looking for trouble. "Spot Huntah's still out deah lookin foah ya! He'll do anythin ta get to you!"
Blink had been standing just inside the doorway. He noticed a shiny wetness to the hair on the side of Pin's head. He'd though it was just sweat before, but now he could see it was more. "Pin ya heads bleedin."
"Spot you can't go deah alone! Take someone whitcha...please..."
Spot grasped Raven's arms. "Listen ta me!" His voice intense as his icy eyes met her coffee colored ones. "I'se gonna be awright. But I gotta know you'se safe! I ain't playin Ravey. Stay heah." He turned his head to Jack who was covered in Guv's blood and pressing on the wounds. "Will ya go wit me Cowboy? I gotta find out if anyone else is hoit an...an find ShortStops muddah." He swallowed hard.
Raven nodded and hugged him "Go..."
Jack stroked Sagey's cheek and kissed her. "Stay wit Ravey ok? Don't leave heah..." His eyes shown with intense conviction and even fear. Fear of what would happen next. Fear of what would happen to her if she didn't stay put, stay safe. "I love you." He whispered to her.
"I love you moah." She whispered back, forcing a slight smile.
"Not possible." Jack kissed her again.
Spot kissed Raven with deep passion. "I love ya babe. Take good care a me boys."
"I promise..." Raven said her voice merely a whisper.
Sage's emerald eyes reflected the fear in her heart. She had a terrible feeling this was just the beginning. As much as she wanted to be by Jack's side, she knew she had to take care of Pin and Guv. They needed her and so did Raven. Sage nodded. "I'll take care of em."
Spot and Jack rushed out of the room and all was still while they waited for the slam of the front door.
Blink grabbed one of the rags and pressed it against Pin's head. He didn't like the idea of his leader running headlong into the center of the violence. This wasn't Manhattan's fight. Not yet. Until today it hadn't been Brooklyn's fight either.
Raven started pacing the floor. "My brother...he's..." She stopped and looked at the ceiling.
"He's what?" Sage asked.
"Nothin...How's Guv..."
Sage shook her head. "He's lost a lotta blood Ray." She sighed heavily. "I...I think he's gonna need a real Doctor."
"Did it stop?" Raven said biting her lip with worry.
"No...but it slowed. I need ya ta get in me bag Raven, dehs some needles and thread...get one ready foah me. An find some whiskey or somethin. There's gotta be some around heah somewhere."
Raven did as asked immediately and rushed out of the room to find some whiskey, having to shove past the boys that had crowded the doorway to the room.
Sage looked up at the doorway. Mush and Skittery were nearest. "Skitts go help her find some whiskey wouldja, please?"
Skitts nodded and took off after her.
Mush's face was pale. His chocolate eyes were wide with concern. The mood was tense and depressing.
Raven sensed someone behind her and jumped as skitts touched her arm. "AAH! Don't do dat!"
"I'se sorry Raven. Sage sent me ta help ya. I'se real sorry bout ShortStop he was a good kid." He bit his lip.
"Yea I know..." She looked down at her hands.
Skitts reached up and pulled a bottle of cheap whiskey from the shelf. He put his arm around her shoulder, an offer of what comfort he could give. "C'mon, lets get back in deh...see what we can do ta help Guv an Pin." He looked down at her and gave a slight hug. "He's gonna be awright Ravey...he's Spot Conlon..."
"Yea...yer right...what am I worryin foah..." She half smiled at him and went back to Sage.
Guv had been bouncing between consciousness and fitful sleep. Sage took the bottle of whiskey and held it too his parched lips. "Guv, ya gotta drink a little of dis."
He coughed and sputtered but managed to get a few good swigs down his throat.
Sage looked to the boys standing in the doorway. "Skitts, Mush... hold him down." She ordered and poured a little of the alcohol over the needle to sterilize it best she could. Once the boys were in place and holding Guv down on the bed she poured some of the booze into his stomach wound.
Guv arched up and bellowed in pain as the searing alcohol filled his deep and bloody wound. The stinging pulsating deep within his flesh
"HOLD HIM DOWN!" Sage shouted. Race and Specs joined the other boys in pinning the blonde boy to the bed.
Sage placed her hand gently against his cheek. "I'se sorry Guv, I gotta getcha patched up."
Guv groaned, and well let her finish.
Sage cleaned and stitched up his wounds. She wasn't sure when he had passed out, but he lay motionless when she finished the last stitch. She quickly bandaged his cuts.
Pin watched in horror. The things he'd witnessed playing before his eyes, over and over. Raven sat next to Pin and placed her hand over his. "You ok?"
Pin nodded. He wasn't about to force the harsh details into her head. He wished he could get it out of his mind.
Sage moved to Pin's side. Blink moved out of the way. "Sounds like ya got broken ribs...what else hoits?" She said as she checked the gash on his head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Spot entered the Brooklyn lodging house, it was much larger than the one Jack and his newsies had in Manhattan. "Cuttah!" He bellowed into the lobby of the building.
Cutter came charging downstairs looking worn out and tired. His own face tear streaked and his eyes red and puffy.
Relief washed over Spot. At least Cutter wasn't hurt. "Where's he at?"
"He's up here..." Cutter said sadly wiping at his eyes even though the tears didn't fall.
Spot nodded and motioned to Jack to follow him to the sick room. "Anyone else hoit?"
"Not that I know of...but dey ain't all back yet."
Jack nodded and continued following through the Brooklyn LH's hallway.
Spot opened the door and stepped inside. He wasn't at all prepared for what he found. A sheet lay over the body on the bed, but had been soaked through with blood so it clung to the mangled shape beneath it. Spot approached and pulled the sheet back.
ShortStop lay on the bed, his body battered and broken. His scull was bashed in, his face swollen and bloody. Someone had tried to clean him up, but he was gory mess. From the looks of it, his facial bones had been shattered, his left eye had come detached and hung partly out of the socket. There was so much blood it was impossible to tell that his hair had once been a pale golden blonde. Had they not known ahead of time who it was...
Jack looked away from Shortstop, bile rising in his throat. He couldn't take it. This poor kid was only sixteen. He didn't deserve be to dead. He didn't deserve to be mutilated the way he was. He was supposed to be full of life, cracking jokes, and obsessed with girls and baseball.
Spot gasped. Hot tears of loss mixed with those of rage and burned his eyes. Shortstop was the youngest of his small tightknit group of friends. He actually had a chance to make something of himself. He loved to play baseball and was really good. The scouts for the Dodgers had expressed an interest in signing him when he was a little older and they always joked about how they would be proud to claim "they knew him when."
"Such a fuckin waste!" Spot hissed.
Jack didn't know what to say, so he just rested a hand on Spot's shoulder.
"Huntah wants a wah, he's got one." His eyes flashed with rage.
"You got hattan right behind ya..." Jack's voice was full of rage as he stared at the gruesome sight of Shortstop before him.