Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies or Christmas. If I did you would see both of them a lot more. Ruin is owned by Keza, Lute by well Lute, Shade by Shade and Magic by Cards. Mouse is owned by my good friend SaL, and I own Hotshot.
Hear the Angel Voices
Chapter 1
Hotshot
Warning: This story does contain some sensitive subjects including a character death.
"So are you going to come with me to the service tomorrow night?"
David slung his backpack over his shoulder and slammed his locker shut, sighing. He looked over at Jack with one eyebrow slightly arched and a rather annoyed look on his face. "Jack, does it even enter your mind that I'm Jewish. I don't go to church."
The boy flicked his tousled brown hair out of his eyes and worked on transferring several textbooks from his locker into his bulging bag. "I'm not stupid Dave. No one goes for the actual service, well, not any of us anyway. We're all going to hang out in the choir room afterward, and then walk around the common. The choir is real good too, and Mouse is in it." He started walking down the school's main hall.
"Waitaminute, waitaminute, back up. Mouse is going to be there?" David was staring.
Jack laughed, "And you think I'm the stupid one. David, she teaches Sunday school or whatever. She's in the choir, yes she'll be there." He elbowed his friend. "And I don't care if you're Jewish. I'm picking you up at nine tomorrow. Blink is dragging Mush and Snitch always goes with Itey so I'm not giving you a cho-"
David glanced back as Jack was abruptly cut off and found him standing in the doorway of the school. A small sprig of mistletoe had been, he guess, strategically placed there, and hung from the frame. Under it laid Jack, sprawled out on the ground, his mouth too occupied to speak by his girlfriend's lips. David laughed.
"Afternoon David," Shade greeted him a moment later as she stood up. "Did Jack convince you to come yet?"
"I'm coming, don't worry."
"Good," she turned back to Jack, "I'll see you in an hour or two?"
"Alright." He stared after her for a moment as she walked toward the parking lot. He shook his head and began walking again, "So do you want a ride home?"
"Better than taking the bus," David commented eyeing the yellow monstrosities which were quickly becoming crowded."
"Okay, c'mon, I'll let you drive." Jack said, waving the keys in David's face.
David watched the keys being dangled not a foot in front of his face. Like he was going to fall for that one again. Jack never let anyone drive his car, not even Shade, and Shade, well to say the least Shade was very persuasive when she wanted to be. Still he was tempted to grab for the keys, but he ignored the thought.
* * *
"I need a ride home, my cars still in the shop." Hotshot hinted to her friend.
"Why can't you ask Specs?"
"Because Specs has to run some errands for his mother this afternoon."
"There are plenty of other people that haven't left yet."
"Mo-o-o-o-ou-u-u-use…" she complained. "You owe me. Don't ask me for what, but you do. And even if I don't I'll just owe you more.
Her blond companion began the trek across the parking lot, "Okay."
They avoided being run over by any of the insane drivers at their school, which included a large percentage of the student drivers, and reached the slightly used jeep.
"So did anyone talk you into coming to the church tomorrow night?" Mouse asked.
"I'm coming. As much as I hate it I promised Specs I was going to be there."
"Any idea who else is coming?"
"Ummm… I had last period with Pie, and he said he thought he'd be able to convince Ruin to come. Lute and Itey are bringing Snitch; Mush said he was going to come. Magic will be there so obviously so will Bumlets. Almost everyone really. Now tell me, how's Specs doing in the choir thing."
"He told me not to tell you anything; you'll have to wait until tomorrow night just like everyone else."
"Oh come on, at least tell me what you guys are singing."
"I told you I wasn't going to tell you."
"Honestly, I'm so cheated when it comes to all of this. Here we have you, one of my best friends, and my boyfriend, both in the choir. Between the two of you I can't find out a single thing about any of it. Why do I even try?" She jumped as her cell phone beeped and picked it up to check her mail.
"Who was it?" Mouse asked as a bothered look covered her friend's face.
"Specs is blowing me off tonight. I swear I haven't really seen him for over a week, let alone talked to him. Now he blows me off."
"Well it's a bad time of year for him. I mean with what happened last year I don't think any of us are going to be the happiest of people tomorrow."
"I try not to think about it too much," Hotshot muttered, "I just wish he wouldn't try to take it all on himself."
"He was in the car when it happened though. It's not like he's gonna forget it."
"Ok, you know what let's change the subject, Jack's going to bring David tomorrow."
Mouse blushed furiously, "So?"
"So, you should talk to him. He's going to ask you out, or if he doesn't you should ask you. Seriously the two of you have been eying each other since freshman year. I swear the sexual tension between you two is making me want to jump David."
"Hey!"
"Well it's true. I mean come on; you two are so perfect for each other."
"I'm gonna make you get out and walk if you don't hush."
"Only because you know I'm right."
"Get out."
"But-"
"No we're at your house, you can get out now. Tell your mom I said to have a nice Christmas."
* * *
"Leave me alone!"
"Matthew, sweetie," A muffled female voice came in through the closed door, "You can't keep yourself isolated like this. I don't care if you don't talk to me but at least call Ceja or talk to Rich or Steve or Anthony, just don't lock yourself away like this."
"Mom, just leave me alone ok. I'll call CJ in a little bit. If I promise that will you at least leave me alone for a while?"
"I worry about you Matthew." She said.
"Well I'm fine so you can stop getting on my case about it."
There was silence from the other side of the door for several minutes, and then the sound of his mothers retreating footsteps was heard. He picked up the phone to dial one of the many familiar numbers, but couldn't bring himself to do so.
He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and collapsed onto his bed. His mind wandered as it had been doing for the entire day. His thoughts came to rest on the same subject they had all day as well.
"Dutchy, can I get a ride home today?" He ran up to his best friend at the end of the day. The lucky one already had a car.
Dutchy looked up from his mess of a locker and nodded, "Sure."
"Thanks, I'll meet you outside okay?"
"Yup, but hurry, it's snowing."
"Give me five minutes." He sped down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of his locker.
"In a hurry to get out of here today are we?"
He turned around to find Hotshot standing behind him smirking.
"Dutchy's giving me a ride home, you want one?"
She shook her head, "I have to go to Lute's for practice. Lute and Mouse are helping me learn the music so I can write out some routines."
"I'll call you tonight then."
"Yeah," she kissed him lightly on the lips and they both took off in different directions in the hallway.
There was plenty of snowball throwing in the student parking lot. Dutchy was chucking plenty of them himself and several more were aimed at him. When Specs reached the car Dutchy was halfway down the line or cars chasing after a senior who had pinned him in the back of the head.
Specs climbed in the unlocked car and started it. Dutchy returned a moment later shaking the snow out of his hair, a wide smile on his face. "I got him," he crowed victoriously.
Specs rolled his eyes but couldn't help but laugh.
"No Hotshot?"
"Doing something with Lute and Mouse."
"I'm driving you over to her place later tonight?"
"Probably."
Dutchy put the car in gear and pulled into the lines of cars trying to leave the school grounds. Unfortunately he had to wait until all the buses had passed before they got out.
"Just think," Dutchy said as they turned onto the road, "We'll be out for Christmas break in less than a week."
"Thank God, I don't think I could take more than another week of that awful English class this year."
"That my friend is because you are useless when it comes to grammar." Dutchy said as he turned onto a popular side street.
Neither of them was prepared for what happened halfway down the street. Large trucks were frequent in their towns, as there were several large companies located within I, and many of the drivers knew shortcuts because they drove in the area so often. On the snowy road coming toward them was one of those large eighteen-wheelers now. The normally stable vehicle shuddered slightly and began sliding so that it reached the entire way across the road, the cab of the truck aimed directly at Dutchy's car, more precisely at the passenger seat.
"Dutchy!" Specs yelled in a panicked state as the truck was not slowing in the least. The brunette braced himself against the dashboard.
"We'll be ok." Dutchy stepped furiously on the brakes and in the last second seemed to realize something. A terrified look crossed his face for a split second before he jerked the wheel sharply to the right. The car skidded and turned.
Specs could not clearly distinguish what happened next. There was a shocking impact followed by his head cracking against something hard. Everything after that was dissolved by blackness.
When he woke up in the hospital the first time the only thing he could remember was the intense pain throughout his body, and the almost lethal pain that ran through his head. He moaned and the pain soon subsided a bit. He cracked his eyes open and immediately closed them again. The white lights above him were very near blinding and he wanted to be able to see.
What the fuck he wondered. How had he ended up here and what had happened? He tried to remember and it soon struck him. The accident. Shit. How was Dutchy? He force his eyes slowly open and looked around. The other people in the room were slightly out of focus but he knew who they were."
"Mhmh," For some reason his mouth didn't want to form the words and when he tried to lift a hand off the sheets they felt too heavy.
"Thank God you're finally awake," His mother's voice came to him, "How are you feeling?"
Specs focused before he tried to speak again, "Hurts."
"I know it does son," his dad said, "You're being very brave."
"Where's Dutchy?" He was sure that didn't come out exactly like it was supposed to but it was enough.
"Just try to get some more sleep son. The doctor says you need to rest."
"But, Dutch-"
"Sleep, sweetheart."
His eyelids felt suddenly heavy.
He slept.
He was vaguely aware of waking up several other times and speaking to both his parents and a doctor. Finally he woke up feeling well enough that he wasn't going to pass out form the pain. He rolled his head to the side to find Hotshot sitting next to his bed.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"What're you doin' here?"
"Your parents told them to let me see you. They're getting something to eat right now. I've been here since Friday night Specs."
"Wait, what day is it?" He watched her.
"Monday."
"I've been out of it for three days?"
"You needed the rest. You still look a mess Specs."
"Hotshot, where's Dutchy?"
She sat back suddenly, "He's still alive if that's what you're afraid of. Specs, he's in really bad shape."
"Bring me to see him?"
She couldn't help but want to do what he said. He was in so much pain and he was so worried. "I'll be right back," she promised.
She returned with a man that Specs vaguely remembered seeing what must have been the past day a moment later. The man looked very conflicted.
"He's not in wonderful condition himself Miss Pierce. I'm not sure it would be beneficial to bring him to see Mr. Durecht today.
"Dutchy," she corrected, "and yes it will help him. I don't think you understand how much those two mean to each other. They're best friends."
"Doc," Specs looked at the man, "please just let me see him this once."
The man gave in, probably far too easy. He called in an orderly and the two of them helped Specs into a wheelchair. The doctor accompanied Specs and Hotshot to the elevator and to the floor Dutchy was staying on two floors up.
When Hotshot had said Dutchy was in bad shape Specs had expected for him to be a little worse off than himself. He never expected to see what he did.
"We can't go in," the doctor told him before turning Specs to face the window of Dutchy's room.
Had Specs been healthy and standing he would have dropped dead where he stood. Dutchy lay on the cot. More of his body than not was covered in bandages, some obviously soaked through with dried blood. His skin or what could be seen of it was paler, even than normal. There was barely color to his lips and his eyes were closed. The worst part of all of it was that he was hooked up to so many machines. Not only did he have the IV for fluids and painkillers that Specs did, but there were other machines monitoring his heart and breathing, some Specs didn't even recognize. The most disturbing of them was the ventilator, the only thing that kept Dutchy's chest steadily rising and falling.
Specs choked out a gasp and a sob escaped him. He opened his mouth but words escaped him. He grasped for something to say and eventually found something, "No."
That was it, the doctor took him back to his room, ignoring whatever Hotshot tried to say. His parents were waiting, both with faces red with anger. As the doctor helped Specs get back onto his bed the fumed silently. Then they let it out after he left.
"Ceja Pierce, what were you thinking asking them to let him visit Alex? You've already seen him. You know what kind of condition he's in. Matthew isn't in the kind of condition where he should be forced to see something like that."
"He asked me to bring him up there," Hotshot argued, "He wanted to see Dutchy before but neither of you even thought to tell him how his best friend was doing. You
can't blame him for wanting to know."
"I don't want you back in this room," Mrs. Edwards said glaring, "I don't want you near my son at least until he's out of the hospital."
"Fine." She ignored the glare of Specs' mother and walked over to his bed. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
He nodded and she kissed him quickly before she left.
"Matthew…" his mother started.
"At least she told me the truth," he snapped before turning to his side so as not to look at them.
That was all that came of it and over the next few days his other friends began streaming in to visit him. Several people sent cards, and all urged him to get better. He asked his parents about Dutchy only once a day. Their reply was always the same.
"He's doing okay."
It had been more than a week since the accident and he could sit up and move around a little on his own. He had one broken arm, a sprained ankle, a few broken ribs, a concussion, and some internal bleeding but all had been fixed. He was going to be fine in a few weeks. He was slightly happy only due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve.
His parents were both in the room and he was looking over one of the books they brought him that day. His mother's outraged cry interrupted him.
"Ceja Pierce, I thought I told you to-" she broke off suddenly seeming to see something wrong.
Specs' head whipped up and he saw her. Here eyes were red and her cheeks were red. She was visibly shaking. It was then that he heard more crying echoing in from the hall before she shut the door behind her.
No…"he tried to deny it, "No, no he can't… He can't be…"
"Specs," her voice shook, "I'm so sorry."
He wrapped his unbroken arm around her and let her cry into his shoulder as he tried to keep his own tears at bay. It didn't work for more than a few seconds.
Specs woke up covered in swear and nearly threw himself from his bed in an effort to sit up. He looked at the clock to see that it read four am. It was Christmas Eve. He wiped salty tears from his eyes. The dream was the worst nightmare he'd ever had. And unfortunately it was a reality.
His best friend was dead.
A/N: Ha! Back with a punch. Ok, so you might wonder how I can write something like this so close to Christmas. Something happened at my school last year and on Tuesday I heard that a friend I haven't seen in a while, well her younger sister died. Other than that though, I swear this is not a one shot, and I will have the end up by the 31st, or whenever the NJL fic contest is over. There are two more chapters, I think, depends on how much space they take up. I promise that the end is much happier than this. We just have to get through the sad stuff first.
Hope you like it. Leave some feedback.