After selling his papes, Blink headed to Tibbys to have a quick meal. When he saw his reflection in the window, he was surprised to see a bruise on his cheek where Harmony had slapped him.

Blink wondered, Think she'll notice? Bettah not take any chances. Then he left the restaurant at a run.

Outside, Race was just entering when he noticed his friend leaving in a hurry. He called out to him, "Wheres ya goin' Blink?"

"Brooklyn!" Blink yelled and took off, leaving behind a very confused Race.

Upon arriving at the pier where Spot was known to hang out, Blink had only minimal difficulty passing Spot's little cronies before coming in front of an expressionless Spot.
"Whats kin I'se do fer ya, Blink?" Spot asked.

"Hit me," Blink responded as calmly as if he were asking for a napkin or some other object.

"Are you'se drunk 'gain?" Spot demanded. "If you'se is, I'se gonna tell Jacky-boy to lay off da parties."

"No, I'se jist needs ya ta hit me," Blink continued. "Stop making things difficult jist 'cause you'se a coward."

"Jist hit him Spot!" yelled a Brooklyn newsies who was toying with a snake emblem on a necklace.

"Snake, mind you'se own business. Ise'll deal wid dis meself." Spot said annoyed with his followers. Turning back to Blink he said, "Even if you'se is drunk, nobody gits 'way wid insultin' me – 'specially on me own territrey."

Blink braced himself as Spot swung his cane. The cane first struck Blink's nose, breaking it and causing blood to erupt. Then instantly swung to his stomach, causing him to double over. And lastly striking him on the backside of his knees, which made him fall backward to the ground, covering him with scratches and causing him to lose consciousness.

After Blink recovered from the beating, he admired Spot's handiwork. He looked up to see that Spot and his boys had gone, and the sun was sinking into the horizon. This alerted Blink that he should have been headed home long ago and that he had been unconscious for a few hours. Limping as he went, Blink walked the way to Manhattan smiling.

It takes a lot more than a beating to wipe away this smile. Besides, now there is no way to distinguish one bruise from another. Blink thought in amusement.

When Blink walked into the Lodging House bunk room, he saw Harmony sitting up in bed. Her mouth was hanging open, obviously she had seen him.

"Oh my gawd, what happened ta ya?" Harmony cried in distress.

"Oh, don' worry yerself 'bout it. Was jis a misunderstandin' between friends." Blink said truthfully.

Well, Spot didn' understand, so it was a misunderstandin'. Blink justified to himself.

"C'mere, I'll try an' fix up dat nose fer ya. It looks like it's broken," Harmony said in a motherly tone.

"Yeah, Ise'd have ta say dat it is. Der's prolly nothin' ta be done. It'll heal, it has befoah."

"How many times has it been broken?" she asked.

"I'se couldn' tell ya. I'se can't really count dat high." Blink said, ashamed of his meager education.

"Well, ya couldn't tell from looking at ya, except right now. At least let me clean up da blood," Harmony firmly requested.

"You'se don' have ta."

"Well, I am. I don't want ta hear anythin' more. I would get da towel and bowl of water, but I'm goin' ta have ta ask you ta. Me legs don't seem ta remember what der purpose is," joked Harmony.

"Notta problem, Harmony. Ise'll git it, you'se jest wait right heah." Blink said and went off to get the supplies she had requested.

After some scrubbing, Blink looked pretty good, besides the bruises and scratches for which there was nothing to be done.

The next morning, when everyone else was still getting ready, Blink tried to wake Harmony up, but once again, found it harder than normal. So he leaned down and kissed her, but ducked out of the room before she could smack him or see him. Over the days, it became a daily ritual, and she believed it to be a recurring dream and came to think of it as her internal wake up call. Blink, unsure of how she would react to the truth, let her believe whatever she wanted to.

Their days had become routine. Blink would kiss her when it was time to wake up and disappear into the washroom. Harmony would sit up and think about her recurring dream, trying to figure out the deeper meaning, and Blink would come in and wish her a good morning, then leave. Once he left, Harmony would have only Jack for company.