Author's Note: I apologize for the long time between updates. The last
month of my life has been incredibly hectic, as it was the production time
for a play I've been working on all semester, finals, and then spring break
(where I went to NYC!). But now I'm back, and hopefully will make more
regular updates, as the play is over, and now I only have work, classes,
and a teensy-weensy one-act to work on. And now, on with the show!
But first-
Disclaimer: The plot is loosely (or not-so-loosely) based on Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and thus does not really belong to me. The characters, for the most part, belong to either Disney's "Newsies" or are on loan from the lovely girls from the NML. As I am quite broke, it would do very little good to sue me, so please don't.
Chapter 4
Jane Beck's days at the School for the Children of God passed by slowly, and with much effort, and with Kaya's assistance, she survived. The teachers were unbearably strict, and it was all Jane could do to bite her tongue each day when she felt some sort of clever retort about to escape. Still, she thrived academically, receiving high marks in all of her subjects. The class from which she derived the most pleasure was taught by Mr. Davies, the only instructor who Jane found likeable. With his good-natured persona and warm smiles, he made even a dull subject like arithmetic more than tolerable.
The living at the school was substandard for the students and less- important faculty like Mr. Davies. Breakfast was a cold biscuit, the noon- day meal was gruel, and supper was some sort of unidentifiable piece of meat with gravy to cover the foul-ness, and occasionally a leftover biscuit from breakfast. The beds were very uncomfortable, and even at the tender age of ten, Jane began to suffer from a stiff back. The dimly lit and damp attic bedroom resulted in many a student's hacking cough, though each time a child coughed, Master Snyder or another superior would blame the student for insolence. Jane was grateful, however, for the location of her bunk. Mrs. Flannery, the woman who led the girls in prayer in the evenings before bed, had very poor vision. From her usual position at the top of the stairway, she could hardly see Jane's frame. Jane, therefore, was able to finish her last-minute studies, nibble on some secretly-stashed biscuits, or simply lay awake thinking without being rebuked.
It was Kaya Williams, however, that Jane remembered the most in her prayers of gratefulness to the Lord. Her steadfast faith and calm acceptance of her circumstances never ceased to impact Jane. Truly, it was Kaya's friendship that Jane treasured the most of all her possessions. This made it all the more difficult when Kaya was stricken with an illness that started spreading around the school nearly sixteen months after Jane's first night in the dank attic.
The children who were most seriously affected were put into confinement, and none of their schoolmates could pay them a visit. After three days of not being able to see Kaya, Jane became quite despondent.
"Miss Beck, may I have a word with you, please?" Charles Davies asked as the rest of his students filed out of the classroom.
"Yes, sir." Jane confirmed.
Moving toward the tiny girl on the large wooden bench, Mr. Davies' ever-present smile shifted into a concerned frown. "You did not answer a single one of the answers correctly on your slate today."
"I am sorry, sir." Jane replied with a sigh.
"I do not normally meddle in the personal affairs of my students, but I cannot help but wonder if something is bothering you, Miss Beck."
Jane took a moment before deciding to answer. "Yes, sir. It's Kaya Williams, sir. She's been in confinement for three days now, and I am missing her dreadfully."
"Oh," Mr. Davies said quietly, "I see."
"Kaya is my dearest friend, sir, and she must be terribly lonely. Do you know how long it will be before she is well enough to come back to the attic with the rest of us?" Her dark eyes looked pleadingly up at Mr. Davies, whose own brown eyes were beginning to well up with sympathetic tears.
"No, Jane, I am afraid I do not know when Miss Williams will be well again." He said softly, before adding, "She is very ill, you know."
Jane's face fell. "I understand."
An idea suddenly came to Mr. Davies, who instantly knew it would get him into a bit of trouble if he was caught. "Perhaps I may let you in to visit your friend during the leisure hour this afternoon?"
"Truly?" His heart melted at her hopefulness, and he knew that it was too late to turn back.
"But you musn't mention it to anyone, and it must be very brief." He added.
"Oh, thank you, sir! I will be very brief, indeed, I promise!" She exclaimed, leaping from the bench with her hands clasped together in excitement.
"Come to this classroom after the midday meal, and I will bring you to Miss Williams." He instructed.
"I will, sir!" She added, this time more solemn, "I am deeply grateful, Mr. Davies."
"You are dismissed." Mr. Davies smiled as he watched the tiny girl skip out of the room, but his mind turned to more unpleasant things as he thought of Kaya Williams' condition.
Jane could scarcely even touch her meal as her heart beat wildly with the knowledge that she was going to see Kaya.
"Are you going to eat the rest of that?" The girl called Lavender asked, pointing at the helping of gruel in Jane's bowl.
Jane shook her head, and Lavender eagerly dished its contents into her own bowl, and scarfed down Jane's portion with hardly a beat.
At last, the meal finished, and Jane tried to contain herself as the students were excused for their free time. She met Mr. Davies with wide eyes and a rarely seen smile, but it quickly disappeared when she noticed his downcast expression.
"I am afraid, Jane, that I have some very horrible news- your friend, Miss Williams, has passed away. She was dreadfully ill, moreso than we thought, and she could not resist the sickness."
His words were digested in slow motion as the world stood still. She couldn't move, although she felt like she desperately needed to sit down.
"Miss Beck, may you be comforted by the fact that Kaya is with her Lord at last." Mr. Davies offered, swallowing the lump that was in his own throat.
Jane blinked, but made no response. She wanted to scream. She wanted to burst into tears and pound her fists into the blank walls. Instead, she whispered slowly, "I want to see her." When Mr. Davies made no answer, she repeated, "I want to see her." She swallowed before raising her voice to a level it rarely reached, "I want to see Kaya!"
"Jane, surely you realize that Miss Williams has died-" Mr. Davies managed.
She nodded, and affirmed, "Bring me to Kaya."
Shoulders slumped, Mr. Davies grabbed his crutch and hobbled toward the exit. "Follow me." He said in a small voice.
Jane took slow, deliberate steps as she followed Mr. Davies on his crutch. The destination was unreal, and the journey dream-like. Jane became convinced as they reached the door to Kaya's deathbed that it was all, in fact, some sort of nightmare. But the door opened, and there she was. In the large bed, Kaya's small frame seemed to be swallowed up. Her skin, normally a rich tan, looked pale and paper-thin. Her raven hair stuck to her forehead from the feverish perspiration that had not yet evaporated.
"Would you like me to stay with you, Miss Beck?" Mr. Davies offered, placing a hand on Jane's tense shoulder.
Jane shook her head. "I would like to close the door and be alone." She said in a small, determined voice.
Charles Davies nodded, and as Jane approached the bed, shut the door behind her. He had only just been informed of Miss Williams' passing while the students were eating their lunch, and had not yet seen her lifeless body. That sight alone, he knew, was going to haunt him until his own death, and it was made all the more horrific with the knowledge that her death could have been prevented with a doctor's care, and proper nutrition. When the children started getting ill, he had himself gone to see Master Snyder and request a doctor's visit, and more sanitary food preparation. Snyder had simply scoffed at the appeal, and dismissed it as unnecessary. Charles knew what he was going to do, and if he succeeded, Master Snyder would no longer be in control of the institution.
Jane inched her way slowly to Kaya's side. She enveloped the girls' icy hand with her own tiny hands.
"I have missed you, Kaya." She began after clearing her throat. "It must have been dreadful to be in here in solitude for so long. I thought you might desire company, and Mr. Davies was kind enough to let me come see you, so I could talk to you." The first signs of tears filled Jane's eyes, but she didn't bother to blink them away. "You are my only friend. Mr. Davies said that you are with God now, and I am very pleased for you, but I do not want to be left in the place on my own! I do not know how I will survive here if you are not with me. It is not fair! You must come back!" Jane's voice had risen to a near yell, and after shaking her friend's body for any signs of life, she buried her face in the side of the bed. "I am so sorry! I do not want to seem selfish. I am just going to miss you so very much." She finished between sniffles. Wordlessly, she crawled onto the bed, and under the covers, her head nuzzled against Kaya's shoulder, and her hands still encompassing Kaya's.
Two hours later, when the coroner came to remove Kaya's body, they were shocked to see the younger girl pressed against her dead friend, sleeping soundly.
Next chapter we will most likely meet the mysterious Jack Kelly!
SOs- Sapphy- Yes, you can go right ahead and hug her. She needs it! Especially now! Thanks for reviewing!
Blaze- Yes, the update whip. *cracks it* And by all means, go ahead and slap Ol' Snyde. He deserves it. Actually, you can borrow my update whip and give him a good old smack with that.
Ershey- *sniffles* Poor thing. Don't worry, Kaya will never be forgotten! *huggles*
Serina- Thanks for reviewing! And as for the crazy wife, well, you'll just have to wait and see. Muahaha.
Morning Dew- Aww, thanks for the lovely review! Since Jack is the man- wench of this fic, perhaps Spot would be the perfect Darcy iffen I ever chose to write a P&P crossover. And mayhaps you *could* just be Elizabeth. "Dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth.." *melts*
Eire- Thank ye muchly for the review! (
Matches- Huzzah! Thanks! And don't apologize, you can review all you want.
Vinnie Monfredo- Heh heh. Thanks for getting on my case, I needed it. And yes, I'm fully planning on completing this fic. If I don't, you have every right in the world to send a blood thirsty Doberman my way. :-) Well, at least a pretend Doberman. Heh.
But first-
Disclaimer: The plot is loosely (or not-so-loosely) based on Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and thus does not really belong to me. The characters, for the most part, belong to either Disney's "Newsies" or are on loan from the lovely girls from the NML. As I am quite broke, it would do very little good to sue me, so please don't.
Chapter 4
Jane Beck's days at the School for the Children of God passed by slowly, and with much effort, and with Kaya's assistance, she survived. The teachers were unbearably strict, and it was all Jane could do to bite her tongue each day when she felt some sort of clever retort about to escape. Still, she thrived academically, receiving high marks in all of her subjects. The class from which she derived the most pleasure was taught by Mr. Davies, the only instructor who Jane found likeable. With his good-natured persona and warm smiles, he made even a dull subject like arithmetic more than tolerable.
The living at the school was substandard for the students and less- important faculty like Mr. Davies. Breakfast was a cold biscuit, the noon- day meal was gruel, and supper was some sort of unidentifiable piece of meat with gravy to cover the foul-ness, and occasionally a leftover biscuit from breakfast. The beds were very uncomfortable, and even at the tender age of ten, Jane began to suffer from a stiff back. The dimly lit and damp attic bedroom resulted in many a student's hacking cough, though each time a child coughed, Master Snyder or another superior would blame the student for insolence. Jane was grateful, however, for the location of her bunk. Mrs. Flannery, the woman who led the girls in prayer in the evenings before bed, had very poor vision. From her usual position at the top of the stairway, she could hardly see Jane's frame. Jane, therefore, was able to finish her last-minute studies, nibble on some secretly-stashed biscuits, or simply lay awake thinking without being rebuked.
It was Kaya Williams, however, that Jane remembered the most in her prayers of gratefulness to the Lord. Her steadfast faith and calm acceptance of her circumstances never ceased to impact Jane. Truly, it was Kaya's friendship that Jane treasured the most of all her possessions. This made it all the more difficult when Kaya was stricken with an illness that started spreading around the school nearly sixteen months after Jane's first night in the dank attic.
The children who were most seriously affected were put into confinement, and none of their schoolmates could pay them a visit. After three days of not being able to see Kaya, Jane became quite despondent.
"Miss Beck, may I have a word with you, please?" Charles Davies asked as the rest of his students filed out of the classroom.
"Yes, sir." Jane confirmed.
Moving toward the tiny girl on the large wooden bench, Mr. Davies' ever-present smile shifted into a concerned frown. "You did not answer a single one of the answers correctly on your slate today."
"I am sorry, sir." Jane replied with a sigh.
"I do not normally meddle in the personal affairs of my students, but I cannot help but wonder if something is bothering you, Miss Beck."
Jane took a moment before deciding to answer. "Yes, sir. It's Kaya Williams, sir. She's been in confinement for three days now, and I am missing her dreadfully."
"Oh," Mr. Davies said quietly, "I see."
"Kaya is my dearest friend, sir, and she must be terribly lonely. Do you know how long it will be before she is well enough to come back to the attic with the rest of us?" Her dark eyes looked pleadingly up at Mr. Davies, whose own brown eyes were beginning to well up with sympathetic tears.
"No, Jane, I am afraid I do not know when Miss Williams will be well again." He said softly, before adding, "She is very ill, you know."
Jane's face fell. "I understand."
An idea suddenly came to Mr. Davies, who instantly knew it would get him into a bit of trouble if he was caught. "Perhaps I may let you in to visit your friend during the leisure hour this afternoon?"
"Truly?" His heart melted at her hopefulness, and he knew that it was too late to turn back.
"But you musn't mention it to anyone, and it must be very brief." He added.
"Oh, thank you, sir! I will be very brief, indeed, I promise!" She exclaimed, leaping from the bench with her hands clasped together in excitement.
"Come to this classroom after the midday meal, and I will bring you to Miss Williams." He instructed.
"I will, sir!" She added, this time more solemn, "I am deeply grateful, Mr. Davies."
"You are dismissed." Mr. Davies smiled as he watched the tiny girl skip out of the room, but his mind turned to more unpleasant things as he thought of Kaya Williams' condition.
Jane could scarcely even touch her meal as her heart beat wildly with the knowledge that she was going to see Kaya.
"Are you going to eat the rest of that?" The girl called Lavender asked, pointing at the helping of gruel in Jane's bowl.
Jane shook her head, and Lavender eagerly dished its contents into her own bowl, and scarfed down Jane's portion with hardly a beat.
At last, the meal finished, and Jane tried to contain herself as the students were excused for their free time. She met Mr. Davies with wide eyes and a rarely seen smile, but it quickly disappeared when she noticed his downcast expression.
"I am afraid, Jane, that I have some very horrible news- your friend, Miss Williams, has passed away. She was dreadfully ill, moreso than we thought, and she could not resist the sickness."
His words were digested in slow motion as the world stood still. She couldn't move, although she felt like she desperately needed to sit down.
"Miss Beck, may you be comforted by the fact that Kaya is with her Lord at last." Mr. Davies offered, swallowing the lump that was in his own throat.
Jane blinked, but made no response. She wanted to scream. She wanted to burst into tears and pound her fists into the blank walls. Instead, she whispered slowly, "I want to see her." When Mr. Davies made no answer, she repeated, "I want to see her." She swallowed before raising her voice to a level it rarely reached, "I want to see Kaya!"
"Jane, surely you realize that Miss Williams has died-" Mr. Davies managed.
She nodded, and affirmed, "Bring me to Kaya."
Shoulders slumped, Mr. Davies grabbed his crutch and hobbled toward the exit. "Follow me." He said in a small voice.
Jane took slow, deliberate steps as she followed Mr. Davies on his crutch. The destination was unreal, and the journey dream-like. Jane became convinced as they reached the door to Kaya's deathbed that it was all, in fact, some sort of nightmare. But the door opened, and there she was. In the large bed, Kaya's small frame seemed to be swallowed up. Her skin, normally a rich tan, looked pale and paper-thin. Her raven hair stuck to her forehead from the feverish perspiration that had not yet evaporated.
"Would you like me to stay with you, Miss Beck?" Mr. Davies offered, placing a hand on Jane's tense shoulder.
Jane shook her head. "I would like to close the door and be alone." She said in a small, determined voice.
Charles Davies nodded, and as Jane approached the bed, shut the door behind her. He had only just been informed of Miss Williams' passing while the students were eating their lunch, and had not yet seen her lifeless body. That sight alone, he knew, was going to haunt him until his own death, and it was made all the more horrific with the knowledge that her death could have been prevented with a doctor's care, and proper nutrition. When the children started getting ill, he had himself gone to see Master Snyder and request a doctor's visit, and more sanitary food preparation. Snyder had simply scoffed at the appeal, and dismissed it as unnecessary. Charles knew what he was going to do, and if he succeeded, Master Snyder would no longer be in control of the institution.
Jane inched her way slowly to Kaya's side. She enveloped the girls' icy hand with her own tiny hands.
"I have missed you, Kaya." She began after clearing her throat. "It must have been dreadful to be in here in solitude for so long. I thought you might desire company, and Mr. Davies was kind enough to let me come see you, so I could talk to you." The first signs of tears filled Jane's eyes, but she didn't bother to blink them away. "You are my only friend. Mr. Davies said that you are with God now, and I am very pleased for you, but I do not want to be left in the place on my own! I do not know how I will survive here if you are not with me. It is not fair! You must come back!" Jane's voice had risen to a near yell, and after shaking her friend's body for any signs of life, she buried her face in the side of the bed. "I am so sorry! I do not want to seem selfish. I am just going to miss you so very much." She finished between sniffles. Wordlessly, she crawled onto the bed, and under the covers, her head nuzzled against Kaya's shoulder, and her hands still encompassing Kaya's.
Two hours later, when the coroner came to remove Kaya's body, they were shocked to see the younger girl pressed against her dead friend, sleeping soundly.
Next chapter we will most likely meet the mysterious Jack Kelly!
SOs- Sapphy- Yes, you can go right ahead and hug her. She needs it! Especially now! Thanks for reviewing!
Blaze- Yes, the update whip. *cracks it* And by all means, go ahead and slap Ol' Snyde. He deserves it. Actually, you can borrow my update whip and give him a good old smack with that.
Ershey- *sniffles* Poor thing. Don't worry, Kaya will never be forgotten! *huggles*
Serina- Thanks for reviewing! And as for the crazy wife, well, you'll just have to wait and see. Muahaha.
Morning Dew- Aww, thanks for the lovely review! Since Jack is the man- wench of this fic, perhaps Spot would be the perfect Darcy iffen I ever chose to write a P&P crossover. And mayhaps you *could* just be Elizabeth. "Dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth.." *melts*
Eire- Thank ye muchly for the review! (
Matches- Huzzah! Thanks! And don't apologize, you can review all you want.
Vinnie Monfredo- Heh heh. Thanks for getting on my case, I needed it. And yes, I'm fully planning on completing this fic. If I don't, you have every right in the world to send a blood thirsty Doberman my way. :-) Well, at least a pretend Doberman. Heh.