Chapter Six

Kat woke on the first day of June to her head pounding and her body covered in sweat. She groaned through her sore throat making her collapse into a fit of deep, rough coughs. After several minutes of coughing, she took in several shallow breaths to sooth her aching throat. She should have known that she would get sick! For the last few weeks, she and the other newsies had been hawking papes in the rain. Every day they would return to the bunkhouse soaked to the bone. Now, she was paying for not taking better precautions against this.

Down the hall, she heard Mr. Kloppman waking the boys for another day of soggy selling. The room started to spin the moment Kat lifted herself into a sitting position. This could not be good. She couldn't go sell papes if she couldn't even stand up straight! With another groan, she fell back onto her bed and wrapped herself in the warm blankets. Her friends would just have to go without her. This was her last tired thought before a fitful sleep claimed her sick body.

Crutchy was the first one out of the boys' room. He couldn't help but grimace at the rain beating on the roof. This was not going to be a good day. It never was when a guy had to sell soggy papes. He was rather surprised to hear the sound of gagging coming down from Kat's room. Face filled with concern, he slowly hobbled down the hall toward the girl's door.

His hand hesitated above the door for half a second before giving a quick rap on the wood. There came no sound except raspy breathing from the other side. This caused even more concern to fill his face. Kat usually was the first one awake and ready to start the new day. Either that or she was always there to open her door immediately. Crutchy swallowed hard before he slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

The sight and smell that met him as the door swung open cut him to the heart and nearly made him sick. Kat lay huddled under four of her heavy quilts with her black curls plastered to her forehead from fever. Her eyes were closed, but from behind her closed lids, her eyes jerked about randomly in restless slumber. Her face was flushed to a light pink giving her a sickly glow. Sitting beside her bed was bucket that had been used recently. The sickening smell came from the bucket.

Crutchy's green eyes widen when the fact that his little friend was very sick hit him full force. Then he was gone. He raced down the hall toward the bedroom.

"Jack! Jack!" Crutchy came to a skidding halt before running into his friend.

Jack and the rest of the crew had heard Crutchy's frantic voice coming down the hall toward them. The pale color of Crutchy's face made them instantly realize that something was wrong.

"Crutchy, Crutchy, slow down and take a breath! Now, what's gotten into ya? Ya look like da Delancys are afta youse butt." Jack couldn't help but make light of what ever it was that had gotten Crutchy worked up.

"It's Kat. She's sick sometin' awful!" Crutchy grasped out.

Jack and the others also looked concerned. Jack quickly made his way to Kat's room with Crutchy, Race, Mush, Boots, and Blink following behind. Jack wrinkled his nose at the foul smell of puke that permeated the room. Deciding to ignore the smell as much as possible, he crossed quickly to Kat's side. Fever and fitful sleep clouded her usually smiling face. He gently laid his cool hand on her forehead, causing her to groan and open her glassy eyes.

"Hey there, Cowboy." She gave him a weak smile.

"Heya, Kat. Youse not feelin' good?"

A small chuckle that came from her chest caused her to resound in a loud coughing fit. After she had calmed down, tears of pain slid from her eyes and down her face. Again she grinned weakly at her concerned friends, "Yeah, how could ya tell."

This brought nervous chuckles from the fellows. Always the witty Kat. Not even a ravaging fever could break her spirit. Her eyes squeezed shut at the pain as she entered another coughing fit. The boys watched her retch, feeling quite helpless. After Kat was able to calm her fit, Jack knew that there was no way they would be selling papes today.

"Jack, be a nice boy and get the brown wallet from on top of the bureau. Blink, you and Race better go get Mr. Kloppman and bring him here. Boots, can you get me a drink of water? And Crutchy, can you get me a cool wet rag please?" Even though her voice was low and weak from coughing, her natural ability to be bossy came through.

The boys immediately went to do the tasks asked of them. They were thankful for something to do instead of just standing around staring at their sick friend. Within five minutes, Crutchy, Boots, Blink, Race, and Kloppman had returned to the little closet. Jack had found the wallet and the piece of paper with her brothers' address on it. At Kat's direction, he opened the wallet to see a large amount of cash.

"Jack, that is from mah brothers for me to use if anything went wrong. Well, I'm afraid that Kloppman will have to call the doctor. If he does, give him the wallet and tell him to pay for the bills. Please use the address and write mah brothers if ya need more money and just let them know that I'm sick. But tell them not to worry."

Jack nodded agreement to her instructions before the rest of the newsies joined them. Kloppman took one look at his sick girly and rushed downstairs once again to call the doctor. Jack followed him soon after to give Kloppman the wallet and to get paper and envelope to write the James brothers about the condition of their sister.

In the small room, Boots and Crutchy gave Kat the items they were sent to retrieve while Race, Mush, and Blink stood at the door looking in. Kat felt her eyes get heavier and heavier. As soon as she had drunk half of the water brought for her and wiped her face with the cool cloth. She gave the boys a small smile before falling into an exhaustive slumber.

For half an hour, the five boys sat dejectedly around in the hallway outside Kat's room. They cringed every time Kat burst into a fit. It sounded like she was coughing her guts out. When the doctor arrived, he and Kloppman went into the girl's room and shut the door. After twenty minutes of pacing and impatient waiting, Kloppman came out with hunched shoulders. He was immediately mobbed by the newsies desperately wanting information about her condition.

"She's goin' to be just fine. She has a mind case of pneumonia, but if taken care of, she will pull through fine."

Each boy let out the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. Kat was going to be just fine. Kloppman immediately sent them out with lists of things that the doctor said were needed to bring the girl back to health.

For the next three weeks, Kat was in bed too sick to think or speak. Her fever was such a problem that Kloppman asked Sara Jacobs to come and help change Kat's nightgown and sheets whenever needed. Sara wasn't the only one who helped care for Kat. Medda Larkson, who had become like Kat's older sister, could be seen visiting the bunkhouse periodically with a basket of food or extra blankets and nightgowns. Also, Jack, Davvy, Blink, Mush, Race, Boots, Crutchy, Spot, and Les took turns sitting up with her at night, feeding her broth or medicine, and using cool cloths to bring down her fever.

Many nights, the boys fell asleep on the floor beside Kat's bed till morning when Kloppman made them to go and sell papes. It was always hard to leave Kat alone during the day to do their job, but what else could they do? They had to bring in money for essentials. Jack or one of the others kept in constant touch with Jesse and Frank with every new development that went on with Kat's sickness. It was hard to convince the brothers that they didn't need to come back to New York because everything possible was being done for Kat.

Three weeks after first getting sick, Kat's fever broke and her coughing fits subsided till they were hardly noticeable. Kat still hadn't woken up though, and that made the boys plenty nervous. But it felt like a load had been taken off their shoulders when the doctor pronounced her to be on the mend. That night, after the doctor had been thanked and shown out the door, the nine companions fell into bed for the much-needed rest they required.

Kat slowly opened her eyes feeling as if she had been trampled by herd of wild mustangs. The low candlelight that glowed from her side table shown warm around her room, lighting on a dozing figure draped in a chair by her side. Her heavy eyes recognized the figure as Mush. He had fallen asleep with one of her books leaning haphazardly from his hands. She tried to swallow past her thick tongue but failed because of her dry mouth.

"Hey, Mush? Can I have a drink of water?" Her voice was hoarse and squeaky from three weeks of non-use.

Mush jerked out of comatose state at the sound of her voice and nearly fell out of his chair. His sleepy eyes stared at her in excited amazement.

"Youse 's awake! Boy, it's bout time!"

Kat gave a weak smile before repeating her question.

A very excited Mush rushed out of the room in search of a clean cup and his friends. Kat gave a chuckle as she heard Mush trip in the hall and go rolling before leaping to his feet to complete his errand. Five minutes later, Mush barged through the door with the rest of her friends in tow. They all had huge grins that reached from ear to ear when they saw her violet orbs shining weakly at them. She tried to sit up with the blankets wrapped around her shoulders but quickly gave up the idea when the room began to spin.

She gave a weak groan before sinking into her pillows once again, "Well, that was a bad idea."

That brought a chuckle and grins from her audience. Mush then remembered the water he still held. With his help, Kat was able to get most of the liquid down her throat while the rest dribbled down her chin. She giggled at her clumsiness before sighing and settling down into her soft bed once again. She could feel sleep slowly trying to steal over her tried body. But she had to find out a few things before she went to sleep.

"How long have I been sick?" Her eyes fluttered, trying to stay awake.

"Youse been sick for nearly three weeks now." Jack replied from his leaning stance against the doorjamb.

"What was I sick with?" She knew that sleep was winning the fight for her consciousness.

"Youse had a mild case of 'monia." This came from Crutchy. He couldn't explain why his heart was so relieved at seeing his goil smile. Wait! Had he just called Kat 'his goil'? He glanced around with a light blush to see if anyone had been able to read his thoughts.

Kat felt her eyes slowly starting to droop. "I'm goin' back to sleep now. Goodnight and thanks."

The boys smiled at her sleeping face. They knew that she was in a deep sleep not one filled with fits or restlessness. Her peaceful smile and deep, even breathing reassured them of the fact.