A.N. By request, Buttons is up next. This occurred after the strike. Why do these keep coming out so short?
The strike had been over for about a week, most of which, Crutchie had spent in bed. The other boys refused to let him step even a toe out from under the sheet without swooping to his side and insisting on letting them help him. At first, Crutchie allowed it, but after the week he was ready to go bonkers. The boys refused to leave him alone or even outside to sell his papes. He has to make a living for Pete's sake!
The next morning, Crutchie woke up earlier than the rest of the boys. He slipped into his clothes, laced up his boots and reached for his crutch. Just as he stood up, he plummeted to the ground, gimp leg throbbing painfully. In the next bunk over Buttons rolled over and opened his eyes.
"Crutchie, whats ya doing? Youse should be up without one a us. Youse still injured." Buttons flopped out of bed and started to pick Crutchie off the floor.
"Come on, Ise can do tings by meself ya know. Ise just wants ta sell me papes. Please, please, Buttons, let me sell." Buttons sat Crutchie on the bed and messed up the younger boy's hair.
"Fine", Buttons sighed, "Ise see whats Ise can do."
"Tanks."
20 minutes later Buttons stood in the far corner of the bunkroom whispering an argument with Jack, Race and Specs. Crutchie could only hear snippets of the conversation.
"…still hoirt…"
"…he really wants ta…"
"…no, da Delanceys…"
"…maybe if…"
"…fine…"
"…if he doesn't…"
"…convince…"
Buttons came over to Crutchie biting his lip.
"Well, whats dey say?"
"Dey said yeah-"
"Yes, tanks-"
"IF, if youse let someone carry youse."
Crutchie blinked at Buttons a few times before he could even formulate a response. Someone carrying him? That meant the boys didn't think he was strong enough, he was the weak link. If he didn't have that stupid polio maybe the boys wouldn't be like this.
"No, Ise don't wants nobody carrying me. No one, ya hear."
"Either dat or youse stay in bed." Crutchie sighed and leaned his chin in his hands. Better than staying inside, maybe he could convince one of the boys to sell a block down so he could feel a little independent.
"Fine." In the end, it was Buttons who carried Crutchie, piggyback, all the way to the Bronx-Manhattan border where Crutchie usually sold. Of course, Buttons wouldn't leave his side, but let him walk around a little on his crutch, catching him every time he tripped. One old woman who was passing by thought that they were so cute, helping each other, that she gave them each a quarter. When things started getting boring, Buttons was always quick with a joke leaving Crutchie in stitches. By the end of the day, Crutchie had to admit, selling with Buttons was pretty fun. Walking back to the Lodging house, Crutchie was so exhausted, he didn't even put up a fight when Buttons picked him up, even falling asleep on his back.
Maybe being carried wasn't so bad after all.