Chapter 3 Kindness

Phineas refilled the basin with clean water three times as he helped Jeffrey clean up. Finally, they were done and he left it in the kitchen and returned to the room.

"I can't believe I didn't know I was bleeding at first," Jeff finally said as he returned. He had been exceptionally quiet up to now, but as he sat there, Phineas realized how much better he looked and sounded.

"Well, a lot happened pretty fast, the same thing has happened to me. Adrenaline keeps you going through the worst of something and then after things calm down, sometimes you have a delayed reaction. Sometimes you don't even notice you're hurt at all until later."

A sudden rustling noise caused them both to look into the corner of the room. On another bed, a boy lay curled up on his side, watching them. He wore torn and dirty clothing and had short light red hair that was sticking out in all directions. He looked a bit older than Jeffrey.

"Hi," Phineas addressed him, but the boy just stared.

"I'm Jeffrey, this is Phineas Bogg," Jeff said in a friendly voice, thinking that the boy might have been scared to talk to a grown up. But the boy just stared and didn't say anything.

A knock at the door interrupted them and Bogg opened the door to let Martha enter with a tray and two bowls of stew. "Thank you so much," Phineas said, taking it from her and setting it down on a table beside the bed.

"When you're done, just leave the dishes in the sink," Martha told him, then turned to the boy across the room. "You might like this," she said and handed him a pad of blank paper and a pencil.

The boy took the pad and pencil and slid it under the bed as Martha left the room. He kept his eyes on Phineas and Jeff.

"Do you like to draw?" Bogg asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable at being stared at. There was no answer.

"Maybe you like to write?" Jeff asked, trying to draw the boy in.

After a few moments, they exchanged a glance and Bogg shrugged. "Well, let's get your leg up on a pillow," he said and retrieved one from a third bed in the room. Jeff lifted his leg and Bogg carefully positioned the pillow under his knee and lower leg. "How's that?" he whispered.

"Okay," but his next word was interrupted by a yawn, "thanks."

Bogg grinned as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Feel like some stew?" he asked.

They polished off the stew and bread and then Jeff yawned again and laid back.

"Why don't you get some sleep, I'll stay close," Phineas told him as he reached for a quilt that had been folded at the foot of the bed. He stood up so he could spread it over Jeffrey, then turned and sat down in a chair beside a table in the corner of the room.

It wasn't very long before Phineas heard Jeff's slow even breathing. He sat watching the other boy out of the corner of his eye. When he didn't think he was being watched, he had his eyes on Bogg. After awhile, he got up and walked out of the room. Phineas stayed in the room for a while longer, to be sure he wasn't coming back and that Jeff was sleeping soundly before he got up and left.

He found Father Ed sitting at a desk in the next room and knocked to announce himself. He entered when the priest beckoned him to sit. He looked about five years older than Bogg, of average build, dark haired and clean-shaven. "Listen," Bogg began, "I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here," he said.

The priest held up his hand. "My pleasure, I was glad to get those candlesticks back."

"What will happen to the boy who stole them?" Bogg asked, still unsure he should have let the boy be taken away.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Father Ed said as he shook his head and chuckled. "It's ridiculous really."

Phineas stared at him, "what's ridiculous?"

Father Ed looked at him and shook his head, "everything," he paused, "you know that boy you're so concerned about?" he asked, and Bogg nodded. "Ten minutes ago he and his brother were sitting in my kitchen having a bowl of stew."

"What?"

"I know it's hard to imagine, but it's true. His brother helped him escape from Francis before they got 2 blocks away. And tomorrow he'll probably try to steal something else."

Bogg 's jaw dropped and he stared at Father Ed. Suddenly, he decided to use the direct approach. "Is there anything I can help you with? Anything at all?" he asked.

"Actually, there is," and Father Ed began explaining about the difficulties he was having with repairs to a building just up the street. He had intended to open an orphanage there, though at present there was no money to support it. Several of the workers had taken ill and the townspeople seemed to think it was a bad omen. Between that and the war, the project had lost the support of the locals and the bishop wouldn't commit some of the churches scant resources to the project. If the roof didn't get fixed pretty quickly, all the work done thus far would be ruined. "So, if you could help me get a roof on that building, I'd really appreciate it," he finished. "Of course, you can't really help me with my other problem."

"What's that?" Bogg asked.

"I'm going to leave the church," he said quietly.