Chapter 10

I had always been a light sleeper, and so I slightly cracked open my eyes when I felt myself being lifted into someone's warm chest, but closed them again when I saw it was only Mush. My teeth were chattering and my entire body had gone numb from the rain, which had now turned into sleet. The pitch black sky told me it was either very, very early in the morning, or that I had only been out here for a few hours.

"God, you're freezing," I heard him quietly mutter, not realizing I was awake. I had woken up multiple times from the frigid temperatures and the harsh conditions. I had a stuffed nose from being out in the cold so long, which was making it hard to breath. I stifled a coughing fit as Mush paused all of a sudden, habving heard someone calling for his attention.

"Is she okay?" A heavily Italian-accented voice asked. I smelt the smoke from a lit cigarette, and assumed it must be Race.

"I don't know, she's really cold," Mush told him, concern evident in his tone.

"We need to get her inside soon," Race concluded.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she hated all of us," Race said, releasing a sigh as they resumed walking.

"Especially Jack, I can't believe he the one who tipped off the housing official to come check out the lodge," Mush said flabbergasted. I nearly jumped out of Mush's arms when I heard them say this. Luckily, my years of poker helped me to keep a straight face. Jack was really that mad? He was like an older brother to me, and he was willing to have me sent away just because I had stolen from a newsie a couple of years ago?

"Things got way out of line between those two - all of us really. Good thing Kloppman covered for her, who knows what would have happened if they found her," Mush continued. "I can't even imagine how she'd react if she eva found out," Mush said thoughtfully

Well then we'll never let her find out," Race answered, Mush didn't reply for a while.

"I just can't believe Jack was that mad. This may sound crazy, but with everything that happened tonight, I'm not really mad at her anymore. Do ya know what I mean?"

"Ya, I feel like I was a jerk, but I agree. Jack crossed da line. I just neva' thought he would do somethin' like that - hittin' a goil. He was always had a soft spot for her," Race added, equally shocked.

At this point I knew we weren't going to lodging house because Mush had at least walked three blocks. I wasn't too worried since I knew the boys wouldn't take me anywhere dangerous. Hopefully, we would get out of the cold soon. I heard the persistent tap of added weight, alongside creaking, from what I presumed was us going up a fire escape. I heard someone knocking on glass and a window opening from about a foot away.

"Mush? Race? What are you doing here?" A puzzled David Jacobs asked.

"Listen, I know it's short notice an' all, but Kate needs a place to stay for the night. Jack is still mad about earlier, and we can't let her sleep out here all night," Mush pleaded.

"Yeah I heard about that when we were selling papers today," David informed them.

"Well it got worse when Conlon's boys came ova'," Race told him.

"She can stay. I'll let Ma know in the morning," David relented, but enjoyed the thought of getting to spend more time with a girl he considered as his little sister. I felt myself being passed from one person to another, and then being set on a bed. The covers almost felt like fire compared to my frigid skin, but I fell asleep easily knowing that I'd be safe and warm.

I woke the next morning, only to hear the rasps of a whispered conversation, hurried and quiet.

"Oh that poor thing! Having to live with all those newsboys must be quite exhausting. Do you think I should make her something for breakfast? Is she allergic to anything?" A maternal voice asked, presumably David's mother.

"Mom, I'm sure she's fine. Just let her sleep - you too Les," David scolded, trying to keep Les's curiosity at bay, and at the same time, attempting to end the discussion so he could leave to sell newspapers.

"Alright, well be careful out there today hun," Mrs. Jacobs badgered her son.

"Okay see you later, Mom!" David called already halfway down the hall. "C'mon Les, we can't be late for the morning edition!"

"Okay," he said grudgingly, still groggy from being awake in the early hours of the morning. I heard the door close after his mother guided Les out the exit, and I went back to my peaceful sleep in attempt to rest as long as I could when I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to aid in the selling of the papes.

Blinding rays of light filtering through the dust-covered windows woke me from my on again-off again sleep. Glasses clinked and the sizzling of something cooking could be heard from the kitchen, and the aroma of crisp bacon wafted in the air. My throat burned slightly from coughing all night long, but I ignored it for now.

"Oh, Kate! You're awake. I made you something to eat. I am sure you are awfully hungry," David's sister exclaimed as she made her way over to me, accompanied by a plate of bacon toast and a glass of orange juice.

"Thank you," I told her as my mouth salivated at the delicious sight before me. Working with the newsies didn't offer that many opportunities for an extravagant, or what seemed extravagant to me, home-cooked breakfast.

"I'm Sarah by the way," she informed me. I had only met David and Les, but I could tell it was their sister by her resemblance to them. Her brown hair rested above her waist, messily gathered in the back by a clip. A sign she had been hard at work this morning. She wore a simple dress made of thin material, yet it fit flawlessly on her tall figure. She was only a few years my senior, but she gave off a mature ambiance that made her seem much older.

"It's delightful to finally meet you. I can't thank your family enough for letting me stay here for the night," I told her, exchanging pleasantries.

"Not a problem at all. My mom is out on a day trip to visit a friend in Queens, but I'll be here for the rest of the day," she continued, and sat in the chair adjacent to the bed. We sat in since for a while before she added, "David has told me all about you, and according to him the boys are quite fond of you. If you ever need a place to stay, feel free to come by here anytime. He also told me about what happened, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you," I just nodded in response, a little taken aback at her thoughtful gesture.

I reached for my glass of orange juice, but Sarah lightly grabbed my arm, which was still bandaged from my injury at the factory.

"When was the last time you changed your bandage?" She asked, an accusing look in her eye as she peered at my neglected bandage, with its torn and tattered strips coated in a thin layer of dirt and soot.

"I don't know, a while," I mumbled, my voice quiet voice from embarrassment.

"Well, let's have a look at it. You know, you could have easily caught an infection from not redressing your wound," She said, her kind eyes meeting mine, while reprimanding me at the same time. She peeled off the cloth to reveal mottled skin from the patterns in the fabric. I let loose a sigh of relief when I saw the angry gashes had now turned to faded scars. She gave me a damp dishcloth to clean off my arm while she went to find the nearest trashcan to throw away the bandage.

The coughing fits I had tried to hold back decided to come back at full force as I hacked up half a lung.

"Oh dear," Sarah said, scurrying back over to me. She put her hand to my forehead to check for a fever. She frowned, which wasn't a good sign.

"Your forehead feels hotter than normal. I think you may be getting sick," She concluded. I groaned at the thought of feeling miserable.

Thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I know how annoying it is when people ask for reviews and comments, but it really does help to write chapters better and faster. It just gives me an idea of what you guys think. So if you could, please give me your suggestion because they are VERY much appreciated!