When Chase finally woke up, it was dark outside. She had no idea where she was. All she knew was , she couldn't lift her left leg very far and she got a splitting headache when she tried.
"Oh, good. You're up." Story said. She was finally able to sit up in bed without getting dizzy or throwing up. Medda had given her a book of fairytales to keep her occupied.
"Oh, goodness! What happened to you?!" Chase was startled when she saw Story's face. The whole upper right side was covered in a dark purple bruise. She had stitches running from the inner corner of her right eye, down to her cheekbone.
"It happened at the rally." Story said. She didn't want to talk about it.
Spot fell asleep against the statue while the Manhattan newsies came up with their plan. Normally he would have taken the lead from there. He didn't like the idea of Jack being the leader of the strike, so David was even worse. But Spot was absolutely exhausted. Mush decided to let him sleep there. He needed it (actually, Mush needed it too but he was too worked up to sleep).
A few hours later David, Mush, Racetrack, Boots, Kid Blink, and Les were standing in an alley in front of the Refuge.
"That's the window where we saw Crutchy." David said.
The door of the Refuge opened and the boys went deeper into the shadows so they wouldn't be seen. Jack was being shepherded into a black carriage like the one that took him to the Refuge in the first place.
"It's Jack!" Les exclaimed too loud.
"Where are they takin' him, Dave." Mush asked.
"Only one way to find out," David answered. "I'll meet you guys at the square. Racetrack, watch him."
"So, what do we do now?" Racetrack asked.
"I gotta go see my sister and Story. They got hurt at the rally."
"Oh, no."
"Where are they?" Blink asked.
"Medda and her husband are takin' care of them. We should go get Spot first."
The boys made their way back to the square in silence. Not even Les and Boots were talking. Spot was just waking up when they got to the statue.
"What is it, Mush?" Spot said, bracing himself for more bad news.
"They're movin' Jack someplace else. Davey stayed back to see where they're takin' him." Mush said, Spot exhaled. "We're gonna go see Chase and Story, wanna come?"
Spot nodded and he followed them back to Medda's house.
"The girls are doing much better." Mark said when he saw Mush and Spot at the door. "Come on in and make yourselves at home." The five boys stopped when they walked in the door, amazed at what they saw. It was so nice. "They will want to see you." he said.
They followed Mark upstairs, still gaping at all the finery. Mark knocked on a door at the end of the hallway.
"Come in," The boys recognized Chase's voice.
Chase let out a small scream when the door opened. She wasn't expecting the boys to come up and see them, and she and Story were in their nightgowns. It wasn't proper for the boys to see them like that.
"Ah! Nick, Spot! Go away." she blushed, pulling the covers over her.
Spot and Mush would have blushed as well if they weren't so pale from nerves. It had been a very stressful day.
Mark shut the door and the newsies waited for Chase and Story to get dressed.
"I was so worried about you." Mush said to Chase as the door opened again. "Why did you-"
"I don't know." Chase cut him off. "I couldn't just sit there while you and the others were getting beaten. I know, it was a stupid mistake."
Story had gotten out of the door fine, but a few seconds past the threshold she felt faint and her vision filled with black spots.
"Whoa," said Blink. "You need some help there?"
"Yes, thank you." Racetrack and Blink helped her down the steps. "Um, has anyone heard anything about Spark?"
"We were hoping one a' yous had." said Mush.
Chase tripped, almost taking Mush and Spot down with her. She couldn't believe how selfish she was the night of the rally.
"I-I didn't see her after I left the dressing room." Chase's eyes widened. She hoped nothing happened to her friend. She wouldn't wish her pain on anyone.
"I'm sure she's fine." Spot said. "Spark's a tough girl, and she usually listens to me." He looked at Chase who gave him a guilty smile.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't you ever do that again, ya hear?" Spot said to her sternly. She would make sure she'd listen next time.
The boys helped Chase and Story downstairs into a fancy room with a fireplace. They felt too low-class to sit on such nice furniture, but they were all exhausted.
Spot perched on the arm of the chair that Chase was sitting on. He looked to Medda and then to Mark.
"Do you know- is she ever gonna be able to dance again."
Spot couldn't imagine Chase not dancing. She would be lost without her dancing and he would be too.
"It's hard to say-" Mark started. Medda smacked him playfully on the shoulder, a smile on her face.
"Of course she'll be able to dance again. The doctor said in a few months she'll be able to walk without the brace. I don't see why she wouldn't be able to."
"What happened after we- left the rally?" Left wasn't really the best word, but Story couldn't think to hard or her head would hurt.
The boys explained everything to Story and Chase. How the newspapers wouldn't print anything about the rally, how Jack's true identity was revealed.
"And what about David. Did he get arrested too?"
"He wasn't arrested." Spot said.
"Yeah, I guess he made it outta there and went home for the night." Mush added.
"You don't remember anything about last night?" Medda asked Story.
"Not much," she said. "I remember throwing up a lot." Racetrack and Blink, who were sitting on either side of Story slid farther from her. She raised an eyebrow at their ridiculousness. "And I think there was someone in the room with me, but I can't remember because I would fall back asleep again."
"David was here all night, by your side." said Medda.
Story blushed. A lot. But then she had to lay her head on Blink's shoulder. The room was spinning.
Mush looked from Story to Chase to everyone else in the room. Why would Pulitzer even go this far. They were still kids, after all. Chase and Story could have died. All for 1 tenth of a cent. Racetrack, Blink, and even Spot looked hopeless and dejected. But Mush was filled with anger.
"We gotta do somethin' about this! Pulitzer and Hearst probably think we're finished. That we'll quit, but we can't."
"What are you suggestin' we do, Mush?" asked Spot.
"We keep goin'. We're gonna win this for Story and Roselia and Crutchy and all the other kids who were beaten."
"And those Delanceys," Spot's eyes were practically glowing with fury. "If I ever see those mugs around I'm gonna kill them-"
Chase put her hand on Spot's arm. She looked really uncomfortable when Spot mentioned the Delancey brothers. "or we'll get 'em locked up or somethin'."
He stroked Chase's hair to calm her. Chase was so tired, she started drifting off again.
Les and Boots were starting to fall asleep too. They looked like cats, all curled up on the rug in front of the fire.
"We better get them home." Mush said. He had to carry Les over his shoulder because he wouldn't wake up. "Tomorrow, we'll think of a plan."
Spot didn't want to leave Chase. She'd fallen into a troubled sleep and he didn't want anything to happen to her.
"Spot, do you want to spend the night here?" Medda could tell he really loved Chase.
"Thank you," Spot said gratefully.
He carried Chase to the couch. Medda and her husband got him blankets. He laid on the floor next to the couch so he could keep an eye on Chase. Spot and Story talked for a few hours. And he even let her read from that book of fairy tales she had. Both of them were so tired but they couldn't sleep.
"You think we're gonna win?" Story asked him.
"I don't know." he said. "I really don't."
Spot had just started drifting off when he heard whimpers. He jumped up to check on Chase. She was burning up.
"Medda!"
Story woke up with a start at Spot's cries for help.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Chase- she- I- and-" He lost his ability to form sentences.
Story felt Chase's head with the back of her hand.
"Ok, calm down, Spot." She started, but she was shaking too. "We need to cool her down fast."
Spot picked Chase up and followed Story upstairs to the bathroom where she filled the tub with cold water. Chase was limp in his arms. It was all he could do not to cry again. He'd seen a couple of newsies die from high fevers like this. He dropped Chase in the freezing cold water, with her dress still on, and grabbed Story's hand.
"It's gonna be ok." Story said, squeezing his hand.
"I- I know." said Spot.
Medda called the doctor right away and he got to work as soon as he entered the house. Spot didn't leave the room until he had to, when Chase had to take off her dress. He paced the hallway outside of the bathroom, wide awake now. Thinking about everything that could possibly happen to her. Nothing positive ever crossing his mind. Chase, Medda, and the doctor came out about an hour later.
"She's going to be fine," said the doctor. "Her temperature went up because she was having a bad dream." Spot calmed down when he heard this.
"I-it was a-awful." Chase stuttered, Spot couldn't tell if it was from the cold or fear. He put his arms around her and made to pick her up and take her downstairs. It would be inappropriate if he went with her to the guest room. "I d-don't want you c-carrying m-me."
"What do you mean? I-"
"I c-can get d-down mys-self." Chase snapped.
"At least let us help you." Story said.
Chase reluctantly agreed. She still hadn't gotten used to her crutch yet. Of course, she hadn't been walking much because she was unconscious and weak most of the day.
Spot made sure Story and Chase were comfortable and he laid back down on the floor.
"D-don't leave m-me." said Chase, it sounded like she was crying. Spot sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap with his arms around her.
"Shhhh, it's ok. I'm here." he said.
"Every time I c-close my eyes I s-see those two t-t-tr-" She shook, sobbing.
"Hey," Spot said. "It's going to be alright. I'll protect you. You won't have to worry about them ever again."
"I love you, Spot."
Spot couldn't tell if she meant it or if she was delirious from the fever.
"I love you too," he whispered. "Roselia."
A/N: Finally, a declaration of love!