Filing the report turned out to be a bit easier than I had anticipated. Spot and I headed to the station around the time the boys headed to the distribution center. I was nervous, but the trip to the doors the other day had helped me get past that initial feeling of fear. Once inside and seated, we met with a pleasant-looking older gentleman who took my report. Spot and I had run through pretty much everything we wanted to say on the roof last night, and I fixated on a spot on the man's desk as I talked.
"Well, miss," the officer said kindly, "I can say with confidence that we will be making an arrest later today. Since you already know Mr. Donovan, we'll work with him on the prosecution. He will be contacting you to proceed from this point."
"Thank you, officer," I managed to croak, and after shaking the man's hand, we departed.
"Hey, Cat, ya did great," Spot said as we walked toward the distribution office.
"Thanks," I said, smiling at the praise.
"You know, we never did talk about tomorrow," he said, and I stopped in my tracks.
"What about it?" I asked warily.
"Listening to you today, I realized I can't sell that headline tomorrow. Most of the boys will be selling, but it doesn't feel right for me," he explained.
I hadnt thought about it, but it made sense. Spot still blamed himself for what happened, and I think he just felt too close to it all.
"If that's what you think is best," I said. I trust his judgment. After a momentary pause, I asked, "So what will you do instead?"
"I was thinking we could do some sparring and fighting lessons, some more slingshot practice, things like that. We could both catch up on some reading, studying, maybe some sleep. Just spend the day together."
"Sounds like fun," I said honestly.
"But that means today I need to sell," he said, sounding apologetic. Well, I'd expected as much.
"No problem. I'm fine. Who knows, maybe I will grab a few papes and try selling again myself," I laughed as he grimaced.
"Spare us all," he said dramatically, placing his hands on his chest in horror.
"I could be good with practice," I said in mock defensiveness.
"Doll, I aint seen anyone who's a woise sella than you." The Brooklyn accent was in full effect. "As da leadah I have at tell ya dat ya can't sell and ya should find sometin else at do wit yer time."
"Go sell," I laughed, swatting him on the arm.
"See ya tonight for dinner," he said, handing me a dime and heading off.
I spent the remainder of the morning studying some of the lesson materials some of the boys had left out. I was still okay in literature, but I had fallen behind in mathematics and science since leaving school. I took an hour to read from a book by a man named Darwin, then headed to get some lunch. I bought a piece of bread and an apple. Jimmy and I walked over to a nearby bench, and I sat down to eat and watch the people of Brooklyn pass by. After a bit I became restless, and I decided to walk while I thought through some things.
Things were starting to settle. I had found a place I felt safe and comfortable. I had friends. Ingrid and I were going to be okay, and hopefully Muriel would do well in her new life. Antonio was going to be arrested today, and . . . .
I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize I had wandered over to the docks. A warning bark from Jimmy came a split second too late as I tripped on the rough wood and went sprawling. That wouldn't have been so bad if I had just fallen forward, but I didn't. I fell sideways—straight into the river!
The water was pretty cold, though hardly icy, and the combined shock of it and of my fall were enough to momentarily paralyze me. The fact that I couldn't swim certainly didn't help my situation. I surfaced, gasped for air, and saw a piling. I managed to grab on to the rough wood and hold on. That allowed me to keep my head above water and take stock of my situation.
Okay. So I wasn't really in danger of drowning, and while it was cold, it wasn't frigid by any means; I was in no immediate danger. However, I was a bit stuck. There was no way I could climb up the slick pole, especially in my heavy wet skirt. There was a ladder, but it was far enough away that I couldn't reach it without swimming, something I couldn't do. I could try calling for help—there were people on the docks, after all—but they were all spread far enough and the ambient noise was loud enough that my attempts went unnoticed. Only Jimmy was up above, barking madly. I called up to shush him, listening for anything that might help me. I couldn't see up very well without letting go of the piling, something I was not about to do.
Think, Katja. There has to be something. I wasn't getting out of here on my own. I was in no immediate danger, so I wasn't too scared—though admittedly perhaps a tad nervous. Mostly, though, I was annoyed at myself and starting to get cold. Hm; I had a ladder I couldn't reach. I had a voice to call for help but nobody to hear me. And I had a whining dog who could hear but not help me.
"Jimmy," I called, and he tried to look over the edge of the dock at me. "Go to Roller," I said, and he whined. I hoped he understood. "GO to ROLLER," I commanded, and he turned and trotted off, looked back at me, then headed off. I sincerely hoped he understood. It was an awfully big risk sending him away, but I had to try something. I knew he knew the command "go," and I think he knew Roller's name. I figured he would find him since he had gone with Roller selling the whole time I had been gone. Now I just had to wait.
It seemed like an eternity. The afternoon wore on, and still I clung to my piling. I tried calling out any time I thought somebody was on the dock above me, but my teeth were starting to chatter and I was getting tired. It was getting late, too. I was going to be late to dinner and Spot would be angry or worried. I fretted about this briefly, then decided there was nothing I could do about it other than think through what I would say in my apology. It seemed as good a way to pass the time as any. After what felt like hours, I heard a bark and the familiar voices of Red and Roller calling my name.
"Down here," I tried to call out, but by now my voice had no power. I heard another bark, and then I saw Red peeping over the edge of the dock several yards above me.
"Cat?" he called, then spotted me clinging to the piling.
"I can't swim. I can't get out," I called up to him, my voice raspy.
"Hang on. I'm coming," he said, and a moment later there was a splash nearby as he jumped in. He had stripped off his shirt and trousers the way the boys normally did to swim, and he moved up to me with sure strokes. "I'm going to grab you. Trust me and don't thrash, okay?" he said, and I nodded. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me away from the piling, swimming the fifteen yards to the ladder easily enough. I grabbed it gratefully, and I tried hauling myself up. I managed it with Red's help, but barely, collapsing onto the dock in a dripping, useless heap as Red hauled himself out. Roller and Jimmy were at my side in an instant.
"Are you alright?" Roller asked as Jimmy began licking the water off my arm.
"Fine," I said without opening my eyes. I was too tired to do anything but shiver.
"Go find Spot," Red said to Roller. "Bring him back to the lodging house."
"He's selling," I murmured. Roller turned and ran off.
"Cat, I need to get you back home. I'm going to pick you up, okay?"
I nodded, still keeping my eyes closed. The late afternoon sunshine wasn't enough to warm me up, but at least Red's body was warm as he lifted me. I was drifting off as he walked me the few blocks back to the lodging house, and I wasn't really aware of how he got the door open or got me upstairs. He laid me on my bed and covered me with a blanket.
"I'll be right back," he said, and at almost that same moment Spot and Roller burst into the room.
"What happened?" Spot growled.
"We found her in the water holding on to a piling," Red said. "Don't know how long she was in there, but she's shivering pretty bad."
"I'm fine," I croaked, but my chattering teeth might have given lie to my words.
"The hell you are," Spot said, turning to Red. "Go get changed, then fill every pot in the kitchen with hot water. Roller, you can help him. And go get one of the girls." I heard the two other boys leave.
"Cat, we need to get you out of those wet clothes. Can you do that? Sit up for me."
I did as he asked, and I tried unbuttoning my blouse. My fingers would not cooperate, so Spot did it for me. I blushed as he pulled my blouse open and off, leaving me in my soaked chemise. With his help pulled off the heavy skirt as well. While he worked, Spot asked me about how long I'd been in the water. I told him I'd fallen in after lunch, and he grimaced. He pulled the blanket around my shoulders, and I admit that it was already a bit warmer.
"Can you pull off the chemise?" he asked, and I nodded. Somehow I managed it, staying wrapped in the blanket. The corset was another matter, though. The blanket was rough against my bare skin, but it felt good to be rid of the cold clothing. I was still shivering badly, and I just wanted to sleep. I leaned against Spot heavily, but he wouldn't let me fall asleep.
"Sorry, Sweetheart, I need you to stay awake," he said, giving me a small shake. Roller appeared in the doorway.
"Spot?" he asked.
"Fill the tub with the hot water. We need to warm her up. Then heat up more water," he said. A few moments later I heard Red and Roller and even a few others who had come back after selling the afternoon edition carrying pots into the washroom. I heard a shuffling noise, and a moment later Spot was pulling me to my feet. I clutched the blanket around myself, but walking was beyond my strength at that moment. I tried, but my knees threatened to give out before Spot simply scooped me up and carried me into the washroom. The room was full of steam, and he set me down beside the small metal tub.
"Can you sit in here and soak? You need to get warm," he said.
"Yeah," I said.
"I'm sending Goldie in. She is going to keep you awake, okay? No sleeping," he commanded.
"Okay," I said as he left. I dropped the blanket as Goldie came in. climbing into the tub. It was almost too warm, but my shivering stopped.
"I'm supposed to make sure you stay awake," she said, and I looked at her, confused. "Pull off your drawers," she said, moving to help me remove my corset.
"I'm fine," I said.
"Climb in," she said, and I somehow got my limbs to cooperate. The water was almost too warm. After a few moments, though, my shivering lessened and my mind began to clear.
"What happened?" Goldie asked curiously.
I explained how I had fallen in and grabbed the piling and how I'd sent Jimmy for help. I think it took awhile because my mind was so garbled, but eventually and with some questions and promting from Goldie, I was able to get the sequence of events across.
"That's some dog you got," she said, and I smiled again.
"He's pretty amazing," I agreed.
"So how did you get out?" she asked, and I told her about Red.
"Man, you have every guy in Brooklyn looking out for you, don't you?" she asked, and I was surprised.
"Do I? I guess. I mean, Red and I have been friends for awhile. He just happened to be the one to find me. He wasn't exactly there looking out for me. He'd have jumped in for anybody. It wasn't even a big deal to him. Besides, I thought all you newsies looked out for each other," I said. She smiled.
"That's true. And you're one of us, even if you don't sell papes," she replied.
"Thanks. It's nice to feel like I belong somewhere and to have people looking out for me," I answered.
"And unlike most of us, you have Spot, too," she said, and I detected a sad tone to her voice.
"So do you," I said, surprised. Did she not know that Spot looked out for his own?
"Spot? He barely knows my name," she snorted, and I realized she had no idea how much Spot did for her and the others. That made me wonder. Did none of them know how much he cared? Didn't they know how much he gave up for them?
"He respects you," I said, and she shook her head. "He told me so last summer," I added. She looked up at that.
"He'd barely met me back then," she said.
"He said you were a hell of a poker player," I said, remembering the respect in his voice when he'd said it. I saw a soft smile forming on her lips.
"I didn't think he noticed," she said.
"He notices everything in Brooklyn," I responded. "Especially when it concerns his own."
"I didn't realize . . . . " she trailed off. A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Got some more warm water," I heard Red's voice through the door. Goldie cracked it, took the pot, and came over to my back.
"Lean forward," she said, pouring the hot water into the tub. The bathwater had been cooling, so this helped tremendously. I wasn't quite warm yet, but I was getting there.
"Thanks," I said, looking at her as she put the pot aside.
"Sweetie, you should know that you've broken every female heart in Brooklyn," she said, and I looked at her in confusion. "Spot being taken," she added.
"Oh." I didn't really know what to say to that. I had honestly never thought about that.
"He's happy with you. You bring out the best in him," she said, seeing my confusion. "And that's good for everyone. Besides, there are plenty of other cute guys out there, right? Most of them not quite so arrogant."
I smiled at her. She really was nice.
"You have one in mind?" I asked.
"Nah. Not really. Keeping my eyes peeled, though," she responded, and I couldn't help but laugh at that, tired as I was. I sensed there was someone, but I was both too tired and too shy to push the issue.
"Thanks. For everything," I said, and I realized what I really meant was thanks for the friendship.
"Any time," she said, and I could tell she meant the same. "Now, let me get you some clothes." She slipped out, returning shortly with a nightgown. I put it on, exhaustion making my movements sluggish. I headed back across the hall, but when I entered my room, Spot intercepted me.
"Your bed's wet," he said, and I realized he was right. So was my blanket. Spot steered me over to his own room and sat me on his bed. "Drink this," he said, handing me a cup of hot tea. I took a few obedient swallows, then set the mug down and flopped backwards onto the bed, spent. Spot pulled on the blanket and tucked me into his bed. I was too tired to protest.
"I'll move back to mine when you come up," I mumbled, my eyes drooping.
"Sure you will," he chuckled before kissing the top of my head and exiting the room.