When I awoke a week and a half later there was a bandage wrapped around my head. It covered my left eye and my left ear. The pain in my eye was horrible and my ear throbbed, but there was also a buzzing noise.

A kind blonde nurse came into the ward shortly after I woke up. She smiled at me and told me that I had been brought to the hospital and was badly injured, which was made worse by my weakened state from the fever. She brought me in some broth to sip on. But as she helped me sit up my head spun, I grabbed my head to keep it from exploding. She called for the doctor who came in carrying a syringe. My world went fuzzy, but it was peaceful.

When I awoke again it was night. The new nurse came in to help me eat with a spoon. She was a real talker. She had a hundred stories to tell me about everyone else on cots around me. I smiled as I listened to her chatter. I couldn't help but feel at ease. There was just one problem, the buzzing in my left ear seemed to get louder and more distracting. When she laughed and got loud it felt like her voice was slapping me upside the head, right over my ear. But I couldn't ask her to stop or lower her voice. I was terrified that she would be the last happy soul I would see once they released me.

She could see the sadness crossing my face.

"What's wrong child, is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?" She cooed.

"I am just confused. No one's told me what happened, I remember being hit, but how long was I out? How long till I get sent back." I asked.

"Oh dear, I guess the doctor didn't get a chance to explain before you passed out. I'm really not supposed to say anything without him here." I could hear the worry in her voice, and so I tried to put on my best little kid face.

"Can't you please tell me what happened ma'am? I'd be ever so grateful if I just knew what was happening to me." I could see the worry in the way she looked at me. She paced the room checking on other patients. Then she came back to the chair beside my bed and held my hand.

"The chair that hit you crushed the side of you face. The bone around your eye socket was shattered and it damaged your eye." She looked away from me as if she didn't want to tell me more. But I squeezed her hand pleading to know more. "The doctor decided it was too damaged and they had to remove your eye"

I gasped as I reached my hand up to the bandage; it explained the stabbing pain and the flashes of bright pain. I suppose the sensation of lightening must not be from my actual eye. "What about this buzzing in my ear? It's so distracting at times I can't even concentrate."

"They weren't sure if you ear drum had been damaged, but we will have to tell the doctor before they release you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" I yelled and soon regretted. "I can't go back there, not with him. He's gonna kill me if he sees me again."

"I don't know anything for sure, but I heard from one of the day nurses that the boy who attacked you was put into the prison. He had had a prior assault charge from a construction job he worked. Beat the man to death with his mason tools."

"Brick."

"Listen child, I know you don't want to go back. I'm worried about you getting hurt again. I know somewhere you could go, but it's a hard life. I'd hate to see you suffer a worse fate than you've been dealt. But the boys at my Uncle's place, they seem to make a decent living."

"What kind of work is it? Factory?"

"No, they are Newsboys."

Sadie the nurse hurried from the room after I agreed that I would prefer her option. She told me to rest while she went in search of some clothing for me.

When she came back 2 hours later she carried a satchel with her. There was a pair of pants that were too long and a pair of suspenders that were too big as well. After tying them around my waist and then looping them over my shoulder I was able to keep the pants on and up. A pair of scissors took off what was too long. The shirt and shoes didn't fit much better. But when you are being dressed from clothing removed from the morgue there is not much you can do. She handed me a hat and a jacket which I pulled on quickly. She told me the bag contained some extra clothes she found, and maybe some others that I could trade a bigger boy. There were also some fresh bandages as well as some meds she sifted off other patient's doses for morning

.

I looked at the window and saw the sun beginning to rise. It looked beautiful from this height.

"Horatio?" She said loudly stepping in front of me. "Did you not hear what I said?"

"No, I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't realize you were talking till you said my name."

"Well we'll have to check your ear some other time. But for now we need to get you out of here. The next shift will be here soon. There is a back stairway that you can take down. Walk through the alley and on the other side, one block east you will see a restaurant named Tibbey's. Tell them you are waiting for Sadie Kloppman. I'll be there as soon as I can. Take it slowly though, I don't want you passing out on the way."

I sat in Tibbey's sipping on a water till she arrived. She bought me some breakfast. But she looked at me oddly as I folded my arms and prayed for my food, but she soon bowed her head as well. It was the best meal I'd eaten in 3 years. She told me a bit about her Uncle and some of the boys my age that lived there.

I tried my best to listen to her instructions but I kept fading in and out of the conversation. And every time I fought to focus, the buzzing in my ear grew to be a painful ringing in my head.

But in the end she paid for our food and we started on our walk down the street to her Uncle's lodging house. On the way she stopped us at a leather workers shop. I waited near an alley way. When she came out she handed me a small leather bag.

"A parting gift to help you get on your feet."

I opened the bag and inside was a few coins and a brown leather patch with a leather string attached. I held it up to where my eye used to be. Even though it was covered with bandages, I could tell it would be too big.

"You'll grow into it" She smiled and I couldn't help but smile back.

When we arrived at the lodging house I was surprised to be greeted by smiling faces of boys my age and older. It was a vast difference from the haunted look on most of the boys at the Refuge. Sadie had to leave to get home to watch her children before her husband left for work. But she handed her uncle some change, then she kissed me on the cheek and left

.

I heard the thundering of footsteps from boys running down the stairs. The sound made the buzzing in my ear become unbearable. And the next thing I knew there was a tan skinned boy with curly brown hair standing over me. The rest of the boys gazed on and I felt like a freak laying there on the floor

"I think you had a sknezure." He fumbled over the last word, but I understood what he meant. Another parting gift from my good friend Brick.

Another boy with a thick Italian accent came and helped me to my feet. "Boy kid, your eye sure blinked fast when you was on the floor." A taller boy wearing a cowboy hat walked over and offered me his hand.

"Name's Jack, you look like you could use some rest, why don't we help ya upstairs. Maybe when you're feeling better we can talk."

I smiled and took their offer of help, when I got to the bunk I fell asleep within seconds. I felt more safe and at home than I had since the day my dad left.

More to come quickly!.