Family Don't Break

CHAPTER 11

JACK'S POV:

I hear someone thundering down the hall, and the windows shake. The building isn't well built, but at least it keeps the heat in. Well, sort of, but it's better than nothing. The door to the bunk room slams open, and I'm about to yell at Davey for denting the wall, but he looks like he has something more important to say. His cheeks are red and sweat is running down his forehead. He must have run all the way here from his house.

"Jack. You have to come quickly. It's Alex." My heart immediately drops. I run after him, quickly putting on my jacket. The cold winter air of the city nips at me, but I ignore it. A thin layer of snow lays on the ground and I almost slip on the ice, but Davey catches me. I want to ask him what the hell he means when he says 'it's Alex', but I'm too out of breath to do anything but run.

We finally stop running when we reach Alex's building. The windows that were once open are now closed, frost on the sills. The colorful laundry is all inside, drying against the hearth. The main door to the tenement is locked so we speed up the fire escape.

The window to Alex's house is open and the cold air blows inside. The room is freezing and I can see my breath fan out in a puff of white smoke. I spot Alex sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. She's wearing nothing but a dirty white shirt, the sleeves rolled up. The hearth is barely lit, the embers blinking in the dark light.

"Jesus, Alex. You trying to freeze?" I take off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. Her head lifts, and I see tears staining her cheeks. I'm surprised they aren't frozen. "Jack." she croaks out. She suddenly hugs me, the force of her almost knocking me over. I look questioningly at Davey. "She called my house, and told me to come get you. She didn't tell me why." he explains. I gently release Alex, kneeling down to be at her height.

I cup her face, using my thumb to wipe away some of her tears. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" I ask quietly. She takes a moment to console herself, leaning into my touch. "It's my mom. She fainted, and my dad took her to the hospital, and he called me and said that she needs surgery. She's really sick, Jack. We don't have a choice, but the surgery is draining us of everything we have. We won't even have enough for food."

"What about your job with Medda? I'm sure that you can ask her for a raise, she'd understand." Alex shakes her head no. "With the show over, there's no job for me. Even if there was a job, I don't think she has enough to pay me more." I want to deny it, but I know it's true. Everyone around here is strapped for cash.

"My only other option is the factory. Those places are hell on earth, I've heard the stories. I'll be lucky if I escape with all my fingers." I know what she's talking about. The factories don't just make textiles, they make scars. Long hours for little pay, it's basically a workhouse. It's the last ditch option. If she goes in there, she might not come out.

"Well, what about joining us as a newsie?" Davey blurts out. I had almost forgotten he was there. Alex looks between the two of us. "I hadn't even thought about that," she admits. I notice her shivering. "Let's get you warmed up, then we can talk. Davey, can you close the window?" Davey nods and slams the window shut. Ice clatters off and falls to the street below.

I throw some more wood into the furnace and bring the fire back to life. I hold my hands up to the heat, attempting to get some feeling back. I help Alex over and all three of us sit on the ground in front of the flames.

"You got any booze?" I ask. Alex nods, pointing at the top shelf of the cabinet. I pull down a bottle of alcohol. I unscrew the cap and take a swig, handing it to Alex. She gulps some down, making a face at the taste. Davey does the same, coughing up a storm.

So we sit in front of that fire, drinking and talking about what to do. Winter rages outside, but for us, the outside world is forgotten. It's just us three in this small room, kept warm by a small fire and a bottle of whiskey.