Short fic writing trip

We's a family

Jack always liked the night. It was calm, quiet, a break from the heat and chaos of the day. Normally he'd stay in his 'penthouse', a section of the newsies lodge house roof he claimed for his own, but tonight he felt like walking. Because he wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet.

That went out the window the minute he heard screaming.

Jack heard it from a few blocks away, and he ran to see what the commotion was about. In a darkened alleyway, he saw two figures standing hunched over someone. One of them kicked the body, hard, and the other took a swing at them.

"Hey! Get outta 'ere, leave 'em alone!" Jack yelled, pushing the two away from the body. They took off like bullets, leaving Jack to inspect who their victim was.

It was a girl, no older than himself, with long dark hair matted with dirt and blood, her lean arms jutting at odd angles, what skin that wasnt covered in blood was black and blue, and by her labored breathing, she must have broken a rib. In other words, she was in real tough shape.

"Oh man, theys soaked ya good," he muttered to himself. He had to help the poor thing, but the hospitals were closed this time of night and the only first aid kit he knew of was under Specs' bed, back in the lodge house.

There hasn't been a time a girl was in the lodge house, even when Jack first became a newsie.

There also wasnt much time to get the girl patched up.

Guess there's a first time for everything.

So Jack carefully picked her up, making sure he had a good hold, and quickly made his way to the lodge house.