Family Through and Through

The Refuge

Crutchie POV
I spotted a piece of crumpled up piece of paper in the corner of the room.

"Hey. Psst. Albert can Ya toss me that piece a pape?" I woke the kid on the bunk below me.

"Ya sure Crutchie." he said as he threw the pape up to me.

"Thanks." I said as he nodded. I took the pencil I stole from Snyder outta my pocket and began writing.

ME: HOW ARE YOU
I'M OKAY
GUESS I WASN'T MUCH HELP YESTERDAY
SYNDER SHOVED ME REAL GOOD WITH MY CRUTCH
OH YEAH, JACK! THIS IS CRUTCHIE, BY THE WAY
THESE HERE GUARDS
THEY IS RUDE
THEY SAY
"JUMP, BOY, YOU JUMP OR YOU'RE SCREWED"
BUT THE FOOD AINT SO BAD HERE SO FAR
CAUSE SO FAR THEY AINT BRUNG US NO FOOD
HA
HA
I MISS THE ROOFTOP
SLEEPING RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN
IN YOUR PENTHOUSE IN THE SKY
WITH SPRINT NEXT TO ME
AND TALKIN BOUT SANTA FE
ANYWAY
SO GUESS WHAT
THERE'S THIS SECRET ESCAPE PLAN I GOT
TIE A SHEET TO THE BED
TOSS THE END OUT A WINDOW
CLIMB DOWN
THEN TAKE OFF LIKE A SHOT
MAYBE THOUGH
NOT TONIGHT
I AIN'T SLEPT AND MY LEG STILL AIN'T RIGHT
HEY
BUT PULLITZER
HE'S GOING DOWN
AND THEN JACK
I WAS THINKING
WE MIGHT JUST GO
LIKE YOU WERE SAYIN'
WHERE IT'S CLEAN AND GREEN AND PRETTY
AND NO BUILDINGS IN YOUR WAY
AND YOUR RIDING PALOMINOS EVERY DAY
ONCE THAT TRAIN MAKES
"DAMN THIS PLACE"
I'LL BE FINE
GOOD AS NEW
BUT THERE'S ONE THING I NEED YOU TO DO
ON THE ROOFTOP
YOU SAID THAT A FAMILY LOOKS OUT FOR EACH OTHER
SO YOU TELL ALL THE FELLAS AND SPRINT FOR ME
TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER
THE END
YOUR FRIEND
YOUR BEST FRIEND
YOUR BROTHER,
CRUT-CHIE
I ended the letter, folded it into an airplane and threw it out the window, hoping the July
Air would carry it to Jack.

-Meddas place a few days later-
-Jack POV-

"Here's everything I owe you for the first backdrop, plus this one, and a little extra something on account of I'm gonna miss you so." She said patting my back.

"Miss Medda, I-" I started to refuse the money pushing it away

"Jack."

"You're a gem."i smiled taking the money reluctantly

"Just tell me you're going somewhere and not running away." She said putting her hands on her hips, watching me paint.

"Does it matter?" I smirked.

"When you go somewhere and it turns out not to be the right place, you can always go somewhere else. But when you're running away, nowhere's ever the right place." She stated

"Well how about letting a pal know you're alive! Where did you go? We couldn't find ya!" Davey said from behind

"I'll leave you with your friend" Miss Medda said as she walked to her dressing room.

"Did you ever think I didn't wanna be found?" I asked a little annoyed that he came here.

"Is that a real place, that Santa Fe? Hey, did you see the papes? We're front page, above the fold! Oh yes. Above. The fold." He said waving the newspaper in front of me

"Good for you." I said with a fake smile

"Everyone wants to meet the famous Jack Kelly. Even Spot Conlon sent over a kid just to say next event, you can count on Brooklyn! How bout that?" He asked astonished

"We got stomped into the ground." I said trying to forget about Crutchie.

"They got us this time, I'll grant you that, but we took round one. But with press like this. Our fight is far from over." He said with a massive amount of hope in his voice

"Every newsie who could walk was out this mornin', sellin' papes like the strike never happened!" I replied tartly.

"And I was right there with 'em. If I don't sell papes, my folks don't eat, but-" he started off