Finding Them

Chapter 2: The Deal

It was dark and damp. Rain had just fallen and the streets were filled with mud. Not that they weren't always dirty but now the filth was wet. Bray's coughing filled the hut as I looked out at the rain. His illness was getting worse. I've tried every doctor but none of them would take him in. I don't  have the money not to mention that I am a street rat, but then again almost everyone was in the underworld. It wasn't fair, he didn't deserve this.

"Lrya?" I heard his feeble voice call as he tried to pronounce my full name Elryria "Lrya!?!"

"I'm here, I'm here" I said coming to him and sitting next to him. I gently stroked his brown hair feeling the fevers heat still present.

 "I'm always going to be right here" I reassured him as his body relaxed in my hold and his breath evened out. He was asleep again. It seemed all I can do these days was help him sleep. I sighed stroking his face with a wet cloth to get rid of the sweat. He shivered and I tried to pull him closer to me. I sat there for a long time listening as the rain fell on our little tent. It wasn't much but it didn't leak and it kept us warm enough. It was going to be morning soon and I needed to go out and see if I could pick the pockets of anyone walking in the morning light.

"Little one"I whispered moving Bray's hair slightly "Wake please" his eyes fluttered open and his hazy gaze looked up at me. He smiled slightly at me and I tried to smile back

"I need to go look for some food for you okay?" I whispered leaning down to place a kiss on his warm head. He noded lazily and I moved his head to the pillow

"I'll be back in an hour okay? You just wait here." I said getting up and pulling my patchy clock on. He nodded again and closed his eyes. I smiled at his already sleeping form and pulled hood over my head. I walked the streets quietly and made my way to the main road passing many houses and stores. Some closed down and boarded and others already moved with life. Not many are out though as the sky is still pouring rain. I am soon soaked but that mattered little. I've almost made enough money to afford Bray getting into a hospital and I'll be damned if a little rain will stopped me from getting it. Despite the pouring rain the main street is still packed with people and it's easy pickings this early in the morning. Although the guards have gone up recently which is a bit of a problem but I've only been caught once. I had 5 whips and a night in the holding but after that I was back out and since then Bray and I have been a lot more careful.

I found Bray when I was 12 and he was 4, well that's more of an estimated guess seeing as he was left on the street. I was also left on the street but I was old enough to remember my name and age. I gave Bray his name when I found him and I've been taking care of him ever since so for almost 4 years now. He's always been sickly as are most children on the street but it's been getting worse. I can't just let him rot and die after all I've done to keep him alive. He's like a little brother, a family that I never had. And I'll be damned if I let something take him from me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pickings were good today and now I could finally get Bray into the hospital. They'd be able to save him. I smiled as I jog back to our little tent.

"Bray!" I called coming through the gap to see him laying there just where I left him

"Come on Bray-bear wake up" I said smiling down at him. He blinked sleepily up at me his hair tangled and in his face

"Lrya?" He mumbled as he rubs eyes "What's going on?"

"We're getting you to a hospital Bray-bear and they're going to fix you right up" I said lifting him up "So we got to get you dressed in something warm okay?"