Newsies Oneshots/Crack

8- New Kid (ANGST)

AU: One where Jack refused to take Pulitzer's offer and went back to the refuge, planning to break out again. He left right when Pulitzer tried bribing him, and therefore, David didn't manage to help him escape.

TW: Some violence, swearing

Ships: Javid

-

"Hey, Cowboy." A knock came on the door to Jack's dark cell. He'd really grown to hate his containment area, but what he really grew to despise was the little slot in the door where the other kids could talk to him. At first, he'd loved the chance to talk with Crutchie, but after a few days, it just became a reminder that they were all together and happier, and he wasn't.

"What do you want, Ten-Pin?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"There's a new kid. He keeps cryin', he says he knows ya and wants to talk."

Jack sighed- probably just a younger Newsie who got into some stupid trouble and was sent here a few days. He didn't care- he didn't want to see any of the other Newsies anyways. They hadn't even attempted to help him escape, let alone come see him. "I don't want to see anyone."

"Quit being such a sourpuss- the new kid won't calm down. Please just say hi to him so he'll shut up."

"Fine," Jack gave in, standing up from the bench he'd begun spending most of his time on. He walked over to the window. "Tell him to come here."

Ten-Pin nodded and left, and a few seconds later a new voice came through the door. It was shaky, filled with fear and sadness, and it sounded broken. Jack froze as he recognized it, everything suddenly feeling a little too real for his liking. "...Jack?"

"D-Davey?!"

He immediately ran up to the door. God, Pulitzer wasn't kidding! He actually went after David! But he can't... no, David didn't belong here! This wasn't right at all...

"Jack, it's a mess! We weren't even being violent or anything, we were just standing outside the gates! And then all these cops came in, and- I- they said we were all being charged with riot, and some of us including me were also charged with assult-" David choked out between sobs.

"Is everyone okay?" Jack couldn't fight the sinking feeling in his chest.

"Most of the other Newsies got away, but when they ran the cops got violent..." Jack recognized the darkness in David's voice, and had to stop himself from crying- he was the leader of the Manhattan Newsies and of the strike, he couldn't cry.

"Who got hurt?"

Another muffled sob came from the other end of the door, and David's voice shook. "A lot of them. It wasn't bad, since they could all run, but... Les couldn't run fast enough..."

"They didn't hurt him." Jack was in denial by this point. None of this could be real, it couldn't.

"He got a decently hard blow to the head. Nowhere near ad bad as I got, though- that's why I'm here, I stayed to try and protect him..."

"What do you mean? How badly did they hurt-" Jack cut off, and his heart sank as he heard what sounded like a wooden crutch bang against the floor. But Crutchie was in Snyder's office... so that meant... "Davey, tell me they didn't..."

"They shattered my leg. It should heal, but not for a while."

The words felt unreal to Jack. At that moment he let go of everything- his dumb reputation, his tough appearance, everything- and fell to his knees, sobbing. He didn't even care that David could hear him. "I'm so sorry..." was all he could get out.

"Don't be, Jack... it's not like this is your fault."

At that moment, Jack lost it. He banged his hands against the door, letting the splintered wood dig into his hand, as he cried desperately. "IT IS! DAVEY, YOU DON'T GET IT- THIS IS MY FAULT!"