From Crutchie To Wheels (And a Little Les Trouble)

Mixed Emotions- Crutchie's/Wheel's POV

Crutchie's POV

The next day, Jack and my leg doctor came in the room to check on me. They said they had a surprise for me down stairs, so Jack picked me up bridal style and told me to close my eyes about halfway down the stairs. When we got to the bottom, he laid me down on the couch and gathered all of the newsies in the room. Everyone was checking on me and asking how I was doing since I hadn't left upstairs in about a week or two. All I was worried about this whole time was why the doctor was here.

"All right Crutchie," Jack said, looking very eager. "Remember when you had just woken up and I said we were gonna have to change your name from Crutchie to Wheels because you'll be in a wheelchair for a while?"

I nodded.

"Well, here's your new ride!"

My leg doctor rolled in a wheelchair that looked brand new. It had a cloth seat, shiny wheels, and handles on the back for people to push me.

"Wow! This is great! Does this mean I can go back to work now?" I asked, nearly bouncing so hard I roll off of the couch.

My doctor said, "Now Crutchie, your arm was broken pretty badly and your leg still doesn't work right. If you leave here to go anywhere you have to be absolutely positive that you have at least one other person with you at all times. Because one, you can't really push yourself unless you wanna go in circles all the time, two, if something bad happens like someone trying to beat you up or you falling out of your chair, you have no way to fight or fix it, and three, you're gonna need help going up and down stairs. You got it? No being alone. Ever. Until your arm is all healed and you can use a crutch again."

"I got it. Thank you so much! Jack can you put me in my chair? I haven't been outside in a while and I wanna take a walk, er, roll around. Haha." I laughed at my own joke. No one else did though. The rest of the newsies looked kind of scared/nervous/anxious. I wasn't sure why but I guess I'd find out soon enough.

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The guys were kind enough to help me up and down the stairs in the lodging house everyday. I had to have a lot of help getting dressed and out of bed in the morning, so the guys made a schedule that rotates off every day so a different person helps me each day. I started to feel very bad after the first few days because I felt helpless. I can't dress myself fully alone. I can't get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I need someone to carry me there and back. But mostly its been bugging me that I can't remember what happened to my arm. Or what hapened to my crutch.

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Three days after I got my wheelchair I went back to work. Jack wasn't sure if I was ready or not, but I had completely run out of money from not working for three weeks and I felt bad for borrowing money from the guys.

Davey is pushing me today, so we're gonna do his route and then he'll hand me off to Jack so we can do mine and Jack's routes. Jack said if a limp can sell papes, then a wheelchair and a broken arm could make a fortune.

Davey had just finished selling his last pape with Les when he was gonna take me to Jack.

"Can I take Crutchie to Jack? Please David?" Les kept on begging.

"I don't know, Les. I don't think that's a good idea," he kept on trying to say, but Les was not taking no as an answer.

"Hey Davey." I budded in. "I don't mind if Les takes me. It's just a half a mile. It's not like anything bad can happen in half a mile."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, alright. But, Les, when you're done you come straight back to the lodging house."

"Ok! I will!"

Les happily skipped over and started to push me. He knew exactly where we were going, so we had a little chat on the way. He caught me up with what had happened when I was out.

We were about halfway there when two people started laughing really loud from behind us. Les stopped talking immediately.

"Who is it Les? Turn me around." He did. I wish he didn't.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The crip and a kid," said an all too familiar voice. The Delancys. "Oh. Did the crip upgrade from a crutch to a chair?" They snickered. "Look Oscar! He's got a cast on, too! Guess that fall down the stairs did more than we thought!" They high fived.

That's when it clicked."You're the one who did this to me! You shoved me down the stairs and broke my arm and my crutch! This is all your fault!" I screamed.

They jumped a little. "I didn't know the crip could be so mean. Just for that, I think I'll break your other arm!" Morris screamed back as he lunged toward me and Les...