AN: My apologies to anyone who thought I would be starting this book on a high note.
Katherine was on her way home from The Sun, wearing the warmest coat she could, find, along with thick gloves and a scarf. It was February and colder than it was in December. It had been snowing constantly for three days already and it wasn't expected to stop anytime soon. Katherine could barely see as she trudged through the snow. There was about seven inches of snow on the sidewalks, even though they were being cleared as often as possible. All the trolleys had been temporarily stopped until the snow let up, and Katherine didn't get off of work, so she'd been having to walk. She was about halfway to her apartment when she heard the half-hearted call of one of the newsies.
"Two boys killed by fast train!" it was very obviously Jack. None of the other boys would be out in the cold this late. But of course, nobody else was, either. As Katherine walked towards his voice, she began to see him more clearly, leaning against a lamp post.
"Jack, what are you doing?"
"Tryin' to sell papes." He replied, and coughed.
"But it's late, and you don't even have a coat on!"
"Can't afford a coat."
"Oh, for gods sake, here." Katherine took of her scarf and handed it to Jack, who put it around his neck.
"Thanks, Kath."
"You're welcome. Now come on, why don't you stop for the day, its ten o'clock at night and 17 degrees below zero out here." Jack shook his head and coughed again.
"I can't Kath, I got two more papes to sell and then I gotta go to the deli and get sandwiches for the boys." He protested before launching into a coughing fit. Katherine gave him a concerned look.
"Jack, are you okay?"
"Yeah Kath, I'm fine." Katherine wasn't convinced, but brushed it off.
"Okay, well then here." Katherine took his last two papers, and gave him two dollars. Jack sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Ace." He covered his mouth with his hands, coughed again, and headed of in the direction of the deli. But what Katherine didn't see was the blood Jack had coughed into his hands.
oOo
It had been a week since the snow had started, and it still hadn't lightened up at all. Katherine was once again on her way home from work when she heard the call of a newsboy. But this time it wasn't to hawk a headline, it was to call Katherine's name. Katherine turned to see Crutchie limping towards her with a worried look on his face.
"Hey Crutchie, what's wrong?"
"It's Jack, there's somethin' wrong with him."
"What?!"
"C'mon, see for yourself." And with that, Crutchie turned and headed towards the Lodging House so fast the Katherine practically had to run to keep up. When they got there, Katherine ran up the stairs to Jack's bed, where he was sitting on.
"Kath, what're you dong here?" he was leaning on the bed post and he was visibly trembling.
"Crutchie brought me... Jack we have to get you to a doctor..."
"No, Ace." Jack grabbed a tissue from next to the bed and coughed into it. That's when Katherine noticed the blood.
"Or a hospital."
"No, I'm fine, I promise." He took her hands. They were like ice.
"Jack, you're nowhere near fine, c'mon. At least lie down." He groaned but lay down anyway. Despite his protest's that he was fine, he was asleep within minutes, which wasn't like him. It usually took him at least 20 minutes to fall asleep, so something was very obviously wrong with him. Katherine sighed. She didn't know what was happening to him.
oOo
It was about a week since Jack had started getting sick, and he was even worse than before. Katherine was Jack was lying on the couch, drifting in and out of consciousness. The other boys were out selling newspapers. It was unusually quiet in the living room. That is, until David burst in the door. Jack shot up, wide awake, and Katherine practically jumped out of her skin.
"David! What are you doing?" Katherine glared at him.
"Why didn't you tell me that Jack was so sick?" he demanded. Jack coughed weakly from the couch.
"I ain't..." he coughed again "I ain't that sick, Davey." David ignored his weak protests.
"Kath." He pulled her aside so Jack couldn't hear – though he was practically asleep again by now anyway. "I went to the library to look up Jack's symptoms today." He had a look of concern on his face. Katherine looked at him cautiously.
"And?"
"And, this blizzard has given Jack pneumonia!" Katherine gasped.
"Are you sure?"
"Just look at him! Isn't it obvious?" Jack was out cold, shivering and muttering irritably in his sleep.
"Okay, well, what can we do about it?"
"Nothing."
"Are you out of your mind?! We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"We don't have a choice! His symptoms are too severe!" at that, Katherine paled.
"What... what are you saying?"
"Katherine..." tears formed in his eyes. "I think Jack is going to die."
"No! No, that can't be true! There has to be something we can do!"
"I could be wrong, but..." he was cut off by a sharp cry from the couch. They both turned to see Jack sitting up on the couch with a look of terror on his face.
"Ace... Davey!"
"Jack, what's wrong?" Katherine gently pushed him back down, David following behind.
"I can hardly breathe... Katherine, what's happening to me?! What's going on?" Jack was panicking as he held her hand in a death grip. She looked at David helplessly. Jack seemed slightly delirious, and his breath was getting shallower by the second.
"It's okay Jack... just... just try to calm down." He nodded.
"Katherine?"
"Yeah, Jack?"
"I'm going to Santa Fe, Ace." Katherine choked back a sob.
"I know... you'll be there soon, I promise." Her voice trembled. He smiled weakly.
"I'll see ya soon Ace." His hand went limp in her own. She reluctantly let it go and and slid to the floor.
"He's gone." She whispered. David sat on the floor next to her. "He's really gone."
I'M SORRY!
