Brewin' in the Boroughs

Chapter 17

It's been so long! In case you've forgotten what happened, Katherine came to see Jack but he sent her away because Ike was killed. That's it.

Also, just a warning. There will be some religious ideas being mentioned. If you have a problem with that, I'm sorry, just skip parts that make you uncomfortable. I'm not trying to force a religion on you, I'm just going off of history and what will help my story.

It's not preaching, it's just mentions of someone being religious and slight ideas about death.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!

***

It was still dark out when Race woke up. He couldn't figure out what had caused it to happen, but a quick glance around the room proved that no one was up or moving more than usual, so he shrugged it off and closed his eyes again.

Then he heard a sniffle and the bunk bed creaked as Jojo, who occupied the bottom bunk, rolled over. A second later he turned over again and Race rolled his eyes.

"Can't ya just stay still?" He mumbled sleepily. Race pulled his covers over his head and tried to get back to sleep, but gave up when he heard another sniff as if someone was crying.

Race leaned over the edge of the bunk, his head hanging down by Jojo's face.

"Youse okay Jo?"

Jojo looked up at him, rubbing his eyes. "I'm as good as any of us can be."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Jojo shrugged and looked away, causing Race to sigh.

"Would ya make up your mind? My head's startin' to feel funny!" Race rubbed at his forehead, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling, his face turning red.

"Well then stop hangin' upside down," Jojo muttered.

"Ya know what? Youse right. I'm comin' down."

Race moved so his feet hung over the bed, then dropped, landing lightly on his feet. Jojo sat up and Race sat next to him, waiting for his friend to speak.

"I... I had a dream," Jojo said slowly.

"I have those too, but they ain't keepin' me up at night."

"No! It was about," Jojo's eyes darted around the room, making sure that everyone was asleep, before whispering the name. "Ike."

"What happened?"

"I was talkin' to him, just like normal. Then he started gettin' mad at me and tellin' me how it was my fault! He said that if it wasn't for me, he'd be alive!"

"Why're you lettin' this get to youse Jo?" Race asked.

"'Cause it's true!" Jojo cried quietly. "It is all my fault that Ike is dead and everyone knows it. If I'd been smart and gone with the others, Ike would still be here!"

Race remained silent as Jojo covered his face. Race reached over and rubbed his back, letting Jojo cry and have a minute to himself.

Jojo wasn't wrong. If he'd gone with the boys, this wouldn't have happened, but Jojo did stay, and now Ike was dead. Then again, it had been Ike's choice to wait, and Race said as much to his friend.

"Jo, he made the choice to wait for youse. It ain't your fault."

Jojo looked up at Race, his dark eyes wet. "If he hadn't waited for me, everything would've been okay! He shouldn't have waited for me! I don't know why he was worried, I ain't worth it."