The Crutch's Sister

Return

I sat up in bed, half asleep and rubbing my eyes.

"Crutchie! Kicks! Wake up!" Specs shouted, shaking Crutchie. I swung my leg out of bed and put on my leg.

"Specs...it's not even sunrise. What's wrong?" I moaned, tying my hair up.

"The Lodging House is finished! We can go home!" Specs exclaimed, running out of the room. I woke up immediately and finished getting ready for the day. I helped Crutchie up and we hobbled downstairs. Jack was at the door, making sure everyone got out.

"You two the last ones?" he asked, smiling brightly. We nodded and the three of us walked out together. We were halfway there when I remembered something.

"What's wrong?" Crutchie asked. 

"Driver and the girls! They're our family and need to come!" I exclaimed, running across the street. "I'll meet you there!" I yelled over my shoulder. About ten minutes later, I reached the stage door and threw it open. Driver was awake, reading a thin book.

"Kicks!" he exclaimed. 

"The Lodging House is finished! We're finally going home!" I said happily. I saw the girls laying on the floor next to him. 

"Girls." Driver whispered. They stirred and sleepily sat up. "We're going to a new home! Get your things!" he murmured excitedly. The girls were quickly awake and skipping around and gathering their things. When there was no trace of the small family except for a not Driver wrote, thanking Medda and assuring that they would all be back for work, we walked out of the theater. I hoisted Olive onto my back and Driver put Rose on his and we ran down the street. After a little while, we caught up with the newsies, who were about two blocks away from the Lodging House. 

"Told you I'd catch up!" I said, poking Crutchie's side. He giggled and smiled at me and Driver. We put the girls down on the sidewalk with us and they hid behind Driver and I. "Girls, this is my big brother, Crutchie. Crutchie, this is Rosie and Olive." I introduced. Crutchie bent down and smiled warmly.

"Hi! It's nice to finally meet you!" he chirped. The girls giggled and came out from behind us. Suddenly, the crowd stopped and I looked ahead to see Jack standing on a cart parked outside the Lodging House.

"NEWSIES OF MANHATTAN!" he shouted. We all cheered and clapped. "WELCOME HOME!" We stormed through the door and ran to find that it was like nothing had happened. I ran upstairs and saw that the room me and my brother shared was exactly the same. I was the first one up the stairs and Crutchie was right behind me. I sighed and flopped on the bed. 

"It feels so good to be home." Crutchie said, copying me. I nodded and heard a knock from the window. I opened it and saw Jack standing on the fire escape.

"C'mon Kicks. I wanna show ya somethin'" he grinned, walking up the fire escape. I looked back at Crutchie, who nodded at me to follow. I climbed through the window and followed Jack up to the roof. He turned around and helped me up the last step. "Welcome to my penthouse!" he said, extending his arms out. I walked to the railing and saw the streets down below. "This is the best view of the city I've ever seen." I said. Jack walked over and joined me at the railing. 

(Y'all already know that this song doesn't belong to me, though I wish it did :'( )

"Them streets down there, they sucked the life right outta my old man. Well they ain't doin' that to me."

"But everyone wants to come to New York."

"You keep your small life in the big city. Give me a big life in a small town.

They say folks is dyin' to get here.
Me, I'm dyin' to get away,
to a little town out west
that's spankin' new.
And while I ain't never been there,
I can see it clear as day.
If you want, I bet'cha you could see it, too.
Close your eyes...
Come with me,
Where it's clean and green and pretty.
And they went and made a city outta clay.
Why, the minute that ya get there,
Folks'll walk right up and say,
"Welcome home, son, welcome home to Santa Fe!"
Plantin' crops,
Splittin' rails,
Swappin' tales around the fire,
'cept for Sunday when you lie around all day.
Soon your friends are more like family,
and they's beggin' you to stay!
Ain't that neat?
Livin' sweet
in Santa Fe." 

He turned to me and nudged my arm.

"Hey, no one worries about no gimp leg in Santa Fe. You just hop a Palomino, you'll ride in style!"

I giggled and smiled.

"Picture me, ridin' in style."

"Hey, I bet a few months of clean air, you could toss that crutch for good!" We turned to each other and he held my arm.

"Santa Fe,
you can bet.
We won't let them bastids beat us.
We won't beg no one to treat us fair and square.
There's a life that's worth the livin',
and I'm gonna do my share."

"Work the land.
Chase the sun."

"Swim the whole Rio Grande just for fun!"

I turned back to face the railing, my heart full of hope and soaring. I threw my arms out next to me.

"Watch me stand!

Watch me run..."

I then realized that I was acting silly and tears formed in the corners of my eyes.

"Hey, hey..."

He took me by the shoulders and lifted my head up to look at him.

"Don't you know that we's a family?"  

I nodded.

"Would I let you down?"

I shook my head.

"No way.

Just hold on, kid,
till that train makes Santa Fe."

He gently pulled me in for a hug and I hugged him back. "I'm always gonna take care of you, Katie." he said. "You don't worry about a thing." I nodded.

"Thanks, Jack." I murmured. The sun started to rise and it shone in my eyes. I released from the hug and smiled at Jack. "I'm gonna head downstairs and get Driver and the girls settled." I said, walking down. Jack nodded and went back to the railing, taking in the view. 

I hobbled downstairs and back through the window. Crutchie had left the room and I sat down on my bed. But when I sat down, I heard a small commotion from downstairs. I walked out of the room and slid down the metal banister. I saw Olive and Rose standing around Specs and Race. I walked up to them and tickled the girls. "Did you guys meet Race and Specs?" I asked. The girls giggled and nodded.

"Rosie was just introducing us to Missy Apple." Specs grinned. Rosie handed Race the toy and he snuggled his face into it.

"It's so soft!" he exclaimed. Rosie laughed even harder. 

"What are these?" Olive, who wandered a few feet away, inquired. Race looked over and yelped. He dropped Missy Apple and ran over to Olive, who was toying with a wooden box. 

"Pleeease be careful with those, doll." he said gently, pulling the box away from her. Specs, who had caught Missy Apple, was now snuggling with her and walked over to us with Rose, who was holding his hand. Race counted the contents of the box. "I'm missing one." he said, looking up. He looked to Olive, who had one end of a cigar in her mouth. "Hey! That's my cigar!" he exclaimed. He reached for it and Olive turned away with a playful smirk.

"You'll steal another." she giggled. She handed the cigar back to Race, who wiped it off and put it back in the box with the others. I retrieved Missy Apple from Specs and handed her back to Rosie.

"It's still really early, girls. You should try to get some sleep." I said, motioning for them to follow me. "In fact," I started, looking up at Race's and Specs' tired faces. "We should all try to get some sleep." The girls started walking towards me when Specs spoke,

"We'll get them to bed, Kicks. You get yourself to bed and we'll get them back to Driver. Don't worry." I hesitated. Race walked up to me, turned me around, and marched me to the stairs.

"Go hit the hay, kid. We got this." he smiled. I grinned back and walked up the stairs. I trudged into my room and flopped onto my bed. I slowly closed my eyes, taking in the view of the room.

I then drifted off into a quiet sleep.

For about three hours.