Courage

Chapter 3

AN: Two chapters in two days, because inspiration has struck!

After Davey had gotten everything in his brain sorted out, Crutchie had suggested that he try to get more sleep, considering it was still well before the sun had risen. Davey complied, though he didn't see how anyone could just fall asleep in this place, but he must have, because the next time he woke up, there was sun streaming through the open, yet barred windows, and other kids were awake and moving around. Les was shaking him awake, which was the only normal thing Davey had experienced since they'd gotten there.

He quickly sat up, though he found that difficult to do with both Crutchie and Les sitting on either side of him.

"What's going on?"

Les, to his credit, seemed calm despite their circumstances, and he pointed towards one of the windows, where Davey could just make out Jack and Katherine crouched on the fire escape outside. Davey stared at them for a second, and then back at Les.

"What are they doing here?"

"Jack says he wants to talk to you." Les reported, as if that explained everything.

Davey turned to look at Crutchie, who shrugged. "They've been for maybe five minutes now, I sent Les to talk to 'em since I can't."

With the sunlight, Davey could now see that Crutchie looked just as bad as Jack had said - maybe worse. He felt some anger towards Snyder starting to build up, but he quickly pushed those feelings aside. This wasn't the time or the place.

"I'll go talk to them."

He climbed off of the bunk and made his way over to the window where, sure enough, both Jack and Katherine where sitting on the fire escape. He sat down on the windowsill.

"What are you two doing here? You could get caught."

"Yeah, good to see you too, Davey. Nice day, ain't it?" Jack remarked sarcastically, and Katherine smacked him in the arm.

"Hush." She looked at Davey with an expression that was somewhere between apologetic and angry, though he could she wasn't angry at him. "Davey, I'm so sorry, this is all my father's fault, he crossed a line."

"No, it's - what do you mean, your father?"

Jack shook his head. "No, you ain't responsible, if anything it's my fault, I could've stopped it."

"No, you couldn't have. If you took the deal, the boys would never have trusted you again."

"Yeah, but it least - "

"Hey!" Davey interjected, feeling the need to remind the two of them that he was still there. "Either of you wanna tell me what you're talking about?"

Katherine gave Jack a look, and he nodded. "I went to see Pulitzer yesterday, before the rally."

"He's my father." Katherine added. "But you don't have to worry, I'm completely against him."

Davey nodded, taken aback by this fact, but Jack continued. "Right, so I went to see him, and he offered me this deal. Said that we disbanded the union, he wouldn't raise the price again for a few years, and... and he'd give me enough money for a train ticket out west."

Davey stared at him, eyes wide. "You didn't take it?"

Jack shook his head. "No, if I did, I woulda done it at the rally. But the reason you're in here is 'cause I didn't. Thought he might be bluffing."

"Bluffing about what?"

Jack groaned. "He said if I didn't take the deal he'd get the other boys - including you and Les - thrown into the refuge. Guess he started with you two."

Davey sat there for a moment, trying to process everything. "You couldn't have taken the deal."

"I should've."

"No." Davey said firmly. "You couldn't have. It would have meant the end of the strike, prices that the boys still can't afford, and you in New Mexico, not here where you're needed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Sure, you'll listen to him, but not me." Katherine muttered, and Davey shared a knowing look with her, but Jack didn't pay either of them any attention.

"So, we need a plan, and we've got one but we need your input." Jack told him.

"Lets hear it."

Katherine told him about The Children's Crusade, and with every new detail, the better it sounded. When she was finished, he nodded.

"That sounds good. It'll work. Just make sure you print it and pass them out at night so no one can stop you."

Katherine nodded. "Duly noted."

Jack still looked concerned. "What about you? And Les, and Crutchie?"

"You can't think about us." Davey assured him, but Jack cast a nervous glance at Crutchie from across the room, and Davey could tell that his friend still hadn't stopped thinking about the other boy since he'd been taken in.

"Can't do that, Davey. You two could get hurt, and Crutchie..." He trailed off, but Davey shook his head.

"No, Jack. What we're gonna do is stay here, and wait for you to win the strike, and then you can focus on us. Not before."

Jack clearly didn't like it, but he nodded, and at that moment, there was a quiet shout of, "Spider's coming!"

Jack's head instantly jerked up, and he gave Katherine a hard look. "We gotta get out of here." He quickly turned back to Davey. "Get back over to the bunks, don't let him think you were talking to anyone. And hey, Dave?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of Crutchie for me the best you can, alright?"

The look in his eyes was so desperate, Davey couldn't do anything but nod. "Of course."

"Thanks."

Before Davey knew it, Jack was pulling Katherine away down the fire escape, and he rushed back over to his shared bed with Crutchie and Les, landing safely back in between the two of them the same second that the door swung open.