Newsies' Little Sister

Chapter 12 - That night

A/N TW: SWEARING, ABUSE (in a dream) This is a lot longer than I thought it would be...again! I hope you like it! <3

Jack's POV

"Street smarts." Elmer and the new girl followed Romeo, Al, Davey and Mush and walked into the Lodging House. I was so relieved to see my boys back in one piece! I thought she'd got them wrapped  up in somethin' bad, although Smalls looked like she'd been in a fight. Then again, it is Smalls... She's a feisty little thing and is more than willing to fight anyone who disrespects her or someone she care about. I wonder what happened...

"Where have ya been!? None of us have had any sleep, worryin' about ya!" I walked closer to them and gave them all a once over in turn. 

"Smalls...who'd ya beat up this time..." I asked her, lookin' at her bloody nose that looked like it hadn't stopped bleedin' for a while. "Ay! Finch! Go get Smalls a wet towel for her face!" I called over to him. He nodded and ran up the stairs.

"Some boy shoved Elmer and Emmeline. She cut 'er hand on the floor. I was jus' makin' sure he didn't come back" She said, taking the wet towel from Finch and pointing towards them. I turned to face them, and sighed. I was slightly frustrated with them, her in particular. If she hadn't come, we wouldn't have this problem.

I checked with Mush to make sure his ankle was ok, gave Davey a quick hug and checked Al and Romeo. They were all completely fine and went and sat down. Everyone was just watching us, seeing how it would all play out.

"Right...spill...what happened?" I got to them, she was holding her left hand and both of them had blood on their hands.

"It's just like what Smalls said, some boy came up behind us on our way back and shoved Em onto the floor. She tripped and cut her hand on somethin' on the ground. Davey had a look and he said that we're gonna have to wash it and wrap it up." I turned to Davey and he nodded. 

I turned back to face her, with my hands on my hips. I could see that she was in pain from her face. I reached out to have a look at her hand, but she hugged it closer to her stomach. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elmer lift his arm and rub her back soothingly. My face softened when I realised I must look really pissed off, and I don't know what she's experienced before comin' here.

"Can I 'ave a look at ya hand please?" I asked her. She looked at my for a second, then put her hand towards me and let me hold it.

She hissed with pain when I tried to wipe away the blood a bit. The cut in her hand was deeper than I though, it had small pieces of grit in it and there were also slightly larger pieces of glass embedded.

"Sorry...Davey's right, we're gonna have ta wrap it up." She nodded. I led her over to the hard couch in the middle of the front room, and she sat down. Elmer went and sat next to her. Did something happen between them? Because whenever they looked over at each other, they shared a smile the looked like it meant something...

"Ay...Romeo?" I called out.

"Yea?" I saw a head pop up out of the crowd.

"Would ya get a bowl o' water, a towel and the cleanest bandage ya can find?"

"Sure thing Jacky." I heard him leave and run up the stairs. Davey came and knelt down beside me and faced the new girl. Romeo came back down the stairs much slower this time. He weaved his way through the boys with a bowl of water in his hands and a bandage wedged between his elbow and hip.

"Here ya go." He said, reaching forward and giving me the bowl of water and Davey the bandage. 

"Crap! I forgot the towel...One sec..." He left us and fetched a towel from where they were drying on the roof. He came back half a second later and gave it to Davey.