The Lesser Kelly

Chapter Seven: the Child is Crying, what do I do?

The lodging house was in Chaos when i got there.

As soon as I entered the door I heard a collective sigh of relief.
"Thank god your here. Its Romeo, we cant get him to stop bleedin." Elmer said rushing up to my side.

I quickly made my way to his bunk. Specs, who was in equally rough condition hovered near him. The spot where the bull had slapped him had cuts in it, probably from the mans rings.

"Okay, I need cold water, clean towels, and bandages. Lots of all of them. When your done getting them, make a list of who needs help the most. If your in decent shape either help me, or tend to someone who needs more help to you, got it?" Everyone nodded and rushed off.

"Heya Emerson. It a bad time to ask if you've done somethin with ya hair." Romeo said weakly from the bed.

"No honey. Not right now. This," I pointed at his head "Is more important right now okay?"
"How bad is it?"

"You're gonna be okay, I promise."
Boy was i in for a long night.

Romeo fell asleep as i finished. I leaned over and kissed his forehead "You'll be okay." I whispered.

They had determined that Specs was next.
He had a gash on his forearm and a black eye.
I quickly bandaged his arm and had Smalls, who only had a few bruises get him some ice.
"Your gonna be okay, I promise." I whispered again before moving on.

Blink was next. No one was sure what quiet had happened to him but most of his face was covered in blood.
As I cleaned the blood, Mush paced, clearly panicking.

"It's a cut, Just missed your good eye."
Blink who was completely calm just nodded.
Once I was finished Blink adjusted in his bunk and Mush quickly climbed in next to him.
"Don't worry baby. I'm gonna be fine."

Albert had a rather long cut down the length of his outer arm.
"That Bastard." I murmured as I cleaned it.
"What?"
"Someone had a knife. Fighting kids with a knife."
He just shook his head. 

I finished wrapping his arm "You'll be okay. And, cause i can tell you're wondering, Race is probably fine, i haven't checked yet but he seems like he'll be fine."
Albert breathed a soft sigh of relief and I moved on.

Tommy Boy ended up with a few small cuts around his eye but a nasty looking bite mark on his wrist.

"Do we have any anitpespic?"
Mush, who had barely more than a black eye strayed from  Blinks side for the first time since they'd gotten back to bring it to me.

"Hot dude?" I joked as I rubbed the antipespic on.
He winced "Yeah Morris Delancey, Hottest in all New york."
I wrapped it in a small bandage "Put more antipespic on in a few hours. If it starts to puss we'll have a problem."

Next was Jo-Jo. He had managed to do something to his leg.
"Yeah i don't know what you did. Just ice it and try not to put weight on it."
"Yeah i don't know either."
Smalls brought more ice and I moved on.

Race had a few bruises and a black eye, along with a few bruised and bloody knuckles.
"Don't go bustin 'people up till these fully heal, not when they scab."
"If they mess with youse im gonna have to make an exception."
I laughed "Highly unnecessary i can handle myself. Now get to bed, its late."
He sighed and trudged off to his bunk.

Everyone else was easier to fix up.
Elmer, Finch, Henry, Sniper and Ike had a few cuts.
Smalls, Buttons, Mush and Mike only had some bruises.

One by one everyone fell asleep.
Everyone ended up in there bunks, well Mush and Albert were in someone else's but they were all asleep. 

Blink was the only other one awake, sitting up slightly in his bunk with Mush pressed against his chest.

"You should clean that up." He whispered gesturing to the cut on my face.
"Yeah I will."

I went back into the bathroom and took a long shower.
By the time I was done I was half asleep.
So I haphazardly cleaned the cut and slumped off into my bunk.
Laying there I realized Jack had never come back.
I wanted to go look for him but knew I couldn't.
I was much too tired.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of whimpering.
I looked around to see Henry curled up in his bed, eyes screwed shut, clearly having a nightmare.

Quickly crossing the room i sat on the edge of his bed.
Gently i pulled his head into my lap.

"Henry, Henry wake up, your having a nightmare." I whispered gently.
His eyes flicked open.
Tears began to flow from his eyes.
"Shh shh shh. It's okay. It was just a dream." I whispered.

He curled up into my lap. "It was bad. It was so so bad."
"Shh shh baby. It's okay." I rocked back and forth.

I sat there the whole night gently rocking Henry back to sleep.

This had happened many nights before.
I was definitely not in the department of getting sleep that night because after i eased Henry back to sleep Romeo woke up.

I quickly moved to his bunk actively shushing him as he sat up.
"Oh no. Honey, I'm gonna need to do more bandages real quick okay?"
He nodded slightly.
I quickly rebandaged his face.
Romeo had a habit of burying his face in pillows which had caused them to slip off and get his pillow case covered in blood.
"I'm gonna go get you a fresh pillow case."
He nodded again and I quickly fetched one, tossing the dirty one with all the other bloody clothes i had yet to wash.
"Here."
"Emerson, what are they gonna do to Crutchie?"

I sat down next to him and sighed "I don't know. But if they know what's good for them they wont treat him to badly, otherwise they'll be in for it."

Romeo chuckled a little.
"Go back to sleep now Honey."
I got up and wandered out to the main room.
Then I made a brash decision.

I knew it was a bad idea to go there, but i had to make sure Crutchie was okay.
Carefully i climbed up the fire escape.

I could see someone inside still awake with a candle.
I gently wrapped on the window, gaining their attention.

They struggled out of the bed grabbed something and leaning on it hobbled to the window.
"Crutchie!"

He opened the window and imiediatly hugged me.

"It's okay, you did your best. I'm glad Davie got you outta there, the boys need you out there not in here." He  whispered. 

"Thanks Crutchie. I brought you some food, you can eat it and then I'll getcha outta  here And all fixed up."

I handed him the rolls i had grabbed from the pantry.
"Emerson. I'm not coming with you."
"What? Why?"

"My leg aint right. I wont be able to keep up with you."
"I could carry you or something."
He just shook his head. "It's not happening Emerson."

I sighed.
"But how are we supposed to get you back?"
"Just win the strike."

I hugged him again.
"Take care of everyone in there."
"Take care of the boys, and Jack. And tell Davie I said thanks, for gettin my sister outta there. And that he'd better ask her to be his goil fast before some else snatches her up."

I blushed "I'm not sayin all that."
"Well you should. Now get goin before Snyder catches you."

I hurried down the fire escape and back to the lodging house.
By then it was 4 am and I tried to get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow.

I dozed off dreaming, maybe a little, of Davie.