How To Save A Life

Chapter One: An Eventful Begining

Jacks POV

I had just sold my last papes and was walkin back to the lodging house.
Thats when i heard it.

I turned into an alley to see the Delancys beating on someone curled on the ground.

"Hey! What the hell is you twos doin?" I yelled. They looked up scared and took off running.

I kneeled down "Holy hell. Its a goil." I mumbled.

I lifted her head up into my lap. She was busted up pretty bad.
I knew i couldnt just leave her here, but its not like i could take her back to the lodging house. There was a rule against goil stayin.

"Where, where am I." I looked down to see her stirring in my lap. "Hey.... hey... your gonna be okay. I'm Jack, who are you?"

"Diem. Wait," she coughed before looking back up at me "J...j..jack Kelly?"
I racked my brains until I remembered her. "Youse from the refuge." She nodded.

I looked around again before coming up with a plan. "You know what, stay here. I'll be right back.

I set her head down gently before standing up. I sprinted back to the lodging house.
"Ay! Jacks back!" Someone yelled.
I tried to ignore the other boys' calls as I looked for what I needed.

"Jack what's goin on?" Crutchie asked.
"Nothin i uh ise gotta go take care uh somthin i be back in a bit."

I grabbed some old newsie clothes, and some bandages before taking back off out the door and back to the alley.

I did my best to patch Diem up.
"You think youse can walk?"
She nodded shakily.

I helped her up and handed her the clothes "Eah put these on."

I turned around so she could have some privacy and listened as she struggled to get them on.

"You done."
"Mhhm."

I turned around and pulled some hair ties outta my pocket. "Here ima putcha hair up. Then put the hat on. It'll cover it enough to make you look like a boy."
She nodded.

"Here's the plan. You're a newsie now, so you have to pretend to be a boy. We'll call ya Danny for now but youse probably gonna get a nickname soon enough. An we aint gonna tell nobody else youse a goil. Okay?" Again she nodded.

I finished up the braids and handed her the newsboy cap. "Th..th.. thanks."

"You don't talk much do ya?"

"N.n.n.no. itsss called called called called selective mu..mu..mu..mutism." She stuttered.
"Okay i can work with that. Come on i'll bring youse back to the lodge."

Races POV

"Okay Gents!" Jack yelled as he returned to the lodge. I looked up from my hand of cards to listen.

"This here's our newest recruit, Danny he dont talk much. Something bout been selective mute, anyway Danny thes are the guys."

The kid was small. Probably a few inches shorter than me.

He had dark hair that just barley stuck out of his cap  and blue eyes. Even though he'd only been a newsie for a matter of minutes he already had a defeated look.

The was a chorus of "hey there!" and "Hiyas." came from the boys.

Jack walked him over to the table where wes were playin.
"you ever play poker before, kid?" I asked.
The kid noded.
We all put our cards back in and Finch shuffled before dealing again.

The kid glanced over his cards looking at each face in turn.
I had a decent hand, full house pair a queens and tree fives.

Jo-Jo started the betting "raise two pennys." HE tossed them into the circle. Just about everyone called cept for Elmer.
"Why do i always get bad hands?"
I snickered.