The Newsies
CHAPTER 23
Jack rushed down the dark streets very frightened. He began to feel warm in his face and his heart began to rush in its pace. He reached the door and swung it open, running to the desk.
"Nurse, I'm lookin' for a Skittery?" He huffed. The Nurse chuckled a bit at the name and, surprised to see it was actually on the list, pointed out the room he had been placed in. Jack nodded and thanked the nurse before rushing off to the door. He slowly opened it. Before the door was fully opened a Doctor pushed Jack back by the chest with a sad look on his face.
"We did everything we could..." The doctor muttered. Jack shook his head and teared up.
"NO! No!" He grabbed the Doctor's collar. "Dere has to be somethin' else you can do!" He sniffed and scrunched his face.
"I'm sorry...." The Doctor said, walking away. Jack shook his head and rushed inside the door. A curtain was pulled over the bed with a light shining on the inside. Jack shook his head at the shadow of the still body that projected on the curtain. He slowly pulled the sheet back and saw Skittery's pale cold face. He was smiling. Jack laughed while a tear ran down. He noticed how happy Skittery looked like this. No more worries, no more scary things... Nothing. Jack sat down at the bedside and reached out to touch his hand. It was cold and clammy. He jerked his hand back and sobbed.
"Skittery... Please, bud... I need ya.... You can't be dead! Dey said you'd be fine!...." He looked up at Skittery's face and cried a bit more. He kept waiting for the moment that Skittery's eyes would twitch, or his head would move, any sign of life... He never stopped waiting as he sat there. Jack grabbed Skit's hand and squeezed it.
"No..no..no.." He started to say but instead he just cried again. Davey opened the door and saw Jack sitting there. He covered his mouth with his hand, as his mother did when distressed, and bent down next to Jack.
"Hey, its okay! Its okay... People die..." He put his arm around his back to comfort him.
"Not Skit! It would've been me if he hadn't been so stupid! Why did he do that!" Jack shouted. Davey shook his head.
"Because he cared just as much as you do..." Jack looked over at Davey. His eyes watered silent tears. This sight made Davey grow a lump in his throat and butterflies in his stomach. His own eyes filled with tears, for Jack had always shown as a model for the other boys of how to stay tough. Davey knew not to think him weak, for this must've been harder than he could imagine. Jack pulled his hand towards his own eyes to wipe away his tears, but his hand was shaking too much. He placed his quivering hand on his cheek and slowly and weakly wiped away his tears.
"He... Looks a lot happier in this stage..." Jack pointed out, and turned back to face Skittery's body once more.
"Y'know, Jack." Davey reached his hand out and placed it on Jack's shoulder. "Skittery's always said, 'as long as my friends are happy, I'm happy.'..... Skittery's happy.... So maybe you should stick to what he said." Davey nodded and smiled and quivering smile. He swallowed the lump and tried to stay tough, as his father would do in a situation like this.
Jack sniffed one more time. He looked over at Davey and smiled.
"You're right, Dave...." He gave Skit's hand one last squeeze and let it go. His motionless hand fell to the side of the bed with a thunk. The depressing sight did not bother Jack now, for Davey's words had touched his heart. Standing up and beckoning for Davey, Jack walked away from his weakness and-- did it with a smile on his face.
"Nurse, I'm lookin' for a Skittery?" He huffed. The Nurse chuckled a bit at the name and, surprised to see it was actually on the list, pointed out the room he had been placed in. Jack nodded and thanked the nurse before rushing off to the door. He slowly opened it. Before the door was fully opened a Doctor pushed Jack back by the chest with a sad look on his face.
"We did everything we could..." The doctor muttered. Jack shook his head and teared up.
"NO! No!" He grabbed the Doctor's collar. "Dere has to be somethin' else you can do!" He sniffed and scrunched his face.
"I'm sorry...." The Doctor said, walking away. Jack shook his head and rushed inside the door. A curtain was pulled over the bed with a light shining on the inside. Jack shook his head at the shadow of the still body that projected on the curtain. He slowly pulled the sheet back and saw Skittery's pale cold face. He was smiling. Jack laughed while a tear ran down. He noticed how happy Skittery looked like this. No more worries, no more scary things... Nothing. Jack sat down at the bedside and reached out to touch his hand. It was cold and clammy. He jerked his hand back and sobbed.
"Skittery... Please, bud... I need ya.... You can't be dead! Dey said you'd be fine!...." He looked up at Skittery's face and cried a bit more. He kept waiting for the moment that Skittery's eyes would twitch, or his head would move, any sign of life... He never stopped waiting as he sat there. Jack grabbed Skit's hand and squeezed it.
"No..no..no.." He started to say but instead he just cried again. Davey opened the door and saw Jack sitting there. He covered his mouth with his hand, as his mother did when distressed, and bent down next to Jack.
"Hey, its okay! Its okay... People die..." He put his arm around his back to comfort him.
"Not Skit! It would've been me if he hadn't been so stupid! Why did he do that!" Jack shouted. Davey shook his head.
"Because he cared just as much as you do..." Jack looked over at Davey. His eyes watered silent tears. This sight made Davey grow a lump in his throat and butterflies in his stomach. His own eyes filled with tears, for Jack had always shown as a model for the other boys of how to stay tough. Davey knew not to think him weak, for this must've been harder than he could imagine. Jack pulled his hand towards his own eyes to wipe away his tears, but his hand was shaking too much. He placed his quivering hand on his cheek and slowly and weakly wiped away his tears.
"He... Looks a lot happier in this stage..." Jack pointed out, and turned back to face Skittery's body once more.
"Y'know, Jack." Davey reached his hand out and placed it on Jack's shoulder. "Skittery's always said, 'as long as my friends are happy, I'm happy.'..... Skittery's happy.... So maybe you should stick to what he said." Davey nodded and smiled and quivering smile. He swallowed the lump and tried to stay tough, as his father would do in a situation like this.
Jack sniffed one more time. He looked over at Davey and smiled.
"You're right, Dave...." He gave Skit's hand one last squeeze and let it go. His motionless hand fell to the side of the bed with a thunk. The depressing sight did not bother Jack now, for Davey's words had touched his heart. Standing up and beckoning for Davey, Jack walked away from his weakness and-- did it with a smile on his face.