2It had been a few weeks since Crutchie was released from the Refuge. Everyone had a hard time, while Crutchie was gone. Jack had mysteriously disappeared, out of sadness, Crutchie is his best friend. All of the newsies had a hard time coping with the loss of Crutchie, even Race was less sarcastic than usual while he was gone. But then there was Crutchie, many things happened to him while he was in the refuge, many things Crutchie doesn't ever talk about. Even as positive as he is, every time the refuge is brought up, a look of terror crosses his face. Crutchie has never been the same since his time in the refuge. Jack had been sharing his "penthouse" with Crutchie since forever, but Crutchie kept waking up terrified in the middle of the night ever since he got back from the refuge. Every time Jack would try to bring up the topic of refuge, Crutchie would quickly change the subject. What Crutchie wasn't telling anyone was he had met someone else inside the refuge and was worried about them.
Crutchie had been dragged to the refuge and was roughly thrown to the ground by Oscar. Morris proceeded to uncuff him, they threw his crutch at him. As the Delancy's left the room, a weak Crutchie struggled to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. There were boys everywhere, with tons of rickety iron bunk beds smushed so close together than you could look through them. There were old candles as the only source of light. There was mold creeping up the old plaster walls. As he watched rats and bugs scuttle across the floor. Crutchie shivered in disgust. The place smelled so awful, he almost barfed. It reeked of rat droppings and mold.
Crutchie looked around seeing as he was one of the oldest boys in the refuge. He looked at the boys and it looked like they hadn't eaten in a long time. He was terrified, but he didn't want the other boys to see that. He watched as a few scared boys started to inch toward him. They were young, probably just a little younger Les. Crutchie started to become sad at the thought of his friends… his family.
He watched as the boys inched closer, he finally spoke up and said,
"I'm not gonna hurt you."
"My name is Crutchie… Morris."
A boy not older than six walked over toward Crutchie, and said,
"My name is Buckles."
Before Crutchie could even get another sentence out, he was swarmed by a ton of young boys. They all began to speak up about what their names were. One began with saying,
"My name is One Sock."
Crutchie looked down at the boy's feet out of curiosity to see only one sock on his feet, Crutchie muttered to himself,
"Well, that makes sense."
Other spoke up with names as unique as One Sock. There was Shoe Shine, Jitterbug, Chatterbox, Train, Spoon, Dot, and Froggy. All the little boy's personalities were as unique as their names. Suddenly Crutchie started to feel weak and could feel his legs starting to give out. He politely asked if there was anywhere he could sit down. Jitterbug then pulled him over to a bed and sat him down. Then the flood of questions came in, he said,
"Ok, ok, one at a time!"
He smiled as he watched the boys curiously look at him. It was obvious that they hadn't had someone new in a long time. Buckles walked over to him and asked
"What's wrong with your leg?"
Another boy piped up and asked,
"Yeah is it broken or are you faking for sympathy?"
Crutchie looked down at his sore, twisted leg. He took a deep breath.
"One, sympathy won't get you far in here so no I'm not faking."
"Two I have polio, which is why I have this crutch, hence the name Crutchie."
Jitterbug looked up at him and said,
"What's polio?"
Crutchie looked at Jitterbug at a loss for words. He stumbled over a few words before, he said,
"Well…um… that's kinda complicated ya see. I'm not exactly sure what it is, all I know is it keeps me from walking good."
The boys looked over at him in curiosity. They began to disperse, Crutchie took a breath of relief that they seemed satisfied. Crutchie began to asses his own wounds. He looks down at his aching leg which was covered in blood. The Delancy's had grabbed him by his good leg, and it was going to make walking a lot harder. He gently touched his face, feeling the hot bruise around his eye, when Morris had punched him. He continued to touch his face to look for any more bruises. He felt another on the left side of his face near his chin. He looked down at his wrists to see where the handcuffs had rubbed him the wrong way and had left his skin raw and bloody. He looked down at the left side of his abdomen in horror to see blood soaking through his shirt.
He a mere second of panic, and then his focus was torn away from his abdomen when he looked up to see a boy staring directly at him. He looked to be about Jack's age. He looked at the boy and then down at himself, still trying to figure how to stop the bleeding. He looked back up to see the boy still staring at him, he looked at the boy's eyes, seeing that they were directing right where he was bleeding. Crutchie hoisted himself to his feet. Feeling every inch of his body cried out in pain, he hobbled slowly over to the boy who began to withdraw into the shadows. Crutchie tried to hobble faster, but then his legs gave out sending him to ground. The boy stopped and looked back at Crutchie, who was struggling to crawl back to his feet.
The boy turned around and tentatively walked over to Crutchie. Crutchie continued to try and push himself into a sitting position, he kept falling to the floor. Finally, Crutchie just laid motionless on the ground defeated. He surrendered letting the tears slip from his eyes, quietly sniffling hoping no one would notice. The boy continued to walk closer until he was very close to Crutchie, he stared at the defeated shape of Crutchie, he stared at the bloodstained floor. He knelt down next to Crutchie, as Crutchie began to peek a tear stained face up at him. The boy started to asses Crutchie's wounds, knowing that Snyder would surely inflict more. The boy reached down to pull up Crutchie's shirt to see the wound that was bleeding so bad. Crutchie pulled his body away from the stranger, afraid that more pain would be coming. The boy was surprised when Crutchie pulled away. The boy then harshly said,
"Well do you want help or not!" The boy looked at Crutchie who had terror in his eyes. The boy's hard eyes softened, and he said,
"I'm sorry, you just surprised me."
"I can help you if you want." A terrified Crutchie nodded and looked down at his abdomen, and winced as he tried to shift his weight. Crutchie looked up at the older boy. The boy looked down at him, and then back at his wound. Crutchie's face was still wet from the tears. More tears continued to spill out of Crutchie's eyes blurring the face of his rescuer. The boy said,
"Well, for me to help you I have to get you to a bed." Crutchie looks from the boy's face to his wound to the bed. A sense of fear creeping up toward his throat. Crutchie nodded in agreement. The boy said,
"Alright, I'm going to pick you up and carry you over to the bed. All you need to do is put your arms around my neck and try to hold still. Also try not to scream, because Snyder will hear, and make life a lot worse for you and me." Crutchie nodded, not wanting to be carried, but he needed help and this was the only way. Crutchie surrendered and put his arms around the boy's neck as the boy began to count.
"One... two… three." The boy grunted as he picked Crutchie and carried him over to the bed. Crutchie bit down on his lip as he was hoisted into the air and carried over to the bed. He laid Crutchie down on the bed, as Crutchie continued to wince in pain. The boy said,
"Alright now for the actual helping part." Crutchie gave a weak smile. The boy began to pull up Crutchie's shirt which was sticking to the wound. Crutchie let a small sob, and the boy pulled slower. Once the shirt was out of the way, he saw a deep wound, that was beginning to clot, the wound was surrounded by a bruise. Crutchie looked over at the boy's face seeing the horror creep across his face. He noticed Crutchie staring at him and gave a weak smile. Crutchie's pale face was covered with fear, tears still streaming down his face. The boy gave Crutchie a reassuring smile, trying to burying whatever fear he had. He looked into Crutchie's eyes and said,
"I'll be right back." Crutchie nodded his head, his body lying motionless. Crutchie watched the boy run over to a leaking pipe, and collect the water in an old rusty bucket. Crutchie watched as the boy came back over to Crutchie and began to peel his socks off. Crutchie finally spoke up,
"Hold on, you need those, I don't want you to use them on me, I'll be fine." The boy looked over at Crutchie, and said,
"I'm not going to sugar coat it, if I don't use my socks, you'll die. I can survive without socks. Now just be quiet and I'll keep that from happening." Crutchie looked at the bottom of the top bunk and tried to keep from panicking. Crutchie had never really had a reason to be afraid. He was always good at looking out for himself when he first became an orphan. Until he met all the newsies, they gave him help and protection. In trade for there protection, he felt he had always helped keep everyone happy. He had a naturally positive disposition, not that he was feeling all that optimistic right now. The one who always looked out for Crutchie was Jack. Jack was his brother and had always looked out for him. He then decided that if he made it through the night he would send a note to Jack. He watched as the boy soaked his socks with the water and began to clean the wound, as Crutchie would wince every now and then. The boy continued to clean the wound gently.
After the wound was clean, he peeled off his shirt and wrapped it around the wound. Crutchie felt bad for the person who had helped him, who now had only an undershirt and no socks. Crutchie breathed out, and then took another breath in. Crutchie was relieved that he was still alive and breathing. Now he just had to make it through the night, easy peasy. Crutchie struggled to be optimistic, as he laid motionless on the bed. He kept breathing in the stagnant, smelly air. He looked over at the boy who had saved his life. Crutchie began to speak into the darkness not knowing who would respond.
"Thank you. Ya know, for the whole saving my life thing." The stranger responded,
"Yeah, it's no problem. I had to fix up a couple others in my time on the streets. How did you even get that bad a wound, just out on the street? My guess is you didn't get that from just a fight." Crutchie heaved out a painful sigh and said,
"You got me, I'm a newsie. Pulitzer raised the price of papes. So our leader decided that we should strike. So strike we did, but then Pulitzer called his goons and the police. I got jumped by the Delancey brothers and then Snyder turned my crutch on me. Besides, I know that if someone would have seen me dragged off they would have come to help me." He saw the boy look over at him, and then back at the floor. With a grimace, he propped himself up on his elbows.
"So you got a name?" The boy looked over at Crutchie. He pulled his knees close to his chest and rested his head of his knees. He mumbled under his breath,
"Edward."
"Huh?" responded Crutchie.
"Edward, but my friends call me Eddie." Crutchie laid back down wincing, thinking I made a friend outside the newsies!
"So Eddie, thanks again." Eddie smiled and said,
"No problem kid, now get some sleep." Crutchie nodded and surrendered to sleep. The next morning, he awoke to sound of Eddie's voice.
"Wake up, wake up now. Come on, Crutchie!" The sound of worry and fear laced his voice. Crutchie bolted up and looked around to see a tired Eddie, staring at him. Crutchie could see the fear on his face. This was the first time that he had ever seen Eddie look scared.
"What, what! What is it?" Crutchie responded. Eddie let out a small breath of relief, quickly replaced by worry.
"I have to clean your wound again before Snyder gets here." Crutchie looked down at the makeshift bandage around his side. He nodded laid back down and let Eddie get to work. After Eddie finished, he said,
"Alright now here comes the hard part, Snyder will be here in about five minutes for inspection. You have to stand up without my help in front of him. If he sees you falter he'll know that your hurt, and hurt you even more. You're not in any position to take any beating of any kind from Snyder." Crutchie eyed the scars that cover Eddie's body. Crutchie nodded.
"Now when Snyder comes in you'll stand in front of your bunk, you'll stare straight ahead, and when he says isn't it a good morning? You must respond, yes Mr. Snyder. That should keep 'em from realizing that you ain't had orientation yet." Crutchie cut off Eddie and asked,
"What's orientation?" Eddie responded,
"Trust me, kid, ya' don't want to know." Crutchie watched Eddie rub the side of his arm, where there was a chain shaped scar.
"Alright kid, you ready for this?" Crutchie nodded putting on a brave face. Eddie grabbed his crutch and handed it to him. He then picked up Crutchie and moved him in front of the bed, where he set him down. Crutchie proceeded to tuck the crutch under his arm. He put his good yet sore leg on the ground, letting his bad one dangle an inch of the ground. Pain ripped through his side sending him crumpling to the ground. Eddie came over and picked Crutchie back up and set him on his feet. Crutchie gave a weak smile. Then the sound a pound, click, click, pound, click, click. Crutchie looked over to Eddie who had terror written all over his face,
"He's coming." Eddie stared at the door like he had seen a ghost.
"Do exactly as I said and you'll be fine. Don't try to brave, be afraid, very afraid. If Snyder thinks even for a second that you aren't afraid of him, your as good as dead." Crutchie looked to the door as the sound grew closer. A man in a suit and shiny black shoes, holding a cane walked into the room. He said,
"Isn't it a good morning boys?" Crutchie and all the boys responded,
"Yes, Mr. Snyder." Snyder walked up the rows of beds Crutchie fixed his eyes on the wall. Then Snyder stopped in front of him and then whipped his cane towards Crutchie's face. Crutchie flinched and winced as the cane stopped right in front of his face. Crutchie took a step back hiding his face from Snyder. Snyder looked at him and said menacingly,
"Good you know your place." Snyder continued to walk up and down the rows. Eventually, Snyder walked out of the room and all the boys let out a sigh of relief. Crutchie found some paper and limped painfully over his bed. He pulled out the pencil that Jack had given him when he first joined the newsies out of his pocket. He wrote down a letter to Jack. Suddenly he saw Specs peeking through the window. He quietly whispered in excitement,
"Specs!" He looked down toward Crutchie pulling his body through the window. He ran over and embraced Crutchie in a hug. He noticed Crutchie wincing and withdrew.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Did I hug too hard? Boy, Crutchie ya had us worried sick! Did they beat ya up too bad?" pestered Specs. Crutchie said,
"Yes, I'm hurt, no you didn't hug too hard, sorry to worry ya, and they didn't get me too bad. I'm mean come on Specs, it's me, Crutchie, the little limp that could!" Specs giggled at the joke and said,
"All joking aside we gotta get ya outta here Crutchie." Crutchie looked over to Eddie who quickly averted his eyes, pretending not to be upset.
"Ya know I don't think ya can get me out," Crutchie said. Specs looked at him in confusion,
"Well why not?" asked Specs. Crutchie looked down at his side and then his leg, then Eddie. He responded,
"Well I'm pretty banged up, and I ain't been walkin so good. I don't think I could even make it out the window in this state." Specs looked at Crutchie in disappointment.
"Well alright, is there anything I can do before I leave for ya?" asked Specs. Crutchie looked down to the letter in his lap and said
"Ya actually there is. Can you deliver this to Jack?" He handed the letter to Specs, and then he replied,
"I can see what I can do, but no one has seen Jack since ya got taken." Crutchie looked down at the floor and back at Specs.
"Well, I appreciate the help and the visit," Crutchie said. Specs began the climb to the window, he slid his skinny body out the window. He peeked his head back in and said,
"Well see ya round Crutchie."
"Bye Specs." Crutchie watched as Specs disappeared out the window. Weeks passed, and time went by as usual. Crutchie started to heal, but the lack of food was not helping the process. Eddie said that if they didn't get him out of here soon that he would probably die. Crutchie spent most of his day's bed bound. Younger boys would visit him from time to time. Jitterbug would spend hours by his bed asking all kinds of questions. Weeks passed, and Eddie began to worry that Crutchie wouldn't make it. With the lack of food and the unsanitary conditions, he would continue to get more sick by the day. Crutchie remained optimistic, he knew that Jack would come for him eventually. One day Crutchie awoke to the sound of yelling outside. Terrified it was Snyder, he jumped out of bed, and hobbled in front of his bed and stood straight up. Suddenly the door slammed in and there was Katherine. Crutchie yelled in delight.
"Katherine! What are you doing here?" Katherine ran over Crutchie embracing him in a hug. He winced as she pulled away.
"Oh my goodness Crutchie what happened to you. Why are covered in blood?" Crutchie said,
"Well Snyder soaked me real good with my crutch, but Eddie helped me. He saved my life." Crutchie motioned in Eddie's direction. Katherine ran over and gave Eddie a hug as well.
"Thank you" Katherine whispered into Eddie's ear. Then a man in a brown coat and mustache came in. Katherine ran to the man's side. Crutchie asked,
"So who's the new friend Katherine?" Katherine said,
"Well, Crutchie I would like to introduce you to Governor Theodore Roosevelt." Crutchie stared in awe of the governor. Katherine then ran over to Crutchie,
"He's shutting down the refuge! Snyder is going to jail, and you get to go home!" Crutchie fell to the floor in relief. Katherine dropped down next to him asking with worry,
"Crutchie, are you ok?" Crutchie nodded, and looked at Katherine, and threw his arms around her. Katherine wrapped her arms around Crutchie in surprise.
"Thank you, thank you." breathed Crutchie. Katherine helped him to his feet and down the stairs. With her help, he hobbled outside and breathed in the fresh air. Katherine helped him back to Newsies Square, where he saw everyone cheering and celebrating. He looked around and then saw Jack standing above everyone with the governor. Then he saw Race, and their eyes locked. Race screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Hey, Jack! Look it's Crutchie!" He responded with a hearty,
"Heya fellas! Did ya miss me!" They all responded with happy cheers. Jack ran down and embraced Crutchie in a hug and he surrendered into Jack's arms. Crutchie's weak legs gave out. Sending them both crumpling to the ground. Crutchie sobbed tears of joy, knowing that Snyder couldn't hurt him or anyone he cared about. He also was overjoyed that the strike was over and they had won. Crutchie will never be quite the same after what he experienced in the refuge, but he was safe now. He could finally go back to being just Crutchie.