Unscripted (Jack & Crutchie)

Chapter 3 Cont. - Learning (Part 2)

Line for criticism (comment on this line) :)

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Charlie's POV 

We sat silently for a while again. I feel so comfortable around him. I'm not worried about getting hurt. I can just... Relax.

After a bit, I took a deep breath and decided to ask Jack another question.

"So, do you ever think about leaving New York?" I look towards Jack and I see a smile begin to grow.

"There's this town out West..." He tossed his head back, closing his eyes, and his smile grew even wider. "It's brand new. I want to go there and start all over."

I smiled, listening closely. "What's it called?"

"Santa Fe." He turned his head toward me. "Imagine a city made completely of clay. There are no buildings in the way, and the air is clean." I smiled back just as big, imagining this place he was describing.

"Is it real?" I asked. There was no way it could be, I thought. "It sounds like a dream."

He sat up straight, excitedly replying "oh it's real! A place where your friends are more like family, where you can ride Paliminos every day..." He continued. "I just gotta get the cash." He sighed, clearly still dreaming about what a life he could live there. After a few seconds, he turned his focus to me. "What about you?"

I was caught off guard. I hadn't really thought of it before. "I guess I'll just stay here. I mean..." My gaze fell down to my right ankle. "I can't really..." Before I knew it, I was crying. 

Jack's POV

Charlie began shaking violently from how hard he was crying. Even I felt like I couldn't breathe from trying to hear him get one breath in. I pulled him close to my chest and laid back so I was against the railing. Even though the position hurt my back pretty bad, I wanted him to be comfortable. He cried into my chest, and I could tell he was out of hope. I mean, the poor kid couldn't even walk right now.

"Hey..." I began thinking about how I can get Charlie out selling papes, and maybe even feeling a little better about his situation. "What if we made you a crutch?"

He drew his hands back from his face. He looked up into my eyes from my chest, where my shirt was now stained with his tears. "How?" He asked.

"I'll take care of it. Don't you worry. Here," I gently sat him up and helped him get to his end of my penthouse. "I'll be right back."

I climbed down and began searching the alleys when I ran into Race, another Newsie. 

"Heya, Jack! Whatchya doin' down here this late?" He asked.

"Remember that kid, Charlie I told ya 'bout?" I had told all the boys about him, so they knew that if I wasn't around as much it was because I was tryin' to help this kid. Race nodded, and I continued. "Well, he still can't walk on his leg. At all."

Race's expression turned sympathetic. "Poor kid."

"Yeah. Anyway, I want him to feel better about what's happened to em, and also get him sellin' papes, so I'm trying to make him a crutch-"

"Oh! You won't believe this" Race interrupted excitedly, "but a few days ago I saw one in an alleyway! It's real old but if it's still there, it'll do the trick." Race ran off and I was quick to follow.

After a bit of running, we reached the alley, and the crutch was still there. I went to pick it up and could tell it was pretty old, just as Race had said. It had a short handle with a worn cushion at the top of the crutch, if you could even still call it a cushion in the condition it was in. 

"Thanks, Race." I said, and we headed back.

I climbed the ladder and was greeted with Charlie's kind gaze. 

"Look what I found!" I said, tossing the crutch to the floor so I could finish climbing the ladder. I hopped up and grabbed the crutch once again. "Here," I said, extending my hand out to Charlie. He took it slowly, clearly worried to stand. "I'll help you stand, don't worry."

I pulled him up and put his arm around my shoulder as I situated the crutch underneath his armpit. 

"Well, would you look at that!" I laughed. The crutch was the perfect height!

We spend the next half an hour or so figuring out how he should walk with his new tool. The easiest way was for him to drag his foot along without putting pressure on it, and using the crutch entirely on that side.

He sat himself down on his part of the penthouse, and I did the same on mine. I began to get ready to sleep, when I took one more look at him. He was looking to the sky as he tended to do. Every time he did, I stared. I loved seeing the stars in his eyes. Whenever he'd turn to me though, I'd pretend I was watching the sky as well. 

"Hey," I said to him. He turned his head and rose his eyebrows in attention. "I know it's not exactly what you wanted," I said, referring to him just wanting to walk normally, "but it's something." 

He smiled at me and let out a shallow sigh. "Thanks." He replied, laying down to rest. 

"G'nite, Crutchie." I said. He sat up a little bit to look at me again, confused.

"What?" I laughed, realizing I hadn't told him the nickname I had so cleverly came up with.

"A lot of boys here got a nickname. I think Crutchie is a good one, don't you?" He nodded.

"Yeah... I actually do like it." Crutchie said with a light tone to his voice.

"Good, I'm glad. Nite, Crutchie." I laid down, closing my already heavy eyelids.

"Nite, Jack."

Word Count - 973