Love Will Do What It Does

Chapter 28

(A.N. Heeeeeyyyyyy! I know, I'm a horrible person for not updating this story more often, but I should be able to now that I don't have any more camps this summer. I got home Friday and my voice has come and gone.
ITS SO AGGRAVATING!!!!!!
I love to talk and sing so I hate being hoarse. Anyways I wanted to thank y'all again for reading my story. Yes I am still planning on ending it and my ending has not changed. But I don't know when to end it. It'll come to me when the time is right. Okay, I'm finished. Enjoy!)

Getting outside was a lot easier than getting inside.

Crutchie led the way back up the stairs and though the different rooms till they finally found the entrance.

The Newsies were standing victorious with a few cuts and bruises to show for it. They stepped out into the evening air.

Katherine was beyond furious.

Her father told Oscar and Morris to hurt Jack and they nearly killed him! He had no concerns for her at all. He didn't care that she actually loved Jack. There was no way he was going to get away with this. She was going to make sure of that.

As the group slowly made their way down the street, a thought came to Davey.

"Kath," he called to her. She looked at him. "I don't think Jack will be safe at the Lodge House. That will be the first place they look for him." Katherine thought about it for a minute before replying.

"What about the Burlesk House? Medda would take care of him until this dies down."

"Great idea Kat!" Alice exclaimed.

"Race, lead the way." Davey instructed. Race gave a firm nod and walked in front.

After maybe ten more minutes of taking turn after turn they finally made it to the Burlesk House Theater.

Race showed them around the back to the stage door. He traded places with Katherine and helped support Jack's weight.

Katherine walked up to the door and gave it a few quick and hard knocks.

Hurried muffled steps came from the opposite side and a short, bald man with a small mustache and glasses opened it.

His eyes went wide when he saw the group of rough, dirty boys and two young girls.

"Sir, can you please get Miss Medda Larkin. Tell her it's urgent." Katherine pleaded. The man nodded and rushed back inside.

Not two minutes later, Medda's green and blue robe came into view. When she saw the scene before her, she froze in momentary shock.

"Jack..." She breathed out. "Hurry, bring him inside." She commanded. The boys did as they were told. They followed her to her dressing room.

"Here, lay him on this." The motioned to her couch. Davey and Race led Jack's limp body over and placed him on it.

"I need someone to get Dr. Hopper. Jojo, can you run and bring him here?" Medda asked. Jojo nodded and dashed out the staged door.

Jack had started mumbling something in his half conscious state.

Katherine ran to his side. She grabbed his hand and held it to her lips briefly. She was doing everything in her power not to break down in tears at the sight of his gashes, bruises, and other wounds.

Medda had quietly shooed the Newsies out of the room and closed the door to give the two of them some time alone.

"Somebody please tell me what on earth happened!" Medda cried, breaking through the silence that had settled amongst the boys.

Davey stepped forward and began retelling her the whole ordeal.

"Well, Miss Medda, what happened was Katherine's father forbade her from being with Jack."

"I don't believe for a second that she would alow him to do that." She said quickly.

"He didn't give her much choice. He told her that if he found out she was with him, he'd send the Delancys after Jack." Davey paused to let the words sink in. Medda's hand flew over her mouth.

"Eventually, using our help, they were able to be together. But Pulitzer still found out. Oscar and Morris, with the help of some other thugs, took Jack to the Refuge. That's where we're coming from. We rescued him and brought him to you. They won't think to find in here." Davey finished.

Medda doesn't get mad. Upset at times, yes, but never mad. This was a rare moment where she was genuinely angry.

"Why that no good scoundrel!" She shouted.

A few of the boys flinched, shocked at her outburst. This wasn't the Medda they knew. This Medda was outraged.

"He has no right to keep them apart! Does he not see how much they love each other?! If I didn't have a performance in half an hour I'd to march over to 'The World' and give him a piece of my mind!" She continued her infuriated rant.

On the other side of her dressing room door, Katherine was trying to calm down both herself and Jack.

He mumbled incoherently for about a minute after the group left them before he ceased speaking altogether.

The silence was defining to Katherine, and it seemed to drag on for hours instead of mere minutes.

Katherine stood to exit the room to let Jack rest and recover.

The second she released his hand, he started moving it around, trying to find her.

"Ace..." He managed to say softly.

Katherine's whirled around at tthe sound of his nickname for her. Before she knew it, she was by his side again.

"Jack, Jack it's me! I'm here!"

She could feel tears sliding down her cheeks and his eyes started to open slightly.

He was trying to look at her.

Even in the state he was in, he still tried to push the pain aside, just so he could see her. After much effort, he succeeded in opening his eyes.

Before words could be exchanged, a soft knock came from the door.

"Come in." Katherine called to them.

The door swung open to reveal Medda and a man with red hair and glasses.

"Katherine, this is Dr. Hopper, a dear friend of mine. He's here to help Jack." Medda informed.

Katherine nodded. She whispered to Jack before standing up.

"Jack, I have to go now, but I'll be right outside that door. I'm not going far. Never forget how much I love you."

"I... Love... You... Too..." He managed to say.

She gave him a quick kiss on his forehead and exited the room to let the doctor examine him.

But she was true to her word. Once the door closed, she put her back against the wall directly in front of the door and slowly sank to the ground, not taking her eyes off it for a second.

Everyone else in the group was talking and chatting with each other, a few stage hands, or in Romeo's case, the Bowery Beauties.

But not Katherine. She just sat there, silently praying that Jack would be alright. All she could do now was hope for the best and wait for some sign that everything was okay.

(I'm honestly very happy with this chapter! I'm so happy
I F I N A L L Y wrote the next chapter. Its been so hard coming up with new chapters. But I eventually figure it out. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Till next time, Panda out!)