Back to the Newsies

Clean Wounds and Stars

Spot carefully carried Quicksilver to his room while I trailed behind, internally hyperventilating. I mean, I just met Spot Conlon, King of Brooklyn. If you're not internally hyperventilating or fangirling when you meet your dream newsie, you've got a problem.

As soon as he placed Quicksilver on the bed, he went into the bathroom and I heard him rummage around before coming out with gauze, bandages, and rubbing alcohol.

"Sit down." he ordered, nodding to his bed. I sat down, leaning against one of the bedposts. He came over and started cleaning Quicksilver's wounds. She whimpered in pain every time the alcohol touched her wounds. 

"You'se not a boy." he said suddenly. "I's can see through ya act. What's ya name?"

I sighed. "That's three people that know my true identity." I muttered. "I's K--Thalia Grace. But ya can call me Arrow. Nice ta meet ya."

"Well, Thalia, since ya last name is Grace and ya seem plenty graceful, I's callin' ya Graceful. I's don't like da sound of Arrow. Ya sound like some...." he said, waving his hand like, fill in the blank and complete the sentence. "What's da woid?" he mumbled to himself. Then he snapped his fingers, his eyes wide with realization. "That's it! Arrow sounds like some kinda vigilante."

"You read?" I asked in surprise.

"You'd be surprised at my book collection." he said, giving me a triumphant look.

"Really?" I said, feigning shock. "Well I might ask to borrow a few."

"Ha. Maybe. So, how's am I gonna treat ya?" he asked slowly.

I blushed. "Just give me da supplies I need. I's been hoit befo'."

He raised his eyebrow, looking skeptical. Rolling my eyes, I took off my knuckle-palm wrappings* and showed him the scars I got from training myself. His eyes widened. I bet I had more scars than he did.

"Maybe I's shouldn't call ya Graceful." he joked. I playfully whacked him.

He tossed me some gauze, and the bottle of rubbing alcohol. "I's can ta wrap up Quicksilver's wounds, but dere should be extra bandages unda da sink." he told me. I got up and walked to the bathroom, and closed the door behind me. The dang door didn't even have a lock.

"Well, I'll just need to work quickly." I muttered. 

I pulled off my now grimy shirt and unwrapped my wrappings. I dampened a piece of gauze in the alcohol and rubbed it on my wounds on my rib cage and midsection. I hissed in pain at the contact, adding a stream of colorful curses.

"You'se okay?" Spot called through the door. I must not have been as quiet as I wanted.

"Yeah, I's okay!" I shouted back, quickly finding the bandages under the sink and wrapping them around my rib cage. My voice was higher than usual.

"Ya sure? Ya don't sound too sure."

"Really, I's fine!" I reassured him.

But the king came in anyway, just as I finished putting on my wrappings.

"Ya look like ya need help." he said, coming up behind me. Cocky little son of Apollo**. He took a piece of gauze and dipped it in the alcohol. 

"I told ya, I's fine." I told him again.

He only smiled and put his finger under my chin, turning my head to face him. He gently brushed the gauze on my jaw. I winced and hissed in pain, and it took all of my effort to not punch him. He helped me slip my shirt on and I woke up Quicksilver, heading to the window.

"Where are ya goin'?" Spot asked me. 

I turned back to face him. "I's gotta get back soon. Da oddas'll be worried. Might as well head back now."

"Ya mean Blink?" he muttered to himself. But it wasn't as quiet as he thought. I raised my eyebrow at him. He looked back at me. "No. You'se rest he-ah. Ya can go back in da mornin'."

"But Kloppmann'll kill me." I reasoned. Spot's expression hardened and he shook his head. 

"Fine." I grumbled. "I'll sleep outside wit Silver."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I laid next to Quicksilver on the fire escape right outside Spot's window, gazing at the stars. My hair was out of its tight bun and cap and pooled under my head, serving as an extremely thin pillow. My cap was under my head, but it didn't make any difference. I would usually lie on Quicksilver, using her as a pillow, but in her condition, I didn't want to hurt her more. 

I shivered in the cool sea breeze. Why couldn't the portal have sent a jacket with me? I was wearing an over-sized hoodie at the time, so why didn't the portal transform that into a jacket?

"What did I eva do ta get here?" I asked the sky. Its stars just twinkled back at me as if saying, You're fine. Stop whining. You wanted to come here didn't you? You asked for it.

"Ya beauty? Ya brains? Ya skills?" a voice answered above me.

I turned my gaze from the stars to the voice above me and saw Spot smirking down at me.

"Were ya watchin' me?"  I teased, trying to hide my shivering. " 'Cause if ya were, dat's kinda creepy."

"Why would I watch ya?" he asked, chuckling.

"How's should I's know?"

Spot climbed out of the window and laid down next to me. He pulled me closer to him, and my shivering instantly ceased.

"You'se need a blanket or somethin'?" he asked me.

I smirked and moved closer to him, putting my head on his chest. His steady heartbeat made me drowsy. "You'se warmer dan a blanket." I mumbled into his chest. "Why would I's need a blanket?"

The last thing I heard before falling asleep was his soft chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up, it was around 2 a.m. I noticed that Spot's arms were around me and his face was buried in my hair. I deftly wriggled out of his grasp and quietly woke Quicksilver up. Her eyes shot open and she snarled, but when she saw it was, she painfully stood up, whimpering at the pain.

"Shhh. I know it hurts. But we's gotta get outta he-ah befo' Spot wakes up." I whispered to her. She lowered her head and walked towards the fire escape's stairs. I followed her down, and we made our way back to Manhattan, being sure to stay in the shadows.

When we got back to the Lodging House, Blink was the only one up, pacing the floor. 

"You'se gonna wear a hole in da floor." I said from the shadows. His head shot up and I stepped into the weak light.

"Thalia! You'se back!" he cried as quietly as he could, making his way over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. "I thought you'se had left!"

"Relax. I wouldn't leave ya guys. You'se guys are more like my family than me actual family." I reassured him. I pulled away from the hug. "Now, you need sleep." I told him, noting how tired he looked. We went upstairs and Blink promptly fell on his bed and started snoring instantly. I smiled and took Quicksilver out to the fire escape and she fell asleep immediately. I stared at the stars again, and let sleep overcome me.

*The wrappings I have cover my knuckles and palms. It looks like a big band in the middle of my hand.

**A joke my friend and I had, to safely say son of a b***h w/o getting in trouble. No one knew what we were saying, which made it hilarious.