Time Truly Divides || Newsies Time Travel AU

Chapter 18

TW: Talk of bullying and injuries.

Jack was happy to be out of the hospital bed the next day, even if it was into a wheelchair that he had to have pushed around because of his shoulder. He was just happy to not be stuck in the one position anymore.

"This is Detective Frank," Medda said as she wheeled Jack into an office. "He wants to talk to you about what happened."

Jack looked up at Medda. "I didn't mean to hurt them," he pleaded. "I didn't- They were hurting me and I was trying to get them to stop."

"Did they hit you first?"

Jack nodded. "I wouldn't've done it if they hadn't hit me first."

"That's self-defence, Jack," the detective explained. "That's legal, you won't get in trouble for that. I just want to ask you some questions about what happened. We caught it on the school's CCTV but I just need to make sure everyone's stories line up.

"You can take as long as you want to tell me. I've got lots of time so don't worry."

Jack nodded and went to shove his good hand into the pocket of his hoodie by habit before he remembered he wasn't wearing one.

"They came up to me in school at lunch and I was sitting in this stairway where no one really goes and they started saying how we were best friends but I stopped being friends with them in fourth grade when they pushed me down the stairs.

"I don't know why they were there. I mean- They go to The Sun, right?"

Medda had placed a hand on Jack's shoulder as he spoke, rubbing shapes to comfort him.

"They were transferred to The World following an assault on another student that left him hospitalised. No one could find the student but the school plan to take it further when they do."

"Who? Maybe I knew them," Jack said quickly.

He tried raking through his head for other people that got tormented by the Delancey brothers but they tormented lots of people. Jack knew he was the only person they physical with, they told him that multiple times. He was the only person deserving of it. They did pick on another boy really badly though, but he left before Jack did. He didn't know the boy, though, he'd had only heard the story when people were loudly gossiping in class.

"Jack." Medda was shaking his shoulder gently. "You okay, honey? You spaced out on us a bit."

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, would you like to take a moment?" the detective offered. "We want to do this at your pace so not to overwhelm you."

"I'm fine. Sorry, just thinking."

"That's alright. I was saying that the student they attacked was Francis Sullivan. Apparently they bullied him quite badly. Did you know him?"

Jack blinked. "That can't be right," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't remember being hospitalised. I mean, was that when you found me, Medda? At the back of your house?"

"Jack, it was Francis Sullivan who was hurt," the detective reminded him.

"I know. My legal name's Francis Sullivan but I don't like it, though. Only my dad calls me Francis, well, he calls me Frankie."

"Why Kelly though?"

Jack looked up at Medda. "It's my dad's last name. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

"Hey, no. It's okay. You didn't cause trouble," Medda promised.

"Thank you, Jack. We'll look over everything we've got and if I need to talk to you again, I'll let Miss Larkin know."