Jack wakes up and hears one of the worst sounds he could imagine, Crutchie coughing. Normally that wouldn't necessarily with him, but winter was setting in, and Mush and Race had been under the weather a couple of days ago.
Jack gets down to check on his brother, who was still also, but gas a thin layer of sweat on his face. Jack climbs down to the bathroom and wets a small washcloth before going over and waking Specs.
"Wha' Jack?"
"I need ya ta look a' Crutchie for me."
"Why?" Specs reaches for his glasses as he sits up.
"Crutchie's coughin' and sweatin' really bad."
Specs jumps up and rushes up the stairs, with Jack following just as quickly. Specs reaches for the washcloth in Jack's hand. Jack hands it to him and he gently wipes the sweat from Crutchie's face before leaving the cloth on the boy's forehead.
"What's wing with him?" Jack askes with a little bit of an edge in his voice.
"Maybe a cold, I don't know and I won't till he wakes up, so calm down."
"How can I calm down, ya know who he gets?"
"I know Jack but right now we can't do anything, just make sure that Crutchie has a cool washcloth at all times. I'll go get you a bucket of water."Specs left knowing that right now wasn't a good time to be around Jack.
Jack sits down on the floor and moves Crutchie's hair away from his sticky forehead. Jack says a silent prayer, hoping his brother would quickly get better. Crutchie always had trouble with his health; always being the first to get really sick, or when other boys got sick it took Crutchie two times longer to get over it.
An hour had passed when Crutchie finally opened his eyes, and quietly said, " Mornin' Jack. "
Jack cracks a small smile, "Mornin' Crutchie, how are ya feelin'?"
"Ok, 'm a lil bit an' me leg ain't feelin' so grea'."
"Ok, le' me go ge' Specs ok?" Crutchie nods and Jack went downstairs to get Specs.
When he got to the bunk room the boys looked up at him; he guessed Specs told everyone.
"He's awake can ya look a' 'im?" Jack asked.
"Of course." Specs followed his leader up to the attic, where Crutchie was trying to get out of bed.
Jack said, "No Crutch, ya need ta stay in bed."
"I need ta sell papes."
"Naw while ya sick."
"I ain't sick."
During this conversation Specs began to check Crutchie, "Crutchie you are sick, you need to rest."
"Why?"
"So ya'll ge' betta'." Jack answered, "I'll even stay with you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, a course." Jack always stays with Crutchie when he's sick, ever since the first he got sick and Jack wasn't sure he'd make it through the night. He had stayed next to Crutchie's bed that whole week. Crutchie doesn't remember it though, he was in and out of consciousness, and even when he was awake he was hallucinating to much to really remember anything.
Jack always hates when Crutchie's sick.
