"Johnny, what does this say?" Angela squinted at her grandmother's cryptic handwriting. She offered the list to Johnny who studied it.

"Umm, maybe...basil?"

"No, it says basil at the top of the list," Angela leaned over Johnny's shoulder at the list, "maybe...oregano?"

"Anise?" Johnny guessed.

"Oh, let's just get both," Angela grumbled and then set about looking through the shelves at the spice shop. After gathering all the seasonings her grandmother had requested, she approached the counter and paid for her purchase. Her grandmother insisted on the family fixing their own Christmas dinner even though the DeLanci's had a cook. Angela didn't mind though. She was glad that her grandmother tried to uphold some of the old traditions. Grandma always grumbled about immigrating to America from northern Italy after she married Grandpa and how he had changed their last name, and how her children had forgotten all the old customs but she knew it wasn't really that bad.

"Thank you," Angela said, picking the package up off the counter. She then walked around the corner to the meat market where Johnny was getting some beef tenderloin and chicken. Angela entered the deli only to find Johnny at the end of a very long line.

"Why is it so crowded today?" she asked.

Johnny shrugged. "I dunno. Sale on chicken livers?"

"Well, I'm going to go put this," Angela indicated the box of spices, "in the carriage and then I'll meet you back here." With that, Angela breezed out of the deli.

Angela strolled back up the street after having loaded the spices in the carriage. Rounding the corner, she bumped right into David Jacobs.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Angela cried.

"Angela! You're back in New York!"

"Oh! David! Hi! Yes, I'm back for Christmas."

"So, how are you?"

"I'm doing all right. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good," David replied. "Hey, Jack!" David called, turning around, "look who's back!" Angela cringed inwardly. She knew David meant well, but right about then she wanted to smack the kid. Following David's gaze, she saw Jack slowly coming down the street towards them. Angela frowned.

"David, is it just me or...is Jack...wobbling?" Angela asked uncertainly.

"Oh no," David muttered darkly, starting towards his friend. Jack was indeed having trouble walking. He was weaving from side to side and threatening to topple at any moment. Jack stopped and placed his hand on the side of a building to steady himself, his papers slowly sliding out of his hands to the ground. Suddenly, Jack began coughing violently, his entire body heaving from the force of it. Jack took one final staggering step forward before falling to his knees and collapsing in the snow.

"Oh my God," Angela gasped upon reaching Jack. She and David knelt in the snow next to him. Jack's face was extremely pale. Angela grasped his hand which was icy cold yet he seemed to be perspiring profusely. "How long has he been like this?" Angela exclaimed as David frantically tired to revive his friend.

"He's been coughing and sneezing for about five days now," David said, checking Jack's pulse. Angela reached a hand out and felt Jack's forehead.

"He's warm," Angela said quietly. She then reached out and felt David's forehead and then felt Jack's again. Angela gasped and scrambled to her feet.

"What is it?" David asked, becoming increasingly worried as he saw the shocked look on Angela's face.

"Angela, what happened?" Johnny yelped, stepping out of the deli.

"Go get the carriage, NOW," Angela ordered. Johnny scurried down the street, juggling several packages of meats.

"Help me," Angela said, reaching down and attempting to lift Jack up.

"What do you think you're doing?" David snapped.

"Getting him off the ground!" Angela snapped back. She looked at David pointedly. "Help me!" she practically shouted. David stared at Angela, a twisted look of fascination on his face. Angela's eyes grew wide as she watched the carriage coming up the street towards them. "For God's sake David, help me! I can't do this alone! My God, we need to get him to a doctor!" Angela shrieked.

David looked at her hard but said nothing. He simply bent down and picked up Jack's legs. Johnny jumped out of the carriage as it came to a halt in the middle of the street.

"C'mon, we're holding up traffic," Johnny breathed, helping David and Angela lift Jack into the carriage.

"Home! As fast as you can!" Johnny yelled, slamming the carriage door.

"Home?!" David cried. "Why are you taking him home?!" David's voice jumped about two octaves as he screamed at Angela and Johnny. "I thought you said he needed a doctor!"

"My uncle IS a doctor!" both Angela and Johnny screamed in unison.

"Sorry," David mumbled.

Johnny rang the doorbell repeatedly and then began banging his fist on the door.

"Hey," Frankie said, swinging open the door, "what's the rus-" Before Frankie could finish he was brushed aside by Johnny, Angela, and a tall boy with curly brown hair whom he didn't recognize. The three of them were struggling with the limp body of a tall, sandy blond haired boy who looked decidedly ill.

"Get Uncle Will," Angela grunted at the three of them carried Jack upstairs.

"Here," David said, opening a door.

"No,we can't put him in there! That's my room!" Johnny protested. Angela rolled her eyes and sighed.

"FINE." Angela growled. "There, how about this room?"

"I thought Maureen and Allen were going to stay in that room."

"They can move. We have space," Angela said through gritted teeth. The entourage stumbled into the guest bedroom and did their best to gently place Jack on the bed. A few moments later, Frankie burst into the room, followed by William DeLanci.

Angela, Johnny, David, and Frankie gathered in the corner, waiting for the diagnosis.

"What happened?" Frankie said softly. "Oh, wait, I'm sorry. Frank DeLanci," Frankie extended his hand out to David.

"David Jacobs."

"Ok, now, what happened? And who is that?" Frankie asked, gesturing to the bed.

"That's Jack Kelly," David explained. "He's been sick for several days and just a few minutes ago he passed out in the street."

"Sheesh," Frankie said, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

"I take it you three know him personally then?" Uncle Will asked, breaking into the conversation. Johnny, David, and Angela nodded. "Well, your friend is pretty sick," Will watched the four anxious young faces fall, "however, he should be just fine if he stays in bed for the next week. Right now, he seems to have a pretty bad chest cold and a sinus infection. I don't want to him to be going outside anytime soon. He needs to take it easy for a while."

David shook his had. "There is no way Jack is going to not work for the next week."

"What does Jack do?" Will asked.

"He's a newsie."

Uncle Will shook his head gravely. "He will not get better if he doesn't rest and stay indoors. His condition will worsen and he could get pneumonia."

"But Jack won't do it," David argued.