At first, no one could say a word. A living, breathing baby girl staying here? It was nearly incomprehensible. Then Jack approached Mush and smiled at Samantha.
�Whatcha call �im?�
�It�s a her.�
�Then whaddaya call �er?�
��Er name�s Samantha, but I call �er Sweetie.�
�Ya think I can hold �er?�
�Probly. I think she�s nice.�
Jack extended his arms, and Mush set Samantha in them. He promptly reminded Jack to support her head, and he did so. Samantha was aware she was now being held by a stranger and examined him with wide eyes. Still, she relaxed in his arms and huddled into his warmth. Jack was beaming.
�She likes me!� he exclaimed. �She really likes me!�
He shifted her so he held her under her arms. Then, he lifted her into the air, pushing her upward into the air and then pulling her back down to him. Delighted squeals filled the air as her face burst into smiles and giggles.
The entire time, Jack was making baby noises at her, and the newsies around and watched and laughed. Mush laughed too, then suggested that Jack ease off with throwing her into the air. He declined.
�Look at �er! She�s �avin� fun!� he defended.
Shrugging, Mush gave up. Once Jack�s arms were beginning to tire, he decided to push her up one more time. Yet as he lifted her, she gave a little burp, and with it came a stream of vomit that had lurched from her stomach. And Jack, not knowing what was coming, found that he was blinded in one eye. He shrieked loudly.
�EW! Yuck!�
He passed Samantha off to Mush and rushed to the washroom to clean his face of the baby�s vomit. In the meantime, the newsies were practically rolling on the floor and their bunks with laughter at what had happened. Mush laughed the hardest.
Once everything calmed, a few of the other newsies came to meet the baby. Most of them were enchanted with Samantha and almost wouldn�t give her back to Mush. One who refused let her go was Crutchy.
�She�s a good baby.� He said, rocking back and forth. �Most �f �em are all cryin� for their mothers when they�re with strangers.�
�Well, it�s a good thing she�s friendly cuz then I couldn�ta brung �er in.�
�Yeah. Where do ya think �er mom is?�
�Dunno. She left a note on �er, sayin� �this is Samantha an� I loved �er.� Don�t rightly know if she really meant it if when she left poor Sweetie on th� sidewalk.�
�Ya think she left �er there for someone else t� find?�
�That�s what I think. But why din�t she just take �er t� an orphanage so she�d know it�d be safe?�
�Can�t answer that.� He rocked back and forth more, lulling Samantha to sleep. �Looks like she�s draggin� �er sails.�
Mush nodded and yawned. �Think I am too. I�ve �ad a long day.�
�Where�s she gonna sleep?�
It was then that Mush fell speechless. He hadn�t thought of that before, and now that he had, he had no idea! All of the bunks were occupied at the time, there was no way he could put her with someone else. Kloppman probably wouldn�t have a cradle or crib for her, and a box was definitely not appropriate for a baby to sleep in.
Shrugging, he pondered where he could put Samantha for the night. And right as it seemed hopeless, Kloppman announced that it was time for them to go to bed. He groaned loudly.
�Crutchy, I dunno what I cin do wit �er!�
�I�d let �er sleep wit me if I din�t �ave this bum leg.�
�What�s that got t� do with anythin�?�
�Gotta sleep on one side �r my back. It wouldn�t be real smart. Guess she�ll �afta sleep wit you.�
He handed Samantha back to him, then limped off to the washroom. Groaning again, Mush walked over to his bunk and set Samantha on the mattress. Her eyelids were closed, but reopened when he set her down. He shrugged at her as he removed his hat.
�Guess it�s jus� you �n� me t�night.� He mumbled. �Do me a favor, don�t go watchin� me.�
He turned his back to her and shrugged off his shirt and dumped it onto the floor. Then he removed his trousers, leaving him clothed only with his undershirt and long johns. He returned his attention to Samantha and found that she had closed her eyes once more.
Glancing around, he saw that most of the newsies were already in bed, and few were looking his way. He then sighed and lifted Samantha from the mattress. He held her up against his chest, then sat on the mattress and slowly lowered himself until he was stretched across the bed on his back. With his arms full with Samantha, he was unable to pull his blanket up to cover them.
�Hey, Itey!� he called to the nearby newsie.
Itey turned at the sound of his name. �What?�
�I can�t reach m� blanket. Can ya pull it up over us?�
Snorting back a chuckle, Itey did as he requested. All the while, Mush could tell he was doing everything he could not to burst into laughter.
�So yer gonna hold �er all night?� he inquired.
��Fraid so.�
�Sure you cin last th� night like that?�
�I have no idea. Wouldn�t hurt t� try it, though.�
�Yeah, all right.� He turned to his bunkmate. �Hey Snitch, scoot over! You ain�t hoggin� th� bunk like ya usually do!�
Mush shifted to a comfortable position and shut his eyes. The lights turned out within several minutes, and he was still unable to fall asleep. He repositioned himself several times in a number of different ways and could not fall asleep. Trying to sleep while holding a baby was tricky to do.
After nearly an hour, Mush had had enough. Snitch and Itey were both snoring in the bed off to his right, and in the bunk off to his left, Bumlets was mumbling an assortment of sentences while asleep. Mush guessed his best bet would be to awaken Bumlets, so he grabbed his pillow and whacked him upside the head with it. He only tossed onto his stomach with his arm dangling off the side and moaned yet more unconscious words.
�Aw, c�mon Seven, ya din�t need t� slap me for tryin� t� kiss ya.�
Mush belted Bumlets with the pillow again, this time jerking him awake. He awakened with a start however, and Mush had to calm him before he awakened anyone else.
�Calm down, ya bum!� he whispered hoarsely.
�Whaddaya think yer doin�, hittin� me with a pillow at this time �f night?� Bumlets demanded, rubbing his neck.
�I can�t sleep!�
�So? That�s your problem! Ya don�t gotta drag me in!�
�No, I mean I can�t sleep holding Sweetie like I am. Wouldja take �er half th� night?�
�Sorry, no can do.�
�Why not?�
�Cuz I might end up slobberin� �er with kisses in my sleep thinkin� she�s Seven.�
When he laughed softly, Mush frowned.
�Alright, I�m kidding.�
�C�mon, please?�
�No! She�s your responsibility! Ya wanna keep �er, ya gotta take care �f �er yourself! An� if I did take �er t�night, Seven�d be down my throat, sayin� she wants t� have a kid too!�
He plopped back down onto his bed and covered his head with his pillow to prevent his being hit with Mush�s again. Moaning, Mush frowned at Samantha, who was still sleeping peacefully. Then his anger evaporated. Samantha hadn�t done anything wrong. She almost looked happy sleeping on him.
After watching her for a brief period of time, he finally drifted off to sleep. His dreams were filled with worries of what he would do with this baby. Whether he liked it or not, Samantha had formed an attachment to him. The same attachment that he was forming with her himself.
* * *
When Kloppman awakened the newsies, Mush was sore and groggy from holding Samantha all night. And surprisingly, she had slept through the night. He had heard stories from women that it was rare for babies to sleep the night through. Perhaps she had passed that stage already.
He groaned as he rose from his bunk and set Samantha on the mattress. He stretched his arms out, stiff from holding Samantha all night. He pulled his trousers on and snapped one suspender when Samantha burst out crying. He bent down and lifted her up, jiggling her softly in attempt to calm her.
�Shh.� He soothed. �It�s okay, Sweetie. Don�t cry.�
It was apparent she was hungry, although he was certain she also needed her diaper changed as well. He set her back down on the mattress as he pulled on his shirt and coat, followed by his hat. He was ready to enter the washroom when he stroked the sides of his face with his fingers. Nothing at all.
�Ah, I�ll never have enough facial hair t� shave.� He mumbled remorsefully.
He bent down and picked up Samantha, then took her downstairs to the back room to change her diaper. Thankfully, this one wasn�t as messy as the last, and he followed the directions Palomino had given him so he wouldn�t mess up. Once the diaper was changed, she calmed a little, but was still hungry.
Shrugging, he left the room and met the girls waiting at the foot of the stairs for their boys. Most of them � with the exception of Palomino � were shocked at what he had in his arms.
�What�s that?� Mix wondered.
�A baby.� He replied.
�An� where�d it come from?� Twilight inquired.
�Found �er on th� sidewalk. I�m gonna take �er t� �n orphanage t�morrow.�
�Why tomorrow?� Firecracker questioned.
�Cuz I think she likes me. An� I like �er. Jus� wanna spend some time wid �er b�fore I give �er up.�
�Can�can I see her?� Seven asked.
Seeing no harm in it, he agreed. He placed Samantha in her arms, and she gazed at the baby thoughtfully. Before long, every girl was surrounding her, asking if they could hold her as well.
�Maybe for a little while.� He decided. �She�s hungry an� I gotta get �er some milk.�
�Where�d she sleep last night?� Seven asked.
�With me. I hadta hold �er all night.�
�I�ll bet that was tough.�
�It was! I did ask Bumlets if �e�d hold �er half th� night, but �e said no cuz if ya found out, ya�d be down �is throat sayin� you wanted t� have a kid too!�
She laughed, and the other girls joined in. �Well, looks like it would�ve been a losing game for him anyway, cuz I�m gonna do it even though he didn�t take her half the night!�
This time Mush laughed with her, and allowed the girls to hold Samantha for a few minutes before they passed her to the next girl. The only girl who wasn�t present was Indigo, and by the time the boys came down the stairs, she was with them. Her eyes widened when she saw the baby.
�Whose baby is that?� she wondered aloud.
�Uh, I found �er!� Mush voiced, taking Samantha as Luna handed her back to him.
�Oh.� She nodded. �Can I see her?�
��Course!�
She stepped off the last stair and he handed Samantha to Indigo. As she cradled her in her arms, a rosy glow shone in her cheeks. The smile on her face was nothing like the few smiles she had shown in the past months since she had become a newsie. And Samantha appeared to have taken a fancy to her as well.
Apparently, Indigo did not want to give her back because she was so reluctant when she did. And once Samantha was back in Mush�s arms, she began to whimper.
�Think she�s �ungry.� He said. �Bedder grab some milk for �er b�fore I do sellin� t�day.�
He left the building and shifted Samantha to his shoulder in case she felt like throwing up again. The newsies usually danced and sang in the streets as they rushed off to work, and now, Mush couldn�t. He had a baby that he couldn�t jar by being as rowdy as he usually was in the morning.
The newsies finally stopped before the breakfast wagon the nuns set up for them every morning. As expected, they too were shocked at what Mush was holding. By the time he received his breakfast, Samantha�s whimpering had increased to crying loudly. He grinned crookedly at the nun who was serving him.
�You nuns wouldn�t happen t� have a bottle of warm milk on ya, wouldja?�
�As a matter of a fact,� she said, �we do.� She reached down and drew out a bottle. �You newsies aren�t the only people who see us for food.�
�Thanks.� He said, accepting the bottle.
The newsies continued on, and he held Samantha carefully in one arm as he held the bottle with his other hand, trying to feed her as he walked. The process only ended up with milk all over poor Samantha�s face. He shrugged, knowing he would have to sit down to feed her.
By the time they reached the distribution yard, he was weary from his trek. He took a seat on a nearby crate and called Blink over. He handed him fifty pennies and asked him to order the usual amount of newspapers for him so he could feed Samantha. Blink was inclined to help and agreed.
Now that he was sitting, he drew the bottle out again and allowed Samantha to feed. He rocked back and forth as she drank the milk, knowing that most of the newsies were watching him. Still, he ignored their staring and continued to feed Samantha until the milk was gone.
He stuffed the bottle into his coat pocket and waited until Blink brought him his newspapers. Indigo came to him first.
�You know,� she said, �babies need to be burped after they�re fed.�
�They do?�
�Yes. This way they don�t get sick afterward.�
�How do I do it, then?�
�Just put her on your shoulder and pat her back gently. She�ll take it from there.�
�Thanks.�
He set Samantha on his shoulder like Indigo had instructed and gently patted her back. When no sounds came, he felt he had to urge her a bit.
�C�mon, Sweetie.� He said. �Gotta burp if yer gonna make it through th� day without a tummy ache!�
As soon as he finished talking, the baby let out a rather tremendous burp, especially for someone her size. Mush�s eyes widened as he brought her to his lap. She was laughing and clapping her hands.
�Man.� he mumbled. �If that�s what you cin do now, jus� think �f how you�ll do that when you git bigger!�
A few nearby newsies were snickering, and Mush felt inclined to join in. Finally, Blink returned and handed him the stack of a hundred papers.
�Ya gonna bring �er with ya t� sell?�
�You betcha. She might earn me a few extra pennies t�day!�
�Dream on.� He shoved him gently. �Want me t� tag along?�
�Yeah! Don�t think I�m gonna hold �er th� whole time!�
* * *
Mush and Blink burst into Tibby�s with wide smiles decorating their faces. Even little Samantha seemed quite proud in some way.
�Hey Mush!� Bunny called. �Where�re your papes?�
�Ya wouldn�t b�lieve it!� he exclaimed, sliding into the booth beside her. �Okay, maybe ya would. But me �n� Blink, we brung Sweetie with us when we sold, an� we�d switch �er off b�tween us every couple minutes, an� so many people bought papes from us an� gave us extra we sold all our papes!�
�Really?� Race wondered.
�Yep!� Blink chimed in. �B�tween people thinkin� she was our sistah or our kid, we got extra money!�
He reached into his pocket, dumping out a large pile of coins onto the tabletop. Race and Bunny�s mouths dropped.
�Say Mush,� Bunny said, �would you mind if we took Sweetie this afternoon?�
Mush laughed. �Sorry, no can do. I gotta take �er home an� put �er down for a nap.�
�A nap?�
�Yeah. Talked wid a lady t�day, she told me that these little guys need naps at least once a day.�
�Oh, I see.�
�Think I�ll take one too. I din�t sleep too well last night.�
He ordered lunch for himself and milk for Samantha, and he fed her before he ate his own food. As he ate, he set Samantha next to him where she promptly fell right asleep. He was relieved that she would not be any trouble and ate in peace.
Once he finished eating, the newsgirls began swarming the booth, wanting to catch a glimpse of the baby. He tried to shush them, but Samantha awoke. Shrugging, he knew that he had no other choice but to let them see her. He lifted her onto his lap and allowed the girls to admire her.
�She�s so cute!� Rio squealed.
�Sweetie is a perfect name for her.� Lady Luck said. �She�s the sweetest little baby I have ever seen!�
�Are you sure you wanna take her to the orphanage?� Harlaquinne questioned unhappily.
��Fraid so.� Mush replied. �I�ve only �ad �er a day, but I�m already whacked. I couldn�t take care �f �er twenty-four seven. Ain�t got th� time or money.�
�I think you�d be able to handle it.� Lightning urged. �If you have the heart for it, you can make it work. I think you�d make the perfect father!�
He laughed again. �What would Spot say if �e �eard ya say that?�
�Probably not much. �E�s too busy t� think about kids.�
�Speakin� of which,� Blink intervened, �is �e comin� t�day?�
�Nope. Something big is going on in Brooklyn, so I don�t think anyone�ll be leaving there today. Not even Mimic.�
He pouted. �Darn. We was supposed t� reschedule our dinner for t�night.� He slapped Mush�s arm. �Doggone you! Ya hadta drag me from �er an� now she�s gotta cancel it!�
�Don�t go blamin� me!� Mush defended. �If ya hadn�t been der, we probly wouldn�t�ve found Sweetie �ere!�
Shrugging, Blink agreed. As Mush readied to leave, he scanned over the girls who had rejoined their boys. It was evident by the rather confused looks over their beau�s faces that they were speaking of having children. He grinned, knowing that most of them had not thought much of this subject before.
As he left the building, he heard yet another girl calling his name. He paused to find Indigo catching up with him, a bright smile on her face. This unusual change in her was somewhat pleasant to Mush.
�Hi Indigo.� He said. �What�s up?�
�I was wondering where you�re going, now that all of your papes have been sold.�
�Well, Lightnin� an� Blink�s most likely headed t� Brooklyn t� see Spot an� Mimic, so I�m headin� t� th� lodgin� house t� put Sweetie down for a nap. I�ll be takin� one too.�
�I see.� She nodded. �I�ve got about twenty-three papes left. When I�m finished, I�ll come by the house and I�ll help you take care of her.�
�Sounds good t� me. Thanks.�
�No problem.�
They parted, and he trudged to the lodging house as Samantha began to doze off in his arms. Once he reached the lodging house, he went to his bunk and set her down as he removed his hat and coat. Then, he lifted her from his bunk and set her on Bumlets�, snickering to himself as he did so.
She was nearly sound asleep by the time he set her down, and he found himself enchanted with her. She was so young, so sweet, and so innocent�he had never felt this way about any girl before. He was falling head over heels for this baby girl, and he hadn�t even known her a day.
Impulsively, he bent down and kissed her forehead gently. She stirred slightly, but did not awaken. Sighing, Mush sat down on his bunk, removed his shoes, then lay down and fell fast asleep.
* * *
