Chapter 30

"Is I dead?"

Tricks's eyes flicked open, hearing a voice ring out in the quiet, semi-dark room. It was Mush's voice, and though she assumed it was part of a dream, she looked over at the bed, just in case. It was almost dawn, and in the pale light, Tricks could see Mush sitting upright, leaning against the headboard for support while clutching his broken ribs.

Not believing her eyes, Tricks turned to Blink, who's head was leaning on her shoulder as he slept. "Blink," she shook the sleeping boy, "Blink!"

Blink awoke with a start, "What's ammatta?"

"He's awake!" Tricks hissed, pointed to Mush.

"Ya mean I ain't dead?" Mush replied with a grin.

"Think he's hallucinatin'?" Blink whispered back to Tricks, a look of concern falling over his face.

"It's...possible," Tricks replied, biting her lip as her brow furrowed.

"When I saw the two a ya sleepin' next to each otha like dat, I figured it must been over my dead body," Mush replied, the grin on his face revealed as Tricks lit the lamp next to her bed.

The look on Tricks's face slowly changed from concern to anger as she realized what Mush was saying, "You jerk!" she yelled, slapping his good shoulder, "Ya have any idea how long we's been sittin' here, thinkin' ya really could end up dead?!"

"Hey!"

"Don't ya 'hey' me, Mush Meyers," Tricks fumed, crossing her arms. "Been sittin' here, takin' care of ya for days."

"How long I been out?"

"Couple a days, four, maybe five," Blink replied, looking from a still fuming Tricks to a still smiling Mush.

"So," Mush said with a wince as he shifted his body, "Ya two friends now or what?"

"Wouldn't say that," Tricks replied stubbornly.

"Well, I'll take whateva this is."

Blink, an awkward look on his face, stood and slowly made his way to the door, "I'mma..., um, I... go let the guys know he's awake."

Tricks sat on the edge of her bed, the anger from Mush's comments slowly fading. "That was pretty stupid, ya know," she said quietly, fiddling with the edge of the blanket.

"Didn't mean to scare ya," Mush replied, lifting Tricks's chin up, "Was just tryin' to be funny. I was up for awhile before I said anythin'."

"I meant runnin' after the Delanceys...and those other guys," Tricks corrected him. "Ya coulda got yourself killed."

"I ain't dead, is I?"

"No."

"Then why's we even talkin' about it?"

Tricks's eyes welled with tears. "I woke up...I woke up and ya were gone," she said, "I knew ya went after them, and-and it took them forever to find ya, and I was stuck in here with this stupid foot."

"Hey, don't get all upset-" Mush started to comfort Tricks, but was interrupted by Jack and Race, who barged into the room unceremoniously. Mush looked up, and Tricks quickly squinted her eyes, brushing the tears away with the back of her hands.

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Though he was conscious, Mush was still on bed rest while his ribs healed. Tricks's outlook, while still considerably more subdued than usual, was beginning to improve. And Mush enjoyed having Tricks's attention all to himself.

"In a couple days, ya gonna start doing this ya self," Tricks sighed, holding up another spoonful of grainy oatmeal. With his right side having to remain immobile, Mush couldn't feed himself, and after not eating for five days, his system seemed to only tolerate foods like broth and oatmeal.

Mush gulped down the spoon of oatmeal and grinned, "Tastes betta this way."

Tricks rolled her eyes and shoved the last of the oatmeal at Mush, "Ya lucky I still feel guilty, otherwise ya'd be tryin' to figure out how to make and eat this yourself."

"Guilty about what?"

Tricks looked at Mush crossly, "Just drop it," she said shortly, pulling Mush into a sitting position so she could re-wrap the thick bandage across his ribs. Mush hissed as he lifted up his arm, and Tricks let him rest a moment as she rolled up the old bandage, and pulled a bowl of soapy water and a clean cloth closer to the bed.

"Ya talkin' about what happened the otha night, ain't ya?" Mush said softly as Tricks ran the warm, wet cloth over his shoulders.

"Runnin' away like that was stupid, Mush," she said, refusing to look at him.

"Ya know that ain't what I am talkin' about," Mush replied seriously, grabbing Tricks's chin as he subtly referenced the night they'd spent together. Tricks's green meet Mush's brown one's briefly and then flicked away.

Tricks shrugged as she wrung out the cloth in her hands. "Look, the other night was the other night."

Mush's face fell, and he dropped his hand from Tricks's chin.

"I'm not sayin' I am ashamed or nothin'...you know me, Mush. I don't apologize for much. But... look where this got us. Look where this got you..." she trailed off, surveying her best friend's broken, bruised body. Though the bruises on his chest, arms, and face were healing, the dull yellow-ish color that now surrounded the deep purple bruises was unsettling.

"Me gettin' beat on woulda happened eitha way," Mush said angrily. "I coulda said no, I coulda just left soon as Jack did-"

"Can ya just calm down?" Tricks said hastily, picking up the new bandage and wrapping it around Mush's chest, hoping that, somehow, the bandage would reign his emotions in.

"Ya got no right, tellin' me ta calm down-"

"Mush," Tricks said with exasperation, finishing up the bandage change. "Look, I ain't ashamed of what I-we- did. Would I do it ova again? Probably."

Mush opened his mouth to speak but Tricks raised her hand, the look on her face telling him it was useless to interrupt. The day after their tryst, Tricks ran through all the scenarios that could have caused Mush to act so rashly, finally deciding that her insistence to push their relationship further was the catalyst.

"Somewhere, really deep down inside, I know it's gonna me and you, in the end," Tricks said simply, "Bein' with you is the only time...it's the only time life feels right, ok? Maybe, right now, we just ain't good for each other. I dunno what the next couple a days, months, years are gonna be like, but I know that they are gonna end with me and you."

"Ya think I'm just gonna sit here and wait for ya?" he replied angrily after Tricks's speech.

Tricks smiled a small, sad smile, "Guess I gotta take that chance."

Mush glared at Tricks for a few moments, then looked away. Taking that as a sign he wanted to be left alone, Tricks turned to leave, but Mush caught her wrist and pulled her back. They looked at each other for a few moments, eyes locked. Tricks felt her heart race as Mush put his hand on the small of her back. With what must have been great effort, he leaned forward slightly and kissed her, pulling her to him. An involuntary shudder ran up her spine and radiated out through the rest of her body, and when Mush finally pulled his lips away, Tricks was momentarily speechless.

"Ya don't always hafta be so tough," he said softly, a satisfied smiled on his face, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Yeah," Tricks whispered back, " I do."

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"Maybe things can finally just be normal for a bit, now that everything's settled down," Tricks said, settling next to Mush on the settee in the basement of the Lodging House. Mush grinned, wrapping his arm around Tricks's shoulders and planting a kiss on her temple.

After a few days of intensive, Tricks-led physical therapy, Mush successfully made it up and down the stairs to both the bunkroom and the basement. Tomorrow, he and Tricks would hit the streets to sell newspapers. She too was off her crutches, walking with just a very small limp as she guarded her injured foot.

"Might be too early ta say that," Jack said entering the room and tossing a paper to Tricks.

Tricks looked down at the headline and a large crease appeared on her brow. The smile present on her face only moments ago was quickly replaced with a deep frown.

Mush grabbed at the paper and read the day's headline:

APPEAL GRANTED IN C. SULLIVAN MURDER TRIAL

The smaller line below read: 'Mafia informant gives up vital information, both sides expect Connor Sullivan conviction to be overturned.'

"Who's Connor Sullivan?"

"Our father," Tricks replied darkly, crossing her arms and looking at Jack.

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