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The world stopped for only a brief moment.
Then it resumed, painfully slowly.
David Jacobs felt like he was moving in slow motion; like his head was plunged underwater. His ears rung as the newsies went up into an uproar, as Jack Kelly started to storm off towards the exit.
Time sped up the moment he saw the money in Jack Kelly's hands. How it was bent when he balled his hand into a fist, raising up to strike Les. His body grew hot, yet he was frozen in place, staring at him in anguish.
He only moved when Les ran to him, and he quickly ushered him to safety, ignoring Jack's shouts.
Leave him to the wolves, he thought. Because he clearly didn't take this as seriously as everyone else.
It took almost two hours to settle Les into sleeping that night. His anger, anguish, disappointment--it all continued to stir inside of him, and he doesn't know what to do. So, he opens his window as quietly as possible, and slides out onto the fire escape. He leaves the window opened just a crack, then leans against the railing with an iron grip.
He doesn't know how long he stares out at the city, but he knows, at some point, there are steps on ladders and creaks that gradually get louder. And, eventually, Katherine Plumber is staring at him, grasping papers in her hand.
"David," she whispers, as if everything would shatter into a million pieces. "We have a plan."
His head turns to look at her. "Who is we, Katherine? And what plan? The strike is over--"
"It is not over, Jacobs, don't you dare think that," she hissed. "There are kids still in need. Jack and I made a plan--"
"Jack? What makes you think he won't scab on us again, Katherine? Or even hurt us?" His whole body turns, and he takes a step forwards, balling his hands into fists. Katherine stays in place, unphased.
"He won't if he knows what's good for him--"
"Then he wouldn't have done it to begin with--"
"David, I am telling you something important, will you just listen to me--"
"Not if he's involved in it!"
"It's my idea with his drawings, that's it! Dammit, David, I was there for it all! The meeting with Pulitzer, the rally--everything! Shut up and let me speak, will you?!"
David pressed his lips together, confused. He spoke up right as Katherine opened her mouth to speak again. "What meeting with Pulitzer? How would you even be allowed in there? You work for The Sun."
Katherine froze. Her shoulders slouch as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "There's... something I kept from you guys. And before you ask, no, I'm not a spy for him--"
"I wasn't going to accuse you of that. Should I?"
"No! I'm just clarifying because--no, you know what, we don't have time for this. Pulitzer, he's my father, okay? And you can be mad at me now, too, but we do not have the time for this, David, so I am begging you to make this easy on me and wait until later to yell at me. Please."
Katherine sniffles and wipes a tear from her eye as she stares at the ground. She takes a deep breath, then looks back up at him and hands him the papers.
"... Look. I know you're angry. You have a right to be. But if we don't pull through for these kids--for Crutchie, their sacrifices would have been for nothing. If we don't print these flyers tonight, we lose our chance. So, please... you don't even have to speak to him. Just help us with handing out the flyers throughout Newsie Square, and we might just win."
He's silent for a minute longer, mulling it over. He breaks his stare off with Katherine to look at the drawings, then looks back at her. "Les is staying home," he monotonously said, with Katherine giving a nod. He wordlessly hands her back the drawings, then follows her down the fire escape. It wasn't until they had reached the concrete that he had spoken again.
"... Thank you, Katherine."