- Chapter 17 - Lost in his Head -
Warnings: Abuse, angst
Canon Era
Third Person POV

Race felt empty.

He stopped speaking, eating, and sleeping.

The boys tried to get him to play Poker, and to eat, and speak to them, and sing, and dance like they loved to do, but he wouldn't.

"Hey Race!" Finch had a grin on his face. "Wanna play Poker with us?"

Race shook his head, starting to walk away.

Finch's grin faltered a bit. "What's wrong?"

Race made a motion as to let it go.

Race was lost in his own mind.

He lost the sparkle in his eyes.

He didn't talk to Weasel, he just put down the money and left after they handed him his fifty papers.

Race stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the ground as he placed a quarter down.

Weasel exchanged a look with Morris. "What's up with you, kid? No insults? No 'Weasel'?"

Race just shrugs.

After getting soaked by a group of boys, he didn't seem to care about the pain.

He just stayed silent.

He didn't even let his brothers bandage and help him.

Time skip

Jack grabbed his papers from Weasel, but before he could walk away, Weasel pulled him to the side.

Jack looks at him, confused. "Do you need something, Weasel?" He questions.

Weasel almost looked worried. "What's up with the Racer?" He lowers his voice.

Jack raises an eyebrow. "Not sure, why? Do you care?"

"Look, I may be mean, but I do have some respect for you all." Weasel responds. "I may hate his insults and his guts, but he looks broken and something in me feels bad for this kid who I've watched grow up."

Jack sighs, stealing a look at Race.

He was reading his paper as Albert and Mush tried to get him to talk.

Jack turns back to Weasel. "Listen, Mr. Wiesel," There was a look of pride in Weasel's eye when Jack called him that. "I don't know what's up with him, but we're trying to find out. He's just been-"

"Broken." Weasel finishes.

Jack's frown deepens, but he nods.

"Update me?" Weasel questions. "Will you kid?"

Jack nods. "Yeah, I'll let you know if anything changes, but if he gets better, you'll probably notice."

Weasel nods.

Jack turns to walk away, but Weasel's voice stops him. "Ey! Kelly!"

Jack hums, turning around to face him.

"Don't think that this means that everything will go like it does with old Kloppman, cause I ain't that nice." Weasel states.

Jack smirks. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Weasel."

Weasel smiles a bit.

Time skip

"Come on, kid." Spot states. "You gotta eat something."

Race lays his head down on the table.

"Race, please." Albert pleads. "You need to eat. Please. We don't want you getting sick."

Race shrugs.

"Listen, either you eat this," Spot starts. "Or I'll shove it down your throat and force you to eat it." He threatens.

Race pushes the food away from him.

Spot sighs deeply, walking over to Jack, who was leaning against a wall, watching from a distance.

"Jack," Spot sighs, running a hand through his hair. "What's up with him? He's lost everything that makes him Race, besides the eating and sleeping problems and always being cold." Spot grumbles.

Jack sighs, shaking his head. "I don't know, Spot. I really don't."

They look back at Race, and now Albert and Specs had finally let Lucky try to help.

Lucky sat on Race's lap. "Here, this is how you do it. I'll help you, since you forgot!" Lucky grins cheekily.

Lucky picks up a piece of bread, tearing it in half.

"First," He starts. "You place a piece in your mouth." Lucky places a piece in his mouth. "Then you chew till you think you can swallow, then you swallow." Lucky shows Race, before grinning. "Now you try!"

Race takes the piece from Lucky.

Spot and Jack share a hopeful look.

They watch Race place the piece in his mouth, cringe a bit, chew like he was having a rough time, and then for himself to shallow.

Lucky beams, hugging Race. "Good job!"

Race forces himself to nod.

Lucky gets up to go hug Specs.

Race takes this moment to grab his hat and leave the building.

Jack and Spot share another look.

Mush sends Jack a look, gesturing to the door.

Jack nods.

Time skip

Race sat on the roof, his feet hanging over the edge.

He just watched them swing.

One leg forward, one leg back.

Switch.

Repeat.

Switch.

Repeat.

It was the same thing, over and over again.

Jack motioned for the other boys to be quiet, telling them that he'd handle this.

He let Mush, Specs, Crutchie, Albert, and JoJo stay on the roof, but motioned for the other boys to head back downstairs.

He assured them that they'd be notified if anything happened or changed, and that they could see Race in a bit.

Jack slowly walks over to Race, not saying a word.

The other boys just watched them.

Jack sits down next to Race, swinging his feet over the edge of the rooftop and hanging onto the bar that kept them from falling off the rooftop.

Jack softly places his hand on top of Race's hands that sat in his lap, fiddling and anxiously picking at his nails.

"You know," Jack starts, keeping his voice calm and soft as he looks out over the city. "Everyone has rough times, some more than others. It's okay to cry, crying is a normal human emotion and response. I can tell you that we'll get through this." He squeezes Race's hands gently. "Together."

Race bit his lip as he looked over Manhattan, not turning to Jack.

After a few minutes of silence, Jack noticed Race's head lower, staring into his lap, out of the corner of his eye.

Jack turns to face him.

Race grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes closed, as silent tears make their way down his face for the first time in a few weeks.

Jack sighs in relief. At least I got him out of his head...

Jack gently pulls Race into his lap, resting Race's head on his chest, while Race curled into a ball on him.

Jack gently rubbed Race's back and hands, keeping a tight grip on him.

Then, barely, he heard the first words, that he had heard in a few weeks, come out of Race's mouth.

"Thanks Jacky." He whispers, snuggling his head into Jack's chest.

"We're here for you, Anthony. I promise my life on that."

Race closes his eyes, finally falling asleep.

Jack sighs in relief, the corners of his lips curling up into a small smile.

1120 Words