the temperature dropping. Might be time for a rescue.
Jay-Tee walked down the steps and called out, “Hey, you! Hey, kid!”
Reason didn’t seem to hear her. Jay-Tee moved closer. “Hey,” she called. “Are you okay?”
Reason took a few steps. She was shivering. Up close Jay-Tee could see that she was one continuous goose bump. Her face was red, her nose blue.
“I have a coat,” Jay-Tee said, pulling it out. Reason just looked confused. Jay-Tee wrapped the coat around her, reaching up to get it around Reason’s shoulders—the girl had maybe two inches on Jay-Tee—and pulled her unresisting arms through the sleeves. “Put your hands in the pockets. They’re warm.”
This Reason managed, though her shivering had transformed into whole-body shudders. Jay-Tee could hear the chatter of the girl’s teeth. She had to get her off the street.
Jay-Tee pulled the hood up over Reason’s head. The snow was coming at more of an angle now. Jay-Tee didn’t want to know what the windchill factor was—minus a zillion, it felt like. She hated it when the weather turned so fast.
“I got boots too,” she told the girl. Reason nodded, but Jay-Tee wasn’t sure she understood. They spoke English in Australia, she knew that, but maybe the girl was slow or something.
Jay-Tee pushed Reason back against the wall—the kid didn’t try to resist—and lifted up one blue foot, drying it as best as she could with her mittens before pushing it into the fur-lined boot. She repeated the process with the other foot.
“It’ll be better now. I’ll get you home,” Jay-Tee said, yelling into Reason’s hood. “It’s warm there. I think this is going to turn into a blizzard.”
Again the girl nodded, but she said nothing. Maybe she couldn’t speak with her teeth chattering so hard.
“This way,” Jay-Tee yelled, slipping her arm through Reason’s, making sure the girl kept her hands in her pockets. Half dragging, half pulling, she managed to get Reason moving in the right direction. Should’ve brought a sled, she thought.
“It’s not far,” she said out loud. “Honest.”
The fire was going, hardly necessary considering the heat pouring from the steam pipes. Must be at least ninety degrees in here. He’d probably lit it. Jay-Tee could feel he wasn’t around anymore. She was glad. She did not want to deal with him now. She was bone-tired. Dragging Reason six-and-a-half blocks had just about killed her.
Reason went straight to the fire, sinking down on the rug, hauling her hands out of her pockets and holding them to the flames.
“Not too close,” Jay-Tee warned. “Don’t want to freak them out. You know? First too much cold, then too much heat. Maybe you should just rub them.”
Reason looked at her, blinked, and then starting rubbing her hands. So she did understand her.
“You should get out of those wet clothes. How ’bout I bring you a towel and some PJs and fix us some food? You want a hot drink? You hungry?”
Reason nodded.
“Okay. Keep wiggling your fingers and toes. Don’t want any of them to drop off.”
When she came back, Reason was still wriggling away like a kid in preschool. Jay-Tee bit back a laugh. She put the towels and pajamas down next to her. “Here you go. I’ll be in the kitchen fixing some food. Holler if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Reason said.
At least that’s a two-syllable word, thought Jay-Tee.
Jay-Tee handed Reason a mug of hot chocolate and two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Other than cereal, sandwiches were all Jay-Tee ever made.) She hunkered down beside Reason in front of the fire. They ate and drank in silence for several minutes.
Jay-Tee glanced at Reason. Although she was wearing the coat over the pajamas, she’d stopped shaking. Her nose was no longer blue, but it was still swollen. She looked to have the beginnings of a black eye, too. Aha, thought Jay-Tee, the wicked witch must be handy with her fists. Why would she bother, though? She could
Jay-Tee walked down the steps and called out, “Hey, you! Hey, kid!”
Reason didn’t seem to hear her. Jay-Tee moved closer. “Hey,” she called. “Are you okay?”
Reason took a few steps. She was shivering. Up close Jay-Tee could see that she was one continuous goose bump. Her face was red, her nose blue.
“I have a coat,” Jay-Tee said, pulling it out. Reason just looked confused. Jay-Tee wrapped the coat around her, reaching up to get it around Reason’s shoulders—the girl had maybe two inches on Jay-Tee—and pulled her unresisting arms through the sleeves. “Put your hands in the pockets. They’re warm.”
This Reason managed, though her shivering had transformed into whole-body shudders. Jay-Tee could hear the chatter of the girl’s teeth. She had to get her off the street.
Jay-Tee pulled the hood up over Reason’s head. The snow was coming at more of an angle now. Jay-Tee didn’t want to know what the windchill factor was—minus a zillion, it felt like. She hated it when the weather turned so fast.
“I got boots too,” she told the girl. Reason nodded, but Jay-Tee wasn’t sure she understood. They spoke English in Australia, she knew that, but maybe the girl was slow or something.
Jay-Tee pushed Reason back against the wall—the kid didn’t try to resist—and lifted up one blue foot, drying it as best as she could with her mittens before pushing it into the fur-lined boot. She repeated the process with the other foot.
“It’ll be better now. I’ll get you home,” Jay-Tee said, yelling into Reason’s hood. “It’s warm there. I think this is going to turn into a blizzard.”
Again the girl nodded, but she said nothing. Maybe she couldn’t speak with her teeth chattering so hard.
“This way,” Jay-Tee yelled, slipping her arm through Reason’s, making sure the girl kept her hands in her pockets. Half dragging, half pulling, she managed to get Reason moving in the right direction. Should’ve brought a sled, she thought.
“It’s not far,” she said out loud. “Honest.”
The fire was going, hardly necessary considering the heat pouring from the steam pipes. Must be at least ninety degrees in here. He’d probably lit it. Jay-Tee could feel he wasn’t around anymore. She was glad. She did not want to deal with him now. She was bone-tired. Dragging Reason six-and-a-half blocks had just about killed her.
Reason went straight to the fire, sinking down on the rug, hauling her hands out of her pockets and holding them to the flames.
“Not too close,” Jay-Tee warned. “Don’t want to freak them out. You know? First too much cold, then too much heat. Maybe you should just rub them.”
Reason looked at her, blinked, and then starting rubbing her hands. So she did understand her.
“You should get out of those wet clothes. How ’bout I bring you a towel and some PJs and fix us some food? You want a hot drink? You hungry?”
Reason nodded.
“Okay. Keep wiggling your fingers and toes. Don’t want any of them to drop off.”
When she came back, Reason was still wriggling away like a kid in preschool. Jay-Tee bit back a laugh. She put the towels and pajamas down next to her. “Here you go. I’ll be in the kitchen fixing some food. Holler if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Reason said.
At least that’s a two-syllable word, thought Jay-Tee.
Jay-Tee handed Reason a mug of hot chocolate and two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Other than cereal, sandwiches were all Jay-Tee ever made.) She hunkered down beside Reason in front of the fire. They ate and drank in silence for several minutes.
Jay-Tee glanced at Reason. Although she was wearing the coat over the pajamas, she’d stopped shaking. Her nose was no longer blue, but it was still swollen. She looked to have the beginnings of a black eye, too. Aha, thought Jay-Tee, the wicked witch must be handy with her fists. Why would she bother, though? She could
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