32So, I've been really wanting to rewrite Flora, so now I am. It's going to be mostly the same, but I'm rewriting some chapters all over again. There will be new chapters too! I 'm super excited about it.
This first one's pretty much the same and so are the next few chapters. So I'm going to upload a few chapters right now.
I don't own Newsies.
Chapter One
When Katherine told Jack they were expecting a baby, he almost passed out. And when Katherine told Jack she was in labor, he was a mess.
Jack and Katherine had been married for two years when Katherine announced the baby. Jack was overjoyed as Katherine's stomach grew with the months. They argued back and forth about names and what gender the baby would be.
"It'll be a girl," Jack announced as he picked up his pencil to sketch another picture of his wife.
Katherine laughed, "That's what you want, Jack. But you know it'll be a boy."
"Nope. It's a girl. I wanna girl and I'mma gettin' a little girl," Jack replied, "Now hold still, will'ya?"
"Jack, the baby's a boy. And his name will be, Joseph," Katherine said, putting a hand over her stomach.
"Kath, if you wanna boy and we's have a boy, then we's definitely not namein' him Joseph," Jack told her, "We can name 'em, Frank. You knows. We'll call 'em Frankie. His middle name will be David."
"Frank David. I do like that name," Katherine replied.
"So do I. I would wanna name my son after me pop and one of my brothers," Jack said, "But I'm glad we've decided what our's future son's name will be. Now what about our's daughter?"
"Oh Jack." Katherine shock her head with a smile on her face.
Four months later, Katherine was at her desk typing away on her typewriter when she felt a sharp pain. She ignored it thinking it was the baby kicking. The next one lasted for a minute. Soon the pains were closer together and longer apart. She knew what this meant.
"Jack! Jack!" Katherine called pressing her hand agisted her stomach, "Jack!"
Her husband appeared. "What is it, Kath? You okay?"
"The baby…" Another contraction hit.
"The baby's gonna be born!" Jack exclaimed.
Katherine bit her lip and nodded.
Jack ran out of the apartment and up a flight of stairs, before realizing that the midwife lived downstairs. Jack sprinted down the stairs (almost tripping and dying a few times). He pounded on the midwife's door.
"Mrs. Baker! Mrs. Baker!" Jack screamed.
The middle aged midwife came out with her bag. Again Jack sprinted up the stairs to their apartment. When Jack opened the door, Katherine was in the bed, panting.
"Alright Mr. Kelly, you need to leave now. If Mrs. Kelly has a mother it might help if you brought her over," Mrs. Baker told Jack.
"Please, Mrs. Baker I wanna be in the room where it happens," Jack wined.
"I assure you, you don't. Now be on your way. Get your wife's mother," Mrs. Baker replied.
"Fine," Jack muttered.
Jack jogged down to the nearest payphone and dialed the Pulitzer's number. In all of excitant of the last hour, Jack had forgotten how much he was hated by Joseph Pulitzer. But he soon heard a voice from the other side.
"Hello?" said a child's voice.
"Uh, this is me. I mean Jack," said Jack.
"Who's Jack?" the child asked.
"Um, Jack Kelly. Kath's husband," Jack answered, "Please don't hang up! Can you tell Mrs. Pulitzer that the baby's comin'?"
There was a brief silence. Jack guessed the kid was telling Mrs. Pulitzer about the baby.
"Grandma' going to be right over," the child said.
"Thanks kid." Jack sighed.
Jack didn't know where to go. After all he had been kicked out by a woman he hardly knew. The lady who would bring his child into the world. His child. Jack was going to be a father. The fact of this reality stunned him. Weakened him in the knees. Jack leaned aginsted a poll.
"Jack," Mrs. Pulitzer's voice was soothing. She didn't hate him like her husband did. In face everyone in Katherine's family liked him except for Mr. Pulitzer. "Jack, is Katherine inside?"
"Yes, ma'am," Jack answered, "Is there anything I can do?"
"Calm yourself down Jack," Mrs. Pulitzer told him before going inside.
The labor was far from over. It lasted two days. Jack had plenty of time to visit all the newsies. He even got to see David, who was studying at university to be a lawyer. Jack was just outside with the newsboys talking, when Mrs. Johnson, a neighbor came running outside.
"Mr. Kelly!" she yelled. Mrs. Johnson gulped. "It's your wife."
Jack jumped up and followed her up the stairs to his room. He opened the door as quick as he could. The first thing Jack heard was a cry. Then a groan from his and Katherine's room.
"Kathy!" Jack shouted, running to the bedside.
Katherine smiled. "Jack…"
"Are you okay? Is the baby okay? What is the baby?" Jack questioned taking Katherine's hand.
"Oh, Jack," Katherine whispered. Her eyes were full of tears.
"Mr. Kelly, I need to speak with you for a second," Mrs. Baker said.
Jack went to his neighbor. "Yeah?"
"Your wife… She lost a lot of blood during the delivery. I don't think she's going to make it," Mrs. Baker explained.
His blood ran cold. He couldn't lose Katherine. She was the love of his life. Katherine had so much more to do. And what about the baby? Jack couldn't raise the baby on his own. Katherine knew much more about parenting than he did. What about Katherine'sfamily? If Katherine died, Joseph Pulitzer would be thirsty for revenge. He might even take his child away. No. That couldn't happen.
Jack went back to his wife. Now she held a bundle in her arms and was weeping softly. Jack kneeled at the right side of the bed.
"You were right, Jack. She's a girl," Katherine whispered.
Jack forced himself to smile. "That's great, Kath."
"What will we name her?" Katherine wondered, "We decided on a boy name but not a girl's."
"I got to name our son. You get to name our daughter," Jack told her.
"Flora. I chose Flora," Katherine said, "Flora Katherine."
"Flora Kelly." Jack smiled.
"Jack, you'll be such a good father," Katherine told him. Her voice sounded like when Crutchie was dragged off to the refuge."
"And you a mudda."
"Jack, I've discovered so much about myself because of you," Katherine said, "You gave me…"
"Somethin' to believe in," Jack finished.
Flora cried out then. Katherine rocked her.
"Shh."
Flora calmed down.
"Remember when we first met?" Katherine asked Jack.
Jack grinned at the memory. "Me, difficult?"
Katherine let out a shaky sigh. The sound of it made Jack wince.
"Jack, promise you'll take good care of Flora?" Katherine begged.
"Of course, Kathy," Jack promised.
"You gave me somethin' to believe in…"
Those were the last words Katherine Ethel Pulitzer Kelly ever said.
Flora started bawling.
Thanks for reading! Please review!
