ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Six

A Year Later

"Olivia, hurry up, or you’re going to be late for school!" Jack called impatiently, watching as his sister finished getting ready. Olivia pulled her hair up in a ribbon, hopping on one foot as she attempted to get her shoes on at the same time. About a month following the official adoption of the Dawson children, Esther had insisted that both children either attend school or work…she refused to let them sit about idly.

"I’m coming! I’m sorry," she gasped, stumbling down the narrow hallway towards the parlor.

"Be careful or you’ll hurt yourself," Jack warned, smiling as she collapsed against him after a few moments of struggling. She grinned, slightly embarrassed, as he helped steady her, and Esther bustled into the room from the kitchen.

"Breakfast is on the table, dears. Hurry up and sit down before it gets cold!" She watched as they entered the kitchen, and stood by herself, shaking her head as she heard them chattering behind the wall. They both had adapted well to their new surroundings. Well, somewhat. Jack was a very restless teenager, always wanting to be on the move. As he had completed his general education, or according to his original family’s expectations, he insisted to Esther that he was ready to go in search of a job. One of the local hotels hired him as a bellboy, paying him a fair enough wage. Esther herself had been lucky enough to inherit a rather nice fortune from her husband, and had no need of a job.

However, she hated the idea of sitting in the apartment by herself all day long, so she worked on occasion with Lucy Evenport at the dress shop. Not quite the work equipped for her status, but she was such good friends with the woman that she enjoyed it very much.

"Have you done all of your schoolwork, dear?" she asked as she entered the kitchen, just as the children had finished scarfing down their food. Olivia nodded, holding up her blackboard slate. One side was covered in math problems, and the other with difficult spelling words. "Jack helped me study them last night," she explained, beaming at her brother, who smiled back.

"Very good. Jack, you will accompany your sister to school, will you not? I am due at the shop in about a half an hour, so I will not be able to take her. She is right on your way to the hotel."

"Yeah." He nodded, and Esther kissed the top of his head.

"Thank you, dear."

Once they had helped clear away the dishes, Jack and Olivia shouted their usual good-byes to Esther on their way out the door. "Have a good day! Jack, try not to run too much!"

Jack groaned as he heard the door shut behind him. About two weeks after he’d recovered from bronchitis, the doctor had found that he had asthma as well. He couldn’t run much without feeling as though an elephant were sitting on his chest, and it bothered him a great deal. There was not much to be done for it either, only taking a pill which took a very long time to actually go into effect. The most he could really do was take it as easy as possible. That was why the job as a bellboy had been the most appropriate available in the tiny town.

*****

"Jack, slow down," Olivia panted as they hurried down the street, and he stopped to wait for his little sister to catch up. "Your legs are longer than mine!" she added, when she reached him.

"Sorry," he apologized, allowing her to hold onto his hand.

"You always look like you want to run away somewhere," she added, once she began breathing normally again.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment. What he wouldn’t give to cut out of this place…he always dreamt of traveling the world. He wanted to go as far west as California, then to Europe. He wanted to focus solely on his art, to become famous, for art was the only thing that made him happy. He felt trapped in his place now, and with the money he was making, he could easily afford a train ticket. "Jack?" Olivia called, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" He blinked.

"You just sort of stopped."

"Well, I’ll talk to you about it later, Olivia. We’re here, so you’d better go on in." He walked her up to the front door of the schoolhouse, hugged and kissed her, and watched as the teacher lured her inside with a single motion of his arm. After the door shut with a bang, Jack blew out his breath, preparing himself for another day of fussy hotel guests. He glanced down at his uniform--navy slacks and a red coat with black buttons. He wore a crisp white shirt underneath, as well as an odd-looking hat, which he kept in the employee room.

*****

"Oh, good. You’re here," Mr. Jacobs breathed as Jack came out into the lobby of the elegant hotel, watching as his boss ran towards him. "Jerome and Thomas called out, so it’s just you and Adam this afternoon. We have several residents checking out within the next hour, with at least two or three bags apiece. Do you think you’ll be able to handle that?"

Jack hesitated. "Well…I should be," he admitted, and Mr. Jacobs beamed, clasping a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Good man. Just take your place as usual, and be ready by 10:30."

"Got it." Jack nodded to his boss, walking over to the main door where the other bellboy stood, looking bored out of his mind. "Morning," he greeted, and Adam glanced over.

"Hey, Jack. I guess Mr. Jacobs told you the situation?"

"Yeah. Looks like we’re going to have an interesting day, huh?"

"Excuse me. How would I go about getting a room?" Jack held the door open for a young woman…tall and thin with blonde hair pinned high in a French twist. She wore a royal blue dress and a white fur coat over the top. She carried a white suitcase, which Adam offered to help carry for her.

"I’ll bring you right over to the desk, Ma’am, and all you have to do is just fill out some paperwork. We’re having some guests leave today, so there should be enough rooms available. How many nights were you planning on staying?"

Jack listened as Adam’s voice dwindled, and he turned to face the street again. The town seemed to grow smaller and smaller every day, making him feel as though it were closing in on him. He leaned against the glass door, feeling slightly short of breath. Don’t do this to me now, he thought, swallowing past a very dry throat. I just got to work. At least wait a few hours!

When Adam returned, he gave his friend a concerned look. "You just got really pale, Jack. Are you all right?"

Jack blinked. "What? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine." He coughed, straightening up as best as he could. "Why did the other two call out? Do you know?"

"Nope. Figures, doesn’t it? Sons of bitches…and they just started, too!"

Jack managed a smile. He’d only been working at the hotel for two weeks, and, for a rather low-paying job, he did enjoy it. He enjoyed watching the different people walking in and out, some with children, some without. The children usually walked past him with open mouths and wide eyes until their parents would shoo them on. Adam had been working at the hotel for three months, and found the job to be quite a bore. Jack wondered if his interest in the job and the people had anything to do with his talent for art. He wished he could bring his sketchpad and pencils, because it would be a never-ending variety of subjects.

For the next hour or so, people continued to stroll through the double doors, asking the usual questions or merely saying "Hello, there."

Jack and Adam passed the time talking, and were so involved in their conversation that they nearly ignored Mr. Jacobs, who approached them.

"Mrs. Ellis is on her way down…boys…boys!"

The chatter stopped immediately, and both teenagers looked at their boss in embarrassment.

"I’m sorry, sir," Jack apologized, and Mr. Jacobs frowned.

"Don’t make me separate you. This is not the time or place for foolishness. Do I make myself understood?"

"Yes, sir," Adam promised. "I’m sorry, sir."

"Good. Now, as I was saying, Mrs. Ellis is preparing to check out, and has three suitcases she’ll need help carrying down to the lobby…her husband is coming to pick her up in about a half an hour. Jack, I’ll assign you to Mrs. Ellis, and Adam, Miss Corey is waiting for help as well. Jack, your room assignment is 302, and Adam—516. Go on, boys, and make it as quick and efficient as you can."

Jack and Adam hurried for the stairs, panting by the time they reached Jack’s floor. Jack managed a small wave to his friend as he pushed the door open to the corridor and began to walk towards the room. A middle-aged woman dressed in a rather simple gray dress with a gray overcoat stood waiting for him, and several suitcases sat around her.

"Ah…wonderful!" she exclaimed, her full red lips pulling into a big smile. Her long, graying hair was pulled into a single braid down her back. "Don’t be silly, dear. I don’t mind waiting if you want to make a few trips," she insisted, watching as Jack attempted to lift all three suitcases at once. They were fairly heavy, but he was determined to impress the guests and his boss…he could not afford anything that would cause him to lose his job, especially if he was thinking of leaving the state soon.

"I’ve got it, Ma’am. Don’t worry," Jack gasped, his chest starting to tighten up on him again as he led the way down the hall.

"How old are you, dear?" Mrs. Ellis asked, once they reached the steps, and stopped so Jack could take a small break before descending.

"Sixteen," he replied, and she blinked.

"I would never have guessed…you have such a young face! I’d have said at least fourteen."

Jack frowned, but said nothing. "Let me get that for you," Mrs. Ellis insisted, holding the door as he struggled to drag the trunks through it. "Are you sure you don’t want me to take at least one? I don’t mind at all," she asked, in almost a begging voice.

"I have it," Jack managed to croak, nearly missing the first step.

"Oh!" She cried when the trunks fell to the next platform, and caught him before he joined them. "Please, be careful! I’ll take this one. It’s the lightest, I assure you."

Jack was heaving now, his face ghastly white. "Sit down," she insisted, easing him onto the step, and joined him. "Take slow breaths, love, that’s it."

"’M sorry," Jack apologized, his voice barely a whisper. "I can get up. I just need to sit down for a second." He forced himself to his feet, his head spinning from lack of proper oxygen. Mrs. Ellis watched, her face filled with worry as he managed to get down the stairs and lift the bags again. Thankfully, Mr. Jacobs had assigned him to the third floor…he surely wouldn’t have made it if he had been on the fifth.

Mrs. Ellis carried one of the bags, keeping close behind Jack in case he happened to stumble again, growing more concerned at his continuously labored breathing.

"Jack?" Mr. Jacobs asked, noticing his employee after the door to the lobby opened, and blinked when the boy merely collapsed, unconscious. Several people rushed over to see if he was all right, and Mrs. Ellis got down on her knees, giving him a gentle shake.

"Dammit," Mr. Jacobs cursed under his breath, joining the crowd. "Jack, come on, boy, wake up," he begged, tapping Jack’s white cheeks. Adam came into the lobby at that moment, and nearly dropped his resident’s luggage. "Adam, go and fetch the doctor!" he ordered, and the boy did not hesitate.

"Is he going to be all right?" Miss Corey asked, smoothing Jack’s bangs away from his eyes.

"He seems to be asthmatic, from what I could hear," Mrs. Ellis added. "He was struggling to breathe carrying the bags."

"He is asthmatic," Mr. Jacobs murmured, "but I told him not to overexert himself if he could help it when I hired him." He, along with the help of another male guest, managed to carry Jack over to one of the comfortable couches by the window. Mrs. Ellis used a spare newspaper as a fan, and began waving it over the boy’s face.

Jack’s eyes finally fluttered open, but he didn’t officially wake up until he sneezed loudly.

"Bless you," several of the strangers told him, and Mrs. Ellis offered a handkerchief. "Are you all right?" she asked, once he was sitting up. Mr. Jacobs brought him a glass of water, and watched while he took it down in several gulps.

"Yeah," Jack muttered, his head still pounding.

"What do you think you were trying to do, boy? How many times have I told you about trying to take too much at once?" Mr. Jacobs asked after Jack’s vision focused properly.

"Quick and efficient," Jack managed to reply, before sneezing again.

Mrs. Ellis glanced at Mr. Jacobs, and shook her head. "You might want to send him home for the day, sir…he’ll need to recuperate after this."

Jack’s eyes widened. "Oh, no…don’t, I’ll be fine…"

"We’ll see what the doctor says," Mr. Jacobs replied, nodding, and Jack felt his cheeks burning. It was bad enough that he’d fainted in the middle of the lobby, but to have the doctor come and inspect him at work was even worse. Esther would never let him hear the end of it, he was sure.

Mrs. Ellis glanced out the window of the hotel, and stood. "I would stay, but my husband’s pulling down the street, so I must get going. I hope you feel better soon, dear, and don’t feel obligated to return that." She nodded to the handkerchief, and Jack smiled at her.

"Thank you," he insisted, just as Adam entered the building with Dr. Owen. Oh, no, he thought, wanting to sink through a hole in the floor. The crowd, thankfully, had dispersed, and the old doctor chuckled warmly.

"Well, well, well. Jack Dawson. Why am I not surprised?" he asked, and Mr. Jacobs signaled for Adam to leave them alone.

"I’ll be fine, Adam," Jack insisted, noticing his friend’s expression as he glanced over his shoulder after walking away. "Doctor Owen, I’m fine…it was just…"

"Don’t talk now," Doctor Owen insisted, pulling out his stethoscope. "Overworking yourself again, are you?"

Jack groaned, taking a deep breath when the doctor instructed. "This is humiliating." He sighed.

"Sometimes lessons need to be learned the hard way, lad. Well, your breathing is still a bit uneven…not quite up to par. And your pulse is quick. I think we’d best send you home to rest for the afternoon."

Jack gulped. "But…"

"No buts. I’ll give you a bit of medicine, which will ease the symptoms in time, but bed rest is what I recommend."

"But I just…"

"Here, take one of these." Doctor Owen placed a small pill into Jack’s palm, and the boy quickly swallowed it with the rest of the water in his glass. As he did this, Doctor Owen went to speak to Mr. Jacobs, and Jack watched miserably as the two men discussed the situation in quiet voices. He did still feel dizzy and short of breath, but the last thing he wanted to do was to worry his guardian all over again. He fingered the handkerchief given to him by Mrs. Ellis, and sighed.

"Well, Jack, looks like you’ll be taking an early leave for the day. I’m sorry to lose you, but your health does come first, boy."

"But then Adam is the only bellboy," Jack protested. "You said…"

"Don’t worry yourself. Just show up tomorrow at your regular time, and I hope you feel better."

"I’ll take you home," Doctor Owen insisted, tipping his hat to the hotel owner, and helped Jack stand. "Easy there, easy. Good. Have a good day," he added, before leading Jack out of the building. The entire ride from the hotel to Esther’s house was an awful experience. The dust from the road made Jack sneeze continually, and he was nearly ready to collapse again when they finally reached home.

As Jack expected, Esther was shocked and horrified to see the doctor on her doorstep, and even more horrified to see Jack in his carriage. "What’s happened?" she asked, dashing out to aid the boy to the ground.

"He had a bit of an asthma attack at the hotel," Doctor Owen replied thoughtfully. "He’ll be all right, though."

"Don’t whip me," Jack whispered, and Esther gave him a small tap on the head.

"I would never do such a thing to you," she promised. "You couldn’t help it."

"Well, he could have," Doctor Owen admitted. "He was trying to carry too much at once, but life is a constant learning of lessons, isn’t it?"

Jack was grateful to get inside, and plopped down on the first seat he came in contact with. "Thank you so much, doctor, for bringing him home. How much do I owe you?"

Doctor Owen smiled. "Nothing at all, Madame."

"But, sir!"

"I insist. This visit is on me." He winked at Jack, who was in too much despair to smile. "Good day, Mrs. Williams." He tipped his hat, and Esther watched as he walked back to his carriage and shut the door after him.

"Oh, Jack." She sighed, shaking her head once they were alone. "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

Jack shrugged, coughing slightly, and allowed her to help him up the stairs. "Straight to bed you go, and there you’ll stay for the rest of the day."

Jack was too tired to argue, and held onto her as they made their way up the steps. He got into his nightclothes, sliding into bed, and allowed her to make him as comfortable as possible. "I’ll bring you a cup of tea," she told him, giving him a kiss on the forehead. When she left the room and he was sure she had gone downstairs, he took the book from his nightstand and threw it angrily across the room. It hit the wall with a thud, falling on the floor spine up. He felt hot tears welling in his eyes, and quickly brushed them away. He had to get out of here. He couldn’t take it anymore. Tonight, he decided, burying his head against his pillow. He would leave tonight.

Chapter Seven
Stories