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"What are you on about, you stupid man?" Sally asked, taking a moment away from applying her lipstick in the dingy, backstage mirror to glance over at Bobby.
Bobby snickered playfully, raising a hand with a lit cigarette between his fingers towards his lips situated in a crimson grin as his other hand slammed into Victor's shoulder. He narrowed his eyebrows keenly and pursed his lips in a way that indicated he wanted to play with the young Toast of Mayfair. Glancing at Victor in a knowing manner, he began to speak.
"I was just telling Victor here that Emcee is a wretched stature of a man. Merely a helpless soul who can't take care of himself."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sally suggested, growing suddenly angry and defensive regarding the man she called her friend.
Bobby snickered once more and raised the cigarette to his mouth, adding a puff of smoke into the already hazy air.
"All I'm saying is that poor man barely got through tonight's show and now he's hunkered up in his dressing room, likely sulking. Dreadful creature is probably up there, passed out against a wobbly chair. Go and check if you think I’m wrong.”
Sally’s brows furrowed in anger and she could feel her blood boil at Bobby’s audacity towards the Master of Ceremonies. Though it was true that Emcee appeared to be under the weather this evening, sending sounds of coughs and sniffles echoing throughout the hallways of the Kit Kat Club, Bobby had no right to mock the poor man as he simply tried to continue with the burlesque show they did routinely night after night. The nerve to speak such ill wills behind someone else’s back, just to make yourself feel better, was a concept Sally never understood, even in her line of work.
Sally found herself stomping her little high-heeled foot, likely giving Bobby a rouse after tonight’s show, and huffing out a cigarette-smelling puff of air as she glared at the two boys angrily.
“You two are the most insincere, worthless brutes I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting! You know what? I think I will go and check on Emcee! That will leave you two savage beasts alone to waste some other person’s time with your pathetic energy!”
Sally could hear Bobby giggle ferociously as he watched her stomp down the chipped, checkered hallways of the nightclub, refusing to take the shorter women seriously for even a second.
“Ah, yes! When you do see him, tell him what a spectacular job he did at staying upright during the dance number! Though I lost two marks from Victor - explaining to him how I thought Emcee would fall halfway through the show - tell him I’m impressed by his abundance of determination!” Bobby mocked, unable to keep his annoying voice from cracking in amusement as he leaned against Victor gaily.
Sally groaned under her breath, deciding to be the bigger person and refusing to acknowledge any more of Bobby’s taunts. Instead, she took all this new energy she was feeling and used it to push her feet to walk briskly down the dingy corridors of the Kit Kat Club until she was directly in front of Emcee’s personal dressing room. Without knocking or taking the time to address herself, Sally pushed open the wooden door forcefully and stepped inside.
Inside, she was instantly met with the sight of Emcee, curled up against his chaise lounge in the corner of the dressing room and looking as pale and sickly as ever. When Emcee spotted Sally, he rolled his eyes heavily, already understanding that he was in some sort of trouble with the young flapper girl standing before him. His instincts proved correct as Sally immediately gasped in shock at the performer’s poor state.
“My dear! Oh, Em, you look absolutely horrible, darling!” Sally exclaimed, flinging her pink, feather boa she had wrapped around her neck carelessly to the ground as she walked over to the man in a hurry.
Emcee sighed heavily, feeling guilty and uncomfortable with the situation suddenly thrusted upon him. He rolled his head to look up at Sally, who was already patting her cold hands around his heated body.
“Sally, I am fine. Please leave me alone, Liebling,” Emcee begged, wrapping both arms around his person as a sudden chill engulfed his body.
“Nonsense! You’ve been coughing all night and you look one sneeze away from falling over - dead! Here, let’s get you into something more comfortable.”
Sally tried to walk across the room towards Emcee’s vanity, but was pulled back by the tug of the young man’s own hand wrapped around her wrist.
“Sally, I said no! Please, just leave me alone!” Emcee demanded, glaring up at the young girl with eyes that were angry and threatening.
Sally was not phased by Emcee’s daring attempt to seem intimidating. She simply scoffed, narrowing her eyes like a mother seeing right through their child’s lie, and placed her hands against her hips.
“Now, Em,” Sally began, her voice still and amused, “you are not well, my love, and we need to take care of you. Will you please let me pamper you?”
“I said no, Sally!” Emcee began, but was swiftly cut off by a series of coughs that easily turned into horrible gagging. Thinking on her feet, Sally quickly reached under the vanity and grabbed the small trash can that always rested under there, thrusting it under Emcee as his gags grew more and more guttural.
Sally waited, holding the trashcan under Emcee as he hacked up some phlegm, nodding after a while for her to take it away as he began panting rapidly.
“Thank you,” he muttered quietly, clearing his throat from the phlegm still lodged in it as he looked up at Sally sheepishly.
Sally sighed in a pitiful manner and rested her hand against Emcee’s forehead.
“Oh, my dear, you do feel very warm,” she said softly.
Emcee couldn’t help how his face softened and his eyes shut blissfully with the feel of Sally’s cool touch. Sally heaved a sigh once more, suddenly feeling very protective of the slightly older man, and knelt down beside Emcee to where she was face to face with him.
“Love, please let me care for you. You take such good care of so many people here at the club. Give someone else that leisure, hm? Please let me care for my baby?”
Emcee turned to look at Sally with her chin resting pleasantly on the back of her hands, her eyes staring lovingly into his dark, decrepit soul. As much as Emcee hated to admit it, the offer was much to appealing to pass up. He couldn’t tell if it was because he felt so off or the pounding in his head and chest that designated the decision, but he didn’t care in that moment. He quickly found himself nodding to Sally’s offer sleepily as he leaned gently into her.
Sally smiled and cupped his face with her hands, planting a gentle kiss against his forehead.
“Thank you, love. Now, let’s get you taken care of.”
Rising to her feet, Sally walked over to the small closet Emcee had located in his dressing room and opened it with a loud creak. A small collection of clothing stared back at her, ranging from a pair of dress slacks to a set of pajamas.
Emcee always kept a few of these items in this closet in case he needed access to some ‘normal’ clothes. He didn’t use them very often, but in a time such as this, it was like a godsend.
Sally looked through the small closet and decided on the pajama set, pulling it out and wiping away some dust that had collected on the worn pieces of fabric. Satisfied and needing its use no longer, she closed the closet door and walked over to where Emcee was now leaning on the chaise lounge.
“Come, come. It’s not time to sleep just yet. Let’s put you into something more comfortable first,” Sally stated, jostling the cotton pajama set in her hands lightly.
“Oh, Liebling, you do not have to do that,” Emcee stated, raising a hand up drowsily as Sally stood over him.
“No, it’s alright. You need to be comfortable,” Sally replied, already reaching down and undoing one side of Emcee’s suspenders.
“Okay, but please be careful with those! They - ”
“I know. These cost you almost all you have,” Sally replied to Emcee’s worry, continuing to remove the complex piece of his costume carefully out of respect for the young man.
Emcee relaxed slightly, knowing full well that he wasn’t in any real danger with Sally. He knew she wouldn’t damage his property for the sake of being helpful, but he wasn’t expecting for her to be so thorough with the task of caring for him
It wasn’t often that the young woman, or anyone, for that matter, undressed him - especially in a state such as his, currently. Sure, even though Emcee knew he left practically nothing to the imagination on stage, and sometimes allowed a few side gigs to see his true body behind the curtains of the Kit Kat Club, he never really felt comfortable with other people seeing him so exposed. It was an odd sensation, really. Allowing another person to see you in such a vulnerable state. That is why when Sally went to take off his dirty, black, dress slacks, Emcee crossed his thighs slightly out of instinct, like a sheltered puppy abused by its mother.
“You really don’t have to care for me this extensively, Mein Liebe. I believe I can dress myself,” Emcee stated, looking up at Sally as if he was somewhat ashamed.
“It’s no bother, really. I want to make sure you’re well taken care of. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t taken off a man’s pants before,” Sally said, smiling cheekily to herself.
“That is not funny,” Emcee groaned, trying to hide a small smile of his own.
“What? It’s true,” Sally exclaimed, unable to stop the abrupt giggle that escaped out of her thick vocal cords. “And you need not to worry. I’m not looking for anything erotic, Em. I’m just trying to get you changed. Now, stand a little so I can get these trousers over your thin waist.”
Emcee did as he was told, performing a little hop for Sally so she could get the checkered pants to come up over his bottom. In an instant, Sally was situating the pajama pants around Emcees jutted hips and finishing off the job by tying the pull strings into a cute, little bow. With her mind still on the task at hand, Sally reached for the pajama shirt and began helping Emcee’s arms through its long sleeves. Emcee had nothing better to do than to look up at Sally deeply as she buttoned the front of the cotton shirt effortlessly.
Sally noticed Emcee’s innocent stare and planted a warm kiss to his forehead once she pushed the last button through its hole. This made Emcee smile bashfully and a short, cute giggle to echo out from his sore throat.
Emcee was not used to being pampered in any sort of way, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t beginning to like the feeling of being taken care of.
He kept this giddy smile on his face, even as Sally pulled and tugged the night shirt roughly to look more appealing on his thin body. Remarkably, Emcee really didn’t seem to mind how the jostling almost made him cough and gag once more and, instead, squirmed playfully like a little boy when Sally booped his knobby nose, indicating her end to changing him. Sally couldn’t help her own laugh from escaping out of her throat at Emcee’s sudden, playful nature.
“There. I think that ought to feel a little bit better. Doesn’t it?” Sally exclaimed happily, taking a step back and looking the man over gingerly.
“Yes. Thank you so much, Liebling,” Emcee responded, smiling wide and attempting to release a cute chuckle, but was soon taken advantage of by a round of bitter coughing.
Sally looked down at the man and frowned.
“Oh, yes. We really should do something about that nasty cough, shouldn’t we?” Sally asked, more to herself than to Emcee, looking around the room intently as if a solution would somehow fabricate right in front of her.
Without another moments notice, she clacked her way over to Emcee’s small dressing room bathroom and began opening up all of the cabinet drawers, sensing as though she could find something tucked somewhere deep in its wooden spaces. She dug through the bathroom sink and dainty wall cabinets, discovering all of Emcee’s old colognes, hairsprays and even used medicine bottles, until her hands clasped onto a rigged bottle cap. She pulled the tall bottle out from deep inside the cabinet and silently rejoiced.
“I think this shall do some wonders,” Sally said simply, emerging from the bathroom and shaking a dusty bottle of cough syrup.
Emcee looked up from where he was gagging in the trashcan and grimaced at the object in Sally’s hand, opting to return his awful gaze back into the garbage he was spitting up.
Sally only giggled playfully, sitting beside Emcee on the chaise lounge and already unscrewing the medicine bottle littered with dust.
“I know you won’t like it, but we need to get something down you if we want to stop that cough. Plus, I’m sure you don’t have the marks to pay for a hospital trip - not like they’d take you in, anyway. Now, open up,” Sally instructed, grabbing a nearby spoon and filling it slowly with cough syrup.
Sally raised the spoon filled to the brim with medicine to Emcee’s lips, but he turned away forcefully and grunted.
Sally huffed abruptly, annoyed with Emcee’s sudden reaction, and tried not to the let the medicine spill on her dress.
“Now, Em, no need to be childish. Open your mouth.”
“Nuh-uh!” Emcee whined, almost making Sally burst into a fit of giggles with his resemblance to a small child, crossing his arms and everything.
However, Sally was in no mood to deal with his childish antics, and tried once more.
“Em, please, open up. Take it quick.” She told, pushing the spoon up to Emcee’s lips.
“No, Sally! I don’t want it! Mm-mm!” Emcee exclaimed, shutting his mouth tightly and looking away from Sally, going as far as to even push her away slightly out of rebellion.
Sally grunted in an over the top, annoyed manner, but rebounded quickly with an idea.
“Here,” she said abruptly, reaching over and fishing out an ice cube from a sweating glass of gin. “Numb your mouth. Go on! Take it! Put it in your mouth and numb your tongue!”
Emcee took the cold, melting ice cube being thrusted into his hands and cautiously put it against his dry tongue, confused about the reasoning behind the young girl’s order. He laid the ice cube against his tongue until it left his freshly worn pajama shirt wet with melting ice and made his head ache with a sudden brain freeze. He ripped the ice away and looked at Sally confused before she shoved the spoon back against his cracked lips.
“Here, now take the medicine. Just keep swallowing!” She instructed, sneaking the spoon inside his mouth quickly before he or his tongue had any time to react.
Emcee had no other choice but to swallow the lukewarm liquid collecting inside his mouth, gulping it down in a couple swigs. After a few moments, Sally took the spoon away from his lips, leaving Emcee gagging lightly as he looked back up at her.
“That actually helped,” he muttered, shrugging slightly as he realized the absence of bitter flavor.
Sally huffed in triumph and straightened her back to where she appeared more refined and cocky.
“See, I told you. I know a few more tricks than you think.”
Emcee shrugged loosely, refusing to speak anymore due to his hurt ego, and ran a few thin fingers through his sweaty, unkept hair. Sally tightened the lid of the old, cough syrup bottle and watched as Emcee laid down against the ripped fabric of the chaise lounge.
“Perhaps it’s time for bed now, hm?” She asked, smiling wittily as she rested the bottle on a nearby nightstand.
Emcee looked up to face Sally and expelled a light chuckle. He rolled his eyes and relaxed his shoulders as his body instinctively grew comfortable on the chaise.
“I suppose it is,” he said sweetly, rolling further onto his back and looking up at Sally with a small smile still pressed to his warm face.
Sally nodded pleasantly and began clearing some of the junk that was scattered around Emcee’s dressing room floor. After a few moments of tidying up, she reached into a small basket that rested just behind the chair, and pulled out a medium-sized blanket tucked neatly inside. Sally unfurled the ratty throw and, after attempting not to cough at all the dust flying out, laid the blanket gently over Emcee’s skinny body.
“Sally-,” Emcee started, chuckling abruptly at Sally’s generous gesture, feeling undoubtedly cared for, yet awkward. “You really do not have to cater to me so extensively, Mein Liebe. I am beginning to feel as if I am a burden. Plus, I do not even feel tired.”
“Nonsense! You are never a burden to me, Em! Never! You must learn that. As for sleep, you most desperately need it. It will help that medicine you just took to work ten times as much, I’m sure. And you can’t tell me that after all you went through tonight, with your sneezing and constant coughing, that you’re not the least bit tired,” Sally explained, reaching over and brushing the side of Emcee’s face gently, which made his eyes flutter repeatedly.
“Yes, you very much are,” Sally added sweetly, booping the tired man on the nose. “So how about you close those little eyes of yours, get some rest, and let that medicine do its job, hm?”
“Okay,” Emcee responded dreamily, already appearing relaxed and ready for a full night’s rest.
Sally smiled in satisfaction and began to rise from off the small lounge when she felt a warm hand grab at her wrist. She turned back to see Emcee, looking up at her with the most gentle eyes she’s ever seen.
“Can you stay with me tonight? If you don’t have any extra marks to make, that is,” Emcee murmured quietly, seemingly embarrassed to even ask such a question.
Sally stared at the man pleasantly when she unexpectedly made a stark connection. It suddenly hit her that with the way Emcee looked on the chaise lounge - so delicate and pure - that she was not only looking at the Master of Ceremonies of a seedy nightclub, but at a twenty-three year old man who probably still wished to have his mother tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight. This realization made her freeze in her tracks and caused her heart to ache terribly for the young man.
Sally, in retrospect, was not any older. Maybe four years behind him? It didn’t matter. Times like these made her unfortunately realize just how young some of the performers here at the Kit Kat Club really are, and how most of them are just here as means of survival. It was all quite sad really. However, Sally quickly snapped out of her self-pitying attitude when she noticed Emcee’s brows furrow quizzically. She instantly brightened her face to appear as if nothing was the matter, and grasped Emcee’s hand tightly.
“Of course, darling! Of course, I’d love to stay with you,” Sally exclaimed loudly, squeezing Emcee’s hand and smiling widely.
Emcee grinned gratefully and turned over to his side, pulling the old blanket over his shoulders and settling inside. He watched as Sally removed her high heels and placed them beside the chaise lounge before getting the grand idea to turn off some of the lights in the dressing room.
“I’ll leave these on for you, darling, because I know how much you detest the dark,” Sally explained, dimming the makeup lights around the vanity mirror and pulling up a chair beside Emcee on the lounge.
“Danke,” Emcee responded sweetly, looking up at Sally with true admiration. “And thank you for taking such sweet care of me, Mein Liebe. I truly do appreciate it. I don’t think I’ll ever find a way to repay you for all the kindness you’ve shown me this evening.”
“Oh, please. Let’s not get all formal now. I’ll always love taking care of my baby,” Sally stated kindly, planting a gentle kiss against Emcee’s temple. “All I want for you now is to get some sleep and to get better. Guten Nacht.”
“Your German is getting better,” Emcee complimented sleepily, smiling proudly up at the young flapper girl.
“Why, thank you. I can only hope so. That way I can understand all the stuff you and Rosie say behind my back. I hear that, you know.”
Emcee snickered softly like an erotic school boy before his small fit of laughter was interrupted by a large yawn. He sighed pleasantly and relaxed against the couch’s cushions as Sally continued to rub his head.
“I love you, Sally Bowles,” he whispered softly, his eyes fluttering shut with each passing stroke of Sally’s hand against his skin.
“I love you too, my baby,” Sally whispered back, planting another kiss to Emcee’s temple as she counted every slow breath his body took in the dark, desolate night.