Chapter 2
A New Hope
Rose awoke in a strange room. She didn't know where she was or how she had managed to get there. The last thing in her memory was falling asleep next to Jack, knowing that he was alive. Nothing was quite certain after that. The whole night had been nothing but a blur of screaming and shouting in her mind.
Rose continued to survey the tiny cabin she was in. She was all alone and the mere thought made her shiver. Jack? Where are you? Her breath suddenly became quickened as the endless possibilities ran through her head. Could it have all been a dream? A horrible, horrible dream… Her voice was hushed and her face was full of sadness. "Jack?" she whispered into the chilled air around her.
Rose was immediately shaken from her thoughts as the door suddenly opened, revealing a plump little old lady carrying a small tray of food. The lady immediately noticed Rose sitting up on the bed with worry spread throughout her face. She smiled and continued towards the little dresser on the other side of the room where she sat the steaming food. "Good to see you're finally up." the woman said in a cheery voice. "I was worried sick about you. Didn't look like you'd make it for a while there." Rose just stared at her, her mouth hanging slightly open in confusion. The lady smiled briefly before extending her hand. "My name is Elizabeth… Elizabeth Parker, but you can just call me Beth. I'm actually a passenger on the Carpathia. Once I found out what happened, I was absolutely devastated." Beth brought her attention back to the tray of food. She began to pour some tea as she continued to talk. "It really is a shame. So many innocent people. When I saw just how many people needed help, I volunteered knowing that they would need all the help they could get." She handed Rose a cup of tea. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
"Rose…" She whispered as she quietly set the cup of tea aside. "I was traveling with someone…but…"
Beth brought her hand up to her chin in thought. "Oh yes! I forgot to tell you that the doctor came in about an hour or two ago. He told me that the young man that you were with is being held in the ship's infirmary. They just wanted to keep a close watch on him I guess. You don't worry one bit though. I'm sure he'll be all right." Beth smiled down at Rose as she gently patted her new friend on the cheek in a motherly sort of fashion. "I brought you some tea and some hot soup. I think that'll do the trick. There are extra blankets on the dresser if you need them. I still need to tend to some other survivors so if you don't take me as terribly rude to leave you, I'll be on my way."
"Oh, it's quite alright. Th…thank you Beth. I'm sorry, it's just that so much has happened to me all at once, I just feel really lost. I really do appreciate all that you've done for me. It's very kind of you."
"Well it's was a pleasure to meet you Rose and your more than welcome. I only wish that there were more that I could do. I hope you start to feel better. I'll be back in about an hour or so if you need anything. It'll at least give you enough time to get a good hot meal down." And with that, Beth left with her cheery smile spread across her face.
Rose sighed to herself and started sipping the tea and soup. The warmth filled her body with the heat that she longed for and she felt the life come back into her. She sat back thinking about all that had happened. Never in her life would she have guessed in the entire world that life would lead her down such an unexpected path.
After she finished her food and cleaned herself up a bit, Rose slipped on her shoes again and left the little cabin to find Jack. Reaching the boat deck, Rose winced at what lay before her. Sprawled out on make-shift cots and laying next to piles of life jackets, were hundreds of woman and children. Their eyes were reddened from the lack of sleep and endless hours of crying. Rose couldn't help but let a single tear fall for those lost as she said a silent prayer.
Continuing down the boat deck, Rose saw much of the same scenery. She watched as a steward carefully handed a stack of blankets to a small family. She approached him and smiled softly as his face lightened at the sight of yet another helpless victim.
"May I help you miss?"
"Yes, I believe you can. I'm looking for a man named Jack Dawson. I've been told that he was being held in the infirmary. I'm afraid I haven't a clue as to how to get there. Would you be so kind as to show how to get there?"
The steward smiled and nodded as relief ran throughout his body. All morning he had become to believe that not a single person would find their loved ones or dear friends that they had left aboard last night. He was happy that this girl was an exception. "It'd be my pleasure miss. It's just down the deck a bit. Right this way…"
As Rose followed the steward back down the narrow hallways, she couldn't help but look at all of the grieving faces. Somehow, she couldn't help but think that she could have been one of them easily. It was a miracle that Jack had even made it this far. It still wasn't certain if he'd make it even now. Another tear fell down Rose's chilled cheek as she thought of the awful possibilities that lie in front of her. But no matter what the outcome, Titanic would be something she would never forget. Even if she lived to be a hundred and one, she knew that the awful memories would still haunt her. But then again, not everything on Titanic was awful. There would always be Jack. The thought of seeing him again forced Rose to dry her eyes and take a long and shuddering breath.
As they neared the infirmary, the steward motioned for Rose to enter as he spoke "I hope you find your Jack. Best of luck to you both." Rose's heart was pounding. My Jack…he's my Jack, isn't he? And I'm his Rose. She smiled to herself as she kindly thanked the man and opened the door. Whatever lay inside, she was ready to face it.
Chapter 3 | Story Index | Review This Story | Email Author | Home |
