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Written by Cecelia Dowdy - Visit my website: titanicfanfiction dotcom
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This story is written using characters created by James Cameron!
Chapter 1
"I love you, Jack." Rose clutched Jack's hand, her arm clinging onto the board, the chilly sea of water surrounding them.
"Don't you do that. Don't you say your goodbyes. Not yet, do you understand me?" Jack's mouth quivered, his body shivering in the freezing water.
"I'm so cold."
"Listen, Rose. You're gonna get outta here. You're gonna go on, and you're gonna make lots of babies and you're gonna watch 'em grow. You're gonna die an old…an old lady warm in her bed. Not here, not this night. Not like this. Do you understand me?"
"I can't feel my body."
Jack continued to speak. "Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful." His frigid body shivered, and he was barely able to speak, his teeth chattered so much from the cold. "You must..you must..do me this honor. You must promise me that you'll survive. That you won't give up. No matter what happens. No matter how hopeless, promise me now, Rose. And never let go of that promise. "
"I promise."
"Never let go."
"I will never let go, Jack. I'll never let go…"
Rose clutched Jack's hand, clinging onto the board with the other, the chilly sea of water surrounding them. Jack rested his head against the cold wood, using it to support his bone-cold body. Jack's teeth chattered and he hoisted himself onto the board, icicles clinging into his brown hair. Rose continued to sit atop the wood. Blowing air through his lips, he continued clutching Rose's hand, finally pulling her into his arms. He kissed her red hair, closing his eyes. Lord, please let us survive this ordeal.
The twosome clung to each other as the water continued to churn around them. He sniffed, hoping by clinging to one another, they could somehow get warm from their body heat. He closed his eyes, feeling himself drift away from his surroundings. "Jack, I'm scared." Rose's voice interrupted his slumber and he struggled to open his eyes, gazing into the face of the woman he'd grown to love in just a few days' time.
His head felt so heavy. He leaned toward Rose, continuing to hold her in his cold arms. His chattering teeth and his fatigue weighing him down. Taking a deep breath, he told her the truth. "I'm scared too, but, we'll get through this."
His eyes became heavy, feeling as if a ton of bricks rested on his eyelids. No longer able to fight the sensation, he drifted off into oblivion, still clinging to Rose, hoping their shared body heat would give them a way to survive in this cold, vast ocean of water.
The deep pierce of a whistle startled Jack. Sluggishly, he blinked his eyes open, spotting Rose in the distance blowing a whistle. One of the lifeboats had come back! The dull pounding of his heart continued amidst the frigid water that continued to bounce against his numb skin. Jack closed his eyes, no longer having the energy to stay awake.
Jack opened his eyes, gazing around the white, crowded, sterile-looking room. A multitude of cots lined the hardwood floor. He looked up, spotting the small round window in front of his bed. Vivid blue water churned and he squeezed his fists, struggling to recall where he was. He blinked before he spotted Rose. She sat on the floor beside his bed, leaning forward onto the mattress, her long, beautiful red hair spilled onto the snow-colored bedspread. Blinking, he touched his head. Pain radiated from his brain as fast and intense as a raging fire. Wincing, he raised his hand, caressing Rose's hair. She jerked up, her jade-green eyes wide, her full lips dropping open when she spotted him. "Jack!"
"Rose…" He licked his cracked lips, realizing his tongue was so dry that it almost stuck to the roof of his mouth. He clutched the bedspread, confusion sweeping through him like a tidal wave. "My head hurts." His rough-sounding voice startled him, and it almost sounded as if he were a different person. "Where am I?"
Rose grabbed his hand, her broken, jagged nails biting into his skin. "Jack, you're in the infirmary on the ship, Carpathia. We were rescued after the Titanic went down." She stroked his forehead, her cool fingers bringing relief to his heated skin. "You passed out right before we were rescued." He managed to open his eyes again to stare into her lovely face. Tears slipped from her green eyes, sliding down her dirty cheeks.
"Ah, Rose." He winced, the pain coming in another wave. "Don't cry, Honey."
"Jack, the doctors didn't know when you'd wake up. I was worried." Her velvety soft voice lowered. "I thought we might lose you."
He squeezed her hand, trying to fight another wave of pain. "My head hurts so bad."
She returned his squeeze. "I'll go and find the doctor."
He managed to take a deep breath, not wanting Rose to leave his side. "No, just stay here for a minute."
Jack blinked, still trying to take everything in. He tried to swallow, but, his throat and mouth were too dry. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke. "I need some water."
Rose released his hand, grabbing the glass pitcher of water beside his bed, she poured the liquid into a small cup. The sound of the liquid hitting the cup soothed his frazzled nerves. He tried to grasp the container, but she shook her head, still kneeling beside him. "Sit up, and don't drink too much water too soon. The doctor said if you drank too quickly, you might vomit it back up."
Still dazed, Jack glanced around the room, noting several other people in the makeshift infirmary. Some of the other patients struggled to sit up, too, and others stood by, watching patients, almost as if they were willing their loved ones to awaken. Questions popped into his brain as fast as popping kernels of corn and he wasn't sure which question to ask first. He closed his eyes, again fighting another searing wave of pain. He finally managed to push himself into a sitting position, his muscles screaming with pain. She placed the cup to his lips and he drank a few sips, wanting more liquid to ease down his parched throat.
"Remember, you need to drink this slowly." Rose reminded him.
Jack managed to drink two cups of water before the doctor entered. His white uniform blended in with the pale sheets and blankets used in the infirmary. He bended down, placing himself in front of Jack's cot. "Well, Jack, I see you've woken up." The doctor was tall and lean, and the kindness shining from his gray eyes automatically made Jack feel at ease.
Jack touched his head, wincing at the pain, about to speak, before Rose's sweet voice filled the room. "Doctor, he has a headache."
The doctor nodded. "Not surprised. That blow he got to the head would cause anybody to have a headache."
"Blow?" asked Jack.
The doctor nodded, taking his stethoscope, checking Jack's vital signs. "Yes, you were accidentally hit in the head with an oar while we were rescuing you, and now you have a headache." After the doctor was finished checking Jack's vitals, he poured some green powder into a cup, before filling the container with water. "Drink this. It'll help with your headache."
Jack grabbed the cup so fast, that a bit of the liquid sloshed out of the cup, splattering the snow-white blanket with a green stain. He guzzled the foul-tasting liquid, desperately hoping the concoction would help ease the pain of his headache. Once he was finished drinking the liquid, Rose removed the cup from his fingers and the doctor made his way to the next bed.
Rose grasped Jack's hand, and he found comfort and warmth from their entwined fingers. He laid back onto the soft pillow, blinking rapidly. A myriad thoughts plagued his mind. He vividly recalled the shouts and screams of those who'd been drowning when the Titantic sank. He blinked, and his heart skipped when Rose swiped his cheek. She leaned toward him, her lilac scent invading his nostrils. "Jack, what's wrong?"
He tried to shake his head, but sluggish fatigue invaded his body. "Nothing's wrong," he mumbled.
"Yes, something's wrong." She paused, again swiping his wet cheek. "You're crying," she whispered, her beautiful jade eyes filling with tears.
Jack remained silent, clutching Rose's hand, allowing the medicine that the doctor had given him take effect on his raging headache. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke. "Did a lot of people die?"
Rose finally nodded, and she remained silent for so long, he wondered if she was going to give him other details. "Lots of people died."
Wincing, Jack clutched her hand. Her soft skin was like a soothing balm against his palm. He blinked as the waves of pain in his head faded. Lord, why did this happen? Why did so many people die, and yet I was able to live? He recalled the people in steerage, remembering some of the children he'd befriended while he was on the ship. Realizing that the lifeboats mostly picked up the upper-class passengers, he figured that most in steerage had died. "Fabritzio?"
Tears cascaded down Rose's cheeks. "I'm sorry, Jack." Without her having to say the words, Jack realized his best friend was dead. Unable to control himself, his tears increased, and his body shook. He cried as Rose held him, providing a solid rock of support. He held her body in his arms, again relishing her female scent and her vivid red hair. She finally pulled away, handing him a square cloth of material to wipe his runny nose. He blew his nose, still reeling from the pain of the events over the last day.
Finally, his tears spent, Jack relaxed against the pillow in his bed, staring at the white ceiling, clutching Rose's hand. There had to be some goodness left on this earth – there had to be something he could do to make himself feel better. Wretched, devastated and depressed, he recalled his last moments with Rose before he passed out. "You said you loved me."
A smile flitted across her lips, and, amidst his feeling of devastation and depression, he found his heart rate increasing. He loved the fire and spirit that Rose possessed. He loved everything about this passionate woman and he'd do everything in his power to make sure she didn't have to suffer anymore than necessary. "Yes, I love you, Jack, I do."
He finally allowed his dry, cracked, bleeding lips to emit a small sad, desperate smile. Releasing her hand, he caressed her cheek. Several tendrils of her fiery hair spilled onto his hand and he fought the urge to kiss her. "I love you, too, Rose."
The doors to the infirmary burst open and Cal, Rose's former fiancé, strode in, his hair tangled and his dark eyes gleaming with anger. Jack swallowed, realizing that Cal must've overheard them through the thin, wooden doors. "Love?" The word oozed from Cal's lips with hatred. He rushed over to Rose, jerking her off of the floor, grabbing her arm, before his hand slammed against her cheek with a strong slap, forcing her head to jerk to the side. Tears cascaded from her eyes and a red welt now marred Rose's skin.
What was wrong with this lunatic? Was he possessed? Hot, vivid contempt fed through Jack's veins. Using all his strength, he struggled to get out of bed to help Rose, but the room swayed and he fell back onto the cot.
Cal spoke through clenched lips. "You will not get away with this!" Cal cursed, raising his hand to strike Rose again before she stomped on his foot and spit in his face. The thick, bubbly spittle dripped down Cal's perfectly-shaped eyebrows while his eyes continued to blaze with anger. His tailor-made expensive dark dinner jacket was ripped and the black threads dangled from the garment. Jack groaned, longing to punch Cal in the nose.
Jack again struggled in the bed, trying to throw his blankets off so that he could fight Cal, but his arms weighed heavy, as if a bunch of bricks rested on his limbs. The fuzziness in his head increased, making it harder to stay awake. He blinked, opening his mouth, uttering the first thing that came to his mind. "Stop…Cal." He managed to speak in a sluggish voice before everything went black and he passed out.
So, what did you think about the end of this chapter? What do you think about Rose spitting in Cal's face? Please leave a review!
Written by Cecelia Dowdy - Visit my website: titanicfanfiction dotcom