TITANIC CONTINUED
Chapter Seventeen
After several minutes passed,
Rose stood up weakly. In the mirror, she saw her reflection--tear-stained
cheeks, red eyes, and worst of all, a swollen, red spot here and there. Her
head ached.
I can't believe him! she screamed inside, for she dared not try
to speak aloud for the pain in her mouth and jaw.
She had nowhere to go.
Voices were in her head saying, Go
to him, Rose! He'll take care of you! Go! Run to Jack! He loves you, remember?
"I can't marry you,
Rose..."
She felt faint, and the pain grew
greater. The room started to spin.
She had no choice. For the first
time, she listened to the little voices in her head.
*****
I'm screaming inside, aching
for you
My arms have to hold you
My eyes die when they can't see you
I want to hold onto you, and only you, forever
Words can't describe this love I feel
I know I hurt you
I swear I'll kill myself before I do it again
I want to belong to you
Please believe me
Please forgive me.
I love you, Rose.
Before I wilt away and die
Please love me again.
Jack
Jack read it over more times than
he could count. He'd never really been big on poetry.
"Not bad for a
beginner," he said thoughtfully.
Now he folded it gently, and for
some reason, kissed it.
Then he stood up and started
toward the door. He planned to slip the poem under Rose's door, as he'd done
with Molly's drawing. God, what if her mother finds it! Jack said to
himself laughingly. He hoped Rose would answer the door. He just wanted to see
her.
As his hand reached for the
doorknob, there were knocks from the other side.
"Who in the heck?" he
asked, knowing that none of his bunkmates ever knocked.
It was Rose. Oh, my God, it's
her! It's her! She's here! he thought, his heart jumping for joy. Then he
gasped. He lunged forward and grabbed Rose, for she looked as if she'd collapse
if she had to stand up a second longer.
"What happened?" Jack
demanded.
Rose's eyes were slowly closing.
"I...had nowhere to go. Jack, please..."
She was passing out. "No!
No, Rose! Stay with me. Come on! Keep those eyes open for me! Come on!"
He carried her to his bed and lay
her down gently.
"I'm so glad you came,"
he whispered gently, stroking her hair. What could have happened to her to get
her in this shape? Her eye was going to turn black. Her lips weren't bleeding
and nothing appeared to be broken, but he could see by the way she clutched her
stomach and kept raising her hand to touch her cheek and forehead that she'd
been hit several times.
"Who did this?" Jack
asked, still using the demanding tone. But he already knew who had done it.
Anger filled him. "Cal?"
Rose slowly nodded.
"Oh, when I get my hands on
him, I swear..." Rose looked terribly woozy. He had to do something.
"Forget about that. Tell me what hurts, Rose. Does your back hurt? Your
arm? What is it?"
She didn't answer.
My God. She's traumatized, Jack thought.
"Rose, listen to me! Perk up
and tell me what's hurting! This could be serious! Did he hit you in the
head?"
Rose shook her head no.
"Where did he hit you? How
many times and how hard?" he inquired, examining her pupils for a possible
concussion. They were dilated. She must have hit her head on something.
"Rose, don't pass out.
You've got a concussion, I think. Your jaw and eye are gonna be okay, but
you've gotta stay awake!"
Jack stood up and wiped his hands
on his pants. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know if there was a doctor.
"There has to be a doctor! We're on the Titanic! Rose, stay awake. Please,
please, stay awake! I'm going to get someone. Just lay still..."
Rose's hand weakly raised itself
to Jack's.
"Don't leave me," she
whispered.
Jack stopped shuffling.
"But...Rose, this is bad. You need a doctor. I'll be right back! I can't
believe this happened..."
Rose's hand still barely clutched
his. "Please hurry...it hurts, Jack..." she said, her voice weak. He
didn't want to leave her like this, all alone. But he had to get someone who
could help.
"I promise. I promise I'll
be right back. Try not to move. I'll be right back."
He leaned over and kissed her
forehead before making a dash for the door.
The first steward he saw he asked
if there was a doctor on board.
"There are doctors for first
and second class," the steward replied, studying Jack, who was breathing
hard.
Jack frowned. "It'll have to
do," he said, talking to himself.
He found, as fast as he could,
the second class infirmary.
The doctor was not with a
patient, so Jack burst into the examining room.
"Doc, you've gotta come
quick! There's a girl down in third class. She's got a concussion and
she's..."
The doctor grabbed his bag
without a word and followed Jack.
After a battle with trying to
keep up with Jack, the doctor knelt down to examine the young lady.
After a few minutes, he stood up.
"This girl has been beaten. Who's responsible for this?" he asked.
His tone had a touch of accusation.
Jack pointed to Rose. "Her
fiancé did it to her. She came here after it happened. She was about to pass
out and I ran to get you..."
The doctor walked over to Jack.
"You made the right choice. She's hit her head, and knocked it good and
hard. For right now, I think she'll be fine--she's not showing any signs of
serious damage, just a good old-fashioned concussion, which will go away. It's
all right to let her sleep. She won't go into a coma. It's only mildly serious.
Get some ice for that jaw, and get a good piece of raw steak for that eye. But
as soon as this thing docks, take her right to a good doctor, just to be
safe."
The doctor turned to go.
Jack stumbled. "I...I can't
pay you," he said quietly.
The doctor turned around. "I
wouldn't take money from you if you had it. Just do one thing for me, son. Keep
her away from the man who did that to her. No woman deserves that. No real man
hits a woman."
Jack nodded. "Thank you very
much, sir. Thank you. You're very kind."
The doctor left, and Jack
returned to Rose's side.