A STORYBOOK ROMANCE
Chapter Six

Ruth shook her daughter once more, fear beginning to build in her mind. She grasped at Rose's shoulders, trying to make her look up, but Rose didn't even move and for the first time, Ruth noticed the trouble she had breathing.

"Rose, come on, wake up!" she said sharply and once again shoved her daughter to the side, causing her to yelp out in pain. "Stop playing these childish games and wake up!"

But Rose wouldn't have been able to wake up even if she had wanted to. After she had managed to get up the day before and walk out to meet Jack, another surprise that Cal enjoyed had been waiting for her in her stateroom. He had beaten her again, not caring that her body couldn't take any more rough handlings. He had ripped her skirt once more, just like he had back in Europe once, and forced himself on her. He did it again and afterwards, Rose had just closed her eyes, refusing to see him anymore. And now she couldn't open them.

If a doctor had been there, he would have been able to tell Ruth that Rose had slipped into a coma and no one could be certain that she would wake up. Cal had beaten her so badly that her body had shut everything out and now, she could die.

Rose breathed in with even more difficulty and then coughed, her hand blindly pressing against her chest. Ruth watched her daughter with building worry, nausea forming into the tight knot in her stomach. What had she done to her daughter? This wasn't Jack's fault, nor Rose's.

Only Ruth and Cal could be blamed for Rose lying unconscious, barely breathing.

Ruth got up, pacing the room for a while, her steps heavy, yet quick. Trudy looked inside every once in a while, but Ruth made her leave quickly. She couldn't let Trudy see Rose like that. Things could only get worse the more people knew about it.

What was she going to do? If she called a doctor, he would know that Rose had been abused and she would have to say that it had been Cal…and then where would she be? Ruth breathed in sharply, looking down at her motionless daughter.

Unless…Ruth pursed her lips tightly. Unless, there was another way of dealing with this. She had to talk to Cal. Deep inside, she felt sick at the thought of going to Cal for advice, of protecting him, but on the outside, she didn't feel bad. It was the only way for her to reach her goal, to stay rich and never have to work. Rose wasn't that sick. She would be fine. Yes, she would be fine. Ruth smiled at her daughter, placed a soft kiss on her pale forehead, and then left.

*****

"Yes, that's the only thing that will work…" Cal said, smiling at his future mother-in-law. He then led her back to her stateroom, before leaving her to get the doctor. But as soon as he had left her, he frowned, feeling Lovejoy's disapproving glance at him.

"I went too far, I know, but now we'll finally get rid of that steerage trash. For good."

Lovejoy didn't say anything. His eyes spoke enough. You can be glad if you don't lose your fiancée at the same time. Cal's wrinkles deepened. Yes, he would be lucky if Rose made it. He didn't even remember hitting her last night. He just remembered her on the bed, squirming under him. He remembered getting angry, ripping her dress, but somehow, he had blocked out hitting her, blocked out throwing her against the wall, kicking her in the stomach, on her head. He couldn't even remember that she had been unconscious when he had forced his body down on hers, forced her legs to open. He couldn't remember. Her comatose sleep was a mystery to him. Perhaps Dawson had returned last night.

*****

Jack and Fabrizio stood motionless near the gate separating the first class from the second. A steward was just walking toward them and opened the gate slowly. Screams and aggravated voices from below, from steerage made him look away from the gate. Just the moment Jack had been waiting for. He hurried past and Fabrizio smiled at him as he disappeared around the corner on the first class deck.

Quietly, Fabrizio disappeared down to steerage again and grinned at the scene Tommy was engineering.

He was yelling and screaming at Cora, who was dragging his best shirt on the deck, laughing and giggling. The steward from the first class deck yelled at them to keep it down. Tommy stopped immediately, smiling deviously at the steward.

"Thank you for your advice there," he yelled, grinning. The steward just shook his head and left the railing.

"How did I do?" Cora laughed, running into Tommy's arms. He threw her up and pretended to let her fly through the air as she giggled with glee.

"Just wonderful. Jackie's got a chance now."

Fabrizio nodded, worry shining in his eyes. There was no telling what Cal would do to Jack this time if he caught him before Jack managed to save Rose. If…if she could be saved. Fabrizio had had a bad feeling about Rose since the night before. He had known a girl in Italy, whose much older husband used to beat her up and Rose had looked like her last night. The same haunted expression in her eyes, the same fear, the same pain.

The girl he had known had died. One night, she had just fallen asleep and never woken up. One of the punches to her head had been too much. Fabrizio didn't know how Jack would take it if Rose died. He knew his best friend well and he knew that Jack had never fallen in love before. Not until now, not until he saw Rose DeWitt Bukater on the Titanic. He had fallen hard and there was no telling what he would do if the woman he loved died.

Fabrizio winced, looking up at the first class deck. There was no telling what Cal would do to Jack, either. If he were found. Rich men like Cal were powerful and he could have Jack killed, thrown in jail, anything, in no time.

"Hey, Fabri, don't worry about Jackie boy. He's in love and he can take care of himself."

But Tommy's eyes showed the same worry. Worry about the wonderful girl they had seen dance with their friend. The girl with the jealous fiancé.

*****

"Oh, dear God, this girl has been beaten…brutally, Mr. Hockley, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater."

The doctor looked up at the sad woman and the worried future husband. He had been a doctor long enough to know that this man was not as concerned as he seemed. He was probably the one who had done this to the girl in the bed, but he knew he couldn't prove it. All he could do was try to help the girl, save her life. And pray it wouldn't happen again.

"She…made friends with some steerage trash a few nights ago. He…" Cal's voice broke and he looked down, as he tried to find the next words in his lie. The doctor didn't seem to care, he just tended to Rose's wounds, listened to her heartbeat and looked at her eyes. It didn't look good for Rose. She had a concussion and falling asleep was the worst thing she could have done. She could die, without ever opening her eyes again.

"He…tried to assault her then, but she protected him and made up some lie about him saving her from going overboard."

If this story had taken place in our time, Cal would have used the term the Stockholm Syndrome to describe Rose's reaction. Falling in love with your kidnapper, falling in love with your attacker.

"I'm afraid she started to like him despite it and we had to invite him for dinner to keep her happy. Last night, she was seeing him again and…she came home beaten and hurt like this and fell asleep at once. She wouldn't say anything about it, but we know who did it. That steerage trash, Jack Dawson."

Cal wiped away a few imaginary tears, but inside, even Cal was trembling. If someone figured out he was the one who had beaten, possibly killed Rose, he would be in a lot of trouble. Even if he was Caledon Hockley. He remembered his father's words when he had gotten engaged to Rose. "Don't ruin this relationship, too, son, or I'll disown you, Caledon. No money. Not a cent."

He looked at the doctor desperately, smiling, a smile outwardly tinged by worry.

The doctor just nodded, getting up from Rose's side.

"I would suggest you press charges against the person who did this. I can't promise you she will survive. She's been…" He coughed, remembering Ruth. "She's been raped and beaten, badly. I don't know if she will wake up." Ruth gasped several times, and the doctor thought he saw an impulse to hit the tall, dark man next to her.

But he didn't tell them everything now. For one thing, he didn't want Caledon Hockley's rage over him at that moment, not with Rose in a bed next to him.

"I'll be going now. I'll return in a while. Let me know if there's any change."

He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He couldn't bear to be near these people. This man who beat and raped his fiancée and this mother, this mother who let it happen. He tried to figure out what could make her do something like that. Mr. Hockley was rich. Greed? Let her daughter suffer this abuse to make money? The doctor shuddered inside.

He tipped his hat and opened the door, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Just as he opened the door, the face of a young man became visible. Blond hair hanging in his handsome, yet worried and grief-stricken face, blue eyes pounding with fear.

"Is Rose all right? Are you a doctor? Please, just tell me she's going to be all right. That's all…" He started choking with emotion, not noticing Cal storming towards him, pushing Lovejoy out into the corridor to get the Master-at-Arms. "That's all that I want."

"That's him! The ruffian who did this to my daughter!" Ruth cried and sank down on a chair next to Rose. Rose still didn't move.

The young man saw Rose for the first time and instantly forgot Ruth's words.

"Oh, Rose…what did he do to you? How could you do this to her?" he said enraged, but keeping his voice low for Rose's sake. He turned to Cal rapidly, shoving him up against the wall, trying to control the impulse in him that told him to kill this inhuman monster, the monster who had rendered Rose motionless and still. Dying? Jack didn't want to think the word.

"Let me go. You've already almost killed my fiancée. Let me go."

Cal's voice was strong, not filled with fear and, shocked at the words, Jack let go, backing away. So, it hadn't just been a threat last night? Jack didn't care if he ended up in jail for something he hadn't done. If only Rose lived. But now it looked like she wouldn't. Had coming here again killed her? No. The doctor was already there, it had happened last night. Last night. His fault, too.

He looked at the doctor, seeing the compassion shining in his eyes.

"Is she going to be all right?"

"I don't know, son." He wanted so desperately to tell Jack at that moment, but he couldn't. It was best if Cal let this get out of control, let him dig his own grave.

Jack looked at him with growing fear.

"I didn't hurt her. He did it. He…he beats her. I…I was trying to save her." He looked over at the unconscious Rose, suppressing a sob. Rose, please don't die. I'll do better next time. I won't let him take you again. I won't ever let him take you.

He felt someone grab him from behind and then they placed the handcuffs on him. Again. He turned around, in slow-motion, not feeling the pain this time, nor the annoyance he had the last time. He only felt…numb. Rose. That was all that mattered. Her being okay.

"He did it! He raped and beat my fiancée." Cal's voice was hoarse and low. This lie was even too much for him. The Master-at-Arms nodded, looking over at Rose and then at the doctor.

"Has the girl been beaten and…raped?"

Jack closed his eyes tightly, almost falling. Raped. Rose raped by Cal. She had told him it had happened once. In the car, she had told him. He had been even gentler with her then and taken it very slow. Afterwards, she had told him she hadn't felt any fear or pain, only love. And now he had done it again. Jack swallowed, trying to stay up.

"I'm afraid you're going with us, son. In New York, they'll decide what to do with you."

They started leading him away. Cal started smiling. Ruth relaxed.

"Not so fast," the doctor interrupted, a breathless expression finding its way to his eyes. "Not so fast."

Chapter Seven
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