24
Six months had passed since Rose received news of Jack’s capture. She tried keeping herself busy, but her thoughts constantly returned to Jack. She would wonder if he was in pain, or even alive. Nightmares plagued her constantly. Jack’s dead corpse, battered and bruised…reaching out for her. Jack in pain, his eyes begging for mercy. But the worse one was when he’s singing Come Josephine to her, seemingly his voice happy and alive and full of sunshine. And then everything goes dark and his singing turns into screams of pain and terror.
Well at least Sam was happy. George had been returned to her, after being shot in the leg. Rose would often feel jealous and cheated, thinking that it should be Jack coming home. She should be the one walking through the house on cloud nine right now, her husband back at her side. She had never revealed her jealousy, but everyone knew it was there. Jack’s absence and situation was eating away at her soul.
It’s Monday morning. Rose sat outside, her daughter asleep in her arms. She was trying to find some joy in the new day. She was so tired of crying and longing for things to be different when they weren’t. She had to pick herself up…for Josephine’s sake if nothing else. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine Jack next to her, drawing her in the sunrise.
"Ahem," a voice interrupted her daydream. Rose opened her eyes to find another young officer on the porch.
"I am her," She replied before he could ask. There was no longer any need to question who the notice was for. She was the only one left with h er husband still over seas.
"Good day mam," The officer tipped his hat as he handed Rose the envelope. He was gone as soon as the letter was in her hand.
Rose just stared at the envelope, dreading to read what it said, but having no choice. "Josephine, go get your cousins please. Tell them that I need them."
The little girl looked at her with Jack’s big blue eyes. So full of happiness and love. Reminding Rose of when she had first realized that she loved Jack. On the bow of Titanic, receiving their first kiss. "Yes Mommy," the little girl hopped off her lap and ran inside. Soon George and Sam were there, looking down at Rose in concern.
"Rose," Samantha sat next to her, looking at the white envelope, not liking the look of things. That envelope looked all too familiar.
Rose looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "He’s dead. I know that’s what the letter’s going to say. Jack’s gone."
"Oh Rose, you don’t know that for sure…do you want George to read it for you?"
Rose looked at the envelope and then at George. Could she really ask him to do that? They both must think that she’s the biggest coward.
"Here," George gently took the letter. "I don’t mind. Really."
"Ok," Rose sniffed, wrapping her now empty hands around her shoulders, not looking at either of them.
"Dear Mrs. Jack Dawson. The government of the United States of America are ecstatic to inform you that we have recovered your husband, private Jack Dawson. He should be returning home by train in another week. We will keep you informed," George read.
"Rose looked up, blinking in
disbelief. Did it say what she had thought it said? Was Jack
really coming home? He was alive after all? "He’s
alive?"
George nodded, happiness and worry in his eyes. "It says
here that you should set up an appointment with the military
psychiatrist. That he’ll inform you of Jack’s mental
health. You know…I wonder what Jack’s mental health is
in…you know, an experience like that has got to be mind
altering."
"Oh who cares. The important thing is that he’s alive and coming home," Samantha hugged Rose happily. In another week, everything will be back to normal.
Really Rose wasn’t listening to either of them. Jack was coming home. That was all she could think about. Her Jack was coming home and she was never going to let him leave her side again.
~*~
In a French hospital, Jack laid awake in the dark room. He looked up at the ceiling, listening to the silence. He wasn’t the same person he had been when he had left Rose at the train station all those months ago. What was it now? Over a year? He had changed, but how much? Would Rose still love him? God, he hoped so. He didn’t know how he had gotten along without her for this long.
Closing his eyes, he tried to forget. Forget about the war, forget about the captivity, and forget about the coming reunion with his family and their reactions to him. All he wanted now was peace.