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(Author’s Note: I’ve made a change in the script of the movie. Jack never told Rose his parents died in a fire. He just said that he left Chippewa Falls for personal reasons beyond his control)
"Come Josephine in my flying machine, and it’s up she goes. Up she goes," Rose sanged to herself, staring up into the stars, trying to forget the freezing cold that’s biting away at her. "Oh Jack look! A shooting Star!" She replied and shivers some more as she remembered Jack’s father’s theory about shooting stars. There ought to be a lot of them tonight.
"Hello!" A voice rings out over the darkness. "Is anyone alive out there! Hello!"
What’s that? Another call for the boats to return? Rose forces herself to turn back on her stomach and looks out towards the horizon. Her eyes widen with joy as she sees the silhouette of a lifeboat moving around the lifeless bodies. They were saved!
She glances at Jack, who eyes are closed, frost framing his face. Fear strikes her heart at how peaceful he seems. She remembers in her boarding school, her teacher was discussing the dangers of Hypothermia. Never go to sleep. It’s fatal to sleep when you’re so cold.
"Jack no!" Rose gasps in fear. She felt so stupid! Why wasn’t she paying more attention to him? Why did she let him fall asleep! She should have forced him to stay awake against the cold, no matter how tired he was! "Jack!" She cried, forgetting about the boat.
"Rose?" the whisper was hoarse, but it was there, the sign that Jack wasn’t lost after all.
"Jack?" Rose again felt stupid for giving up so easily. She should have known that if he could survive all that’s happened so far, he could survive the below freezing temperature of the water. "You’re alive."
"Of course I’m alive," Jack tries to laugh but fails, he was now having even more problems getting air into his lungs than before. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to make it for much longer…he would have remained asleep and died that way, but he wanted to let Rose know how he felt about her first. "I love you Rose." His voice grew more strained with each word.
Rose’s frowned, the meaning of those three words sinking into her already frozen mind. He was saying good-bye. But he couldn’t, not yet! There was a boat! They were just moments away from being saved. He couldn’t let go now! He couldn’t.
"Jack listen to me," She catches his already wavering gaze. "A boat has come back to rescue us, but we’re too far away. I’m going to try to get their attention. Just hang on ok? Promise me you’ll hang on. That you won’t let go."
"Rose…"
Rose becomes angry. "Jack Dawson! You made me promise, now it’s your turn! Promise me that you’ll hang in there! Promise me now Jack!"
"Ok. I promise," Jack sighed, looking away from her.
Rose nods in satisfaction. She knew Jack. He always kept his promises. She looks over at the boat and her heart sinks. They were further away now. In her weakening condition, there was no way they would be able to hear her. She looks around at all the dead bodies, her hope beginning to fade. She felt like such a fool waiting so long and then letting the boat get away. Now both her and Jack were going to die because of her carelessness. Swallowing she looks over at a dead officer, the whistle still in his mouth and that small flame of hope flares back up again as the idea strikes her.
"Jack…can you swim?" She squeezes his hand to get his attention.
His voice is now a raspy whisper. "I can’t barely move. I don’t think I can swim."
"Well can you wade?"
"I can try."
"Ok. Just hold on and follow me," Rose slips off the board and begins moving towards the officer, all the while clinging to Jack's hand, never letting go. "Hang on Jack, I’m almost there."
After what seems like an eternity, she reaches the officer with the whistle. She snatches the whistle from the officer’s lips and blows with what’s left of her strength.
"Come about!" a bright light shines in her face just as she blacks out, praying that Jack was still alive and that they’d both survive to see New York together.