2
The hospital was full of shouting voices and loud machines. Doctors and nurses were in a rush to get to the next victim of the Hindenburg crash.
Jack was wheeled into a private room
and quickly hooked to a machine. A
doctor stood in front of Rose questioning her nonstop. And then there was the official from
immigration. The man was very polite
and helpful and promised Rose that he’d contact Jack’s relatives in Chippewa
Falls. After a hour, she and Jack were
finally left alone.
She picked up the chart and
frowned. Smoke inhalation. That sounded serious enough to her, but
obviously the doctors had other opinions.
Only one doctor had examined Jack and one nurse came by every hour. So she sat with Mr. Dawson’s ashes in hand
and waited for Jack to wake up.
Yawning Rose closed her eyes and fell
into a restless sleep. Two hours later,
she awoke to find a blond woman with blue eyes staring down at Jack, a tear
lingering in her eyes. She gently
touched Jack’s hair….
“What trouble have you gotten into now
Jack?” The girl sighed.
“Hello?” Rose spoke up, wondering how
the girl knew Jack.
“Oh, you’re awake. You must be Jack’s fiancée immigration told
me about. My name is Emma Jean
Dawson. I’m one of Jack’s many
cousins.”
“Rose Dewitt Bukater,” Rose got to her
feet. “You got here awfully fast.”
“I was in the area and a friend of mine
works at immigration and saw Jack’s file.
He contacted me immediately.”
“Thank you for coming,” Rose rubbed
tears out of her eyes as she looked at the cousin, noticing just how much Jack
and Emma looked alike.
“He hasn’t changed very much in the
five years since I’ve known him,” Emma sighed.
“Does he still sketch?”
Before Rose could answer, Jack began to
wake up. “Rose,” he groaned, lifting a
hand to his head. He opened his eyes to
meet his cousins. He frowned. “You’re not Rose.”
Emma Jean laughed. “No I’m not. Now that we’ve established that do you know who I am?”
Jack looked at her closely; still
groggy from the smoke he had inhaled.
“Emmie? Cousin Emmie?”
Her eyes lit up. “You do remember.”
“What…how? How did you get here so fast?”
“I was in the neighborhood and a friend
from immigration contacted me. Grandma
and Grandpa are going to be as pleased as punch to see you.”
“Rose…”
“I’m right here Jack,” Rose got up and
took his hand.
“You ok?”
Rose nodded. “I’m fine. Just worried
about you.”
Emma Jean cleared her throat. “I’m going to step out and get you two some
tickets to Chippewa Falls. You are
coming back with me? Aren’t you Jack?”
“Where else do I have to go right
now? Of course we’ll go back with you.”
“Well…I was thinking you’d prefer the
cousins in Boston…” She laughed at the face Jack made. “That’s what I thought. Now behave yourself.”
“I always do,” Jack waved as his cousin
left, leaving him alone with Rose. Rose
was curious about his frown. She
realized he was staring at the box of ashes in the chair she was setting
in. “You saved them.”
“Of course I did. I know how much they mean to you,” Rose
placed a warm hand on his left cheek, noticing how his eyes were tearing
up. “Jack, what’s wrong?”
“Emmie…she loved my father so much…how
am I going to tell her he’s dead? That
the Nazi’s killed him and my mother’s sleeping with one of them? How can I tell her such a thing? I know she must be wondering where he’s at.”
“You’ll tell her as gently as you can
and I’ll be there to help,” Rose kissed him.
“Thank you,” Jack stroked her red
curls. “Thank you so much for saving
his ashes from the fire and for loving me like you do.”
“We’ll just call it even,” Rose smiled,
allowing herself to get lost in his blue orb, which widen in wonder.
“Rose…we’ve made it. We’re here in America! You’re free Rosie! You’ll never have to worry about the Nazi’s ever again!” Jack
pulled her into a happy hug. “We’re free
Rose! We’re finally free!”
They remained in each other’s arms,
once again discussing their hopes and dreams for their new lives in
America. Of course they knew there were
going to be hardships, but as long as they had each other, they would make it.
~*~
Rose was asleep when Emma Jean returned, but Jack was wide-awake watching her. It was obvious that he was deeply in love with the girl.
“I like her,” Emma Jean entered. “She’s good for you.”
“She’s good to me,” Jack sighed. “I don’t know where I’d be right now if it
weren’t for her.”
“Jack…what happened? Why were you two on the Hindenburg and why
didn’t you let anyone know you were coming?
And where is Uncle Lucas?”
Jack looked at the box of ashes still
setting in Rose’s chair and felt tears well up. He didn’t want to tell her, but he had to. She had the right to know. “They killed him Emmie. The Nazi’s killed him! There are his ashes in that chair. Delivered to me the day Rose and I fled
Germany for our lives. There’s his ash. In that chair,” Jack pointed, fighting back
tears.
Emmie slowly walked to the chair and
picked up the box. She gasped in horror
as she recognized the pair of glasses inside.
“Those sick bastards,” She closed the box and sat it back down. “What a horrible thing to have delivered. Why Jack?
Why did they do…this?”
“He was protesting the government. They wanted to shut him up, so they did.”
“Oh Jack…I…how horrible.”
“I hate them Emmie. I hate them and everything they stand for,”
Jack rubbed away the tears that were beginning to flow.
“I know you do Jack and I hate them
too. I hate them too,” She took the
hand that wasn’t wrapped around Rose.
“Listen, I know there’s more to this story, but I’m not going to push
it. I know you’ll tell everything in
your own time. Let me leave you two
alone now to get your sleep. You’ll be
discharged tomorrow morning and then we have a train to catch.
“Chippewa Falls,” a smile appeared on
Jack’s face and Emmie had to laugh.
“Yes, Chippewa Falls. Maybe being surrounded by the people that
love you will help you open up. Night
Jack.”
“Night Emmie,” he watched her leave
before yawning tiredly. Yes it was time
to sleep so he can wake up fresh and ready to face a new day.