Chapter Nine
Two days later…
Jack begins to awaken from his deep slumber. The last thing he remembers was being in the freezing water holding Rose hands. He tries moving his hand, but someone’s holding it tightly.
"Rose?" Jack opens his eyes to stare at a white ceiling.
"Jack," a familiar voice says his name coldly. He turns and sees Caroline glaring at him, holding his hand tightly.
"Caroline," Jack blinks, a little surprised to find her by his bedside.
"How are you feeling dear? Fine? Well that’s good," Caroline doesn’t give Jack the chance to answer. "Imagine my relief when they brought you on deck. I was so worried because you were so cold and pale…but they brought you here and now you’re well."
"Rose," Jack looks at Caroline.
"Oh Jack…you were with her weren’t you? Poor Mrs. Dewitt Bukater. She was devastated when she found out."
"Found out what?"
"Why Jack, don’t you remember? They found you both out there, but…poor Rose…she didn’t make it Jack. They tried to revive her, but nothing helped."
"No. She promised," Jack turns away, certain that Caroline was lying. She had to be. Rose wouldn’t break a promise…she wouldn’t.
"Jack…I know how much you cared about her and I’m sorry. But she’s gone. Face it, your Rose is gone."
Jack blinks back his tears.
Crying wouldn’t bring Rose back to him. It would only make
things worse. "How about Fabri? He made it didn’t
he?"
Caroline solemnly shakes her head, this time she’s truthful.
She had checked all the lists but Fabrizio was on none of them.
She felt a little twinge of sadness when she found this out. She
had nothing against Fabrizio. He was a good person and never got
in her way. A part of her would miss him. But another part of her
was relieved. Now jack had no close friends and that made it
easier for her to control things. And telling by the way the
light went out of his eyes…she had a feeling that carefree
spirit of his would no longer be a problem for any longer.
"Madame…may I take your names?" A steward appears in the doorway.
"Yes. Dahl. Jack and Carly Dahl," Caroline smiled. Jack opens his mouth to protest, but then falls silent. Why resist? Without Rose and Fabrizio…he lost all well to go on. Let Caroline do what she wants. He no longer cared.
"Jack," Rose sighed lazily as she opens her eyes to stare at the ceiling of a first class stateroom. Where was she? Where was Jack? How did she get here?
"Rosie darlin? You awake?" her aunt Molly’s voice floats to her. That’s when it came flooding back. The sinking, the cold freezing water…and Jack not responding to her calls.
"Jack!" Rose cries out in heartwrenching grief. Now she was alone. No one loved her…no one…not like Jack anyway. No one would ever love her like Jack did.
"Oh darlin’, I’m so sorry. I looked for him on the lists and such, but he wasn’t listed. Oh Rosie I’m so sorry," Molly ran to embrace her niece.
"Oh Jack, my poor sweet Jack," Rose cried. "Why Molly why? Why did I find him just to lose him two days later."
"I don’t know Rosie. I don’t know. It’s such a shame. He was a good soul with a kind heart and it was obvious how much he loved you. I’m so sorry this happened," Molly soothed her niece.
"I was with him the whole time Molly. When we were in that freezing water I was with him. He had found some floating debris and he made me get on it. He tried to join me but the board would only hold one person…I tried to get back off but he made me stay on and he made me promise to go on…no matter what happened."
"Oh Rose."
"But how can I molly? How can I go back to living under my mother’s roof, putting up with her put downs…how can I go on living in a world with out Jack?"
"…I don’t know Rose," Molly shakes her head. She honestly didn’t know how Rose was going to survive. For one thing, her and Ruth had talked and decided it would be good to go their separate ways. At the time Molly thought Rose was dead and that was her only reason for staying with her sister in law. But now that Rose was back…how can she possibly get Ruth to let her stay? That woman will kill the spirit that Jack had resurrected in Rose. How can Molly protect Rose now? Then an idea comes to her. A painful idea, but it may be Rose's only way out. "Rose…your ma still thinks you’re dead. I had the officers bring you straight here to my stateroom and I didn’t see fit to tell Ruth just yet that you were alive."
"What are you getting at Aunt Molly," Rose wipes away her tears.
"Well darlin’…I was thinking…what if we don’t tell old Ruthie of your survival. What if I just keep you hidden until we reach Denver…then we’ll figure out what to do from there. What do you say?"
"But what about Mother Molly? Won’t she want to come in here and pay you a visit?"
"Not unless I call her in here," Molly smiled. "We’ll of course be staying in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel for a couple of days, then me and you will go on to Denver by train, your mother none the wiser that her recently deceased daughter will be joining me. What do ya say Rose?"
Rose is quiet for a second. This was something completely new to her. Of course she was already planning to leave her old life behind when she had told Jack that she was getting off with him, but that was when she was going to have Jack with her. But now Jack was gone and she’d be all alone. How can she possibly survive?
"Rose?" Molly gets concerned when Rose doesn’t answer.
"Ok Molly. We’ll do it. Besides…I think Jack would want me to do this. It’ll be a way for me to keep my promise to him," Rose nods, her heart aching at the thought of her Jack.
"Oh Rose…you did love him didn’t ya?"
Rose sniffs and nods, allowing Molly to take her in her arms and comfort her like she used to do when Rose was a child.
Five days later…
Jack leans against the rail looking up at the statue of liberty, thinking of how Fabrizio will never get to see the magnificent statue, the one goal he had all his life.
"Jack did you hear me!" Caroline yells into his ear. "Once we dock, we’ll be going to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel where we’ll stay the night. They’re putting up all Titanic survivors for the night! Then first thing tomorrow we’ll be on the next train to Chippewa Falls! Do you understand me!"
"Yes Caroline," Jack nods, not looking at her.
"Jack listen to me…" Caroline leaves off as she looks at the far end of the rail and sees Rose. She immediately steps in front of Jack, hiding him from view. She can’t let them see each other. They’ll be back in each other’s arms in seconds. "She had to get Jack out of here now. She roughly grabs his arm. "Come on Jack. It’s time we disembark. I want to get to the hotel as soon as possible," She pushes him to the docking ramp as soon as she possibly could.
Rose stares up at the statue of liberty, thinking of her time with Jack. It had been the most magical time of her life and she wasn’t going to forget it. She would always love Jack, he would always live in her heart and that’s what was important. And she was going to keep her promise to him. She was going to make sure that Jack Dawson didn’t die in vain.
"Name love?" An officer with a paid approaches her.
Rose looks at him then back up at the statue of liberty. "Rose. Rose Dawson."
The officer nods and walks away. Rose sighs. Rose Dewitt Bukater has just died. Rose Dawson has now been brought to life in her place. She was going to make it count…just like Jack did.
She had no idea that at that moment, the love of her life was heading away from her and it’d be a good long time before she’d ever see him again.