DAPHNE’S STORY OF FINDING HER FATHER
Chapter Five

Daphne’s POV

The next morning, I woke up to someone brushing my hair out of my face. I immediately recognized the rough but gentle hand of my father.

"Daphne, it’s time to wake up. We need to take your mom to the airport," Jack said, a little sad.

I got up and gave him a tight hug. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll find a way to make us a family. We have no more time to waste, especially after having been separated for sixteen years."

Jack laughed and hugged me even tighter. "I have no doubt, Little Miss Matchmaker. Now, are you sure you don’t want to go back with your mom? If you do, it’s fine with me. We’ll be together again someday."

"No, Dad. I want to stay with you. As much as I love Mom, I love you just as much, and I want to get to know you."

At that moment, my mom walked in with an admiring smile. She knelt down beside my dad, who was on his knees. While I was sitting on the bed, I caught the look that my parents exchanged. That was another thing I would have to get used to--my parents’ affection for each other. Before I could say a word to my mom, Jack pulled her to him and lightly kissed her.

"Well, Mom, I must say that Jack is an improvement over all of those other guys you had to kiss onstage. They were all so stubborn," I said, teasing her. Jack raised an eyebrow and gave my mom a questioning look.

"What? I had to kiss a guy here and there if I wanted to become an actress," my mom said with a dramatic pose. Jack laughed and looked at the clock.

"Well, this has been fun, but you’re going to miss your plane if we continue talking."

"All right, Dad. I’ll be out in a minute. I just need to get changed," I said, getting up.

About an hour later, we were at the airport and saying our good-byes. I wasn’t very sad, because I knew we were going to be together soon.

The next few days passed very quickly. With every minute that passed, I knew more and more about my father. He told me stories every night about what he had done when he had traveled in Europe and the people he had met. I went to work with him every day, helping out with the customers or just cleaning the windows. I did get a small paycheck, and I would often just go into town and explore. Jack was all right with that as long as I was careful. I didn’t know what there was to worry about, since Santa Monica was such a nice place and practically everyone was friendly, although the place did have its share of strange people.

Everything was going so well that I thought that nothing could go wrong anymore. I was very wrong, for the next afternoon was going to change my life. After having finished with a customer, I quickly told Dad that I was going for a walk, and he nodded. It was a beautiful day, although I felt like something was wrong. I knew something was going to happen, but I decided to go against my instincts. As I was walking along the sidewalk, someone bumped into me and I tumbled into the street. I got up as quickly as I could, but it was too late. The last thing I remembered was pain and people running towards me to see if I was okay. I saw a blurred figure pick me up before I passed out.

Jack’s POV

Up until about three days ago, I thought nothing could be as frightening as that tragic night when the Titanic sank. Everywhere, screams and sobs of hopelessness had echoed across the raging sea. I had seen people throwing themselves off the ship, while others had held on for dear life. Some people had been praying, while others had been crying. Everywhere, people had pushed and shoved each other, hoping that they would have a chance to survive.

But I was wrong. Three days ago, I got a call at work from St. John’s Hospital. I was informed that my daughter, Daphne Dawson, had been hit by a car and was now in a coma. I felt my heart drop the moment they told me. My legs started to go weak, and I dropped into the chair beside me. Suddenly, I felt rage and confusion rush through my body. I had never felt anything like this in my whole life. I completely froze and didn’t know what to say. As soon as I was able to get up, I rushed to the hospital, pushing aside everyone and everything in my way. I was rude to some people, but my daughter could be dying, and she needed me.

I entered the hospital in a panicked state. A nurse walked past me, and I grabbed her arm as politely as I could under the circumstances.

"Where’s my daughter?" The nurse obviously didn’t know, but she didn’t even have a chance to say anything.

"Dawson, your daughter is in the room right across the hall," an unsettling voice said behind me. I turned around and was standing in front of the man I hated most, Caledon Hockley, just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.

"What are you doing here?"

Cal looked at me from head to toe before saying anything. "Well, you look exactly like you did sixteen years ago, Dawson. You sure haven’t changed."

"I don’t have time for this, Cal! Take me to my daughter, now!" I said severely.

"Calm down, Jack. You’re making a scene," Cal said in an arrogant voice. I couldn’t take it anymore!

"Calm down? My astounding young daughter is in danger of dying, and you’re telling me to calm down? First, I find out she’s been hit by a car, that she’s in a coma, and now I run into the guy who tried to kill the love of my life and I! And--"

"Jack, listen…"

"No, you listen. I’ve just found Daphne after sixteen long years! I love her with all of my soul, and I just can’t lose her! I just can’t!" As I said those words, I felt my anger slip away and it was soon replaced by sadness. Although a few tears were glistening in my eyes, I tried to keep my severe look.

"I’m sorry, Jack. Truly," Cal said with a sympathetic look. At first, I didn’t believe the look that he gave me. I thought it was another one of his acts, but this time, it was different. He actually looked sorry.

"I’ll take you to her room." I nodded before Cal led me there. My heart fell once more when I saw the fragile girl lying in the bed in front of me. At first, I didn’t recognize her, but it was definitely Daphne. She had bandages around her head and a swollen purple eye. What hurt me the most was that she looked so lifeless. That fire that she had seemed to have completely disappeared. I slowly approached before kneeling down beside her bed. I looked at her pale face and slowly brushed my hand against her cheek. How could this girl, once so spirited, seem so lifeless?

"They say she has a fifty percent chance of surviving," Cal whispered. I nodded, and suddenly I began to wonder something.

"Cal, how did you even know that Daphne was here? How did you know she was my daughter?"

"Ruth told me about her after the night at the restaurant. And Ruth was over here earlier, so she recognized Daphne."

"Okay, but how did you know she was here?" I asked again.

"I…um…I was driving when I saw her being pushed. She tumbled right into the middle of the street, and…well…I tried everything I could, Jack, but I couldn’t stop the car in time. I’m really sorry."

"Oh, I see." I didn’t know how to react, so I just looked back at Daphne. I knew I should have been furious with him, but for the first time, I felt like he was telling the truth. I don’t know how I knew, but there was something in the way he spoke. Had he changed since the Titanic? Maybe not, but that wasn’t my concern at the moment. What was done was done.

"It’s not going to be easy telling Rose about this," I said before I sighed. Cal nodded in agreement.

"So, did you two marry?"

"No, actually, I thought she was dead until about a month ago. That was when Daphne arrived here and informed me that she was my daughter."

"She looks a lot like you, Dawson."

I smiled slightly, but another look at Daphne took it away. "Many people say that, but I see a lot of Rose in her."

"Tell me something. Do you love Rose?" Cal asked bluntly. Why was he asking me this? Wasn’t he the one who tried to kill Rose and I?

"Yes, I love her. Cal, why do you even care? You’re the one who tried to kill Rose and me while the Titanic was sinking," I said coldly.

"I know it’s hard to believe, but I’ve changed. At least, I’m trying to."

"How can I believe or even trust you?" I asked seriously.

"You can’t, but I hope one day to gain that trust from you and Rose." That was the last thing Cal said before walking out of the room. That was the last time I saw him in the next three days. After he had left, I took Daphne’s hand and held onto it for the rest of the evening. I couldn’t bear to leave her in such a condition. Her fragile body just lay there like a figure in a painting. There was nothing left to do but tell Rose. That wasn’t going to be easy, but it had to be done.

*****

The next day, Rose arrived on an afternoon plane. The moment our eyes met, she ran as fast as she could before I received her in my arms. I could see that she was holding back her tears when she looked up at me with a worried look. She wanted nothing but to see her daughter, so I drove her right to the hospital.

Before entering, I put a reassuring arm around her and she answered with a smile. But for the first time, she gave me a forced smile. Never had she given me a fake smile, not even on the Titanic.

When Rose and I were standing at the desk, a doctor walked up to us.

"Are you Jack and Rose Dawson?" the doctor asked.

I nodded. "Yes."

"I'm Dr. Roberts," the doctor said. "I’m the one whose been taking care of your daughter."

Before I could ask him how Daphne was doing, Rose beat me to it.

"Is Daphne going to be all right?" I glanced at Rose and saw hope in her eyes. I knew her fire would never burn out.

The doctor shook his head. "It doesn’t look good. As I’m sure your husband told you, she’s in a coma. When the car hit her, she damaged her head quite badly. There is a fifty percent chance of her surviving."

I heard Rose gasp lightly.

"Thank you, doctor," she said.

The doctor gave us a small smile. "I’ll be sure to call you if there are any changes in her."

"Thank you," Rose said.

Quickly, after the doctor walked away, Rose and I walked into Daphne’s room. She didn’t look better at all. In fact, she almost looked worse, if that was possible. The whole hour we were there, Rose quietly observed Daphne while holding her hand. I was behind Rose, holding her by the shoulders. I expected a reaction from her, but her expression was as blank as could be.

"Jack, can we go home now?" she asked, sighing. I nodded, and we left Daphne to her almost hopeless rest. The drive home was silent, and Rose did nothing but stare out the window. When I parked the car outside my house, I looked at Rose, who was sitting beside me. She looked at me, and she finally let all of her tears out. Before I even had a chance to wrap my arms around Rose, her head dropped on my shoulder and she started sobbing. I felt her warm tears soak my shirt while I intertwined my fingers with her red hair. "Oh, Jack, what’s going to happen to Daphne?" she asked, looking up at me.

"I’m not sure, Rose. I wish I could tell you she’s going to be okay, but I can’t," I answered honestly.

"I just can’t believe it! One moment, it seems like a miracle has happened, and then the next, I find out that my daughter’s probably going to die!"

"You don’t know that, Rose."

"Jack, did you even take a look at her? She’s so pale and fragile."

"Rose, do you remember what I told you the night the Titanic sank? I told you to never let go, no matter how hopeless. Well, you can’t let go for Daphne, either. She’s our daughter, and we need to believe that she can get better. If her own parents don’t even have any hope, then what is the use? She needs us right now, and we can’t let her slip away. I know it’s hard standing there, watching her in that condition. I, too, feel the need to run away and just give up. But I have to stay strong for her, and so do you. We’re her only strength right now."

Rose kissed me before saying one last thing.

"I’ll never let go, Jack."

Rose's POV

I lay tiredly on Jack's bed without even covering myself up with a blanket. I knew I had to have hope for Daphne, but right then, I just need some rest. But I knew I couldn't sleep until I knew Daphne was okay.

I felt someone sit on the bed beside me.

"I know you want me to have hope, Jack. But I just don't think I can have hope," I said. I felt myself being turned over by Jack, who was looking at me with love and care.

"I know, Rose. I feel the same way. But what did you do after the Titanic? How did you feel?" Jack asked.

"Like I do now. I felt like I could never love anyone again. But when Daphne was born, I fell in love with her. She's like a mini-you," I answered.

Jack let out a slight laugh. "I know."

I bowed my head, not wanting Jack to see me close to tears, although I knew that Jack had already seen me in tears.

"Hey," Jack said, putting his finger under my chin and lifting it up, forcing me to look at him. "It's going to be all right. I know Daphne has that fire in her...like the fire you have that I most love about you," Jack said.

"I don't know if I have that fire in me," I said, ashamed of myself.

"Of course you do," Jack said, not believing what I said.

"I'm ashamed to say that I'm not the seventeen-year-old girl you once knew." Jack raised an eyebrow at me.

"How so?"

"I've been tied down since Daphne was born. Sure, I could give her what she wanted sometimes. But whenever it came to her father, Jack, I gave up. When Daphne was born, I still believed that you were alive. But when I told Daphne the story of us, I gave up. I'm not strong as I was, Jack," I explained.

"I can understand that you gave up on believing that I was alive. You thought I was dead in the ocean. There was no mistake. But I do know that you have that fire in you. It hasn't burned out yet," Jack said. I smiled softly.

"When I was reunited with you, I think my fire came back."

"Where did it go?" Jack asked.

"Into the Atlantic Ocean when I thought you were dead," I answered.

"Well, I'm not dead."

"I know," I said. "And I'm very thankful you're not."

Jack’s POV

I smiled as I saw Rose walking down the stairs. I motioned to her to sit beside me at the dinner table. She silently did. I could tell she was a little tired, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. There were sometimes that I would have been crying because of Daphne, but I had to hold back because I was a man. And men don’t cry, especially in front of the women they love. I knew this man thing was stupid, but I had to stay strong for both Rose and Daphne.

Rose rested her head on my chest. Knowing she needed comfort, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer to me.

"I have an idea," I said. Rose lifted her head from my chest and looked at me.

"What?" Rose asked.

"How about we spend the day together?" I suggested. Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Well, we haven’t spent much time together since we found each other, and it could get our minds off of Daphne," I answered. Rose looked at me in shock.

"Do you want to forget about Daphne?" I widened my eyes and looked at her in surprise. I knew what she meant by that.

"No! If I wanted to forget about Daphne, I would not have let her stay at my house. Come on, Rose. You should know me by now," I answered.

"I actually don’t. I thought you’d been dead for sixteen years." I sighed.

"All I’m suggesting is that we can go out and spend the day together. That way, we can get to know each other better and catch up on things. Also, that can get Daphne being hurt off our minds," I said.

"Just promise me that when we get back, we can call the hospital and see if Daphne is doing any better," Rose said. I nodded.

"Yes. Of course."

"All right. Let’s go out and spend the day together," Rose said. I smiled.

Chapter Six
Stories