HERE AND NOW
Chapter Twelve
Luckily, by the time the
Carpathia began to near the New York docks, Jack was feeling better. Rose knew
he was still in a bad way, but he could stand and walk, at least. More rest was
needed, likely a short stay in a proper hospital, but Rose already knew that
was out of the question.
She’d talked with Jack that
afternoon, and he’d decided that he wanted to let his family think he’d gone
down with the ship. It was, to him, the only chance he’d have at starting a new
life completely away from them. It would be hard. Jack was well known and quite
easily recognizable…but Rose thought that so long as he used a different name
and they moved somewhere small, quiet, and unimportant they might, just might,
be able to pull it off. If not…she’d worry about any consequences when they came.
For now, once they got off the Carpathia, her main focus would be locating her
Aunt Jessica and then finding a way to get to her.
For now, her biggest problem
would be getting off this ship without being noticed. Rose knew that there
would be media waiting for them on the docks, and she wanted neither her own or
Jack’s picture being taken if at all possible. She needed to find some clothes,
something that nobody would think Jack DeWitt-Bukater would ever wear so that
people would mistake Jack for just another face in the crowd. Except all Jack
had was the suit he’d worn on the night of the sinking. Rose knew that some of
the Carpathia passengers had set up a donation box of clothes to loan to the
Titanic survivors...hopefully she’d be able to find something in there.
Reluctantly leaving Jack, who was
still sleeping in the Carpathia’s hospital room that had been set up in the
ship’s main recreation room, Rose went off to find the donation box and
hurriedly sifted through it, noting that it wasn’t only Jack who needed new
clothes…her own clothes smelled awful and were all torn and dirty from the
sinking and all the time she’d spent in seawater. She’d managed to have one
bath while on the Carpathia, but knew she still looked a fright.
"Rose? Dawson?" Rose
spun as she heard someone call her, freaking out that she’d been recognized by
someone she’d rather not have been, but to her relief, it was only Molly Brown.
"Mrs. Brown." Rose
smiled. If there was one person she wouldn’t have to hide from, it was Molly
Brown.
"I told you, it’s Molly,
remember?" Molly chided lightly. "I’m glad to see you’re okay. I was
wondering about you. You are okay, aren’t you?"
"Actually, not really."
Rose sighed. "My friend Mandy got lost in the sinking. She’s
probably…"
Rose couldn’t bring herself to
say the word dead, but even just thinking it caused her to begin crying. Molly
put a hand on Rose’s shoulder sympathetically and drew the younger woman into a
motherly hug as Rose released some of the emotions she’d been keeping locked up
for the last three days. And, before Rose even realized she was doing it, she
poured out everything about her and Jack and how they had to keep anyone from
finding out Jack was still alive and make it to California.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
use you as my personal agony aunt…" Rose apologized as she finished her
story. "I just don’t know what I’m going to do. It would have been hard
enough with just me, but I’ve got to look out for Jack, and we’re going to try
and fake his death and…I just don’t see how I can pull it all off."
"Well, you’re certainly in a
pickle. Maybe there’s a way I can help…" Molly began.
Rose instantly cut her off.
"Oh, no! I couldn’t…I mean, you already bought me that outfit that I
probably won’t be able to pay off anytime soon. I couldn’t accept anymore help
from you when you’ve already been so kind…I know I’m in trouble, but I don’t
feel comfortable taking so much charity, even from someone who’s a patron of
her own charities."
"Dawson, I like you. I see a
lot of me in you, at least me when I was your age. All hardworking and honest
with your heart in the right place…if anyone deserves a real chance, it’s you.
And let’s be realistic. It’s not like I can’t afford it. A few thousand dollars
means zilch to me. A lot less than keeping your friendship…"
"You don’t need to buy my
friendship, Mrs. Brown…er, Molly," Rose said firmly.
"I know. But friends are
supposed to help each other out in times of need. And I can help you. So, why
not? Come on. Do you really have any other real options right now? You seem
like someone who always likes to do the sensible thing. Well, do that now. Let
me help you."
Molly’s argument was certainly a
damned good one…what other options did she have? This way, with help from
someone as powerful and wealthy and kind as Mrs. Brown, Rose would actually be
able to not only keep up the façade of concealing Jack’s real identity, she’d
also be able to get to California.
"Can I think about it?"
Rose asked.
"What’s to think about? My
way, you not only stand a chance, you actually achieve your goal. Your way,
everything’ll likely fall apart the minute we arrive in New York."
"I…I guess I don’t really
have a choice. Not if I want to keep Jack truly away from his family." Rose
finally relented, though very reluctantly.
"Glad you’re seeing sense.
Look, I’ve got a room in the Plaza Hotel waiting for me when we dock. I can get
you two a room someplace really low key without any trouble. You can stay there
until you can go to wherever it is you want to go…California?"
"I’ve got an aunt in Santa
Monica who I think we could live with for a while. I haven’t seen her since I
was three, but it’s the only hope I really have of getting a roof over my head
until I can get a decent job," Rose explained.
"I’ve got a few things to
sort out," said Molly. "Why don’t you get yourself and Jack ready and
meet me in the main lounge when we’re docking?"
"Okay," agreed Rose,
actually grateful that she didn’t have to do all the thinking by herself now.
She sighed…what on earth would have happened if Molly Brown hadn’t come along?
The woman was an angel. Though Rose knew she would always feel guilty about
taking money that she’d be unable to pay back, right now it really was a huge
relief. Now her only worry was keeping Jack’s real identity a secret.
Remembering that, she went back to properly rummaging around in the donation
box.
*****
"Put these on." Rose
tossed Jack the sweatpants and sports top that she’d pulled out of the donation
box. Jack looked even better than he had when she’d left him. In the time she’d
been gone, he’d eaten some soup and bread and was looking a lot healthier. It
looked like his recovery was going to be a quick and simple one. Thank God.
Sitting up in bed, Jack held up
the out-of-style sports top with distaste. "I think my grandpa had one of
these."
"If you want to keep
yourself hidden, you’re going to need to dress in things that Jack
DeWitt-Bukater wouldn’t be caught dead in for a while. These were the best
things I could find…oh, and this hat…"
Rose tossed him a hat, which he
caught and looked at with even more distaste than the sports top. It was a
baseball cap with a Power Rangers logo on it.
"Power Rangers? They
actually make these things in adult sizes?" Jack looked a bit bemused, but
also frustrated. But he did realize the importance of following through with
Rose’s plan, so with Rose’s help, he found a bathroom and got changed without
any further complaint.
"Do you feel all
right?" Rose asked him once he’d come out, now dressed in the new outfit.
Had the situation not been so serious, she would have laughed at the way he
looked, but there was no time for humor.
"A bit shaky, still a bit
tired…" he admitted.
"We’ll rest at the hotel…I’m
not completely recovered myself," Rose replied. She had told Jack about
Molly’s offer of help and that she’d accepted it, and that they would run away
to her aunt’s as soon as possible. Jack seemed fine with it…Rose guessed he
just wanted to be totally away from everything…maybe be someplace where he
could grieve for his sister in peace, too. She knew that they would both relax
once they were off the Carpathia and out of New York.
An announcement that they would
be docking in thirty minutes snapped Rose to attention then. Almost time to go
meet with Molly Brown again. Rose wondered if they really could leave the boat
undetected, praying that her plan would work.