AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Nineteen

Rose yawned as she woke up to Jack leaning over her abdomen, singing Come Josephine In My Flying Machine to their unborn child. Just by the look on his face, she could tell he was already in love with the child, and felt warmth spread through her. She loved knowing that no matter what gender their child turned out to be, the child would be loved unconditionally.

"Good morning, Jack." Rose interrupted the singing. Jack looked up in surprise, to see Rose awake.

"Good morning, love. How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully, and how even more wonderful to wake up to my beloved singing to our unborn baby." Rose smiled, stroking his hair. "I love your voice. It's so soothing. Now I know why the baby seems calm all the time now."

"Rose, you flatter me." Jack stood from the bed, fully dressed. This was the first time Rose noticed this.

"Jack? You're dressed. Where are you going?"

Jack didn't look her in the eyes. "I'm going to go look for a job. I’m going to need one."

"But I have a job, Jack. There's no reason for you to look for a job just yet. Besides, that'll take time away from your drawing," Rose protested, remembering what happened the last time Jack went looking for a job. She was blackmailed to leave him. What if that happened again? What if Cal showed up and...forced her to leave with him? "In fact, I'm late for my job! Oh, my goodness, I know Mrs. Hathaway is furious." Rose scrambled out of bed.

"Rose, you're not expected there." Jack sighed, not sure what to tell her about what went on that morning. "Eliza stopped by, and we had a talk."

"A talk? What do you mean, a talk?"

"I told her that you were too tired to work today. I mean, with your mother being in town and all, you'd want to spend some time with her." Jack took a deep breath, knowing he had just made a big mistake. He had just done with Rose what she had wanted to escape from. He had made a decision that wasn't really his to make.

"You did what?" Rose declared, not believing her ears. Jack had done the one thing that she had expected him never to do. How could he make such a decision for her? It wasn't his place. "How could you do that, Jack?"

"I thought you needed the rest. You've been under a lot of pressure, and in your condition..."

"Forget about my condition! You still had no right! This is my life, Jack! You don't own me!"

"You're right, Rose. I don't own you. But that is my baby you're carrying, and I'm not going to let you endanger its health just because you feel like you owe that woman something!"

"This is my baby, too, Jack. I know what's good for it. And I don't owe Mrs. Hathaway anything, but I do owe Eliza a lot. Without her, Jack...who knows where I'd be." Rose turned her back on her husband, trying to hide the hot tears in her eyes. How could he be so cruel to her? "And I would never endanger our baby."

Jack didn't say anything; he just stared at the floor in silence, knowing that he had hurt her terribly, something he thought he never could do. "Rose...I have to go. We'll talk about this later tonight when I get home."

Rose didn't answer him. She couldn't even look at him. She winced as she heard the door slam behind him as he left the house. Finally letting the tears out, she fell onto the bed and cried. What was happening to her and Jack? Had they lost all trust they had in each other? Could it be rebuilt? Getting up, she got dressed and left the house for Chippewa Park. Maybe being outside in the fresh air would help her clear her head.

Staring out at the road, she spotted a young couple, around her and Jack's age, in a tight embrace. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that it was just yesterday that Jack had hugged her like that. Now, she didn't even want him to touch her, with the way he was acting.

"Rose?" Eliza came up to her, noticing her friend in tears. "Are you okay?"

Rose looked up at her friend, her sympathy clear in her eyes.

"Did something go badly with your mother?"

"It's Jack." Rose sniffed, wiping away her tears. "He...he was so mean to me this morning."

Rose spilt out all the details of that morning's argument, tears once again flowing out of her eyes as she repeated Jack's words. "I can't believe he said that."

"Me, neither. What could've gotten into him?" Eliza's voice was thoughtful. "I mean...I've known Jack for years, and have never known him to be temperamental or possessive. He's not Lee, for goodness sake."

"Maybe he's taking lessons from Cal." Rose sniffed.

"Your ex-fiancé?" Eliza asked curiously.

"Jack told you about Cal?"

"He just said that you'd know what it's like being forced to marry a man you didn't love." Eliza sat down next to her friend. "Tell me about him, Rose. What was Cal like?"

"He was mean and awful. He was abusive, and he acted like I was some kind of trophy, something for him to show off at parties to his friends and colleagues. He would tell me what to do, what to wear, what kind of people to talk to...he was awful. Lee ten times worse." Rose bit her lip. "And out of the blue, my sweet, perfect Jack turned into him this morning. Making decisions for me that I can make for myself, and accusing me of endangering our child..."

"Oh, Rose. I'm sure Jack didn't mean any of those things. He's just worried that my mother is pushing you to the point that you'll lose the baby. He thinks she's doing that because you're a Dawson, and she hates the Dawsons with a passion. I'm afraid to say he may be right."

"What?"

"Rose, haven't you seen it? Ever since she found out that you were Jack's wife, she's been working you to death. And Jack's right. It's not good for the baby. If she doesn't let up...you could lose the baby."

"So you agree with Jack?"

Eliza solemnly nods. "In fact, Rose...I don't think you should return at all...at least not until the baby's born. Mother can find help elsewhere."

Rose nodded. Maybe Eliza was right, but that didn't excuse Jack's behavior that morning. She trusted him with her life, and he had hurt her where it would hurt most. She didn't know if she could ever trust him not to hurt her again.

"Eliza!" an angry voice called, causing both women to look up in surprise to see Lee Conway angrily storming towards them. "Where have you been? You're late for breakfast!"

"Lee...I just stopped to talk to Rose. I was on my way." Eliza's voice quivered with fear as her fiancé roughly grabbed her arm.

"Stopped to talk to Rose? Stopped to talk to Rose! What were you doing, stopping to talk to Rose, when you're supposed to be meeting me?" He gave her a violent shake.

"Lee, stop! You're hurting me!" Eliza cried, trying to break free from his tight grasp.

"Good! Maybe next time you'll think about what's more important when you're meeting me!"

Rose couldn't sit there and watch this anymore. She had to do something. She couldn't let this brute treat her friend like this. "Stop it! Let her go!" Rose got up and tried to break Lee's grasp on Eliza, just to be violently pushed to the hard ground. Rose gasped in pain as a sharp pain shot through her stomach.

"Rose!" She heard a familiar voice call to her. She looked up to see Jack at her side, his eyes showing no sign of anger at the fight they had earlier. She saw only love and concern.

"The baby..." She whimpered, waiting for another pain to grab her at any moment. She was certain that her baby's life was in danger. "Jack...the baby..."

"You son of a bitch." Jack turned on Lee.

"Why, Eliza, isn't it your old boyfriend? Why isn't he coming to your rescue?" Lee smiled cruelly. "Is it because he likes your new friend better?"

"Lee...please..." Eliza sniffed, a single tear streaming down her cheek, worry about Rose showing clear in her eyes. "Rose needs help."

"Go on, then, but this isn't over," Lee growled, letting go of Eliza and stalking out of the park, not even bothering to look at Jack and Rose, who was still kneeling on the ground, her hand on her stomach, scared to death that she might lose the child she's loved since she found out about the pregnancy.

"Jack...is she okay?" Eliza came over to them, afraid to face Jack. He must be so angry with her for putting Rose and the baby in danger, and really, she didn't blame him. If it weren't for her...Rose and the baby would be fine.

"Eliza...are the Calverts still in town?" Jack asked, gently stroking Rose's hair, trying to calm her the best way he could, being careful not to show how scared he also was. He had to be brave for Rose. Be confident that their baby would be fine. "Or has your mother run them out of town yet?"

"Yes, they're still in town, but I'm sure Mother would be able to handle..." Eliza began, just to be interrupted by Jack, determination shining in his blue eyes.

"Go to them, and tell Dr. Calvert that he's needed at the Dawson place. Tell him it's urgent."

"But, Jack...my mother..."

"I don't want your mother. I want a doctor. A real doctor." There was now a hint of anger in Jack's voice. He didn't want to be contested at this point. "Eliza, please. Do this one thing for me. For Rose. Do it for Rose."

Rose didn't say anything. Her head was now cradled on Jack's shoulder, hot tears coursing down her cheeks. All she could think about are the hopes and dreams she had for her baby. How she hoped it would look like Jack, and have his sunny disposition.

"Okay, Jack. I'll go get Dr. Calvert." Eliza sighed. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you." Jack smiled, his eyes still grim. She owed them so much. How could she refuse such a simple request?

Taking one last look at Jack and Rose, she noticed that the tension of the argument Rose told her about was not there. All she could see was what she wished she could have. A loving husband kneeling next to his wife, concerned for her well-being. She couldn't help but be envious that it was Rose who was Jack's wife, and not her.

*****

Jack and Maxwell Calvert came out of the bedroom, smiles on both their faces.

"Don't worry, Mr. Dawson. Both your wife and child are fine. When she fell, the baby was surprised and wanted to let her know about it. It sounds like he's going to be quite a kicker." The doctor laughed.

"Thank you, Dr. Calvert." Jack shook his hand. "I'm glad you were able to come on such short notice."

"It's nothing, Jack. Besides, it's not like I had an office full of patients. Almost everyone in town still believes those rumors the Hathaways spread about us. They all think that my family are a bunch of quacks."

"Jack!" Rose called, her voice showing a hint of fear.

"I better get in there." Jack looked toward the closed door.

"Jack...I may be presumptuous here, but I'd like to be Rose's doctor for the remainder of this pregnancy and assist her in the birth of the baby."

Jack looked the doctor over for a second. He wasn't much older than himself. Twenty-one, maybe twenty-two, even. Was he experienced enough in birthing babies? Then it occurred to Jack he wasn't, because of people like Marge Hathaway, who still believed that having a midwife was better than having a real doctor. Well, it was a time of change. The sinking of Titanic had proved that. "Sure. I think Rose would like that...she'd be more comfortable with a doctor than a midwife."

"Jack." Eliza gasped, as she heard the doctor's question and Jack's answer. What was Jack doing? Why was he insisting on going against the town traditions?

"What is it, Eliza?" Jack turned to her, his eyes blank of emotion.

"What about Mother? You know she's planning on bringing that baby into the world. I mean, it's her job...she's..."

"I don't care what your mother was planning on doing. I'm doing what's best for my wife," Jack said. "Rose isn't from here, Eliza. You know that. She's from upper class Philadelphia, where doctors bring babies into the world, not the local midwife. She's used to that, and since this is her first pregnancy, I think we'll go with what she's comfortable with."

"Jack..."

"End of discussion, Eliza. Dr. Calvert is Rose's doctor. He will be the one that brings my son or daughter into the world. Is this in any way unclear?" Jack's voice was firm and unmovable.

"No. It's not." Eliza looked away. "I better be going now. Mother's expecting me." Eliza turned to the door. "And Jack...tell Rose I'm sorry for what happened, and I’ll be over later to see how she's doing."

"Sure." Jack smiled for the first time that day. Maybe his anger was beginning to fade.

"I'll walk you out." Maxwell Calvert rushed after her, waving good-bye to Jack. "Thanks again, Jack!" Then he was gone out the door, falling in step with Eliza.

"Jack!" Rose called again, her voice now on the edge of tears.

"I'm here, Rose." Jack went into the room and embraced his sobbing wife, who in return clung tightly to him, burying her face in his shirt.

"Where were you, Jack? I called and called, but you didn't come."

"I was just settling things with the doctor. That's all." Jack stroked her hair and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Don't worry, Rose. The baby's fine. It was just making its presence known. That's all."

"So it's still alive?" Hope lit up her eyes. A smile lightly played on her lips.

"Of course it's still alive. Look who it has for parents. Two Titanic survivors." Jack smiled, planting a kiss on her lips.

Rose laughed, and hugged Jack even tighter. The argument from that morning was forgotten. All she wanted to do was spend the rest of her life in her husband's loving arms.

But this wasn't so for Jack. The words he had said to Rose still played in his head. How could he have said that to her? And why had she forgiven him? "Rose."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry...about the argument this morning. I was just so worried about you. I've been worried for the past two weeks." Jack looked into her eyes. "Oh, Rose, I love you so much, and I want to make things as easy as I can for you. That's why I told Eliza that you wouldn't be in this morning. I just wanted you to be comfortable. And I didn't mean what I said about the baby. I know you would never do anything to endanger the baby's life."

"Oh, Jack...I totally forgot about that argument. But I forgive you. I know you didn't mean any of it. I knew that the minute you were by my side in the park."

They embraced, both relieved that they forgave each other and that the baby was safe. Rose knew how lucky she was to have Jack. She knew that if she had never sailed on Titanic...if she had never met Jack at all, she could be in Eliza's shoes right now. So no matter how many arguments she and Jack had, she knew that he still loved her and would never purposely harm her the way Cal would've...the way Lee harmed Eliza. That night, she thanked her lucky stars for Jack and their unborn child, because she knew all too well that things could've been different.

*****

Eliza's eyes were wide open as she lay in bed that night. She couldn't help but think about the conversation she had had with Maxwell Calvert that morning as he walked her back home from Jack and Rose's.

"Are you mad at me?" he had asked, his blue eyes gazing into hers.

"Why would I be mad at you, Mr. Calvert? Who Jack wants to bring his baby into the world is his and Rose's business. Not mine." Eliza stared straight ahead. "It's my mother you should be worried about. If she didn't have reason to hate you before, she surely does now. That's money you're taking out of her pocket."

"Oh, please. Your mother is quite wealthy, according to Chippewa Falls standards. In fact, it's her that's taking money off my table. Not the other way around. I'm sure that the money missed from the Dawson baby would hardly put a dent in her lifestyle." Maxwell laughed.

"Laugh now, Mr. Calvert, but my mother is going to make life very hard on you," Eliza warned, finally stopping to face him.

"She's already making life hard for me, Eliza. She's been making my life hard ever since Father moved the practice here. Thanks to her, we don't even make the regular salary that doctors should make. I can't tell you how many times she has advised someone not to come to us for their illnesses...and how many people have died because of that advice. But was it ever blamed on your mother? No. It was blamed on us. People thought our presence here was a curse, or something. They somehow got the notion that no one here got seriously ill until we came to town. So, it wasn't only our practice that was ruined, it was also our reputations."

Eliza was struck speechless. She had no idea what her mother had been up to for the past six years. "I'm sorry...I had no idea."

Maxwell once again laughed at Eliza's apology. "That's okay, Eliza. There's no reason for you to be sorry. It's not your fault. The only person at fault here is your mother, but hopefully with this new job, I can restore my family's reputation."

"It means that much to you?"

Maxwell nodded, his smile still there, but his eyes were now serious. "It's everything. If I can be the regular doctor for the Dawsons, and show this town that I'm not a quack like your mother likes to refer to my family...that'll be a dream come true."

"Well, then, I hope that dream comes true for you, Mr. Calvert. After all my mother's put you through...you certainly deserve it."

"Thank you, Eliza." Maxwell placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "You don't know how much that means to me, coming from you."

They stood there like that for what seemed like an eternity, staring into each other's eyes...connecting. This was so strange for Eliza. She had never felt like this before...not even with Jack. It was as if Mr. Calvert and herself were...meant to be together. But how could that be? Jack was her first love...plus, she was engaged to Lee.

"Eliza," he whispered, his voice soft and full of emotion.

She was having a hard time catching her breath. What was wrong with her? She had to stop this now. "I better go. Good-bye, Mr. Calvert." Eliza broke the spell, and left him standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after her.

What was she thinking this morning with Maxwell Calvert? So close to her wedding, recovering from the final confirmation that she had lost Jack forever...now this. Now another man came into her life at the worst time he could enter it. And a Calvert...her mother would be furious if she knew. She couldn't tell anyone...but she had to tell someone...she had to get this off her chest, somehow. But who could she talk to? Who would possibly understand how she was feeling?

Rose. Of course. Rose would understand. Wasn't she engaged when she had met, and fallen in love with Jack? Yes, Rose...her new best friend would know what she should do. She would listen, and be sure not to whisper her feelings to a soul.

She got up and was about to slip on a simple yellow dress when she realized that it was way past midnight. Rose was most likely asleep. She couldn't possibly disturb her at this hour. She'd just have to wait until tomorrow.

Sighing forlornly, Eliza slipped back into bed and fell into a sleep that was full of dreams of what life with Maxwell Calvert would be like.

Chapter Twenty
Stories