A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Chapter Twenty
December 20, 1912
Emily fidgeted as she looked at Rose reading
the letter she had brought, her thoughts finding the reason why she shouldn't
have given it to her. Jack had told her sharply that Rose was to receive
nothing from outside, be it letters or visitors.
"It's not to trap her or to tie her to
the bed as she puts it, it's for her own safety. The doctor said that every
time she worries, she puts even more strain on the pregnancy. Give everything
to me and I'll talk to her about it. Okay, you got it?"
But what Emily didn't know was that Tommy had
told Jack that Cal was out of prison now and that it looked like he could be up
to something. She didn't know that Jack had spent the weeks after Fabrizio's
death worrying that Rose could be in danger because of her crazy ex-fiancé. He
had hidden it successfully from Rose, after asking Molly for advice. She had
told him that Rose shouldn't worry and she would worry if he told her. But not
for herself. For him and for the baby.
"After the baby's born, you two can move
away from New York and go some place safe. Maybe even go to Europe or
something, I'll help with the money," she had told him, so Jack had
pretended to not be worried. He didn't even show it when Cal sent him a letter
at work, saying that he would take his revenge somehow. He had rushed home that
day, scared to death that something had happened. And…he had found Rose playing
checkers with Emily, laughing and being as alive and as healthy as she could
possibly be. He had smiled and left the two girls alone.
Helga had moved shortly after Fabrizio's
death, moved back to live with her family in Minnesota, saying that she
couldn't bear to stay in the city where her love had died because of her own
actions. Jack and Rose could do nothing to convince her otherwise and she had
left. Jack was alone with his worries now and almost felt ready to explode
inside.
All he wanted was to see the baby born,
healthy and Rose standing next to him, holding the baby, her skin a healthy
rosy color, instead of the pallor that seemed to have invaded her permanently.
She looked better than she had the night Sven had appeared, but she still
looked tired and the spark in her eyes was still fading and Jack hated to think
that it was because her love for him, because of him, she looked like that.
At least Sven was in jail and he wouldn't get
out any time soon, like Cal had. Cal had powerful friends, Sven had a foreign
language and no money.
Blissfully unaware of this, Emily had given
Rose the note she had found outside the apartment that morning. She grew worried
as Rose's face grew even paler and she sat up in bed, preparing to get up.
"What is it, Rose?" Emily asked,
biting her lip as she remembered what Jack had told her.
But Rose didn't even hear her. She was
looking intently at the letter, as she pushed herself off the bed. Her
mother…in trouble…she had to go to the address stated in the letter and give
her some money. Cal was somehow…not mentioned, but he seemed to hover in the
letter, making her suspicious, but her mother's words rang true and she knew
that she had to go there to help her.
Should I wait for Jack? No…if Cal is involved
somehow, I don't want Jack in danger. He would only threaten me, but he
wouldn't hesitate to kill Jack. She grabbed a hold of the table next to the bed
and pushed herself up, walking slowly through the room, as she considered her
options.
Ruth had written the letter, there was no
doubt about that. She had asked her daughter for some money, but there was no
time to lose, as she would lose her apartment and end up in the streets. And
I cannot live with you and Jack, Rose, you need your privacy. I just need you
to give me some money, you can do that, right? I gave you everything for
seventeen years, you can give me some money, can't you? It's almost Christmas,
Rose, I'm begging you.
Rose swallowed hard. Maybe she could send
Emily? But, looking at the trembling fourteen-year-old, she knew that that was
not an option. All she could do was go and see her mother and hope that Jack
wouldn't be too angry with her. She smiled absently, thinking about how he had
kissed her that morning before leaving, how his hands had touched her stomach
and whispered to her not to have the baby until he got back home.
All his small gestures and words made her
heart swell now and she fumbled with the buttons on her dress.
"I am going out now, Emily. We'll have
this lesson tomorrow, okay? You can go home if you like."
Emily left quietly, already deeply regretting
giving the letter to Rose. She picked up a piece of paper in the living room
and wrote a quick note to Jack, hoping that Rose would leave the letter in the
bedroom, so that Jack could somehow find out where she was going. It was
already late in the afternoon, so he would be home soon. Hoping for the best,
Emily left.
Meanwhile, Rose was getting dressed, braiding
her hair and ignoring cramps in her lower back. I'm fine. I'm just going to
take a taxi to my mother and then give her the money and then come back. Jack
won't know.
Slowly, she walked downstairs, leaning hard
on the handrail and then she found it hopeless to get a taxi, so she walked the
five blocks to her mother's apartment, located in the area where she, Fabrizio,
Tommy, and Jack had stayed that first night in April.
Breathing hard, Rose noticed how snowflakes
were starting to dance over her and how the wind increased in strength. But she
didn't regret her decision. She thought once she got to her mother's place,
everything would be okay. Maybe Ruth would even call a taxi, or call Jack to
come and help her home.
Rose clutched her stomach as she finally
stopped outside the apartment building where her mother lived. Groaning and
taking short and unsteady breaths, she climbed to the first floor, where a
familiar face met her. Cal.
Rose almost lost her footing and gasped as a
new series of pains grabbed her whole body, causing her to sink down into his
arms. He held her roughly and almost threw her inside the apartment, where a
pale Ruth was waiting.
"Oh, Rose…I wish you had stayed at
home," she whispered, helping her daughter away from Cal.
"I'm fine," Rose hissed, angrily
staring at Cal. So, it had been a trick. She was grateful not to have told
Jack, and…deadly afraid that she might pay dearly for that, with her own life,
with the baby's.
"Here's the money you wanted and now I
must be going. I have to…" A pang with a strength she hadn't felt before
seized her and she doubled up with pain, clutching her stomach in panic.
"I must be going home to make dinner for…my…my husband." But as she
staggered to the door, she felt something trickling down her legs and in
petrified realization, she knew what was happening. She was losing the baby. Or
having the baby. She didn't know. She only knew that this wasn't the place for
it.
Crying out loud, she managed to grab a hold
of the door handle and then she felt Cal push her back, roughly pushing her
against the wall, making the cold doorframe hit her stomach with full power.
Air was barely being pushed into her lungs,
as she was breathing so quickly and with this additional pain, she lost contact
with the door handle, sinking down on the floor, holding her cold hands over
her abdomen, wishing that she hadn't left the apartment. A warm liquid had
escaped her and her hands moved frantically over her legs, to try to find out
if it was blood. It didn't look like it. But as she sank to the floor even
more, she saw the red pool of blood below her and she cried out, terrified of
what was happening.
"Mother, please, help me…the
baby's…please…"
Her voice was raspy and unclear and as her
eyes were closed, she didn't see that Cal had disappeared into another room.
Someone helped her up and she was placed in a warm bed. There, she lost
consciousness, feeling the white and black dancing spots in front of her eyes
fill her head and the pain flickered on and off in her stomach, as more blood
escaped her tired body.
"Jack…Jack, please…"
But he wasn't there and all she felt was the
exquisite pain and the dangerous sleepiness, threatening to take her away for
all eternity. All went black.
"Jack…"
*****
Jack opened the door to the apartment and
sighing, he sank down on the couch. His back was aching and he felt very cold.
He rubbed his hands together and then a soft smile came to his face as he
thought about Rose, waiting for him in the bedroom. Maybe they could have a
special dinner tonight and fall asleep in each other's arms…
Jack held on to that thought as he walked
over to the bedroom, opening the door.
"Rose, are you awake, I thought
we…"
But the bed was empty. Jack's heart jumped
and he rushed up to the bed, looking at it, his blue eyes flickering with
anxiety. The bed was made and cold. She hadn't been in it for some time. He
whirled around and then noticed that the dress she had been wearing yesterday
was gone. And no note. He ran his hands through his hair a few times, looking
up at the window, his heart constricting painfully.
It was snowing. Heavily. And she was outside?
No, she can't be. She knows how dangerous it is. She knows. Oh Rose, why do you
have to be so headstrong? He breathed deeply and then finally began searching
the apartment. It was empty. She was gone. Where, Rose? And why? Why did you
think it was necessary to get out of bed and disobey the doctor?
He sank down on the couch once more, not sure
where to start looking. His hands were shaking as he clasped them together.
Rose…Rose, where are you? Oh God, it feels like a nightmare. Why isn't it a
nightmare? Rose…
He was just about to close his eyes when he
saw the piece of paper on the table in front of him. Hurriedly, he picked it up
and recognized Emily's handwriting.
Dear Mr. Dawson,
I am sorry, but I gave Mrs. Dawson a
letter that arrived at the apartment. She read it and then she got dressed to
go out. She told me to leave and come back tomorrow. I am sorry.
The letter might still be in her room.
Emily
Jack cursed loudly, spitting out Emily's name
with anger and frustration. Who could have written a letter Rose would care
about? Her mother. Not Cal. That was certain. But Ruth could have written a
letter…tricking her into coming.
He hurried back to the bedroom and after
tearing apart half the room, he found Ruth's letter and started cursing loudly
again, before dropping it and grabbing his coat.
Before he left to go out in the building
blizzard, the phone rang and hurriedly, he picked it up.
"Rose? Is that you?"
"Jack? Is something wrong? I was just
calling to see if you were all right in this weather."
"Molly…" Jack took a deep breath
and then explained everything to an increasingly concerned Molly Brown.
"Go there, Jack. I'll meet you there.
Rose might need both of us." Jack was about to hang up, but heard her
screaming at him. "Be careful, Jack!"
"I will be," he replied grimly.
*****
The apartment door was open a crack and Jack
pushed it open quickly, running inside. Everything was quiet and the living
room was empty. But as he looked around, puzzled, screams and pants were
faintly heard and his heart pounded hard. Rose.
He was just about to open one of the dirty
doors, when Ruth appeared from somewhere. She stared at him, an expression of
mixed feelings visible.
"Jack…"
"Where is she? Where the hell is she? Is
she all right? Is she…oh God, just tell me where she is!"
He had started opening doors, but he couldn't
find her and he looked at Ruth, a panicked expression in his blue eyes.
"She's in my room. But you can't see
her. She's…in labor."
Jack stumbled and almost lost his balance,
but then opened another door, only to see a nurse blocking the entrance. He
could see Rose on the bed, but the nurse was surprisingly strong and she pushed
him away, shutting the door and…locking it. Jack breathed hard, still seeing
her on the bed, her face as white as a sheet and her hair was plastered down to
her cheeks. Was she even conscious?
"Please, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater…please let
me be with her. She needs me." He couldn't even form the question why Rose
was here, what had happened…all he could do was beg to go to her.
"No, Mr. Dawson. No. She's…she's…her
condition is precarious and she doesn't need anyone to upset her."
"I wouldn't upset her!" Jack said
emphatically, trying to keep his voice quiet. "She needs me. I know
it." Tears escaped his eyes and he didn't even bother to wipe them away.
"No, Mr. Dawson. Mr. Hockley, I mean,
Cal is with her and she…" Ruth swallowed hard as she prepared to lie to
her son-in-law. "She said that was enough. She hasn't asked for you."
Jack stared at her in amazement. "You're
lying. She wouldn't even be here right now if you hadn't sent for her. What
kind of a mother are you to send your pregnant daughter out in a blizzard? If
it weren't for you, she'd be in bed right now, at home, safe and sound…"
Jack swallowed the rest of his sentence and looked down, clenching his fists as
he breathed in and out deeply.
"Her doctor told us she had to stay in
bed! And now she's…" Jack covered his face with his hands as his outburst
ended and he rubbed his eyes to keep hot tears at bay.
"Please…let me see her. Please."
Ruth's own eyes were overflowing with tears
and she reached out for him, trying to give him a hug, but he just shrugged her
away.
A knock at the door made them both freeze. As
Ruth didn't leave him to open it there was another knock at the door, and
finally it opened, revealing Molly Brown.
"Ruth, Ruth, Ruth, what are you up to
now?" she asked loudly, but stopped talking when she saw Jack's tears.
"Jack? Is she okay?"
She hurried up to them, taking the shocked
young man in her arms and then she heard Rose's dying cries.
"Oh no…" Molly whispered and let go
of Jack, looking at Ruth angrily. "Let the boy in to see her. Now,
Ruth."