DAWSON’S TRAVELS
Chapter Nine
Night had fallen on the Calvert
house. Having brushed her teeth, Leah headed for her room, which was right next
to Jack’s room. She stopped when she heard the moaning from Jack’s room. She
went and opened the door a crack.
"Run…don’t let go…you must
survive…" were the bits and pieces she heard. She furrowed her brow, even
more curious. Who was Jack talking about? What had happened to him to make him
so…haunted? What had changed him from the happy young man who had aspirations
to be a world famous artist to this haunted man who wanted to crawl into a
shell and stay there?
She turned to leave, just as Jack
sat up and yelled. "Rose! Rose, don’t go! Rose!" His voice was filled
with tears. "I’m sorry, Rose! I’m sorry!"
"Jack?" Leah went in.
His eyes were open, but he was seeing nothing, caught in his nightmare.
"Rose!"
"Jack, wake up!" She
went into his room and shook his shoulder. "Jack, wake up! You’re
dreaming! Wake up!"
Jack snapped awake. He was
confused by his surroundings at first. Then, he remembered where he was at.
"Leah?"
"You were having a
nightmare. You were shouting for someone named Rose." Leah pushed back her
tinge of jealousy. She wondered who this Rose was to Jack.
Jack looked away from her,
avoiding her eyes. "I’m sorry I woke you."
"Oh, no, don’t be sorry.
Anytime you need me, just call. Okay? Jack…tell me…who’s Rose? She was
obviously very important to you."
Jack looked at Leah, tears
shining in his eyes. "She was very important to me. She…she
was…my…girlfriend. I guess that’s what you could call her…even though we kind
of surpassed that."
"Oh." Leah couldn’t
keep the disappointment out of her voice. What was she expecting, anyway? For
Jack to save himself for her? He had never told her he loved her in that
way…never even implied it. "You loved her."
"Very much." Jack
nodded, examining his hands. "She didn’t deserve to…she should have kept
her promise, but I guess she couldn’t."
"What promise?"
Jack looked at her. It was
obvious that whatever had happened to this Rose, and maybe even Fabrizio…it was
tearing him apart inside. She had to get him to let it out somehow. But she
didn’t know how. He was closed off now.
"I can’t, Leah. I’m sorry,
but I just can’t talk about it now." Jack bowed his head. "Go back to
bed, Leah. I’ll be fine. I’ve had these dreams before, and I’ll probably have
them again. So just go to bed and forget I ever said anything about Rose."
"But, Jack…"
"Leah, please…"
Leah sighed. "Okay. Fine.
But just so you know, I’m here when you do feel like talking. Okay?"
Jack smiled and nodded.
"Okay. Night, Jack."
"Night." Jack smiled,
watching her leave the room. He leaned back and closed his eyes, going back to
his dreams of Rose DeWitt Bukater…his soulmate…the love of his life. He didn’t
know if he’d ever get over her. Maybe Leah was right. Maybe talking about her
would help. Maybe it would make the nightmares go away. He sighed, making up
his mind. Tomorrow, when he got her alone, he’d share with his old friend
everything that had happened from winning the tickets on Titanic to the moment
he woke up in the Carpathia infirmary, no Rose in sight.
Drifting off to sleep, he
promised both Leah and himself that tomorrow he’d begin the healing process of
going on with his life.