The room was only dimly lit and the cushions felt warm and comforting against her body. She blinked her eyelids, trying to open them, making out a person sitting in a rocking chair on the other side of the chamber. In fact it couldn't have been very big, because as she was stretching out her arms, she already hit one side of the wall.

For some reason she recalled her own compartment being much bigger, the sheets of much better quality. She laid her head to one side, turning away from the other person, closing her eyes again. She had no idea why, but she felt cold – so cold and worn out. And she was so tired, like she hadn't slept in a week. She could hear voice from outside - a man and a woman taking, the latter one seemed to have been crying and appeared to be in great distress.

"Mrs. Dewitt Bukater, I assure you, your daughter will be fine."

The doctor hurried past her wanting to check up on the other patients. The young lady in here was in good care now with the nurse Betsy. He wasn't solely there for her well-being - there were thousands of other waiting for the right treatment.

"Why am I not allowed seeing her then, doctor? I'm her mother, surely you must understand...," Ruth put on that fake voice and even managed to shed a few tears.

The doctor was at best not caring - he had seen so many people much worse than the daughter of this woman. In fact practically the whole third class infirmary was full of people more dead than alive. He couldn't care less about the outburst or even more feelings of this woman at present. He knew people like her and now they viewed him - like someone from the province only good enough to sell them medicine.

Ruth sniffed a tear, noting she probably wouldn't have her way this time. She looked the doctor up and down, dying to know, if he even had an admission to practice. His attire certainly could've been better. For now they obviously had to deal with him, but as soon as they were in New York they would go and see a real one.

"Of course, ma'am, I see your point, but your daughter needs her rest. She has just survived some very dreadful ordeal," he told her.

God, this woman was as cold as ice…he was glad that she wasn't his mother. Truely she didn't seem to be very concerned at all. The doctor was sure that she was just putting on a show for everyone. He had seen people losing their loved-ones or being close to it and he never recalled anyone being so composed and snappy than this woman.

He was normally quite open-minded and not at prejudiced, but maybe it was true after all what some people said of the first class - especially about Titanic - that they were snobby and only caring about money. The woman in front of him certainly fitted this case.

The man besides her, who had so far kept his mouth closed, was now stepping in front of her, like he wanted to prove that he was the man in the house after all and that no one should mess up with him.

"Ruth, my dear, I'm certain, this gentleman here only wants her best," Cal tapped him the shoulder a gesture, which the doctor didn't appreciate at all.

This so-called gentleman was even more vicious than the woman. He just hoped that these weren't the only people the young woman inside there could rely on. For a full recovery she undoubtedly needed the assistance of someone loving her truthfully – not pretending like those two.

"If you'd excuse me now, Madam, Sir…I do have some more patients I need to take care off," he spoke in a hast, not being able to hide the fact that he couldn't get away from them fast enough.

They were making him nauseating. There were hundreds on this ship, who had lost everything and here they were – he had heard them complaining about the shortness of suitable rooms.

Ruth sniffed another tear, turning her attention to her would-be-son-in-law.

"This man is certainly not the cream of the crop, when I think of a doctor proper to treat my Rose."

"Oh Ruth he's a ship's doctor…of a freighter," he spoke up lightening himself a cigarette.

For sure he knew that the Carpathia wasn't a cargo ship. Cal and Ruth were far from glad that they had been just been saved from a horrible nautic catastrophe, while more than half of it had died. They didn't even acknowledge the fact that they had been given a whole room for Rose to rest in by herself, while most others needed to share a big hall and couldn't even think of being provided by one nurse alone.

Inside Rose had started sneezing. She had heard the voices outside, but wasn't able to listen and couldn't place their words into the right context. Nothing of it made any sense. She was pretty sure that she was used to something more than this – the clothes alone that she was wearing at the moment indicated as much.

She had noted the distress of the woman outside and wondered, if it had something to do with her. Was she in such a made shape? Was she dying? Though half-asleep when being brought up here, the cries and angsts of the people around her, hadn't escaped her.

Something terrible must've happened and she had obviously been part of it.

"Miss Rose, are you still sleeping?"

Was she still sleeping? No, in fact not, but somehow the voices and sounds around annoyed her. She would've preferred to be left alone. She didn't want to be here with them, feeling that she belonged somewhere else – with someone else. She just didn't know where or with whom.

Hell, it was all so confusing.

"Miss Rose, I could make you tea, if you want. It will do you good and warm you up inside."

At the mention of the word warm Rose felt another wave of chilliness shoot through her whole body. Why couldn't she remember what had happened to her? She realized that it must've been something terrible, because otherwise surely there wouldn't be a nurse solely condemning just for her.

"Thank god, you've found her in time, Mr. Hockley. I mean before…"

Cal could only agree with her in this. As soon as the survivors had been brought on board the Carpathia he hadn't taken any time to look around for Rose. Almost sure were to find her he had hastily taken the steps down on the infirmary of the third class. There she had been - wrapped up in a blanket and looking totally out of place. Cal hadn't cared at all to ask her about her opinion, he had simply taken her hand and led her upstairs.

Rose had followed him without any protest, which should've made Cal suspicious already at this point, but he had only been to happy at this moment that she hadn't put up another - embarrassing - fight for him.

"But we're not safe yet, Ruth. So far I haven't been to the infirmary and of course the chances are low, but…there's always the possibility that he might've still made it."

"I'm positive, Mr. Hockley that if the unspeakable is indeed true, then…let's just say, I'm confident we'll find another way around."

Cal only nodded at her. He was completely with her in this. Rose had had her fun on the Titanic, whoring around with this boy, but it had to stop now. He wouldn't be made a fool by his little fiancée and her gutter rat.

"Certainly, Mrs. Dewitt Bukater...certainly…if you will…I think I might try to find out something out about the boy."

Rose felt like her head was bursting in two. Without noticing herself it she had touched her forehead and found that it was covered in sweat, a circumstance that both shocked and surprised her, considering what she was sensing in the other half of her body.

Was she having a fever – developing a cold? Seemingly the person in front of her was very concerned about her, surely she wouldn't be, if there wasn't something awfully wrong with her. Before she could think straight again, the door opened once more, revealing a man and a woman, both dressed up quite well actually.

"Oh, Miss Rose, you're awake," another person happily complied. "I must just find your mother and Mr. Hockley to tell them. They'll be so happy to find you well."

Rose didn't bother to look at her, an uncertain kind of queasiness coming up. She supposed that everyone needed to have a mother, but Mr. Hockley – who was he? What kind of relationship did he have with her?

She didn't have time to dwell on that thought much longer as a person, aged around forty stepped into the room. She assumed that it was her mother.

"Rose, honey, I'm so glad you're better," the woman pulled her into a hug.

Her touch didn't feel soothing at all, quite the contrary, like she wanted to hide something, but Rose was too exhausted to take further notice. She only wanted to lie down and sleep again.

"Mother?" she asked uneasily.

The woman planted a kiss on her cheek as an answer.

"Yes, my dear…my god look at you…your clothes, they are certainly not the best…," she sat down at the edge of the bed. "You look so…now well...I think that these things can't be helped now and I assume that this here is better than nothing," she sniffed again, when seeing the dirt hanging everywhere around "…but we really need to get you to a real hospital – luckily it'll be only a few days until we arrive in New York."

"New York? We're on a ship?" Rose stared at her mother.

That might explain her nausea. Maybe it was just seasickness.

Ruth was taken by surprise for a second and it took her a while to find her voice again. Her only daughter looked at like she was some stranger. Was she playing games again? Rose had always liked to put on a show for everyone, believing it to be funny, even more so, when it shocked her mother and others around her.

"Why, yes, honey, we're," she confirmed. "Don't you remember?"

Rose could only shake her head. This woman was totally alien to her, as was the man.

"Ruth, it everything alright with her…I heard that she had woken…," Ruth stopped him by waving her hand.

"Oh, Mr. Hockley, it's horrible, my dear girl," she cried out in a high-pitched voice. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, my mother," Rose got out.

This had to be her mother, right? After all the other woman beforehand had mentioned that her mother would visit her. It couldn't be anyone else.

Ruth for sure knew this too and could only shake her head again. It was really true. Rose obviously had memory loss. How horrible! Her poor girl.

"But you don't know, you're just putting two and two together, because Betsy here told you, who would be coming to see you."

Rose gazed at her expressionlessly and then turned her gaze at the man standing beside her. He was dressed up in fine clothes and smiling at her, but their was something in his eyes that she found cold - like they were piercing through her. She wondered, if that had something to do with her.

Had she done something wrong?

"My dear, god, Mr. Hockley…it's true…she doesn't remember her own mother."

Rose wasn't sure now, if her tears were fake or for real. This woman seemed to her to be very cold-blooded. And what about the man…? Was he her husband? She had to admit that on the outside he looked quite handsome and he was much more calm than the her mother.

"Rose, this is Mr. Hockley. He found you laying unconsciousness and put you here, where we were able to take good care of you."

"Who're you?" Rose asked now in the direction of Cal, who did his best to hide the smirk on his face.

Indeed this couldn't be going any better. Cal took a step towards her. This was really a dream coming true now. He still recalled her face on the Titanic and her anger towards him - how she had spit him into the face - telling him she'd rather be Dawson's whore.

But he too remembered how he had said to this gutter rat that he always won.

Indeed he did. Jack Dawson was no match for him after all. He, Caledon Hockley, would make sure that Rose stayed with him for the rest of her life and that she would never even utter name of this trash.

He put on the sweetest smile he could come up with, as he sat down besides his clearly confused fiancée. Rose gazed at him her eyes wide open, wondering what he would tell her, but at the same time shy and unsure.

Oh, yes, this was getting very good.

"I'm your fiancé, my darling Rose," he hugged her too and like her mother's before it was stiff und uncomfortable. "My name is Caledon Hockley, Cal for you."

She couldn't recall that name either.

"Oh my darling, I'm so pleased you're all healthy and soon you'll be full glowing once more."

At this he moved his lips towards hers and she closed her eyes in the process, not wanting to be obliged looking him in his eyes. They were so dark and…unpleasant for some reason. But he was her betrothed right? Shouldn't she have some affections towards him? Surely he only meant her well.

"Sweet pea, I can't say how cheerful I'm that you've made it through. We all thought we had lost you."

Lost me? Why would they think that they lost me? And sweet pea what was this kind of a pet name? She didn't like it at all.

Her confusion must've been clearly readable on her face, because Cal instantly drew back. He wanted her back with him, but he also noted that he had to be careful and take it easy with her - he didn't need to give her another reason to think that something wasn't right.

"Sweet pea, I think you should just take your rest now. Betsy will make you some tea and bring you something to eat. We'll talk later about everything."

"You're right, as usual, Mr. Hockley," Ruth stood up tapping her daughter on the shoulder. "But you call us, whenever you need anything, yes?"

Rose only nodded, happy for once that they were leaving. She closed her eyes again, lying down on the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. Whatever was wrong with her? Well, she knew what it was - up down? They had been in an accident, obviously some very horrific one - but why was she feeling so utterly cold and lost. What was it that she was missing?

….

Jack felt someone touch his head, placing a warm fabric against his temple. His head felt like it was bursting in two and his body was heated up like an oven, while at the same time he was cold as ice.

"Cough, cough…," he got out tossing around on the bed.

"My dear boy, you need to stay still otherwise you may never fully recover," a voice told him.

Jack remembered that voice. It belonged to that first class woman on the ship, who had helped him, lent him a suit and later on a pencil so he could write a note for Rose. Rose? Why wasn't she here? He recalled seeing her in the water last, when she had let go of his hand.

Someone had pulled him into a boat later on, his clothes drenched - more dead than alive. He didn't remember much of what had happened afterwards. He had seemingly been in a very bad state, being taken here and laid down on a bed. Sometime later Molly Brown had shown up smiling brightly at him and telling the doctor and nurses that she would now take care to him.

What had happened with Rose? Was she saved too? She had to be safe; fate couldn't be so harsh to just push together and afterwards drew them apart again in such a cruel way.

"The doctor says it's a wonder that you made it, Jack," Molly tried to calm him down. "In fact you must've been in the water for quite some time. The doctor said that when they found you, you've been closer to…," she stopped herself there.

Jack really didn't need to know the whole truth. It was bad enough for him already. Molly was just glad that he had been saved and that she had found him, before…Caledon Hockley had. She had seen him downstairs, obviously looking for someone. She was sure that someone like Caledon Hockley wouldn't be think twice before getting rid of people, who supposedly stood in his way.

She liked this boy. He was so much more entertaining than all the bores in first class put together and for sure much more fit for someone like Rose. She wondered, if the girl had made it. Rose had been a rich girl and it seemed strange that she of all, shouldn't have made it. After all there really was no reason why she should've been denied excess to the lifeboats.

"Rose…," Jack suffocated out the word, clearly having trouble speaking and started coughing again. "Where…where…?" he tried to sit up, but was instantly reminded by his weak body that he was overdoing it and fell back down on the bed.

Molly placed an arm behind his back to steady him.

"Jack, you shouldn't talk. You need your rest. You've just been saved from the icy Atlantic waters and it may be weeks until you're totally convalesced. Of course I will do everything to help you in this…you can count on that."

Jack looked at her questioningly. What was she refering to? Surely she couldn't mean what he thought she did. Molly Brown was a complete stranger to him no matter what she done for him. Jack didn't think that he would be this important for her.

"You might stay with me in Denver…no let me get this straight, you will stay with me in Denver…"

Jack liked Molly Brown and was happy that she wanted to be there for him, but he didn't want to impose in her life and had never wanted to comply with other people. It was totally new to him and alien to his nature. Since being fifteen he had always been alone, save for his friend Fabrizio and his mother - as hard as this had been he had with the being progressing also convinced himself that he didn't need anyone else.

That is until he had met Rose. With her he had for the first time thought about settling down maybe. His mother had always told him how much fun having a family was, but Jack hadn't been persuaded - thinking that why on earth should he give up his travelling life for a woman, when there was so much still to be seen. Fabrizio had been much the same - two boys making fun of girls and at best admiring their beauty.

Only with Rose everything had changed. Now he could even picture himself in a small house with dozen of children and working in some office like all other fathers did. All of a sudden he felt that his mother had been right after all - being together with the person you loved was indeed the best thing that one could wish for.

"I…I can't…"

"Nonsense, boy. Of course you can. I'd love to have your company. Since my daughter married, I've only have my cats with me. I'm sure you're better with talking than they are," she laughed.

Jack tried to laugh with her at this joke, but found that his body gave way once more. Obviously he had to rely on Molly's help for now - he didn't have another choice even though he didn't like it. Molly changed the wet clothe on his forehead, wishing she could do more for him.

"Oh, Jack, just sleep, now. I'll try to find out what happened to Rose and bring her here, if I can summon her up, alright?"

"Thank…thank you…"

"You're very welcome, Jack."

At this Molly made her way outside the infirmary of the third class and went looking around for Rose. Surely the girl had to be there somewhere on the ship.