'All passengers please put on your life jackets and make your way to the nearest emergency meeting point.' The call was repeated over and over again.
People pushed and shoved, trying to get out onto the deck as fast as they could. Children's cries punctuated the air, momentarily drowning out all other sounds.
Maura grabbed a fistful of the back of Jane's shirt, her knuckles snow white as she held on for dear life.
"Stay with me, Maur." Jane reached back, pulling Maura forward and holding her awkwardly in front of her, guiding her through the crowd before joining the end of the queue for the stairs.
"Mommy!" The terrified shriek of a small child ripped through the ominous silence that hung heavily in the stairwell. Jane and Maura turned simultaneously towards the small voice.
As Jane scanned the crowd, she spotted a young girl, clinging to a fire extinguisher and sobbing.
Meeting worried hazel eyes, Jane shoved Maura towards the stairs. "Go!" she said, "I'll be right behind you."
Jane barged her way through the throngs of people towards the terrified girl.
"You're going the wrong way, young lady!" A man with a broad Scottish accent informed her as she forced a smile and pushed past him.
"You're causing a problem. Again!" Jane knew that shrill cackle anywhere. "Why can't you people just fit in?" There she was, large as life; Lana Logue. Jane felt her fury bubbling as the woman blocked her path to the child. "Just follow the crowd!" Lana berated her loudly, causing everyone in the immediate vicinity to stare at the spectacle unfolding before them.
"Lady, I need to get back here. Please move!" Jane tried to be polite and surprised herself with how damn close she's managed to come. An older man, whom Jane was sure she'd seen before, peered over Lana's shoulder.
"Oh, how did I know?" he barked, "Always wanting special treatment." He snapped as Jane forced her way past both complainers and wrapping the young girl in her arms, hoisting her up.
"Come on sweetheart." Jane whispered in her ear. "We'll find your mom, ok?"
Jane re-joined the line of people waiting to go up the stairs, clinging to the girl as she searched the crowd for Maura.
"What's your name, honey?" Jane asked, brushing the girls hair out of her eyes.
"Cassandra." She replied, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "My mommy calls me Cassie."
"I'm Jane."
"Hi Jane." Cassie sniffed loudly. "Can you really find my mommy?" she asked, her hopeful blue eyes penetrating deep into Jane's.
"You betcha!" Jane told her as they climbed the stairs.
The deck was chaotic, people pushing and calling out for missing loved ones as they were swept along in the masses. Pricking her ears, Jane tried to pick out Maura in the melee.
"Jane!" The cluster of people immediately surrounding Jane all turned to the sound of the voice. Pushing against the crowds, Jane fought to get to her lover. Maura had her arm wrapped tightly around a broken, sobbing woman, the other reaching for Jane.
"Mommy!" Cassie squealed as Maura came into view. The woman at her side looked up quickly and Cassie wriggled from Jane's grasp.
At the same time, Maura leapt into Jane's arms, kissing her neck gently and allowing the relief to wash over them both.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" the woman threw herself into their hug, tears falling freely.
"It's nothing." Jane croaked. She had never felt comfortable with public acclaim and she was acutely aware of eyes settling on the emotional encounter.
"I only did what any decent person would do." The venom soaked her tone as her eyes locked with Lana's.
"Please come this way." A crew member was suddenly ushering the group away from the mouth of the stairs and towards the lifeboats. Maura's grip on Jane's hand tightened as they moved slowly through the crowds. Chaos ran riot over the deck, no one appeared to be in charge and the crew members seemed as oblivious as the passengers.
Rain and waves hammered relentlessly against the masses and the wind and swells threw chairs and other debris over the deck, turning the journey into an obstacle course.
"Here!" Jane spotted a quieter area near an unnoticed lifeboat on the opposite side of the ship. "This way." She gripped Maura's hand tighter, both their knuckles turning white as she led them away from the surging group.
"This is insane, where is the organisation?" Maura shook in the cold. "Why isn't anyone taking control?" Jane looked around, searching for anyone that appeared to know what was happening.
"Come on." Jane ushered Maura towards the lifeboat as a larger group broke off and headed towards them. "Get in!" she barked, pushing Maura up and into the boat.
There was a loud splash from the opposite side of the ship, indicating a lifeboat had been launched.
Jane and Maura settled into the lifeboat, glad to be out of the howling wind and rain.
"Make way!"
Both women rolled their eyes. "Really?" Jane whispered, hoping they wouldn't be discovered.
"Here!" A new male voice joined the babble. "Sir, please allow the ladies aboard first." It was a stern voice, one used to giving instructions.
"Oh, hello." A womans head appeared in the lifeboat, followed quickly by the rest of her. "I'm Elaine."
"Jane." She smiled warmly. "This is my partner, Maura." Jane reached up to help Elaine into the boat. Smiling sadly, Elaine took the seat next to the two women.
"Are you ok?" Maura asked, "You're not hurt, are you?"
Elaine shook her head. "No dear, I'm fine." She smiled weakly. "It's just… It's about to get really uncomfortable in here."
"Don't push me!"
Three sets of eyes turned towards the boats small entrance, all wide in horror.
"You really don't know me well enough to take such liberties!"
Lana's head appeared in the boat, a scowl setting firmly across her face.
"You again!" She stabbed a finger towards Jane as the rest of her bulk settled into a seat. Before anyone could respond, a large man appeared.
"Oh hell no!" he growled.
"That's what I said." Lana agreed, pleased that her response had been echoed.
"John, just get in the damn boat." Elaine snapped. "Now really isn't the time for your bigotry."
"Really?" John snapped back, "Then when is? It's because of them it happened!" his face contorted with disdain and he refused to meet Jane's fiery scowl. Maura felt Jane tense next to her and immediately her hand came to rest over Jane's.
"You said it yourself." John continued, ignoring everyone but his wife. "You said if God didn't like it, he'd strike them down himself!" He gestured around the lifeboat. "Well I'd say this is definitely a sign, wouldn't you?"
"He has a point." Lana spoke up, "This is God's wrath. In Leviticus….."
"Woah now!" Maura stood up quickly, the action forcing Jane back into her seat. "You don't have to like us, believe me, the feeling is more than mutual, but if you think God is trying to kill us for being homosexual, then may I suggest you get the hell out of MY lifeboat!"
She slammed herself back into her seat, folding her arms across her chest as four stunned faces stared at her.
"I…. I….." Lana was the first to break the silence. "I've never been spoken to in such a way in all my life." She huffed.
"Well someone needed to." Elaine mumbled, squeezing Maura's hand supportively.
Lana only glared at her as she tried to hoist her large frame up from the seat, causing the boat to sway dangerously on its supports.
"If you think you can just speak to people like that, then you have another thing coming missy!" Lana got to her feet. "You need to learn some manners!"
Without warning Jane was on her feet, quite literally toe to toe with Lana, their noses only inches apart. "If you lay so much as a drop of spit on my wife I swear to you, it will be the very last thing you ever do." Jane's voice was calm, steady and dangerously low. Its timbre rumbled through the small vessel.
As more people piled into the lifeboat, Lana stepped away, choosing to move to the opposite end of the boat. She looked back to John with hopeful eyes.
"Go!" Elaine told him. "I don't want you near me until you can at least imitate a decent human!"
John hung his head but remained seated.
A sombre silence covered them as more people clambered aboard.
As soon as the lifeboat crashed into the ocean, Jane realised just how much trouble they were in. The small craft rolled and pitched violently, cold spray filling the boat and chilling them all to the bone. Panicked cries and shrieks battled with the storm, a macabre soundtrack.
Maura gripped Jane's hand tightly, the worried expression crinkling her face as the boat tipped again, icy ocean creeping over the side and pooling around their feet.
"This isn't good, is it?" Elaine grabbed Maura's other hand as her eyes pleaded with the doctor. Maura shook her head slowly.
Jane peered out across the blackness. The only thing she knew was that they needed land, and fast. Sitting in this bouncing bean tin for too long could lead to only one conclusion.
After a long and violent hour in the lifeboat, the lights of the ship were long gone. Jane couldn't decide if that meant the ship had sunk or of they'd drifted far beyond the reach of its lights.
Jane stared out at the horizon, glancing over occasionally at Maura who remained stoic. The eerie silence that filled the craft tugged at the edges of reason. The screaming and panic had subsided after the last violent tip that had almost capsized them.
Maura studied each face carefully, she wanted to remember each one, each little nuance, every wrinkle and line.
Each person regarded the others in a similar way as they appeared to be making their peace in their own silent way.
Suddenly, Jane elbowed Maura violently in the ribs causing the doctor to gasp loudly. "What the hell, Jane?" she hissed through clenched teeth.
Jane only nodded out across the water. In the next flash of lightning, Maura saw it. An island. She scanned the dark sky quickly.
"What do you think?" Jane asked, she could almost hear the cogs turning in Maura's head.
"Based on the position of the moon, the time and our estimated speed." Jane saw Maura's body clench at the mere prospect of guessing. "I think we'll skim the south end of the island in about an hour."
"Skim?" Jane hissed. "You mean, we're going to miss the island?" A few heads turned their way, straining to hear the conversation.
Maura nodded sadly. "If we continue on this heading, yes."
Jane glanced at her watch. "So, we wait."
Within 45 minutes, everyone else on the boat had realised that land was near; each person had their own idea of how to guarantee making it. Excited and hopeful chatter was interspersed with the ever present crash of thunder.
"I don't think people should be moving so much." Maura repeated.
The prospect of land had sent the majority of people to the starboard side of the boat, each one wanting to see this miracle for themselves. As a result of this, and the copious amount of sea water that had flowed into the vessel, the lifeboat was listing heavily.
"Hello, people?" Jane tried to get their attention. "Excuse me?" She shouted loudly. "OI!" she hollered, causing the majority of people to stop and turn.
"If we're gonna get out of this, you need to rebalance the boat." She tried to explain. "You need to return to your seats."
People heckled and brushed her concerns away.
"I don't want to die in a lifeboat, Jane." Maura was on the verge of tears. "I don't want to die out here."
"If they don't move." Jane whispered sadly, "none of us will die in the lifeboat." Maura frowned at her. "We'll all die in the ocean!"
Another wave picked up the boat where it hung precariously on the crest before smashing back down into the churning water. Screams and loud splashes filled the air, drowning out the storm as two of the people nearest the edge fell into the bitter water.
Maura raced to the side, her first instinct to try and help others. "Maur, no!" Jane reached for her but her fingers only bushed the back of her life jacket.
Behind them, the wave crept silently, smashing into the boat and toppling it completely. The last thing Jane saw before succumbing to the black water were the wide, terrified eyes of her lover as she was sucked into the swell.
