TUESDAY, APRIL 16th, 1912
RMS Carpathia
The Ship's Doctor had led Eponine and Combeferre to the hospital room where Gavroche was resting.
He had slept the better part of the day before, but was now conscious enough to receive visitors.
When he saw Eponine standing there, he tried to lift up his arms to her, and she rushed over to hug him as tightly as possible.
"We didn't think you'd make it!" Eponine wept.
"Hey! Little People know when little people fight, we may look easy pickings but we've got some bite!" Gavroche tried to laugh.
Combeferre tussled the boy's hair. "Don't exert yourself, little one. You still need some rest." He said softly.
After pulling away from Eponine, Gavroche turned to face both of them. "Where's Mama and the others?"
Eponine looked to Combeferre for guidance.
"Gavroche…" Eponine began. "Azelma…and Feuilly…"
Combeferre touched her arm, and continued for her. "…were two of the bravest passengers I've ever had the privilege to know."
Eponine looked at him as he continued. "The last I saw of them…they helped a dozen children climb up the boat deck. They put the children before themselves…they were very brave."
"Frankie…I don't want you lying to me just because I ain't yet a day older than sixteen…"
Combeferre's heart dropped. "What do you mean?"
"I heard you cry out that you couldn't see. Your glasses are different…you lost your glasses when that smokestack crashed…"
And that's when Gavroche put two and two together. "It got both of them…didn't it?" he whispered.
Eponine gave up the struggle fight back tears. "I'm sorry…Gavroche…Neither of us figured it out until yesterday afternoon…I thought we just became separated in the water…"
Gavroche took a deep breath. "Lord give me strength to say this, but there is a little part in this little body, that is grateful that at least…their deaths were quick and painless…"
Eponine grabbed him by the shoulders. "Gavroche Patrick Thenadier! How dare you speak ill of them!"
Gavroche shot back "Would you rather they'd freeze and die a slow agonizing death?! You think I wasn't there to witness the two?!"
Combeferre put his hand on Eponine's back, letting Gavroche continue.
"That Frenchman. Henri…he bloody sacrificed himself for me. Gave me his own lifejacket and a life preserver. You think I don't know what it's like to see someone freeze to death?!" there were tears in his eyes.
Eponine pulled him for another hug "I'm sorry…Gavroche…"
"It's alright, 'Ponine…"
Combeferre then realized what Gavroche had said. "Henri Courfeyrac? He didn't make it either?"
Gavroche shook his head. Combeferre stood up. "You two stay here. I'm going out to see if there's anyone that we know that has survived."
This time, Eponine did not stop him, nor begged to go with him. She just grabbed his wrist and nodded to him that she understood. "Be careful." She said.
Combeferre took her hand and kissed it. "I'll be right back."
!
Combeferre was walking around the hundreds of survivors sitting on the deck chairs.
Along the way, he could see Lawrence Beesly wrapped in a heavy coat. Combeferre stopped in his tracks and sat down next to him.
"Seven hundred survivors…" Beesly muttered. "Not exactly the twelve hundred that we had talked about, is it?"
Combeferre exhaled deeply and shook his head. "Many passengers refused to board…they didn't take the danger seriously. The Officers should've been more clear…"
"It would've caused panic…and then no one could've been saved." Beesly countered.
Combeferre gripped the arm rests of his chair. "So…in a nutshell, this was inevitable?"
"Perhaps…but the sacrifice may not be in vain…I hope."
"What do you mean?"
Beesly explained. "I'm sure by now you would know that there will be inquiries made into the disaster…from both the American and British. If we give our testimonies, they'll have to change the maritime regulations."
"You mean…something like, carrying enough lifeboats for all on board?" Combeferre suggested.
Beesly nodded. "Well…at least we can only hope that will occur. Then again…arrogance has overruled many things before in the past."
Combeferre contemplated that idea. "If that were the case…I could never go back to England now. After we dock…I won't be so sure I'll ever go on another ship again as long as I live."
Just then, his eyes caught those of Jean Prouvaire. Combeferre quickly excused himself and rushed over to Prouvaire.
"Prouvaire…I'm glad to see you alive."
"You've heard about the others?" Jean asked.
Combeferre's expression dropped. "I only heard about Courfeyrac…and I know about Enjolras…I assume then…you are referring to Joly and Lesgles, then?"
Prouvaire nodded.
Combeferre sighed in frustration. "So many people…"
"They all ran to the stern when the end came…" Prouvaire said. "The last Julien saw of your friend Enjolras…he was sitting on top of the railing…grabbing tight onto the ship's flagpole. It still held the British Blue Ensign flag... I'll never forget that image in my head…he held onto that flag as if he was waving it around…bravely defying the forces that would claim him. I've never imagined a more iconic symbol of bravery."
Combeferre then noticed some pieces of paper in Prouvaire's hands. They were sketches. "You're trying to capture it?" he asked.
"Oui. I hope this will not offend you…but I felt I had to draw it out…my feelings I mean…"
Combeferre comforted Jean. "By all means…draw it all. Let this be told. We need the people of the world to know and to learn from his kind of bravery."
Jean slowly nodded. On a small notebook he had in his hands…he continued to write out sentences for something.
"It's a poem I'm writing…in honor of those lost." He explained.
Combeferre cracked a smile.
!
Eponine stayed with Gavroche in the hospital room. Gavroche was sleeping when Combeferre entered.
She stood up to face him. "Any luck?" She asked.
"Only Prouvaire…" Combeferre whispered. Eponine lowered her head. "Part of me was preparing to learn that no one else survived…"
Eponine nodded in agreement. "It's the sort of news one would expect to hear. I've almost stopped growing curious as to who else perished in the sinking…"
She then went over to the porthole to gaze out into the sunset. "A lot of people…Mr. Goldsmith…Theobold…Feuilly's friend Alfred. The entire Sage family…Farrell and Gallagher…" she said, speaking of the Third Class victims.
Combeferre noticed that she wasn't mentioning her own family members…and he knew not to speak for her.
After a few minutes of silence, Combeferre stood up and walked over to her. She immediately walked over to be in his arms. He held her tight.
"Will you still go to Boston?" She asked, her face in his chest.
"I don't know…Part of me wishes never to see the ocean again. Boston's very close to water…I don't care to see large bodies of water until the day I die…" Combeferre admitted.
"But your office?" she asked.
"Oh…" he forgotten all about the pre-made arrangements. "I suppose I'll have to travel there…and explain to them in person that I will have to decline the place."
She held his face in his hands so that he looked directly into her eyes. "Will you be fine travelling there?" she asked him firmly. "I don't know if the ocean will be anywhere in sight…and I saw how you reacted yesterday."
"I know…" Combeferre replied. "As for Boston…maybe it won't be so bad. We won't know where it is until we get there."
"And…Gavroche?" she motioned to her sleeping brother.
Combeferre did not take a pause this time when he answered "He's coming with us. We're not letting him venture out into the New World all alone."
Eponine smiled at him. "At least until he's my age. When he's eighteen, if he wishes to, he can seek out is own fortune or whatever the future may bring."
Combeferre returned the smile and pulled Eponine's hair back past her shoulders.
It was then her eyes widened.
"My ribbon!" she gasped, reaching through her hair.
"What? What happened?" Combeferre asked, with growing concern.
"I must've…I must've lost it in the sea." She said feeling around.
Combeferre looked confused at her. After feeling her hair, she gave a defeated sigh and said "My sister fixed my hair the other night…it was the last thing I had that she gave to me…"
He put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry…" he said.
Then he walked over to his overcoat that was hanging on the chair. He searched through the coat's pockets, and was surprised that his tie was still in there.
He pulled it out and showed it to her.
"It isn't exactly a ribbon…but just in case you wanted…" he tried to find the right word.
She held up her hand smiling. "I appreciate the offer…but it is simply the point that my sister gave that to me…"
Combeferre nodded. "I understand."
!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 17th, 1912
RMS Carpathia
Clara was leaning against the railing, staring out into the open sky and the clear blue waters. She was later joined by Prouvaire.
"Miss Musichetta…" he said as he approached her. "You should take care not to stay out for too long. It's still too cold."
Clara nodded in response, before speaking up. "Why were we all punished?"
Jean looked at her. "I'm sorry?" he asked.
Clara looked back at him. "I was just thinking…" she began. "They've often said in the newspapers before the voyage even began 'God Himself Cannot Sink this Ship'. And yet…somehow, we are the ones who suffered the consequences the most."
Prouvaire nodded in acknowledgement. "Sometimes I wonder if we live under a merciful God." He mused.
"Do you not believe in God?" she asked him.
He sighed and said "If there is a God…then He must've not cared as to whom he spared and whom he took."
"You are correct with what the newspapers said. In fact, this is very similar to Greek legends. When the Gods saw that the Titans decided to challenge them…"
"…the Titans were sent to Hell for their arrogance." Clara finished.
Jean nodded. "The ship's name certainly fit the description."
"But why weren't those responsible punished for their arrogance?" Clara asked. "Why did God have to kill so many innocent people?"
Prouvaire sighed and leaned against the railing next to her. "I wish I had the answer, Miss Musichetta." Clara looked up at him and smiled sadly. "Maybe…this is God's way of saying that no matter what…whether anyone is in the right…or in the wrong…we will all die."
Clara shifted uncomfortably. "In other words…" she began. "No one is safe."
Jean never answered. Instead he simply put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
"This may be the biggest wake-up call the world has ever been faced with." She said, resting her head against Jean's shoulder.
Jean rested his head against hers. "That in itself…certainly is the moment of truth."
!
Cosette was sitting at a table in the 1st Class Lounge, silently spinning the spoon around in her soup bowl. Her soup was hardly touched.
Marius approached her. "Sorry I took so long." He said as he sat down across from her. "Mrs. Brown has called for my aid; she was tending to some of the less fortunate survivors…"
Cosette didn't look up. She just continued stirring her soup aimlessly.
"Cosette?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"
She silently shook her head. "I saw the Allison Nanny. She was holding the baby."
Marius looked at her for a moment before he realized what she was talking about. "That little girl…" he said. "Didn't even have a chance…"
Cosette wiped away a tear. "The mother didn't know where her baby was…and the Nanny didn't even tell her…"
Marius took a deep breath before leaning in on the table. "Cosette…what happened that night…it's not the sort of thing where everyone can maintain they're senses. What happened there…either it brought out the best in us…or the worst in us."
Cosette held her forehead. "Somehow…it's easier to find the worst in the survivors…"
Marius looked at her as if she was talking about him. "No, Marius…" she continued. "You didn't take a woman's spot in the boats…I'm talking about Ismay. And the owner of the car that the ship kept in the cargo hold."
"William Carter." Marius answered for her. She nodded. "I overheard his wife yelling at him, claiming he got off before she did. It wouldn't surprise me if she filed for divorce over this…"
"But we must also remember…" Marius said, trying to diffuse Cosette's anger. "…that this also brought out the best in people. The Strausses for example…their love for each other…they refused to leave each other's side. If that isn't honorable, I don't know what is."
Cosette nodded. "I saw them. And the musicians…and how they played to keep the passengers calm…even to the very end."
"I was near the Aft Deck when I last heard them…" Marius recalled. "It was a slow hymn…but I can't remember if it was Autumn or Nearer my God to Thee…" he paused. "None of them made it…"
Cosette shook her head. "I was so hoping…" she said softly. "That if there were any man who deserved to live…it would be Mr. Andrews…there will be so many questions that only he could have had the answers to."
Marius held her hand as she continued. "And…my father…" she said…lips trembling.
"I was told he was the one who took me from the sea…carried me like a child, and brought me aboard that upturned boat…if that is true…I will thank that man for the rest of my life…even if only in spirit."
Cosette smiled behind her tears. "He always was a giving man…"
"Yes…" Marius said softly. "He gave you to me."
She looked up in his eyes, and smiled. "And he gave you to me."
The two of them held each other's hand tighter.
!
Eponine sat in the chair next to Gavroche's bed. Combeferre had entered the room.
"Well?" she asked him. He shook his head.
"I couldn't send a wire out to Boston. The Wireless Operators were overwhelmed with sending out messages to everyone about what happened. And when they're not sending, they're receiving hundreds of messages demanding answers."
"From whom?" Gavroche asked.
"Friends…family members…they all are anxious to know if their loved ones survived. That's what the Operator with bandaged feet told me."
"Bandaged feet?" Eponine asked.
"He's the Operator who survived with us on the collapsible. He said his feet were so badly frostbitten, they had to bandage them."
"Oh god…how horrible." Eponine muttered.
"But he certainly is a trooper…" Combeferre mused. "He's been helping Cottam, Carpathia's Operator non-stop.
Eponine reflected on the name. "Cottam…the man who saved seven hundred lives…"
Combeferre then turned to the two. "You should both get some rest. We'll be arriving tomorrow night…and with everything that's happened, I suspect disembarking will be no easy matter.
"You're one to talk, Franklin." Eponine said. "You're the one who's been out and about the most out of the three of us."
"I know…" Combeferre sighed.
After bidding Gavroche goodnight, the two left the room.
!
THURSDAY, APRIL 18th, 1912
RMS Carpathia
Off the Coast of New York
"…I was more so his protégé. We worked together in the London Office of Conkling & Lamberth. We were to be transferred to the new office in Boston. But…not only did I lose him, but all of our paperwork went down with the ship, including our forms to apply for American Citizenship." Combeferre explained to an officer who was seated at a table writing out forms for the survivors/immigrants.
"Hmm…" the officer muttered as he continued writing. And this is your newlywed, Mrs. Combeferre?" he said, motioning to Eponine.
She blushed and nodded. "Yes, sir. We've married back in Queenstown shortly before the voyage. But… we've lost our rings in the sea."
Combeferre put his hands in his pockets. It was only now that he felt something in them…
"And…Master Thenadier is your younger brother?"
"Yes, sir. Since our parents have perished…" she swallowed on the words. "He's to be in our care for the time being."
The officer finished his paperwork. "Well, it shouldn't necessarily be a problem. The way I see it…" he said before handing the paperwork to Combeferre. "the procedures may include a few more…complications."
"Complications?" Combeferre asked.
"Without a form of identification, the process of applying for legal citizenship may take longer than it would have…if the Titanic had reached New York with no trouble…"
Eponine grabbed a hold of Combeferre's shoulders, as the officer continued speaking.
"However, given your current circumstances, the Yankee Immigration Offices will be more than obliged to be of any assistance they can muster up. That doesn't guarantee a faster process, but with all the necessary procedures, you'll still be able to apply for citizenship with no trouble."
Eponine and Gavroche sighed with relief. Combeferre asked "One more thing…When we land…would it be possible to send a wire back to England?"
The officer sighed. "It'll be quite a backlog, but not impossible. After you disembark in New York, there should be a Western Union station just outside of the Piers. If you do not mind the long wait, you should be able to send a wire out."
"Thank you so much for your time, sir," Combeferre said as he stood up.
"Glad to be of service. Next?" The officer called for the next passenger.
!
"Gavroche," Combeferre said. "Why don't you go inside, and get yourself some soup. You won't want to land in America on an empty stomach!"
"Right-O!" Gavroche said as he hurried off into the Dining Saloon.
Combeferre kept a firm grip of Eponine's hand as they walked out to the forecastle deck.
The thunder had started to rumble as they leaned out to the railing.
In another ten to twenty minutes…the Statue of Liberty would be approaching on the Carpathia's Port side.
"What did you send Gavroche away for?" Eponine asked. "You look as if you have something for a thought?"
He turned around to face Eponine. "Darling…" he began. "I felt something in my pockets today…and when you weren't looking I closely examined them."
Eponine listened intently, her eyes never leaving his.
"I can only guess as to when and how they got there…I suspect it may have been…your father."
Eponine's smile faded. "When your parents gave us their lifejackets…when your father slipped his onto me…I think…he intentionally slipped these into my pocket."
Eponine felt her heart plummet as he pulled out his hand from his pocket revealing two wedding rings.
She had to cover her mouth in shock. "Please forgive me, Eponine…" he continued. "I didn't even know until today when we were having our paperwork completed."
Tears were beginning to form in Eponine's eyes. "Either they knew they were going to die…or…" she began.
He took her hand in his. "…or perhaps…if they didn't know…if they survived or not…" he stumbled upon his words.
She took her free hand and held his cheek. "Just say it, Franklin Combeferre."
"Maybe…this was their sign…that they approve of me…of us?" he said softly.
Eponine's eyes were flooding with tears. "Oh stop your mumbling and be quick! The Statue is passing us by!" she exclaimed.
The rain started to pour, as Combeferre got down on one knee. "Eponine Katie Thenadier…in spite of everything that has happened…in spite of our worlds turning upside down…will you make me the happiest…luckiest man in the world…and do me the honor…of…"
"Oh shut up and kiss me you fool!" She exclaimed as she pulled him up to kiss him.
The cold rain did not seem to faze the two as they did not pull away from their kiss.
In their minds...at least in what they imagined…they could sense Lady Liberty smiling down at them, as if welcoming them with open arms.
!
It was late in the evening by the time Carpathia had docked at Pier 54. The survivors were lining up alongside the Starboard Deck, anxiously awaiting to step off of the ship and onto dry land.
!
Darcy Grantaire had just returned from receiving severance pay. His pay stub technically stopped at midnight on April 15th, when the Titanic was declared doomed. Keeping the bribe check firmly secure in his pocket, he would stay around in New York long enough to testify at the inquiries that were sure to take place. He no longer cared about himself. He no longer cared about being cynical toward others. He no longer cared for a pint of beer. All he cared about, was to expose the corruption that took place in front of him. To speak out against the lack of lifeboats. To denounce those responsible for fifteen hundred lost souls.
!
Clara Musichetta had stayed closely to Jean Prouvaire. The two of them decided they would stay together for their new start in the New World. There weren't necessarily romantic feelings addressed or felt, but at the very least, the two would find emotional support for each other. And with all of their loved ones gone, that was more than they could ask for.
!
Marius Pontmercy and Cosette Fauchelevant were dreading stepping off the docks the most. From their spot, they could see the hundreds of flashes coming from the Vest Pocket Kodak cameras. Since they both travelled in First Class, they knew they would most likely get a lot of unwanted attention. Luckily, Mrs. Brown was close by to protect them and to fend off the obnoxious reporters.
!
Eponine and Gavroche Thenadier both felt somewhat nauseous as they could feel the ship being slowly pulled in towards the Pier. It was one thing to imagine this experience on the Titanic. It was a completely different feeling to see it from a rescue ship, minus three of their family members. But they knew they had to endure the New World at all costs. If nothing else, then for at least for the memories of those lost.
!
Franklin Combeferre kept his hands on Eponine's shoulders. In the past few days he felt protective of her and her little brother. But now that they were fast approaching the docks he felt even more protective than he could imagine. His intention was to rush past the reporters and the friends/relatives of the survivors and get the three of them far away from the crowds. From there he wasn't really sure as to where they would go. But none of that mattered. All that mattered, was that he had a family to look after now. A broken one, true. But his responsibility had greatly changed within the week.
!
Eponine played with the newly placed ring on her finger. It was only a week since she first saw her childhood sweetheart. And now here she was…engaged to him without a worry in the world. Without him by her side…she would've felt scared, being in the New World all alone with Gavroche. But now, she feels completely safe…a sensation she never thought possible with any other man.
!
Suddenly, the vibrations felt underneath the deck had stopped, and the two gangplanks had extended from the docks and attached to the gangway doors, granting the seven hundred and ten survivors the final passage, to land…freedom…and safety.