Hey guys, sorry for the late update! I started my summer job and my life has been absolutely crazy but I promise I haven't forgotten about this story!

If you've done all wrong
You're doing wrong
You can rest assure
You're gonna live quite, quite long

~"Done All Wrong" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club


Harold

Harold was prepared in every way to load the lifeboats and lower them to sea. What he had not been prepared for was the sadness and mourning that came with separating men from their wives and children as they climbed aboard.

"Are there anymore women and children?" he cried over the crowd. Panic had not began yet, but he could feel the tension rising among the passengers as they felt Titanic beginning to tip at a stomach-lurching angle beneath them.

A young couple nearby approached the boat, a child of no more than two years-old in their arms. The woman had tears streaming down her face as she offered the child to him, speaking in a language he did not understand. As he reached to take the child, he saw from the corner of his eye Mr. Ismay approach the crewmen who were helping organize the women on the lifeboat. He was barking orders, immediately causing one of the men to freeze and glance nervously over his shoulder at Harold. Nobody had ever been sure of whether or not to follow Mr. Ismay's direction since the captain was all too willing to adhere to them during the voyage. Harold could feel anger bubbling in his stomach, but forced his attention back to the young couple as several other women with children raced towards the lifeboat a few paces behind.

"Here, madam," he said, taking the young woman's arm and balancing her child on his hip. He didn't know if she spoke English, but she seemed to understand as she turned and gave her husband a kiss on the lips. He had to look away; despite there being so many people around, it was a deeply intimate moment between them.

He handed the child to one of the crewman and had the young woman follow behind him. As the last of the women and children were boarded and the boat looked as if it could hold no more, he scanned the crowd earnestly for more when he heard, "Lower away! Lower away!"

He quickly turned, looking to see what officer had given the order. He had been informed that all the other officers would be looking after other lifeboats and he would be in charge of this one, but the anger that was bubbling in his stomach boiled over when he saw it was Mr. Ismay who had given the order.

The crewmen were struggling to prepare the ropes to lower the boat and Mr. Ismay continued to cry out the orders. Many of the children on the lifeboat began to cry and the women began to scream as the lifeboat was dropped several feet, without a crewman with them!

Harold ran the few steps towards the edge of the ship and grabbed Mr. Ismay roughly by the collar. "You want me to lower away quickly?!" he cried, shaking him. "You'll have me drown the lot of them!"

"O-Officer L-Lowe," Mr. Ismay stuttered, his eyes wide in fear from Harold's menacing stare. "I-I'm so sorry, I was just trying to "

"Bugger off," he said, letting go of his collar. Mr. Ismay sidled off, disappearing into the crowd and leaving everyone who just witnessed the scene silent as the grave. The crewmen were staring at Harold with admiration; it seemed he was not the only crew member who was tired of Mr. Ismay's demands.

He slicked back his hair and turned to the lifeboat, giving a reassuring smile to the frightened passengers on board. "Lower away," he said gently to the crewmen. "Slowly, do not rush."

He had a crewman board and felt a wave of relief when the lifeboat reached the water with no incidences and rowed away from the ship peacefully. The crowd surrounding him had disappeared as soon as the lifeboat had gone below the decks.

"Right men," he said to the remaining crew. "Make yourselves useful, I'm sure there are plenty of boats who could use a hand at this point." The men nodded and ran off, leaving Harold by himself.

"Harold!"

He whipped around, knowing there was only one male voice on this ship who would address him in such a formal matter with so many people around. The red mop of hair gave him away. Aeron ran towards him, still in his night robe with a large lifebelt messily tied over them. The two men embraced, shaking hands.

"What a mess," Aeron commented, motioning towards the people running around them. "Nobody expected this on the world's unsinkable ship."

"How did you find out?" Harold inquired, moving them out of the way of a group of crewmen running towards the bow.

"It was impossible not to feel the engines stop running from my room," he replied. "Thank goodness the stewards were so quick to warn us or else I would've fallen back asleep. I don't dare want to think what might have happened if I was still in my room right now."

Harold shuddered at the thought. By now, many of the steerage rooms down below would be underwater and he wouldn't be surprised if by Mr. Andrews's calculations if the second and first class suites had been reached.

"Stick close to the lifeboats," Harold whispered to him. "Many women are hesitant to board and some men are being permitted onto the boats. Look for ones with smaller crowds, I'd recommend going down closer to the bow where there will be less people."

Aeron nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Harold."

He gave a weak smile and embraced him into a cordial hug. "Thank you, Aeron," he said. "I pray you survive. I'm thankful for the moments we had on this voyage and that God brought us back together again."

The two men shook hands one last time and Harold watched as the mop of red hair disappeared. He was quickly brought back to the horrendous scene around him as he felt the ship lurch beneath him. From what he could see, the bow was almost completely underwater and he rushed to the bridge to receive orders on what else could be done.

Where the devil is Moody? he thought as he raced around the corner. It was unlike him to disappear when the crew was in so much need. He must be helping load a boat.

"Lowe!"

Answering his questions, Moody was running full speed towards him. He skidded to a stop in front of Harold, panting. "I just got orders from Murdoch."

"Well," Harold said, fixing his hat, "What are we waiting for "

His heart stopped as he saw a young woman peering over Moody's shoulder. The blue eyes were all too familiar, but for once his heart sank at the sight of them.

"Ellen!" he cried, pulling her into his arms. "What the devil are you doing here? Why are you not on a boat?"

Her mass of curls was tickling his cheeks but he could care less. She let herself limp in his arms, muttering something about how she missed the boat she was trying to board. His arms shook around her for the first time with fear. He realized that death was an option for him and many others on the ship, but the thought of Ellen also being in such close reach of death startled him.

"We need to find one for you," he said, pulling her away and looking deeply into her eyes. "Where did you come from?"

"I rescued Lady Astor's nurse from steerage," she said angrily. "The stewards have all but locked away the steerage below decks! We had to break through a door and go through steward passageways to reach the decks!"

Harold glanced at Moody. "Did you know about this?" he cried.

Moody shook his head. "Our orders are to board women and children first. There was nothing about what class boards first!"

Harold ground his teeth together. "Those bastards," he muttered under his breath.

"It's too late now," Ellen said, tears running down her cheeks. She was looking over his shoulder at the bow which was below the water's surface. "Everyone has either reached the decks or drowned below."

"Dear God," Moody whispered, backing away from them.

"I'll bet you the orders came from that son of a bitch, Ismay," Harold growled, letting go of Ellen.

"Don't go making assumptions," Moody said, "We've got bigger problems to worry about up here on the decks. Things are beginning to get out of control."

He was right. With the bow completely submerged, people were screaming and running towards the boats at the sterns. The officers had been taught to keep order and he could see crewmen using oars to hold back the crowds, but there was only so much they could do against such a large number of people before they would swamp the boats left on board.

"Murdoch's ordered you to Number Fourteen and myself Sixteen," Moody said, pressing Harold and Ellen against a wall to keep them out of the way of a large crowd storming past.

"Those are near the bow," Harold remarked. He turned to Ellen who was watching him intensely, waiting to hear what she should do.

"I don't want you near the bow," he said to her, taking one of her hands in his. "The water could reach the boats before they're ready to lower and be ruined. You need to head towards the stern. You'll be okay, just make sure you stand at the front of the crowd so the crew members will see you."

She nodded timidly. Harold could see the fear in her eyes but he also knew she would never admit to it.

"Which way?" she asked.

He pointed towards their right. "Officer Boxhall is assisting boats over there. The crowds don't look too bad right now, go there as quickly as you can!"

"Dear God," she said, closing her eyes. She squeezed his hand and leaned her head into his chest. "This may be the last time we see each other."

"Definitely not," he said, trying to laugh but it only made his voice sound more frightened than he intended. "I'm an officer and will certainly be assigned to guide these boats out to see and you're a young woman among thousands of men on this deck. I'll find you once we're both in the boats, alright?"

She opened her eyes. "I don't know if I believe you, but I thank you for the encouragement nonetheless."

Moody tugged on Harold's sleeve. "C'mon mate, let's get a move on. We haven't a moment to lose!"

Harold kissed her hand gently. "I'll see you soon! Don't forget, stand at the front of the crowd."

She nodded and with one final glance, she turned and ran to the boats where he had been pointing.

"Dear Lord," Harold said, shamefully trying to prevent the tears that were burning in his eyes, "I've lost her."

"She'll be fine, mate," Moody assured, tugging him towards the boats where they saw Officer Lightoller motioning at them.

"It's not her I'm worried about," he said, looking at the lifeboats already in the water. "There's no a single officer in a lifeboat yet. I lied to her, the only way we're going to survive this sinking is if we manage to survive in this water."

"Stop talking like that," Moody spat, pushing him towards Lightoller. "Bride and Phillips have been sending out CQD nonstop since we struck the berg. There are plenty of ships going this route and will be here in no time."

Lightoller began shouting orders at the two officers as soon as they were within earshot. Harold did what he was told half mindedly, barely paying attention to the women and children he was helping aboard as the image of the fear in Ellen's eyes burned in his mind.


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