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Waiting and Praying

"They better open up those damn gates in the next few minutes or I swear..." Tommy muttered under his breath as he pushed his way closer to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. The stewards still refused to open the gate and were making all the men go to the back.

"Don't ye see, lad?" The man beside him piped up in a thick Scottish brogue. "They don't care about us down here...they're tryin' to contain us while they put all the first class people in boats, then maybe if they have enough time they'll let us up to safety...if it ain't too late."

Tommy clenched his fists. He'd left his beloved Ireland to come onto this ship and go to America so he could support his family, and now, he stood behind a locked gate as the ship continued to sink below them. He shook his head angrily. He was determined to get up to the boat deck one way or another, even if he had to get vicious.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to see his teary-eyed fiancé. There were tear streaks running down her face and she was sniffling uncontrollably. She looked utterly horrified at the idea of them sinking ever lower towards the freezing ocean while the stewards kept them locked down there.

"Come here, sweet," he said in a low whisper, pulling her close to him. "We're gonna be all right, I swear to ye, it's all going 'ta be fine," he soothed her.

"I'm just so afraid, love," she whimpered in reply, burying her face in his shirt. "First I was so scared about what our lives in Chicago would be like... but now we may never even get off the bloody ship!" she sobbed furiously.

"I know, Shanny." Tommy planted a soft kiss on her lips. "I know." He gently rubbed her back. He hated seeing her so upset, as it greatly upset him as well to see her suffering, and he wished more than anything that he could be of more comfort to her.

"I just want 'ta get off the ship, Tommy." Shannon wept quietly into his shirt. "I just want 'ta get married and make our six wee babies right away... I want 'ta see the promise land... I want 'ta see Ireland again in a few years... but none of that will ever happen if we don't get off the ship." She sniffled as she coughed into his shoulder.

"I want 'ta do all of those things too, sweet, and we will," Tommy reassured his distraught fiancé.

"How can ye be so sure, love?" Shannon asked, wondering how in the world her fiancé was so calm.

"Because I just am." Tommy kissed her softly again. He figured that there was no sense in arguing back and forth about who knew what, as it would just upset them even more. He thought it best to just hold and comfort his fiancé so that she could feel safe, and he could feel good about protecting her. Whatever was going to happen, would happen when it was the right time. All they had to do was wait.

...

Up on the boat deck, all of the first class passengers were gathered around waiting to board the lifeboats. Men were still not allowed yet but many tried to bribe the officers anyways and some managed to secure spots.

Joseph followed his partner up to a boat being prepared by Second Officer Lightholler. "Excuse me, I was wonderin' if there's any room fer two gentlemen?" Carrick asked in his most innocent voice.

Officer Lightholler shook his head. "No men at this time," he insisted sternly, pushing the young Irishman backwards.

"I can give ye a few priceless pieces of jewelry," Carrick offered pleadingly. He'd figured out that something serious was happening, and he wanted to get off the ship as quickly as possible. He needed to get to America, they had crimes to commit.

"I don't take bribes, Sir." Officer Lightholler huffed and turned away to help an elderly lady into the boat.

"Please...I-I have two children..." Carrick tried, only to be completely ignored. The second officer had caught onto his scheme.

He turned to his partner, a desperate look in his eyes. "Do somethin', Joey!" he begged.

Joseph shrugged his shoulders. "He won't listen to me either, come on, let's go...we'll think of something," he replied coolly.

With that, the two young Irishmen headed back inside the ship, where they stood across from each other next to a wall in the first class lounge. "Well I suppose we'd better go find that brother a yers," Carrick mused, an evil smirk forming on his face. If they couldn't be safe lifeboats, they may as well go looking to finish what they'd started, he thought.

"No... our safety is more important than trackin' them down. I heard the steerage section of the ship is already floodin', it would be foolish 'ta go down there now... we need 'ta figure out how 'ta save ourselves, an' if we happen 'ta see 'em... then we can finish 'em off," Joseph argued sternly. He was trying to distract his partner from going after his younger brother and future sister-in-law, but he had to make it seem like it was for their own good, otherwise he knew Carrick would never go for it.

"Fine... but ye better believe me when I say this; if we see 'em, we're gonna make 'em sorry... an' a sinkin' ship will be the least of their worries," Carrick hissed under his breath, pushing past Joseph to grab a glass of brandy from one of the stewards. He had every intention of tracking down the Irish sweethearts, as, he had no intention of going to jail if they told someone who was behind the O'Roarke's son's murder.

Joseph rolled his eyes and glanced out the window to watch more lifeboats being loaded and more distress flares being sent up. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...I have to survive this... if I don't... I know I'll end up in hell...

He was terrified at the idea of not surviving the sinking because he doubted that his afterlife would be in a very good place. He had a strong feeling that God wasn't too happy with him, and he did not want to see hell yet. He desperately cleaved to atone for his sins so that he could be permitted to enter the Heavenly Kingdom as an old man. Please, God, I'm not evil... I never really was... I'm just a lost soul who's made many poor choices... please spare me, God...


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