A/N: Again, sorry for my extreme lateness for this chapter, but I've been figuring out exactly how I wanted to go about this chapter and I've had some personal stuff going on. Nothing too serious, I promise, but enough that required my full attention. I must say, I'm surprised by the reactions I received about Lila's death. I have to admit, I enjoyed every moment of writing it. And now we reach the end of Titanic's life, along with several others. Who are they exactly? Some we'll find out now, others will come later. I'm not sure how many chapters I'll do after the boats reach the Carpathia, but it is safe to say we are approaching the end of the story soon.
Monday April 15, 1912; 2:00 AM
Two Hours, Twenty Minutes since Collision; Twenty Minutes until Sinking
The cold water stung his body instantly once he made impact with the ocean. It was so cold he could barely move. For a few moments, he was completely submerged while the water pierced his entire body, even the parts covered in layers of clothing. Salt water found its way into him, burning his nostrils and throat.
So this is how it ends, he thought, still unable to move. Drowning in the freezing cold ocean without anyone around. Dear God, if it is my time, please take me now and end my pain.
He soon felt a current around him. It was almost certain that he was going to be sucked under. But he didn't feel a pull towards the ship. Instead, he felt a push. A push towards some light.
A large gasp escaped from his mouth as his head popped back up from the surface. He could hear the screams from other people around him as they started swimming away. He turned to see the luxury liner now approaching its end. Wading by him was one of the lounge chairs he and his companion threw over before plunging into the dark abyss.
Quickly, he grabbed onto the chair and climbed on. The cold air of the night didn't help in his quest for solace from the water, nor did the open panels that allowed water to sting his body. Shivering, he dipped his hands back into the ocean and started to paddle away from the ship, not wanting to get sucked back under from the current. As he swam away, he looked all over the area for his friend. He called out his friend's name, but there was no reply. Floating nearby, however, was the other deck chair that was thrown over.
He closed his eyes, trying to fight back any tears. He knew deep down that his friend didn't make it. He must have been sucked under instead. A twinge of guilt began to eat at him, knowing that if his friend went at the same time as him, his friend would still be alive.
He shook his head and kept paddling. There wasn't anything he could do about it now. One friend is gone for certain, but there was still Harold. The two of them, along with Patty, could still have a life together in California. He also knew that if he jumped at the same time as his friend, neither one would have survived. It was a blessing, he told himself, but this was just one part. He still had to get away from the sinking ship, as well as make it through the night without freezing to death. Determined to live, he paddled his way through the icy waters in hopes of finding a lifeboat.
Gerald and Curly looked over the edge of the ship to the lifeboat that just launched. There wasn't anything they could do to help Nadine now; her fatter had been sealed. She was on her own. They all were at this point.
"What do we do now?" Gerald asked the steward.
"There isn't much we can do," Curly replied. "It's every man for himself now, unfortunately. I wish you good luck in all of this."
"But there must be something we can do," Gerald pleaded, preventing from Curly. "That couldn't be the last boat. There has to be another one somewhere."
Curly thought for a moment, trying to figure out how many lifeboats were left. Since he was barely up on deck, he didn't know for sure how many had been launched. But from the looks of the situation, there weren't many left, if any at all.
"I think they may all be gone," he said disappointingly. "Unless…"
"Unless what?" Gerald asked desperately. "Are there more boats?"
"The collapsibles," Curly whispered. "There are four of them, and the one we just saw was D. There's another one on this side. Collapsible B. They might not have gotten it out yet. And from the looks of it, they're trying to do so right now."
Gerald turned to see a group of crew not far away trying to grab hold of something. It was another lifeboat. There was at least one more. Gerald beamed in excitement, but it didn't last long when he remembered someone was missing.
"I need to find Mr. Shortman," Gerald declared. "I can't go without him. He needs to know what happened to Nadine and he needs to be kept alive for Miss Pataki."
"There's no time to go searching for him!" Curly exclaimed, holding onto Gerald to prevent him from leaving. "It's a suicide mission. For all we know, he could be dead right now."
"But there is the slight chance he could be alive!" Gerald rebutted. "He's the heir to the Shortman Hotels and boarding houses."
"And he's not the only important man left on this ship," Curly argued. "Many important men are going to lose their lives tonight, and as much as I want to help, neither one of us can do anything if we're dead! The best we can do now is get on this lifeboat, and after the ship is at the bottom of the Atlantic, we can come back and find him. If you want to go searching for him, that's on you, but don't expect me to waste the precious time we have left trying to look for someone and have the boat completely gone. Hell, for all we know, he could be on a boat at this moment. He could be safe while we are having this discussion."
Gerald sighed. Curly was right. He couldn't help Arnold if something were to happen to him. He refused to believe that he was dead or that he had taken a spot on a lifeboat, which left him either on the ship or one of the many that jumped. Either way, there wasn't much time left.
"Then we better get over there," Gerald decided, and the two men hurried the group of men. They had to tread carefully. The incline of the ship had increased while they were talking. One slip and they would fall into the depths of the ocean for good. Keeping their distance, they watched as the crew tried to pull the boat out from its place. They appeared to have some difficulty with this, and they were growing impatient. The water was quickly heading their way.
"Shouldn't we try to find another lifeboat?" Gerald asked Curly. "They're taking forever and there isn't much time left. For all we know, we could die waiting for them to get this out."
"And for all we know, this is the last lifeboat left," Curly pointed out. "This is our nay chance. Just have some faith in them and trust that we can make it."
Faith and trust. The same words Gerald spoke to Phoebe just before he put her in the boat. Nodding to himself, he knew that she would want him to have faith that they will see each other again. If this was God's way of giving him a chance, then he wasn't going to let it go.
The water was upon them, soaking their ankles. The crew finally was able to get the boat out of its storage room and was starting to angle oars so it can be dropped to the boat deck. Grand and Curly assisted, each grabbing oars and poles to help.
"Out of the way," a crew member cried out from above. "We're about to drop it." With a couple of shouts and grunts, the boat was pushed off the upper deck and landed on the boat deck.
There was just one slight problem. Instead of landing in the proper position, the boat landed upside down. The man hurried to turn it over, but the water was coming too fast. Soon the boat was being washed away from the deck. Gerald and Curly looked at each other, and then at the floating capsized lifeboat. They each grabbed an oar and climbed aboard the boat, holding on for dear life so they don't fall back into the water. They weren't the only ones who had that idea. Men from all around began climbing on as well. The boat buckled from all the weight.
"Row men!" an officer shouted. "We must get out of here before we're either swamped or pulled under!"
The men who had oars did as told and began rowing as quickly as they could. The paddled away from the ship, but was proven difficult with the amount of men on the small boat. The weight had the men leg deep in water. Another problem was the movement. One wrong move and passengers and crew alike fell back into the water. As more men tried to climb back on, more men will fall off. Before they could go too far, the lights from the ship turned off, leaving nothing to illuminate their way except for the stars.
"So this is it," Eugene said to himself. After multiple failed attempts, he was unable to unlock the closet door. With water now starting to come in, he climbed his way up the shelves, away from the water. Eugene remembered that he had his gun on him, but by then it was too late. Even if he did get the door unlocked from his gun, the pressure from outside the door was too great for one man to push away. He was stuck, with no hope of escaping.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he continued to say to himself. "I wasn't even supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be back at home in Ireland. And yet I allowed greed to get the best of me. Serves me right, though. Yes I managed to help someone who needed it, but it was to my advantage. She was desperate, just as I was to get some money.
"I only wanted to help people, just like my hero. Was that a crime? Is it a crime to steal money in order to make my dreams come true?" He chuckled softly to himself. "I guess it wasn't much of a dream since my hero wasn't as I thought he was. Just a big fraud, like myself. And that money wasn't to help people; it was only for myself. Well, Eugene, congratulations. You managed to end up just like him. You lied about who you were for your own gain, causing harm to everyone around you. It's surprising that you can even recognize yourself in the mirror."
He groaned softly. It felt as if the room was caving in on him, though nothing had moved. He could feel the pressure building around him. Eugene looked up to the ceiling as the water continued to creep in.
"Forgive me of my sins, Lord," he whispered, grunting. The pressure was becoming unbearable for him. "Forgive me for all those I have cheated, lied, and harmed that were in my pathway towards greed. And Lord, look after Patty. Let her survive this. She doesn't deserve to be in pain. Allow her to find happiness. As for now, I accept my fate, whether it be heaven or hell."
One last cry of agony escaped from Eugene lips before the pressure was insurmountable to overcome. He closed his eyes as he felt his ribs crack and his organs shut down. His body went limp, and fell into the water.
Arnold waded in the water, stupefied by what he had just witnessed. He had never seen someone die, let alone a woman or in such a violent way. He may have not liked Lila in the slightest, but no one deserved to die that fashion. Arnold couldn't move, and it was uncertain if it was because of the shock or the cold. Most likely it was the shock because he had forgotten how cold the water was.
A shove from behind awoke Arnold from his stupor and he soon remembered where he was. He could also feel the cold stabbing him like a thousand needles being injected into every inch of his skin. All his clothing did for him was drag him down. If he wasn't wearing a lifejacket, he was certain he would have been dragged down.
Coming to his senses, he began paddling. He wasn't sure where he was headed, but only knew that he needed to swim away from where he was. He needed something, anything, to get him out of the cold. It was suicide, but there was only one choice. He had to return to the ship. Even if it was for a few minutes, it would be a few minutes less than if he stayed in the water.
With all his might, he swam back to Titanic. He grabbed onto the rails and pulled himself out of the water. The air was cold, possibly colder than the water, but he didn't care. It was more bearable than the water. As he climbed up the incline, he noticed a group of men around one another. They were looking up. Arnold did as well and saw that there was a lifeboat. They were trying to pull it down from its storage space. He could tell there weren't many women around. It was primarily men.
Arnold was uncertain of what to do. He could try to save his life, and there weren't many women or any children in the vicinity. Could he still save himself and still be a gentleman? Would he be able to live with himself knowing that there were women and children who suffered while he was sitting comfortably in a lifeboat, hoping that another ship would arrive?
The answer was soon decided for him. When the boat got on the deck, two officers were trying to attach it to the falls. But a rush of water drifted it away from the deck and men scrambled to climb on. The boat was right in front of him. All he had to do was climb in. Arnold hesitated, and instead was pushed inside by someone behind him. He flipped into the lifeboat and landed at the bottom of it. A small splash was made upon impact. Arnold looked down to find himself in water once again. The small boat buckled underneath him. Arnold looked up to see that the boat was filled with many people. He barely had enough room to get up. Soon, something fleshy appeared in front of his face. Adjusting his focus, he realized it was a hand. He followed it to see the owner who was above him.
"Grab on," the owner told him in an English accent. Arnold did as he said and grabbed his hand. With some force, Arnold was then lifted from the bottom and landed on a seat. It wasn't much help since his legs were still under water.
"I know this isn't the best circumstance, but it sure as hell beats having your entire body in water," the man continued. "And from the looks of you, it appears you've already had a dip."
Arnold shrugged, agreeing with his current appearance. He looked at the man who helped him. He was mostly dry, and from his own appearance, he looked as if he was from third class. Shouts were made from an officer, instructing them to row away quickly to avoid suction. Arnold was in the middle of the boat, shivering as the boat rowed away.
People all around tried to climb in, but many were unsuccessful. Each person brought on more water, further submerging the boat under water. With each person, it became more arduous to row away. Arnold wanted to help, but he was too cold from all the water to be able to perform in any function.
"I should thank you," Arnold said, shivering in his place. "Thank you for helping me out of the water. I was in the ocean for a short time but then I managed to pull myself out and back on Titanic."
The gentleman looked at him as if he were crazy. "You mean to tell me that you climbed back on a sinking ship? That's a bold move for someone to make."
"It got me out of the water," Arnold pointed out. "It was freezing. Still is. Actually, I can barely feel my feet."
"You might want to pull them out," the man said. "Just curl up into a ball. Maybe that could help." Arnold did as he said. It help a bit, but not as much as he had hoped.
"I guess this is as best as it's going to get," Arnold decided, extending his shivering hand to the man. "I'm Arnold Shortman."
The man clasped his hand into Arnold's just as the lights turned off. "Harold Berman."
The screams grew louder as the ship dipped further into the water. The people in the lifeboats sat and stared at the spectacle. Passengers and crew alike could be seen either running towards the stern or jumping off the ship. After watching the first funnel come off, the shouts increased as people became worried.
Helga couldn't hide it any longer. The pain was becoming too much to bear. She wanted so desperately to help Arnold, but she was stuck in this boat, with nothing to do but watch people die in front of her. The strong façade Helga had before was fading, and the tears were coming quickly. She pulled out the small picture frame that held his picture from her pocket. The picture was from several months ago, from a newspaper clipping about his family's hotels and them opening a new one in Los Angeles. Helga had many more of him stashed away in her room back in New York, but she always made sure she had one picture of him on her person at all times.
"Oh my love," she whispered to the picture. "Please somehow make it out of this night of terror alive. If only there was a sign that you were safe. It's not fair that I finally was able to express my love for you only for you to be taken away from me. But I now know how you feel about me, and I shall cherish those words forever."
A raspy breath from behind disrupted Helga from her thoughts. She knew that wheeze all too well. She didn't even bother to look behind. It was Brainy. How could he have survived? How was he even on this lifeboat? This one was for women and children. And how did he stay so quiet until that moment? Helga couldn't hear the wheezing before, and she was certain that Phoebe would have mentioned it to her.
A slow anger boiled inside Helga, and her hands began to coil up into fists. There she was, hoping that her beloved was safe, although it was unlikely, and this creepy man was alive, sitting behind her. Why did he deserve to live when Arnold might be dying, or dead? The very man who helped the woman Helga despised most in plotting to ruin Helga's life. And for what? So Brainy could have her? She wasn't going to let him win so easily.
With each wheeze, Helga grew angrier. Her hands began to shake, and it wasn't from the cold. Unable to take it anymore, she lifted her fist up and back, making contact with Brainy's face. She could hear the breaking of glass, followed by a small splash.
No one seemed to notice. They were all distracted by the ship. Helga looked and saw the ghastly sight. The stern continued to rise higher from the sea as the bow was completely gone. More passengers were jumping from the sides, trying to escape. Soon enough, the lights from Titanic vanished. The ship was barely visible to all those in the boats, with only the light from the stars to show them what was happening. Not long after the lights were turned off, the screams were silenced by the sound of creaking metal. The creaking grew louder, followed with the snapping of wood from the decks. Those closer to the ship could see that she was beginning to split. They hurried their rowing, hoping to avoid being crushed by the falling funnels. Soon, all lifeboats were safely away from danger, but stopped as the stern fell back to the ocean, detaching itself from the rest of the ship. The bow was gone below the surface. The stern continues to stay above the surface for a moment, but soon shifted port as it continued flooding. It was almost completely vertical before it disappeared from the surface completely. Titanic was officially dead.
A/N: Now we have three confirmed dead, although one is a mystery as to who ITT could be. And as I said before, just because they made it on a lifeboat, doesn't mean they will survive. Again, I apologize for my brief hiatus from writing this chapter. Although with me, with those who know my writing, it might as well have been several months. I'll try my best to not let this happen again, but I am taking summer classes so it may be a bit difficult. Luckily, this month is not too bad, but I will probably take a break from writing for the rest of the summer, or write occasionally. I have several stories in mind for what I want to write next, but it will be awhile before I begin working on them. And for my Star Wars fans, May the Fourth be with you.