Chapter Thirty-Seven

A week had passed since the shooting and Rose had yet to leave Jack's side, despite Ruth's and Molly's pleas for her to return to the beach house to rest. She just couldn't leave Jack's side. She was determined to be there when Jack finally opened his eyes. She was certain that he would, no matter how thin and gaunt he grew, she was positive that he would return to her. So she sat by his bedside, fighting back her tears as she waited for him to open those beautiful blue eyes again.

"Rose, darlin'," Molly stuck her head into the room. She had left the beach house once again in order to plead with Rose to return home to rest and spend time with the twins. Staying here at the hospital was doing the girl no good. "Why don't you give it a rest and go home for a few hours. You're making yourself ill doing this. Jack wouldn't want that."

"I am fine, Molly. I get plenty of rest on the cot that the nurse had brought in for me and the hospital food here honestly isn't all that bad," Rose tried to smile, but failed. She hadn't truly smiled since before Jack had been shot. She probably will never smile again. "I am fine. Trust me."

"Your mother and children miss you, you know. It's hard for the twins. It's bad enough that they don't see daddy, but now mommy's gone too. Not to mention that you're missing every step of their lives. Jack would not want that for you and you know it, sweetie."

Tears began to fall from Rose's eyes. What did Molly want from her? What did she want her to do or say? "I can't. I can't leave him alone. Look at him...he barely looks like Jack, he's so thin and pale. If I go and he wakes up alone..."

"I know, darlin'. I do. That is reason in itself for you to take a break. You're watching him waste away. That's not healthy. He would want you out there living life. Not in here, watching him waste away to nothing."

"Our anniversary wasn't that long ago. We had been so happy that day. Our whole future was ahead of us. Looking at him now...it's so hard to believe...and now here you are saying that I should go on with my life...when he is my life. Everything good about it anyway..."

"That is it Rose," Molly came over and pulled her out of the chair. She had heard enough. Rose had to get out of this room. She had to get some sleep and get refreshed to face life again. She had to get back to being the Rose that Jack knew and loved. "You are going home and getting some sleep. Real sleep, not this drifting in and out mess that you've been doing. Then you are going to eat a real meal and spend some time playing with your children. After that, and only after will you return to this hospital. Do I make myself clear?"

"But Molly..."

"This is not up for debate, darlin'. You're doing Jack no good here, wasting away. You go on home and get some rest. I'll stay here and watch over Jack."

Rose wanted to protest. What if something changed? What if something happened that only she could prevent? She opened her mouth to state her case, but she saw the determined glint in Molly's eyes and knew that it wouldn't do any good. Molly was in unsinkable form at the moment. Rose wasn't going to win. "If there are any changes at all...promise to send for me?"

"You know I will," Molly hugged her tightly. "Don't you worry, Rose. Our Jack is a fighter and a survivor. He'll make it through this."

Rose pulled away and nodded in agreement. She sure hoped that Molly was right about that, because if she lost Jack...she didn't know if she'd be able to go on. She really didn't.

…..

Ruth was just putting down some knitting she had been doing when Rose surprised her with her return home. "Rose, you're back? How are you darling? Is there any change in Jack?"

"I am tired and hungry. There's no change in Jack yet. Molly made me come home. She thought I needed some sleep and food. Maybe she's right. Where are the twins?" Rose asked, looking for any sign of them.

"Oh, Eliza and Micheal took them to the beach. They thought that the fresh air would do them good."

Rose just nodded her head, pushing back a stab of fear. She couldn't help but worry about the twins in Eliza and Maxwell's care. What if Lee came back and tried to shoot them again? What if the twins were hurt?

Sensing her daughter's worry, Ruth tsked. It wasn't like a Dewitt Bukater, much less her own daughter to be paranoid. She wasn't going to reference it, but she still felt the need to soothe her daughter somewhat. "It is only for a few hours, Rose. I didn't think that you would mind. The children haven't been out of the house since that day at the hospital..."

"It's fine, I suppose," Rose sighed, pushing her worry aside. It wouldn't do to freak out. Eliza and Maxwell were her friends. She trusted them. "If you don't mind, I think I'll just go upstairs and get some sleep. The sooner I get some sleep, the sooner I can get back to Jack."

Ruth watched her daughter go upstairs, feeling a deep sadness for Rose. The light in Rose's eyes on the day she was to renew her vows to Jack...it was gone. All hints of liveliness had seeped out of her voice. She had to wonder, if Jack did happen to die...would it be possible for Rose to ever be happy again? Would Rose have enough strength to go on without him? If her daughter's condition was any indicator she doubted it. For the first time since Titanic, Ruth was afraid for her daughter. Very afraid. She hoped to god that Jack did survive so the life could come back to Rose. She really did.

…..

Two hours later, Rose woke up feeling a little better. The gloom that had clouded her mind for the past several days had now seemed to have thinned some. Some things seemed to be a little bit more clearer. Oh, she was still worried for Jack. Still grieving his absence, but the grief didn't block everything else out. Now she was actually hungry. And she was thinking more of her twins and their emotional welfare. She got up and stretched her stiff muscles, feeling more refreshed than ever before. She got out of bed and went downstairs to find her mother feeding the twins.

"Rose, you're awake," Ruth smiled as she fed baby Molly a spoonful of cereal.

"Yes I am, and I'm starving," Rose went to the ice box and started pulling out some items to make a sandwich. "Has there been any word on Jack?"

"Not yet."

Rose made herself a sandwich and poured some lemonade. She listened to her mother fill her in on the gossip she had read in the society pages as she ate, letting Ruth's voice distract her from her worry over Jack.

Noticing how quiet her daughter had gone and running out of gossip, Ruth looked at Rose with a critical eyes. She looked better. "I must say Rose, you look a whole lot better now that you've gotten some sleep. A lot more refreshed."

"I feel a lot more refreshed. And now not so hungry. I think now may be the time to return to the hospital. Maybe I should take the twins. Let them see Jack. He may not be awake, but at least they'll see him and remember that they do have a daddy."

"Of course," Ruth nodded, just as the telephone rang. She got up to answer it, just to return a few minutes later. "Rose, that was Molly. She said to get to the hospital quick. There's been a change in Jack's condition..."

Rose's eyes widened in shock and she became very still at the news. She knew it! She knew that she shouldn't have left! "Did she say what it was?"

Ruth shook her head. "She wouldn't say. She just said to get you to the hospital as soon as possible."