Chapter five-The problem with Mr Andrews' ship

Thomas Andrews hurried down the hallway leading to the outer deck. He had to get to the bridge. He rounded the corner, and very nearly knocked over Captain Smith.

"Captain?" Thomas asked immediately. "What has happened to my ship?" The captain looked weary, his eyes were lined and his suit unfastened. He suddenly looked like a very old man.

"Mr Andrews. While I was off duty, we hit an iceberg." His voice broke with emotion. "First-officer Murdoch put her hard-a-starboard and tried to port round it, but it was too late, she hit. And the mail room is already flooded."

Mr Andrews said a word that he perhaps, as he was a gentleman, shouldn't have said. "Have you done a full damage report yet, captain?" Thomas was frantic. What could have happened to his ship to make the captain look so grim?

"You'd better sit down, Mr Andrews." Captain Smith said bitterly.

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Rose sat down on the chaise lounge as Cal paced back and forth angrily.

"Where have you been, damn you?" He roared. "Tell me!"

Rose had had it with this tiresome, greedy, clutching man. "I was with Mr Andrews." She said flatly.

"You little liar! Do you know what time it is! You think I am fool enough to believe you were talking ship with the man at this hour of the night?"

"You're absolutely right, Cal. We weren't talking ship at this hour of the night. I was asleep." Rose hated Cal so much more now she had been with Thomas!

"Asleep? Why would you be asleep in Mr Andrews stateroom at this time of the night?" Cal finally put two and two together. "You little gutter slut! How dare you? You are my fiancée and you let that old man touch you, when you could have me?" He slapped her soundly across the face. "I am disgusted to call you my fiancée!"

"Believe me, so am I," Rose snapped, and walked out to find Thomas.

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Thomas's thoughts were not on Rose for the first time since the first night on the Titanic when he pulled her back over. His thoughts were fully on his ship, as the officers, the captain and Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star line clustered around him. He was seated at a desk in one of the crew work rooms, with a plan of the Titanic spread out in front of him. "There is water in five of the bulkheads, correct?"

The captain nodded assent.

"When can we get underway, god damn it?" Demanded Ismay egotistically.

Thomas shot a glare at him, and he fell silent grudgingly. "That's five of the bulkheads underwater. With four she can stay afloat. Not five. Not five. The water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads, one after the other after the other. The Titanic will founder."

"If we were to use the pumps-"Started the captain.

"It would buy us time, but only minutes. From now on, no matter what we do, the Titanic will sink. It is mathematical certainty."

"But this ship can't sink!" Burst in Ismay, horrified.

"She's made of iron, sir. She can, and she will." Thomas's thoughts quite suddenly returned to Rose. His ship was going to sink! He was going to die before he had the chance to live! And Rose, what about Rose? There weren't enough boats for everyone on board, and the water is freezing. Half the people on board would die. Rose must not be one of them. She would have to leave him, and go on with her life.

All his dreams disappeared so suddenly, he very nearly cried out with pain. He was only dimly aware that the officers were filling out, going about their business. Who was he fooling? He was an old man. If he hadn't been deluding himself with Rose, fooling about, he could have saved the ship. He could have-.It suddenly struck him. He was to be responsible for the deaths of half the people on board.

A knock on the door made him flinch, and look up. Rose came in, in all her beauty, and this filled Thomas with a fresh wave of heartache, and this time he did cry out.

"Thomas, Thomas? Are you alright?What's wrong?" Rose looked searchingly into his eyes, but they were as cold and unmoveable as ice. "Thomas, tell me!"

"I'm sorry I didn't build you a stronger ship, young Rose. The Titanic will sink. And you remember what I told you about the boats."

Rose clapped her hand over her mouth, aghast.

"Yes. And their deaths will be my fault, Rose."

She shook her head, and tried to kiss him, to comfort him, but he pulled away. "I'm sorry," He whispered, and left.