Chapter Two
A/N: Thank you guys so much for being so patient!!! I know it has taken me a whole lot of time to write the next chapter. The reason for the delay is my schoolwork. I promise that from now on I'll post on a more regular basis. Enjoy! :-) PS: please read and review, I could use some advice!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It took Jack some time to let the depth of Molly's words sink in.
Was she serious?
Did Rose really love him?
He could hardly believe it and yet as he reflected on everything that had happened today he remembered seeing some of that same glimmer in her eyes he had seen in his own.
Molly just sat in her chair sipping some of the brandy and could hardly repress a smile.
'Stupid boy' she thought, 'I'd think you'd know when a girl is in love with you. It won't be the first time you captivated a woman. But maybe this is the first time you feel the same about her.'
"So, now you know." She said to break the long silence, "make sure she doesn't get away Dawson, she's a good girl, maybe even a bit too good for ya."
A knock on the door disturbed their conversation.
Jack quickly got up from his seat and rushed to open the door.
"How is she?" was all he asked.
"I came to ask Mrs Brown to undo the young lady's dress and corset. I have reason to believe she has internal bleedings but I can't be sure until I have examined her completely."
"Of course. Won't take a minute."
Molly got up and stepped in the bedroom, Jack following her but she turned and said to him: "Son, why don't you stay right where you were? I don't think Rose would appreciate it much if you were there."
"You're right." He answered, "I just wanted to make sure she's okay."
"She is, boy, she is. Take my word on it."
At that Molly closed the door behind her and prepared Rose for the doctor.
"Sir can you tell me anything yet? How bad is she?" the distress was obvious in Jack's voice.
"She must have received a couple of serious blows and she'll probably have a concussion too, she has a small head wound so I suspect she has been hit on the head as well."
"Anything else?"
"Her abdomen seems swollen; it's even visible through her corset so I fear she has internal bleedings."
"How bad is that?"
"Pretty bad sir, because I don't have the necessary equipment to treat something like that. She might even have to undergo surgery, something which is absolutely impossible on this ship."
Jack felt all the blood leave his face, he knew looked pale.
"And what will happen if she doesn't have surgery on time?"
"I'll be frank sir, if the wounds are severe; there is a chance she might not make it."
Not make it? Jack could not believe his own ears. No, Rose would make it; he would fight to make sure she would.
At that Molly stepped back into the room.
"She's ready for you sir."
The doctor nodded and left the room.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Molly asked as she saw his desperate face.
"He said she might not make it."
"I don't think it's so bad."
"She might have internal bleedings and if she does, there's no way to treat her here. We would have to wait till we get to New York and that could be too late."
Molly just stared at her hands, she was dumbstruck.
"I swear I'm gonna get Cal for this." Jack whispered under his breath.
"Revenge won't help Rose right now but if you ever need a helping hand to make Cal pay, you can count on me."
Suddenly the door opened and the doctor told them they could come in.
Immediately Jack retook his place next to Rose.
"I have good and bad news." The doctor told both of them.
"You'd better give us the bad news first." Molly answered, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
"She does have internal bleedings."
Little black spots appeared before Jack's eyes as he took in the doctor's words.
"And the good news?" he asked.
"She won't need any urgent treatment. We can wait until we dock."
Jack could not hold the deep sigh which escaped his lips in.
"Thank God." Molly whispered.
"Is there anything we can do right now?" She asked.
"Not really. Just make sure that she doesn't move too much when she wakes up. It might make things worse if she makes any brusque movements."
"You mean she will wake up?" Jack wanted to know, he could hardly hide the hope in his voice.
"I expect she'll wake up by morning."
The doctor stood up and moved towards the door.
"There's nothing more I can do here. I'll leave some painkillers if she should be in pain."
"Thank you very much sir." Jack said as he stood up and shook the doctor's hands.
"You take good care of her now sir," the doctor told him, "she might be a little confused when she wakes up."
Then he leaned in a little closer to Jack and said: "Try to find out who did this to her sir, this should not go unpunished."
"You can count on me sir, I wasn't planning on letting this pass without bringing the bastard to justice."
The doctor nodded once more, shook Molly's hands and left.
A/N: Thank you guys so much for being so patient!!! I know it has taken me a whole lot of time to write the next chapter. The reason for the delay is my schoolwork. I promise that from now on I'll post on a more regular basis. Enjoy! :-) PS: please read and review, I could use some advice!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It took Jack some time to let the depth of Molly's words sink in.
Was she serious?
Did Rose really love him?
He could hardly believe it and yet as he reflected on everything that had happened today he remembered seeing some of that same glimmer in her eyes he had seen in his own.
Molly just sat in her chair sipping some of the brandy and could hardly repress a smile.
'Stupid boy' she thought, 'I'd think you'd know when a girl is in love with you. It won't be the first time you captivated a woman. But maybe this is the first time you feel the same about her.'
"So, now you know." She said to break the long silence, "make sure she doesn't get away Dawson, she's a good girl, maybe even a bit too good for ya."
A knock on the door disturbed their conversation.
Jack quickly got up from his seat and rushed to open the door.
"How is she?" was all he asked.
"I came to ask Mrs Brown to undo the young lady's dress and corset. I have reason to believe she has internal bleedings but I can't be sure until I have examined her completely."
"Of course. Won't take a minute."
Molly got up and stepped in the bedroom, Jack following her but she turned and said to him: "Son, why don't you stay right where you were? I don't think Rose would appreciate it much if you were there."
"You're right." He answered, "I just wanted to make sure she's okay."
"She is, boy, she is. Take my word on it."
At that Molly closed the door behind her and prepared Rose for the doctor.
"Sir can you tell me anything yet? How bad is she?" the distress was obvious in Jack's voice.
"She must have received a couple of serious blows and she'll probably have a concussion too, she has a small head wound so I suspect she has been hit on the head as well."
"Anything else?"
"Her abdomen seems swollen; it's even visible through her corset so I fear she has internal bleedings."
"How bad is that?"
"Pretty bad sir, because I don't have the necessary equipment to treat something like that. She might even have to undergo surgery, something which is absolutely impossible on this ship."
Jack felt all the blood leave his face, he knew looked pale.
"And what will happen if she doesn't have surgery on time?"
"I'll be frank sir, if the wounds are severe; there is a chance she might not make it."
Not make it? Jack could not believe his own ears. No, Rose would make it; he would fight to make sure she would.
At that Molly stepped back into the room.
"She's ready for you sir."
The doctor nodded and left the room.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Molly asked as she saw his desperate face.
"He said she might not make it."
"I don't think it's so bad."
"She might have internal bleedings and if she does, there's no way to treat her here. We would have to wait till we get to New York and that could be too late."
Molly just stared at her hands, she was dumbstruck.
"I swear I'm gonna get Cal for this." Jack whispered under his breath.
"Revenge won't help Rose right now but if you ever need a helping hand to make Cal pay, you can count on me."
Suddenly the door opened and the doctor told them they could come in.
Immediately Jack retook his place next to Rose.
"I have good and bad news." The doctor told both of them.
"You'd better give us the bad news first." Molly answered, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
"She does have internal bleedings."
Little black spots appeared before Jack's eyes as he took in the doctor's words.
"And the good news?" he asked.
"She won't need any urgent treatment. We can wait until we dock."
Jack could not hold the deep sigh which escaped his lips in.
"Thank God." Molly whispered.
"Is there anything we can do right now?" She asked.
"Not really. Just make sure that she doesn't move too much when she wakes up. It might make things worse if she makes any brusque movements."
"You mean she will wake up?" Jack wanted to know, he could hardly hide the hope in his voice.
"I expect she'll wake up by morning."
The doctor stood up and moved towards the door.
"There's nothing more I can do here. I'll leave some painkillers if she should be in pain."
"Thank you very much sir." Jack said as he stood up and shook the doctor's hands.
"You take good care of her now sir," the doctor told him, "she might be a little confused when she wakes up."
Then he leaned in a little closer to Jack and said: "Try to find out who did this to her sir, this should not go unpunished."
"You can count on me sir, I wasn't planning on letting this pass without bringing the bastard to justice."
The doctor nodded once more, shook Molly's hands and left.