*Chapter 24*

In Claire's boat, several ladies shrieked, and stood up.

"What's the matter with you women?" the seaman at the tiller yelled to the ladies.

He looked down, and not being very far away from Titanic, realized that the suction from the sinking liner had pulled the plug out of the bottom of the lifeboat, and it was quickly flooding.

The plug was nowhere to be seen, and everyone started to panic.

"Everyone, you're gonna have to hop out, if you don't want to sink in this boat!" The seaman jumped out of the boat, and into the icy water, followed by Claire, Micheline, and the very reluctant Noelle.

"Come on! This way! Follow me!" Claire ordered the two women behind her.

When she turned around, however, Noelle and Micheline were nowhere to be seen.

"No!" Claire slammed all the water around her, and swam all the way back to Titanic.

She climbed through a window of the third class promenade deck, and hurried to a stairwell, to lead her up to the boat deck. She felt as if she were walking up a hill.

Clara and Lightoller made it outside, to the boat deck, which was crowded by third class men, mainly.

Lightoller stepped up, onto a platform, to see over the heads of the men.

He saw Murdoch, trying to control swarming men, who were trying to get onto one of the last boats.

Lightoller stepped back down, and held Clara.

"Murdoch's over there. He seems to be working as best as he can, to keep order," Lightoller explained.

Clara looked aft, and had to squint, as she saw a girl that looked exactly like Claire, running towards her.

"Claire?!" Clara yelled.

"Yeah! Its me." Claire raced up to Clara, and jumped into her arms, nearly sending her toppling over. Claire hugged Clara, the biggest hug she'd ever given anybody.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you on the lifeboat?" Clara asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but it capsized. What's going on here? What the hell?!" Claire looked ahead of her, as she heard a gunshot.

Lightoller lifted Clara, and Claire onto the platform, before climbing up himself.

Claire saw Murdoch, absolutely out of control.

"I'll shoot any man who tries to get past me! Get back!"

A man pushed was accidentally pushed forward, and Murdoch shot him dead.

Claire watched, wide-eyed, in absolute shock. What on earth had Murdoch done?

"Bastard!" She heard the dead man's friend say to Murdoch.

Murdoch looked down at the blood flowing from the dead man.

He backed away, and put his hand to his head to salute. This was all too much for him.

Claire screamed, and as he put a gun to his head, she leaped out, over the crowd, coming down just in front of Murdoch.

"WILL! NO!"

"Huh?"

Claire looked sadly at Murdoch.

He looked at Claire, realizing there were people in his life that still loved him.

Claire stumbled over to him, and yelled in his face.

"What the hell are you doing, trying to kill yourself?! I love you, for gods sake!"

"Claire, I love you too, I just can't take the guilt anymore."

"You don't have to do this!" Claire shouted in his face, and grasped his hands.

Murdoch leaned forward, and wrapped his arms around Claire's waist. He kissed her, the sweetest kiss he had ever given any woman in his entire life.

He pulled away promptly.

"Sorry Claire. I love you, my darling, and I always will."

Murdoch returned the gun to his head, and diverted his gaze away from Claire.

Claire jumped forward, but was held back by the dead mans friend.

All of a sudden, Clara gasped, and had a flashback to when she had said, "Something about Murdoch makes me feel uncomfortable."

This was it. This was the reason. He was a crazy man. He was about to commit suicide.

Murdoch shot himself, dying instantly, and flipping over backwards overboard.

Claire fainted.

Lightoller and Clara cleared the path, as they moved towards Claire, who was lying on the ground.

Lightoller picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, and went to look for a lifeboat.