Author Note: I am including another list of characters. There is a bigger cast of characters in this chapter because this chapter begins the demise of Titanic, so there are more players involved in this chapter. Like I mentioned before, I will only be listing the new characters that I am introducing. I hope that I am not making this confusing for anyone. Please let me know if I am.
Cast of Characters: Titanic Officers
Chief Officer Henry Wilde- Chief Officer
First Officer William Murdoch- First Officer
Second Officer Charles Lightoller- Second Officer
Unwanted Goodbyes
Thomas made his way back to his stateroom to inform his family of the Titanic's impending doom. As he walked the corridor that would take him back to his room, he looked around at this magnificent ship that would be at the bottom of the ocean in a few short hours. He simply could not believe that Titanic was doomed to this fate. How could he have let this happen? There was no time to ponder that thought now. The most important thing Thomas was focused on doing was getting his family off the Titanic before she foundered. Back in Thomas' stateroom, his family was anxiously waiting for him to return. Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Cecile brought the family some tea while they waited. By this time Archie had joined the family in Thomas' stateroom. He told the family the reaction he had to the shudder. "The shudder sounded like something was bloody ripping the side out of the ship." Archie reported. "What do you think it could be Archie?" Elizabeth asked as she sipped her tea. "Keep in mind that I am not as wise as your father, but it sounded like we might have thrown a propeller blade. That sometimes happens with these ships. It happened to Olympic about a year ago. Most likely if we indeed threw a propeller blade, we most likely will be towed the rest of the way back to New York by several other ships." Archie replied. "How disappointing that would be for Thomas." Mrs. Andrews added. "Indeed." Archie stated. "Andrews' do not deal with disappointments very easily." Mr. Andrews said. Archie chuckled at Mr. Andrews' comment." Archie knew all to well that Thomas hated disappointments of any kind. Just then Thomas came back from his inspection. The family turned to him waiting to learn what Thomas had discovered on his inspection.
"Archie, could I see you in the hallway please." Thomas said his face void of any expression.
"Daddy, is everything alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"It will be Elba, it will be." Thomas replied as he ushered Archie out of his stateroom. Once in the hallway and the door was closed, Thomas could speak openly to his friend.
"So what did you find?" Archie asked. He listened as Thomas explained that the Titanic had about another hour and a half to live. Archie could not believe his ears.
"You're absolutely sure we cannot find someway to save her?" Archie questioned. Thomas shook his head sadly. Thomas had just sentenced the Titanic and her passengers to certain death.
"Archie can you feel her? She is already beginning to list." Thomas replied. Archie noticed the uneven pattern of the floor had taken a small dip forward. He knew then Thomas was not exaggerating the danger.
"What can we do?" Archie questioned.
"One thing for sure is that we need to get my family to safety. I cannot bear if anything happened to them." Thomas said thinking of Elba especially. He remembered the vow he made to himself when he first learned of the Titanic's fate. There was no way that he would break that promise he made. However, Thomas knew that telling his family would not be the hardest thing he would have to face that night. When the time came to bid them all goodbye, he wasn't sure he'd have the courage to do it. Thomas pulled out his pocket watch for the hundredth time that night. The clock read 12:20. It had almost been a full hour since the Titanic struck the iceberg. There was not much time left to act. Tucking the watch back into his pocket, he looked at his friend.
"Archie we don't have much time left." Thomas said as he turned and headed back into the stateroom.
"Thomas what in the world is going on?" Helen asked demandingly. The rest of the family was also curious as to why Thomas had suddenly become so secretive. He went to the closet acting like he never heard Helen's question. Thomas grabbed Helen and Elizabeth's coats from their hanger and draped them over another chair. He then returned to the closet to look for the lifebelts that were kept in each stateroom. When he found them, he pulled them out and also set them on the chair with the coats.
"Daddy, what are those for." Elizabeth asked her father.
"I don't have that much time to explain, but the situation is quite grim. The Titanic is going to founder in another hour and a half." Thomas said as he fastened a lifebelt to himself. He needed to set a good example for those reluctant passengers.
"What do you mean she's going to founder?! John questioned.
"We struck and iceberg and it caused the steel to open up to the sea. Water is pouring in by the thousands of gallons.
"But the Titanic is unsinkable. There is no possible way this ship could possibly sink." James stated.
"Harland and Wolff never deemed her unsinkable. It was those damned fools who believed that humans had finally conquered science and technology that called her the 'unsinkable Titanic.' Titanic is a ship made of steel just like the others, which means she can also sink like any other ship." Thomas stated.
"What do we need to do?" Eliza asked calmly as if nothing was wrong.
"You all need to go back to your rooms and put on as many layers of clothing as you can fit under your coat. Once your coat is on, fasten a lifebelt to yourselves. You can find them in one of the closets in your staterooms. After that is done, come back here and I'll take all of you topside and help you into a lifeboat." Thomas said. The family obeyed Thomas' orders and hurried back to their staterooms to carry them out. When the rest of the family was gone, Thomas instructed Helen and Elizabeth to do the same. Mrs. Greer assisted them both when it came time put the lifebelts on both of them. A short time later, the rest of the family returned. Each one of them looked like they were going on a trip to the Artic. The only one who was not bundled up was Thomas.
"Daddy, aren't you going to bundle up like the rest of us?" Elizabeth asked her father.
"Don't worry Elba. Daddy will be just fine." Thomas said. Suddenly Archie came through the door. He was also bundled up with his lifebelt securely fastened to his breast.
"I was just in my cabin putting on my lifebelt and I heard the Titanic groan under the weight of the water already in her. It was quite a ghastly sound." Archie informed. Thomas pulled out his pocket watch again. He saw that there was not much time left before the Titanic sank to a point where the lifeboats would not be able to be lowered.
"We have to get to the boat deck immediately." Thomas told his family. He hurried all of them out of the stateroom and locked the door behind him. With that, Thomas led his family to the boat deck.
While the inside was rather calm and collective, the boat deck was much different. There were women crying as they bid their husbands a final farewell before climbing into a lifeboat. As Thomas led his family towards the remaining lifeboats, Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks only to see a father bidding his daughter farewell. She was begging him to climb into the boat with her and her mother. She could see Second Officer Lightoller trying to hurry the goodbye along. She watched as Lightoller took the child from hr father's arms and tossed her into the lifeboat. Elizabeth saw Lightoller order the men away from the boat as it was prepared to be lowered into the sea. She could see the young girl crying as she tried desperately to reach for her father a final time. Elizabeth held her tears back as the father yelled to his daughter and his wife that he loved them both. As Elizabeth watched the lifeboat disappear from view, she heard her father calling out to her. She turned in the direction of her father's voice and saw him coming towards her.
"Elba, Mr. Murdoch is waiting for you on the other side. He told me that he would not lower it until I found you." Thomas said.
"Daddy..." Elizabeth began.
"We have to go now!" Thomas interrupted as he grabbed a hold of her arm and led her to the waiting lifeboat.
"Elizabeth, come into the boat at once!" her mother exclaimed as she and her father made their way to Mr. Murdoch. Her family was already in the lifeboat; ready to be lowered off the sinking ship. Turning from his family for a brief moment, he walked over to the bridge. He looked down and saw the Titanic's bow being consumed by the sea. He knew the Titanic was losing her battle with the sea. In that instant, he knew the Titanic was going to kill him. He had no desire to fight it.
"Mr. Andrews, they're waiting for you." A voice called to him. As Thomas turned from the sinking bow, he was met by Chief Officer Henry Wilde.
"It's time." Mr. Wilde told Thomas.
"Yes, I know." Thomas said as he walked past the officer as he went to join his family for the final time.
"Thomas, get in." John called as he approached the boat. Thomas looked at his brother and the rest of his beloved family.
"Daddy, you have to get in." Elizabeth called to her father.
"Thomas, there is nothing more that you can do here. It's too late." Archie said as he approached his mentor. Thomas looked at him, then at Murdoch and Wilde, then finally again at his family.
"Archie, I need to make one last request of you my dear friend." Thomas started.
"You know I'll do anything for you Tom. What do you ask of me this time?" Archie asked. Holding back the tears collecting at the back of his eyes, he looked at his friend.
"I need you to promise me that you will look after my family for me since after tonight I will no longer be able." Thomas said. Archie was speechless.
"Have you lost what's left of your mind?" Archie asked him. Thomas simply smiled at his friend. Elizabeth looked at her father and she knew exactly what was happening. Her father was deciding to remain aboard the Titanic until the very end.
"Daddy, you can't be serious?" Elizabeth asked her father as she climbed out of the boat and back onto the deck. Thomas pulled her aside where he could talk to her semi-privately.
"Elba, I have never ordered you to obey me, but this is the one time you must." Thomas said. The tears glistened in her eyes. Her father took his hand and gently brushed them away.
"Daddy, I cannot leave you like this." Elizabeth said as she let the tears escape from her eyes. Thomas struggled to hold the tears back that had already formed in his own eyes.
"Elba, you mean the world to me. You've been a special part of my life since the day you were born. If you stayed here with me, I could not bear to think what would happen to you." Thomas said. Elizabeth tried her very best not to break down in front of her father for she knew if she did, he would have no will left to make it off the ship alive. She grabbed her father and held him as tight as she could. All of her strength flooded into her arms as she bid the man she loved more than life itself a final and unwanted goodbye. He returned her gripping hug with one of his own. But her father's embrace was much stronger and tighter than her own. As she rested her head on his shoulder, she could hear the soft sounds of his weeping against her ears. They held on to each other for what seemed to be and eternity.
"Thomas, please," Mr. Murdoch said. Thomas let go of his daughter as he led her to the lifeboat and helped her in. He looked at his family for the final time.
"Please forgive me, but this is the only way." Thomas stated. He looked at Helen and gave her one last kiss.
"I will always love you my beloved." Thomas said as he placed another kiss on her lips.
"As will I Thomas, as will I." Helen replied. He then reached out to the rest of his family. Everyone was trying to hold back their tears.
"Please do not cry for me. Everything will be alright, I promise." Thomas said reassuringly.
"We have to go now." Mr. Murdoch said. Thomas knew Murdoch was right. He could feel the Titanic sinking lower into the water. There was not much time left. He backed away from the lifeboat as he kept his gaze locked on his family.
"Take them down." Thomas told Murdoch. Mr. Murdoch looked at Thomas and nodded.
"Take them down." Mr. Murdoch said repeating the order that Thomas had given him. Thomas watched as the lifeboat was lowered into the water under Murdoch's direction. He peered over the side of the railing to see his family clinging to each other for support. His gaze then wandered to Helen and Elba who were staring at him, the tears flowing from their eyes.
"I love you daddy." Elizabeth said as she watched her father disappear from sight. She saw her father mouth back his reply. Suddenly, there was a slight jerk as the lifeboat hit the water, which led Elizabeth's gaze astray. As the lifeboat began to row away from the dying vessel, Elizabeth looked back up to the ship and saw that her father had disappeared. She looked at her mother whose arms were already outstretched for her. Collapsing into her mother's arms, Elizabeth wept as she had never had before.
Cast of Characters: Titanic Officers
Chief Officer Henry Wilde- Chief Officer
First Officer William Murdoch- First Officer
Second Officer Charles Lightoller- Second Officer
Unwanted Goodbyes
Thomas made his way back to his stateroom to inform his family of the Titanic's impending doom. As he walked the corridor that would take him back to his room, he looked around at this magnificent ship that would be at the bottom of the ocean in a few short hours. He simply could not believe that Titanic was doomed to this fate. How could he have let this happen? There was no time to ponder that thought now. The most important thing Thomas was focused on doing was getting his family off the Titanic before she foundered. Back in Thomas' stateroom, his family was anxiously waiting for him to return. Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Cecile brought the family some tea while they waited. By this time Archie had joined the family in Thomas' stateroom. He told the family the reaction he had to the shudder. "The shudder sounded like something was bloody ripping the side out of the ship." Archie reported. "What do you think it could be Archie?" Elizabeth asked as she sipped her tea. "Keep in mind that I am not as wise as your father, but it sounded like we might have thrown a propeller blade. That sometimes happens with these ships. It happened to Olympic about a year ago. Most likely if we indeed threw a propeller blade, we most likely will be towed the rest of the way back to New York by several other ships." Archie replied. "How disappointing that would be for Thomas." Mrs. Andrews added. "Indeed." Archie stated. "Andrews' do not deal with disappointments very easily." Mr. Andrews said. Archie chuckled at Mr. Andrews' comment." Archie knew all to well that Thomas hated disappointments of any kind. Just then Thomas came back from his inspection. The family turned to him waiting to learn what Thomas had discovered on his inspection.
"Archie, could I see you in the hallway please." Thomas said his face void of any expression.
"Daddy, is everything alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"It will be Elba, it will be." Thomas replied as he ushered Archie out of his stateroom. Once in the hallway and the door was closed, Thomas could speak openly to his friend.
"So what did you find?" Archie asked. He listened as Thomas explained that the Titanic had about another hour and a half to live. Archie could not believe his ears.
"You're absolutely sure we cannot find someway to save her?" Archie questioned. Thomas shook his head sadly. Thomas had just sentenced the Titanic and her passengers to certain death.
"Archie can you feel her? She is already beginning to list." Thomas replied. Archie noticed the uneven pattern of the floor had taken a small dip forward. He knew then Thomas was not exaggerating the danger.
"What can we do?" Archie questioned.
"One thing for sure is that we need to get my family to safety. I cannot bear if anything happened to them." Thomas said thinking of Elba especially. He remembered the vow he made to himself when he first learned of the Titanic's fate. There was no way that he would break that promise he made. However, Thomas knew that telling his family would not be the hardest thing he would have to face that night. When the time came to bid them all goodbye, he wasn't sure he'd have the courage to do it. Thomas pulled out his pocket watch for the hundredth time that night. The clock read 12:20. It had almost been a full hour since the Titanic struck the iceberg. There was not much time left to act. Tucking the watch back into his pocket, he looked at his friend.
"Archie we don't have much time left." Thomas said as he turned and headed back into the stateroom.
"Thomas what in the world is going on?" Helen asked demandingly. The rest of the family was also curious as to why Thomas had suddenly become so secretive. He went to the closet acting like he never heard Helen's question. Thomas grabbed Helen and Elizabeth's coats from their hanger and draped them over another chair. He then returned to the closet to look for the lifebelts that were kept in each stateroom. When he found them, he pulled them out and also set them on the chair with the coats.
"Daddy, what are those for." Elizabeth asked her father.
"I don't have that much time to explain, but the situation is quite grim. The Titanic is going to founder in another hour and a half." Thomas said as he fastened a lifebelt to himself. He needed to set a good example for those reluctant passengers.
"What do you mean she's going to founder?! John questioned.
"We struck and iceberg and it caused the steel to open up to the sea. Water is pouring in by the thousands of gallons.
"But the Titanic is unsinkable. There is no possible way this ship could possibly sink." James stated.
"Harland and Wolff never deemed her unsinkable. It was those damned fools who believed that humans had finally conquered science and technology that called her the 'unsinkable Titanic.' Titanic is a ship made of steel just like the others, which means she can also sink like any other ship." Thomas stated.
"What do we need to do?" Eliza asked calmly as if nothing was wrong.
"You all need to go back to your rooms and put on as many layers of clothing as you can fit under your coat. Once your coat is on, fasten a lifebelt to yourselves. You can find them in one of the closets in your staterooms. After that is done, come back here and I'll take all of you topside and help you into a lifeboat." Thomas said. The family obeyed Thomas' orders and hurried back to their staterooms to carry them out. When the rest of the family was gone, Thomas instructed Helen and Elizabeth to do the same. Mrs. Greer assisted them both when it came time put the lifebelts on both of them. A short time later, the rest of the family returned. Each one of them looked like they were going on a trip to the Artic. The only one who was not bundled up was Thomas.
"Daddy, aren't you going to bundle up like the rest of us?" Elizabeth asked her father.
"Don't worry Elba. Daddy will be just fine." Thomas said. Suddenly Archie came through the door. He was also bundled up with his lifebelt securely fastened to his breast.
"I was just in my cabin putting on my lifebelt and I heard the Titanic groan under the weight of the water already in her. It was quite a ghastly sound." Archie informed. Thomas pulled out his pocket watch again. He saw that there was not much time left before the Titanic sank to a point where the lifeboats would not be able to be lowered.
"We have to get to the boat deck immediately." Thomas told his family. He hurried all of them out of the stateroom and locked the door behind him. With that, Thomas led his family to the boat deck.
While the inside was rather calm and collective, the boat deck was much different. There were women crying as they bid their husbands a final farewell before climbing into a lifeboat. As Thomas led his family towards the remaining lifeboats, Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks only to see a father bidding his daughter farewell. She was begging him to climb into the boat with her and her mother. She could see Second Officer Lightoller trying to hurry the goodbye along. She watched as Lightoller took the child from hr father's arms and tossed her into the lifeboat. Elizabeth saw Lightoller order the men away from the boat as it was prepared to be lowered into the sea. She could see the young girl crying as she tried desperately to reach for her father a final time. Elizabeth held her tears back as the father yelled to his daughter and his wife that he loved them both. As Elizabeth watched the lifeboat disappear from view, she heard her father calling out to her. She turned in the direction of her father's voice and saw him coming towards her.
"Elba, Mr. Murdoch is waiting for you on the other side. He told me that he would not lower it until I found you." Thomas said.
"Daddy..." Elizabeth began.
"We have to go now!" Thomas interrupted as he grabbed a hold of her arm and led her to the waiting lifeboat.
"Elizabeth, come into the boat at once!" her mother exclaimed as she and her father made their way to Mr. Murdoch. Her family was already in the lifeboat; ready to be lowered off the sinking ship. Turning from his family for a brief moment, he walked over to the bridge. He looked down and saw the Titanic's bow being consumed by the sea. He knew the Titanic was losing her battle with the sea. In that instant, he knew the Titanic was going to kill him. He had no desire to fight it.
"Mr. Andrews, they're waiting for you." A voice called to him. As Thomas turned from the sinking bow, he was met by Chief Officer Henry Wilde.
"It's time." Mr. Wilde told Thomas.
"Yes, I know." Thomas said as he walked past the officer as he went to join his family for the final time.
"Thomas, get in." John called as he approached the boat. Thomas looked at his brother and the rest of his beloved family.
"Daddy, you have to get in." Elizabeth called to her father.
"Thomas, there is nothing more that you can do here. It's too late." Archie said as he approached his mentor. Thomas looked at him, then at Murdoch and Wilde, then finally again at his family.
"Archie, I need to make one last request of you my dear friend." Thomas started.
"You know I'll do anything for you Tom. What do you ask of me this time?" Archie asked. Holding back the tears collecting at the back of his eyes, he looked at his friend.
"I need you to promise me that you will look after my family for me since after tonight I will no longer be able." Thomas said. Archie was speechless.
"Have you lost what's left of your mind?" Archie asked him. Thomas simply smiled at his friend. Elizabeth looked at her father and she knew exactly what was happening. Her father was deciding to remain aboard the Titanic until the very end.
"Daddy, you can't be serious?" Elizabeth asked her father as she climbed out of the boat and back onto the deck. Thomas pulled her aside where he could talk to her semi-privately.
"Elba, I have never ordered you to obey me, but this is the one time you must." Thomas said. The tears glistened in her eyes. Her father took his hand and gently brushed them away.
"Daddy, I cannot leave you like this." Elizabeth said as she let the tears escape from her eyes. Thomas struggled to hold the tears back that had already formed in his own eyes.
"Elba, you mean the world to me. You've been a special part of my life since the day you were born. If you stayed here with me, I could not bear to think what would happen to you." Thomas said. Elizabeth tried her very best not to break down in front of her father for she knew if she did, he would have no will left to make it off the ship alive. She grabbed her father and held him as tight as she could. All of her strength flooded into her arms as she bid the man she loved more than life itself a final and unwanted goodbye. He returned her gripping hug with one of his own. But her father's embrace was much stronger and tighter than her own. As she rested her head on his shoulder, she could hear the soft sounds of his weeping against her ears. They held on to each other for what seemed to be and eternity.
"Thomas, please," Mr. Murdoch said. Thomas let go of his daughter as he led her to the lifeboat and helped her in. He looked at his family for the final time.
"Please forgive me, but this is the only way." Thomas stated. He looked at Helen and gave her one last kiss.
"I will always love you my beloved." Thomas said as he placed another kiss on her lips.
"As will I Thomas, as will I." Helen replied. He then reached out to the rest of his family. Everyone was trying to hold back their tears.
"Please do not cry for me. Everything will be alright, I promise." Thomas said reassuringly.
"We have to go now." Mr. Murdoch said. Thomas knew Murdoch was right. He could feel the Titanic sinking lower into the water. There was not much time left. He backed away from the lifeboat as he kept his gaze locked on his family.
"Take them down." Thomas told Murdoch. Mr. Murdoch looked at Thomas and nodded.
"Take them down." Mr. Murdoch said repeating the order that Thomas had given him. Thomas watched as the lifeboat was lowered into the water under Murdoch's direction. He peered over the side of the railing to see his family clinging to each other for support. His gaze then wandered to Helen and Elba who were staring at him, the tears flowing from their eyes.
"I love you daddy." Elizabeth said as she watched her father disappear from sight. She saw her father mouth back his reply. Suddenly, there was a slight jerk as the lifeboat hit the water, which led Elizabeth's gaze astray. As the lifeboat began to row away from the dying vessel, Elizabeth looked back up to the ship and saw that her father had disappeared. She looked at her mother whose arms were already outstretched for her. Collapsing into her mother's arms, Elizabeth wept as she had never had before.