Chapter 30
May 24, 1912
With the U.S. Senate Inquiry beginning to wrap up its final Titanic sinking findings in New York, back at the hospital Jack could hear someone cough, and often at times hacking and hocking in the next room behind him.
Poor guy. Probably someone just getting over a virus. He thought, as he heard the person hawk a good-sized phlegm behind him. Jack cringes at the sound as the person in the next room was hawking and coughing fairly hard, but he had done it himself as he showed Rose how she 'could spit like a man' back on the Titanic, before Margaret Brown helped him get ready for the dinner.
"Well, you're about to go into the 'snake pit'." Margaret's voice began to echo in his head, as he tried to draw something else, to get his mind from the place he was in. All he had in his mind was Rose. Wondering if she was safe, or stuck with Cal, trying hastily to marry her, on the account of Ruth's money troubles. He ended up drawing Rose's portrait on his blank sheet of paper, as best he could, since his sketch pad went down with the ship. He longed for that sketch book, as it had his life drawn in there, the people he met, even if they were prostitutes. Out of those, only one drawing had meaning to him. That woman, with the tattered shreds of a coat and jewelry she wore all the time. She was waiting for her long-lost love to come returning back to her, as she sat waiting for him at that bar. He felt as if though he was in this woman's place, as he was waiting for his long-lost love to return back to him. He also wondered about Jesse, hoping if he had survived the freezing water once he left the sloping deck, and was also put in a lifeboat. He felt like he had a double; he was also into living life at its fullest, he was an artist, and he had life at that party, and even helped set it up. Jack also noticed Jesse was more into lending a helping hand to people, even if they didn't need it. He also wanted to help Rose out of the place she was in, help her spread her wings and enjoy life to its fullest. If only Jesse was still alive he would have his help with this huge feat, of rescuing Rose from Cal and of the society she hates.
Jack got ready for his discharge from the hospital. He changed out of his hospital garb and into his clothes he wore the night of the sinking, which felt like it had happened a long time ago now. He laced his shoes; his heavy boots had also gone down with the ship. He missed those things, as he got a nice leg workout from those boots. He grabbed whatever he could use in the outside world and followed the nurse to the reception's desk, to check out of the hospital.
As Jack was leaving the hospital, he noticed a young couple and their kid walk past, who were being escorted by the doctor; the same doctor who had treated him. The couple acknowledged him, and Jack returned, while the little boy looked on. He didn't give it second thought until he went outside. He saw a young man leaning next to a car, as if waiting for someone to get out of the hospital to be chauffeured around. He took a good look at the man, then rubbed his eyes, as if he was hallucinating.
He couldn't believe his eyes.