Chapter 02: Arrivals

10 April 1912

11:40 P.M.

Isabel stirred, the hum of the engines waking her. As she opened her eyes she looked around, not recognizing where she was. She sat up, the sheets that lay atop her falling. Seeing a wall lamp she reached over and turned the switch to illuminate the room. She was in a bed, in a small room painted in shades of off-white. Along the wall sat a small couch, next to that a desk and in the corner a small metal table on castors. Above the desk hung a small and modest clock, it was late.

'Where am I?' Isabel thought to herself, she saw one of her coats laying across the couch. Had she put it there? Under the wall lamp next to her bed, on a table, sat her freshwater pearl rosary and a small note with her name written on the front. It was Carla's handwriting. She opened it to see a message from Carla written in spanish. While Carla spoke English just fine, she admitted to her once that she never felt comfortable in its writing.

Isabel read the note from Carla.

'I fainted? I don't remember that…' Carla wrote to Isabel telling her what happened, her fainting and being carried to the hospital by the officer who had been taking their tickets. 'So this is the ship's hospital then?' She looked around again, 'not very impressive.' Carla continued, writing that she had gone to their suite, A12, to fetch a gown so she could change her into something more comfortable. Isabel looked down; indeed, she was in her sleeping gown and robe, her hair neatly tucked away. Carla was truly a professional caretaker. The note finished with Carla writing that she would be back to check on Isabel in the morning once the hospital resumed visiting hours.

'Well that was embarrassing, I fainted in front of all of those people. I must be the talk of the ship. Spanish Lady faints as she boards luxury steamer. I wonder if mother has gotten word…' Isabel felt more embarrassment than concern, she knew why she fainted, she just wasn't expecting to be overtaken so quickly.

'You sure know how to be a burden on that poor old woman.' The voice in her head whispered. Sometimes she couldn't tell whether it was her own thoughts manifesting or the voice in her head. 'You don't deserve her kindness, her worry, that poor poor woman.' The nagging voice continued, and it was probably right. She hasn't been the kindest to her dear Carla recently, not as appreciative. 'Mal agradecida,' Isabel thought to herself, ungrateful. She had everything a woman could want, a title, wealth, pedigree, opportunity, yet here she lay wishing that this time she just hadn't woken up. 'Mal criada,' her family raised her better than this, her father raised her better.

She reached over and grabbed her rosary from the table. Clutching it tightly in her hands she shut her eyes and began to silently pray. Pray for forgiveness, but also pray for relief in whatever form it may be delivered. She didn't know how much longer she could bear the feeling of suffocating while breathing. The feeling of an increasing pressure on her chest, her mind racing, the anxiety that kept her up at night with insomnia. A knocking at her door distracted her as she worked her way from pearl to pearl. She looked up at the door, "yes?" Was it Carla?

The door handle turned and a man in uniform emerged from the hall. "Yes miss, I saw that the light in the room was on and figured you were awake. I'm third officer Herbert Pitman." As the man entered the room, he placed his cap underneath his right arm. She stared at him, he had a white collar and black tie, a black double breasted coat with gold buttons. His hat had some sort of coat of arms on the front, his sleeves a single golden stripe at the end. He certainly looked like an officer, especially with that thick moustache.

"Officer Pitman, how can I help you this late in the evening?" She began to feel her voice loosen up, not so stern and bleak, distracted from her turmoil. "Yes madame, I was the one who delivered you to the hospital this evening when you were boarding." Officer Pitman paused, waiting for her reaction, she clearly didn't recognize or remember him.

Isabel's eyes got wide, finally recognizing him. "Oh, my yes, apologies! Yes, thank you for delivering me to the hospital." She tried to sound as aloof as possible, a lady must never sound flustered. Herbert nodded. "Of course miss, as an officer of this ship the well-being of her passengers is always my concern." He smiled at her.

"I spoke with your lady, Clara I believe-"

"Carla," Isabel corrected him. 'Mal criada' the voice in her head sounded off; how dare she interrupt a man, an officer at that.

"Oh yes sorry, Carla. She told me you two were making this passage alone. I wanted to make sure that you were okay since you may not have anyone to check on you." Herbert finished, feeling quite proud of himself. Isabel nodded.

"Thank you, officer Pitman, your kindness is appreciated. I really do extend my apologies for any sort of disruption I may have caused. This is truly embarrassing." Isabel blushed. It was one thing for her behavior to make her appear foolish, but another for her behavior to affect others.

"It's not a problem miss…" He trailed off; he was not quite sure how to continue addressing her. Also, he was getting distracted by the rose tint her cheeks were taking on.

"Lady Isabel Marin de Galicia" she finished for him. He nodded.

"It's not a problem Lady Marin de Galicia…"

Isabel smiled at him, the Englishman was having trouble with pronouncing her proper title. "Please, Lady Isabel is fine officer Pitman. After your heroics today I think that will be just fine." Isabel smiled, she appreciated him trying to pronounce her foreign title, good effort on him.

Herbert smiled. "Quite, so like I was saying Lady Isabel, all passengers fall under the charge of the ship's officers. Part of our duty in fact. Are you feeling better?" Herbert was feeling quite chivalrous, she was a beautiful woman of noble standing and here he was, her hero. She even said he was heroic herself. Herbert didn't mind spending some more time with her, if nothing else, for his own ego.

"Yes now I do. I think I am just feeling overwhelmed. I've been traveling with Carla for the last few days and the exhaustion must have overcome me." Isabel tried to pacify the officer's curiosity. 'Such a liar.' The voice in her head loved to interject itself.

"A Lady such as yourself really shouldn't be traveling unaccompanied on such a far journey. If you need anything at all please don't hesitate to let me know." Herbert was genuinely concerned for her. If he hadn't caught her when she fainted, she might have gone over the railing of the gangway into the bay and might have drowned while unconscious.

'You hear that Isabel, you need to be taken care of. You're just a weak woman that needs tending to. What a burden.' The voice sometimes cut her deeply, it knew just where to get at her. 'This is why your father is marrying you off, because you can't take care of yourself and he's not here anymore…'

Another knock at the door. It was still ajar from when Herbert entered. In the doorway stood a nurse dressed in white, white hat and apron, blonde hair in a neat bun tucked up under her hat. "Good evening Lady Isabel," she started as she looked down at a paper in her hand. "I'm nurse Murphy, doing the rounds for the evening. You gave us quite the scare earlier," she looked up and met her eyes with Isabel's.

"How are you feeling?" Nurse Murphy asked.

"I am feeling much better now, thank you."

'How many people must you disturb Isabel?' This time, those were her own thoughts. She had scared Carla, officer Pitman, nurse Murphy, presumably the overseeing doctor, my goodness. These people had far more important tasks than taking care of her.

"Well that is great to hear, after speaking to your maid it seems like you were fatigued from your travel schedule. The doctor recommends you get some rest and some fresh air into those lungs!" Nurse Murphy seemed like the overzealous type. To be that enthusiastic this late into the evening she had to be. Isabel nodded, she was probably right though, a long walk outside would likely do her a world of good.

"Do you have any questions for me then?" Nurse Murphy asked.

Isabel shook her head.

"Great then I'll be continuing on my rounds. You're well enough to leave now if you wish, but of course you can finish out the evening here and return to your cabin in the morning. Also," she looked at Herbert, "visiting hours are over, sorry officer but you will have to leave the hospital suite." Herbert nodded, "I was just checking on Lady Isabel is all," he looked at the clock on the wall, 12:01, "and I do have to get back to my rounds actually. Have a pleasant evening Lady Isabel. Please feel free to seek me out if you need anything." He nodded towards Isabel, put his cap back on, and exited the suite.

Nurse Murphy rolled her eyes. "You ought to be careful of that bunch; you never know with these seamen. Alrighty then, I'll be off now, sleep well." Nurse Murphy smiled at Isabel and left to continue her other duties.

Isabel was again alone in the hospital suite, still clutching her rosary. With a deep sigh she continued to pray, pearl by pearl. It gave her a sense of calm, hope, and honestly, a distraction from her own thoughts.

…

12:10 A.M.

Fifth officer Harold Lowe was on the bridge looking out into the dark horizon. Checking his watch again he was beginning to get impatient. He was meant to relieve third officer Pitman at midnight, but he was nowhere to be found. 'Ten minutes late to rounds then' he thought as he looked over his shoulder to see if he could see the third officer coming up. Nothing. He sighed and decided to stay calm, maybe something happened during rounds that was keeping him.

Hearing a noise, he looked down the end of the boat deck and saw someone coming up the 'crew only' stairs from A deck, it was officer Pitman. Herbert did a limp jog over towards Harold. "Sorry then Mr. Lowe, I'm here." Herbert apologized to Harold.

"Did something come up during the port watch that kept you?" Harold wanted to know if there was something he should be made aware of for the next four hours.

Herbert put his hands in his coat's pockets and looked over to the horizon. Without making eye contact he responded. "No, nothing. Well I'm off for the night," Herbert briefly made eye contact with Harold before walking away to his quarters. Harold had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. 'Prick.' He watched Herbert saunter off towards the officer's quarters to bed.

Working on a vessel where all the other officers already had working relationships except him was already aggravating him, and it was only the first day. He just had to get through with this voyage and he could move on. Also, all the senior officers were in a bit of a whip after chief officer Wilde was brought aboard. This meant demoting officer Murdoch from chief to first and officer Lightoller from first to second and completely bumping officer Blair. It wasn't an understatement to say none were happy about it.

'This passage is going to be great' Harold thought to himself sarcastically. There was already so much drama on board and they hadn't even entered the open ocean yet. Harold started aft down the port side of the ship. Hoping for an easy watch on the boat's decks he started working his way down the boat deck, then to A deck, and B deck.

…

1:45 A.M.

Isabel was laying in the dark room beneath the sheets and quilt of the hospital bed, her eyes wide open. She couldn't force her eyes to stay closed, maybe it was time for her to get that fresh air nurse Murphy was talking about.

Standing, she wrapped her rosary around her left hand and draped her coat over her shoulders. It was a navy-blue wool coat with a large blue velvet yoke. Delicate beading and blue stones decorated the velvet. Looking down Isabel noticed that Carla hadn't left her slippers or shoes. 'No matter, unlikely I'll run into anyone at this hour.' Maybe going for a walk would get out all this anxious energy that was keeping her awake.

Stepping into the hall she was in a long corridor lined with doors. Each door, including her own, had a clipboard. Glancing at her own she read it, name, date, birthday, condition, treatment, prognosis, etc.. 'Which way to go?'

She walked down the end of the corridor and was in yet another long hallway. Isabel continued walking down the series of corridors, with every turn clutching her rosary a little tighter, quickening her pace. Another turn another corridor. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. Her breathing a little faster. Were the walls closing in on her?

Down another hall she started running, her coat flapping behind her like a cape. Finally, out of the maze of corridors she was at what appeared to be a reception area outside of a very modest formal dining saloon. Through a glass pane she could see waiters setting service, probably for breakfast. Halted in her tracks she anxiously looked around looking for a way out. Where was she? The waiters in the dining area looked at her through the glass panel. One leaned over whispering to a co-worker while maintaining eye contact with Isabel. She looked behind her, 'can't go that way,' she looked ahead, more corridors 'can't go that way either.' She was beginning to panic. How to get out? She needed to get out. The whispering waiter put down the flatware he was placing and began to walk towards the doors, still looking at her.

'They're going to get you.' That voice sparked more paranoia. They were coming for her.

She bolted towards the center stair case and ran up them, nearly slipping on the waxed wooden floors. Up to another deck, up another and another. 'Are they following me?'

Isabel thought she heard voices, footsteps, rustling. 'They're coming for you' the voice replied. 'They're going to parade you as a delirious woman on the ship. Alonso will find out; he'll call off the engagement. What will your mother think of all of this...'

Isabel's eyes darted at the walls, they were definitely getting closer. 'Go. There.' She saw a door, a beautiful wooden door with glass paneling. Putting her arms up crossed in front of her face she burst through the doors, they opened up wide and let her out. She ran to the outside full speed, she felt trapped, they were chasing her, the voices…

'Stupid girl…'

Without realizing it, Isabel was running headlong towards the ledge of the ship. She had too much momentum. She couldn't stop.

'Stupid, stupid girl…'

"Miss, lookout!" she heard a voice call out to her and her coat was ripped off suddenly. 'This is it,' she thought, no longer scared or panicking. Maybe this was the answer to her prayers from earlier, maybe this was it.

A foot away from the ledge. 'Here we go,' she closed her eyes as she went forward towards the darkness.