A light flickered sporadically in the narrow corridor, the walls groaning under the pressure of the sea. Rose and Jack ran around the lowest floor of the Titanic, trying to find stairs to climb up before they got pulled under. The two of them were opening every door in hopes of finding a way out but it seemed they were going in circles. Jack scouted the corridors for somebody, anybody. But the eerie silence followed them no matter where they went.
"Jack, I found a door! Through here!" Rose yelled, her teeth chattering between words. He raced over to see a brass sign indicating the way to the third class rooms and flung the door open.
Further down the corridor stood hundreds of people. Men, women and children huddled for warmth whilst trying to avoid the water surrounding their feet. Rose recognised most of them as her fellow third class passengers. Tommy spotted them over the heads of the crowd and ran over. Fabrizio followed closely behind as Tommy pulled Rose into his arms.
"Where did you go, we were lookin' everywhere!"
"Never mind all that Tommy we need to find a way out of here."
Rose hugged Fabrizio tightly as Jack shook hands with Tommy. He saw Cora, the little girl who was adored Rose, and wondered aloud why there were still women and children aboard.
"They won't let us third class people board, we're stuck here until they decide there is room" growled Tommy.
"We've been trying to knock down the gate" Fabrizio said, indicating to the iron gate separating them from freedom.
Jack scanned the room and saw a thick wooden bench in the corner. He quickly assessed the situation and instructed Tommy and Fabrizio to lift the sides like a makeshift battering ram. Rose instructed her fellow passengers to make room for the bench then grabbed the remaining corner with determination. She looked back at Jack and offered a smile, he grinned and nodded forward; indicating to their target. As a unit the four of them lunged forward, drawing a cheer from the passengers and a startled expression from the guard who was earlier trying to subdue them. The bench hit the gate a second time and the guard, who knew that they were bound to break through, disappeared up the staircase.
The gate crashed to the ground moments after and the passenger rejoiced in their victory. Leading the charge, the four of them and the passengers raced up the stairs to see if there were any remaining boats to at least put the women and children on. Jack navigated through second class and to first, directing everyone to the boat deck. The horde of passengers burst through the double doors, spilling out onto the deck desperately searching for a vessel to safety.
A loud gunshot rings in the air, smoke coming from the barrel and disappearing into the icy air. First Officer William Murdoch fired again for effect and then addressed the crowd who was swamping around the boat he had begun to lower. Rose, Fabrizio and Tommy stood near the man who Jack recognised as the officer Nathan Hockley had earlier bribed.
"There is plenty of room left on that one!" came the gruff cry of a Swedish man from third class.
"Mr. Murdoch, please, we had a deal. Take this woman here and put her on that life boat, she does not belong here" Jack said calmly, indicating to Rose.
Murdoch shook his head, his eyes full of anger but with a slither of sorrow.
"I'm sorry sir, but Mr. Hockley said that if he did not return with you then I am not to let you go without him."
Jack nodded sadly; it was worth a shot.
Murdoch backed towards the railing, feeling claustrophobic and threatened. "I will shoot any man who tries to get past me" Murdoch booms, trying to assert authority over the rebellious passengers. The Swedish man behind Fabrizio sized up Murdoch, certain that he could trump him in a brawl. In his haste to dethrone Murdoch, he nudged Fabrizio forward which triggered discomfort in Murdoch. In one lightning quick move, he aimed his gun at Fabrizio's chest and shot him right in his left pectoral. The Swedish man stopped instantly and began to shout tearfully in Swedish at Murdoch, only offering the English words "I pushed him forward, it should have been me."
Rose screamed in horror and kneeled beside Fabrizio's lifeless body on the bloodied timber deck, sobbing heavily as she put his head to her chest.
"You asshole! It was an accident!" shouted Tommy, who went to swing a punch at Murdoch. Jack grabbed his arm and held him back only to watch the Swedish man tackle Murdoch off the edge of the ship, going down with him. The splash followed shortly after, the water not far from claiming them all. The crowd quickly dispersed, searching frantically for any remaining boats.
Tommy wiped his face with his shirt as a new wave of tears spilled out.
"We have to go Jack, we have to get out of here" he decided, his earlier anger subsided.
"Yeah, this might be our last chance" Jack replied gravely.
Jack looked down to Rose who was crying fiercely and rocking back and forth with Fabrizio's head cradled in her arms. She looked up at Jack and Tommy, her face shiny with tears. She sniffled and nodded in agreement, lowering Fabrizio's head to the ground softly through hitched sobs.
"Goodbye Fabri, we'll never forget you" she whispered as Jack helped her to her feet.
With the abrupt eulogy delivered, they began to look for their last resort leaving behind their fourth member forever.