CHAP 5 - APRIL, 14, 1912. 20:00PM. EST
Titanic's maiden voyage was becoming a real nightmare for Mr. Ismay and Mr. Andrews. As if that was not enough, a girl was strangled in the first three days of travel. Now, by carelessness of the sailors, another passenger had lost his eyesight.
"How could they let this happen?" sighed Mr. Andrews when Dr. Mills told the details of the accident.
"He was a steerage passenger, Mr. Andrews, possibly an immigrant. Do not be upset by that," said Mr. Duff-Gordon.
"A passenger who was blinded on MY SHIP. What will they think of the Titanic now? That she is not safe? That it was a bad idea to have it built?" growled Mr. Andrews.
"We can ask Mr. Dawson to tell the reporters that he was blind from birth. No one has anything to lose," suggested Mr. Ismay.
"You do not dare go near that boy. Mr. Dawson will be my responsibility from now on. He was injured thanks to the sailors, so the least I can do is take care of him. And if I hear that you tried to make a proposal to him, I will throw you from the ship. NOW, LET ME WORK!" Mr. Andrews shouted, startling everyone.
On the other hand, the other passengers, on learning of Jacques untimely fate, were shocked into compassion. Even Rose's mother, who disliked the boy, felt sorry for him upon hearing of the accident.
"Poor boy. What a disgrace," she whispered.
"You're sorry for that guy? He was a miserable bastard and now he's blind," said Cal.
"He saved my beloved Rose's life once. That is why I am grateful to him, Mr. Hockley," said Ruth.
After Jack was discharged from the infirmary, his friends—Tommy, Fabrizio and Helga—led him to take the air on deck with Molly and Mr. Brown. Of course, Jack, knowing that he was blind forever, felt shocked at first. But as he said: "Life is a gift and I do not intend on wasting it." Despite the incident, he was grateful to be alive.
One night, nearly a week since Rose's murder, old Captain Smith arrived in the control room with one idea in mind.
"So, Mr. Moody, how is the navigation is going?" he asked.
"Quiet, sir. The sea is calm as a pond," said the Sixth Officer.
"This way it is difficult to see the icebergs," said the captain.
"If I'm allowed to ask, sir, has someone figured out who the killer is?" questioned Moody, ignoring the captain's comment.
"No. The first-class passengers are making a bet," Smith said.
"You have any guesses?" said Moody.
"Mr. Moody, change Titanic's route tonight, twenty miles to northwest, on the starboard side," said the captain, changing the subject.
"I do not understand, sir… Why should we do this?" asked the confused man.
"Something tells me that we must do this. Just do what I ask, and by tomorrow, in the early hours of the morning, put the ship on its original route. Now I will retire. Call me if there is an emergency," replied the captain.
Later that night, Fabrizio came running among the decks of the ship, looking for his friend. Jack was missing, and he had a few minutes to spare, so he picked up an old broom handle and went for a walk without assistance.
"Jack, where are you, buddy? Damn, Jack, do not fall into the sea," grumbled Fabrizio.
"You are searching for me? My name is Jack," said a sailor who was there.
"Are you blind?" said the passenger.
"No," replied the sailor.
"Then it is not you I'm looking for," he said.
For a few minutes, the Italian immigrant continued to tour the Titanic, looking for his blind friend, when, approaching the corridor which led to the first class of the ship, he met a beautiful woman leaning against a wall.
"Hello. You are first class, am I right?" he asked.
"Yes, I am the Countess of Rothes," said the woman.
"Oh, what are you doing out here alone, Countess?" said the young man.
"I do not want anyone to know I'm smoking," said the Countess.
"Okay, uh… Can you help me find my friend? He is the only blind man on this ship," said Fabrizio politely.
"Of course, let's go! I'll help," replied the kind countess.
For several hours, both passengers walked through the ship, looking for Jack and talking, when as they passed by the place where Jack had had the accident, the Countess gave a scream.
"What happened, Countess?" asked the confused man
"Look at that, Mr. DeRossi," she cried. A little more than eighty feet away from Titanic, emerging through the dark waters, they saw the edge of an iceberg.
"An iceberg? I had seen it, but did not want to scare you, ma'am," said Fabrizio.
"You did not want to scare me? We could have died!" she shouted angrily, when suddenly they both saw Jack approaching slowly and muttering a few words in French.
"Jack, where have you been, buddy? We thought you had fallen into the sea," said the Italian.
"We? We who?" said Jack, confused.
"Mr. DeRossi asked me to help him look for you, Mr. Dawson. Only he forgot that we were sailing close to an iceberg," snarled the Countess.
"Iceberg? Did something happen with the ship?" inquired the former artist.
"No, Jack, nothing happened," said Fabrizio.
"OK then, Fabrizio, let's follow the Countess into first class, then go back to our cabins," suggested Jack.
At the halfway point back to the first class, the small group found Cal talking with a sailor near a gate. To be honest, it was Jack who heard them talking and decided to stop to listen better.
"He was to fall into the sea, you rstupid, now look at the problem we have!" hissed Hockley.
"I'm sorry, sir, I did what I could," the sailor apologized.
"Did what you could? You're an idiot, you know that? Now...,'' threatened Cal.
"Beautiful night, do you not think so, Mr. Hockley?" said the Countess, interrupting the conversation.
''damn ... Hello, Countess, what are you doing here at this time of night?" Cal asked, visibly irritated.
'"We—" Fabrizio began to speak when the Countess interfered again.
"I was touring the decks, but I ended up getting lost. So these gentlemen bothered to escort me up to here," she lied.
"Dawson? I did not know that a blind man can escort other people," commented Hockley.
"I did not know also, so I'm surprised," said Jack ironically.
"Interesting," uttered Cal.
"Well, gentlemen, I think I will go to my room, it's cold out here. Good night." She excused herself.
"Good night," said the gentlemen of the third class.
During his way back to his cabin, Jack grew curious. What did Cal want with a sailor? And who were they trying to throw off the ship? Was Cal the killer of his beloved Rose? Everything was very strange and confusing to the former artist.
"Fabrizio, answer me one thing," said Jack.
"What is it, buddy?"
"Before the accident, one of the first class passengers said they were making a bet about who would be guilty of the murder. They were betting on who?" asked Jack.
"They were betting between you and Hockley. Sorry, my friend," said the Italian.
"OK, that's OK, I'll do anything to prove my innocence. Word of a blind man. Good night, now, buddy," said Jack, going alone towards his cabin.
Once alone in his bed however, Jack couldn't stop smiling. After all, he said, it was thanks to Rose's spirit that they had been saved from colliding with the iceberg.