An Ocean Between Us
Monday, April 15, 1912
A Kiss of Ice
"Madge, wake up. You have to wake up. Madge!"
Madge blinked awake in confusion. Her parents were leaning over her, faces worried with coats and life jackets on over their nightclothes.
"What…what's going on?" she asked, head still foggy with sleep. Her mother bit her lip.
"The Stewards came by; they say we've hit something."
"But don't worry," her father hurriedly interjected as Madge's mouth fell open; "they say there's nothing to be worried about."
"Yes," her mother agreed, "they want us up on the boat deck, but only as a precaution. Everything'll be fine."
Madge wasn't sure she believed them, blood chilling as she imagined the ship plunging into the inky black of the ocean.
God help us
"Please remain calm; there is nothing to be concerned about. Everything is well under control; this is all merely a precaution."
The Steward's voice droned out over the crowd in the hallway and Madge forced herself to believe him. We're going to be fine; this ship is unsinkable, right?
"Now, if you could all please make your way up to the boat deck in an orderly fashion. Yes madam, I know it's cold. Indeed sir, it is quite late, but this is standard procedure. The quicker this is done, the quicker it'll all be over. Thank you."
The grumbling crowd began to move but Madge looked around anxiously. Where are the Cartwrights? People continued to push around her, eager to get this done with but Madge was rooted to the spot, unable to move without knowing where Delly was.
"Sweetheart?" her father asked and then,
"Have you seen Delly? We can't find her anywhere."
Madge turned to her left to see the Cartwrights, their eyes wild and worried.
"She wasn't in your quarters?" Madge's mother asked in shock and Mrs Cartwright shook her head.
"No. I don't know where she could be."
What on Earth? Where could you be, Delly? Where would you go so late at night?
Oh.
"I know where she is," Madge said and everyone turned to look at her.
"What? Where?" Mr Cartwright asked but Madge shook her head, already starting to move.
"I'll get her, it's alright."
"No, wait. Madge!" her father called but Madge kept going.
"Don't worry; I'll bring her up to the boat deck. You go on, we'll be there soon."
"Madge!" her parents shouted but she was already squeezing through the crowd, eyes focused on the staircase.
I should have seen it before; I can't believe I missed it. Your brother never snores; he can't have kept you up all night. And you hate taking naps, you'd never have gone for one in the middle of the day, and certainly not when there was the whole Titanic to explore.
You were in such a good mood and you advocated so strongly for me to be with Gale, "We've left behind our old life and the new one doesn't start until we reach New York. The days we have here, this is when we should be doing things we never would normally-"
There's a boy, isn't there? Oh Delly, how did I miss it?
She reached the stairs and began pushing past everyone, fighting her way down while everyone else was fighting their way up. I'm coming Delly, I'm coming. She struggled through the crowded hallways, searching desperately for any sign of her. You have to be here, you have to!
"Madge?"
She turned at the sound of her name and felt her heart lurch. It was Gale, a little girl that had to be his sister clutched tight in his arms. He started fighting through the crowd towards her, his eyes wide and panicked and Madge moved towards him too. She could see people following in his wake, clearly all those family members he'd told her about.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as they met, both of them reaching for the other.
"I have to find Delly; I think she's down here with a boy."
Gale opened his mouth and then snapped it shut, eyes going even wider.
"Fuck," he swore and she blinked in surprise.
"What's going on?" a woman who could've been his mother or his aunt asked, his family finally catching up to him.
"Gale?" Madge asked, squeezing his waist and he swore again.
"Shit. She's second class, right? A little shorter than you, blonde, blue eyes?"
Madge nodded and he tilted his head back, inhaling angrily.
"Damn it, Thom. Okay, go all the way to the end of this corridor, then down to the next floor and take a left. Go as far as you can, there's an empty room right at the end of the hall. That's where Thom's been taking this girl he-"
"Delly," Madge breathed and what were the odds? Then again, she did say he was cute when she saw him and Gale…
"Okay, thank you!" she told him and spun around. I'm coming Delly, I'm coming!
"Madge, wait!" Gale said, his voice constricted as he grabbed her arm. She turned back to face him, her chest squeezed tight.
"It's okay, just go. I'll be alright," she assured him with a smile and then, without really thinking about it, she lurched forward and kissed him. It was quick, hard and she felt the bizarre urge to cry. His eyes were closed when she pulled away and she tried to smile as she gently removed his hand from her arm. She squeezed his fingers and backed away, determined to keep him in her sights for as long as possible.
I'll be alright.
We all will.
We have to be.
(Gale knew he couldn't go after her, knew he had to make sure his family got to safety.
But I'll be back for you, he promised as she ran away, I swear to God I'll be back)
Madge could feel herself speeding up as she moved further into the ship, the floor starting to slant beneath her feet.
We really are sinking.
Tears started to build in her eyes, fear tugging at her legs but she had to keep moving. Delly was back here somewhere and Madge had to find her, had to make sure she made it out safe. I'm coming Delly, hold on. The ground tilted even further, Madge started to lose balance and Oh God, this is all my fault. If only I'd told Delly about Gale, she'd have told me about Thom. I wouldn't have had to waste time searching; I'd have known exactly where to find her. Why didn't I tell her?
And that's when she hit the water.
Madge had been running without really looking, so caught up in her guilt that it took her entirely by surprise when her feet splashed into something wet. She looked down and there was water everywhere, getting deeper and deeper the farther she looked down the hall. Oh my God. She stared, unable to look away and felt like her heart was shriveling up in her chest, tightening up into a tiny, terrified ball.
Come on, it's just water. I can do this.
Madge steeled herself and took a careful step forward, the water sloshing over her shoe. The water was like ice, like a thousand jagged knives cutting into her skin. She yelped in surprise and drew back, nearly stumbling over in her haste. Her foot ached, throbbed and Madge breathed heavily, the water inching insidiously closer. She wanted to run, wanted to get out of this death trap and away to safety but she couldn't.
Delly needs me.
Madge clenched her hands, gritted her teeth and moved in again, tears burning under her eyelids. It was so cold, unbelievably cold, beyond even comprehension. She moved as fast as she could, deeper and deeper, and she could barely think as the water creeped up her calves but she pushed on, her mind focused on one single thing.
I have to find Delly.
I have to.
"Madge! Madge!"
She'd just turned a corner and there was Delly, the water swirling around her knees.
"Delly!" Madge shouted back and she struggled forward, the two of them meeting in a hug. Madge closed her eyes for a moment in relief, couldn't even feel the cold. I found you, oh thank God, I found you.
"We need to go."
Madge opened her eyes and looked up. A boy that had to be Thom was standing just behind Delly, face tense. Madge vaguely recognized him, could just remember seeing him standing and talking with Gale. She let go of Delly and wiped her eyes.
"You're right, let's go."
She grabbed Delly's hand and meant to go back the way she'd come, but Thom shook his head.
"The main stairs are going to be packed with people. We're better off going up another way."
Delly nodded.
"I usually use one of the smaller staircases to come down here, that might work."
"Okay," Madge agreed and Delly squeezed her hand before taking hold of Thom and leading them both down the corridor. Madge's legs throbbed with the cold, her heart beat painfully in her chest and please, let us make it out of this.
(They're safe, my family's safe.
Now I just have to find the others)
(and it's a blessing, really, that he still has Madge and Thom, and even Delly, to worry about. Otherwise, he'd have to start worrying about himself)
(women and children only)
"Where the fuck is this staircase?" Thom asked, a hint of panic in his voice.
"It's…it's…there!" Delly shouted in relief and there it was. Madge almost swooned. Thank God. The water was creeping up her thighs and she was so cold, her brain feeling slow and sluggish. Thom seemed reinvigorated by the sight and charged forward, tugging Delly after him. Delly pulled Madge along too and they were so close, so close. Almost there.
BAM
Delly shrieked in surprise as a door to their right burst open, a great torrent of water gushing out towards them.
"Shit!" Thom swore and surged forward, grasping onto the railing with one hand. Madge seized onto Delly with both of hers and then the water slammed into them, crashing over their heads. She could feel her grip on Delly slipping and she couldn't breathe, her lungs frozen and filling rapidly with water. She struggled furiously, the water trying to throw her around and finally her head broke the surface. Madge coughed and spluttered and desperately tried to breathe. The flood was moving down the hallway, still tugging furiously even as it lowered around them.
"Hold on," Thom begged Delly and Madge could see the strain on his face as he tried to drag them both over to the stairs. The current continued to heave around them and then there was another horrible, splintering crash as a further door erupted outwards, a new deluge headed towards them.
"Look out!" Delly shrieked, just as Thom shouted "Hold on!" and Madge couldn't even think, her whole body paralyzed with fear. Oh God, oh God oh God oh God-
The water hit her like a solid wall and then it ripped her hands away from Delly, tossing her violently down the hall. She spun and turned and tried with all her might to fight back, to kick and paddle up or forward, but she couldn't tell which direction was up or forward, her head spinning and stinging with the cold.
"Madge!" Delly screamed and Thom clenched his teeth, fighting the tide to keep his hold on her. Madge herself just managed to find the surface and desperately sucked down air when the force of the water slammed her body into a wall. The pain was intense but worse was the shock, knocking all the breath from her lungs. She gasped and the water poured down her throat, her lungs feeling like they were filled up with needles. Thom grunted loudly in effort and yanked with all his strength, finally managing to pull Delly all the way to the stairs.
"Get up, get up!" he shouted, shoving her upwards and out of the water.
"Madge! Madge!" she yelled and Madge felt herself slipping under, too dazed to keep herself afloat. The world started to go dark and her chest ached, the water slopping up over her head.
Is this how it ends?
"Madge! Oh God, Madge!" Delly was screaming and Thom turned away from her and felt his stomach drop.
Madge was gone.
There was no sign of her and Delly was heading back down the stairs, clearly determined to jump in after her. Shit, shit, shit! Thom couldn't let her do it, couldn't bear it and he closed his eyes, stomped down the desperate, terrified part of him that just wanted to grab Delly and run, and took a deep breath. He let go of the rail, his mouth pooling with acid, and allowed the current to shove him towards where Madge had been, Delly shouting fearfully after him.
"Thom!"
The current was slowing somewhat but it was trapped against a pair of doors further down the hall, ready to break them down and suck everything and everyone nearby into the flooded bowels of the ship.
If those burst…
Thom kicked with his legs and swam as hard as he could, needed to find Madge as quickly as possible.
"Can you see her?" Delly called and Thom looked about wildly, his anxiety growing with every groan of those wooden doors.
Of all the nights not to be in my room. Of all the nights to be too far from everyone, so the only way we know we're sinking is when water creeps under the door and the floor starts to tilt.
God, if only I hadn't asked Delly to come tonight. If they die, it'll be my fault. They could both be safe already, probably already on lifeboats.
Damn it, damn it!
He sucked in a breath and dived under. Adrenaline surged through his body, mixed with a potent fear and a hint of despair. Where are you? You have to be here somewhere. It was dark, his eyes stung from the cold and the salt and Fuck! Where are you?
His fingers grazed something made of fabric and he felt it like an electric jolt straight to his heart. Yes! he wanted to shout but he had to go back up for air before he could grab hold. Shit! He breathed deeply, the water rising and went back under, determined to come back up with Madge. Please God, please. He found her again with his hands and kicked himself closer, the water cutting into him like a million burning knives. Come on, come on…I've got you! Thom grabbed her around the waist and drove upwards, kicking as hard as he could. He surfaced and greedily drank in air, all the while pulling Madge up with him. He got her head above the water but she lolled against his shoulder, skin maybe slightly blue.
"Madge! Is she okay?" Delly asked and Thom felt panicky and frozen.
"I don't think she's breathing!" he shouted back, entirely unsure what to do. I have to get her to the stairs, he thought but the current was pulling him in the opposite direction. Worse, with Madge's dead weight to support, he was tiring quickly. We're not gunna make it. Oh God, we're not gunna make it.
He looked up at the stairs but Delly was gone and strangely, Thom didn't feel any panic or fear at that. At least Delly'll make it out, at least she'll be safe. The doors behind him creaked and groaned ominously and Oh God, this really is it, isn't it?
"Thom! Here!"
He blinked and Delly was charging back down the stairs, a fire hose in her arms. She stopped just before the water level and swung the heavy end around with one hand before releasing it. It launched forward and landed with a splash just ahead of him. Thom stared at it as it sunk, a frigid sort of exhaustion seeping into his bones.
"Come on, Thom! Grab it!" Delly yelled, shaking the hose at him and he looked at her, dripping wet, terrified, but furious too.
"Come on!" she shouted and he shook his head, dug deep for his remaining strength and kicked with all his might. Come on, come on! He reached forward, numb fingertips glancing off the slippery metal of the spout and gritted his teeth. Come on! He stretched his arm as far as it would go and just managed to grasp the hose right above the spout. Delly tightened her grip and began to pull, face screwed up as she reeled them in.
And that's when the doors gave out.
AN Okay, so I know I promised a few people that a certain character would appear this chapter, and they were supposed to! Unfortunately though, I had to cut this chapter in half because it was becoming too long, but! They will show up next chapter, that's a promise! Thanks for reading :)