Chapter 14
Harlean was hungrier than she had realized, she hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. She shut her eyes as memories of sitting at the table with her Uncle flooded her mind, "Go away." She urged.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Harlean opened her eyes to see a woman looking at her concerned, "I was just looking for the dining hall, Im very hungry."
"Come this way." The woman took Harlean by the arm and led her down a hall and to a room, it was filled with women crying into their soup, Harlean sighed and looked down.
"Take a seat and I'll get you some nice hot soup." The woman urged.
Harlean did as she was told and sat at a table that was empty, in the corner. She did not want anyone to talk to her, because she knew it would be of sympathy of losing her Uncle, and Harlean wasn't ready for that yet.
As she sat there, her thoughts went to her Aunt…and her cousin. Of course news wouldn't have reached land yet…or at least England. How would she ever be able to face her family? How could she ever tell them that her Uncle had said nothing about his wife when she last saw him…only words of comfort and advice to Harlean?
Harlean always had a feeling that her cousin had been jealous of her relationship with her father, but her Uncle adored his daughter, and would do anything for his little girl.
This would of course be all over the papers, about the disaster, about her Uncle dying, and the thousands of others that died. It shouldn't have happened…there should have been more boats, but there wasn't. Harlean found herself wondering how something like this could have happened, she knew no ship was unsinkable, but the ship was also supposed to be nearly unsinkable.
Just then a bowl was set down in front of her and a cup of steaming hot tea, "Thank you Ma'am." Harlean murmured.
"Of course, dear." The woman watched for a moment as Harlean picked up her spoon and slowly ate the soup. After a few minutes it was all gone, the tea as well.
Harlean looked up and saw the woman nearby, she stood up and walked over to her, "Excuse me Ma'am, I was just wondering if there is an available room where I could lie down?" she asked.
"Yes, come with me."
Harlean stood up, leaving her dishes on the table and followed the woman down a few halls and to an empty room. It was quite standard, a bed and wash table. She thanked the woman and after a few minutes she lay down on the bed and went to sleep.
XX
"Mr Bride, they are getting swamped with messages up in the Messaging room. Do you feel up to helping?"
Harold looked around and saw a clock on the wall, it read twelve midnight. He then looked back at the doctor, "Has Harlean been back by?"
"I have not seen her since earlier…do you feel up to helping?"
Harold nodded, he tried to stand but pain went running up his legs. Somehow he managed to not curse out loud, he sat back down and looked at the doctor, "I can't walk." He said.
The Doctor walked over to a closet and pulled out some crutches, "Here, try these." He handed them to Harold, who took them and was able to walk with them.
"I'll come with you to help you up the stairs." The Doctor said.
Harold nodded and together the two men went upstairs, it was freezing outside but Harold paid no attention. His mission was now was to get to the Marconi Machine and not fall on his face. He glanced briefly and saw all the third class passengers huddled together in groups of four or five down on the deck. All draped in blankets and all staying warm, some still crying.
A moment later Harold was in a small Wireless Operating Room, and at once fell at home.
"Harold Cottam, this is Harold Bride, he's here to help you get messages out." The Doctor introduced them and the 'Harold's' shook hands.
Once the doctor made sure Bride was alright, he turned and went back to the ship's sick bay to attend to his other patients.
XX
When Harlean woke up, the room was drenched in darkness. She stood up, felt around and reached the door. She opened it and on the other side were dimly lit halls. Slowly Harlean made her way up the hall and up some stairs then down another hall to the Sick Bay. Finally she reached it and knocked on the door, the doctor greeted her.
"Ah Miss Carpenter, Harold Bride is not here. He's been dismissed." He said with a kind smile.
"Where is he?" Harlean asked.
"Up in the Wireless room, our messenger was swamped with messages and we asked if Harold was feeling up to helping out. He agreed." The Doctor answered.
"Thank you sir."
Harlean turned around and headed upstairs to the deck. Once she got her bearings about what end of the ship she was on she walked towards the Wireless Room which should be just by the Bridge. A moment later she found it, "Harold?" She asked.
"Yes?" Both men replied.
"Um…Bride," Harlean said slowly.
Harold Cottam went back to his work and Harold Bride looked at Harlean, "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm alright I suppose…I have slept all day." She answered.
"Well you were up all night."
Harlean sighed and nodded, "I have to walk with crutches right now." Harold said, taking Harlean's hand and squeezing them gently, trying to reassure her that everything would work out all right.
"Are you going to be able to walk again without them?" She asked.
"I should be they just need to heal right now." Harold answered.
Harlean was silent, "Well I'll let you get back to your work. I will see you in the morning I suppose." Harlean and Harold kissed and then she left the room.
She walked around the deck a moment and then heard a famillar voice, "Miss Harlean?!"
She spun around and saw Holly, a moment the girls were hugging. Holly was crying into Harlean's arms.
"Oh Miss Harlean, I had not seen you anywhere! I thought something must have happened to you, and your Uncle went down with the ship!"
The two girls held onto each other for a few minutes, Harlean said nothing as Holly cried into her arms. She didn't know what she could say…after a moment the tears subsided, "How are you holding up Miss Harlean?" Holly asked.
"I'm fine Holly…really I am." Harlean said, trying to assure her friend.
"Excuse me miss." The women turned to see an Officer with a piece of paper on a clipboard, "Can I have your names?"
"Harlean Carpenter and Holly Lewis," Harlean said.
The Officer wrote it down then his eyes went wide, "Carpenter….are you Captain Smith's niece?" He asked.
She nodded, "Yes…the one and only, could you please leave us now?"
"Yes of course miss; my condolences on your loss." The man then hurried off to some other people standing near by.
"I truly had thought you did not leave the ship." Holly said as the women headed back to the room where Harlean had slept all day.
"Let's just not think about that right now Holly. Were both alive and well…" Harlean said softly.
The two returned to the room and Holly lay down in the bed to sleep where as Harlean sat in a chair, she stayed up all night. The nightmare that the night before had become playing before her eyes.
XX
"Bride, if you have family back home you can go ahead and send a message to them letting them know you're safe."
Harold looked to Harold Cottam and nodded, though he had no family to get in touch with a thought struck him. After four days of sending and receiving messages to Harlean's family, he knew the address by heart. He immediately began to tap out an address and a message, "SURE YOU HAVE HEARD OF DISASTER. Stop. HARLEAN IS SAFE. Stop. CAPTAIN WENT DOWN WITH SHIP. Stop. HARLEAN SENDS HER LOVE. Stop."
He also attached a message that it was urgent this reached the Carpenter family as soon as possible. He then took one of the lists of survivors an Officer had left with him and began to tap out the names of survivors to New York.
XX
"Mother!"
The front door of the Carpenter's home in London flew open, bringing Jonah Carpenter with it, followed by his brother Micah.
"Jonah, Micah I'd prefer it if you didn't rush in here like that. You make too much noise." Their mother walked out of the parlor, but her face went white when she saw her son's expressions.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Father needs to hear this too," Jonah said.
"James, come here please!" Mrs Carpenter called.
A moment later their father came out of the parlor, "What is it?" He asked.
Micah held up the newspaper which read the headline, "TITANIC SINKS INTO ATLANTIC OCEAN- APRIL 15th 1912!!!"
Mrs Carpenter fainted and Jonah and his father caught her before she hit the floor.
When she a woke a few minutes later due to fanning and some smelling sauce provided by the cook she saw her sons, "H-how? How could it happen?" She asked.
"Hit an iceberg apparently," Micah answered then felt the need to add in, "No word on any survivors or not."
Jonah hit him as their mother let out something between a sob and a squeak.
They helped her to stand up from the sofa she had been laying on.
Just then there was a knock on the door, "Who in the world could that be?" she asked.
"Stay here Grace." James ordered his wife.
Mr Carpenter went to the door and opened it. On the other side was Matthew Harris, he worked at the local market where the mail came in, including messages from ships, "I was ordered to deliver this at once," he said, out of breath. He clearly had run all the way.
"Come in son and get warm," James said as he took the message and let Matthew come in.
"What is it father?" Jonah asked as he walked in, nodding briefly at Matthew.
"It's a Marconi Message. Mary, go and get Matthew something warm to drink and send him on his way. Then come back into the parlor. We will read the message together," Mr Carpenter said as he walked into the parlor.
"Yes sir," Mary hurried off with Matthew and a few minutes later they heard him leaving.
The cook, Mary, and a few other assistants came into the parlor, "What is it James?" Mrs Carpenter asked.
Slowly James opened the message, his eyes strained for a moment to be able to read the handwriting and then tears welled into his eyes, "SURE YOU HAVE HEARD OF DISASTER. Stop. HARLEAN IS SAFE. Stop. CAPTAIN WENT DOWN WITH SHIP. Stop. HARLEAN SENDS HER LOVE. Stop," he finished reading and saw his wife had tears in her eyes as well as everyone else. Harlean was safe…then Grace looked at her husband and the horror set in.
"Edward!" She cried.
Then everyone else realized it as well, Harlean was safe yes…but the Captain had died. Edward J. Smith went down with the Titanic. Loud sobs came from Mrs Carpenter, and her sons at once went to comfort their mother.
XX
"We've docked in New York."
The Harold's looked up at an Officer who had poked his head in the door. It was the eighteenth, three days since the disaster. They were finally in New York…fifteen hundred people less…on a different ship…but they had finally made it.
"Thank you." The men said.
The Officer nodded and left the room to alert others.
A moment later Harlean came in, "Sparks…they say we've docked. I can see the city," she said.
Harold still couldn't stand, or else he would have stood up and pulled Harlean into an embrace. Over the past few days he realized just how much he loved her. If she had cried at all she had not told him and had not shown him. Harlean was being so brave, still in the same dress she was wearing when they learned of the iceberg, the night of the fourteenth. And despite how old her clothes now looked and she had not worn any makeup, there was something aged in what was once a young vibrant face.
Her hair was a mess and she still looked as beautiful as ever.
"Yes and officer just came in and told us that as well. This nightmare will be over soon love," Bride said.
She sighed and kissed him on the cheek. There was still a load of messages to be sent out with the list of the survivors. No messages had come from Harlean's family and all Harold could do was hope they had gotten the message.
Harlean then left the room to go watch at the railing at they docked.
After a while Harold Cottam stepped out to talk to someone. He returned to the Wireless room a moment later, "Bride…the New York Times wants to talk to us. I've been given orders to go find them. You want me to bring a reporter back here?" He asked.
"Are they going to pay for my account or what?" Bride asked.
"I believe they are going to, yes."
"I suppose so…if it's important for my account."
Cottam nodded, "You going to be alright with this work?"
"Yes…if you see Harlean on your way out, would you send her my way? She can help me with this."
"Alright." Cottam left the room and indeed spotted Harlean, he gave her Bride's message and while he was bustled out with some of the survivors unloaded she went to see Harold.
XX
A little while later as they were sending messages Cottam returned; a reporter in tow.
"Do you mind if I take a picture Mr Bride?" He asked.
Harlean stood up so to be out of the way as Harold nodded. The reporter pushed the button and a flash went through out the room.
Harlean returned to her seat where she had been sending messages of the survivors.
She listened slightly as Harold gave his account, paying the most attention whenever he discussed her Uncle. Bride looked back at her every once in a while to make sure she was alright with talking about Edward. Harlean seemed to be so he went on.
A little while later the account was finished and two men were waiting outside the Wireless room with a stretcher for Harold.
The reporter handed Harold a large handful of money but Harlean did not notice.
"You're Harlean Carpenter aren't you? Captain Smith's niece?" the reporter asked as he put his camera away and secured it safely.
"Yes I am," she replied as she stepped out of the way to let them get Harold on a stretcher.
"Could I maybe get your account at some point as well?" He asked.
Bride looked to Harlean who looked positively angry, "No you may not. You have just heard from Mr Bride and Mr Cottam, I think that's enough for you today. I have no desire of ever discussing what happened," she answered.
The man looked like he might protest but Cottam looked at him, "Sir you heard the lady, leave her alone."
Harold held him off as Harlean left with Bride and the men carrying him.
Holly was nearby as they walked to the bustling crowd around the gangplank. Harlean saw the reporters and the mass of thousands that had gathered, she swallowed, "Harold…this nightmare is never going to end." She said.
The two looked at each other and Harold took Harlean's hand which he squeezed reassuringly. Though he knew she was right…it would be a long time before they could get through the nightmare…
XX
A/N- There…more story to come ASAP…Things have been a bit crazy lately…went to the cinema last week learned that someone we knew died…then night before last we learned someone ELSE we knew died. So it's been a really weird week. Plus it's about to get busier. I have something to do EVERYDAY THIS WEEK!!
Tonight: Choir
Tomorrow: Going to see some Christmas Opera
Friday: Homeschool Group
Saturday: Going to this opening of a museum where we plan on spending the day in one of the coolest towns in Virginia!!
Sunday: Church and that night we have something to do!! :P
So I hope to have chapter 15 for you soon!! Review and spread the love!!
Beccs! ^_^