Erik left around three thirty and Marabelle and I decided to join Erik at the courthouse to watch his testimony around four. The rain had cleared up, at least for the time being, allowing Marabelle and I to walk to the court house without the loaned umbrella.

Marabelle and I made it to the top of the staircase and I kneeled down and looked at her "Now Marabelle, we have to be really, really quiet when we get inside okay?"

Marabelle nodded "Promise to be weally, weally quiet!" she chirped and looked at me before making a zipping motion over her lips.

I smiled and opened the door, politely nodded to the same guard who had been sitting there and up the stairs and into the first courtroom, where Erik's testimony was just starting.

"Senator Smith, Mr. Holloway has been sworn in, we are ready to precede."

Senator Smith nodded and turned to look at Erik "what is your name?"

Erik looked up at the senator "Erik Eugene Holloway"

"Mr. Holloway, where do you reside?"

"Southampton."

"How old are you"

"I'll be 29 in three days."

"What is your business?" Senator smith questioned

"Seaman."

"How long have you been in the service or employment?"

Erik looked at the man "Eleven years and six months"

"How extensive has been your service in that time?" he questioned

Erik looked confused "I do not quite follow you."

Senator Smith sighed "How much service have you seen, in what capacities?"

"All all the capacities in the white star service – fourth, third, second and first officer."

"You have been in the white star service during all of that time?"

Erik shook his head "No sir."

"What official positions have you held?"

"Fourth, third, second and first officer."

"What position do you occupy now?"

"First officer of the Titanic"

"How long have you been First officer?"

"About three years"

"When did you go aboard the titanic?"

"In Belfast."

"When?"

"March 19 or 20"

"Did you make the so-called trial trips?"

"Yes, sir."

"Of what did they consist?"

"Turning circles and adjusting compasses"

The senator turned to the people in the room and knitted his eyebrows before he turned back towards Erik "in what waters?"

"Belfast Lough"

"How extensive is that lough?"

Erik gave a one shoulder shrug "I can hardly say offhand without seeing a chart."

"Have you any data here that shows?"

"No." Erik said flatly.

"Just state as nearly as you can"

Erik sighed heavily and looked away from the senator for a moment. I suppose he had spotted Marabelle and I for he continued "it may be about fifteen miles long widening out from a few miles wide to perhaps seven miles. That is only approximate, sir."

"Have you ever been in that water before?"

Erik shook his head "Only passing through"

"How did you happen to pass through it?"

"Going into Belfast or somig out bound to some port. I do not mean in an official capacity; as a passenger. I have been though it in an official capacity about 8 years ago."

Senator smith took a sip of his water and looked at his notes before he spoke again "is that water usually selected for these trial tests for new ships?"

"Yes."

"What was the condition of the weather when you made this trial test?"

"light breeze, clear weather, sir." At this point, I had believed that Erik's 'sir's' had became more scarastic than in the beginning

"From the time you boarded the titanic, did you, at any time encounter any rough weather?"

"No, sir."

"You were always in smooth water, so-called?"

"Yes, sir."

"was this boat tested at it's maximum speed?"

"that I could not say, sir"

"What was the maximum speed of this boat?"

"That I could not say, sir. She was never put, to my knowledge, to her maximum speed."

"What did you understand it to be?"

"About 22 ½ to 23 knots."

"From whom did you get that information?"

"General rumor, sir."

"what boat had you been on before you went on the titanic?"

"The oceanic"

"the oceanic, of the same line?"

"Of the same line."

"How large a boat is the oceanic?"

"Seventeen thousand tons gross"

"Do you know her maximum speed?"

"twenty-one knots"

Senator smith nodded and cleared his throat "Do you know who was aboard the titanic in these trial tests?"

"A great number, I knew some of them."

"Please state those that you know."

"Capt. Smith, Mr. Murdoch, Lightoller, Mr. blair, second officer mr. pitman, third officer mr. boxhall, fourth officer Mr. Lowe, Fifth officer Mr. Moody, sixth officer and Mr. Andrews of Harland and Wolff"

"Representing the builders?"

Erik nodded "Yes, sir. I could not say anyone else with any accuracy."

"was Mr. Ismay aboard?"

"Not to my knowledge, sir."

"Did you hear afterwards that he was on board?"

"No sir."

"Alright." He cleared his throat and looked at Erik once again "After the final test, what was done with the boat?"

"We proceeded toward Southampton."

"Immediately?"

"Almost immediately after taking on board a few things that had been left behind, which were required for the completion of the ship."

"What?"

"So far as I know, requisites down in the galley, cooking apparatus, a few chairs and such things like that."

"Was the life-saving equipment—"

"oh, no, sir; nothing like that"

The senator sounded annoyed "Was the life-saving equipment complete?"

"Yes, sir."

"Of what did it consist?"

"The necessary number of lifeboats."

"I wish you would say how that is determined, if you can."

"By the number of people on board"

"You do not know how many people there are on board until you are ready to start?"

"no sir."

"Is it not determined by the number of accommodations rather than by the number of people who get aboard?"

"There must be life-saving apparatus for everyone on board, regardless of accommodations."

"Yes; but what I desire to know is whether in each stateroom on each deck, in all classes, whether there is any rule and whether it was followed at that time, so far as you know, in equipping this boat with life preservers and lifebelts and anything else that might appropriately go into the rooms and be upon the decks of a boat of that character?"

"She was perfectly complete throughout sir."

"I wish you would describe a lifebelt."

"It consists of a series of pieces of cork- allow me to show you by illistruation – a hole is cut in there" Erik drew something on a small piece of paper "for the head to go through and this falls over front and back and there are tapes from the back then tied around the front. It is a new idea and very effective because no one can make a mistake in putting it on."

"is there cork on both sides?"

"On both sides."

"are the arms free?"

"Free, absolutely"

"And when in the water does this adhere or extend?"

"it is tied to the body."

"have you ever tried one of these on?"

"Yes, sir."

Senator smith nodded in improvement "have you ever been into the sea with one of them?"

"yes, sir"

"where?"

"From the titanic."

"in this recent collision?"

"yes, sir."

"how long were you in the sea with a lifebelt on?"

"Between half an hour to an hour"

"what time did you leave the ship?"

"I didn't leave it."

"did the ship leave you?"

"Yes, sir."

Senator smith nodded and rubbed his hands on his pants "Very well, sir. We are finished for today."

Erik nodded and moved away from the witness stand and quickly towards Marabelle and I. He gently grabbed my hand I grabbed Marabelle's and we walked out of the court room in silence, the heavy door was the only thing to make a sound.

For the next nine days, erik appeared in and out of the courtroom, twice on the last day. It was a long tedious process causing Marabelle and I to explore New York city and all of her grandur. Marabelle and I enjoyed sun filled days in central park while we ate a nathan's hotdog.

"Christine" Marabelle said through a mouthful of hotdog

"Marabelle" I scolded "Proper young ladies do not talk with their mouth full." I gave her a look.

Marabelle chewed the rest of her hot dog and swallowed before she spoke again "I'm sorry Christine" Marabelle frowned and looked at her hotdog.

I sighed and put my hand on her back "Marabelle, it's okay. It's just not lady like to talk with your mouth full." I smiled and rubbed a hand up and down her back.

"I'm never going to be good enough to be first class." She threw her hot dog into the bush and crossed her arms.

I sighed and looked at her "Marabelle! Do not throw a fit out in public. You're plenty good enough and it doesn't matter about class." I looked at her, I didn't know how to address the etiquette subject. I didn't want to bring up that she had come from a poor family, but I had to bring up that she needed some serious work on her etiquette "Well, when we get back home to England, I can show you a few things that my mother taught me." I smiled.

"You're not my mother." Marabelle mumbled.

I sighed slightly and stood up "let's go Marabelle, Erik must be finished with the inquiry by now." I gently grabbed Marabelle's hand and made my way towards the courthouse. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes, but I kept my composure. I had noticed Marabelle getting distant during our stay here in New York, and I wasn't sure why.

"Christine!" Erik rushed down the steps and smiled slightly. When he made his way toward me his smile disenegrated and he frowned "what's wrong?"

I shook my head "Nothing, absolutely nothing" I croaked and forced a smile "What are you so happy about?" I rubbed his arm before he took my hand.

"That was the last inquiry. The united states government gave us tickets to go home tomorrow morning." He smiled slightly.

"that's wonderful Erik, absoutley wonderful." I smiled slightly and hugged him tightly "I can't wait to be home, it will feel so wonderful."

He nodded "yes, of course." He looked at me "we have to discuss where we'd be living, Christine. In your home town of London or if we'd be living in Southampton."

I looked at him "We can discuss it on the ship ride home, we will have plenty of time." I inhaled deeply and looked up at Erik "I'm not feeling too well. Perhaps you could take Marabelle to central park again?" my stomach churned "I think the hot dog that I consumed was rancid." I held my stomach.

"do you want us to come back with you?" He looked at me, worried.

"No, no it's okay." I smiled and hugged him tightly before giving Marabelle a hug, who didn't return it back "I'll be okay, I promise."

Erik sighed and nodded "Okay, if you insist." He held out his hand for Marabelle, who gladly took it and they both walked away. I frowned slightly and rushed toward the hotel, each step I took proved harder to keep the vomit down and each step I became hotter and hotter, I shook and when I didn't think I could hold it any longer, I made it into the hotel room and up to my room just in time to spew the contents of my stomach into the wash basin. I groaned slightly and once again granted freedom to the contents of my stomach.

After about five more minutes of throwing up, it finally stopped and I was able to move to the bed. I felt like death and I wondered what would have brought it on so suddenly. I wondered if it was home sickness, but when I had visited my aunt Mayble in franc for the summer months, I never got sick from being home sick, nor had I experienced a sinking ship first hand. I laid on my back and let my fingers trace around my stomach, trying to ease the gurgles.

"Come Josephine in my flying machine" I gagged slightly but managed to hold whatever wanted to come up down "and it's up she goes, up she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam, in the air she goes, there she goes. Up, Up, a little bit higher, oh, my the moon is on fire. Come Josephine in my flying machine going up. All on. Good-bye. Oh, say Let us fly girl" I mumbled before I nodded off to sleep.

My dreams consisted of Marabelle telling me that I wasn't her mother, that she had hated me and that she ran away and got lost in new York and I was unable to find her. I awoke with a start when I heard the door open, my stomach still felt groggy.

"how are you feeling Christine?" Erik sat down next to me and rubbed my stomach, I had to admit that his touch was soothing, and I had felt almost instantly better.

"A bit better" I sat up and I felt instantly sick once again. I pushed Erik away and made it into the bathroom. I had tried to be as quiet as I could possibly be, but I had failed. As I sat on the floor in the private toilet, I thought about the life Erik and I were going to have when we got back to England, were we going to live in London or Southampton? Besides Marabelle, how many children did we want or did we want any at all? I paused for a second. Children. I inhaled slightly and looked down, it was a possibility, and I'd have given anything to have my mother with me, she would know. I sighed and laid my head on the wall next to me. Anything was possible.