April 12, 1912 1:10 pm

Dr. O'Loughlin laughed as another woman passed and waved to Helen. "You seem to have made quite a few friends, Dr. Magnus."
Helen blushed.

"I've met a lot of people on board the Titanic since we left England."

Dr. O'Loughlin led the way to a second class cabin and knocked softly at the door. After a soft scuffling noise from within, the door was opened by a bright eyed three year old girl. Immediately following was a tall black man with an open and friendly face.

"Simonne, you must be more careful." He chided gently. "Do not open the door until you know who it is. Can I help you?" He asked, looking up at Helen and Dr. O'Loughlin.

"So sorry to disturb you, Mr. Laroche." Dr. O'Loughlin said with a small bow. "Perhaps you remember me? I'm the ship's doctor. You asked me to look in on your wife. Juliette. As you requested."

Mr. Laroche smiled at Dr. O'Loughlin and Helen before opening the door wider. "Yes. Of course. Do come in."

"This is a colleague of mine, helping me out today. Dr. Helen Magnus. She studied in England. "

Helen nodded briskly. "Yes Oxford. One of the first women." Mr. Laroche kissed her hand reverently and led the way into the small cabin.

"Very pleased to have you. My wife, I know will be more comfortable with another woman."

Helen smiled at the expectant mother and knelt beside her. "What brings you to the titanic?" she examined her carefully.

"My husband is from Hate. My little girls are shunned and treated badly for their dark skin in our native France." Juliette replied with a slight distaste in her voice. "Even here on the titanic, we are talked down to. When we get to Haiti, my husband will get a good job and we will live in peace. My Son will not know scorn for the color of his skin." She sighed and lay back. "We were to take the Franc. A very prestigious ship, as I understand. But they would not permit the children to sit with us at table."

"Have you thought of a name for your little boy?" Helen asked as Dr. O'Loughlin asked Mr. Laroche a number of questions about his wife's pregnancy.

"He will be named for his father. Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche" Julliette smiled and looked over to her husband with adoring eyes.

Helen smiled and finished the examination. "Clean bill of health. You and the baby are both fine." Helen smiled as she stood up.

Joseph smiled and shook hands with Helen and Dr. O'loughlin. "Thank you both. Thank you so very much." He bowed and showed the pair out.

The second-class deck was crowded and Helen had to maneuver carefully to keep from bumping into anyone.

"... A pipe dream. Just a pipe dream, Will "One man was saying avidly to his friend. "A fad for rich people. Steel is where the money is. Security. Why, just look at Belfast... Oh sorry." With a fancy wave of his hand, Helens bag was jostled from her hands. It fell to the floor and spilled supplies all over. Both men bent to help her gather it all up.

"I won't argue steelwork is good. And plentiful" Will said to his companion. "But electricity! That's the future Archie."

Archie shook his head. "You're a good lad, William Parr. But trust me when I say, its steel work you be wanting. You can work up an empire. Why the titanic alone revived Belfast's steel production a hundred fold. And we still have the Olympic! "

"Yes true. But with electricity, we could be on the ground floor. It's"

"It's not for the likes of me." Archie laughed. "Put it out of your head, Will."

Will handed the bag back to Helen with a slight bow. "Do pardon us, Ma'am. Mr. Parr is a clumsy fool. It's a good thing he ain't what put the rivulets in. "He said poking his friend in the ribs.

"Quite alright. Thank you." Helen smiled politely and watched the pair move away, still arguing. She turned to Dr. O'loughlin. "I thought the Titanic was from Liverpool?"

Dr. O'loughlin shook his head. "Not she. The White Star Line was founded by Thomas Ismay in Liverpool. The Head Office is in England.

Many of the Titanic's crew is from Liverpool. The crew even call the service corridor on E deck was "Scotland Rd", a main Liverpool thoroughfare. But the ship herself is Irish. Built from the Hull up in Belfast. Harland and Warf took the project from start to finish. Titanic and her sister ship, RMS Olympic. "

"I never knew that. Fascinating." Helen smiled and followed the Doctor to the next appointment, a woman in third class.

"I think it's my lungs. Stupid really" She sighed as the doctor inspected her. She gave Helen a light smile. "Mother warned me about too many baths. I had one yesterday and took one today. Oh I'm never doing that again..."

Dr. O'loughlin swallowed back a laugh. "It's just stomach cramps. You had too much to eat too fast. Drink a teaspoon of this every 2 hours and give your stomach time to settle." He smiled and handed her some cod oil, then bowed back out.

"A lot of people in third class didn't have access to daily meals." He sighed as they left. "They left behind everything they knew to escape poverty and oppression."

"The promise of a better life in America beckons." Helen nodded.
"I can see why." Not just humans, but abnormals too. She wondered about the immigrating abnormals, creatures displaced from other countries. And the ones in America already.

Like so many other, Abnormals heard the call of opportunity and freedom in New York and the promise of gold in California. Would they find welcome? Or would they live on the margins there just as they had in their homeland? Where would they go? London's Sanctuary was out of the question.

It hit her suddenly. One sanctuary was not enough. One location. She would need more. A network. Sanctuaries all over the world. One on each continent. All she needed was time, money. Time she had plenty of. Helen smiled to herself. It was small really, just the glimmer of an idea. But it gave her what she really needed. Purpose.

Hobbits notes
the two men arguing over electricity vs. steelwork were both part of the guarantee group, a selection of handpicked men chosen by Thomas Andrews to make sure everything on the titanic ran smoothly.
William Parr was an electrician, Anthony 'Archie' Frost a Fitter

Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche was the only black man known to sail on the Titanic. He faced a lot of racism and derogatory remarks from crew and passengers alike