April 15 1912 1:42am
"Anymore women and children? Anymore?" Lowe called as the Life boat 13 hung out over the water.
"Yes here." Helen called, herding the children to the boat. Barret loaded the children into the boat then held out his hand for Helen who shook her head. "I can't go yet. I still have someone I need to find." She lied. Barret sighed and wiped his brow.
"Alright then, lower away." He called. "Steady now, steady."
Helen breathed a small sigh and closed her eyes in relief. There
was a cry of fright seconds later. Helen opened her eyes and
gasped in fear.
"Stop stop..." She called as life boat 17 was lowered on top of
boat 13. There was barely a foot between the boats as Fred Barret
cut the ropes.
Helen gripped the rope attached to lifeboat 17. "We need to pull
it back up!" Lowe shook his head. "This ship is sinking and there are too many people. All we can do is hold the boat steady and wait for boat 13 to get into the water. "
Helen held her breath as life boat 13 slipped out to the water.
"It's alright now. Lower away." Helen breathed. She hugged the
railing and made her way toward the stern where the remaining
passengers were gathering as the ocean claimed the bow.
From the corner of her eye, Helen saw Ismay climb into collapsible
C. Any other day she would revile him as a coward, but she
currently had more pressing matters to tend to.
Helen looked up as a patio chair flew overhead and landed in the
water. Someone in the A deck Promenade was throwing them out a
smashed window. She caught sight of a fast-moving shadow. Helen
sighed. Even in the abnormal world, very few creatures could
maintain such speed.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you get to a boat?" Helen arrived on the enclosed promenade just as Joughlin stopped to take a drink.
"I filled my boat. Never met such stubborn women. Save perhaps you. Why aren't you on a boat Doctor?"
"I've been busy getting other people onto the boats. I honestly didn't think of myself." Helen answered with a small blush. Joughlin threw another chair out of the hole in the window he made. "I recon that's about 50. Let's get you to a boat." He lead Helen back out to the deck. "Seems this old tub wants to stand right up on her head, don't it?"
The walk was almost completely uphill climb toward the stern.
The Atlantic went on forever.
"Dear God" Helen breathed, looking out to the wide expanse of blackness. For all her size and glory, titanic suddenly seemed small. Hundreds of people ran about, screaming crying praying and
pushing.
They were lost and frightened. Men begging wives and children to get into boats. Even with the Titanic floundering the women refused to leave their husbands. Deck hands took to flinging their charges into the boats, despite many who wished to return to their cabins for a missing glove or favorite pair of Opera lenses. Every moment chaos descended upon the frenzied crowds. A great shudder shook the ship, knocking a dozen people across the deck. Helen fell to the ground winded. Joughlin picked her up quickly.
"We best had get to the stern, Dr. Magnus." He pulled her to the starboard railing.
Helen reached the relatively safe stern and sighed. It promised to be a long night.