"Thomas! Thomas wake up I need help!" someone calls to me. I roll over and try to swat them away "Go away Jack, whatever it is I'm sure you can handle it" I tell him. He starts shaking me "Mr. Andrews please! I don't know what to do!" he tells me. I sigh and sit up, half awake "Alright Jack what's the problem". Suddenly I realize he's standing in front of me without a shirt on. I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not imagining things, but I'm not.
He promised he wouldn't do anything "Jack! I thought you promised me last night you wouldn't do anything with her!" I scold him. His eyes widen "What? I didn't do anything with her I swear!" he tells me. I point out the fact that he's not wearing shirt "I'm not wearing a shirt because Gabby threw up on it last night!" he retorts, looking irritated. Oh, well that changes everything doesn't it? I apologize before standing up "Well where is she?" I ask him. He points to the bathroom where I can hear the poor delinquent heaving.
I go over to the bathroom door and stand, watching her. She looks absolutely miserable bent over the toilet. I call to her "Gabby? Are you alright?" I ask her. She doesn't look up at me but she shakes her head, shivering "Thomas, I didn't mean to get drunk" she finally manages to whimper. She sounds so young, like the 16 year old girl I remember on the original Titanic. I approach her and kneel down next to her, putting my hand on her back "It's alright, you'll just have to lay low for now" I tell her.
She shakes her head "I can't, not today. They're downstairs waiting for us!" she tells me. I raise an eyebrow "Who?" I ask. She can't answer me as she heaves into the toilet again, she must have been doing this all morning because she's hardly vomiting anything now. After a moment she recovers and looks up at me "The press Thomas! They want to talk to us, since they didn't get to tomorrow. The hotel called me this morning, there's going to be a press conference this morning, down in the hotel's ballroom. We have to go!" she tells me.
"You're not going anywhere" I tell her. She shakes her head "I have to go Thomas, they want all three of us. I'll take some aspirin, I think I'm done puking now!" she tells her. Her voice still hasn't risen above a childish whimper and I raise my hand to her forehead, she's not just hungover but she is feverish! I gently help her up but she can hardly stand "You're clearly in no condition to go anywhere" I tell her. Jack comes to the door and helps me with his fiance. We get her into bed and he sits beside her, tucking her in.
He tells her to rest but she shakes her head "Jack really, we have to go!" she insists. He shakes his head "Don't worry sweetheart, Thomas and I are adults! We'll go to the press conference, and then we'll be right back up here to take care of you. I promise!" he tells her. She still doesn't look convinced, but she's trembling so much that I don't think she wants to get out of bed anyway. I go to the bathroom and grab a washcloth, soaking it with cold water before wringing it out and returning.
As I placed it on her forehead she shivered "Thomas I'm cold" she whimpered. I pulled the blanket up on her a little higher "I know, we'll be back soon" I tell her. Jack kisses her cheek before the two of us get changed quickly and head downstairs to greet the masses. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure Jack and I will be alright. We're adults after all, even though we're not exactly 21st century savvy yet, we're getting there!
When we enter the ballroom cameras flash, only unlike the press on the Titanic 2, there are twice as many reporters but they are definitely more civilized than the others were. Jack and I sit behind a desk and everyone sits down. Jack looks nervous, but he smiles and says "So, you want to ask us some questions don't you? What questions do you have for us?" he asks. He makes it sound almost like a challenge, and the press accept it, all raising their hands and trying to get our attention.
I point to one random person and they stand up, holding some sort of small black device "Mr. Andrews, what are your thoughts on modern shipbuilding?" she asks before holding the device towards me. I smile politely "I'm sorry to say that I have not been on any modern ships. However, the modern elements added to the new Titanic were beyond anything I would have imagined 100 years ago and I'm more than pleased" I reply. Alright, that was an easy question, it's a relief to know we're all going to be civil adults here. As long as nobody asks for my undergarments I believe we will have a fine time with this press conference!
Suddenly Jack points to another reporter, the first one sits and this man stands up, with a similar black device "John Phillips, do you plan on getting yourself a cell phone?" he asks. Jack chuckles "First of all sir, I'd like to say that everyone calls me Jack. Second of all, I do plan on getting myself a cellular telephone. It's a marvelous invention, and I much prefer it over sending Morse code. My hand got tired after tapping for a while, you know? And it was terribly difficult to say long phrases when each letter by itself had at least 2 to 4 dots or dashes. So yes, I'd say I'm planning on getting a cell phone!" he replies. Ah, well said Jack! I'm slightly surprised by the way he said that actually, it was very adult, it was very, how can I put it, very much like the old Jack on the Titanic.
Next question is directed at both of us, and it was asking what we plan on doing since we are jobless. Jack answers first "I'm not sure what I'd like to do, especially considering there are no such thing as telegraph operators anymore. However, I do think I'd like a job that let's me travel. Not too far from home of course!" he says. Of course, the ruffian would kill him if he strayed too far from home! Luckily she probably won't be doing much of anything for a while. Then again, that might not be so lucky! I quickly answer that I'd like to be a ship designer again, because I thoroughly enjoyed my job and I didn't really have any other skills.
Another reporter stands up "What were you thinking when you died on the Titanic 100 years ago?" they ask. Oh great, I see how they've played it! They asked us all the nice questions first, and now they're going to get right into the sore questions that we don't even want to think about. Already I can see Jack getting slightly upset, but he swallows it back and puts on a brave face for the cameras "I was thinking about my fiance, how I'd never get to introduce her to my family back home, or get to marry her. I was wondering how it could be that the ship they said so surely could not sink, had sunk. And I wondered what might happen to my coworker Harold Bride, and to my fiance. And then, for a brief moment, one of my final moments. I thought about Mr. Andrews here, I wondered what happened to him, and I wished God might be with him that night. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met my fiance" he admitted. He thought about me in his last moments? He hardly knew me then!
Now it was my turn to answer their question, and my heart aches slightly thinking about it. But I do know my answer "Well, unlike Jack. I have recollections of dying on the Titanic twice. The first time as it was, and the second time with my friend from the future. The first time, I thought about my wife and little girl back at home. The entire voyage I'd wanted nothing more than to return home to them as soon as possible, but I knew once Titanic's fate was sealed, that I would never return to them. And then I wondered, right before the water came in, I wondered what the world would say when the unsinkable ship sank. I hoped that perhaps the board of trade rules would change, to allow enough lifeboats and more safety things. I didn't want such a thing to happen again".
I smiled slightly "I thought about perfecting my ship right to the end, and I still think about perfecting her. The second time around I thought a little more differently. I knew what would happen when the water came in, and so I thought of my dear friend from the future. I hoped she would find Jack and they would survive together. She had her heart set on marrying him, even though she was supposed to go down with the ship alongside me so she could return to her own time. My final thoughts were how I wouldn't change a thing that happened to me. For I had the chance to save myself the second time around. But if that ship sank 100 times over, I would stand in the smoking room every single time. The ship was my responsibility, it was my duty to give up my seat to someone else so that they might live" I told them.
A few reporters fell silent, some of the women had tears in their eyes. I merely sighed "Are there any other questions we might answer?". Oh yes, they had lots of questions to follow. 'Who was your favorite passenger on board besides yourselves and your friend?' 'What was your favorite meal on the original Titanic?' 'What did you plan to do when you reached New York Harbor 100 years ago?' are only some of the questions. With each question I grow a little more anxious, I am slightly worried about the delinquent. Last time she got drunk was less than a month after she'd returned to her own time, and the experience scared her so much she never drank again. I'm glad it scared her too, I was more afraid for her then than I was any time she'd ever charged into battle during the first World War.
Finally we are dismissed and Jack and I race back to our room. Unfortunately for us we forgot the room key, so we resort to nearly breaking down the door before the ruffian answers "Forget something?" she asks. I can see she's trying to be herself, but she doesn't look like she feels very well at all. I smile slightly, at least she's out of bed and on her feet "How do you feel?" I ask her. She shakes her head and looks down "Horrible" she replies. Jack picks her up and carries her back to bed "You're supposed to be resting!" he tells her. She smiles at him "I can't rest Jack, there's so much that needs to be done!" she replies.
I walk over to the desk and it's clear she's been using her laptop. She has many taps open, and I try not to be nosy and look through them, but I can't help but notice just how many emails she has sent out in the past few hours. Also open is a paper, looks like she had to do a little typing for school. And then, for some reason, that strange website called 'ebay' is open. I remember her talking to me about ebay, on Titanic! She said you could buy anything on there! I look back over to the bed where Jack is sitting and talking softly to his fiance "Do you mind if I use your laptop for a little while?" I ask her. She looks over at me before giving me her consent.
Now to find out if you really can buy anything on ebay! I think for a moment, what is a obscure thing that they probably wouldn't have on this absurd website. Ah, I know! A picture of me! Who would buy that? I type it into the search bar and sit 'search', surprisingly enough there are photographs of me! Both of my formal ones, and the most outrageous part of all is they're cheap! Only 7 dollars for a picture of me! Aren't I worth more than 7 dollars? I furiously type Jack's name into ebay, I better at least be worth more than him! His picture doesn't even come up though, it's a bunch of electronics!
Alright then, fine! I type in Titanic after his name and hit search. I smile as I see there's only one result, of Jack and Harold together along with a telegram they sent. The whole package is only worth 7 dollars! Ha! I'm worth more than both of those boys and their wireless nonsense put together! What else could I look for on this ebay? I wonder if I can buy a boat on here!
I can! I can buy a boat on here! And I have lots of options too! Though in the end, I don't think I'd buy a boat on ebay, I'm sure much like google it's not exactly a, reliable source. I exit out of ebay, I've grown rather tired of that. What else is there to do on this device? I'm actually happy to have some time to myself, seeing as Jack has finally stepped up to take care of his own fiance instead of leaving me to babysit her.
After a little while of trying to decipher the meaning of her bizarre background picture, I click on an icon that is called 'Netflix'. Oh wonderful, it's a movie program. I can watch any movie I want, that the delinquent has on here anyway. I skim through the movies, but finally see one that peaks my interest. It's another one of those Disney movies, the moving drawings that amazed me so much. I believe it's the only movie Jack has ever seen that he didn't like, but I never saw it because he watched it while I was hungover.
I look at the summary of it, it's about a deer named Bambi. What could possibly be so bad about that? I click on it and it opens, before the movie even starts though Jack's eyes are wide "Thomas No! Put the headphones in quick!" he tells me. I shrug and pause the movie for a moment while I try to find a pair of headphones. I end up going through the delinquent's things, but finally I manage to find her ipod touch with her ear buds attached. I put them in and hit play on the film again. Bambi, what could be so bad about that?
Really? What is bad about this? If anything it's adorable! It's very much like that lion movie, only I have to say, the music for this one is much better. And what's more, it's absolutely beautiful to look at! It's as though I'm looking at a painting, but it's moving! The story is innocent and simply enough, it's just about a baby deer living with his mother in a forest with lots of other animals. Everything is so nice about this film, what could have set Jack off?
Then it happens, winter comes. And it is really not as happy as it was before, but then things look like they're going to get better because the mother finds some grass! And then, then I realize why Jack had been crying about the mother. Wait a minute, of all things why didn't I remember him saying that before? He said right in front of me that the mother died! Why didn't I remember that? Tears prick my eyes as Bambi begins searching the forest for his mother, it reminds me of Elba! I need to stop doing this!
I try to cry as quietly as I can as I continue watching. But actually, the movie makes me laugh right after the fact. Because after all the depression, it cuts right to the dumbest and most annoying song I ever heard in my entire life! And it's all so nice and colorful! After that things are a mix of light and dark. After Bambi meets the girl deer again I was constantly thinking about Nellie. I would do anything to see her again, I wonder if Gabby would take us to Virginia Beach again so I might swim back to her. I'd swim across the entire ocean to see her again!
The movie ends with man burning the entire forest to the ground, not exactly an enlightening ending, but it's an ending! I take my earphones and look at the time, it's gotten a bit late. I realize we haven't eaten anything all day! We never even got breakfast! And now it's dinner time! I stand and walk over to Jack, who is watching his fiance sleep "Jack, we should go get food" I tell him. He shakes his head "We shouldn't leave again, we left her all morning" he replies. She's sleeping soundly and I tell him she'll be alright for a little while while we go find some food.
He shakes his head and as we begin to argue about the food the ruffian wakes up and looks at us with an irritated expression on her face "Guys, just order a pizza or something!" she says, she looks like she wants to cry "There's money in my purse" she adds. Jack gently reaches over and brushes her bands out of her face "How are you feeling?" he asks her gently. She closes her eyes "Like I've been hit by a train, my head hurts" she replies. I put the back of my hand on her forehead, she still feels warm "Would you like some water?" I ask her. She shakes her head but I encourage her to just have a sip "It will make your head feel better" I tell her. Finally she nods and I get her a glass of water from the bathroom.
Once she's taken care of I have Jack use the hotel telephone to order a pizza. I have no idea what a pizza is, but I'm so hungry I'll eat anything at this point. Except McDonalds of course, won't ever eat that again! Finally Jack ordered a 'Domino's Pizza', while we wait for it we flip through a book that has 'Stuff you gotta see in NYC'. There are some pretty interesting things in here, a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the tallest building in the city called the Empire State Building, and of course a place called 'Times Square'. Hopefully by tomorrow the ruffian will be feeling better and we can see these things.
Finally our pizza arrives and Jack and I dig into it. I don't even mind how greasy and unappealing it is, I have to eat it! It's all there is! Once we're finished Jack returns to his fiance and I get ready for bed. I'm exhausted, yet I feel like I have so many things I need to do! Suddenly my eye catches on the clock on the table, wait a moment! That date on there can't be correct can it? It says, well it says that today is December 1st! That means it will be Christmas soon! My first holiday without my family. I look over at Jack and his delinquent, I suppose I have a new family. They won't ever replace my Nellie and Elba, but I suppose they will do. I should get that ruffian something nice, but what could she want? I end up falling asleep trying to think of something, anything that might appeal to her.
RAWR! I have a special present for all you faithful reviewers! Because I'm in a good, giving mood today. But before I give you your special present, I gotta do my comments on the chapter!
First off, I'm having a hard time brainstorming ideas right now. Especially since I'm going to be in school a week from now and I have a lot to do before then! So um, any ideas would be appreciated! Oh yea, I know a certain someone who is officer crazy asked me if I could talk with them on the Ouija Board. Well after a little chat with Thomas I found out that I cannot speak with them, however he had some very interesting comments of his own to make about them. So message me if you're interested in hearing about that ;)
Alright, now I bet you're wondering what my present to you is! Well, it's a video I made for an end of the year project. If you remember from the original Adventure, when Thomas dropped into my Virginia Beach hotel room I had a copy of 'Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder' sitting on the table, which he used to identify himself. Well I really was reading that book when I went there, and I used it for an Independent Reading Project.
Now this 'project' was basically to make a trailer of the book to convince people to read it. I was so excited to make it, and I have to say I think I did a pretty good job overall. I made it really goofy and silly though, and since it's Thomas related (And nobody I know appreciates him like I do. Except 1 friend, who thinks he's 'sexy for his age' in the movie and 'hot for his time period' in real life) I've sorta kept it hidden away. But now, I'm ready to show it to you guys! So here it is, my 'Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder Commercial!'. And in case anyone is curious, yes that's me as Thomas. And my sister plays a very convincing Helen and Mr. Ismay ;) Now I'm not going to try and put the link in here with all the spaces, that's complicated. To find it, just type 'Thomas Andrews gabby33384' into the youtube search bar. You should find it!
Thank you all for your reviews and patience! Hopefully I'll have at least 1 or 2 more chapters up at the least before school starts! Thanks for Reading! And yes, do say what you thought of the video in your reviews, if you can find it XD