Roger Lindsay had demanded that Rose wouldn't work as what she had done as long as she was with his child. He grasped that it had be slightly his fault that Ella had committed suicide. Not that he was totally distraught over her death, but it still meant that he needed to look somewhere else to get a wife and an heir. Frankly he would accept a daughter just as much as a son. After all girls could be married off to good families to draw the ties closer…
Now fate had chosen its own path and provided him with both at the same time. There was no question that everything was going to change now, even if Jack would be waking up again. No man, not even saintly Jack Dawson, would accept it without grudge that his wife was having a child with another one. He might say that it wouldn't be a problem, maybe even act like it wasn't, but still there would always be something standing between them.
Jack would always ask himself whether there would be more amongst her and him than just being the parents of a child. He knew that this was going to break up any marriage, no matter how wonderful it may've been in the beginning.
Rose had gone out for a walk, telling him that she needed to be alone, but Roger assumed that she was visiting Jack. He was jealous, but in fact he didn't care much now. Mrs Pearson had been furious that Rose wasn't going to be working for the next months, probably never again.
'The woman carrying my child won't be working to please other men.'
'As you wish,' she had answered and sneered.
And then she had given him a strange look that Roger Lindsay couldn't place.
He looked up from his paper-work and decided to drive to the hospital. If Rose was indeed there, he had to find out what she was telling Jack.
…..
Surprisingly she wasn't there and had really just gone out. Roger had some trouble with the nurses, who at first wouldn't let him in, but then he told them that he was a relative of Jacks. Someone remembered him coming here with Rose the day before and figured that he was telling the truth.
Finally they had let him in and he hoped that he would be alone with him for some time, before Rose came back.
Walking closer to Jack he could see how his chest was rising up and down, but aside from this he seemed to be very relaxed. Now, well, this would soon change.
"Hello, Jack," he began wondering, if the other one could hear him. "How are we today?"
He was sure that he could, though he made no sign of understanding. Roger started playing around with his watch. He wouldn't admit it, but he was nervous.
You're being silly. He's lying here completely helpless and he can't do anything to you.
Roger bent over Jack for a second to hear him breathing heavily. In his current state one could almost feel sorry for him – almost. Surely, when Rose was around he wasn't so agitated.
But your Rose will soon be with me.
"You remember me, don't you, Jack?" he looked closer to see, if there was any reaction.
There wasn't.
"Well, now, I'm Mr Lindsay. Does this name ring a bell to you? I'm the man, who was kind enough to take you in and let you live in his house despite the fact that I can't really stand you…," he laughed evilly "…oh no, not like this…personally I've nothing against you, Jack, I swear, but you see, it just so happens that we're in love with the same woman…," he emphasized the last words.
Jack should know where he was standing.
"Yes, Jack, I love your wife and I want to make her my wife once you're…," he laughed again.
It was funny to talk to a person in this way. Now, he could tell Jack everything he wanted without having to fear his response.
He took a chair and sat down.
"Ah, Rose is a wonderful person; don't you think so, Jack? But, surely you know this already. Now, of course it will take some time until she'll fully love me, but trust me, Jack, eventually she will. I will make her stop thinking about the life with you and she will live like she was supposed to once more and like she would still be, if you hadn't entered the picture. I'll make her my queen."
At this he thought at first that he saw Jack's body stirring, but presumed that he was just his imagination. Today was a particularly hot day and he wasn't really used to this weather. No, Jack, hadn't done anything.
What's more the best part was still to come. Although he couldn't wait to inform Jack about the good news, he still wanted to drag it out as long as possible.
"Rose and I are living together now…," he continued. "No, no, no you don't need to think badly of your wife, she's really performing like a lady. Education is everything, I'm sure you know that Jack…," he snorted "…ah, sorry, I forgot, of course you don't. You're only a farm boy, who doesn't understand anything about life in a big city, yet alone in a rich household. That's why I'm sure you realize that you and someone like Rose…that it wouldn't work out in the end…not really…"
Rose and he – yes that was perfect – Rose and Jack was a disaster. Jack Dawson was going to ruin her life – heck, he already had ruined it.
"And guess what, Jack, I believe that we…yes I'm talking about Rose and myself…we've already come very close to each other. In a way that, now well you know, Jack," that's it – now he would tell him, but before he did he moving close to his ear, wanting to be sure that Jack heard every word. "Rose is pregnant with my child, Jack. Yes, indeed, with my child and once you have accepted that you're her past and I'm her future…ah, but wait, in fact I don't care, if you say yes to my plans or not, Rose and I will be together. Rose, I and our child…we will live together as a family," he laughed again.
It couldn't have gone better. However, just as he was beginning to move up once more, he thought that Jack's eyes opened, staring at him with hatred.
I must be dreaming.
Roger closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, Jack was again lying there not making a moan. Roger breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, indeed, he had been fantasizing. Still nervous though, he decided to leave it for today, go home and wait for Rose.
When, he was out the door, standing against the wall, he couldn't fail to recall what Jack's eyes had looked like before. He breathed in and out trying to calm himself down again. He laughed over his stupidity. Of course it was just a hallucination.
However, a very real one that is. One thing was for sure - he wasn't going to tell Rose of what had happened here today - or not happened.