The lethargy Helen had felt before was gone, replaced by trembling in her limbs. When they had established that the trembling rendered her essentially defenceless, they'd released her bindings, leaving her to huddle in the corner.
She pressed her hands to either side of her head, trying to block out the beep of the nearest monitor and curled in on herself. Everything hurt, everything was bright, everything was... was... was everywhere. She could see and hear and feel and it was all too much all of a sudden.
Blinking, she tried to focus on the dull grey of her walls instead of the mirror she knew concealed some kind of scientist.
The person who was keeping her here.
Suddenly she was screaming, the noise ripped from her lungs as tears fell down her grimy cheeks.
Again she grabbed the side of her head, grunting and groaning as she collapsed to the floor, the last of her energy giving out.
And that's when she felt it. Small, cold, round. Against her temple.
Frantically, she clawed at it, heart beating furiously.
It shouldn't be there, she though as she fell back against the freezing cold wall, hissing at the contact.
It shouldn't be there.
Imogene smiled as she watched the woman before them become more and more frantic, fingers prying at the device that would never come loose.
Her stringy hair clung to her sweaty face just as the thin hospital gown clung to her body. She looked pitiful really.
The great Helen Magnus, a sweating, screaming mess of a woman. Because of her. It was a strange satisfaction Imogene couldn't ignore. It was her plan, her work, her genius.
Turning, she watched the monitor, tuning it until the images slowed just enough that she could properly follow the memory.
Mermaids, she thought. Interesting...
"Don't you even think about falling asleep," a terrified voice whispered in her ear. Helen could do nothing more than moan as another round of shivers wracked her body. She was so cold and so tired. They'd been waiting in the water for what felt like hours.
"Please?" she breathed, trying to open her eyes to look at whoever it was she could feel wrapped around her waist.
"Helen," the voice whispered again. "Helen, if you die like this I might have to kick your arse, alright?"
"M'kay."
The voice chuckled before groaning.
"Bloody... It's cold."
"Mmm. 'S the Arctic."
"Which begs the question of why they hell you're taking a dip in all these blasted skirts."
"No choice," Helen said, head lolling forwards until it came to rest on a lightly clothed shoulder. The fabric was only slightly damp, unlike Helen and it smelt familiar.
"Rosie," she breathed with a happy little sigh. It was always good to see Rosie.
"They thought you were dead, Helen," Rose whispered, hugging her closer. Rose was much warmer, her body heat drawing Helen in. Well, as much as she could move into her embrace that was. Her limbs were too cold and heavy for any real movement.
"Hmm 'm not dead."
"No, you're not. But they've gone. The rescue boats left."
"Good thing you're here."
"I... God, Helen, I'm so sorry."
"Why? 'S alright."
"I'm too tired," she whispered softly. "I'm too tired, Helen. I can't. We'd both die if I was to even try."
"Bugger," Helen murmured. Then she sighed. "Niklaaa will be mad at me."
"He won't be mad, darling. He won't be mad at you."
"But I was 'posed to meet him. 'S why I 's on the boat."
Suddenly Helen felt her whole body lurch.
"Mm, stop it, Rosie."
"It wasn't me," the other woman said, loosening her grip. Helen murmured her disapproval for the action but Rose shushed her.
"There's something out here," she breathed. "Hold still, Helen, the debris might come apart if we're not careful."
Again they lurched and this time Rose grabbed Helen tighter. Something grabbed her ankle and she didn't think it was Rose.
"Let go," she mumbled, trying to shake off the strange hand. It was slimy and cool though nowhere near as cold as the water.
Blinking through the haze that had her pinned Helen caught a glimpse of a ghostly face shrouded in damp, clumped hair. The face blinked serenely at her once before a strange, keening wail erupted from the creature's lips.
"She's pretty," Helen breathed and Rose chuckled.
"She thinks you're pretty too," Rose told her warmly. "And she has a plan to get you to New York. I'll make sure Nikola is waiting for you."
"But how?" Helen tried again as the creature rose even further from the water, her grey skin shimmering as the water rolled off of her shoulders.
And next thing she knew, Helen's hair was being tenderly brushed back off her face, smiling grey eyes locked on hers.
"Niko?" she croaked, throat dry.
"You had me worried," he said, hand cupping her cheek.
"H-how?" she asked, trying to sit up. He helped her, hands lingering on her shoulders and back but she couldn't remember the words that would push him away again. Her brain was fuzzy and hardly working and proper boundaries were just not where she was focusing what little coherent thought she had.
"Where am I?" she tried again.
"New York," he answered, shifting closer to her. "We found you down by the docks seven days ago. You've been slipping in and out of consciousness since then."
"How?" she breathed, head pounding. She couldn't remember anything except the cold, biting and unrelenting cold and slippery faces that melted away.
The room was warm, tiny but glowing brightly thanks to the fireplace roaring away cheerfully. It smelt familiar, like Nikola's old rooms back at Oxford only this time it was much more homely. The bed was warm and soft, the sheets fresh beneath her hands. His desk sat in one corner, piled high with notes and books and a single silver photo frame she recognised as one that had previously sat on her desk.
"I... I don't know," he admitted. "I heard about the ship and I waited for the other boat but I... I thought you were gone Helen."
"It... sunk," she said, barely paying attention to him as the memory came flooding back. "There was so much water. And not enough lifeboats. Oh my, Nikola... All those people!"
"Seven hundred and ten," he said solemnly.
"Dead?" she breathed, tears forming.
He shook his head and she felt sick to her stomach.
"There were more than 2000 people aboard," she whispered and Nikola pulled her close. "And they're all..."
"The list of casualties was posted just a few hours ago," he said softly, pulling her close and Helen half collapsed into his chest. "You weren't on there. I told them that you managed to board the Carpathia and must have hidden away."
She nodded mutely and clung to his chest.
"I sent a telegram to James as well, I though he ought to know that you were alright. And one to Nigel as well, just in case you'd told him of your plans too."
Again Helen nodded but said nothing. Carefully Nikola's hand came down to rest on her back, rubbing small circles into her skin. She was dressed, she realised, in nothing more than his old night shirt and it barely came further than her knees. With the way she'd twisted to sit on the side of the bed, it pooled high on her lap but she couldn't care. Instead all that mattered was Nikola's warm, reassuring embrace.
"Helen?" he asked softly after a minute. "Do you... Do you remember how you got to New York?"
She sniffed and raised her head, thinking back. There was darkness and cold and a pair of warm arms but there was little else she could recall. Aside from the ghostly face, so strange it must have been a dream.
"How did you know where to find me?" she asked looking up at him. Nikola gave her a sheepish smile and cleared his throat.
"Well, that's why I asked. Do you have a pet mermaid, Helen?"
All right, so from now one, you'll get a 'Captive' chapter plus the memory but I'm putting them in one chapter because it's easier to upload and probably to read. Anyway, yay Titanic! I know a lot of people have been asking me to write my version of Teslen!Titanic and now you can see why I held off :P
xx
