Chapter 30
Jock
Somewhere in the Atlantic
April 15, 1912

Jock and Callen burst through Nellie's cabin door without even so much as a knock. The room was dark, but the light from the hallway made Isla begin to cry and Leana sat up in her cot, looking greener than the curtains hanging on the wall.

"Jock? Callen?" she said, her voice hoarse. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm afraid we've hit an iceberg," Jock said, picking up Isla from her bassinet and comforting her. "We need to get up to the boat deck. Where's Nellie?"

"She went up on deck to get a bit of air before I fell asleep," Leana said. Her greeness had faded, leaving her extremely pale. "What time is it?"

"It's past midnight," Callen answered, helping her out of bed. He had already fetched the lifebelts from their room's wardrobe and helped her put one on.

"She should have been back by now," Leana said, taking Isla from Jock.

"Well, she'll be in the right place then," Jock said.

"Are you sure we need to go to the boat deck?" she said as she swaddled Isla in several warm blankets. "We're on the Titanic for heaven's sakes! The only way your father was able to convince me to go on this voyage was because this ship is supposed to be unsinkable."

"We saw the iceberg with our own eyes," Callen said. The boy was quite sober for someone who'd had a glass of first class brandy.

"What about the baby?" Leana said. "What if we can't find Nellie?"

"Callen will look after you both," Jock said. "It's common practice for women and children to board the lifeboats first. You all will be alright if you hurry up to the deck." He turned to Callen putting a hand on his shoulder. "You'll need to be in charge, Callen. I must stay with the ship until I hear further instructions from the captain."

"No!" Callen and Leana shouted, causing Isla to start crying once more.

"Jock, we won't leave you behind!" Leana said, coming to him and cupping his cheek in her hand.

"I'll be fine," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, thank you very much. Besides, this might all be for show anyway."

Callen began ushering Leana out the door before Jock stopped him. "If you find my sister, tell her that I love her," he said. "And tell everyone you're eleven. The younger you can look, the better."

Callen nodded stiffly, biting his bottom lip. It was clear he was about to cry. "I love you, Uncle Jock," he said, his voice cracking.

Jock ruffled his hair. "I love you too, boy-o. Now get a move on."

Before they were down the hallway, Jock went to the adjacent room to make sure John and Wallace were up on deck. Since Jock was neither crewmember nor passenger, he wasn't sure what to do next.

He jumped as the door flew open. All of the band members entered, still dressed from dinner and the string players adding rosin to their bows.

"So you've heard then," Wallace said to the men gathered around him. "The ship's going to sink."

Jock blinked hard. He had seen the iceberg and felt the impact, yet he was just now beginning to realize that their lives were in danger as Wallace confirmed their fears out loud.

"Who told you?"

"Charlies Lightoller," Wallace replied. "The captain has requested for us to play music on the boat deck to reduce panic."

"Unlikely," Clarke said from the other side of the room. He wore a dark expression with his hands crossed over his chest. "We all know we're not going to make it. There's not enough boats on board and it's women and children first. We don't stand a chance."

"Damn you, Clarke!" Teddy cried, who had been sitting at the small desk next to him. His fingers were moving on the surface like it was a piano. "If you don't want to play then go save yourself. Don't drag us into your cowardice."

"Stop!" Wallace said. "Clarke, get your bass and play or I'll throw you overboard myself."

This quieted both of them and Clarke sunk into his corner of the room, muttering to himself.

"I'll go get my violin," Jock said. "Where are we playing?"

"I'll be in the dining room with Roger, Georges, and Percy," Teddy said. "Everyone else will be out on the boat deck."

Jock thought of the cold Callen and he had experienced when they had gone to investigate the collision. "I hope they don't mind out of tune playing," he joked.

The rest of the men remained somber, uninterested in Jock's attempt to lighten the mood.

"See you up on deck, men," Wallace said. "Dress warmly and remember to not spread panic. If a passenger asks you what's going on, simply direct them to a crewmember."

The men all shook hands before going their own ways. The second class hallway was now bustling with passengers as stewards were beginning to knock on doors to tell everyone to put their lifebelts on and head up to the boat deck.. He was grateful he had sent Callen, Leana, and Isla up when he did. He didn't show it at the time, but he was concerned about Nellie's whereabouts. He had seen the way both Callen and she had taken to that Irishman from steerage. If she had told Leana the truth about getting some air on the boat deck, she would've known about the collision and would've been back in her room before Callen and Jock. He suspected she was down in steerage with that man and prayed The White Star Line was alerting them of what had happened.

He put on as many layers as he could, stuffing his watch, cigarette case, and a pocket knife in his coat. He wasn't thinking clearly as he took his violin and headed out the door, not even bothering to look back. This ship was able to stay afloat with several of its lower compartments filled with water. Surely they would make it to New York even if the iceberg had caused significant damage.

He gently made his way through the crowded corridors, amazed at the crewmembers' calmness. Just as he was about to head up a final flight of stairs, he met a pair of familiar eyes.

"Jock!"

Violet came running to him, pulling them into the stairwell. He held her close, feeling her shaking slightly.

"It's just like the Olympic," Violet whispered to him. "I don't know if I can do this all over again."

Violet had previously been a stewardess on Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic where they had met. Jock had been fortunate enough to be assigned elsewhere in September when the Olympic had collided with another ship. Because of the Olympic's similar design to Titanic, it was able to make it back to Southampton without any fatalities. But Jock knew this is why Violet had jumped at the opportunity to transfer to the Titanic. But the difference between now and September is that right now they were in the middle of the Atlantic, not a few miles off the English shore.

"You can and you will," Jock said, pulling her back to look into her eyes. "Get up to the boat deck and help get others there as well. You'll be fine. You're the strongest woman I've ever met."

She smiled slightly. "We've had our fun, haven't we?" She glanced down at the violin case in his hand. "Where are you off to?"

"We're all going up to the boat deck to cheer everyone up," he said, giving her his biggest smile. "I'll see you up there."

He turned to go up the stairs, but stopped and kissed her full on the mouth. She buried her hands in his curly hair and held him close for a moment before breaking away. He turned and left before he had a moment longer to think of his fate, the fate of his sister, and the fate of Violet.

God bless us all, he thought as he headed up to the boat deck, not sure what would be waiting for him.