Chapter 22
Early morning hours of April 15, 1912
…
The R.M.S. Olympic is now approximately 100 miles from the wreck site when the Carpathia has now arrived. The Carpathia radioed the Olympic they had pick up the remaining 670 passengers from the boats. Meanwhile they radio ships who are now making their way to the wreck site, especially the Olympic, that doing so they may not gain anything, as all passengers are all accounted for, and that the Titanic sank at 2:20 that morning, telling them the Titanic went down in two hours, with the captain and all engineers lost. Rostron even asked the Olympic:
"Do you think its advisable Titanic passengers see Olympic? Personally, I say not."
…
Officer Lowe's boat is the first to arrive to the Carpathia. Rose slowly looks up as her little lifeboat approached the humble rescue ship, slowly, but surely, with its bold lettering carved into the metal hull.
CARPATHIA.
Soon, she sees the officers aboard the ship lower ropes to their boat, from the open gangway doors, and two of the Carpathia's officers lower themselves into the boat. Slowly they help Rose climb onto a rope ladder, before being taken in by the officers, followed by Captain Rostron, who also gives her a hand aboard, before pointing out to the sea as more boats arrive to the rescue ship. The stewardess aboard the ship also gives Rose a helping hand, as she could barely stand on her own, and they take her to the doctor's cabin for a quick checkup. Back up on deck the crew on the ship lower a swing over the railing down to the boat, as officers from both the Titanic and the Carpathia carefully place Jesse and Jack's nearly frozen bodies out of the lifeboat, one by one, and are carefully placed on the deck, before a blanket is draped over them. From there they are immediately taken to the doctor's cabin on a makeshift stretcher. There, he removes the men's frozen clothes and blankets, then checking for a pulse, before giving them a warm sponge bath. He pats them down thoroughly, before wrapping them up in dry blankets, burrito-style, and placing them in another cabin, next to a heater. They are on constant watch, as they are high priority. Eric is also helped on board, followed by Margaret, Ruth, and the lead stoker Fred.
Captain Rostron helps Karl aboard, but he is overcome with grief and exhaustion, that he stumbles at the feet of the two officers, who become concerned. They immediately carry him to the doctor's cabin, while Eric looks on, one hand on his mouth, the other on his hip. An officer puts a blanket on his shoulders, while a passenger of the Carpathia comforts him, even going as far to offering him their cabin until he got off at New York. Back on deck Fabrizio is helped off the swing, and is limping severely with the two officers as they take him to the doctor's cabin. Behind him, Harold Bride, who was the junior telegraphist assistant, is also helped off the swing moments after Fabrizio was helped off, as he too, was taken to the doctor's cabin, which is now nearly full.
Rostron orders some officers and a couple of stokers from the Carpathia, to scout around for any more survivors in the freezing Atlantic, while he maintains a lookout from above, hopeful to see anyone who might still be alive out there.
The last person to come through the gangway door is Cal.
Out on deck Mr. Ismay gets an eyeful from passengers of all classes. He tries to not look their way but is unable to avoid their menacing stares as he is escorted to his own cabin, where he stays for the entire trip to New York. From there, he ordered the Olympic not to be seen by the Carpathia, and that no transfer is to be taken place.
...
Meanwhile, on the Olympic a wireless operator sends a message back to White Star Line on behalf of Captain Haddock: Inexpressible sorrow. Am proceeding straight on voyage. Carpathia informs me no hope in searching. Will send names survivors as obtainable.
Yamsi on Carpathia.
...
Back up on deck an officer puts another blanket on Rose, while another hands her a cup of hot, steaming tea, and walks with the rest of the steerage passengers, where she also tries her best to blend in, for a while, after her quick checkup with the doctor, and gave her a clean bill of health, though she might need to be seen later. She drapes that blanket over her red curls in the hopes of making herself look poorer than she is. She was completely numb to any emotions that came to her.
...
Fabrizio comes to after several hours. He is on the cot in the doctor's cabin, along with several other survivors. He is heavily wrapped in blankets and sees an IV tube injected in his right arm, while the bag is over his head. He tries to move, but the pain starts shooting and he winces, as the morphine begins to taper off. He tries in vain to sit up. He winces again.
"Ah, most már ébren vagy (you are awake now)." the doctor says, in a thick Hungarian accent, coming back into the room. "I managed as best to pull your leg. It's not broken or anything. The officer in the boat tells me a ship's funnel has fallen on your leg. Is that true?" Fabrizio tries to remember, but his mind was fogged, from the heavy dose of morphine and lack of sleep. The doctor tells him it's alright, for now, laying his hand gently on Fabrizio's shoulder.
"Well, I can say for sure you're one of the lucky ones, so far, that hasn't broken anything. Your leg is just out of place, and just needs to be pulled back into place again. I think the cold air and water has helped numb the pain a little."
"Grazie, signore." Fabrizio says, groggily.
"Szívesen (You are welcome). Now the nurses should be here any minute. They will bring you something warm to drink and to help you stay hydrated, so you can relax, oké?"
"Grazie mille," says Fabrizio, before trying to adjust himself in the cot, and try to go to sleep for once. Meanwhile, Bride had left the doctor's cabin to assist Cottam in the wireless room, after he got his decent rest.
Several hours later Fabrizio is awakened again, the pain shooting from his right leg. He cringes, but eventually he is helped by the nurses as he tries to sit back up. He drinks several cups of tea to hydrate and to bring his core body temperature back up. He looks at the survivors in the cabin. He wondered where Jack was, and if he had survived at all. He knew Tommy was gone, as he was shot during the mass confusion on the boat deck as the situation had deteriorated before him. He also wondered if Jesse had also survived, and was among these people somewhere in the room. He knew Jesse could bring spunk to any room, like he did before and during the party. Like Jack he also had a sense of character, seeing the good out of life but also going a step further. He asked for more morphine before being helped laying down again, then watches the doctor fill the needle, before turning away. He feels a small jab of the needle, then instantly feels relief again as the substance enters his body once again, alleviating much of the pain from his leg, where the funnel fell on it as he swam away. How he survived the night he will never know, as the morphine now takes ahold and he drifts off into a dreamless sleep.
Cal wanders aimlessly, hoping that Rose made it to the ship. He had checked the doctor's cabin and the room next to it. He saw two people lying next to a heater, and a couple more trying to keep warm in that room. He went outside, on deck, hoping she might have blended in with the steerage, the same ones he had been avoiding, but he had hope Rose would be among the crowd there. Cal went down a flight of stairs, where an officer told him, "Uh sorry sir. You won't find any of your people here; it's all steerage." Cal only glanced at him before making his way through the people, not caring their appearance; his only mind set on finding Rose, so they can continue on with their engagement. Meanwhile, curiosity got the best of Rose, as she slowly adjusted her blanket. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Caledon had survived the sinking, while Jack lay frozen somewhere in the ship, and presumed Jesse had died in the Atlantic; never mind the man next to her in the lifeboat was indeed Jesse. Cal slowly walks among the sad third-class passengers, when out of nowhere she heard him say "Rose!" Her heart dropped when she thought she was finally found. Only when she turned once more did Cal once again came up fruitless in his search. His heart sank when he didn't find her amongst the steerage passengers. Then he remembered; he saw an officer with a clipboard, going around asking for names, so they can be put on the survivors' list.
"Yes, my little Sweetpea. I will find you yet. I will have my way with those filthy creatures." Cal thought, almost sneering, before leaving the steerage area back to first-class.
Cal walks back to the place he and several other survivors came in earlier, and sees a couple of officers putting a body overboard through the same gangway door. He thought of something, in case he saw that gutter rat scurrying about, and to use to his advantage.
Rose took cover in one of the third-class dormitory, hoping that Cal hadn't seen her, as the lone female passenger comforted her. Soon, the wall was knocked on, and the passenger got up to meet someone there. The Carpathia's officer stood there, with a clipboard in hand. He asked if there are any Titanic survivors in the dormitory, and the passenger responded that she only had one. He saw Rose, sitting underneath a bunk, looking forlorn, and holding onto another warm cup of tea. The officer slowly walks to Rose, and kindly asked her.
"Can I take your name please, love?" Rose looked up to the man, and she quietly replied to the kind officer.
"Dawson. Rose Dawson."
"Thank you." he nodded, jotting her name down into the clipboard, then left the dormitory, his footsteps echoing through the corridor.
Karl comes to later on that evening, with a bandage wrapped around his head. He groaned, as he tried to sit up. He shook his head a little, then rubbed his eyes, as he felt a little dizzy. Blinking as hard as he can, he scanned the room, hoping to see any one he was familiar with. Nowhere did he saw Fabrizio, Eric, nor Jesse, among the wounded in the room. Karl kept looking around, until he saw a nurse sitting nearby, smiling at him. Just then the doctor came in.
"a fiatalember (my young man). I see you're awake now. I was worried you wouldn't have awaken soon." Little did Karl know this is the same doctor who had treated a young man with a dislocated leg; who was also in the same cabin, and was done checking on his two frozen patients the next room over. He goes over to Karl, then motions the nurse to get something warm.
"You've just blacked out, and bumped your head. The nurse will be right back with something warm and nourishing. You have no injuries, and fortunately, no head injuries as well." He says, giving a one over to Karl, then goes to check on his next patient, before leaving the room. The nurse comes back, with a bowl of soup. She spoon-feeds him, while he feels the warm liquid hitting him, comforting him. She puts her hand on the young man's head; she could sense the young man's sadness, and she knows he has seen a lot in such a short time. Karl begins to shudder, before sobbing silently. The nurse puts down the soup to embrace him, then putting her head on his shoulder. She could hear the conversation between the doctor and an officer behind the closed door, in the hallway, in Hungarian.
"Milyenek a fiatal férfiak a következő szobában? (How are the young men in the next room doing?)"
"One is recovering quite nicely; the other, not so much." She could hear the doctor sigh. "We had to resuscitate him twice after his heart stopped beating. It's looking pretty grim for him at this point."
"Tell me, which one is recovering?" the officer asked.
"Well, the blond boy is coming along nicely, his breathing and heart slowing coming to. It's the dark haired one we're very concerned about. ilyen szép fiú (Such a beautiful boy); it would be a shame to bury him out here."
"So, what are you suggesting we do?"
"If the resuscitation fails once more," the nurse could hear the doctor sigh, a more of a sad one at that, as his breath shook, then his voice cracked a little. "A tengerben temesszük (We'll bury him in the sea)."