Chapter 29
Tommy
Somewhere in the Atlantic
April 15, 1912

"Please stay calm! Wait your turn to go up to the boat deck!"

Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing as he was jostled about with the other passengers on the stairs. There was water creeping up the hallway and these stewards had the audacity to tell these people to remain calm? As he grabbed the black gate preventing himself and others from leaving G-Deck, he realized he must have severely misunderstood how severe class restrictions were back in the mainland.

Tommy had a violent temper, like many other Irishmen he knew. But he was completely sober at this moment, his flask now probably floating in his room, the image of Nellie separated from her children burning in his mind. He had to get her to the boat deck and see them all off to safety. The fact that he had been silent up to this point demonstrated just how angry he was. They had been standing at this gate for several minutes, the men around him growing rowdier and angrier with each inch the water crept towards them. Fabrizio and Bellie had rounded the deck trying to find another way out, but to no avail.

"Let us out!" the man next to him screamed, throwing himself against the gate. "Please! The water's getting closer!"

Passengers were beginning to push forward. Tommy felt himself being pressed against the gate and was instantly brought back to Dublin, where memories of protests and people shouting in the streets haunted him. He stood firm, knowing that his stance would prevent even the strongest of men from getting past.

"Tommy!"

Nellie and Fabrizio were staring up at him from the base of the stairs, both sweaty and their cheeks flushed from racing around the deck. He looked over the many heads of people crammed on the stairs who were too preoccupied with getting out to pay him any attention. Nellie's dark eyes were wide, her posture rigid as she clutched Fabrizio's hand in hers. It was clear she had given up on finding a way out and was looking at him as their only means of escaping.

Something in his snapped. He turned back to the gate, throwing himself at the bars while crying, "You can't keep us locked in here like animals! The ship's bloody sinking!" With every minute that had passed on these stairs, more and more people were losing their balance as the ship slanted forward, indicating that their worst fears were coming true.

The steward glared at Tommy before looking at a young mother and baby standing just behind him.

"Bring forth the women1" the steward cried.

Tommy stepped to the side, looking at Nellie and motioning her forward. As she did her best to push her way through the crowd, there was the sound of the gate being unlocked. Tommy urged the mother and her baby through before reaching for Nellie. Her arm was outstretched over the crowds' heads, trying to close the gap between them. As soon as the young mother was through the gate, men began to follow despite the protests of the stewards. Crewmen began pushing back, producing clubs and even the butt of an ax to push them back. Tommy watched with horror as men were thrown down the stairs, falling on those below.

"Get back!" the steward cried, loading a small revolver and pointing it towards the crowd as the gate was locked once more. The image of the revolver pointed at Tommy's face immediately took him back to the night of his brother's death. "No!" he cried as he heard the click of the lock. Nellie had finally reached him but let out a cry of despair upon seeing them trapped once again.

"I have to get to Isla and Callen!" she said, pushing past him to shake the gate. Tommy followed her lead, shaking on the bars to see if their weight might be enough to bring it down.

"For God's sake, man, there are women and children down here!" he screamed at the steward, watching as the man pointed the revolver back at his face. "Let us out so we can have a chance!"

It was clear from the steward's expression that he was just as afraid as they were. Tommy pointed at the steward, a sign that he wouldn't forget what had just happened, before taking Nellie's arm and dragging her back down the stairs.

"Where's Fabrizio?" Tommy asked as he scanned the crowd below.

"He's gone to try and find another way out," Nellie said, clinging to his arm as they descended. "We have to find another way out, Tommy. Surely they won't let us perish in here."

Tommy wasn't so sure, but a pair of familiar faces sent him nearly tumblings down the last few steps.

"Jack!"

Jack Dawson and Rose were standing amongst the crowd at the base of the stairs, looking up at the unfolding chaos. They were both sopping wet, confirming that the ship was indeed sinking. Tommy brought Nellie closer to him, determined that he would break down a wall barehanded before being left down here to die.

"Tommy! Can we get out?" Jack asked when they were within shouting distance of one another.

"It's hopeless this way!" Tommy cried. Nellie's bottom lip was quivering as he spoke.

"Whatever we do, we've got to do it fast," Jack said, looking wildly around them.

"Jack!"

Fabrizio came darting out of the crowd and the two men embraced.

"Fabrizio!" Jack exclaimed, patting his friend's back.

"The boats are all gone!" Fabrizio said. He must have seen the boats being lowered from the windows.

"The whole place is flooding. We've got to get out of here!" Jack cried. He was panicked but there was no denying the sense of urgency in his voice.

Fabrizio motioned around them while saying, "There's niente this way."

Jack also looked around and for a moment before looking down the hallway that was closest to the water. "Let's go this way, alright?" he said, grabbing Rose's hand. "C'mon!"

Tommy followed by blind faith, praying Jack Dawson was as cunning and smart as he appeared to be. Nellie seemed the most enthusiastic to follow, racing ahead of Tommy and trying every door they passed to see where it led. It may have been stupid of them to go in the direction of the flooding, but Jack probably knew there would be less people this direction and a greater chance of escape.

It wasn't until they came across a small stairwell that Tommy at last allowed himself to feel hope. But they were soon with another familiar black gate.

"Go back to the main stairwell!"

There was another steward behind this gate, barking orders at the handful of passengers that had managed to find this small exit. They were yelling back, shaking the gate just as Nellie and Tommy had done earlier, but the steward remained firm, refusing them passage and repeating his instructions. Jack went right up to the gate, staring at the steward straight in the face.

"Open the gate."

"Go back down the main stairwell."

"Open the gate right now!"

Jack, who had been so calm during their earlier exchange, was now livid. His clothes were still sticking to him and Tommy noticed a pair of broken handcuffs around his wrists. It was evident that whatever hell he had been put through, he wasn't following the order of The White Star Line any longer.

"Go back down the main stairwell like I told you!"

Something snapped in Jack. At first, he turned around, his face stoic, before turning and shaking the gate, screaming, "God dammit! Son of a bitch!"

"Stop that!" the steward cried out, taking a step back in surprise at Jack's response. Tommy could feel his own anger bubbling inside of him. Did this steward even understand they would all be underwater in a few minutes if they kept arguing like this?

Jack raced from the gate to a nearby bench and began ripping it out of the carpet. "Fabri, Tommy, give me a hand!" he called over his shoulder.

Tommy and Fabrizio immediately came to his aid. Now this was something Tommy could help with as he felt his muscles strain as they pulled. Between the three of them, it was easy to yank it free. Nellie and Rose had all of the passengers stand to the side as they rammed the bench into the gate. It gave way on their second attempt. Nellie and the others around them let out a cheer. Tommy helped Rose and then Nellie through the gate while the steward shouted at them, "You can't do this!"

Unable to help himself, Tommy punched him in the mouth.

"Well done," Nellie said, nearly running as she took off in front of them.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her head to a stairwell that wouldn't lead them outside.

"I have to go find my children and brother!" she cried. Tommy stopped, looking back at the other passengers who were disappearing up to the boat deck. Jack, Rose, and Fabrizio paused at the base of the stairs.

"C'mon, we have to get to the boats before they're gone!" Jack said. Rose was looking wildly around them, still completely soaked through.

Nellie had already disappeared. "She's looking for her children," he said to them. "She doesn't think they're aware the ship is sinking."

Rose scoffed. "I assure you that by now they'll know. Why else would they have held steerage below if they hadn't been prioritizing first and second class to the boats?"

"I can't leave her," Tommy said. "I'll find you on the boat deck."

Fabrizio came to his side and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm not leaving you either after what we've been through tonight."

Jack glanced over his shoulder before sighing. "Let's make it fast."

They quickly caught up to Nellie on D-Deck. Her room's door and the one next door were open and she was frantically running back and forth between them.

"Nellie," Tommy said, stopping her as she tried to go into her room once more. "We need to get up to the boat deck. They're not here!"

"Why aren't they here?" Nellie said, as if not hearing him. Her dark eyes were wide and her hair was wild and disheveled as she tried to break free from his grip.

"They're probably already up there," Rose said. "They were probably some of the first to be alerted of the sinking."

Nellie nodded mechanically, as if she didn't believe her.

"Let's get to the boat deck," Tommy said. "If we don't find them, they've probably found a boat already."

Jock urged them on and Tommy kissed Nellie's forehead before taking her hand and dragging her along. They followed Rose blindly until they found themselves outside.

Tommy couldn't help but curse when they stepped out onto the open deck. It was freezing cold, to the point where they could see their breath. He glanced at Nellie who was only in her day dress from earlier and the lifebelt they had received in the hallway downstairs. Tommy knew there weren't enough lifeboats to save everyone on board. If the water was as cold as he remembered in his room, many of the passengers didn't stand a chance.

Panic had infected nearly every person they saw. The ship was tilted at such an angle that it was almost disconcerting. Passengers from every class were running sound, crying out for friends and family as they pushed past one another. Tommy grabbed ahold of Nellie's shoulder and pulled her close, afraid they would be separated from all the pushing and shoving.

"The boats are gone!"

Rose's cry drew attention to the fact that people were racing to the bow. The boat deck felt eerily exposed, as the lifeboats who had decorated the ship were gone, revealing a clear view of the frigid ocean. Jack gripped a nearby railing to look down at the rest of the deck before Rose ran over to an elderly, well-dressed man with two women on his arms.

"Colonel, are there any boats on this side?" she asked him.

"No, miss, but there are a couple of boats all the way forward," he replied, almost too calmly. "This way, I'll lead you."

Jack and Rose didn't take him up on his offer, taking off running while Tommy, Nellie, and Fabrizio followed. Tommy grabbed Nellie's hand once more and acted as a blocker, nearly sending people tumbling overboard as he pushed his way through. The sound of an orchestra playing grew closer until they saw a string quintet.

"Jock!" Nellie screamed.

One of the violinists turned around, disbelief in his eyes. "Nellie!" he cried, nearly dropping his instrument. "What aren't you on a boat?"

Nellie didn't answer and Tommy distanced himself for a moment. Even in these dire circumstances, neither of them could admit to why Nellie had been separated from her family in the first place.

"Where are Callen and Isla?" Nellie asked, grabbing the collar of her brother's shirt.

"I told Callen to take Leana and Isla up to the boat deck," Jock said. "They'll be fine. They're only taking women and children on the boats at the moment."

"But will they think Callen's a boy?" Nellie cried, her voice breaking. "He's thirteen! Many on board would consider him a man!"

"He's fine," Jock reassured her. "But he won't be if you don't hurry up and get on a boat yourself. Callen and Isla need you."

Tommy stepped forward, growing more and more impatient with how long this conversation was taking. "He's right, Nellie. We have to go."

Nellie ignored him. "Let's go, Jock," she said to her brother. "Your fun's over. Let's find a boat together."

"I need to stay with my men," Jock said, motioning to the other players around him. "Go, Nellie. I mean it."

Nellie began to cry. But sensing that this was a goodbye, she kissed his cheek before taking Tommy's hand once more and running off. The string quintet began playing a cheerful tune as they ran off. Tommy turned to Fabrizio, out of ear's each from Nellie.

"Music to drown by. Now I know I'm in first class."


I feel like this has been the most FanFiction-y chapter yet, where most of the plot and conversations are already written and I just had to plug my OC in. Again, reminds me of my first Tommy x OC FF (now deleted) I wrote on this website, LOL!