Infected Waters: A Titanic Disaster Read online

  “Do you think you can watch them so I can go back down and look over the others? We need to come up with a plan to make sure this doesn’t spread any further,” Nora questioned.

  “I know I let you down, but I’ve got this. I’ll stay in this room until you return. I’m really sorry about before, and I promise not to do it again.” Judith’s guilt over causing the event to happen was written plainly on her face.

  “Everyone deserves a second chance, but you’re on your third, Judith. Don’t screw it up this time.” Nora left with those words hanging in the air.

  Since most of the third class families refused to be separated, Jonathan had moved them to one end of the boat and into the few empty rooms that were available.

  On each door they had marked a red ‘X’ with the words written ‘DO NOT ENTER.’

  “I’m not sure it will keep everyone out. There are a lot of passengers that can’t read. Hopefully, the red X will be enough to deter them from opening the doors.”

  “How will we be able to treat them, or even feed those that aren’t infected if they are in the rooms together?” Nora moved a few escaping hairs behind her ear.

  “My team is going to be doing the deliveries of food. If their knock goes unanswered, or they hear something that doesn’t sound like voices, they will let us know and the team will open the door to clear the room.”

  Jonathan’s stiff posture slipped as he allowed himself to lean against the wall.

  “This just might work since we only have a couple more days until we reach New York, but only if we can contain it. But I fear what will happen tomorrow, once the news of this reaches all decks.” Nora had seen panicked crowds before and it never ended well.

  “I went to speak with the captain and we are not allowing anyone out of their rooms for the rest of the night. In the morning, anyone trying to leave will be allowed as long as they have no visible bites or wounds.” Jonathan sighed wearily.

  “I will check on everyone and try to give them some calm reassurance for the night.” Nora went off to the last door and knocked lightly.

  “It’s the nurse. May I come in?” Hearing a response, she entered to see a scared family huddling together on a bunk.

  “I’m here to take care of you. Can I see where you are hurt?” Nora bent down until she was level with them, showing she wasn’t a threat to anyone.

  The parents spoke very little English, but with hand motions they were able to point out the nail marks on the mother’s arm.

  Explaining everything to them, Nora was hoping they at least understood a few of the instructions. She left to visit the other rooms.

  Jonathan was still standing where she had left him, tired and defeated from the events of the evening.

  Wishing there was some way to help him through the ordeal they were facing, Nora continued to the other doors.

  Most of the rooms were filled with people adjusting quickly to the events of what they saw, but there were a few rooms unaffected by wounds where Nora had to dispense a sedative to the hysterical occupants so they could try and get some rest.

  Closing the last door behind her, Nora approached Jonathan as he gave orders to the stewards and others monitoring the third class hallways.

  “We must make sure everyone stays in their rooms. If you hear anything unusual, don’t open the door until the team is here.”

  “Are you finished?” Nora asked quietly.

  “I am down here. Now I need to go check on the other decks, see if we have any more damage control that needs to be taken care of for tonight.” Jonathan straightened, accepting the responsibilities of the ship back onto his weary shoulders.

  “I have a different idea.” Nora placed a finger to his lips. “Shhh. I know, you have to make sure it’s all done. We’re okay for the moment, and we both need a chance to decompress.”

  Nora took his hand and pulled him up the staircase after her.

  ~~~~~~

  Samuel, Charlie, and James had followed the crew downstairs, hoping to fix their mistake. They had watched in horror as the infected devoured the passengers. Turning as one, they fled up the stairs, not stopping until they reached the railing on the ship.

  “Did you see that?” James asked breathlessly.

  “Nah, man. What? We’d have to be blind not to have seen the man from the infirmary eating the other people.” Charlie retorted.

  “Bloody hell!” Samuel couldn’t unsee those images as they replayed again and again in his head.

  “Bloody is right. They tore into those innocent people and they had no chance to save themselves.”

  “What made him go from being a guy asleep in the infirmary to attacking people?” James wondered aloud.

  “Will they be able to stop them from coming up here?” Charlie shuddered at the choice of jumping in the ocean or trying to fend off a monster trying to eat him.

  “I think that is why they have separated the people in the infirmaries so if they become like that guy, they won’t hurt as many people.” Samuel knew the situation was bad.

  “Let’s see if we can find a place to get some alcohol. I feel like we need to get plastered if the world is going to end tonight,” Samuel announced.

  “Ah, hell. Now I know the world is going to end if you are suggesting we steal some liquor and get drunk. Who gives a rat’s ass? I’m in.” Charlie didn’t want to deal with what the three of them had just witnessed.

  Since most of the crew had gone to sleep or were helping with the crisis downstairs, they were able to acquire the drinks they wanted without interference from the crew.

  “I could have taken that infected thing out if they had given me a shovel.” James took another swig of his bottle.

  “It took an army of crewmen to take care of that one guy. What makes you think you could have taken him on better than either of us?” Charlie pointed to himself and Samuel.

  “I have no intention of trying to kill a person, or whatever one of those infected things become,” Samuel announced haughtily.

  “You would be the first one to run away from the infected guy because it would mean getting your hands dirty, and that would be beneath you.” Charlie spat at Samuel’s feet in disgust.

  “I know how to get my hands dirty. Remember the whiskey?” Samuel reminded him.

  “That wasn’t getting dirty, my good man,” James said, copying Samuel’s words. “It was simply using the brain, so it wasn’t anything at all, my good sir.”

  “No way do I sound like that…do I?” Samuel asked self-consciously.

  “Ha! Now he’s worried about it. I’m more worried about what happens if more of the ship becomes infected. We still have several days before we arrive in New York. Do you think they will be able to keep everything contained?” The liquor was bringing out James’ fear of dying.

  “Look! Aren’t those two the ones that were down there with the infected guy?” Charlie pointed to the lower deck as Nora and Jonathan made their way out to the front end of the ships decks.

  Samuel voiced what they were thinking to themselves, “It looks like they made it out alive, so there must be hope, right?”

  The three young men stood watching the motion of the waves as the sky began to lighten up, signaling the approaching dawn.

  Chapter 12

  Sunday April 14, 1912

  The stillness of the morning turned into afternoon and there was no sign of panic as the ship’s inhabitants went about their normal activities.

  The first and second class church service was conducted by the captain, who didn’t let the events of the previous evening deter him from his duties.

  The majority of the Lambert family attended the Sunday church service while Samuel had pleaded sickness as an excuse to stay away. He’d hoped his father didn’t question the type of illness, greatly due to the fact he reeked of alcohol.

  “What a refreshing morning! I do love hearing someone else explaining the scriptures.” Richard clapped the captain on the shoulder as they shook hand
s.

  “I only do so when we don’t have a chaplain on board. Very few of our members actually listen to the words I’m speaking so I try to keep it simple for all our sakes,” the captain whispered confidentially.

  “After all these years, I still find the simplest things are normally the most important,” Richard agreed easily.

  “I hope you enjoy the rest of your voyage.” The captain graciously moved on to the next passenger in line.

  “Papa, should we go and check on Samuel before we go to lunch?” Lillian inquired.

  “No, let him sleep a little longer. He was up fairly late last night,” Richard answered, not wanting to scare his wife about the mumblings Samuel had mentioned of passengers being attacked during his sleep.

  “I hope he doesn’t have that epidemic I heard about yesterday.” Millie Jean had an uncanny way of knowing what he was thinking when he was trying to keep something from her.

  “I didn’t see any of the symptoms they were discussing yesterday. I’m sure it is just a little motion sickness and he will recover after some rest.” He had helped Samuel into his pajamas and hadn’t seen any bite marks or scratches.

  “Most ships have rumors or stories the crew like to circulate to tease the passengers. I wouldn’t worry too greatly; the captain didn’t seem nervous or stressed about a mysterious illness.” Richard tried to reassure his ladies.

  “When I was exploring the other day, I heard some of the crew and they didn’t know I was there. I don’t think it’s just a story, Papa. They seemed scared themselves,” Lillian contributed, unaware her father had been trying to downplay the seriousness of this illness.

  “Oh, no. Lillian, you shouldn’t be near the crew without a chaperone,” Millie Jean reprimanded quickly.

  “I wasn’t. They didn’t even know I was there. I had hidden around the corner when I heard someone coming and they were just talking loudly. Anyone could have heard them if they had been in the same corridor,” Lillian explained.

  “There will be no next time, young lady. You are going to be glued to my side for the remainder of the voyage.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Sighing dejectedly, Lillian hoped her mother would forget about it after lunch was over, giving her a chance to meet up with Gil.

  “See, darling? If there was an infection or rumor of something, no one would be in the dining room mingling with the other passengers. Nothing to worry about. Come, let’s enjoy our meal together.” Holding the door open for the ladies to proceed him, Richard could only hope they forgot about the rumors, which he was certain were actually true.

  ~~~~~~

  Nora had been up for almost twenty-four hours. It was not unusual for a nurse, but it still took a toll on her body.

  The patients were all still alive for the moment, and while it was a relief, she knew it was only a reprieve until someone from last night’s attack died and the infection wasn’t able to be contained.

  Checking everyone for the tenth time, Nora went to make the rounds of the lower decks.

  The guards saw her coming and allowed her to pass. As she went to each room with an ‘X’ marking the people inside for death, one of the guards would open the door first to make sure it was safe for her to enter.

  The families with children were the hardest, but each of the families spoke little to no English and didn’t wish to be parted from their loved ones.

  As she closed the door on a family with three small children, Nora burst into tears.

  While the guard looked on helplessly, Nora couldn’t hold back any longer as the overwhelming situation took its toll on her emotions.

  Hearing a rustle as someone bent down to her level, she raised her head as she choked back a sob.

  Jonathan sat on the floor in front of her. One of the men guarding the hallway must have called him because he was out of breath from racing down the stairway to reach her.

  “We can’t have our bravest nurse in tears, can we?” Jonathan pulled Nora over to sit beside him, and nestled her in the crook of his arm.

  “I just can’t help it. Those poor children aren’t just going to lose their mother, but they will see her turn into a monster,” Nora sobbed between hiccups.

  “They are just so small and defenseless. I can’t make them understand that we must take them away for their own good.”

  “We don’t have anyone on this ship that speaks their language enough to make them understand the consequences of their decision.” Jonathan had spent the night trying to find someone who could explain to three of the non-English speaking families what was happening to them.

  “So much death, and we can’t stop it.” Nora had cried all her tears out and just sat there hopelessly.

  “Look, I know it’s been hours since we ate something or got some sleep. I’ll walk you to your room and make sure you get some rest.” Jonathan stood, holding out his hand to help Nora off the ground.

  “You’re probably right. I’m just overwhelmed and haven’t slept so the future doesn’t seem all that bright.”

  Jonathan offered her a handkerchief to blow her nose.

  “I’m not much to look at the moment. I’m sorry.”

  “You look beautiful. Tired, but beautiful.” Jonathan gazed down at her. Ignoring propriety for once, he placed an arm around her waist as they made their way out of the hallway.

  Once inside her room, Nora realized she didn’t want to be alone.

  “Please stay for a short while,” she asked Jonathan, patting the empty couch beside her.

  Work and all of his responsibilities were calling, but he understood her need to have someone else nearby.

  Jonathan made his choice and shut the door, closing out all the concerns flooding through his head.

  Nora sighed as Jonathan nestled her body closer to his, bringing them both a sense of relief, and they both fell asleep.

  Jonathan woke with a start when he heard noises outside in the corridor. Jumping up, he opened the door, not realizing it had hit the wall with a bang.

  Nora woke up when Jonathan moved, but couldn’t believe they had fallen asleep.

  The noise was only a few crewmen on the way to their quarters, happy to be off work.

  “How long were we asleep?” Nora figured there was no point in pretending it hadn’t happened.

  Jonathan pulled out his pocket watch. “We were out for close to six hours. It’s almost seven in the evening.”

  “Darn it!” Nora exclaimed, then clasped a hand over her mouth. A proper lady didn’t use words like that, ever.

  “Don’t. If ever there was a time for such language, this is it. Anything could have happened while we were asleep. The crew didn’t even know where to look for me in an emergency.” Jonathan shrugged back into his suit jacket. “I’ll go straight to the infirmary and check on the ones left in there. You need to eat a quick bite, because if tonight is anything like yesterday, you’ll need your strength.”

  As Nora started to protest, Jonathan leaned down and silenced her with his lips.

  “Don’t! You are too important for us to have fainting from lack of nourishment. I’ll make sure everything is fine. Plus, if anything is going on, Cookie is the person you want to see for information.” Smiling, Jonathan left a quick kiss on her forehead as he raced from the room.

  Astonished at his display of affection, Nora touched her fingertips to her lips.

  Shaking her head to clear the emotions running rampant through her, Nora stood up and began to undress. The clothes she was in had been through so much, and it wouldn’t do to have the nurse in a filthy uniform.

  She certainly didn’t need to give Judith any reasons to complain either.

  Rapidly adjusting her clean uniform, Nora prepared to return to her duties. Knowing things could happen quickly once events began to unfold, she turned back. The only precious things besides her clothing were the letters of her loved ones while she had been overseas.

  She packed her emergency nurse’s bag with everything she could fit into i
t on top of her equipment. Satisfied that she hadn’t forgotten anything, Nora carried her bag toward the kitchen.

  Cookie was nowhere to be seen, but a tray of covered sandwiches were sitting on the counter. Grabbing a few and wrapping them in a clean napkin, Nora moved toward the infirmary with dread.

  To her amazement, silence reigned in the infirmary as the patients and their families sat or slept, knowing the end was approaching for their loved ones.

  “Angie, have they been awake at all this afternoon?” Nora began to check on each bed as she questioned her. “Where is Judith?” she asked harshly.

  “Oh, she left shortly after lunch, Miss,” Angie answered timidly, following Nora around.

  “She never came to our room. Did she leave before you took over for her?” Nora couldn’t believe that Judith would be so inept.

  “No, Miss. She waited until both the volunteer and I came back from lunch. Can I help you find something?” Angie wasn’t sure what Nora was looking for as she inspected the patients thoroughly.

  “I’m checking to see how far they have progressed in their illnesses, and if they are close to dying. We don’t want a repeat of what happened yesterday,” she explained patiently.

  All of the newly bitten victims were sleeping normally, and none of them seemed to have fallen unconscious yet.

  Jonathan popped his head in. “We seem to be all clear downstairs. How are we doing up here?”

  “Not as badly as we feared. I guess the world didn’t fall apart on us while we got some rest, did it?” Nora whispered conspiratorially.

  His smile lit up his normally grim features. “Want to try for a repeat performance later?” Jonathan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  Nora playfully hit his arm. “No, but you can certainly check on us in a few hours. I don’t think those two have long for this world.”

  “If that changes, make sure to page me immediately. You know what I’m going to have to do. I’ll have a couple of men posted outside of this room so that we don’t have any problems.” Nora saluted him as he left.

  “Well, you two seem much chummier than you did at the beginning of this trip,” Angie commented.