Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Exhaustion

The first sign of rescue was a sparkling rocket launched from somewhere beyond our sight. It set up a great cry among the boats, and some started pulling for it immediately. Lightoller called out for them to stop, that the boats should stay together until we saw the ship. We watched as more rockets came up, each getting slightly closer. The ship, when it eventually came into view, seemed so small when compared to the one we had been on. It only had one funnel, painted a bright red and black. I heard Moody mutter from behind us, "Of course, it has to be Cunard."

I could see an officer standing up in one of the boats, a flare sputtering green light in his hand as he signaled to the ship that was approaching. It slowed, stopping some distance from us. The closest lifeboat started to move toward it, and there was a bit of a lunge from the others before the officers restored some order among them. Each boat would go up one at a time, empty its passengers, and then would be hauled up, according to the word that was passed back. The gangways of the ship were open, rope ladders dropped down to the boat approaching. I saw people climbing, and some who were so stiff they had to send down rope slings to haul them up to the top deck itself.

I huddled closer to Will, taking his hands and trying to work them between my own. Once I had gotten some warmth back into them during the night I had my gloves on him, and only now put his own back on. I had been trying to keep both his hands and his feet moving throughout the night as Lightoller had said to, making him lift his legs and move his feet out of the water that was still in the bottom of the boat. He grimaced as I bent his hand into a fist and back out, "It hurts."

"I thought you would want to climb and not be carried."

"I don't rightly care at the moment." He grumbled, his voice faint, "I can't even fathom what we'll face up there."

I began moving his fingers back and forth, breaking a thin sheet of frost on his gloves. "Then let me do this for you, and if you need anything up there, I'll be there too." If I could do something for him I didn't have to think about what had happened. About what would happen. All I had to think about was working his hands, opening and closing them to work the muscles. It was slow work, especially as I was trying to avoid hurting him. I looked up as I worked, taking time to watch the unloaded lifeboat being hooked up to a cargo crane and hauled up to be stowed on the bow deck.

Our boat, so far back, was one of the last to come up. The men shuffled around, clearing the way for any women on board to head up first. There was only me, so I made my way over the benches, balanced by several of the sailors when I wobbled on my feet and the gentle waves rocked the boat. I followed the directions of a stewardess on how to climb up the rope ladder, my fingers burning with pain as I gripped the wooden rungs. The second I set my foot on the linoleum of the deck I was immediately enveloped in a steamer rug and a hot drink pressed into my hands.

The staff supported me over to an area away from the gangway, which I was thankful for for my feet felt wooden and clumsy as I tried to move forward. I leaned back against a wall, glad to take the weight off of my feet that I couldn't feel. It was almost painfully warm inside, my skin tingling where the hot air hit it. Some of the staff tried to hustle me upstairs but I stayed still. I would see the entire boat off before I moved I told them. It went slowly, the sailors each being greeted as I was, with a blanket and something warm to drink. Some of them nodded to me as they were led away, and I couldn't help be puzzled, until one sailor stopped. His tanned face split into a smile, "You're a hell of a lady, Miss." A steward spluttered out something about using that language in front of a woman and he was quickly led away.

Lightoller came up, downing a cup of tea in one go and standing by the gangway to help up the others. Will came last, stiff and lurching slightly as he gained the deck. A rug was held out and a cup of coffee given, and then he was by my side. He reached up and touched my lip, "You're bleeding."