˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒮ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓃

˗ˏˋ𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫'ˎ˗

Third person POV ~

The widest passageway in the ship, it is used by crew and steerage alike, and runs almost the length of the ship. Right now steerage passengers move along it like refugees, heading aft. A wooden door frame splinters and the door bursts open under the force of Jack's shoulder. Jack and Elizabeth stumble through, into the corridor. A steward, who was nearby herding people along, marches over.

"Here you! You'll have to pay for that, you know. That's White Star Line property–"

Elizabeth and Jack turn together and shout back, "Shutup!"

Jack leads her past the dumbfounded steward. They join the steerage stragglers going aft. In places the corridor is almost completely blocked by large families carrying all their luggage. An Irish woman gives Elizabeth a blanket, more for modesty than because she is blue-lipped and shivering. Jack rubs her arms and tries to warm her up as they walk along. The woman's husband offers them a flask of whiskey.

The Irishman says, "This'll take the chill off." Elizabeth takes a mighty belt and hands it to Jack. He grins and follows suit. Jack tries a number of doors and iron gates along the way, finding them all locked.

Fabrizio, standing with Helga Dahl and her family, hears Jack's voice.

"Fabrizio! Fabri!" Fabrizio turns and sees Jack and Elizabeth pushing through the crowd. He and Jack hug like brothers.

"The boats are all going," Fabrizio panics.

"We gotta get up there or we're gonna be gargling saltwater. Where's Tommy?" Fabrizio points over the heads of the solidly packed crowd to the stairwell.

Tommy has his hands on the bars of the steel gate which blocks the head of the stairwell. The crew open the gate a foot or so and a few women are squeezing through.

"Women only. No men. No men!!" We heard the steward argue

But some terrified men, not understanding English, try to rush through the gap, forcing the gate open. The crewmen and stewards push them back, shoving and punching them. "Get back! Get back you lot!" The steward looks at one of the crewmen, "Lock it!!"

They struggle to get the gate closed again, while one steward brandishes a small revolver. Another holds a fire axe. They lock the gate, and a cry goes up among the crowd, who surge forward, pounding against the steel and shouting in several languages.

"For the love of God, man, there are children down here! Let us up, so we can have a chance!" Tommy cries out to the selfish stewards. But the crewmen are scared now. They have let the situation get out of hand, and now they have a mob. Tommy gives up and pushes his way back through the crowd, going down the stairs. He rejoins Jack, Elizabeth and Fabrizio.

Tommy sighs, "It's hopeless that way."

"Well, whatever we're goin' to do, we better do it fast," Jack says worried as we are running out of time.

Fabrizio turns to Helga, praying he can make himself understood.

With a lot of hand gestures he tries to get her to understand, "Everyone... all of you... come with me now. We go to the boats. We go to the boats. Capito? Come now!"

They can't understand what he's saying. They can see his urgency, but Oluf Dahl, the patriarch of the family, shakes his head. He will not panic, and will not let his family go with this boy.

Fabrizio turns to Helga, "Helga... please...come with me, I am lucky. Is my destiny to go to America." She kisses him, then steps back to be with her family. Jack lays a hand on his shoulder, his eyes saying "Let's go".