Elvis on the Titanic

Chapter 15 - Ice, Right Ahead!

For the life of me, I couldn't seem to sit or stand still. My body was so full of anxiousness that it caused me to not only eat anything for the whole day, but to walk up and down the ship four times after my teatime with Mr. Andrews after the talk with him, the captain and Mr. Ismay.

Had anything been done yet? With a ship this huge, I wouldn't know one way or the other if she had shifted to the right or left or slowed down unless I was told. I checked my watch after the sky had already become dark and stars twinkled in the sky.

"One hour left," I muttered, and I looked around at all the people bundled up—I had been walking around so much that my body had warmed up in the freezing cold of the night. I could see my breath really well, as well as everyone else's. My throat caught. These people needed to be saved. I looked up at the bridge area and saw a few men in uniforms standing outside of the control room. "Maybe I should just go up and ask 'em."

I about went for it but stopped when I heard my name behind me—my real name. I turned around and found the guys, all wearing thick wool coats. My heart lifted at seeing them.

"Eye, laddie, why are ye out here in the cold without a coat, huh?" asked Wendell.

Without saying a word, I embraced him, and I felt that emotion coming up again. Will asked, "Hey, you alright, Elvis?"

"He looks as pale as a sheet," Brody commented. I released Wendell.

"I'm sorry, I just..." I took a deep breath and let it out, and we all saw my white breath in front of me. "I talked with Mr. Andrews, and he's allying with me on the iceberg ordeal, but the captain and Mr. Ismay still aren't, and we're only an hour out from that iceberg. Less-than an hour, in fact."

"Wait, you talked with the captain and Ismay again?" asked Will.

I nodded. I commenced telling them the whole of what happened since I started my singing shift, but I left out the bit about Liz and our break-up. "And now," I continued, "who knows if they've done anythin'?"

"Then let's go up and ask 'em, eh?" Wendell proposed. He about went on, but Brody took his arm.

"Hey, we can't just walk up to the bridge. Only the crew can do that."

"But they know Elvis," he argued, pointing to me. "He was on the bridge earlier."

"Yes, but with Mr. Andrews. How 'bout we find 'em, eh?"

"I'm not sure where he would be," I said. "We parted ways at the dining hall."

"Then let's check there first. Or more, you check there, first, Elvis, since you're an employee there."

I nodded. "Okay. How 'bout I meet you guys right here as soon as I can, okay?"

"Right. Get goin', boy-o."

I left them without another word and went on to the 1st class dining hall. Once I came to the fancy lobby with the staircase, I looked around. No sign of any of the men I spoke with. My heart racing in anxiousness, I walked about the lobby, but again being unsuccessful at finding any of them. I came up to the entrance to the dining hall. The man in uniform there smiled at me.

"Mr. Tussle, how great to see you. Are you to sing again tonight?"

"No, sir, but I was wonderin' if Mr. Andrews is in there at the moment."

"I believe I saw him maybe an hour ago sitting at a table, but I am not certain if he is still there."

"Would you mind terribly if I go in and see? I have a very urgent matter to speak with him about." His brows creased. "Please, sir, this is really urgent."