I Will Go Down With This Ship 5/6

[ex-salwood.livejournal.com]

Title: I Will Go Down With This Ship 5/6
Author: salogel42
Pairing: Dom/Lij
Rating: 15
Warning:Angst
Summary: This story is set in the early 1900s... Dom and Lij are on the biggest steamship ever built.
Author's Note: This is a short story based on a very real event.
Disclaimer: Although the event actually happened, non of the characters are real. All made up.. totally... absolutely!
Thank you to elfellon111 for wonderful beta!
Other chapters in this series can be found here

I Will Go Down With This Ship

Chapter 5 – For Those in Peril on the Sea – Monday 15 April 1912

Elijah helped Dominic dress for he was in too much pain to do so himself.

“I should have brought coats… it’s freezing outside… damn it, why didn’t I think of that?” Elijah mumbled quietly to himself as he concentrated on what he was doing. His fingers trembled as he slipped Dominic’s braces up and over his shoulders. Dominic winced in pain.

“Sorry, Dom…” Elijah glanced at the window again as another flare soared into the night sky.

Dominic turned and saw it, too. He looked at Elijah, his face ashen. “We didn’t put enough lifeboats on this ship, Elijah…”

“I know… I know.” Elijah tried not to show his fear. “Come on, Dom…” he took in a deep breath. “Let’s finish getting you dressed; we have a lifeboat to catch.”

*

With life jackets in hand, Dominic and Elijah slowly emerged onto the Boat Deck, the cold air hit them hard, but they barely acknowledged it as their eyes took in the scene unfolding before them.

Steam billowed from Titanic’s funnels with a deafening sound, drowning out orders from the crew manning the lifeboats. There were people everywhere in many states of dress, from evening wear to those still wearing night garments - all were wandering around in a confused daze.

Dominic went to the railings and looked over the side towards Titanic’s bow. He felt the blood drain from his head, and a gut wrenching sickness rise in his stomach. There was no mistaking it, Titanic was sinking. He saw a lifeboat paddling away with only twenty eight people on board, and he turned to look at Elijah with terror filled eyes as it dawned on him that he, along with Elijah and probably over half the passengers on Titanic, were going to die.

“Woman and children only!” That cry could be heard time and time again along the deck, as more and more passengers gathered.

Dominic and Elijah stood by; neither of them would take a seat on a lifeboat if it could be filled by a woman or child, and as Titanic’s list became more noticeable, a sense of urgency within the crew began to develop.

More lifeboats took to the sea, but most not filled to capacity. Dominic knew this was madness, and he wished he could do something, talk some sense into the crew who were handling the evacuation. But it was all he could do to just stand there, he had no energy, and was in great pain, and his chest hurt with every breath he took.

Suddenly they were shoved to one side, and Dominic cried out in agony.

“Starboard side… they’re letting men on…” Gerard, wrapped up against the cold, life jacket firmly strapped to his body was talking to another member of his team. He hadn’t spotted Dominic and Elijah in his haste to save no-one but himself.

“Come on, man…” he pushed past his team member. “No time to lose…”

Elijah watched Gerard force his way through throngs of people who were now crowding the port side.

“Come on, Dom.” Elijah took Dominic’s hand and followed Gerard, slowly weaving their way through the panicking passengers. The air was absolutely frigid, and Dominic already felt freezing cold.

The starboard side was surprising empty, no women to be seen, just large groups of men who were climbing calmly into one of the few lifeboats that remained.

“This is our chance, Dom!” Elijah tugged Dominic onwards.

Suddenly a large groan emitted from the bowels of Titanic, and somewhere below an explosion could be heard, it violently rocked the ship.

“Titanic’s going down quickly, Elijah… and all these people are still on board.” Dominic wanted to block out the sounds of panic and mayhem. “We should have put on more lifeboats, why didn’t we allow for more boats?”

“We haven’t got time for that now, Dom. Come on!” Elijah saw a large crowd of people pour onto the starboard side from the bow, screaming and running for the last remaining boats.

“It’s now or never.” Elijah dragged Dominic over to the lifeboat, and joined the group of men.

“Hurry now! Hurry!” The crewmembers were literally shoving the men into the lifeboat; it was becoming dangerously over crowded.

“Right then, two more… no more than two more!” The crewman recognised Dominic and indicated him over; other crewmembers were desperately trying to hold back the surging crowd. “Steady on, steady on! Hold it… NOW!... PEOPLE!”

Elijah helped Dominic forward, and looked at the crewmember who nodded to him.

“That’s it! No more!” The crewmember held up his hands! “No more!”

Then, from out of nowhere, Gerard was upon Dominic and Elijah like a man possessed. He grabbed both of them viciously by their clothing and spun them around, punching them individually, sending them sprawling onto the deck.

“NO WHORE TAKES MY PLACE ON THIS BOAT!” Gerard yelled, as he looked at the crewmember who stared at him in disbelief. The crewmember then gave the order to lower the boat.

Dazed but not beaten, Elijah got to his feet, but Dominic did not. Elijah looked at his unmoving lover and then at the bastard who was taking their place. Gerard had shoved aside all crewmembers, and was about to climb into the lowering lifeboat.

Elijah ran for him.

All his life he had cowed away, been too frightened to fight back even when his own father had reined blows upon him and driven his older brother away.

Elijah knew he could not let Gerard win! Letting Gerard win, was like letting his father back in, that cruel and sadistic monster, who had almost ruined his and his family’s life.

That place on the lifeboat was theirs, his and Dominic’s, and if they were not going to have it, then by damned Gerard would not have it either.

Elijah hit Gerard at full tilt, pushing him off balance, making him stagger backwards away from the lifeboat. He looked at Elijah with a rage so fierce, that Elijah feared that he was about to kill him. Gerard took a swing at Elijah, but Elijah ducked, and the bellowing roar that then came from Gerard boarded on inhuman.

Gerard was almost twice Elijah’s size, just like his father… exactly like his father. Elijah clenched his fists over and over again; his heart hammered from the sheer terror of it all as he watched Gerard look at the lowering lifeboat. Then when Gerard returned his attention to Elijah, Elijah’s fist met his face, smashing his nose, sending him reeling onto the deck.

Gerard, although dazed, quickly got to his feet, blood poured from his nose. “YOU WILL NOT TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME, YOU STINKING WHORE!”

But before Gerard could take any further action, Elijah ran at him again, and shoved him backwards with everything he had.

Elijah screamed as he pushed the loathsome man, and he screamed again as he continued pushing, his feet never once losing purchase on the wooden deck. And then Gerard tumbled backwards over the railings, out of sight hitting the water just a mere twenty feet below.

“God… Lijah…Elijah?” Dominic stumbled as he limped towards Elijah.

Elijah caught him.

“Are… are you alright?” Dominic’s eyes brimmed with tears as he took Elijah’s hand; he had seen the whole incident.

Elijah nodded as he held Dominic’s hand tightly. He took one last look over the railing to see if he could see Gerard in the sea. He saw him being dragged into the lifeboat he had so desperately tried to prevent him from entering.

Elijah looked at Dominic. “I’m fine…” he said. “I’m alright, but we lost our boat, Dom. We lost it.”

Titanic violently shook again, and they held each other, wondering if this was it, if the boilers were going to explode taking them with them. Dominic looked over Elijah’s shoulder towards the bow, and saw it sink under the sea as water poured over the decks.

“Jesus Christ…” was all Dominic could say in a voice no louder than a whisper.

“Come on, Dom…” Elijah spurred into action again. “Let’s check port side, maybe there are some boats left.”

But Dominic did not move, he just continued to stare at the sea through a blur of tears as it gradually claimed his beloved ship.

“Dom… Dom!” Elijah cupped Dominic’s face in his hands. “Dominic!”

Dominic tore his eyes away from the tragic end befalling Titanic, and looked at his lover.

“I love you, Elijah,” Dominic suddenly said. “And I have always loved you, and I will never stop loving you… neither in this life nor the next. I…I just wanted you to know that… before… before the end.”

“Oh, Dom… what you mean to me!” Elijah pressed his cold lips against Dominic’s equally cold mouth, and their warm tongues touched.

Titanic shuddered again, and then groaned as she slowly started slipping under.

“I love you Dom, but this is not the end… not yet.” Elijah located his life jacket and pulled Dominic, guiding him, exhausted as he was, slipping and sliding across the tilting deck to the port side, only to find that all lifeboats had been launched. All that remained on deck were hundreds of screaming passengers all making for the stern as Titanic rapidly went down by the head.

Elijah caught hold of the railing; it was getting difficult to stand. He put his arm around Dominic, as he unlatched the gate.

“We’re jumping Dom,” he quickly removed his spectacles, and placed them in his pocket, and then looked at Dominic blindly. “If we’re going to have any chance we’ll have to jump; when she goes under she’ll take everyone on board down with her.”

Dominic nodded, and wrapped his good arm around Elijah.

“I won’t be able to swim, Lijah.” Dominic’s voice was a whisper as he looked at the advancing sea.

“I’ll be with you, Dom… I’ll always be with you. NOW JUMP!”

*

Darkness… and hotness… the water was so cold that it burned. Elijah clung onto Dominic with all the strength he had, because Dominic was in no fit state to swim. Under they went, down and down, and Dominic was heavy.

Elijah had released his life jacket on impact with the freezing water; he now used his free arm to reach… reach for the surface. He pulled down with all his might, his legs kicked hard, and he held onto Dominic, kicking and reaching, his lungs searing from lack of air, and the darkness seemed impenetrable.

Slowly they rose, and finally Elijah surfaced, the cold air hit his face like an invisible assault. He gasped and choked as air filled his lungs. He reached out for a white blob hoping it was a life jacket, but when his hand made contact with something cold and soft, he gasped and let go, pushing the dead body away.

“Dom… Dom!” Elijah’s voice was filled with panic. He couldn’t see a thing. “Dom, are you alright?”

Dominic’s silence feared Elijah. “Please Dom, say something?” Elijah reached into his pocket and awkwardly retrieved his spectacles, his legs kicking furiously to keep them both afloat. He hooked the wire arms behind his ears, and everything came into focus, and what he saw took his breath away.

People were everywhere in the water, hundreds of them, and some not moving. Titanic still burned brightly lighting the scene. Her stern was rising out of the water, and Elijah found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the horror of it all.

Then he felt Dominic move in his arms, and his attention fell on him.

“Lijah…?” Dominic could barely speak.

“It’s alright, Dom. I’ve got you. Hold on now… just hold on.” Elijah looked around frantically, trying to spot something that would keep them afloat. His limbs were already starting to feel heavy as the cold seeped in. He spied a life jacket floating on its own, and struck out for it, but it was slow progress. He couldn’t let Dominic go for a second for there was no doubt that he would go under.

An awful sound rose from Titanic as anything and everything inside the ship shifted downwards as her final plunge drew nearer. Elijah reached the life jacket, and positioned it around Dominic as best he could, helping his lover stay afloat in the icy cold water.

Screams and a hideous buckling sound tore from Titanic; Elijah whipped his head around to see the mighty ship tear in two. Her stern section fell backwards into the ocean, creating gigantic waves on an otherwise flat surface, and the lights that had burned so long were finally extinguished, forever.

Dominic looked on, oblivious to the waves momentarily crashing over his head; he could hardly believe what he was witnessing. So much death and destruction… the ship he had lovingly helped to create was now nothing more than a floating tomb. It was a terrible sight to behold, and as Dominic watched, powerless to do anything or help anyone, he mercifully felt himself greying out, and them tumbling… tumbling down a long dark tunnel - into darkness.

Elijah was transfixed; he was unable to tear his eyes away from the scene as Titanic’s stern cruelly remained upright giving a false sense of hope to those passengers still on board, before slowly upending again. Hundreds of people fell into the sea and certain death, while Titanic bobbed there like a grotesque buoy for what seemed like an eternity, before she finally slipped under the surface - and into immortality. The biggest liner ever built was no more, and the screams and cries for help that followed her foundering were nothing but an echo from hell.

Elijah knew he must keep swimming or they would die. The cold would creep in and seep the very life from their bodies. He made for a lifeboat, the nearest to him, it looked like a ghostly craft sitting on the calm flat sea.

“No room, sir… we’re over-crowded as it is!”

Elijah looked up at the white face of the crewman. “Try over there…” the crewman pointed. “I’ve seen him take on a couple.”

Elijah turned and swam for the next lifeboat; Dominic was getting heavier and heavier.

“It’s alright, Dom… I’ll have you out of here in a minute. You’ll have a nice warm blanket wrapped around you, and a nice cup of tea inside you. How’s that sound?”

Dominic said nothing.

“Any room?!” Elijah called out as he approached the other boat.

“No room!”

“Come on, you’re not full!” Elijah swam right up to the boat and looked up at one of the two crewmen who were manning it.

“No room… I’m sorry.”

Elijah caught hold of the rope on the side of the lifeboat; he wasn’t going to be able to hold Dominic for much longer. He felt incredibly tired. “I have Mr Monaghan here,” he called. “He’s badly injured; can you at least take him onboard?”

A face peered at Elijah in the gloom, and then a torch shone in Dominic’s face. Elijah could hear raised voices, and then next thing he knew, helping hands appeared over the side of the boat. He manoeuvred Dominic into place so that the crewman could grip his shoulders, then he went to his own rescuer.

Elijah was hauled into the boat, he looked at the other passengers, despite the darkness they looked pale, deathly pale, and their faces were etched in shock and horror.

“Can’t hold him!”

“What?” Elijah looked up.

“He’s slipping… Christ, he feels like he weighs a ton.”

“Don’t let go!” Elijah stumbled over legs of passengers to the crewmember who was rescuing his lover.

The crewmember stood up empty handed.

“No!” Elijah didn’t hesitate. He dived head first into the water, it felt colder than before, and for a moment he thought he would pass out as a terrible pain tore threw his chest, but he swam downwards, to what looked like a dark shape, he could barely see a thing. He reached out blindly and grabbed the shape, his fist closed tightly on Dominic’s jacket which he held on to with every ounce of strength, and again he swam for the surface, but he was exhausted, his arm felt like lead, and his chest ached, and above all else, he needed to breathe.

He wasn’t going to make it. I’m sorry, Dom… I’m so sorry…I love you……Blackness came as sea water entered his mouth.

“Got you! Come on now, give us a hand!”

The crewmember’s voice broke through into Elijah’s semi-conscious as he felt himself being hauled back into the boat.

“Make room, make room!” The crewmember pushed some of the other passengers to one side. He knelt over Elijah. “You ok, sir?”

“Dom? Have you got Dominic?” Elijah asked… his chest felt on fire.

“Mr Monaghan? Yes we have him. We have him but he’s not in good shape sir, not good at all.”

“Dom…!” Elijah scrambled to his knees and crawled over to where Dominic lie.

“Oh God, Dom… Dom.” Elijah cradled Dominic in his arms.

Blankets and coats were proffered by passengers who tried to make room for Elijah to take a seat. But he remained sitting on the bottom of the boat with Dominic in his arms.

“Hold on, Dom…” he whispered… “Hold on.” Elijah tried his best to give Dominic what little heat he had. He wrapped the blankets around him, and held him as close as he could.

The sounds of the dying became less and less as the lifeboats sat on the calmest of seas. Darkness surrounded the survivors, broken only by ghostly white hulls of other lifeboats and eerie ice shapes protruding from the frigid water.

Rescue was their only hope.

Elijah looked at Dominic, whose eyes remained close. No breath had passed his lips.

Elijah barely ever allowed himself to cry, he had cried many a river in his youth and it had yielded no comfort. Now he found he could not stop as he stroked his lover’s cold white face. “Speak to me, Dom,” he whispered. “Open your eyes… and speak to me…”

tbc