Unsinkable

The Aftermath

Five months after the tragic events of April 14, 1912, the long tedious Titanic trials began. Both Arthur and Beth had been asked to travel back to New York City to appear in court. Luckily they didn't move too far away, so they didn't have too far to travel. 

Beth was five months pregnant; their child having been conceived the night of the sinking, a very vivid memory she would always take with her. Arthur asked her to marry him shortly after finding out and they were wed a week later in Coney Island on the pier at sunset. 

They managed to escape her Mother and Calvin at the hospital, but feared they wouldn't be able to outrun them in the courthouse. They did legally change their names before they got married, but Beth had a face they would surely recognize. 

As they arrived at the courthouse, it was packed with reporters and onlookers. Beth and Arthur maneuvered their way inside without so much as a picture being taken of them. Beth didn't particularly need any pictures of her right now, as she was pregnant during one of the hottest months, in one of the hottest cities on the East Coast.

"Name?"

"Elizabeth Knight." 

The officer nodded."Yours?"

"Arthur Knight."

"Go inside and be seated."

"Thank you, Sir."

They walked into the small dark room, which had three chairs. Evidently they were interviewing everyone independently, which lifted the burden of being seen by Calvin or Mother.

Beth took a seat and plucked her hat off, placing it in her lap. She looked down at the gold band around her finger and smiled. 

Just then, the door opened and an older, balding man walked into the room. He wore a grey three piece suit and coke bottle glasses. He placed a few folders and blank pieces of paper on the desk, then sat down in the creaky chair.

"Thank you Mrs. and Mr. Knight for coming to the city today. My name is Peter Jenkins, I'll be asking you some questions here and-"

"How come we ain't in the big court room?" Arthur questioned.

"You will eventually. I just have to get your statements first, so we can present them to the court."

"Oh."

He smiled as he sorted through the papers."Now you were on the ship as it sunk, correct?"

"Yes."

"Some people don't believe it split in half-"

Arthur scoffed."Well it did."

The older man nodded."Yes well they'll try to counter your claim, because that would mean the ship wasn't properly built."

"And whose they?"

"White Star Line."

"Motherfuckers..."Arthur muttered.

Beth squeezed his hand."Be nice."

"By taking your statements and all seven hundred who survived, we'll have enough to sue them and put them out of business."

"That'll never happen."

"Well we have to try, Mr. Knight."

Arthur inhaled sharply and gave a nod."Fine. It broke in half; pretty sure it was still partially attached to the Bow, which is why the Stern was able to rise up the way it did."

"How far do you think it rose?"

"Probably as tall as one of them skyscrapers you got around here," He waved his finger around."Make no mistake, we wasn't sure what was gonna happen in that moment. We thought the damn thing was gonna topple over."