An Officer's Love {Titanic}

Ten

Ella turned to see Moody running out. "Iceberg right ahead!"

Will quickly ran to the door of the wheelhouse. Ella was shaking quite bad. "Hard a'starboard!" He yelled to Hichens.

He ran to the telegraphs.

Ella was looking at the iceberg. She hadn't ever seen one like that before. She was shaking. Will ran out. "W-Will."

Will took Ella's hand. "Come on, come on, turn. Turn."

Ella was shaking so badly. She didn't know if it was from the cold or the fear she felt.

Will gripped onto the bridge with one hand and continued to hold Ella's with the other.

"Is it hard over?" Will yelled.

"Yes Sir!" Moody called back.

Suddenly, the whole ship shuddered badly. Sweat dripped down Will's face. He swallowed hard. Ella fell over with the shudder as she was unable to balance. Will picked her up and looked towards the wheelhouse. "Hard a'port!" Will yelled. Hitchens quickly turned it the other way.

Ella was shaking. Will held onto her as the ship stopped. "W-We should go inside," Ella said. She had a tight grip on Will's hand.

"Aye. Come along lass."

***

Will closed the water tight doors. Ella was still shaking. "Go and get some coffee Miss Hanson," Will said just as the door opened.

"What was that, Mr. Murdoch?"

"An iceberg, sir. I put a hard a'starboard and ran the engines full astern, but it was too close. I tried to port 'round it, but she hit."

"Close the watertight doors."

"The doors are closed, sir," Will said as he looked at Ella.

Smith looked over the side "All stop," he called. He looked at Will. "Find the carpenter. Get him to sound the ship.

"Yes, sir!"

Ella went with Will. She was too scared to be left alone.

"Will, what's going to happen?" Ella mumbled. He could hear in her voice that she was on the verge of tears.

"We'll have to see what's happening down below. We'll go from there. I'm not leaving you. Go and fetch Mr Andrews. I'll meet you back up in the wheelhouse," Will said. He discreetly pecked her lips and went to find the carpenter.

Eventually Will and Ella met back at the wheelhouse. Thomas Andrews was getting out the blueprints.

"When can we get underway dammit?" Ismay complained. Ella gripped Will's hand.

"That's five compartments!" Thomas yelled at him. "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments flooded, but not five. Not five... Whatever we do from this moment on, Titanic will sink."