“There are some people down below in the boiler rooms,” said Philip. “Perhaps there’s someone down there you know. Come on. I’ll go down with you.”
Albert and Philip headed down the stairs.
It was hot and crowded in the boiler room. The air was thick, and it was hard to breathe. Albert coughed so hard he almost gagged. The light from the furnaces and greasy lamps stung his eyes.
The room was jammed with people milling about, rubbing their hands to warm up and drying their wet clothes. Some passengers, too weak and injured to stand alone, leaned against others. Many looked dazed. Others grimaced in pain. Some cried as if they couldn’t stop. Some called out names. One woman kept repeating, “Why?” over and over. One man cursed.
There were no children in the room. The realization made Albert shudder and tears well up in his eyes. There had been almost 150 children aboard the Empress. He’d heard that at dinner. Had they all died except him?
And where were all the Salvation Army people? There was no one he knew here. Someone from the Salvation Army had to be alive. He couldn’t be the only survivor. But what if he was? He couldn’t let himself think about that. It hurt too much.
“Please, can we go back up?” he asked Philip.
Philip patted his arm. “Of course.”
They walked back up to the deck.
Albert gripped the railing and exhaled.
“You need something to warm you up. How about some hot soup?”
“All right. Thank you.”
“Wait here. I’ll bring it to you.”
As Albert waited, he sat down on the hard deck. A man sat beside him, with his back to Albert. There was something familiar about him. The man turned and leaned against the railing. Albert couldn’t believe it! It was Captain Kendall, the captain of the Empress! Albert remembered how the captain had toured the deck in his crisp uniform, meeting passengers, shaking hands, wishing them all a good journey when they boarded the ship. Now his uniform was dirty, ragged and torn.
He sat with his face in his palms. When he looked up, his eyes were glazed, like he’d seen a ghost.
Dr. Grant, the Empress’s doctor, approached the captain. Albert recognized him from the ship, too. The doctor had listened to them play on deck. He’d shaken hands with everyone in the band.
“Here. Have some brandy,” the doctor told the captain, handing him a dusty bottle. “It will warm you up.”
The captain looked up and shook his head. “I never drink liquor, doctor, and I can’t now. Thank you anyway.”
“You shouldn’t have stayed out so long looking for survivors. You’re hurt and exhausted, Henry.”
“I had to go. They are my passengers. The Empress was my ship. She was my responsibility. Why didn’t the Storstad stop? I signalled her. All this would have been avoided if she’d stopped.”
“I am so sorry this has happened,” said the doctor. “The fog was thick. It was hard to see anything through it.”
Captain Kendall shook his head. He looked out over the water. “Look. The Lady Evelyn is approaching. She’ll be transporting survivors to Rimouski. From there, they’ll make their way home. You go on ahead, doctor. You’re needed. We couldn’t have managed without you.”
The doctor patted the captain on the back and hurried off to assist in moving passengers to the Lady Evelyn. Soon after, the captain stood up, pulled back his shoulders and walked over to help the doctor.
Albert looked up as the Lady Evelyn drew closer. Soon he’d be heading home.
Home. It seemed so far away and yet he’d been home only a few days ago.
Philip brought hot soup, brown bread and a cup of water. Albert sipped the soup. It was thin, almost a broth, with a few onions and potatoes floating around, but it tasted good. Albert hadn’t realized how hungry he was until then.
As he ate, he watched the Lady Evelyn stop beside the Storstad. He watched Dr. Grant direct the transfer of the living and dead. Albert looked away as the dead were brought out. Someone he knew might be among them. He put down his soup bowl and waited for the sad procession to end.
Next the severely injured were carried aboard. Those who could walk would follow. Albert stood up. He handed Philip the empty bowl and cup.
Philip put his arm around Albert’s shoulder. “You are a brave boy, Albert. I hope you find your family and your friend. Don’t give up hope. You made it. They could have made it, too.”
“Thank you again for rescuing me. Thank you for everything.”
Albert waved to Philip as he joined the other survivors aboard the Lady Evelyn.