Page 15 of If They Knew

“I'm fine, we've got bigger problems right now than my hand. Tyler is over with Logan,” she says, pointing towards Tyler.

“Okay, wait right here,” I tell her as I turn toward the bridge.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to grab the megaphone from the equipment cabinet. I need a way to get everyone's attention. I'll meet you with Tyler and Logan in a second. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she responds. I give her a quick kiss then run toward the bridge.

The bridge looks even more damaged than before the explosion. Just inside the door, another officer is lying on the floor, not moving. Blood has pooled around his head. I bend down to check his pulse, even though it's clear he’s dead. With time running out, I look around and notice the emergency equipment cabinet has been opened and most supplies are gone. The only thing left is first-aid kits. My eyes drift to where the survival rafts should be before spotting the red megaphone in the top right corner, strapped to the wall. I reach up and unstrap it, then quickly press the button to test it.

“Testing,” I say into the megaphone. My voice echoes throughout the room, and I wince from the volume. My left ear is sensitive to sound, while I still can’t hear anything in my right. I take a moment to gather all the available medical supplies and first-aid kits. Surprisingly, there are several kits left. I grab a nearby trash can and toss the contents. I throw all the medical supplies and first-aid kits into the bag, lift it over my shoulder, and rush back outside. The chaos has subsided somewhat, and the fire is nearly out due to the rain. Only a little smoke and a small fire remain. Most of the passengers have fled the deck. The only people still screaming for help are the severely injured or those clinging to someone for support. I try not to look at the dead bodies on the deck. Holding the megaphone above my head, I press the siren button, letting it blare for a few seconds. The siren grabs everyone's attention on the deck, just as I wanted.

“If you can hear this, please make your way inside and head to the atrium. I repeat, if you can hear me, please go to the atrium,” I say, hoping my voice reaches everyone. I watch people start to walk toward the exit. Most of the passengers are covered in blood, with cuts and bruises. Some have serious injuries, like broken arms, legs, or severe burns from the explosion. A few are even missing limbs and are being carried by someone else.

“If you see someone injured, please help them to the atrium,” I repeat until everyone is helping someone. Looking around, I spot Julie, Tyler, and Logan standing to the side. I walk over to them and ask if they can help gather people and lead them down to the atrium. They quickly tell me what a disaster the atrium is, but it’s too late to do anything about it—people have already started heading that way.

I continue with the megaphone, “If anyone has medical training, please form a group to the side.” To my surprise, a few passengers do, and one woman approaches me and introduces herself.

“Hi, my name is Mary. I’m a retired nurse. How can I help?”

I watch her speak; her authoritative tone is like that of a teacher. The crow’s feet and wrinkles around her eyes show she smiles often, and her smooth mahogany-toned skin gives her a youthful look. Her hands and clothes are splattered with blood, clearly indicating she has already helped multiple people.

I hand her the trash bag filled with medical supplies. “This is all I can find for now. We can head to the medical center for more supplies. There is a whole slew of hospital-grade medical supplies there. Can you make this work until then?”

“I’ll do what I can,” she says with a sigh, looking around at the carnage. “Some of these people need a hospital to survive.”

I run my hand through my hair and let out a breath. “Well, ma’am, we don’t have a hospital, just the supplies in the medical center. Please do what you can with this and take the supplies to the atrium. Thank you for offering to help,” I say.

She reaches out, laying a hand on my shoulder, and her touch is soothing. “Take a deep breath, honey. I’ll do what I can to help.” Then she grabs the bag and takes it with her.

Before she leaves, I put my hand out, stopping her. “I appreciate whatever you can do.”

Standing on the deck, I look out over the water. A few lifeboats drift away from the damaged cruise ship, slowly disappearing into the darkness. As I walk toward the railing, I think back to earlier, when I watched passengers desperately trying to climb into one of the lifeboats. Gazing over the railing, I’m struck by the sight of bodies—hundreds thrashing in the water, while passengers around them scream for help, their life vest lights blinking brightly. I feel the wind suddenly pick up and watch the rough sea pull them farther away. The heavy rain makes it nearly impossible to see exactly how many are alive, and the flashing lights on the life vests make it even more difficult to keep track. They flicker so sporadically that I lose count. The current slowly carries the small, flashing lights farther out, and as I watch everyone in the water, the scene reminds me of an airport runway, with its lights flashing across the ground.

While the screams slowly fade into the distance, I close my eyes and remind myself to focus on the passengers still on the ship. I look down and realize I can see the 4th floor deck. The rails are damaged, and several lifeboats hang precariously. I spot a few passengers and try to catch their attention. With the strong wind and heavy rain, I’m not sure if they hear me. My voice strains from yelling, and I completely forget I’m holding a megaphone.

I yell into the megaphone, “Hey!” A few passengers look up in my direction.

“Head to the atrium and tell everyone you see to do the same.” I watch as the passengers below scramble like ants. I turn to face Julie, Tyler, and Logan, who are now just feet away, trying to help anyone around. “Can you all walk to the atrium?” I ask.

“Yeah, we're all good. I might be a little slower, but I'll manage,” Logan says, grabbing his thigh.

“I'll help you if you need it,” says Tyler, offering a hand.

“No, I'm good, but thanks. Go help someone who needs it. I'll be fine. It's just sore,” says Logan.

As we head to the atrium, we enter the side stairwell, partially lit by emergency lights that will go out soon. Like the deck, the stairwell is littered with bodies in various positions. One by one, we stop to check each body for a pulse. Only a few passengers have one, and we help as many of them as we can to the atrium.

As we enter the atrium, I realize Julie and Tyler weren't exaggerating about the destruction. People are huddled in small groups off to the sides wherever they can find space to stand or sit. The remnants of the two elevators and their shafts make the section of the atrium near the stairs almost impossible to cross. I watch as people hug the walls to navigate to other areas, trying to avoid the grand staircase, which now looks like something out of a slasher film. Although there are fewer dead bodies in the atrium than on the 12th deck, since we moved everyone to this area, almost every surface is stained with blood. I stand frozen, taking in the scene and feeling completely overwhelmed. I'm not sure how much time passes before my brother snaps me back into reality.

“You're the one with the megaphone. What do you want to do?” asks Tyler.

I look at my brother as Julie and Logan walk up and stand beside him. Both of them are silent as they wait for me to answer Tyler’s question.

“We have to make this area work. Does anyone know where Captain Whitaker is?”

The three of them look at me and shrug.