John Black was a man not used to waiting. In fact, if his wife had been
asked if there was just anything that marred her image of the man she
adored, she could have said that waiting was something that he did NOT
do well.
Glancing at the assorted family and friends gathered for word on not
just Marlena, but also Shawn-D and Hope, he whispered to Eric, who had
his arm protectively around his small sister that he would be back.
With a nod, Eric turned his attention back to a sleeping Isabella,
covering her with his tuxedo jacket and making sure that her little feet
were covered.
While that was going on, John noticed that Maggie and Mickey had a
worried Brady, who kept asking for his momma.
Eric’s voice called out, breaking the silence of the family.
“Light a candle for me too please John?”
John’s blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I will.” Walking quickly
past a still silent Bo who watched him with haunted eyes. John went to
the chapel. The angry words that had been exchanged between the men, who
were once brothers still rang out in the air amongst the shell shocked
family.
His thoughts were on someone who truly didn’t deserve what had happened
to her.
Images from earlier that night flooded his senses, exploding against the
inside of his brain. As he closed his eyes to pray, what he saw behind
his eyes could only be described simply as from when he was younger and
had pressed his fists against his closed eyelids, creating patterns of
no set arrangement that still were there like a faint mist as the lights
came back when he opened his eyes.
Checking his watch to see what time it was, John knelt down and silently
for a moment glanced around the hospital chapel.
“I haven’t been back here to do this in awhile, so I’m probably a little
rusty. But I’m here to ask a favor for someone else. Someone far more
worthier than I to be in God’s good graces.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Oh Lexie, is there any word?”
Wearily, Alexandra Carver came out of the Operating room to face a room
full of friends. Glancing around and finding Bo first, she stepped
towards him. “Shawn-D is fine, we managed to get his broken leg set and
the concussion is mild. But while he’s acting very brave, I think he’d
like to see his Daddy.”
Bo nodded as relief became etched on his handsome face, only to be taken
away suddenly. “Hey Lex, What about Hope?”
She shook her head. “Bo, Craig’s still operating. Hope lost a lot of
blood.”
Shawn nodded. “Your girl is a fighter, she’ll be fine.” Wincing at that
comment, Caroline asked about the third injured family member. “Lexie,
what about Marlena. Is there any word?”
Lexie hesitated and took a deep breath. They had all been hurt tonight
and had their faith shaken by someone they loved, what she had to tell
them could help, but it was complicated by Marlena’s other medical
condition.
“John needs to hear this before everyone.” Eric handed Belle to
Caroline. “I’ll get him.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Eric’s eyes took a moment to get accustomed to the dimness in the
Chapel. Crossing himself in force of habit, he found his prey deep in
prayer.
“Please don’t let me lose her now.” As his head sunk against his hands,
John froze when Eric laid his hands on his step-father’s shoulders.
“You couldn’t lose Mom if you tried. She loves you so very much.” John
turned and let his son sit beside him. “I had to come and get you.”
John’s eyes widened. “Your mom?” Eric nodded. “She said that she
wouldn’t tell us anything without you there. So here I am.”
Allowing himself the luxury of a weak moment, John’s eyes filled with
tears. “Eric, I can’t lose her.”
Speaking with a confidence that he wasn’t feeling as a memory of Lexie’s
eyes came back to him, Eric whispered as he glanced to the cross on the
wall. “We won’t.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You cannot save me John.” He never believed, had never SEEN hatred in
anyone’s eyes as he did in Hope’s so strong as she glanced sideways at
Marlena, who seemed made of stone, but her hazel eyes were pleading for
him. “And you cannot save her.” As if in slow motion, he relived the
shooting again.
“John?”
He glanced up at the person who laid the hand on his arm. “Abe, this
isn’t happening. It just isn’t real. It can’t be.”
Abe came to sit with his best friend. “It can and it has. You have to
face this buddy. She’s going to need your love and support in the next
few days until the final tests are in.”
He ran his hand through his hair and glanced down at his shirt, still
stained with Marlena’s blood.
“Abe, she’s so strong. But this, this is going to kill her.”
Abe nodded. “She’s surprised us before. Lexie did say this may not be
permanent. It could go back to normal as the swelling goes down.” John
bit the inside of his lip to prevent himself from crying again at an
image of vivid hazel eyes being forever shadowed. He remembered Lexie’s
announcement.
“It appears that the bullet has done some damage. But we can’t know for
certain.” John blinked. “What do you mean can’t know for certain,
Lexie?” She sadly smiled. “John, she’s pregnant.”
“Abe, I’ll never forgive Hope for this.”
He paused, watching Bo in his grief. “I know he’s hurting just as much
as me. But I came this close to losing not just Marlena but our baby.
She did everything short of standing on her head and screaming not to
marry her. But Bo did, he KNEW she wasn’t back completely.”
Abe shook his head. “John, at least you KNOW that she’s going to live
and you have a baby on the way.” He glanced to his other friend. “Bo is
very close to losing it all.”
John leaned forward. “I don’t care.”
Wincing as he hadn’t meant for it to be so callous, John glanced to Abe.
“She’s been a friend for as long as I can remember my life here in
Salem. I don’t want her to die, I couldn’t wish the loss of the other
half of your soul on anybody but this could have all been prevented. The
final person who could have warned him, junior refused to listen to. So
right now, between you, me and the walls here, I’m holding them both
responsible.”
Abe looked away at the bitterness in John’s voice and his voice dropped
to a whisper. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the memories you’ve
been having about Hawaii is it?” John’s eyes widened. “YOU said that
you’d not discuss that again. Don’t make me regret coming to you for
help.”
Abe shook his head and called it as it was. “You only came to me because
you couldn’t talk to either one of them. Somehow I don’t see it coming
up for dinner conversation at your house. “Honey pass the peas and oh by
the way, when you thought that I died in Hawaii, I was actually having
sex with our ex-sister in law.” He gestured to Bo, who was leaning
against the Nurses desk, with Caroline by his side. “As for him, to
bring it up would have pay per view promoters billing it as the fight of
the century.”
John held up a hand. “I didn’t ask you to be my conscious.” Abe shook
his head. “Yes you did. You couldn’t go to her. You had no choice but to
talk to a friend. I’m glad you did.”
John nodded. “So am I.” He looked at his hand, running his finger over
the cool smoothness of his wedding ring. “As this ring encircles your
finger, know that your love encircles my heart.” Abe blinked. “John what
did you say?”
He checked his watch. “Just remembering a promise remade on a beach in
Hawaii.” He glanced around. “I’m going to take a walk. If we get any
news.” Abe nodded. “I’ll come find you.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She was seemingly asleep as John crept into her room, he had waited for
several minutes while the nurses switched over before making his move.
Settling down quietly in the chair beside her, John’s mind crept back to
all the other times she had been lying just like this. Too eerily still,
he thought as he picked up her hand to bring it to his lips.
“Hey beauty, it’s me.” He watched for any movement, knowing that she
wouldn’t be. Thanks to the sedatives that Lexie gave her to sleep. “God,
it should be me in this bed not you. I never meant for you to be hurt
and yet again, I’ve helped to bring you pain.”
He paused as she shifted and let out a soft whimper. “Sssh.”
Caressing her cheek, John let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding
as she drifted back to a sounder sleep.
“Lady, I can never let you find out just what went down in Hawaii. I
can’t lose you. Not now.” His hand drifted to her stomach and a smile
came to his face. “A baby.” He glanced back up to her, tears casting a
sparkle in his bluer than blue eyes. “That is so amazing, I can’t
believe we never saw this. It makes sense now that I have a chance to
sit and thank back the past few weeks.”
Lexie’s voice broke into his happy thoughts. “You’re not to be in here
yet John. I know that you’re worried for her, but she’s going to be
fine.”
He brushed a tear from his eye. “You’re sure?”
Lexie came to stand behind him. John turned slightly. “Have you gotten
tests back?”
Lexie shook her head, causing him to look back to Marlena. “No, but I
have learnt from being this lady’s friend, NEVER count her out.”
He smiled. “No, no we can’t.” Lexie draped her arm around his shoulders.
“How bout we get a cup of coffee, grab Abe and get breakfast. Her
medication should have worn off by then and we can see better what’s
going on?”
John nodded and leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek. “Okay.” Lifting
his lips from Marlena’s cool cheek, he paused by her ear. “I love you,
always.”
They were rewarded by a smile of such sweetness that John broke down..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There was something in darkness that had always terrified Marlena, she
thought that it had been addressed and dealt with during her ordeal in
the pit. Where she faced off with the cause of her fear. But it was easy
to face off with an angel. Hold a grudge and it was obvious where you’d
spend the rest of your immortal life.
But now as the darkness crept in around her like an octopus with its
tentacles raised to lower you to your doom, Marlena found herself
wanting to scream and cry out.
The visions of this night of torture were calling for her, unwilling to
let her have peace.
As she became more awake, she felt the familiar dampness of tears
trickling against her skin.
Her hands went instinctively to her face, to dry her eyes. But they
paused at the rough material that lay over them. Fear clutched at her
heart. Sitting up, she called out.
She heard Lexie’s calming voice at her right side. “You’re supposed to
be asleep for at least another hour. I gave you enough sedatives to make
sure of that.” Marlena shook her head. “I wish that I could. But I don’t
like the choice of dreams I’m having.”
When the silence in the room became too much, she called out worriedly.
“Lexie, are you still here?”
She felt Lexie’s hand cover hers and heard the chair scraping the floor
as she drew it closer to the bed. “I’m still here. I won’t leave you.”
A hesitant smile came over Marlena’s face. “Lexie, why are my eyes
covered?”
Alexandra’s face dimmed slightly and she thanked whoever watched over
her that Marlena couldn’t see the worried look in her dark brown eyes.
“Don’t you remember?” When the golden blonde head shook in the negative,
Lexie continued. “Anything at all of what went on?”
Marlena’s smile faded and the voice grew icy.
“Would I ask you why their covered if I remember? Stop being my doctor
and just tell me. WHY are they covered?”
She suddenly paused and her voice became it’s normal pitch. “I’m so
sorry.”
Lexie shook her head. “Don’t be. You’ve been through an ordeal. It’s
understandable that you’d strike out at someone.” She smiled, hoping
that would give a sign of positivity. “Besides, since John’s not here,
at least it’s someone who loves you very much.”
Marlena smiled and her voice broke. “Lexie, why does my head hurt so
bad.”
Glancing behind her, Lexie prayed that John would come in to spare her
having to explain this alone.
“Honey, Hope shot you last night at the wedding reception. Do you
remember that?”
Marlena was about to say that she didn’t, when a hazy memory shimmered
behind her eyes. It was of her fighting for the gun, struggling with a
woman who she had once called a dear friend.
As the gunshot rang in her ears, Marlena’s voice became tearful once
again.
“She shot me.” That statement was almost childlike in it’s simplicity.
Lexie’s voice ached for her friend. “Yes. Bo fought her for the gun and
it went off a second time.”
Marlena was about to answer when the door opened. “Who’s that?”
She felt herself relax when a certain voice answered. “I could have
sworn Lexie said that you would still be out with all those sedatives.”
Marlena slid back in bed. A petulant air surrounded her that brought
smiles to the two others in her room. “Now I’m stuck with Doctor
Freudian Black again.”
John glanced at Lexie and laughed. “Doc, I thought you liked my bedside
manner.”
She began to fidget, reaching for her bandages. “I do, but not when I’m
not getting answers.”
Catching her hands in his own, John leaned forward. “What do you want to
know?”
Lexie interrupted. “I’m going to leave you two alone, but John don’t
tire her out.”
His eyes never leaving his wife’s face, John nodded. “The moment she
starts to fade out, I’m going to pass out in the chair beside her bed.”
Lexie smiled. “Marlena, if you need anything, you.”
Marlena shook her head and smiled. “I know, I just press the magic
button.”
John rolled his eyes, amused at this side of his wife. “I guess the
pills are kicking in Lex?”
Lexie softly chuckled. “Yeah, I think they are. Be gentle John.” Marlena
mimicked her friend. “Yeah be gentle with me.”
Once she left, John turned around. “Okay, you want answers. What are the
questions?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I can’t understand this. How could Hope even think of taking her own
son’s life, much less Mom’s?” Maggie listened as Sami asked the one
statement everyone wanted answers for.
“I don’t know honey. But hopefully we’ll have answers for all these
questions soon.” Maggie glanced to Bo, who stood vigil over the ICU
doors.
“I hope so too. Because there’s no turning back now.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
John stared fascinated at his wife’s hands. A smile slowly crept over
his face as a conversation that he had once with someone about Marlena
came back to him. “You can see in most people’s eyes if their upset, not
MY wife. Watch her hands and they’ll tell you more about her heart.”
“Doc, that blanket didn’t do a thing to you. Why prolong it’s torment,
stop picking at the sheets and talk to me?” Her hands paused in mid
flight and she turned her unseeing eyes to him. “Because I can’t. I
can’t talk to you about this.”
He caught her hands in his own. “Try sweetheart.”
He glanced down worriedly at their intertwined hands. “Doc?”
Her voice shook slightly, but he mistook it from the medications she was
given. “She did this out of love for you. She shot me because I tried to
protect the people I love from her.” She slid her hands out of his. “And
because, how did she put it. Because you chose me over her.”
His blue eyes grew foggy as he relived that moment, watching his wife
being held at gunpoint, not knowing how to react as he listened to those
words.
“You cannot save me John, and you cannot save HER.”
“Baby, it’s going to be alright.” She turned her head. “How is it going
to be alright, I can’t see. Shawn is hurt and Hope.” She paused. “Hope
is Hope.”
Her voice turned icy. “John, I give up on this. I thought that I did
what was best, I warned them.”
John leaned forward and laid his hand on her cheek. “Listen to me, you
did nothing wrong. You did what you were trained to do. No friend could
have asked for more than that.”
His hand slid around her neck and pulled her to him. As he rested his
forehead to hers, he softly made a promise they both knew could very
well be impossible to keep. “As for the bandages, they aren’t permanent.
You will see our babies again, including the newest miracle you’ve
graced my life with.”
It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. “I’m pregnant?”
I’m sorry, John she’s still not seeing anyone.” He lowered the flowers
and looked at Lexie. “What is wrong with being pregnant?” Glancing
sideways at the door, she led her friend away to avoid Marlena hearing
him.
“John, there’s nothing wrong with being pregnant. What is wrong is that
she may not be able to SEE this baby when it’s born. That she may never
SEE your smile again as you lay in each other’s arms. May never SEE
Belle dance her first recital.” They both turned around to find Marlena
sitting up, a raised eyebrow the only indication of her amusement over
this.
“Just to let you both know, I may be blind, but I’m not deaf. A Tip for
future reference, If you’re going to talk about me like I’m not here,
the least you can do is CLOSE the door?” Exchanging glances, the friends
came inside Marlena’s room and apologized to her.
“Can I at least give you a kiss or are you still sulking?”
Marlena shook her head. “I’m not sulking. Just not happy. How can we be
happy about this. John, admit it. My being blind and this baby are not
exactly the best news.”
He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “This baby is the best news, as for
your sight. It isn’t gone. We won’t know that until the swelling and
damage to your optic nerve finally goes down. So lets be positive until
we HAVE something to be negative about.”
Marlena began to cry. “Just go, please?”
As he and Lexie left, John turned at the door. “You’ve been so many
things to all of us. Honey, I would have never thought a quitter was one
of them.”
He smiled at her angry retort. “You go to hell!” He paused and allowed a
moment of honesty to shine through. “When I saw you lying in my arms,
your blood on my shirt. I was in hell. I was in hell because I thought
my heart was broken.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A couple of hours later, Marlena was just falling asleep when she heard
the door open. “Hello?” as she turned around, she heard scuffling.
“Who’s there? I said Hello.”
She was reaching for the alert button when she felt something drop at
her feet. “I would have said hello, but had a mouthful of balloon
strings.” She fell back against her pillows. “John, why did you come
back.”
She smiled at the chuckle he let out. “Because I know that you can’t
live without me.”
She let out an unladylike snort. “Says you and that overinflated ego of
yours.”
John came to sit on the side of the bed. “Well my overinflated ego as
you called it decided that it was time for operation smile part 2.”
She shook her head. “Oh John, no.” He leaned in and gently grazed her
lips with his. “Oh yes.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bo stretched and gently reached up to brush a stray hair off of Hope’s
forehead. “Wake up fancy face. You have to be alright.” He grimaced.
“You have to help me make things right.”
He looked away and remembered his argument with Marlena. As the family
stood there, in shocked silence as he unleashed his frustration and
anguish over Hope on one of the dearest friends he had, Bo had crossed
over the line of reason into momentary insanity.
He ignored John’s ominous rumble of “that’s enough Bo.” He continued at
her, ignoring her protective gesture of holding her hands to her head.
Only when she piteously whimpered for John to help her did he clue in,
that he had gone way too far.
She stumbled away, the bandage becoming stained with scarlet and didn’t
get far before collapsing into John’s arms.
Marlena had been taken back into emergency where they learnt of the
severity of her injury.
It took Eric, Abe, Roman and Shawn to keep the two men apart. But John’s
words rang out very loud and clear.
“I hope your happy. Said that if Hope dies you’d never forgive her. Well
LITTLE BROTHER, it’s going to go both ways. Marlena dies or there’s any
sort of complication as a result from this lovely little display of
family love you showed her tonight, you’re going to wish you died too.
Hope you choke as you remember everything that you said tonight Bo.” He
looked to his restraints and hissed. “I’m FINE!”
As Bo watched John walk away, the memory faded and he was back alone in
Hope’s room, the beeping of the monitors the only sound.
“I have to make things right Hope. I can’t lose her friendship.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So?”
Marlena chuckled as her hands wandered over the fuzzy softness of the
teddy bear. “So what?”
He clicked on the tape player. Marlena began to laugh. “Oh no, don’t
sing Honey, please.”
He helped her out of bed and gently gathered her up in his arms. “I
can’t do this honey.” He nuzzled her neck. “First off, I’m not singing.
Hurt that the one time I open my heart and sing for you, your still
teasing me about it.” She tilted her head. “That is a moment I cherish
forever, I’ll have you know.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. whatever.” He nipped at her lips.
“Secondly. You can dance. Just listen to our hearts beating and move to
the rhythm.”
The verses of the Clint Black duet suddenly made her feel claustrophobic
and she began to push at John. “Please, let me go.” Worried, John asked
her what was wrong.
She couldn’t tell him of the images, the mind play that Hope had begun
with her. Being a siren leading Marlena’s happy life to crash against
the rocks and so she continued to struggle, acting out the image of a
moth trapped in silk. “Please, please.”
He had seen variations on the look in her eyes since she agreed to take
Hope on as a patient. She never spoke of this, saying that she owed it
to Hope to be professional. But something was making sure that slowly
she was beginning to slip away from him. He didn’t like it that a most
precious promise of never keeping secrets was being broken by them both.
The time he had spent waiting for word on Marlena ensured that he could
go over things in his mind. The more he did, the more he was positive.
Marlena had some idea of just what he had been doing while she spent
time mourning for what was lost.
Before he could ask her, she made a quiet plea. “Would you help me back
to bed please?”
His blue eyes softened as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “I will.”
As they headed towards her bed, Marlena softly murmured something that
he couldn’t quite hear. “Doc?”
She turned her head slightly. “I said thank you.” John blinked. “For
what?” She grinned. “For loving me, making me see sense.” She crinkled
her nose. “BAD choice of words.” She gestured to the door. “You may want
to lock that.”
He grinned. “I beg your pardon?” Marlena grinned a mischievous smile.
“You gave me a gift, now it’s my turn to reciprocate.”
As he saw her waggle her eyebrows, he went to do as he was told.
“Okay, now what?” The expectant tone in John’s voice brought giggles to
his wife, that soon erupted into a belly laugh that seemed to have no
beginning and no ending.
She soon straightened up and held out her hands. As she stepped towards
him, John stood still as she began to gently explore his face. “Now, I
get to reacquaint myself with a face that has haunted my dreams and a
heart that has loved me forever.”
He caught her hands and brought first one and then the other to his
lips. “Will always love you.”
She shivered. “Doc?” Shaking her head, she was about to speak when there
was a knock on the door. As it grew more insistent, John made sure that
she was safely in bed before answering it.
“Time for your medication Marlena.” Lexie’s timing for some reason
struck Marlena as funny and so she began to laugh again. “Sweet dreams
honey.” She nodded and as he hugged her and told her that he would be
back in the morning, she smiled. “Visions of my handsome husband always
are sweet dreams.” As John leaned over again to kiss her, she whispered
in his ear. “Promise me that you’ll be back.” While he whispered his
promise in her ear, her hand came to rest on his cheek for a moment.
As she asked Lexie to take him out, they heard in her sweet voice
something that had been lost in the first few hours after the ordeal
began.
Hope..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“John!” He turned around. “Yeah Lex?” She came to meet him in front of
Marlena’s door. “She’s not in there.” His eyes grew bewildered. “What do
you mean she’s not in there?” Lex smiled. “She’s gone to see Hope.”
Sudden irrational thoughts of his life falling apart went through his
mind. “She is?”
“She’s gone where?”
Lexie nodded. “She’s gone to see Hope. Maggie took her.” She scratched
her nose. “She seemed very insistent that she was taken to her.” John
clenched his teeth and prayed that somehow he’d be able to find a way to
salvage this.
“Ah, Mr. Black.” Lexie and John turned to find a nurse heading towards
them. John nodded. “Is everything alright?” She shook her head. “Dr
Evans asked me to find you and bring you to Dr. Young’s office.”
John shook his head, glancing to Lexie. “Dr Young?” Lexie smiled.
“That’s one of the Doctors that are assigned to Marlena’s condition.”
Fear shone in John’s eyes as he headed for the Doctor’s office at a
run..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As he came past the Nurses station, Bo intercepted him. “Wait.” John
froze. “I have to get to Marlena.” Bo shook his head. “She can wait.”
John’s eyes turned black. “Excuse me?” Bo nodded. “You heard me. We need
to clear the air.”
John jabbed his finger in his brother’s chest. “No, we don’t. We both
said all that we needed to yesterday. You blamed MY wife for this while
we all know that it is YOURS that has brought us to this point.”
Bo held up his hands. “I came to you to clear this up.” John shook his
head. “No, no you didn’t. You did this to delay me from getting to my
wife. Tell me something Bo, do you want to come with me so that you can
apologize to Marlena for your speaking first without thinking?” When Bo
was silent, John nodded.
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. I’d once thought growing up would have
given you compassion. You seemed to have it, but for some reason, you’ve
lost it while everyone told you this was NOT your wife.” He saw the
Nurse coming back for him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, My wife needs me.”
Bo grabbed his arm, spinning John around to face him. “Well MY wife
needs me too. I let her down so many times before. I won’t do it now.
Marlena deserves blame here as much as me.” John shook his head. “How
so?” He yanked his arm out of Bo’s reach.
“She can only do so much when a patient ducks out of appointments, isn’t
honest and has her fiancee inform the doctor that her services aren’t
needed. That they’re going to someone else less involved?”
Bo turned to the desk and punched it in frustration. “This is NOT going
right.” John shook his head. “You got that right. Do us both a favor Bo.
Leave me and my family alone from here on out okay. You may have meant
well, but as usual, it’s NOT coming across as good intentions.” John
walked away in search of Dr Young’s office.
Checking his watch, Bo muttered something about how John was more Brady
than any of the Brady’s as he headed back to Hope’s room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Princess Gina glanced at her daughter and grimaced. “Stop crying
Greta.” She gestured towards the notepad in her child’s lap. “Have you
finished it?” Greta nodded as her hair fell in front of her face, hiding
her tears.
“Ah ma petite chou, do not cry. This is how it should be. I was never
allowed to have what I loved most. So those who denied me, will be
punished.”
Greta nodded and they heard Bo talking just outside the door. Glaring at
her daughter, Gina told her to dry her eyes. “Mail that for me please.”
As she watched her daughter walk away, Gina smiled a weak smile. “Soon,
you’ll hurt as much as you’ve made me.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Okay Marlena, he’s here.” John came in, closed the door behind him and
stood just behind his wife. “Sorry I was late.”
Marlena smiled. “Better late than never.” She began to fidget. “So
what’s happening with my eyes Dr. Young?” Her voice became hopeful.
“Will I be able to see my babies or when this baby is born, will I get
to see her?” John interrupted. “Him.”
Dr Young smiled. “Well based on the tests run after we brought you in
and also this morning, I’m positive that as the swelling goes down, you
will be able to see again.”
John’s smile couldn’t get any bigger. “Do you hear that Doc?” Marlena
nodded, a smile coming across her face as well when John took her hand
in his. “So what can we do to get this swelling down faster?”
Dr Young blinked. “Well outside of the medication aspect which we can’t
really explore as you said that in regards to the baby, you didn’t want
to do, not much. Just time and rest.”
John hugged his wife. “This we can do.” She playfully gave him a shove.
“What is this WE business.” As everyone laughed, Doctor Young continued
to explain how to help Marlena get reacquainted with her house.
Listening to the doctor talking, it was as if someone had laid flannel
over Marlena’s ears or she had gone underwater. In the doctor’s place
was Gina’s voice. Menacing and full of innuendo as she began the game.
“Marlena?” With the worried tone in the Doctor’s voice, John turned to
see his wife doubled over in tears. Laying his hands on her back,
Marlena sat straight up as if by his mere touch he electrocuted her.
“Doc?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” John glanced to the Doctor, who asked if
Marlena wished to take the bandages off. “Yes, yes I do.”
He listened as the Doctor explained just what was going on and how as
everything healed, it would be at first blurry and then drift back to
normal. Marlena shook her head. “I just need to take these bandages off.
Its like a form of itchy house arrest.”
As John watched, he found that there was something rather unearthly
watching Marlena looking at him, with the once lively hazel eyes clouded
over. “Doc?”
She just held out her hands. “Walk me back to my room honey please?”
He smiled and fought back the tears that came rushing up. Shaking his
head, he thought to himself. “I helped to cause this.”
Worried, Marlena called out. “I’d like to go back sometime today John.”
Wrapping his arm around her, he nuzzled her neck. “I’m sorry.” Marlena
smiled. “Instead of a seeing eye John, I’m going to look into a seeing
eye Dog.”
Dr Young held the door open. “Dogs usually listen better than doting
husbands.” Marlena laughed. “I’m beginning to see that. Ooops bad choice
of words.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Should she be acting like this?” Dr Young
smiled. “She’s making fun of her illness and you, yeah I think it’s a
good sign.”
John smiled. “Just checking.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They came into her room and found Shawn with Caroline.
“Thank goodness your here.” John helped Marlena to climb into bed.
“What’s wrong?”
Caroline glanced at Shawn. “We just wanted you to know. Gina passed
away.”
John shook his head. “What did you just say?” Shawn nodded. “She told Bo
the truth. It wasn’t Hope who shot Marlena.” John blinked. “Did she say
where the real Hope has gone?”
Caroline nodded. “Yeah, she’s apparently locked up with Stefano of all
people. But Bo is on the way to Paris to rescue them, Abe is with him
and Shane is meeting them there.” She glanced at Marlena, who was lying
with her back to him.
“Marlena?”
Worried, the trio looked at one another. “Are you alright?” She nodded.
“My eyes are sore, I’m going to try to get some sleep if that’s
alright?” Caroline nodded and Shawn spoke with love for the young woman
he knew well. “We’re sorry, here we are talking about her and didn’t
even ask how the tests went.”
John spoke for her when they got no response from her. “It went well.
Doctor Young is hopeful.”
Caroline stepped forward. “Marlena?”
She turned around. “Honey, please don’t shut us out. The Brady’s are
family.” Shawn came to stand beside her. “We’re so lucky. Lass we got
you both back. We have you and Hope back and now in a few months, a new
grandchild.”
Marlena felt the fear growing again and so she shook her head. “I’m
tired.”
Worried over her, the trio left the room quietly as not to disturb her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hope looked at the letter that she had tried to write, had been trying
to write for days. How in the world could she explain to the person that
she had tried. Had fought, but the urge was beyond understanding. If she
had to pinpoint what it was for a listener, it simply was like a
compulsion that had no rational explanation.
But it was done to a person who had loved her for the simple reason that
she was a friend. By loving Bo, Marlena had accepted her without
question. Even after she had foolishly kissed Roman, Marlena was there.
And now to have to say to her, that she had disgraced them both. She
knew that Marlena would be so very hurt. To have not fought and allowed
this to happen.
She glanced at this letter and crumpled it up. There would be time to
explain it all when Bo brought her home to Salem. All she asked for was
the chance to apologize..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Ssh.”
Marlena bit her lip so not to let the kids know that she was awake. It
was her final day in the hospital and had fallen asleep while the
release papers were signed. John had gotten permission from Lexie and
the other Doctors for the children to be cleared to bring Mommy home.
“You no ssh me Bwady. I tell Daddy.” John knelt down. “Mommy’s asleep.
You two keep it down. Remember what I told you.” Belle draped her arm
around John. “Mommy no see us.” Brady shook his head. “No but she can
hear us. We being loud.” He bit his lip. ‘Sorry Daddy.”
Before they could go in, John heard a crash from inside Marlena’s room.
Quickly asking Alice and Maggie to watch the kids for a second, he went
inside.
Marlena was crying and he found that she had knocked over a vase of
flowers. “I can’t go home! John how in the world am I going to function
at the penthouse if I can’t see?” Coming to her, he gathered her up.
“We’re going to do this. You will come home for the simple reason,
that’s where you belong. Chelsea and I are going to be there to help.”
Brady’s soft voice piped up. “Mommy, Belle and I help too.”
Breaking into a fresh round of tears, she knelt down and held out her
hands. “Oh Brady.” As the little boy came to her, he gently reached up
and did something that had him stealing his mom’s heart again.
In the tiny exact gesture so like his father, he dried her tears with
his thumbs. “Smile Mommy.” She cuddled him close and inhaled his sweet
little boy scent. “Momma!” Belle came running in followed by Alice and
Maggie. “Are you ready to go home?”
Marlena nodded, cuddling her babies close. “As ready as I’m going to
be.”
The Jarlena Journal 