“Mawlena, Mawlena.” She heard someone scream behind her. She turned around and opened her arms ready to receive the toddler. The little brunette girl jumped on her arms.
“Angie, how many times will I have to tell you not to run and scream in the hospital?” Marlena asked her.
“I’m sowy I was just exited to see you.” Angie replied.
“And I’m happy to see you too.” Marlena replied. Angie was a three-year-old toddler that Marlena had met while a visit to an orphanage and had fell in love with. Not being allowed to adopt her Marlena organized a visit on every Monday and Wednesday.
“Why don’t we go in my office and you can tell me what happened to you this past week.” Marlena offered.
“Okay.” Angie relied. Marlena sat the little girl on her couch and sat beside her.
“So you said you wanted to tell me something?” Marlena said.
“I had the dweam again, you know the one where you fall off the cliff.” Angie said.
“You did, Angie, I need you to tell me what happens after I fall off the cliff.” Marlena said. The little girl’s blue eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t,” she replied tears falling on her cheeks, “I can’t, I don’t want to see you there again.” She added. The little girl screamed and collapsed. Everything went black and Marlena found herself hanging from a cliff with Angie standing on the top holding her hand out.
“Come one Mawlena, take me hand.” Angie said. Marlena made a reach for the little girls hand but as she lets go of the branch, it breaks and she falls into the dark waters. Trying to find her way up she’s running out of breath. She looks up and sees Angie floating over her and John floating beside her, both are dead. Running out of oxygen she blacks out.
1
Marlena bolted up soaking wet in her sweat and panting. For weeks now she had had the same dream of the little girl telling her that she died and John, her poor John drowned. She looked beside her John was sound asleep. She looked at the clock. One a.m.
“I need to get some sleep or tomorrow will be a long day.” She tough to herself. She kissed John turned around and went back to sleep.
That morning in her office, Marlena dozed off and got lost in her thoughts.
“Mawlena, Mawlena.” She someone scream behind her. She turned around and opened her arms ready to receive the toddler. The little brunette girl jumped on her arms.
“Angie, how many times will I have to tell you not to run and scream in the hospital?” Marlena asked her.
“I’m sowy I was just exited to see you.” Angie replied.
“And I’m happy to see you too.” Marlena replied. Angie was a three-year-old toddler that Marlena had met while a visit to an orphanage and had fell in love with. Not being allowed to adopt her Marlena organized a visit on every Monday and Wednesday.
“Why don’t we go in my office and you can tell me what happened to you this past week.” Marlena offered.
“Okay.” Angie relied. Marlena sat the little girl on her couch and sat beside her.
“So you said you wanted to tell me something?” Marlena said.
“I had the dweam again, you know the one where you fall off the cliff.” Angie said.
“You did, Angie, I need you to tell me what happens after I fall off the cliff.” Marlena said. The little girl’s blue eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t,” she replied tears falling on her cheeks, “I can’t, I don’t want to see you there again.” She added. The little girl screamed and collapsed.
“Doc?” Marlena heard a far away voice call, “Earth to Doc, earth to Doc.” It said again. Marlena snapped out of her daydream. The room was blurry but when her sigh got straight again she saw him.
“John.” She said smiling, she was very happy to see him.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked.
“Nothing, just thinking about tonight and what we have planed.” Marlena said grinning.
“Ah yes, but before we have dinner we have to eat lunch, which I have right here.” John said showing her a paper bag.
“Oh John you shouldn’t have.” Marlena said flattered.
“But I did, I though it would be nice to have lunch with my beautiful wife.” He replied. John took out the lunch he had packed and they ate.
When they finished lunch Marlena had a half an hour left before she needed to get back to work so John took her for a walk outside. Holding hands, they walked for fifteen minutes and walked back to the hospital. John walked her to her office kissed her and left.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He said closing the door. Marlena sat behind her desk and tried to remember her dream or maybe the face of that little girl.
2
Marlena got home after being stuck at the office and in traffic for two hours. She ran a hand in her already messy hair and sighed. It had been a long day. Especially with the dream always haunting her. Why did she have that dream? She threw her keys on the counter, hung her coat, threw her suitcase on the floor and laid on the couch, she let her shoes fall to the ground. She knew John wouldn’t be home for another hour so she closed her eyes trying to get a little nap before he got home. She closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep and the dream came back.
“Marlena take my hand I can’t let you fall, take my hand.” Angie said.
“I can’t I’m to heavy, I’ll only pull you with me.” Marlena replied.
“No you won’t please Mawlena take my hand, trust me.” Angie insisted.
“Fine.” Marlena said. She let go of the branch and reached for Angie’s hand. The minute the little girls hand made contact with Marlena’s the branch broke and the both of them fell into the cold waters. Marlena tried to scream for help but no sound came out of her mouth. She looked around for Angie but couldn’t see her. Her lungs were burning for air. She tried to get to the surface for air but something kept pulling her down. Her hands reached for something but touched nothing. All of a sudden she felt a pressure on in her chest and she looked up. Marlena saw Angie floating over her, smiling.
“Take my hand.” Angie said. Marlena reached for her hand and caught it. She felt someone pulling her out of the water. All went black and Marlena felt someone shaking her.
“Marlena, Marlena wake up Doc, open your eyes, oh God you’re not breathing.” Marlena heard a far away voice calling to her.
John was sitting at his desk, thinking about Marlena when Kate came barging in interrupting his thoughts.
“John I need you to sign these before I send them out.” Kate said.
“Yeah sure.” John replied.
“Is something bothering you?” she asked. Kate sat on a chair in front of John’s desk.
“No.” John replied.
“Come on John, I know something’s bothering you, you can tell me I’m a friend.” Kate said putting her hand on his.
“It’s Marlena, she’s been having these nightmares lately, she wakes up panting and soaking wet every night.”
“That’s awful.” Kate replied horrified.
“She keeps mentioning a name in her dreams, Angie.”
“Is that someone you guys know?”
“No, that’s just it, I don’t know who Angie is, Marlena doesn’t want to talk about it, and she says that it’s okay, that she’ll get over it.” John said, “God Kate I don’t know what to do, what if Marlena’s sick.” He added tears running down his face.
“Oh John.” Kate said. She got up and gave him a hug.
“Thanks Kate, I need to go check on her.” John said.
“John we have a meeting in ten minutes.” Kate said.
“That’s right.”
“I can send Roman check on her.” Kate suggested.
“That would be great.” John said. Kate called Roman and asked him to go check on Marlena.
“I can do that sure.” Roman said.
He got into his car and drove to Marlena’s. When he got to her door he heard her gasping for air. He burst open the door and saw Marlena laying on her couch unconscious. Roman started shaking her.
“Marlena, Marlena wake up Doc, open your eyes, oh God you’re not breathing.” Roman said. He called an ambulance they came to get Marlena. Roman went with her. Roman called John and Kate and told him to meet him at the hospital.
3
John came running through the hospital doors with Kate. Roman had called him to tell him he had found Marlena unconscious. Roman was waiting for them.
“Roman, where’s doc?” John asked.
“Third floor, room 314.” Roman said.
“Thanks.”
“Look, John, it doesn’t look good, Marlena wasn’t breathing when I found her, she lost a lot of oxygen to the brain, she’s still unconscious and the doctors think that she might never wake up.” Roman said. John looked at him, shook his head and headed for the third floor. Roman looked at Kate.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if Doc never wakes up.” He told her.
“She will, Marlena’s a fighter.” Kate told him to reassure him.
“I hope you’re right.” Roman said hugging Kate.
John sat beside Marlena’s bed. Seeing his beloved Doc hooked to the heart monitors, respirators and ivy was just horrible to him. She looked to pale and week. He touched her face; it was so cold.
“Oh God Doc, I should’ve been there for you, this wouldn’t have happened if I would’ve returned home on time,” John said, “I’m so sorry, Doc, I’m so sorry.” He added tears running down his face.
“Oh John I hear you, I wish I could tell you I’m okay.” Marlena though. She tried to move her lips and talked to him, but it was so hard. She needed him to see that she was okay, that she would be okay. Marlena tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn’t find the strenght to open them. Everything was black.
“Mr.. Black,” a nurse said, “you’ve got a call on line one it’s your daughter, Belle.”
“I’ll take it.” He replied, he turned to Marlena, “I’ll be right back Doc.” He left to take her call.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Daddy?” Belle replied.
“It’s me baby.”
“What happened to mom?”
“Roman found her unconscious and not breathing in her penthouse, he called emergency services and they brought her to the hospital, she’s still in a coma and the doctors say there’s not a good chance she’ll wake up.” John told Belle.
“Oh my God, I’m heading over there right now.” Belle said hanging up. John hung up and went back to Marlena’s room.
Darkness is all around Marlena she looks around. A woman appears surrounded by white light.
“Where’s John?” Marlena asked her.
“Take my hand and I’ll lead you to John.” The woman said holding her hand out. Marlena took her hand and was surrounded by light.
Marlena opened her eyes and looked around. She saw John sitting next to her bed and beside him was Angie.
“Angie!” She screamed out, chocked to see the toddler in her room.
“Doc?” John asked.
“John, I’m so happy you met Angie.” Marlena said with a smile.
“Angie, who’s Angie?” John asked.
“Who’s Angie, John she’s right next to you.” Marlena replied.
“Marlena I’m the only one in the room.” John replied.
4
“John, I don’t understand, Angie is right next to you.” Marlena insisted.
“Doc, I think you need to rest.” John said worried.
“I do not need to rest I’ve been sleeping for the past I don’t know how many hours and I don’t need to rest, Angie is sitting right next to you.” Marlena screamed out angry. She sat up in her bed.
“John how could you not see her she’s right there besides you.” Marlena screamed pointing to besides John.
“Marlena lay down, I swear there is not one standing next to me.” John said pushing on Marlena’s shoulders to make her lay down.
“I won’t lay down until you tell me the truth, tell me you can see Angie.” Marlena said. Before John could reply Lexie came into the room and gave Marlena a shot. Seconds after Marlena fell asleep.
“What did you do to her?” John asked.
“I gave her a sedative, I heard you two arguing and it wasn’t good for Marlena’s heart to scream and argue like that.” Lexie said, “she should wake up in a few hours, mean while you should go home and rest I feel it will be a long road to Marlena’s recovery, her injuries are mental, I think.”
“Who’s this Angie girl?” John asked.
“Well, after what we heard you and Marlena screaming, Angie is a person that Marlena invented in her mind, someone whom she talks to and confines into, if we can find out more about Angie, maybe we can help solve Marlena’s problem.” Lexie told John.
“I’ll try to get something out of her when she wakes up.”
“Good, we’ll need everything you’ll tell us to help her.” Lexie said, “Meanwhile I got to do rounds, bye John.” She added leaving.
“Doc, I got to go for about and hour, I’ll be here when you wake up, I’ll ask Roman or Kate to watch over you while I’m gone.” John said. He kissed Marlena good-bye on the forehead and left.
An hour and a half later John was back by Marlena’s side.
“Hey Doc, I’m back.” He said sitting next to her.
“It’s nice to hear your voice.” Marlena mumbled.
“Your awake.”
“I’ve been for about a half and hour, I was waiting for you.” She said.
“Marlena I’d like to know something about Angie.”
“Sure, anything.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s about three years old.”
“What is her full name?”
“Angelina Carrie Rogers.”
“What does she look like, her hair color, her eyes, her high anything can help.”
“She’s about three feet tall, very tall for a toddler, she has shoulder length dark brown hair and green eyes.” Marlena said.
“Marlena one more thing, do you know what was her birthdate?”
“I don’t remember the year but I do know it’s January 5th.” Marlena said. Her voice was now just a murmur.
“Doc, your tired, you need some rest.”
“I think so too.” Marlena agreed.
“I’ll let you sleep.” John said leaving.
“John.” He heard some behind him call. He turned it was Lexie.
“We had a check run on an Angelina Carrie Roberts who was born January 5th and with the profile you gave us of Angie, we found only one that matched the profile.” Lexie said.
“And?”
“Well you see this is the odd part, the only one that matched died close to twenty years ago.” Lexie replied.
5
“Are you sure?” John replied.
“Positive, we have a picture, maybe Marlena could identify her.” Lexie suggested.
“I don’t think it would be a good I idea, Marlena could ask questions about her and it would be hard to tell her the girl’s dead.” John said.
“Well since there’s not much we can do, I guess we can send her home, but you’ll have to keep a very close watch on her, if she stops breathing again, it could mean death.” Lexie said.
“Bless you Lexie.” John said.
“Let her sleep the night and tomorrow, you can bring her home.” Lexie said.
“Thanks again Lexie.” John said. He returned to Marlena’s bedside.
“Hey Doc.” He said. Then Belle bursted in.
“Hey daddy, sorry I’m a little late.” Belle said.
“Oh God is mom still unconscious?”
“No she’s just sleeping.”
“Thank God, I was so worried, did Lexie say when mom’s coming home?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Cool, I could throw a party.”
“Don’t do that your mother needs to take it slow the first few days she returns home.”
“Okay, well I guess I should let her sleep.” Belle said.
“Oh no baby, it’s okay I’m not sleeping anyways.” Marlena said weakly.
“Hey mom.” Belle said.
“Hey sweetie, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, what happened?” Belle asked.
“Belle can I talk to you outside?” John said.
“Sure, I’ll see you later mom.” Belle said. She gave Marlena a hug and left with John.
“What is it daddy?” She asked him.
“The truth is we don’t know what is happening to your mother, so don’t ask her that again, okay?” John said to Belle.
“I won’t but dad what happened to her?”
“I can’t tell you it’s too complicated.”
“Okay fine then don’t tell me and next time mom is injured, I won’t care.” Belle said storming out of the hospital. John looked at Marlena through the window she was sleeping again. Lexie came to his sides.
“I think you better let her sleep.” She said.
“Yeah I agree, I’ll first thing in the morning, call me if she wakes up.” John told her. He went to kiss Marlena one last time and then left for home.
The next morning, after a sleepless night, John got up at five, dressed, ate breakfast and went strait to the hospital; he wanted to be by Marlena’s side when she woke up. He had brought her clothes for her release. It was six before her got to the hospital. He went in her room and sat by her bed. Watching her chest go up and down with the rhythm of her breathing. Her breathing was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in this moment. It meant she was alive. Marlena moaned in her sleep and changed position. She turned her face into John’s direction then shifted her body to the side and stuck her arms underneath the pillow. John smiled, Marlena always took this position, an hour or a half an hour before she woke. Marlena smiled in her dreams and all John could wonder was what Marlena was dreaming of…
7
“I’ll make us some tea.” John said when they got home.
“Oh thanks.” Marlena replied, “but I think I’m going to go to my room for a little while and rest.”
“Okay, I’ll go see you in a while.” John said, “good rest.” He added kissing her forehead softly. Marlena headed up. John sat on the couch. Why did Marlena always had to rest, it was as if, she never slept. He decided to keep an eye on her so he went to take a shower where he would be close to Marlena room. While he was climbing the stairs he heard Marlena sing. He stopped at her door to listen a little. She was off key but had such a beautiful voice he couldn’t help but smile.
“Hush, little baby, don’t you cry.
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
and if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass.” Marlena sang. John decided to just pass by and look on in. He passed quickly and looked in. He saw Angie sitting on Marlena’s lap but when he looked back there was no one there. He shook his head and decided it was only his imagination. He got to the bathroom, undressed and got in. The hot water calmed him but soon Marlena joined him and only then he realized he missed her presence. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“I though you wanted to rest?” John asked her.
“I’ll rest after I’ve kissed the life out of you.” Marlena said laughing. John and Marlena kissed again. John wanted more but knew it could easily injure Marlena again.
“Marlena, Marlena, stop it, stop.” John said pulling away.
“What’s wrong, don’t you want me?” Marlena asked upset.
“No it’s not that, you need your rest Doc, you need sleep.” John said.
“Yeah I guess your right.” Marlena sighed. She walked out of the shower, put on her fluffy pink robe and went back to her room. When John finished his shower he went to check on Marlena. He put on his robe and went to her room. Marlena was lying asleep naked on her bed. John picked up her body, pulled back the covers, laid Marlena on the bed and pulled the covers back over her. John slipped his robe off and laid beside Marlena, wrapping her in his arms.
John felt Marlena toss and turn beside him he looked at the clock. It was two am.
“Doc, what’s wrong, doc?” John asked. He noticed Marlena was gasping for air.
“Marlena wake up, Marlena open your eyes.” John said. He shook her softly. Marlena bolted up in the bed and brought her hands to her throat. She was taking long breaths as if she had been unable to breath.
“Doc, what happened?” John asked. He noticed she had tears running down her face.
“Marlena, what’s wrong?” he asked her.
“I don’t know, help me, John, help me.” She said crying. He took her into his arms he felt the warm skin of her chest on his.
“It’s okay, Doc, it’s okay.” He said rocking her in his arms while she cried.
DESTINATION UNKNOWN 9B
“Oh, Marlena” Kate said smiling. She’d wondered how long it would be before she came to visit her after what she had seen in John’s office.
“Kate, don’t play games with me! I know!” Kate tried to act suprised, she knew she was treading on thin ice, but she was gonna push it anyway.
“What ever do you mean?” she asked trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“Dammit Kate!” Marlena said throwing her arms up in exasperation, every minute her patience was growing thinner. “I know you managed to get your hooks into John somehow…”
Kate laughed at this “May I remind you something Marlena? YOU left HIM”, but Marlena had had enough.
“Go to Hell Kate! That’s none of YOUR business! Plus I’m back now, so keep your grimy hands off of my husband!” She warned, advancing toward Kate.
“Is ‘Doc’ afraid John doesn’t love her anymore?” Kate suggested maliciously.
That was the LAST straw for Marlena, stepping foward Marlena brought the palm of her hand up against Kate’s cheek, hard.
“You bi-” Marlena said, her eyes shooting daggers but she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Marlena looked at the door, then back at Kate, who’s cheek was now a deep purple.
“Come in!” Kate called, while gingerly rubbing her cheek
“Excuse me Miss Roberts, is Mrs. Black here?” Cynthia, John’s secretary asked, but before Kate could answer, Marlena stepped foward.
“Cynthia, I told you to call me Marlena” She reminded her.
“Ok… Marlena” Then stepping into the office further revealed a red faced, crying Jason, “I couldn’t get him to stop crying” she admitted apologetically.
Marlena reached for Jason and pulled him into her arms
“It’s ok Cynthia, he’s probably just tired” she explained then settling him on her hip. “It’s ok sweetie boy, momma’s here now” she cooed.
Kate stood watching the events taking place, her mouth open but nothing coming out. Cynthia continued “AND Mr. Black is waiting for you and Jason in the lobby.”
Marlena nodded and turned to Kate “This isn’t over she mumbled and walked through the door.::
The Jarlena Journal 