John grabbed his jacket and tore out of the office, brushing past Dominick, who had come to try and push the offer once again. "John, hey buddy, where's the fire?" Dominick caught John's arm as he tried to walk off to his car. "Dom, come with me or let me go! NOW!" Dominick let go, startled at John's demeanor. "Lead the way man!" Both men walked at a fast clip to the Cherokee, neither knowing exactly what was going on. John sped down the Salem streets in between his wife's work and the private office he occupied as an ISA informant, explaining to Dominick all that he knew.
Reaching the hospital, John decided against waiting for the elevator, and took the stairwell, climbing the stairs at a lightning fast speed, leaving a bewildered Dominick in the dust. Finally coming to the floor Marlena's office was on; he burst through the door and ran to her office. Shae-Lynn jumped as John flung the door open and rushed inside. "Where is Dr Evans?" Shae-Lynn's eyes were wide with both amazement and surprise. "She is in her office. She had asked me to cancel the rest of the day's appointments. I was just getting ready to leave." John sighed and relaxed slightly, turning to walk into the office. Smiling at Shae-Lynn, he turned the handle and entered the room. Dominick reached the room and, breathless, asked Shae-Lynn where John was. She smiled and pointed toward the cracked door. Thanking her, Dominick neared the door and peeked in to make sure all was well, while Shae-Lynn crept out of the room.
John stood in the middle of the room, looking at the back of Marlena's chair. She was looking outside, unaware of his presence in the office. "Doc!" Marlena whirled around in the chair and looked for the voice that could help her. She found him, and the teabs began to creep from her eyes again. Rising from the chair, she made her way over to him, carefully stepping and trying not to burst into a new set of fresh tears. John held his arms out for her, to which Marlena replied with a graceful leap into them. John crushed her body to his and held her as she shook, tears soundlessly escaping and darkening the front of his shirt. "What happened?" Marlena's mouth made the words, but sound would not mix with them. She put the tissue against her mouth and clinched her eyelids together, not wanting to tell him what she thought. John stroked her hair and placed light kisses on top of her head. Drawing her to the couch, he settled her on his lap and continued to try to get her to tell him her worries.
Dominick stepped into the room, all at once embarrassed and envious with the scene in front of him. Clearing his throat, he let his presence known in the room. Marlena lifted her head off of John's shoulder and scooted off of his lap, while John kept a firm grip around her waist. "Uh, I'm sorry to intrude, but I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Marlena, are you alright?" Dominick had a way of making the bleakest moments seem brighter. His smile warmed Marlena's heart. "Well, now that my two favorite ISA guys are here, I couldn't be better." She smiled through her tears and reached up and kissed John's cheek, patting the other side with her hand. John reached up and clasped her hand in his own, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. Marlena was touched by the gesture and leaned her head on his shoulder again, gazing up at him, letting her undying love wash over him. "Would you do me a huge favor?" John put her hand down and looked up at Dominick with exasperated eyes. "How can I say 'no' to a woman who treats me like that? Yeah, Doc, anything you need." "Anything?" She squeezed his hand and raised her eyebrow. "Doc, we have a guest, ya know?" Marlena turned her head and smiled at Dominick. "Uh, maybe I should get going?" Marlena shuffled over to the tall man and stood in front of him. "Thank you." Dominick shifted in his spot, looking down at his shoes, slightly embarrassed. He'd always thought Marlena was a beautiful woman, and often wondered if there would be a Marlena for him one day. "Oh, I didn't do anything really." Marlena reached out and took his hand, covering it with her own. "You came to check on me, I really do appreciate that." She stepped over and hugged the man. Dominick looked over at John, who was smiling at his good friend and wife. Marlena broke the hug and turned her attention to John. "Okay, now, husband of mine. I need you to get me some lunch. I am starving!" John pulled himself up off of the couch and walked over to his wife. "Okay, wife of mine, I will go get your food, but... you and I need to talk when I get back. Deal?" John tipped his wife's down turned face upward, causing her to look him in the face. "Deal?" Marlena's eyes began to pool with unshed tears and she averted her gaze from his face. "Deal." Her whisper was all John needed.
He pulled her to him in a soothing embrace and brushed the tears that stole from her eyes away. Kissing the top of her head, he motioned to Dom for them to leave. "I will be right back, Doc." He let his hands fall to hers and gripped them in a loving vice, not wanting to leave her. "I will count down the minutes." Marlena reluctantly let go of John's hand and watched as the two men made their way toward the office door. After the door clicked shut, Marlena's tears broke free, making cascades down her face. Stumbling to her desk, her mind played out the events of that horrid day when she'd lost everything she'd lived for. She could feel him, he was so close. The bond between them had ebbed brighter that moment, he was there. Her head turned, there he was! He was going to save her, to take her away from all of this agony and heartbreak she'd been living. Then the engine revved and they were sky bound. No amount of screaming and pleading could help either one of them. She was gone… gone from him, gone from her children, gone from herself. Marlena felt her knees begin to tremble; her very being began to crumble remembering that day. Sliding to the floor, she took the crumpled paper with her, clutching it to her chest. Her sobs robbed her of her breath and soon she was fighting to regain some breath control. Her hand made a tight fist around the pink paper, crushing the words to their death. "WHY NOW?" She leaned her head against the desk front and curled her knees toward her, wondering if anything she was thinking was true.
John walked to the cafeteria with Dom at a quick pace, not wanting to leave Marlena alone for too much longer. "Man, what happened in there?" Dom poured the coffee in the cup John held out. "I don't know, Dom. I really don't. All I know is that something has scared her… really bad." John's hand gripped the fragile paper cup with an overbearing force and sloshed the hot coffee onto his hand and to the floor. "John, man, you gotta calm down!" Dom rushed to the cabinet and pulled the napkins out furiously, sopping up the wet mess that he created. John crushed the cup in his hand oblivious to the burn that redden his hand. "I'm sorry, Dom. I just hate to see her in such pain. I just hope she will trust me and tell me what's wrong with her." Dom pulled the cup from John's clinched hand and tossed it in the trashcan. "John, she will tell you. You just give her some time and believe that whatever she has to say, you will be there for her." John turned to his friend and nodded his head. Dom picked up the sack that Marlena's order was in and handed it to John. "Go on John. She needs you." John's eyes brightened at the thought of his wife, but quickly furrowed. "How are you gonna get home? I drug you in here with me." "Don't worry about me, I can hitch a ride in one of Salem's luxurious yellow limos." John held out his hand for the other man to take. Dom clasped the hand in a hearty shake and clapped his friend's shoulder. John took the white sack and headed out the cafeteria door at a brisk step, leaving Dom alone, wishing he had a miniscule amount of what John had. Sighing, Dom headed toward the hospital pay phone to call a cab and return to his apartment; greeted by the silence that living alone had afforded him.
To be continued...