Promises Made ch 14 (part one)

While He Was Sleeping

Marlena watched with much concern as her ex-husband and Dr. Michael Horton carefully loaded John into the back of the Jeep, making him as comfortable and secure as possible. Eric stood next to Marlena and seeing how worried she was, he put his arm around her and encouraged her, "Mom... he's very strong, he'll be okay. Try not to worry too much."

"Oh, Eric.... thank you for saying that. I know that all this has been so hard on you and that you wanted to see your father and I reunite..."

"Mom..it's okay, I think I'm finally starting to accept that it isn't my life, it isn't my decision to make. I'm sorry that I have been so tough on you and John, you were just caught in a horrible situation because of Kristen's lies. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh, sweety, of course I will. I love you so much!" she said with tears in her eyes. They embraced warmly, and she felt the love and affection returning little by little ever since their talk the other night. Up to that point she had been afraid that the rift would not be healed for a very long time, if ever, and this moment couldn't have come at a better time. She needed her son's support to get through the next few hours as she worried about the man she loved more than anything in the world.

In the next minute, Roman and Mike approached, with Roman saying, "We're all set to go, let's get in. I'm going to drive, Marlena. Why don't you sit up front with me," he said pleasantly, still jockeying for position. Never say die.. that was the attitude. 'She could still give me a chance if I play this right,' he thought.

She sighed exhaustedly, not having the energy to fight him on it, though she dearly wanted to be near John. Before she answered, Mike chimed in, "I'll be riding in back with John to monitor his condition, Marlena. I want everybody else in a seatbelt. Go ahead, Marlena, ride up front and be safe." At this point, Brady was already in the middle of the back seat fast asleep, covered with his special blanket, and clutching a stuffed animal.

Thankful for that reasoning, she said, "Of course you're right, please.. tell me if...well, you know.." Marlena answered, not knowing exactly how to finish the sentence. Mike nodded with understanding and was about to proceed with climbing in back to sit next to John, when he saw the look on her face. Recognizing that she needed a minute with her fiance, Mike cautioned. "Marlena, please, don't be long, time is crucial."

Realizing that reality, she nodded and said quietly, "I know." Before getting in the front seat, she went around to the back where John was lying down on his left side facing the back of the Jeep. He was covered with several blankets and still shivering with fever. She sat down on her right hip and while stroking his damp hair tenderly with her right hand, she said, "Oh, John.... honey.. you just have to be okay." She leaned down again and whispered in his ear, "I love you with all my heart John and I don't ever want you to forget that, honey. We're going to get you there safely, you'll have the surgery and then you'll be good as new in no time. I love you!" she whispered passionately.

He heard her and somehow managed to find the strength to fight through the mental fog and speak to her, "I love you too, Doc... I love you too," he whispered. Then, he faded out in the next moment, his body needing to put all its energy into survival. She kissed his warm cheek, then reluctantly left him there, went quickly to the front of the vehicle and climbed in. In spite of her fears, it made her chuckle as she struggled to get in; it was so high up and she thought of all the times John teased her about it, saying he was going to design a little fold-up ladder to attach below the door to make it easier for her. 'Oh sweety, when will we get back to the fun and laughter again? It's been so long since I've seen you smiling with happiness. How I love your smile John..' she said in her mind, tears coming to her eyes for all the tense moments between them of late, feeling suddenly very thankful for the brief interlude of lovemaking they shared the previous night. One never knew when some tragedy might strike; Marlena realized that more now than ever before. She lifted up an anxious prayer about it, 'Oh, dear God.. don't let him die... with all those memories of us arguing on his mind.. please!'

Eric got in the back seat, watching his father and mother closely. There was fear for the life of man she truly loved in his mother's eyes, fear of losing her once and for all and regret for leaving her all those years ago, in his father's. Eric glanced back at John and wondered how it could ever work out so that nobody was hurt and angry. As he looked down over the seat at John's shivering body looking so vulnerable, he suddenly saw the man as just a human being, nothing more. It was odd to acknowledge it, but he had been thinking of John as almost superhuman and felt bad for his father, whom he thought didn't stand a chance against a superhero. John Black was the brave heroic man who risked life and limb to save Eric's mother from evil forces so many times he couldn't count them anymore, even from the devil. But, now it was John who was sick and weak and that changed his perspective on the whole situation, making him face the truth. John wasn't some cassanova, or the homewrecking interloper causing problems between the boy's parents, as Sami and Eric had been making him out to be. He was just an ordinary man who had loved Eric's mother very much for many years and all he wanted was to start a new life with her after years of pain and separation, much of it because of the burdensome guilt he carried for hurting another good man, Roman Brady. And, just when that life was about to begin, his world was turned upside down by the startling return of that same man, whose death they had all mourned. Everything John had been doing, the secret he and Marlena kept, was born out of good motives. John even risked his life for Roman, almost dying from some poison dart while pursuing the cure and now he was the one who was sick and needed help.

Eric looked down as Mike was taking the sleeping man's vital signs. He spoke in his mind to the man who had been his father for several years. 'John... I really am sorry for how I've treated you and I do love you. I wish I could tell you how much I value those years and tell you that I know you aren't the bad guy here; if anyone is to blame for this situation, it is the Dimera family. Stefano and Kristen set this all up by lying to Dad and they should pay for it, for the pain all of you have gone through since Kristen brought Dad back to Salem to stop your wedding. Eric vowed to do whatever he could to make that happen. Eric believed that his parents and John could use the help because they were all having enough trouble of their own right now. ' I am going to help take them down if it's the last thing I do,' he vowed. He then turned his attention to the current problem; noticing the frown on Mike's face, he asked worriedly, "Mike..what is it?"

"It's.. his temperature, it seems to be going up again, it's at 105 and it had been down around 103. And, his blood pressure is dropping. I'm concerned the appendix has already ruptured." Mike looked toward the front of the truck and said, "Roman..how are you doing? Do you think you can get us there soon?"

"The traffic is bad and the roads are a mess..cars are sliding off the road all over the place. It helps to have the four wheel drive and the extra weight though. I'm hoping I can get us through, but I can't tell you much yet."

Marlena was terrified, gripping the seat with both hands. The Jeep was moving slowly and steadily forward, but the snow was nearly blinding, visibility extremely poor. It was so bad that she doubted they would be able to avoid an accident if anything even slightly out of the ordinary happened. She turned to God for divine intervention, 'Oh please God, get us all there safely in time for John to have the surgery he needs to save his life. Guide Roman as he drives in this horrible storm and give John the strength to survive the extra stress of this bumpy ride. And, lastly... help me find the words to tell Roman everything about my love for John and all the lies Kristen has told him. Help him accept the truth and let me go, so that we can finally move on with our lives. Thank you for listening Lord.'

Forty-five harrowing minutes later, their stomachs were tied in knots and they were all white knuckled, but otherwise not too much the worse for wear as they pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance of Salem University Hospital. Mike jumped down as soon as the hatch popped open. Marlena went inside and secured a gurney and Mike and Roman had John there as soon as she reached the door. Within seconds John was on his way to an examining room, a portable x-ray machine used to confirm the diagnosis. Indeed, it was an inflammed appendix which appeared to have begun to rupture.

Marlena stood just outside the door where Mike was examining John, waiting fearfully for some word on his condition. Roman and Eric stood quietly by her side, not knowing what to say to her. Eric had taken the still sleeping Brady into the lounge to lay him down, bless his little heart. Mike came out of the examining room, a frown on his handsome face as he said, "It's definitely his appendix and it looks like it just ruptured, we're prepping him for surgery now."

Fearing the worst and wanting to make sure John heard how much she loved him one last time before the operation, she asked pleadingly, "Mike, can I.."

Shaking his head, he interrupted her, "I'm sorry, there's just no time, he might die if we delay any longer. I'll see you soon."

She nodded, covered her mouth with her left hand and began to cry... "Oh.. John!" she cried as she watched the gurney being wheeled away at lightning speed to the OR. Marlena couldn't remember the last time he was even sick enough to go to the doctor and here he was on death's door. Over the years, she too had come to think of John as indestructible sometimes. No matter what Stefano did to them, John was always fine. He was the strong one, the one who never seemed weak, scared, or vulnerable. He was her fearless protector, her knight in shining armor, coming to her rescue from the evil king, more times than she cared to count. He was her handsome brave hero and now he was sick, maybe dying from some common ordinary every day thing like a ruptured appendix. After all his dangerous, often life threatening, exotic adventures it was actually fairly ironic, but she couldn't take time to appreciate that now.

Her hands folded in front of her, she implored him to fight, though he could not hear her, "Please be strong now, John. You can beat this, just like you've beaten Stefano and the devil, and so many other challenges in your life. You can do it, my love!" she whispered through her fearful tears, as she watched him disappear behind the double doors on his way to yet another confrontation with death.