Promises Made ch 16

Threats and Fears

Roman was perfectly quiet as he approached the bed containing the object of his hatred, the man whom he perceived had ripped his world apart for the second time. He was content to observe at first; the man was lying on his back, still and silent in the bed, hooked up to IV's and monitors, as he had been just a few weeks ago. Roman sat down in a chair next to the bed and watched the slow, steady rise and fall of the sleeping man's chest, thinking how easy it would be to eliminate him from the competition. He was completely vulnerable lying there wearing nothing but a hospital gown, still under the effects of anesthesia. John Black, utterly helpless to defend himself, that was quite a sight to see, thought Roman Brady. I could kill him if I wanted to...in five seconds flat. As he considered that fact, he noticed his rival's eyelids begin to flutter and open and he realized that he didn't ever want to kill the man, just let him know he was still a force to be reckoned with, to intimidate him a little while he was in the one down position as Roman perceived that he had been previously.

John sensed intuitively that there was someone with him in the room and in a weak and raspy voice he asked, "Doc... is that you?"

Roman replied firmly, "No... she's not here, John."

John wasn't even fully conscious, but he recognized that voice and the tone was slightly malicious. "Roman..... what are you doing here, where's Marlena?" he asked, somewhat anxiously, making an unsuccessful attempt to sit up.

"She's... busy, John. I came to give you a warning... I'm not giving up on her... I don't care what you think she... feels for you. She loves me, she chose to have ME stay with her at the Penthouse and she chose to stay with me when you pursued her so aggressively and had your...sordid little affair all those years ago. I'm gonna make sure it's me she chooses this time too." He said it all with total conviction and such intensity, he clearly believed in what he was saying without question.

John was struggling against the sedative effects of the anesthesia, but was aware of the threat he faced with Marlena. Roman sounded extremely angry and possessive of Marlena. Calmly and deliberately, John made an attempt to set his visitor straight, "Roman... she knows what she wants and she chose me. She loves *me* now, Roman, and you have to accept that fact."

The fierce anger flared swiftly and he argued forcefully, his face only inches from John's. "No! She still loves ME, she just doesn't fully realize her feelings for me yet, but she will, John. You just wait.. I'll *make* her see it."

The way he talked gave John great cause for concern and he wanted to see her, to make sure she was allright, and he reached for the call button. After groping around with his right hand a moment or two, he was not able find it and was alarmed, making a slightly anxious sound.

"Are you...looking for this John?" Roman taunted with a wicked smile on his face, holding up the item in question, knowing John was much too weak to take it from him.

John nodded, but didn't say anything. Roman wanted him to ask for it. He tried to sit up and reach for it, but the man pulled it further away from him. The motion of sitting and reaching caused him pain near the incision, sharp pain. He groaned and asked, despite his desire to be strong in the face of Roman's intimidating attitude, "Roman..

"Oh...poor Johnny... needs the nurse.. what's he going to do?" Roman said, dangling the call button just beyond his enemy's reach, continuing to taunt him with it.

The pain was increasing as he reached for the cord, hoping to pull it away and he cried out, "Oh...Roman....Oh.." he groaned again, then pleaded with his former friend, "Come on...this is crazy!" There was no verbal response, just an eerie silence. Feeling the man's sense of betrayal, John apologized again for what he and Marlena had done, "I'm sorry we lied to you.. we never meant to hurt you. We were trying to protect you... to make sure you were allright when you learned the truth about us."

Roman was still so angry that he had been deceived again and he wanted Marlena back in his life so badly. In his deluded mind the man in the bed was the only obstacle that kept him from having that dream fulfilled. Feeling a sudden and very powerful surge of jealous rage, he grabbed John by the thin collar of his hospital gown, hoisting him partially off the surface of the bed and shouted at him."You think I care about you.. about your pain? I... HATE you and I will NEVER accept any apologies from you! You.. have ruined my life! You destroyed my family and stole the woman I loved and I'm not going to let you do it again! Marlena is MINE!!"

John wasn't wide awake enough or strong enough after being so sick, to struggle much physically, and he gasped involuntarily in fear as the pain intensified. Finally he garnered the strength to confront the man, "Roman... what are you doing here... you gonna beat up somebody... who can barely keep his eyes open...you think that makes you...something?" he managed to ask with a ragged whisper.

His question made Roman think, but just as he was about to release John, another person sounded an alarm, "My...God, Roman! What are you doing?" yelled a strong male voice.

He turned around to see Mike Horton, Lexie Carver, Eric and Marlena standing there staring at him, absolutely incredulous that he would accost someone who had just come out of surgery. Roman released John instantly and ducked past them before they could recover even slightly from the shock of seeing him with his hands at the top of John's hospital gown. As John's nearly unconscious body slumped down on the sheets, Mike raced to his patient's side to examine him, asking with much concern, "John.. did he hurt you?"

John shook his head slightly and then whispered his answer as his blood pressure came down a little and his heart rate began to slow as well, "No...not really.. but he's so..angry and jealous, so.. possessive of Marlena. He wanted to warn me. to..threaten me while I was weak. Watch him, Mike... watch him closely, don't let him...hurt her." That was all the energy he had and John faded into oblivion for the moment as Mike scurried to take his vital signs and examine the incision.

Marlena stood there, still astounded at what had taken place in the past hour or two. Seeing Roman holding onto John that way... she could hardly believe it and almost fainted from the shock, Eric had to steady her, but didn't say anything right away. He was still in shock as well. "Mike...is he okay?" she finally asked fearfully, crossing the room on shaky legs.

"Well, he seems to be, although it looks like he's put a strain on the incision in the struggle. I still can't believe what we just saw, that Roman would threaten someone who was so...completely unable to defend himself."

"Mom... how could Dad do something like that? How could he...hurt someone that way? I don't understand this at all!" said Eric.. frightened by what he had seen when they arrived. It was so unlike his image of his father, to take physical advantage of John's weakness and vulnerability.

John was fighting the effects of the anesthesia, wanting to make sure Marlena was allright, "Doc... is she okay? I want to see her," he said, unaware of who was in his room, besides Mike Horton.

Marlena reached for his hand, saying reassuringly, "I'm here, John and I'm okay.. don't worry about me, just rest...sweety, just rest now."

He was fighting it still; there was something in her voice that worried him, "Marlena...he was so...angry.. did you...talk to him?" he asked, suspecting it was the case.

She didn't want to answer because eventually John would learn what had happened and she didn't want him worrying about her when he was in such great need of rest in order to recuperate from surgery. Reluctantly, she replied with a soft, "Yes... I told him about us, I said that there was no chance for him with me."

Then came the inevitable next question, "Marlena.... was it just before he came in here?"

She nodded, knowing he was going to keep going until he knew about the whole scenario. "Yes...it was just a little while ago. He was very... upset."

John knew for many reasons that the previous conversation hadn't gone well, "Marlena...just tell me.. what happened? I can see that you're shaken up by what you saw here just now... and there's something else. I'm going to find out sooner or later, so you might as well tell me."

Lexie, Marlena and Mike exchanged nervous glances before she answered. "Lexie.. Mike.. somebody tell me what happened!" he demanded, trying unsuccessfuly to sit up again, groaning as he did so.

"John...lie down and I'll tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't do anything about it right now," Marlena said, hesitating to even give him a hint.

That was all he really needed to know and he denied her request outright, "No.. I won't promise you that, now tell me.. what did he do that's got you so shaken up?" Unexpectedly, John struggled to a sitting position in the bed and his eyes fell upon her legs, seeing a couple of bandages. He demanded information and was becoming more than worried about what had taken place while he was in surgery, "Doc.. you're hurt... what did he do?"

"Allright, I'll tell you, just lie back and I'll explain it. "He was.... so hurt and angry and he... started yelling at me. One minute he was blaming me and the next he wanted me to give him another chance and he was putting all his anger off on you."

She was trying to avoid something, that was obvious and he was becoming exasperated with her, "Marlena... how did you get hurt?"

Marlena sighed with the inevitable, "Allright, I'll tell you. He...slammed the coffee pots across the room and the glass shattered... I have a few minor cuts, but it's nothing serious. So.. don't worry."

"Don't worry!" he exclaimed in disbelief. Ignoring the pain, he bolted upright and acted as though he was going to get out of the bed. Mike and Eric were there in a second, pushing him back down. Mike held his shoulders and stared him square in the face. "John...if you try something like that again, I'll have to sedate you. You just had major surgery and there is absolutely no way I'm letting you off this bed right now, is that clear?"

Not able to find any more strength, John nodded... and did as he was told. After he calmed down slightly, he asked her one more question for which he had to have an honest answer, "Marlena... did he threaten to hurt you... did he ever make you afraid that he would hurt you on purpose?"

"No... John, he wouldn't do that, I know it for a fact. He was angry and he felt betrayed by us, and that's why he threw the water pitcher and smashed the coffee pots."

John happen to look down at her wrists and saw something that worried him even more. Holding them up in the light, he said, "What about this... did he.. grab you, Doc? Did, he try to stop you from leaving when you wanted to go?"

Again there were those anxious glaces exchanged. From the look of anger and fear for her safety in his eyes, it was obvious that John was not going to let the issue drop without the answers he sought. She knew that without a doubt, so she told him the truth which would seal their fate. "Yes..he grabbed me.. but only for one second. As soon as he knew he was hurting me he let me go, John. I don't think he meant to hurt me, he just needed to finish.. venting his anger about what happened." Silently, Marlena prayed that John would just leave it alone, but realized in her heart that he wouldn't. John was going to have it out with Roman at some point over the incident she had just described.

"I don't care if he meant to or not, Marlena! Holding them up for Eric and Mike to see, he said to his fiance, "Look at your wrists... they're bruised, Doc." John's protective anger kicked in and if Roman were in the room at that very second, surgery or no surgery, it was highly likely that the man would have been mincemeat. John sat up again and swung his legs over the side of the bed before the others reached him this time. John felt the powerful rush of angry adrenaline coursing through his veins, his protective instincts overshadowing any pain sensations. He glared at them, saying, "Don't you even try to stop me!" Looking at Marlena, he was breathing hard, working to contain the rage he was feeling and he said with intensity, "I'm going after him, Doc... he is not going to come near you, ever again!"

Mike had the syringe ready, having been prepared for just such a scene once he had been informed what happened between Marlena and Roman. He shoved it home, while John was distracted by Marlena's attempts to calm him down. John immediately knew what was done and he looked up at the doctor with a sense of betrayal, saying frustratedly, "Dammit, Mike why did you do that? You know she needs to be protected, I can't let him anywhere near her, he has to be.. stopped!"

The drug was fast acting, and in his already weakened condition he had to fight to stay conscious as his body started to relax. Eric and Mike didn't argue with him, concentrating instead on easing him back into a supine position and covering him up with the blankets. Acknowledging that he was on his way to oblivion, he squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes which were filled with fear for both of the men she loved, cautioning her, "Doc... please...be.. careful. Mike...Eric..watch her for me, please take..care... of ..." His voice trailed off in mid-sentence. He was finally out cold and would blessedly remain so for several hours, giving them all cause to breathe a sigh of relief. The confrontation between John and Roman had been brewing for quite some time and at least they could delay the inevitable until John was strong enough to hold his own. He was being totally irrational to think he could do much of anything after just having major surgery. His protective fear for Marlena sometimes took precidence in his mind over everything else and clouded his judgement. This was one of those times.