Promises Made ch 17

Reactions and Repercussions

After making sure that John was going to be allright, and unsuccessfully trying to locate Roman, Mike and Lexie went on with their rounds. Eric was still standing back near the door looking over toward John, who was thankfully resting comfortably, and trying to process what he had just learned and witnessed with his own two eyes. He had never seen that side of his father. He hadn't been there when the affair was revealed to see the vitriolic anger and jealousy Roman had displayed at that time. Slowly, the young man approached the bed, and placed his hands on his mother's shoulders from behind. "Mom, is John really going to be okay?" he asked worriedly.

She continued to hold her fiance's hand, but craned her neck to look up at her son as she answered, "I hope so, sweety. Mike said the surgery went fairly well, but what Roman did... it put a strain on the incision and being shaken up like that doesn't help at all, he won't sleep soundly now. John should be allright, though, if he stays put right here in bed, but..you saw him. He is so angry about what happened earlier and I'm afraid.. of what he might do. I'm afraid of what they'll both do when they meet up."

"Mom... what you said before about what happened between you and Dad... You weren't telling John the truth, were you? Dad did scare, didn't he?"

Marlena wanted to deny it, to say that she understood why Roman was so angry, that he hadn't scared her, but she couldn't. As tears began to form behind her eyes, she nodded and admitted the truth, "Yes...Eric.. he did scare me. Like John said, he was so.. angry, so..jealous and blaming of John. He was so angry that he didn't have control and he held my wrists too tightly." The delayed reaction to everything that had happened was beginning to hit full force and she started to sob as she spoke to her son, who pulled her gently up out of the chair and held her in silence solace until she began to calm down. Finally, she continued, "As soon as he.. knew it was hurting me, he let me go... but for that few seconds... yes, I was frightened of your father and what he might do. And... when I saw him in here, holding John by his hospital gown, threatening him.. I was.. mortified!" Shaking her head in disbelief, she looked down at her love, and said, "My God, Eric.. John was barely conscious, I still can't believe he did it!"

Eric was nearly as upset as she was, but didn't express it with tears, "I know... it's so unreal. To think that Dad could do something like that, even when he was so upset. My...God, Mom... John almost died a short time ago... to grab him and try to intimidate him like that when he just came out of surgery.. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it, Mom."

"I'm sorry that you did see it, Eric. I'm sorry that your image of your father was damaged by that. He is a good man, but.. this is so hard on him. I don't think that he has ever really accepted that I loved John for who he was, not because I thought that he was Roman Brady. Eric, I loved him when I had no idea who he was. Your father.. wanted so much to believe that the affair was only about lingering feelings and that it was him I have always loved. That is why he is so focused on John as the villain in this situation; that way he can still hold onto the idea that if John weren't in the way, I would rediscover my love for him. "

"But, that's not going to happen is it, Mom?" Eric asked sadly, finally realizing in his heart that his mother loved John and deserved to be happy with him.

Squeezing her son's hand, she answered truthfully, "No sweety, it isn't. I love John very much and I plan to marry him as soon as he recovers from this surgery. I told Roman, but he couldn't accept it. I just pray that when John comes around he is calm and rational about what happened and doesn't feel like he has to go after Roman to warn him or..worse. Oh, Eric..I don't want them to fight and I'm so afraid that's what is going to happen now... When John saw the bandages on my legs..."

She was interrupted by a weak and raspy voice, "And the bruises... Doc.. Don't forget the bruises," John said, while struggling vainly to sit up in bed.

Placing her hands on his shoulders, Marlena, said, "No.. John... honey, it's much too soon for you to be trying to sit up, please...lie back down and get some more rest."

"I'm fine, Doc," he said with a tight jaw, followed by a muffled groan as he moved to swing his legs around to the side.

Seeing that John was not complying with his mother's request, Eric moved in, adding his strength to the slender arms trying to keep him in the bed. "John.. come on, you know that you need to be in this bed... you just had surgery."

"Eric...I'm leaving here now and I don't want to fight with you about it. Let me go, please," he added softly.

The man could be so stubborn, thought Marlena and Eric at the same time, chuckling when their eyes met and surmised the thoughts behind them. Eric voiced his feelings about it sarcastically. Crossing his arms in front of him, he said, " Fine, John you go right ahead, let's see if you can get dressed by yourself or are you planning on going out in the winter cold in that jazzy little number?"

John grinned sheepishly and Marlena giggled, at the sight. "Yes, John we'll just sit here and wait for you," she teased, seeing that he was leaning over on the right side as he tried to stand up. Getting dressed by himself would be next to impossible, but they both knew he would be compelled to try, now that the challenge had been issued.

Marlena and Eric sat on two chairs across the room from the bed and watched John struggling just to gather his clothes together. He was obviously in great pain, but he was fighting it and trying to hide it from them. John was bound and determined that he could do it. Miraculously, he managed to pull his shirt on halfway and then he nearly collapsed from the pain it caused him, groaning more obviously. He rested for a few long seconds and then labored to get it on the rest of the way. So, he had a shirt and undershorts on, next came the jeans and socks and shoes. Reaching to get the pants in position for him to pull them on, resulted in sharp stabbing pain and another groan and he doubled over again, nearly falling on the chair he was using to stabilize himself. Marlena wanted to go to him and help him, but Eric held her back, knowing what was best, knowing what she had to do. She thanked him with her eyes. This was something John had to find out for himself, he wouldn't be convinced by talking about the risks. He needed to try it and fail because of the pain.

It was precisely at that moment that Mike Horton happened to come along to check in on his patient, whom he expected would be still sleeping. Mike was instantly alarmed, "John.. what in the... HELL do you think you are doing?"

John laughed harshly, and said, "What does it look like I'm doing, Mike? I'm making a fool out of myself in front of my fiance and a boy who used to call me Daddy. John made a futile atttempt to pull his jeans up and that was all the energy he had left to fight the pain in his belly, especially near the incision. A wave of intense pain and dizziness washed over him and he started to fall. All three onlookers were at his side and helping him back to bed within seconds. Then all three of them admonished him.

"John... I am not going to say this again! You just had major surgery! You... MUST get rest in order to recuperate from that surgery. Your body got rid of every bit of energy you had stored and now you need rest and some nutrition to regain your strength and recover. Do I have to restrain you or continue to sedate you to make that happen?"

John looked to Eric and Marlena and they weren't smiling anymore. Marlena jumped on him too, "John.. he's right, you need to stay here and recover, allright?"

"Okay.. okay I get the message this time, you're serious. I promise to stay put as long as Mike says I need to, but I'm telling you, Roman better not try to come anywhere near you. If he bothers you in any way, I want you to come tell me, can you make me that promise, Doc?"

"Yes, I will come and tell you, John," she said, hoping it would not be necessary. She tossed up a quick prayer for divine intervention, "Please God.. help both of them to cool down and then maybe they won't need to have any kind of confrontation." She aknowledged that it might be wishful thinking; it appeared as though a physical confrontation had been brewing ever since the day two men who thought they were one and the same met in some seemingly godforsaken jungle.

Eric felt the need to apologize further for how he had treated John ever since he returned from the jungle and for what his father had done. Speaking softly and hesitantly, he said, "John, I.. I just wanted to say that, I'm..sorry for how I treated you before. I've come to realize that Mom has a right to be happy with you and I can see how much you love her. I know you aren't the bad guy and I... want us to be.. close again, if.. you can forgive me, if you.. still want that."

That was about the best thing he could have heard at the moment. Taking the teen in his arms, he said in an emotion-filled voice, "Oh, Eric.. of course I do, I miss how close we were. I've hated all the tension. And yes, I forgive you. Thank you, so much... son."

"No problem.. Dad, I love you."

He didn't know if it was the drugs or the sense of a miracle being granted, but John felt moisture forming in his eyes when he heard his boy speaking this way to him after so many words of anger and rejection had been uttered. "Oh, Eric... I love you too, so much! I never stopped loving you like I did all those years ago. Thank you so much!"

All Marlena and Mike could do was stand back in amazement. As he saw tears falling from Marlena's eyes, Mike reached over and put an arm over her shoulders, pulling her toward him for a hug. He said quietly, "That's one good thing to come out of all this, isn't it... Seeing them together, it means a lot to you doesn't it, Marlena?"

Her eyes fixed on the bed, where the two men were embracing warmly, she answered tearfully, "Oh, Mike... yes it does. John always.. downplays how much it upsets him to be rejected by the twins, but I know it hurts him deeply. Seeing Eric.. do this now.. it's just so.. wonderful! I'm so happy that if this.. blow-up had to happen, at least those two can grow closer again. I know it means the world to John."

Mike smiled as he watched the scene for another moment and then as he prepared to leave said, "Merry Christmas, Marlena!"

"Oh.. my gosh, I forgot. Merry Christmas, Mike! Thank you for saving John. That's the best present of all, and seeing those two working things out, that's a bonus."

Mike leaned in for one more quick hug and said, "Well, I've got to get back to the house, Abby and Mom are waiting for me."

Marlena nodded and said, "Please give them my love." Then, she turned her attention back to Eric and John, deciding she wanted in on some of the affection. They looked up and smiled, then welcomed her into a group hug that lasted for a long moment, bringing a sense of family togetherness that had long been missing for all three of them.

Roman rushed out toward the main entrance of the hospital, still feeling angry, but also embarassed about his conduct toward both John and Marlena. "Dammit.. why did I lose control like that, I won't have any chance with Doc, if I can't keep the jealousy under wraps. He remembered the horrified expression on her face when he was leaning over the bed, his hands clenched tight around the top of John's hospital gown, not to mention the moment of holding her a little too hard by the wrists. She hadn't said a word when she entered the room and saw him, but she didn't have to, her eyes had said it all. She was shocked, angry, disappointed, and hurt that he would try to physically intimidate a man who was only a short time out of surgery and under the effects of anesthesia, a man who could in no way defend himself. When he thought about it, it was a pretty disgusting thing to do. Roman recalled looking into John's eyes when he started talking, and they were cloudy with the effects of medication. He was hardly awake and alert enough to talk, let alone defend himself physically. The look on John's face when Roman grabbed him flashed in his mind, John was afraid, knowing he couldn't fight back and yet he was able to confront the aggressor about his intentions. "Geez, Roman... what *were* going to do, beat him up? Were you really going to hit a man who was barely conscious and lying in a hospital bed? My God, what have you come to?" he was asking himself with a sense of frustration about his inability to control the anger and jealousy toward John.

As he sat down on a bench in an area where he could look out at the snowfall, his mind went back in time, to several years ago, times when he and Marlena and John were all close friends. It seemed like several lifetimes ago. 'You were my friend back then, John.' He argued with that characterization of what it was, 'No.. it was all an illusion, you were lying to me. And now.. you are my.. rival, my...enemy. You stole her from me and I want her back now. I thought I had her heart all to myself, but you snatched her out from under me. You lied to me again! You lied about your marriage to Kristen, everything.. You said it was all done to protect me. Right! I'm sorry for what I did to you just now, but I'm not giving up on Doc, not yet! I don't care what she says, she still loves me and I will find a way to make her remember those feelings that she's been holding onto deep inside her, and once that happens, she's all mine!'

Kristen had been loitering around the hospital, despite Eric's cutting remarks toward her. She was genuinely concerned about John's condition and stayed in the area until she learned that he was safely out of surgery and in recovery. Noticing how angry Roman was, she followed the man at a discreet distance and then pounced at what seemed like an oportune moment. She had not heard about Roman's actions toward John.

"Roman.. are you allright, you seem so upset, what happened ?" she asked, fearing the worst and wondering what she might say to turn things around again. She needed him to keep fighting for Marlena in order to have any chance to get John to come back to her.

The second he looked up at her she knew another so-called friendship was about to come crashing down at her feet and she braced herself to be lambasted. She was absolutely correct in her assumption, as Roman stood up and laid into her, "You..sick bitch! You set me up, Kristen! You lied to me from the second I met up with you and you set me up to think Doc was free, by telling me that John and you were happily married. I should have known better than to trust a Dimera, even one with no blood ties!"

She cowered in fear and took a step away from him, not quite sure of what he might do in this angry state. "Roman.. please try to understand.. I did all of it for love. I did it to get John back and to help you. I saved your life, Roman. The least you could do is be thankful for that."

He was seething with anger, like the top of a volcano ready to blow at any given moment. This was all it took and his voice grew increasingly loud, "Understand! Everybody wants me to understand! Well, I don't UNDERSTAND KRISTEN!!! You all lied to me... it seems that's what everybody does in this town to get what they want, they lie through their teeth and it makes me sick! I want Marlena back, but I'm not going to lie to do it; she will come back to me because she rediscovers her feelings of love, not because I lie and cheat and manipulate like you, and Peter and Stefano do."

She absorbed the anger and then deflected it, "Oh.. Roman, you're so.. noble, but so naive. She isn't going to just come back to you like that. You have to take an active role and create situations that will remind her. If you call that manipulation, then so be it. Otherwise, in a few more weeks, you're going to be sitting there watching John kiss the bride, and go off on some long romantic honeymoon with her, while you're all alone in Salem."

She got exactly the reaction she was hoping for. The bitter anger was right there at the surface. Shaking his head, he argued vehemently,"No, NO! That isn't going to happen! I won't let her marry him! I know she still loves me and if John would just back off and give her some space, then she'd be able to see that. He's pushing her and she'll probably give in to him, unless I can do something to change her mind very soon."

"Well, then you better get working on some kind of a plan, Roman. You don't have any time to waste. Do you want my help?"

Horrified that he had ever trusted and confided in the woman, he rejected her completely, "No, I won't resort to your methods, I swore to myself I would never do that! I'm not about to start now, Kristen. Why don't you just disappear, nobody seems to want you around much anymore. You've alienated everyone who once loved you because of your selfishness and your lies and deception."

Roman turned away from her and headed back into the main part of hospital, mentally preparing his apologies to Marlena and John. Losing control of his emotions was the worst thing he could do at this time, and he knew he had try to make amends, if that were possible. He accepted the reality that it was doubtful at best.

Kristen was boiling with anger and frustration, having lost her only allay, Stefano had told her in no uncertain terms that she was on her own. Losing Roman was tantamount to a disaster, "You'll be sorry you rejected my ideas and decided not to use my methods, Roman! You're going to lose her and you're going to be all alone! You're going to be alone and miserable when you could have gotten her back. I'm telling you, the only way to keep her away from John is to do it my way!" she called after him.

"You'll all be sorry for rejecting me!" she said with conviction when he was out of earshot. Since she wasn't able to use Roman anymore, she set about finding Susan and the baby. Her delusions about John grew more and more irrational as the days passed, despite the fact that he had made it very clear he wanted nothing more to do with her. Getting the baby back was the missing piece to creating the fantasy she had about John returning to her, allowing her to create the idyillic picture of domestic life that she had in her head.