Never Forgotten

Part 15

Part 15

The air around her was hot and humid. She could hear the sound of birds chirping outside and the smell of the salty sea nearby. Slowly she opened her eyes, but was instantly blinded by a sharp light. Where was she? Again she tried to open her eyes, this time prepared.
Peeking through eyes half open, she took in her surroundings. It looked like an operating room, white and steril. She was in a hospital bed, wearing a patient gown, and was hooked up to a machine which was monitoring her pulse and heart rate. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, forcing her to lie in a fetal position. The pain intensified, she heard the machine start beeping faster and faster and then she screamed, a scream so horrifying and soul shattering that it traveled through the walls to her captors, leaving them no other choice than to come to her rescue.

Marlena woke up bathed in sweat and tears. Her hands immediately fell to her stomach as if the pain was still there. The dream seemed so real that it took her a moment to realize that she was safe in her own bedroom.
The words of Stefano that she heard in her mind yesterday came back to her.

"She must never find out...do you understand...never. You have to make her disappear, nobody can ever find out that she exists. And her, my precious Queen of the night... make her forget everything!!"

What was going on? Was she having memories from her missing years?
She had tried everything to make her remember but until now, all attempts had failed. Why would she suddenly have memories, if that's what they were?

Looking at the time she realized that she might as well go down to the kitchen and make herself some tea. She would have to leave for work in 3 hours anyway and she wouldn't be able to sleep now.

Sitting in the dark kitchen with a hot cup of tea, she took her phone and opened up her messages.

Marlena: Are you awake?

John: No.. I don't sleep, remember..Are you okay sweetheart?

Marlena: No, not really. I had a disturbing dream. Actually I don't know if it was a dream or in fact a memory from the years I was missing. I guess I just needed to speak to someone who understands.

John: And I was the first one you thought of?

John couldn't help but feel honored, by the fact that she trusted him so much even after all these years apart.

Marlena: The first and only one.
It felt so real, it still does. John, I think something awful happened to me and I'm certain that Stefano was involved. I keep hearing his voice. He wanted me to forget and he also mentioned another person, a female.

John: I wish I could be there with you right now and hold you in my arms and comfort you.

Marlena: I wish that too.

John: Remember when you tried to help me remember my past? You tried to hypnotize me. Maybe you could try that?

Marlena: I already tried but it didn't work. But you might have a point actually. Maybe some door to my memories has been opened now. I have seen it before in patients, once they start to remember a little by themselves, the hypnosis works better. I will ask Laura tomorrow. Thank you...

John: I didn't do anything!

Marlena: Yes you did. Just you being there for me means more than you know.

John: I will always be there.... I love you.

Marlena: I love you..

                                    ———

"Good morning Kelly...how is my schedule today?" Marlena asked when she arrived at her office.

"Good morning Dr. Evans..let me see...Mr. Hansen canceled so you actually don't have any patients today." Kelly said, hoping that would mean that she could leave early today, it being Friday and she had a party to go to.

"Thank you. Maybe we both can leave early then, if we're lucky." Marlena said, smiling at the young woman as she walked into her office, closing the door behind her.

Going through today's to-do list, Marlena found it hard to concentrate. Her dream and her messages with John kept interfering with her thoughts and her ability to keep her mind focused on anything else. As if she didn't have enough to deal with already...

Taking her phone she decided to call Laura and ask for her help.

                                     ————

"Okay Marlena, you know the drill. Lie down, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Let the air in through your nose, down into your stomach and breathe out slowly through your mouth....that's it.." Laura said in a calm voice.

Marlena had called her about an hour ago and told her everything that was going on. About her and John, about Rebecca, her plan to tell Roman that it was over and about the dream or memories she had been having. Always ready to help her best friend, Laura dropped everything and hurried to Marlena's office.

"Now I'm going to count down from 5, and when I reach 1 you will feel relaxed and safe...5...4...3..2....1..." Laura watched as Marlenas body went limp and her breathing slowed. "Marlena, you are going to go back in time, back to the year 1987. Can you do that for me?"

The minutes went by with no response from Marlena. Just as Laura was about to ask her something else, a small faint voice stopped her.

"John...I see John...I'm on an airplane, begging the pilot to stop and go back..but he doesn't."

That must be the plane John saw go down and burst into flames, Laura thought, remembering what John had told her.

"Do you remember anything else?" Laura had to be careful and not give Marlena any kind of hint as to what she was really trying to get her to remember.

Again there was a long pause.
"I'm standing at a beach...it's hot and humid. I feel so sad but at the same time I'm happy..overjoyed....."

"Why are you happy Marlena?" Laura asked, truly curious because it didn't make sense. If she was remembering her missing years, why would she be happy? She was taken away from her family, her life and from her true love, John.

Laura watched as Marlena put her hands protectively on her stomach and her lips curled up in a soft smile.

"The baby...Johns and mine...oh I love her so very much already" Marlena said peacefully.

Laura's mouth dropped. A baby? Had Marlena been pregnant when she disappeared? And if she was, what happened to the baby?
Laura wasn't sure if it would be wise to continue. If Marlena had lost the baby somehow, that would have caused her great trauma, and opening that door right now, when she was in this hypnotic state could cause her to suppress her memories even more.

"Marlena, listen carefully to my voice. I'm going to count down from 5. When I reach 1 you are going to come back and you will remember everything you have said.... Okay.... 5....4...3...2...1...that's it...keep breathing slowly". Laura said, watching as Marlena slowly came back to the present.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked as she watched Marlena trying to sit up.

"I....Laura...I.." Marlena replied, looking at her friend with sadness in her eyes and desperation in her voice as she rubbed her stomach.

"I know sweetie" Laura said with compassion.

With a distant look in her eyes, Marlena started putting the pieces together, one by one.
Her dream about being in an operating room, Stefano's voice telling someone to make her forget, to make someone disappear, her being pregnant but having no memory of it and the great sense of loss and pain she had the other morning. It all made sense in the most evil and twisted way. Stefano had not only taken 5 years away from her, he had also taken away her and John's baby, making sure nobody would ever know about it.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Marlena looked at Laura. "I need to call John!!!"