Whisper My Name

Chapter 3

January 7, 1992

Salem University Hospital , Marlena's Office

In troubled times

It's hard to get straight answers

Between the lines...

~ Allies ~ Heart ~

Marlena was nervous. She'd made John's first therapy appointment before the holidays, practically begging him to allow her to treat him, but now she was thinking it might not be a good idea. Of course, it wasn't a good idea. The transition of getting Carrie from John's apartment and back to the house had been stressful on everyone. Carrie had been standoffish with Roman, and while she felt more comfortable with Marlena, the person she really wanted to be with was John. Roman refused to even consider it. Things in their home were tense. That was the only word to accurately describe it.

It wasn't just helping Carrie get adjusted to living with her new parents, there was something going on with Roman, and Marlena couldn't pinpoint what it was. Every time she broached the subject with Roman, he blew her off. Just that morning she had walked in on him having a seemingly intense conversation with the twins.

"And now both of you, look at me. I'm being very serious now. When school is over today, I want you both to wait inside the building. Okay?" Roman said. "Now, Mabel will pick you up in there."

Marlena heard Roman's words as she came out of the kitchen with Sami and Eric's lunch boxes. She stared at her husband curiously for a moment, before stepping forward.

"How come? We always wait outside until Mabel comes," Eric asked.

"Well, Mommy and I, we don't want you catching anything," Roman told them, lying easily. "Now there she is. Go give her a kiss."

The twins turned to her, Sami rushing forward to hug her tightly. Marlena was confused. Roman hadn't mentioned a change in the children's routine. Her eyes caught his, but he looked away quickly. On their way out the door, Roman said to the twins, "One more thing. Just one more thing, no talking to strangers. You promise?"

"We promise," Sami called as she slid into the backseat of Mabel's car.

Even as Eric rounded the car, Roman shouted, "Remember what else I told you. Stay inside the building after school!"

After the door closed, and the twins were safely tucked away in Mabel's car, Marlena turned towards Roman, and said, "Now, I expect you to tell me what exactly that was about."

Roman tried to act surprised, and make excuses, but she would have none of it. "Is this because of that case you're working on with Bo and Abe?" she asked him. "The Raffi Torres case?"

He seemed caught off guard that Marlena knew anything about it. "Doc, I can't discuss the specifics with you. You know that."

"I know that if there's a possibility that myself or the children could be in danger, you have a responsibility to tell me," Marlena told him. "I won't be kept in the dark."

"Look, Doc. Everything is fine, okay. I need you to trust me on this," he said. "I don't have to share everything with you."

Marlena couldn't believe him. "If you lecture the twins on their way out the door for school, then yes, Roman Brady, you do have to share information with me!"

"I told you it's nothing!"

Marlena thought back to when she was married to John. He would have told her. He would have been upfront and forthright with her. She'd almost forgotten how Roman was because of her time with John.