Whisper My Name

Chapter 8

February 3, 1992

Isabella Toscano's Loft

Shattered dreams fallin' like teardrops again

As you make me remember...

~ Strangers of the Heart ~ Heart ~

Marlena called John in a panic five days later. He was sitting with Isabella at the loft when the telephone rang, "Hello?"

His heart dropped when he heard Marlena's panicked voice, "John! John! It's me."

He tried to stay calm, "Hey, Doc." But he knew exactly why she was calling. Roman had left.

"John, please! You've got to help me! He's gone! Roman's gone!" she cried. He lied to her. He'd look right into her eyes, and he'd lied to her. Marlena stared at the can of coffee she'd tossed on the couch, the one Roman claimed to have forgotten at the store. "He thinks he's protecting us, but he's not! You've got to stop him."

"Stop him? You don't even know where he is," John said gently, hoping to somehow slow her down. She was terrified, he could feel it, even across town.

"You must know! You must know! Think, John! Just think! You were Roman, for heaven's sake! You have his memories! You have his history! You do know!" John's heart was hurting just from the pain in her voice. He saw Isabella watching him, and he rubbed his forehead. Turning so that Isabella couldn't see his face, he listened as Marlena's voice continued frantically, "You do know! Just stop, and think! If anybody can find him, you can! If anybody can stop him from doing this, you can!"

Glancing over at Isabella, John noticed her brow furrowed in frustration. There was nothing to be done for it. "All right, Doc. Air travel is the fastest way out of town. My guess would be, he's at Salem International."

"The airport!" she sobbed in relief. If she went then she might be able to catch him before he left. She might be able to get him to understand that they had other options, options that didn't include him running away.

John was worried for her, "I'm sure he's got something cooking with the ISA. Yeah, uh, he's got a private jet, or something. I'm sure of it."

"Okay," she said, crying harder. "I'm going to go now!"

John instantly replied, "Doc, no! You can't drive when you're this upset." Looking at Isabella again, John sighed in resignation, "I'm coming over. I'll take you." He heard Isabella squawk in dismay behind him.

"Hurry! Please, hurry," Marlena said in a panic. "Just, hurry!"

"I'm on my way," he said before hanging up. He saw the disappointment on Isabella's face as soon as he turned around.

"You're leaving," she asked

"I have to," John told her softly. He remembered his promise to Abe, but he knew, even without his promise, he would go to Marlena. Isabella's frustration was simmering just under the surface, and she was trying to hold it back, but he couldn't leave Marlena alone in this much pain, and he certainly didn't trust her to drive herself to the airport in her current emotional state. The anguish in Marlena's voice, had a part of him, the part that loved her more than anything in the world, screaming for him to go after her. He sat down beside Isabella, reaching for her hand, but she pulled it away from him roughly. John sighed, "Izzy B...Roman left Marlena, to go find Bo. He's been getting threats from the Torres family, and he thinks leaving is best...but he didn't discuss it with her. She's desperate to stop him. So, I'm going to go pick her up, and check out the airport. We might be able to catch him before he leaves Salem."