Whisper My Name

Chapter 12

February 5, 1992

Kearney, Nebraska

Living on the edge, hangin' by a thread

I'm watchin' every move you make..."

~ If Looks Could Kill ~ Heart ~

As soon as they had woken up the following morning, Marlena had pushed out of John's embrace. The emotional wall she had built the day before was firmly back in place with the light of a new day. The children were still asleep. John sat up in bed, pushing his dark hair off of his forehead. Sleeping with Marlena in his arms was a little piece of heaven. He hadn't done that since the night before Roman found them in the jungle on San Cristobal. Less than a year ago, John had held her while she slept, fully believing that he would spend the rest of his life with her.

He fell back against his pillow with a thump, throwing his arm over his forehead. He had no idea what time it was, but they were going to have to get on the road soon. He felt a tug on the down comforter, and then the scramble of little legs. John smiled, and asked with a growl, "Who's in my bed?"

Sami screamed, and pounced on him, "It's me!"

"And me too!" Eric's voice called just before he fell onto John.

John snatched Sami up into his arms, and tossed her onto her back. Her blonde hair spread out around her face, and John growled, "Monsters don't like children in their beds!"

"Oh, no! Eli! The monster's gonna eat me! Save me!" Sami shrieked.

From across the room, Carrie's sleepy voice piped up, "Are you serious? It's 7:00 in the morning."

"I think the monster wants a larger meal!" John roared, jumping from the bed.

Carrie sat up quickly, "No! Dad, no!" She scrambled from the rollaway bed, and jumped onto Eric and Sami's bed, but it was too late. John caught Carrie around the waist, and yelled, "Nom! Nom! Nom!"

"I'll save you, Casey!" Sami yelled, jumping over to the other bed. Eric followed her like a dutiful sidekick, both of them jumping on John.

When Marlena exited the bathroom it was to find John roaring in the middle of the room with Carrie wrapped in his arms and one twin hanging from each bicep. His eyes caught hers as he released Carrie, and growled, "An even bigger meal!"

Marlena screeched and tried to run back towards the bathroom, but he was too quick. Within seconds he had tossed her onto the bed while saying loudly, "Nom! Nom! Nom!"

"Oh, no! Oh, no!" Marlena cried out. John jokingly bit at her neck, and her body shivered. In the background she heard the twins giggling, and Carrie said something about being glad it wasn't her. John pinned Marlena's hands above her head with laughing blue eyes, and suddenly she was crying. She didn't know why...or maybe she did. But it didn't matter, she couldn't stop the tears.

John looked over his shoulder, "Carrie, you and the twinners go brush your teeth." He waited for Carrie to hustle Eric and Sami into the bathroom, and then he released Marlena, sitting up. "I'm sorry, Doc. I didn't mean to–"

Marlena rolled to the side, brushing her hair from her face. "It's fine. I'm fine." But she wasn't fine. She knew she wasn't fine. She'd wanted this life. A life with John and the children. When she'd woken from her coma in San Cristobal it was all she'd dreamed of. It was what she'd fought her way home for, and John had walked away with Isabella.

"You're not fine," he whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, John. I was surprised, that's all," she told him, standing up. Searching for the pajamas she'd dropped, Marlena scooped them off the floor and shoved them into her duffle bag.