John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 88 - Torn

Mike and Jeff deftly guided the stretcher to the elevator in record time as Marlena and Q followed them. As they reached the door of the Titan building, Marlena suddenly staggered and only Gene's grip kept her upright. He looked down at her and seeing her ashen face, he stopped.

"Hey," his arm tightened around her. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Marlena tried to nod, but her head was swimming and she felt sick. Gene frowned momentarily and then bent down. Swiftly, he collected her in his arms and swept her up so that he could carry her the rest of the way to the ambulance. Marlena didn't argue, only slid her arms around his neck and leaned her head against him.

Mike helped him climb into the ambulance and set Marlena down on the ground.

"Here, come and sit down." Mike led her to the second stretcher in the ambulance. Marlena nodded mutely, but as she lowered herself onto the white cotton, she finally saw the blood that was already encrusting the front of her dress.

John's blood.

"Oh," her breathing became ragged as she turned her hands palm up, the blood already drying on her fingers. Then she looked at John, pale and lifeless on the stretcher opposite her. "Oh God," she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as she began to shake. "Oh God, oh God."

Gene felt her pain so acutely he could barely breathe as he watched the terror and pain fill her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Oh Marlena," he murmured as he pulled her to him, folding his arms around her shaking frame.

It was then that she finally gave in to the shock and the uncontrollable, jarring sobs that shook her whole body. Gene said nothing, just looked over at Mike as he held her tightly, one hand stroking her short blonde hair gently as he rocked with her.

It was only a few minutes later that the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay of the hospital, its lights still flashing, sirens still wailing. In a numb silence, Marlena simply watched the frenzy of action as nurses and doctors rushed out and John's stretcher was removed from the ambulance and rushed into the hospital. A nurse remained behind and after several moments with no reaction from Marlena, she crouched down and put her hand gently on the blonde woman's knee.

"Hi there. My name's Michelle. We need to get you inside, Dr. Evans, so that the doctors can check you out." Marlena shifted slightly so that her forehead rested against Gene's damp chest.

"I'm fine," she finally managed with a small hiccup.

"I'm sure you are, but the doctors just want to make sure everything is fine, and the baby is doing okay."

"Mmmm," Marlena nodded her head, suddenly incredibly weary. Michelle looked concerned, knowing that shock was probably setting in.

"C'mon Marlena," Gene murmured against her hair. "Hang on to me again, okay?"

He looked over at Michelle who nodded and straightened up, backing away from the couple. Gently, Q lifted Marlena into his arms again, and without fanfare, he followed Michelle into the hospital.

******

Lexie Carver pushed her hair off her forehead wearily, ignoring the blood that covered her hands and clothes and she walked out to the balcony. Carrie seemed to be calm now and she was sitting with Bo, Hope, and her father.

"Carrie?" she said gently and the young woman looked up at her with reddened eyes.

"How is he?" she asked without pre-emption.

"Austin?" Lexie dreaded telling her the truth. She wasn't sure what was going on, why Carrie had fired those two deadly shots, or even if she even had any idea yet that she had. She just knew that the Carrie she knew was going to be devastated by this news. "Carrie honey," she pressed her lips together before she shook her head. "I'm sorry honey, there was nothing we could do. The bullet passed through one of Austin's arteries. He died almost immediately."