John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 94 - Admissions

Marlena walked down the corridor with her arms crossed in front of her. Q walked a pace behind her, joining her in companionable silence.

She had much to think about. It had been several days since John had woken but he was still weak and between that and her backlog of work, she had not been able to spend much time with him. Doctors, nurses or occasionally, Kristen had invariably interrupted any attempts at a serious conversation.

Meanwhile, at Roman's request, she had been to see Carrie the morning after John had awoken. True to Laura's evaluation, she had found Carrie's awareness disjointed, as though she seemed to be floating in and out of reality. She had sat with the young woman for a while but despite Roman's hopes, she had not seemed to engender any response.

Then, there was her own reaction. Every time she looked at Carrie, her mind went automatically to that horrific moment at the Penthouse Grille and she could see the cruel steel pistol reflecting in Carrie's eyes. She knew she was wrong to feel this way. It was not Carrie's fault, it *couldn't* be Carrie's fault. Something terrible had happened to her stepdaughter but they were not any closer to finding out what it was. Still, she didn't seem able to curb the involuntary churning in the pit of her stomach every time she saw Carrie or heard her name.

After Marlena's first visit, Romy and Laura had become concerned as Carrie's mental state began to deteriorate more rapidly. When Marlena and Roman had returned the following day, Carrie was again asking why Austin was not there to see her. When Marlena had tried gently to explain to her that Austin was dead, she seemed to slip off into a dream world. That was until she saw a pale Sami standing in the doorway. Raising a shaking finger, she pointed at her younger sister.

"It was her," she accused in a shivering voice. "She killed them both."

"I...." Sami's eyes were wide as she looked at her parents and shook her head. Then a small crease appeared in her brow as she looked back at Carrie. "Carrie, I didn't. I'm so sorry."

"You *DID*," Carrie shrieked as tears coursed down her cheeks. "It was *you*."

Suddenly though, her mind seemed to recoil like a rubber band that had been stretched far too far, and she found her memory of that night. In her mind, she felt the cool mother of pearl and metal against the palm of her hand. She heard the explosive shot and she felt the recoil of the deadly piece of metal in her hand.

"Oh God," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Oh God *no*."

"Carrie?" Marlena was at Carrie's side immediately and she took Carrie's frozen hand in her own, rubbing it gently. "What's wrong honey?"

Carrie's face was a mask of terror as she looked up at her parents.

"It was me," she squeaked. "*I* killed them. I killed them both."

"No honey," Marlena shook her head, trying to reassure Carrie. "John's not dead. He's all right. He's alive."

Marlena raised her hand and pressed her index finger between her eyes, rubbing at the tense skin there as though trying to distinguish the unwelcome memory. Her reassurances had done no good. Those anguished words had been the last Carrie had spoken as her sanity had splintered, sinking her into catatonia. She and Roman had been forced to stand by helplessly as Laura and Romy did everything they could to get through to Carrie. But the succeeding days had proffered them no hope and Laura had eventually suggested gently that there was no more they could do for Carrie at this point.

Marlena's eyes filled with tears at the thought of her stepdaughter closed away in some sort of institution. However, the realist in her accepted that they might be left with no other choice.