Surviving Alex North - short story compilation

Just Stop

Just Stop

"We're not married- my marriage to you and to Roman weren't legal. I was never able to marry."

John stares at his wife, as his mind desperately attempts to focus on the situation before him, "What-" The word barely comes out before he has to close his mouth and wet his lips, swallowing the shock that his senses are feeling.

"John- this shows that Alex and I-"

"Are married." John interrupts easily and waves his hands in front of him to indicate his lack of interest in the words that she is saying, as well as the papers she is attempting to show him, "I understand the words- what I don't understand is how you can say this so easily- so casually as if it's no big deal. As if you believe it."

His words cause Marlena to look up quickly from the papers in surprise, "Because it's true."

"How do you know it's true? Cause a few printed pieces of paper say so? Want me to make some that says you were divorced too?" John begins to move over towards his laptop, ignoring her attempt to get his attention, "Just give me a few moments."

Having been ignored twice, Marlena says his name a third time with more force, "John! Stop it. Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Me? You are the one telling me that our marriages never happened and doing it so effortlessly that if I didn't know you any better, I would be led to believe that you have no heart or soul. This is your life here, Doc."

"That I don't remember!"

Moving towards her, "Then stop messing with it!"

Under normal circumstances his phrase and tone of voice would have received him a hard slap across his face, but this Marlena is too in shock at the mixture of venom and desperation that filled each word. Her eyes snap up to meet his own angry ones and she can't help but get lost in wonder at just how much he must care for her to seem this lost and this desperate all the time. Her voice is low, "How dare you."

John's cheek clenches as he attempts to keep his temper, "No, how dare you. How dare you screw up your life like this. You have no idea if this is what you want, but you are doing it anyways, so effortlessly. Hurting everybody, especially yourself."

"I'm not trying to hurt anybody here, John."

"Then stop!" His arms swing out, as he takes a step back to indicate that she should just simply stop and step back, "Just stop and let your memory have time to work things out. If good old Dr. North is saying it's harmful for us to keep pushing you to remember, well don't you think it's harmful to you as well to turn your life completely upside down? Just stop. Stop making such choices and decisions right now."

Laughing slightly at him, Marlena moves away to place the paperwork down on the piano. "So I shouldn't make any more decisions? Just sit here and do nothing for days, months, years?" Turning back to him, "Just sit and be quiet and hope one day it all comes back to me?"

"I said nothing about sitting and doing nothing."

"You said stop making decisions."

John lets out a frustrated grunt as he runs his hands through his hair and stares up at the ceiling. Taking in a deep breath, "Choose whether you want strawberries or grapefruit for breakfast, choose if you are going to go shopping or to a movie, choose what you want to watch on TV but don't choose whether or not you're married to somebody, don't choose to move away and don't choose to keep your kids at arms' length."