Meryl and Don: An Unforeseen Journey

Chapter 14

"What's happening to you, Don?" Meryl cried as she stroked his cheek while he was passed out. "What did those fuckers do to my Don Man? I just want you back."

Dr. Abbott ran in with Larry shortly behind. "We need to get him down to imaging...NOW!"

"What's going on, Hal?" Meryl cried.

A mass of people came in to take Don down for tests while Dr. Abbott took Meryl in a corner and put his hands on her shoulders. "Meryl, I'm afraid maybe the lesions have grown or the blood clots broke off. If they did he is in severe danger. We need to know what we're looking at so he needs another scan."

"Where'd he go?" Meryl choked when she noticed Don was already gone.

Dr. Abbott needed to go. "Meryl, he needs the test now. Wait up here in the waiting room and I'll be back as soon as I can be to let you know what's going on." With that Dr. Abbott ran out of the room.

"Don." Meryl cried as she fell against the wall and slid down it, burying her face in her hands.

Larry immediately sat down and took her in his arms. "They're going to help him, M, I know it. You know he was devastated when he realized what he did to you. I saw it in his face."

"I know; I saw it too." Meryl cried. "I shouldn't have cowered but I was scared. I wasn't just scared for me, I was scared for him."

Larry nodded. "I know about Carl Raymore."

"You do?" Meryl asked surprised.

Larry nodded his head. "Don came to see me and wanted a restraining order against him. He didn't want you to know how worried he was. He was just trying to protect you and Henry."

"Like always." Meryl choked.

Larry squeezed her hand. "You know, Don would NEVER EVER NEVER hurt you like that. This wasn't Don, M, it wasn't."

"I know." Meryl choked again. "That's one reason I'm so scared for him. I know this isn't Don. The things he's said in the last 24 hours during these episodes isn't him. Him raising a hand to me? Not him in a million years. Something really bad is going on in his brain for these things to happen."

Larry nodded in agreement. "Don is getting the help he needs. Mann and James did this to him, Meryl, they have caused this brain damage."

"It's killing me that he is going through this; that we are going through this." Meryl said.

Larry turned to look her in the eyes. "Meryl, I promise you that they will BOTH pay for what they've done. I'm going to make damn sure of it."

***

"Here." Larry said handing Meryl some water as they waited in the waiting room.

Meryl shook her head. "Maybe later. Larry, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and how much you love and care for Don, me and Henry. You have a family you need to get home to."

"I talked to Liz and we agreed that I am where I need and want to be." Larry assured her. "Don and I always keep the promises we make to each other."

Meryl nodded as tears streamed down her face. "I want my Don Man back, Larry, I want him back NOW."

"We're going to get him back, Meryl." Larry said as he reassuringly squeezed her shoulder. "Do you want to call your parents or Third or Dana?"

Meryl shook her head as she played with her wedding ring. "Not yet. First of all, I don't want them to know what happened between me and Don."

"That's wasn't Don, M. They'll understand that." Larry told her.

Meryl nodded her head. "I really want my parents to stay home with Henry; he sure shouldn't be up here. Maybe I'll call Third later but Dana is in Boston. I just want to find out what's going on."