Every Memory Repeats

Chapter 4

"I think that's the best idea. Do you need to discuss what happened while you were under hypnosis?"

"I told Lawrence that I was faster on my bike than he was. We were racing around the pool, and I—I must have gotten too close to the edge, and my front tire slipped in. I couldn't swim, and I was gasping for air. I was drowning, Doc! The last thing I remember was Lawrence yelling, and trying to reach for my hand as I sank under the water," John told her.

"That must be incredibly traumatic."

"I can still feel the burn of the water in my lungs...I feel like...I feel like I drowned, Doc."

"You could have nightmares about this. I want to warn you. When incredibly traumatic events are relived in hypnosis, it can trigger a post-traumatic response," Marlena said, walking over to her desk. "I can give a prescription for something if you think you might need it."

John hesitated, not sure he would need something to sleep, but finally told her, "Yeah. Yeah, just in case, I guess."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John paused the movie, and slid a sleeping Sami off of his lap, when the there was a knock at his door. Both kids had fallen asleep, but by then John was invested, and needed to know how the film ended. Pausing it, he walked to the door, knowing Marlena would be on the other side. "Hey, Doc," he said, stepping aside, and allowing her to enter the apartment. He took a deep breath as she walked by, taking pleasure in her scent for a short moment. "The kids fell asleep," he told her. "Would you like something to drink? I have water, soda, or Sami's favorite Sunny-D."

"That stuff is awful," Marlena laughed. "The amount of sugar in it would give me a headache. Water will be fine." She walked over to John's couch, staring at the twins cuddled up and asleep. Marlena chuckled lightly, thinking about how those two argued when they were awake, and yet here they were sleeping as if they always got along. Her heart swelled with love for them, as she allowed herself to collapse into a nearby chair.

John handed her a water glass, and said, "You look tired, Doc."

"I feel like I'm always tired. Between work, and the twins...I don't get much sleep."

"Did you enjoy your night off tonight?"

Marlena was quiet. It hadn't been a night off. Roman had nitpicked, and found reasons to argue with her all night, because he was angry that she'd taken the twins to see John. Their argument played in her mind:

"Roman, they won't bond with you. They won't trust you, if they think you hate John! You say you want a relationship with them, but the way you act about John...you're alienating them!" Marlena said.

"I'm their father! Me! They need to understand that!" Roman roared. "John Black isn't, and you need to back me up on that!"

"They know John isn't their father...but, Roman, he was. They can't stop loving him. He can't stop loving them. Why should they have too? The twins have so much love to give, but your attitude towards John...Roman, you're pushing them away!"

"I'm pushing them away? You're inviting a ticking time bomb into our children's lives!" Roman yelled at her. "I know you're seeing him as a patient. You know he's disturbed."

Marlena stared at him in shock. Her patients confidentiality was very important to her, "Who told you that?"

"I ran into Isabella on the pier yesterday," Roman said. "So is it true?"

"You know I can't discuss my patients with you. You know that," she said.

Roman sneered at her, "Of course, you can't."