"Roman, I told you already." Marlena began as they got off the elevator in front of her apartment. "I don't want to even begin to think about Stephano right now."
"Doc, I just don't think that it would be very safe for you to take him on as a patient. That's all I'm saying." Roman explained looking in her eyes. "I don't trust the man after everything that he's done to you."
"I understand that Roman, but trust me, Stephano is the least of my concerns right now." Marlena explained anxious to see if John had called her.
"Doc, I just don't want you getting yourself into something that you aren't ready to handle right now." Roman insisted touching her shoulder. "You know how I feel about you."
"I know Roman," she began backing away from him slightly, "but I just need to concentrate on other things right now rather than having this discussion about Stephano."
"Like John?" he questioned looking into her eyes.
"Yes," she replied honestly. "I'm very worried about him."
"I'm sure that he'll be fine Doc." Roman replied moving towards her. "He just needs time to deal with his emotions, that's all."
"I'm just worried about him." she explained looking at him. "It isn't like John to just run off like he did."
"I know Doc." Roman replied brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm sure that he's going to be fine though."
"I don't know." she sighed as her thoughts drifted to John again.
"You know Doc, I've been thinking about you a lot lately." Roman began moving in for a kiss.
"I'm really tired Roman." Marlena insisted turning her face as his lips touched her cheek. "I think that I need to go home now."
"Alright Doc," he sighed taking her hand.
"Goodnight Roman." she smiled opening the door to the penthouse and walking inside.
"Oh Doc, I wish that you were thinking about me right now instead of John." Roman said glancing back at her door as the elevator opened. "I love you so much."
Marlena set her purse down on the table and walked over to the answering machine. She realized that there weren't any messages to be listened to. She pressed the rewind button just in case Susan had already listened to the machine, but the tape had no messages on it. Then she picked up the phone and dialed John's room and his cell phone, but there was no answer on either line.
"Oh John, where are you?" Marlena asked worried about what was going through by himself. "I wish that you would've reached out to me."
"Dr. Evans," Susan began walking out of the kitchen with a plate of cookies and milk in her hands. "I didn't hear you come home."
"I just got here Susan." Marlena replied with a smile. "How are you doing tonight dear?"
"Oh, I'm okay Dr. Evans." Susan began smiling back at her. "Do you want a cookie?"
"No thank you Susan." Marlena smiled back at her.
"Are you sure? Mrs. Alice Horton baked them herself." Susan explained taking a bite of the cookie. "She came over here earlier today when you were at the morgue."
"Speaking of the morgue Susan," Marlena began moving towards Susan. "There is something that I should tell you about Kristen."
"I know Dr. Evans." Susan replied taking a bite of her cookie. "She killed herself and Mr. Roman Brady doesn't think that I murdered her anymore."
"I don't think that he ever thought that you murdered her Susan." Marlena began in Roman's defense. "How did you know that she killed herself anyways Susan?"
"Oh, 'cause John came over here earlier and told me." she explained with a smile. "You don't know how happy it made me to hear him say that to me."
"John was here?" Marlena asked worried about John.
"Yes sirree." Susan said taking a sip of her milk. "He sure did seem real sad though."
"Did he tell you where he was going?" Marlena asked wondering if Susan knew where he was.
"Nu-uh." she replied scratching her head. "He was not like himself at all tonight."
"Did he tell you anything about where he was heading to?" Marlena questioned again.
"Well, he did mention that he was going to go on a vacation for a while." Susan began thinking it over. "Yeah, that was what he said."
"Did he say anything else?" Marlena asked hoping that Susan would remember something that could lead her to John.
"Oh yeah, he said that he loved you and that he hoped that you would find some happiness...I'm not quite sure what that meant." Susan said looking at Marlena. "He was acting kind of odd."
"How long ago was he here Susan?" Marlena asked picking up her coat.
"About a half an hour ago." Susan replied watching Marlena put her jacket on. "Are you going somewhere?"
"I have to go out for a little while, but if John calls, then find out where he is. Okay?" Marlena asked as she picked her car keys up off of the table.
"Okay," Susan replied puzzled as Marlena left the penthouse.
Twenty minutes later Marlena was standing in front of John's hotel room knocking on the door. She kept knocking for about five minutes until she realized that he wasn't in there. She decided that she needed to get into the room and see if she could find some kind of clue to John's whereabouts.
"I just hope that there aren't any police officers around right now." Marlena said pulling out a hair pin and inserting it into the lock as it popped open. "Thanks for teaching me this trick John."
Marlena entered John's hotel room and looked around. She was filled with an overwhelming sadness as she realized that she had never been inside this room where John had been spending his days since Roman came back into the picture. She noticed that his clothes were thrown around the room, which wasn't typical for John considering that he was such a neat person.
She looked around and found a picture on the floor next to the table with the telephone on it. She picked it up and realized that it was a picture of her and the kids. She noticed that the glass was wet and she wondered why. She was about to set the picture down on the table when she lost her balance and suddenly bumped into the answering machine causing it to go on.
"John, this is Kristen......I was just calling you to apologize for all the hell that I've put you through. I didn't mean to hurt you...." Kristen's voice filled throughout the room leaving Marlena in shock, "...I know that you hate me for all that I have done, but I just wanted you to know that I was sorry. I really wish that you and I could've made up towards the end of my time here, but I'm afraid that it just wasn't meant to be. I'm sorry that I ruined your life. I know that you don't want to hear this, but I love you....."
"Oh God," Marlena said reaching for her car keys and picking up the phone. "This must've been what John came over to talk to me about. I have to find him."
"Carver here." Abe's voice beamed out on the other line.
"Abe, it's Marlena."
"Marlena, hey what's up?" Abe asked concerned that she was calling so late.
"Abe, there's a problem. It all started at the morgue today..." she began explaining.
"I know Marlena." Abe replied. "Lexie and I are at the hospital right now. She's in with Stephano at the moment."
"No Abe, there's more." Marlena began taking in a deep breath. "I'm in John's hotel room and he's disappeared."
"What do you mean disappeared?" Abe asked worried.
"He took the news about Kristen pretty bad. Anyways, he left the hospital in a frenzy and I can't find him." Marlena explained to Abe.
"Well, maybe he just needs time to let it all sink in." Abe suggested to her.
"No Abe, he blames himself for her death." Marlena interrupted him.
"What?" Abe asked confused.
"She told him that she may as well go kill herself and he said that she didn't have the guts." Marlena explained to him. "You know how John's guilt complex works."
"I know too well." Abe replied worried about his friend.
"Well, I just came here looking for John and I listened to a message on his answering machine that Kristen left him." Marlena said with tears in her eyes. "I'm worried that the message may have pushed him over the edge Abe."
"Alright, I'll be right over there to pick you up in a few minutes." Abe informed her.
"No!!" she shouted clenching her car keys. "I think that it would be better if we looked for him separately. That way we can cover more ground."
"Marlena, it's too late at night for you to be roaming around the town...." Abe began.
"Look Abe, I'm not a little kid and John needs me. I'm going to go find him." Marlena insisted realizing that she had wasted too much time already.
"Marlena, let me come over to get you...." he began again.
"I have to go Abe." she said hanging up the phone and taking one last look around. She noticed that John's favorite leather jacket was laying on the bed. She picked it up and clenched it tightly as she walked out the door. "I just hope that I'm not too late."
