Killing Him Softly: Back at Home

by tarskeewee08

8 weeks Later

John walked down the quiet corridor with flowers in his hands. He passed a nun and smiled sweetly at her. Today was a good day. It was a great day. He got a call from the nuns saying Evangeline spoke and asked for him.

The first week back from Greece she was in a coma from the toxins in her blood, the government allowed him to bring her to Llanview for treatment. The media frenzy over her miraculous resurrection flooded the small town with news crews from all over the world. Nora, Bo, Lisa, Layla, Uncle Clay, Mike, Marcie, Todd, Natalie, Antonio and any one else that knew her was at the hospital when she was flown in. They bombarded him with questions but it was a matter of national security so he gave them an extremely watered down version of her kidnapping and captivity.

Her family was so grateful for him rescuing her they entrusted him with her care. John slept at her bedside every night talking to her and telling her of their life and willing her to come back to him.

The second week when she opened her eyes his heart exploded with joy. Her mother and sister fussed over her and she looked at them all as if they were strangers. She refused to speak and just stared confused. The doctors soon after sent her to St. Anne's after doing an intensive cat scan and several blood analyses. She was deemed healthy but John knew different his Evangeline was gone. Who was left was a stranger to him and herself.

The island of Leros was free. The Panther operation was blown wide open and the US government stepped in and appointed Laois democratic ruler of the island. John wished that the experimentations were destroyed but he knew that now they were being researched further by our own government and it enraged him. In return for his silence he was allowed to leave the agency and was grateful for that.

Christian died that day in the Palace and it broke his heart to have to tell Antonio, Carlotta and Natalie the truth about him. For them to know what a horror his life became because of some brutal dictator was unbearable to watch. It was just another thing to remain guilty of.

Walking to her door he stood outside of it. Lately when he visited she smiled but never spoke. This breakthrough had given him renewed hope. Not that he would ever abandon any, she was his soul mate and he would follow her into insanity if he had too.

The nun said she came into her room in the morning to find her out of bed staring out of the window. She turned and said "Where am I?" When the nun told her St. Anne's and refused to answer any further questions without the doctor she simply said "Please call John and tell him I need to see him."

He was so excited he didn't know what to do. He stopped and got the flowers and his hands shook as he held the vase. Could his Evangeline be back behind this door? God he hoped so.

Opening the door Evangeline looked up at him from her bed. Her skin pale and gray and her eyes had the dark circles he saw grew darker each day. But that vibrant brown sparkle in her doe like eyes gleamed and he saw her again.

"Hey"
"Hey" she said smiling.
He walked in with the flowers and put them down on the nightstand. She looked at them, getting up from her bed she walked over to them and smelled them. "These are beautiful, what's the occasion?"

John looked at her and frowned. "Evangeline? Do you know who I am?"
She laughed "Of course I do silly!" she said walking over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. "I don't know why I'm here. The nuns won't tell me anything. They said I would have to wait for the doctor to arrive. I told them to call you….Hey baby!" she said kissing him again on the lips.

He hadn't held her like this since Laois village. He kissed her and felt the warmth and love she had for him. He was still confused by her demeanor. Pulling away from her he looked her in the eye. "Can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

She smiled at him. "Of course, we were at the Palace and you attached strings. It's official John we're a couple!" she said gushing.

John looked at her shocked. The last memory she had was strings? Everything they'd gone through over the years gone. His eyes welled with tears. "You remember strings?"

She looked at him confused. "Why are you crying?" she asked.
He held her to his chest and burst into silent tears over her shoulder. "Just happy you are okay"

God why are you doing this to her, why make her relive it all over again in painful waves. Evangeline hugged him smiling and John rubbed her head. He heard the door open and he let her go to see Dr. Jamison stepped inside. The doctor looked at them both and frowned.

"Dr. Jamison, hello" she said looking at him.
John nodded at the doctor. He smiled "Why Evangeline you seem to be well today" he said pleasantly surprised.

She looked at the doctor and then at John's tear soaked face. "Okay somebody better start telling me what's gong on now. Why am I here? Was I in some kind of accident?"

Jamison looked at John. "Could you wait in my office while I examine her?"

John pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. He nodded and walked out. He would patiently for information on what he was facing with her now.

Over an hour later

John heard the door open to the doctor's office and looked up to see him walk through. The doctor nodded at him and went to his desk. He sat down at his desk with his folder and sighed deeply.

"The government still won't release any information on the toxins that were injected into her John. Have you made any headway with getting additional information?" he asked frustrated.

John shook his head. "They want her to run test on her, but they won't disclose what kind of test. She's best suited here under your treatment. I don't trust them and I won't have anyone else screwing around with her head!"

Dr Jamison looked at him sadly "Well you saw her. She has half of her memory and I can't find one single reason why. She woke up this morning like nothing ever happened after weeks of being catatonic."

"Is it permanent?"
"I don't know, she could snap out of it tomorrow or never remember? I have no clue since I don't know what happened to her!"
John heard the anger in Dr. Jamison's voice and flinched. "I will take care of her. Don't worry, just release her to me."

Dr. Jamison shakes his head. "There is something I have to tell you about her."
John felt his chest tightened at the way the doctor said that to him. He couldn't bare to hear something was even more seriously wrong with her. "What?"

"I didn't tell you this initially because I was hopeful she would recover and she could tell you."

"Okay you're scaring me. What is it?"
"She's pregnant…."
"What!"
"A little over two months John and from what you told me about her kidnapper and your ordeal in Greece I think this is some detrimental information."

John closed his eyes and feels himself becoming nauseous. "Pregnant?" he said weakly.
Dr. Jamison nodded. "We'll have to tell her, but with her lack of memory and the trauma of her ordeal could cause more harm than good to tell her it could be this Laredo's baby."

John shakes his head "It's my baby! It's not his baby!" he says his voice cracking.

"John, I think we should give her an overview of what has happened to her. With the media attention surrounding her she is liable to hear about it soon."

"She can't be told about the pregnancy until after we explain some of what happened. Not all! Just enough of her to know that 3 years have passed since her last memory." John says looking at the doctor angrily

"I don't think it will be good hide things from her John. Her memory could return….."
"NO! Damnit she has been through to much. Don't destroy her, she deserves some peace. I won't force it all on her at once."

Dr. Jamison knows that this decision is not John's but his. However, based on the unique circumstances of this brainwashing and John undying commitment to being at her side, compounded by this pregnancy, it's in her best interest that John be allowed to help in her recovery.

"Fine John, I'm releasing her tomorrow. You can take her home. Today you need to tell her of her memory loss and subsequent pregnancy. I will monitor you two from the control room. If she has any type of psychotic break we pull the plug. I want her to be as comfortable as possible when you explain things to her."

John nods his head in agreement and rises from his chair. He heads out the doctors office and his head is realing with the news Dr. Jamison shared. "A baby?" she was pregnant and it could be his or Laredo's. It would destroy her to know that her baby could be a part of that monster. He forced the thought from his head and went to her door. Turning the knob he put on a pleasant smile and stepped through.

Evangeline stood up from the chair. "John what's going on?"
He walked over to her and hugged her again. She hugged him back. "Dr. Jamison asked me a million questions and told me nothing."

John looked up at the blinking red light on the camera in the corner of the room. He knew the doctor was watching. Taking her hand he led her to the bed and sat down with her.

"What year do you think it is Van?"
"2004"
Smiling he took her hand and kissed it. "Well its 2007"
Her eyes grew big and she snatched her hand away "What!"

He looked in her eyes. She had the most confused terrified look on her face and it broke his heart. Taking his time he told her that Christian Vega returned to Llanview alive and it was revealed he was kidnapped and brainwashed. That he killed a man. He skipped over the Natalie ordeal and went straight to her defending him and being kidnapped. He told her she was missing for two years but he found her and brought her home. He explained that there were some toxins on her system that caused temporary memory loss"

She got up and paced in front of him. She asked questions about the kidnapping and the rescue. Then the most painful question of all, she asked about Christian. He told her of how he saved her life and she cried. He held her and let her cry. He felt guilty for leaving out his part in her ordeal. How he failed her over and over again. But he wanted her to trust him. He was desperate for her to trust him. Rubbing her back, when her tears stopped he lifted her face to his and kissed her lips lightly.

"Now I have some good news" he said smiling into her face.
"Really?" she said surprised.
"Yes, you're pregnant" he said softly.

She sat up shocked. "What!" she snapped.
"It happened when we reunited in Greece. It wasn't planned."
She stared into his face stunned. Looking down at her lap she placed a hand on her stomach. "What about the drugs in my body. The ones you say have my memory so choppy?"

John smiles reassuringly "The doctor said you are fine. The baby should be fine."
Slowly she smiled "We're going to be parents?" she asked grinning
John pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "We sure are baby…..we sure are."