Stories: Roman Brady's decline

Roman Brady’s decline

Roman Brady (Josh Taylor)

Dr. Marlena Evans began to notice something off about her ex-husband, Roman Brady, shortly after her separation from John Black. Roman began to forget small details of their history together, including the first time Marlena met Roman’s brother, Bo Brady.

Marlena became increasingly alarmed, as Roman became increasingly defensive about his fading memory, but something seemed off. She approached University Hospital’s new chief of staff, Dr. Valerie Grant, for help trying to figure out whether Roman’s symptoms were a sign of dementia. Valerie came back with alarming news: there were no records of Roman on file before 1997, the year Roman returned to Salem. Marlena recalled not recognizing Roman when Kristen DiMera wheeled Roman into her wedding to John Black.

Suddenly, Marlena began to fear the worst: what if Kristen had duped everyone and brought back an imposter to Salem in place of Roman?

As Roman’s heath declined, his work suffered, as did his cognitive abilities. After Lucas Horton found Roman passed out, frostbitten in a bush, having become lost and disoriented in the night, Marlena and Roman’s family pleaded with him to move in with Marlena, now divorced from John, and to retire from the police force. Roman agreed to move in with Marlena, but refused to quit his job, knowing that his work was the one thing keeping him going.

As Marlena and Roman grew closer, the questions began to swirl more and more in Marlena’s mind: was this really Roman? Is Roman’s condition dementia? Marlena decided to take action, and began asking Roman's relations to consent to a DNA test to prove once and for all that the man who returned to Salem in 1997 was indeed Roman Brady. However, this request was rebuffed by Sami, and, most vocally, by Roman's sister, Kim, who insisted Marlena focus on finding a way to reverse Roman's symptoms instead of chasing a distant hope that the "real Roman" may be out there somewhere.

However, Eric agrees to take the DNA test, when Valerie suggests to Marlena that Roman's possible dementia was genetic, particularly in light of Caroline's dementia diagnosis.

Later that evening, Roman leaves the police station after a meeting between himself, Abe, Kate, Billie, and Lucas to discuss the status of their case against Jordan Ridgeway and Sheryl Connors. Roman's memory of the details of the case are foggy, at best. This alarms Kate, and Abe. Abe reluctantly asks Roman to provide police protection for Rafe while the investigation reaches a conclusion.

Roman drives out to Rafe's to fill him in on the situation, but finds a nervous Jordan there. Roman forgets his reason for visiting, and heads off almost immediately, narrowly missing Rafe, who's returned from the garbage room after cleaning up some broken glass.

Roman then heads out of town, driving aimlessly. He stumbles upon an SUV semi-hidden from the road. Inside, he finds a dead body, not realizing it's that of Crystal Clarke, a nurse who almost exactly resembles Sheryl. He is panicked by the discovery, and tries to radio into Police HQ, but cannot remember how. He gets back in his car, frustrated, and after finding his bearings, drives back into Salem.

Roman isn't home by midnight, frightening Marlena, who calls on Abe, and Kim to help organize a search party for Roman.

As the group assemble in the underground parking under Marlena's building, they find Roman's car parked in the lot, with Roman inside. He sits alone, staring blankly ahead, deep in his own jumbled thoughts. Marlena manages to coax him back inside, and to get some rest. After Roman is asleep, Marlena convinces Kim to come with her and Eric to University Hospital the next day for the DNA test.