Disclaimer:
The usual disclaimers apply. I have no affiliation with CBS, Blue Bloods, the writers, crew, cast, etc. All work herein is the property of my artistic prowess and imagination.
And now to our story. "Danny's Christmas Carol"
Danny Reagan sat on his usual perch in Malone's bar which was located in the ass end of Staten Island.
Danny was a drunk and a mean one at that.
Life hadn't always been that way for him, but ever since he returned from his second deployment in Iraq he was a different person from the one who deployed just 12 months earlier.
When he returned to the NYPD he had gone through partners like underwear as nobody wanted to be partnered to a cop with as much baggage as Danny Reagan.
The way he was racking up departmental complaints and suspensions not to mention civil lawsuits, one would have thought he was going after them like Halloween candy.
As such, his partners were afraid of having their careers ruined or worse, to end up pounding a foot beat on the ass end of Staten Island near where Danny Reagan was presently perched.
After two years of his reckless behavior which included waterboarding suspects in toilet bowls, cracking knee caps with boards, wrenching shoulders loose from sockets and countless other physical assaults, not to mention the slew of civil rights violations and breach of departmental regulations pursuant to approved interrogation techniques, Danny Reagan had run his course and much to his father's dismay was terminated from the NYPD.
This led to more drinking and more violent behavior at home and with his father and siblings which eventually resulted in his banishment from Frank's house and Linda's eventual filing for divorce along with her begin granted sole custody of their two sons. A Protective Order was issued restraining Danny from going within 500 feet of his ex-wife and his visitation with Jack and Sean would be in a supervised setting, usually with his brother or sister present.
Eventually though Danny's alcohol fueled demons caused the termination of this arrangement as he became violent with Jamie during one visitation episode and had to be restrained. It was only because Jamie would not press charges that Danny was released and put back on the streets.
Danny had tried a variety of odd jobs but could not seem to hold one long enough due to his temper or showing up hung over or intoxicated to work, if he would even show up at all.
He found himself living in a men's shelter with over fifty other guys who were in the same predicament. The house rules called for no alcohol, no fighting and gainful employment, none of which Danny even attempted to comply with but the director gave him a pass due to who he was, that he had helped solve over a half dozen cases involving former residents of the shelter and that his family was still NYPD royalty and Frank Reagan wrote a very nice annual check to his shelter.
Danny stumbled out of the bar at 2 a.m. intent on somehow staggering his way back to the shelter, but trouble awaited him. Earlier that week he had gotten into a fight with a guy over the legitimacy of the war in Iraq. The punk in question never served and in Danny's opinion had no right to question the actions and sacrifices of those who had.
One comment and insult led to another before Mt. Danny erupted in spectacular fashion and he beat the guy until he was unconscious.
What Danny didn't know is that victim of his anger was the youngest of four brothers, the older three having decided to pay a visit to Danny as he exited Malone's.
The other problem Danny never saw coming is that all three brothers were New York longshoreman and were all over six feet tall and packing over 240 pounds of solid muscle.
One grabbed Danny in a headlock which he thwarted by a stomp on the guy's foot, but the other two brothers quickly teamed up and overpowered Danny. By the time all three were finished with him it looked like a truck had dragged Danny down two miles of gravel road, face first.
They left him by the side of road where a half our later an NYPD cruiser spotted his near lifeless body and called for a bus to take him to Staten Island University Hospital.
When it was determined who the victim was, wheels began spinning at One Police Plaza and calls went out to the appropriate parties.
Danny was unconscious in the hospital and all thoughts of lucidity were beyond imagination, yet he began seeing a vision that he couldn't understand.
"Hey Reagan, I see you got yourself into another fine mess." Curtola commented.
"Jack, is that you? What are you doing here you're supposed to be back home in Cleveland."
"Yeah, and you're supposed to be one of the NYPD's finest detectives and home with his family for Christmas but look where you are, hooked up to a bunch of machines with your face looking like someone took a cheese grater to it. Damn Reagan, I knew you could be a screwball sometimes, but what the hell happened? You aren't even welcome at Sunday dinners no more."
"Well, the hell with my family. When I needed them most they all bailed on me. My father, my worthless sister and brother, even Linda and my no good kids." He retorted.
"Sure Reagan, blame it on everyone else. You can't fool me with your crap, I was your partner the longest and I saw all the facets of Danny Reagan anyone is gonna see. Anyway, I'm not here to argue with you because nothing gets through that thick Irish head of yours anyway other than booze. I'm here to deliver you a message."
"Yeah Jack? And what is so important that you had to hop a plane from the armpit of America so that you could personally deliver me the 411? Danny asked.
"Who said that I ever left Cleveland? That's you thinking that, I'm just appearing in your screwed up head to deliver some words of wisdom so listen up."
She continued: "You have turned into a sad sack of shit who has given up everything in life that most people would kill to have. A great and honorable career, a devoted and loving wife, two boys who think you walk on water, a baby brother who worshiped you, a sister who admired you and a father and grandfather who were once proud of the man and the cop you had become, but you flushed it all down the toilet along with all the whiskey and beers your liver processed you stupid putz and speaking of your liver, it's about a six pack away from bidding you hasta la vista baby and checking out of that roach motel that you call a body. Gee Danny, I remember when you were a hunk. Now you're a fat bloated corpse that looks like it rose up from a Staten Island landfill."
"Anyway, back to my mission which is to deliver you that message so here it is: You will be visited by three spirits. Call them ghosts, apparitions, whatever but they each have something important to tell you so if you're smart, and you want to clean up your act and have a chance at regaining what you've lost, for once in your sorry ass life, shut your trap, open your ears and learn."
"Thanks for the news Jack, so now what, you hop on a plane back to Cleveland and go about your life like this never happened?" He asked
"No jagoff, I never left Cleveland. This is all in your tormented little mind, which by the way has all sorts of short circuits going off in it. Better call an electrician before a fire starts because your wiring is definitely not up to code." And with that she was gone.
Danny shook his head and wondered what kind of happy juice they were putting into his arm because this was way beyond spooky.
He dozed off to sleep thinking about what life had become when a pillow smacked him in the back of the head.
"Wake up Danny or you're going to miss out on opening presents." He heard. A voice he thought he knew.
Danny was face down and buried in his pillow. "Mmdonwanna Tooearly." And he put the pillow over his head.
Suddenly another body jumped onto his, its knees hitting him in the kidneys.
"OUCH!" Danny exclaimed and rolled over to find his brother Joe now sitting astride him but not an 11 year old Joe, but a 32 year old version, his age when he had died four years earlier.
"Joe, what the hell. How can you be here, you're dead." Danny asked.
"Get up Danny or Erin will hide all your presents."
"Get off of me Joe, you must weigh a ton."
Joe hopped off and Danny Reagan jumped out of his childhood bed and looked in the mirror. He looked 10 years older than his 41 years.
"Shake a leg Danny, we have to get downstairs. Hurry." Joe implored him.
"Wait a minute. You were killed on the job four years ago so how can you be here, and why am I at our father's house on Christmas morning when I was banned from here last year." Danny inquired
"What do you mean our father's house, it's our house. Mom, Dad, me, you, Erin and Jamie. The six of us. Come on Danny, Erin and Jamie are already downstairs."
Danny followed Joe downstairs. Mary looked up and smiled. "Thank you Joe, I see you finally got Lord Slumber Head out of bed."
"Merry Christmas son" Frank smiled.
Danny couldn't believe it. There was a six year old Jamie, a 14 year old Erin and his mother and father in their 30's.
"Come on Danny get over here so that we can all begin exchanging presents." Erin harped at him.
"Sit next to me Danny, please?" Jamie begged.
Joe grabbed Danny by the arm and pulled him over to the tree. His mother gave him a kiss and his father a hug.
Presents were unwrapped and shrills of joy could be heard from Joe, Jamie and Erin.
Both sets of grandparents arrived, Henry and Betty Reagan and Dermott and Margaret Riley.
As the morning wound down, Joe took Danny aside.
"This is Christmas past Danny. The times we used to have as children. See how loved you are? Look at Jamie, how he worships you and Erin, even though she tattles on you and argues with you, you're her hero; And you and me Danny, we were partners in crime always having fun picking on Jamie and Erin and sneaking out of the house at night. Look at the good times we had growing up and being cops and brothers."
"I screwed up and it cost me. I should have told you about the Templar and what I had gotten myself into but you Danny, you had more than any of us. You had the happy family, the loving kids and wife, great job that you coveted. I lost all of that because I got careless and if you keep going down the same path you are, you'll not only lose everything you cherish but your very soul."
Danny nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched the young family, so carefree and happy, fade away.
"Joe?" Danny asked, but Joe was gone and Danny found himself alone again. He was emotionally drained so he lay back down and fell asleep.
What seemed like hours passed by as Danny continued to dream about Linda, Jack and Sean and the happy life he had until his fall from grace. In the back of his mind he relived the horrors of Fallujah which was the stimulus that sent him down that long road of self-destruction. He tried to bring the specific episode into focus but it remained just out of the realm of clarity but it kept mocking him
"DANNY, wake up!" a voice shrilled into his ear.
Danny bolted up from his dream only to find his sister, hands on hips, staring down into his face.
"Damn Erin, I'm not deaf." Danny responded.
"Well you sure could have fooled me. I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes now let's go there are things you need to see and lessons for you to learn."
Erin led Danny into a courtroom. Seated in the gallery behind the prosecution's table were Frank, Henry, Linda, Jamie, Jack, Sean and Nicky. Nobody was seated on the defendant's side of the courtroom.
"The defendant's seat is reserved for you Danny. I'll be sitting on the other side as I am the ADA and will be prosecuting you."
"You can't prosecute me, I'm your brother."
"Actually I already have. By the way, look at the name of the arresting officer." She said.
Danny looked down to see 'Jamison Reagan'.
"The kid arrested me? I didn't do anything." Danny pleaded.
"You sound just like when you were 16 and got caught at something. Well, you did do something, many things in fact." Erin responded.
The bailiff walked in to the courtroom. "Please rise" he announced.
"Hey, that's Joe!" Danny exclaimed.
"Quiet Danny, this is a courtroom, not a pool hall." Erin admonished.
"Judge Mary Margaret Reagan presiding." Joe continued.
Judge Reagan took the bench looking as if she were still in her mid-40's before cancer began to eat away eventually claiming her at age 50.
Danny yelled out "Mom" but the judge ignored him. She looked at her clerk and asked that the next case be called.
Maria Baez stood up "People of the State of New York vs Daniel Francis Reagan, Case # 13-588473 FE."
"Erin Reagan for the people your honor."
"John Boyle for the defendant."
Erin began: "Your honor, this is the time and place established by the court for sentencing of the defendant, Daniel Reagan who following the bench trial of last month was found guilty on all counts in the indictment. The people support the position of the Probation Department's Pre-Sentence Report, in that the defendant fails to possess any redeeming qualities as to the subject matter of his conviction and as such, we ask your honor to impose the maximum penalty afforded by law."
"Mr. Boyle" the judge addressed.
"Your honor, my client is a highly and numerously decorated United States Marine and Detective First Grade of the NYPD who has served both his country and his city with unswerving ability and devotion and we remind the court that his present mental state arises collectively from such service. At one time he was a loving husband and father and a devoted son, grandson, brother and uncle. That he failed to seek the help he needed from those around him is inexcusable, especially when the necessary resources were so readily available to him, particularly the love, aid and support of his family however, we believe that we have demonstrated both extenuating and mitigating circumstances that should be factored into his sentence and ask this Court to be cognizant thereof."
"Thank you Mr. Boyle., Ms. Reagan, Rebuttal?"
"Yes your honor. As noted by his counsel, the defendant had a more than loving and supportive family to assist him and to provide the necessary avenues and resources for the help he needs. However, the defendant must take sole responsibility and accordingly be held accountable for voluntarily failing to disclose to those concerned as to the difficulties he was experiencing and for pushing them away when they tried to help him. To plead for mercy based upon mitigating circumstances at the time of sentencing is a slap in the face of those upon whom he has inflicted emotional distress. To put it mildly, he's a day late and a dollar short in asking for his family's forgiveness or help. We've washed our hands of him."
The judge then looked at Danny.
"The defendant will please rise." His mother ordered.
"Daniel Francis Reagan, having been found guilty of numerous counts of the emotional neglect and abandonment of your family and having failed to honor your familial position and responsibilities as a husband, father, brother, son, grandson and uncle it is hereby the sentence of this court that you be immediately discharged from the family business, divorced from your wife, banned from any further contact with any family member and that you be stripped of the Reagan name. So Ordered." And with that the judge brought down her gavel officially casting Danny out into the cold.
Erin then appeared before Danny." This is how you treated us Danny. You pushed us away and abandoned us when we tried to help you. You kept it all bottled up inside of you where it festered and ate away at you like the cancer which killed Mom and we were powerless to do anything as we watched you destroy yourself and as you did, you took a vital caring loving piece of each of us with you. We know something happened to you in Iraq but you wouldn't share it with us and you wouldn't get help or allow us to help you. Therefore, as you pushed us out of your life, we are removing you from ours. It works both ways former brother so I suggest you do some soul searching and make some dramatic changes to yourself before it's too late."
Danny was horrified. He had been cast out of his family. He wanted to tell them everything but he waited too long and they lost their patience and trust. He yelled out to them that he was sorry and that he would open up to them but nobody responded. The more he cried out the more he felt them slipping away. At Erin's direction, Joe and Jamie each lifted Danny by an arm and carried him out and deposited him in the hallway. As he watched his brothers reenter, the courtroom doors slammed shut in his face and he heard the locking mechanism engage. He was now barred from his family. He tried to look inside but the courtroom door windows began to heavily opaque obstructing his view. Then they went black and Danny fell into another deep sleep.
"Danny…. Yo, Danny…."
That voice, Danny knew that voice, but it was deeper than he recalled.
He opened his eyes and saw an older man who must have been in his early 50's with graying hair staring down at him but those eyes; he knew those blue eyes…. "Jamie?"
"Hey there sleepyhead, I see you are still a bear to wake up. Remember when we were kids and I would run into your room every morning and you wouldn't get out of bed unless I jumped on you?" Jamie laughed.
"Jamie, what are you doing here, and what's happened to you? You look 20 years older."
"I am Danny. I'm here to show you your future."
Jamie helped Danny up and handed him a heavy coat.
"Come on Danny, we have a funeral to attend."
Danny found himself standing behind and to the side of the family plot. He noticed a number of people that he didn't know.
"Jamie, who are these people?"
"Well, the woman with the gray hair is Erin and the younger woman to her left is Nicky with her husband Marty and their son Joseph. The other woman is Linda but you wouldn't recognize her, she must have aged 40 years since you last saw her, what with all the family tragedies and all."
"Family tragedies, what are you talking about?" Danny asked.
"In good time brother. The man to Linda's left is Sean and that's his fiancée Melissa. The other woman is Jack's wife Kristin and the little guy is their son Daniel. Over there is my wife Shannon and my son Francis Xavier Reagan, II, named for Dad and my daughter Alissa who is pregnant. I'm going to be a grandfather. "
Danny took a few moments to drink this all in and then it hit him. "Jamie, where's my son Jack?"
Jamie looked at Danny and bowed his head and then pointed over to where the family was gathered. "Danny, he's right over there. This is Jack's funeral."
Danny couldn't focus or find his balance. He felt lightheaded and started wobbling. Jamie grabbed his arm and led him over to a bench where they sat down.
I don't understand what funeral? He is only 11 years old.
"No Danny, Jack was 31 years old and a Detective Second Grade, married with a young son named for his father who had abandoned his family when Jack was 11 years old."
Jamie continued: "Jack was killed last week in the line of duty during a hostage situation. He went in without backup and was shot from behind. He never regained consciousness. Jack was the final Reagan to wear the shield."
"What about you, you must be a Commander by now." Danny said.
"No Danny, after you died I lost my desire to be in the family business. I took the Bar Exam, quit the force and practiced civil law for 15 years before I was appointed as a judge for the Superior Court and then secured a federal appointment to the bench for the Southern District of New York."
"I died? What are you talking about kid, I'm right here."
"Danny, 20 years ago you were found in the ditch in front of Malone's Bar on Staten Island beaten to a pulp. You hung on for about a month on life support but eventually Dad had to give the order to pull the plug. There was too much brain damage and your alcohol abuse had killed your liver which finally failed. You went very quickly from that point."
"After your death, it all went downhill so fast. Grandpa had a massive stroke and died within a month of you. Dad had lost his best friend in Henry and another son in you. He tried to carry on for everyone but his heart wasn't in it.
About two years after you and Henry died Dad went home from work just like any other day, went out to the garage, sat at his work counter and ate his service revolver."
"Jack became a cop to honor you and to carry on the family legacy but here's where things went awry. Without you, nobody was there to teach him the street smarts of being a cop. I had quit the force, Dad committed suicide and poor Jack was left to fend for himself. He was a lot like me, a big heart but he lacked the common sense you taught me and would have taught him. Survival instincts. Now Sean has a brother to mourn as we did."
Jamie led Danny over to the headstones and he read off the names.
Reagan, Joseph Conor, 1977 – 2009
Reagan, Daniel Francis, 1972 – 2013
Reagan, Henry Joseph, 1922 – 2013
Reagan, Francis Xavier, 1952 – 2015
Reagan, John Daniel, 2002 – 2033
"I'm showing you this Danny because it's not too late to change history nor is it too late to change who you have become. Please Danny, tell me what happened in Fallujah that changed you. I want to help, I'm here to help, but I can't read your mind. Something destroyed you and in doing so, took our family with it. You were our protector and when you stopped protecting us, it all fell apart."
Danny began crying and walked back over to the bench where he sat down. Jamie joined him.
Danny seemed to stare out into nowhere, his voice very quiet, composed and emotionless.
"I was four months into my second tour. I was supposed to be heading out one night on a simple protection mission where we backed up the Iraqi army who were searching for insurgents, but right before we left a guy named Collins asked if he could switch with me so that he could be on base the next night as it was his kid's first birthday and they were going to patch him through to home so he could talk to him."
"Collins never made it home. He was killed by an I.E.D. on his way back to camp. He was only three miles from safety and being able to make that phone call home. I went out the next night instead, which would have been my night off. We were about 20 miles from camp when we were ambushed. There were six of us and about 30 of them. We fought and two of my guys were killed and the rest of us captured. For five straight days they tortured us for information but we wouldn't talk. They sliced the head off my radioman who was a kid not much older than you were at Harvard."
"The next day they began rounding up locals, just regular Iraqi people who didn't have anything to do with the war. These were people who were herding goats, growing crops, and raising families. They lived in primitive homes and went to the well for water and shit in a hole in the ground. Decent people that just wanted what everyone should want deep down. Peace, comfort and the love of family. The insurgents rounded them up and in front of us began beating and raping them. Then they were slicing off hands, then feet, then heads. Women, children, babies, it didn't matter. Blood spraying and pulsating and flowing, so much blood it soaked us. And after they massacred these poor people, they took us out into the center of the village and buried us alive."
"We stayed buried in the hot Iraqi sun, soaked in the blood of these poor defenseless villagers for five days until our unit somehow stumbled across us. A drone must have picked up our body heat, I don't know. We went back to base and were subjected to all kinds of debriefing, questions, evaluations, you name it, but the one thing that never came up was any kind of plan or talk of a plan for retribution or justice for those who had been killed, including my men, Marines I had sworn to lead and protect whom I failed."
"I raised all kinds of hell asking to go back out and lead a raid on the insurgents but the political pundits of the day didn't want the U.S. Marines leading a massacre of Iraqi citizens, even if they were deserving of it. They caught me sneaking out after dark and I was put in the brig for a week for attempting to go AWOL. I was going to launch my own war. After that I was relieved of duty and placed on psychological leave. They rotated me out to Germany and kept me locked up in a looney bin for six months until they decided I was safe to return to New York. I just kept up the act for the family that I never left Iraq so that I didn't have to burden anyone with what had happened to me."
Jamie very quietly absorbed all of this and then looked at his brother, a deep concern in his eyes.
"Danny, why didn't you ever open up to us about this? Why did you bear all of this pain on your own, we are your family and that's what we are for."
Danny started crying, deep sobs. "Because, I didn't want to disgrace the family. I was a coward, I sat there and did nothing to protect those poor people. I disgraced the uniform, I disgraced myself and I disgraced the Reagan name. I wish I had been killed over there."
"All of you thought I was such a great Marine and cop but I returned to New York and it's the same environment, fathers raping daughters, mother's killing sons, gangs beating up innocents, people needlessly being murdered and maimed and raped and assaulted. I couldn't protect Joe and I can't protect them and I can't stop it. I can't do anything to make all the needless cruel animalistic violence stop!"
And with that, Danny Reagan broke down and let it all out.
Joe and Erin materialized next to Jamie. Erin knelt down and put Danny's head in her lap while Jamie and Joe spoke consoled him telling that all was okay but that he needed to get help and learn to forgive himself for this was all beyond his control. He could not save everyone and he had to learn to accept that and for that moment, Danny truly felt a peace with himself.
Then his brothers and sister faded away.
Danny's head kept swimming and he felt as if he was on some type of pharmaceutically induced trip, but he began hearing voices and the lights were getting brighter. He wanted to open his eyes but the ability to do so was just beyond his reach.
He heard someone calling "Daddy" and another voice "Come on Dad, wake up". "Please Danny" "Come on Son, we know you're there." And then his eyes snapped open and he looked up to see the smiling faces of Linda, Jack, Sean, Frank, Erin, Jamie, Nicky and Henry, all staring down at him.
"Where am I? He asked.
Linda squeezed his hand and smiled. "Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn ."
He looked confused. "I was at Malone's on Staten Island and got into a fight. What am I doing in Brooklyn?"
Erin shook her head. "What do you mean you were at Malone's, Danny do you even remember what happened to you?"
"Yeah, I was at Malone's as usual and when I left three guys jumped me" and then he stopped. "What are all of you doing here anyway" He asked.
Jamie asked "Why wouldn't we be here Danny, we're your family."
He looked at Linda. "She divorced me and took my boys away." He looked at Frank "You fired me from the job and banned me from the house." He looked at Jamie. "You quit the job and became a judge." And then he looked at Erin. "And you prosecuted me and had me thrown out of the family."
Frank couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Danny, I don't know what happened son, but I can promise you that Linda did not divorce you nor take your boys from you; I did not fire you or ban you from the house; Jamie hasn't even taken the Bar Exam let alone become a judge and Erin might argue with you but she would never prosecute you. Persecute, yes, prosecute, no."
"Danny, please tell me what's going on. Do you remember anything at all from earlier tonight?" Linda asked.
"I guess not, would someone please tell me what's going on." He said in a panicked voice.
Erin explained. "Danny, you were sitting on the couch with Nicky and the boys and you were watching "A Christmas Carol", the original 1938 black and white version which was always your favorite holiday movie, do you remember?
"No, I mean I remember I like the movie, but I don't remember watching it with the kids." He responded.
Erin continued. "You stood up to get a beer and complained that you felt lightheaded. Nicky tried to help you sit down but you blacked out and fell hitting your head on the coffee table."
Danny reached behind his head and felt a bump. "That bump must be from the fight I told you about."
"No Danny, it's from the coffee table." Jamie reinforced.
Frank called out in the hallway. "Baker, a moment."
Baker came in and stood by Frank. "Please inform my son as to his title, rank and current assignment please.
Baker looked surprised but complied. "New York City Police Department, Detective First Grade, Manhattan North Detectives under the command of Sgt. Gormley."
"And who is my partner." Danny asked.
"Maria Baez" Baker responded.
"Ok, now that I know." Danny responded though the memory was fuzzy.
Danny's attending physician arrived and began informing the family as to what the test results showed but first, Frank informed him as to Danny's hallucinations.
Danny told the doctor about his dream and the doctor began to smile and then laugh.
"Doc, what's so funny, this is my head you're talking about."
"Detective Reagan, it all makes sense." The doctor responded. "Even a nice Jewish doctor like me can appreciate Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' whether in book or film version. I think I can explain to you what happened. First of all, you are severely dehydrated and your blood sugar is low. You were also drinking alcohol and I will wager you don't get enough sleep. This is what caused you to black out and feint. You struck your head which put you into a mild hallucinatory sensory state and during and subsequent to this incident, you were watching A Christmas Carol. In short, you were at the same level of consciousness as someone who had been given truth serum or had been hypnotized and you were extremely open to suggestion. The movie was playing in the background so in your mind, you were living the life of Scrooge and had visits from the different spirits, the three people you associate most with this movie, your siblings. This was your subconscious assisting you in dealing with something that you have repressed and maybe it's come to the surface and if so, I recommend you seeking some form of treatment before it further affects you."
Jamie laughed. "Danny? Scrooge? How poetic."
"Jamison, not now" Erin warned.
"Shut up brat." Danny yelled back. "Ok, so none of what I was seeing was real then. I'm not some divorced unemployed drunk bum."
Jamie smiled. "Oh, you're a bum alright, just not the unemployed variety."
Erin smacked Jamie. "This isn't the time to poke fun at him."
"Sorry" said a sheepish Jamie.
"Wait until we get him home then do it." She smirked.
The Doctor smiled. "Like I said Detective, maybe this is your wakeup call to deal with something in the same way Ebenezer Scrooge received his. I wish you the best and a Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night."
The nurse came in and advised that they would be discharging Danny in about an hour, as soon as they finished rehydrating him.
Frank leaned in and asked. "Care to share with us what's been on your mind?"
Danny decided he didn't want to hide it anymore. "Fallujah. How about I tell you about it tomorrow night, now isn't the time but maybe you, Lin, Erin and the kid can hear me out and then afterwards I want to find someone to talk to about it."
Frank smiled. "I'm glad Danny. This has been many years coming and whether you had visions of ghosts or just some loving siblings who subconsciously were helping to guide you, I hope that you can put Iraq in its own place in your mind and move forward enjoying the loving family that you are so fortunate to have."
Danny then glanced around the room at his family and emitted a large beaming smile. "And God Bless Us Every One." He concluded.