"But you came home," the lady argues with him.
"On the outside." He isn't sure what makes him be honest with this criminal- the criminal he witnessed rob a bank. But the conversation sticks in his head for the rest of the night and throughout the duration of the case.
Danny's tired when he gets home, and it's not the lack-of-sleep tired. It's the same kind of tired her felt with Corporal Russel and Micheal Oats. Why does he always have to get the veteran cases?
As he locks up downstairs, he wonders why he said that to that lady. Why did he say that? 'Because you're an idiot' comes to his mind, but he shakes it away. Maybe it's progress that he doesn't listen to that little self-hating voice; Linda and Doc would be proud if he ever told them. He walks up the stairs, stops in his boys' rooms. He lingers longer than necessary, remembering important milestones in their lives; their first words, first day of kindergarten, first night away from home...
Danny sighs and heads to his room, his safe haven, where a pair of arms and a soft pair of lips will be willing to calm his racing thoughts... if he even tells her about them. He isn't greeted by Linda when he walks in, and he guesses she's sleeping, but he still calls her name, "Linda?"
"Oh, hi, honey." Her voice sounds... painful.
"What's wrong?"
"I have a headache. A terrible headache."
"Did you take something for it?"
"No, Danny, I wanted to torture myself. Of course I took something. This is the improved version."
He bends over her, kisses her warm forehead. "I'm sorry. Can I do something for you?"
"Just come to bed."
"I'm gonna take a quick shower first."
She nods, "use warm water."
"By your standards or by the world's standards?"
She playfully gives him a sneer, "your choice."
He kisses her forehead again, runs his fingers through her hair, stays a tad longer than he really should. He tears himself away, and takes a quick shower. In the shower, to stop the thoughts of Fallujah and bombs and death, he counts up by fourteens. It's a trick he used in high school to not get horny- he usually only had to do it with Linda, because the other girls were more than happy to get horny with him.
Danny's standing in front of the medicine cabinet, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He's halfway dressed, his shirt gripped in his hand, as he grips the sink. He can see his Semper Fi tattoo easily, and he guesses he's thinking about his tours, but he just feels numb. He startles when Linda comes in and wraps her arms around him. Her cheek rests against his lower shoulder.
"I thought you said it'd be a quick shower."
He shrugs, "tough case." He feels like he uses that as an excuse too often.
"Do-"
"We don't need to talk about it."
Linda unclasps her hands from resting on his stomach, then traces his tattoo with one finger. He's sure she doesn't mean anything by that- the tattoo is right above this heart, and she didn't trace the letters, just the small arch... but it still makes him tense and his throat close up.
Linda frowns when Danny pulls away from her and almost flees to the bedroom. She doesn't want to talk- not now when she's so dizzy and her head feels like lead- but Danny needs to talk. So she sucks it up and follows him out, her gait a little wobbly. "Danny, what's wrong?"
"You know the case I'm working on-"
"The one with the vets and the bank? The vets- memories of your tours?"
He nods, "remember the Lady bank robber?"
"Female, five-six, white, hair in a bun, southpaw?"
He looks to her, and can't help but smirk. He tousles her shirt hair, "smart ass."
She kisses his hips, a goofy smile on her face. "What about her?"
"Her husband is a decorated war vet. Served three years, and has now been waiting for three years to get the help he needs. He... lost his legs, basically lost his brain, probably lost some of his buddies too..."
"Lost his brain...?" She initially didn't intended to ask, but Danny takes a long pause.
"He's got a TBI. I don't really understand it, but... he needs help, Linda. And I'm the one standing in the way of that help. If I arrest his wife, she'll go to jail, and Captain Sullivan will be right back where he started."
"Is there some way to help him after... y'know, his wife is in jail?"
"I don't think so. You know how tricky hospital policies or.. whatever can be."
She scoffs and rolls her eyes, "don't get me started... it's more than that, though, isn't it? You're upset about Captain..."
"Sullivan."
"Sullivan, but there's more to it than that. Right?"
"His wife, she told me that I came home. I had told her I did two tours- I don't know why, maybe I sympathize with her, I dunno. But that was her response, that I came home. I told her 'on the outside'... why did I tell her that?"
"Because you want to help Captain Sullivan."
"Why did he have to come home broken like that and I came home okay?" The question is put before he can pull it back in.
"How long have Sullivan and his wife been married?"
"What?"
"How long have Sullivan and his wife been married?"
Danny frowns, her speech is kind of running together. "Are you sure you're okay? You sound like you're drunk."
"I'm... I have a pounding, splitting headache, but right now we're talking about you."
"Yeah, but don't you think-"
"Danny, I have to plow through awful, awful paint every single month and act like everything is sunshine and lollipops," her voice is filled with disgust. "I can take two minutes to make sure you'll be okay. So how long where they married?"
"Three years."
"After his tours?"
"Yeah."
"There's your answer."
"Huh?"
"Sullivan didn't have a wife to come home to, or two kids, or a family. You did."
"Not the first time."
She refrains from rolling her eyes, "okay, but you had a fiancée and a family to come home to. Sullivan just... had a house to come home to, right?"
"Yeah, I guess." He relaxes a little when she kisses his lips sweetly. "You do know that this isn't going away?"
"This?"
"PTSD."
"Oh, I know. That's why I'm sticking around," Linda slides her arm into his, linking them together. "I vowed through good and bad. And I intended to keep that vow until death do us part."
"Me too. Good, thank you."
"I love you, Danny. Through thick and thin. And I'm always going to love you."
"I love you more."
"I love you most." She kissed him again, and they lie down together. Linda's dozing within fifteen minutes, but Danny's still awake.
He wonders if she still has that headache; he slips out of bed and pads to the en-suite. He's okay, he's going to be okay; he reminds himself of all the good things he has as he wets a washcloth. His wife is fantastic and some kind of Angel;the boys are everything he could have asked for; he has a loving family, a nice home, a steady job, friends who don't make fun of his mental... shortcomings. He's got it pretty good.
Danny exits the bathroom and places the cloth over Linda's eyes and forehead. He kisses her lips, "sleep well, baby. I hope you feel better."
"I hope you feel better too." Her voice is sleepy.
He gets in bed next to her, holds her hand that's resting on the pillows. "I will. Especially if you stay here with me."
She squeezes his hand three times, "I'm not going anywhere."
He closes his eyes, relaxes a bit. "Good." He kisses her hand and falls into a restless sleep.