Linda really did hate taking taxis and buses, and the subway especially! But she didn't have a choice tonight, since her car was out of commission and Danny would be working until ten. He couldn't pick her up even if he wanted to- his new boss hated him.
So she sighed and checked her wallet for the right amount of change (or her bus pass) before walking out the door that morning.
She had accidentally missed the first bus, because she was talking to Rachel about Rachel's upcoming wedding. She was trying to give the redhead tips- tips that she wished she had known.
Rachel's watch beeped the hour. "Oh, sorry, Linda. But I'm on call now. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow! See ya." She smiled and waved, and walked to the parking garage attached to the hospital. She hated it in here at night- it was dimly light, cold, and there were weird sounds that always scared her half to death.
"Linda, hey!"
She cringed- Richard. She couldn't exactly pretend that she didn't hear him. And she couldn't pretend she didn't see him, either. She turned around, an obviously faked smile on her face. "Hey, Richard."
"Whatcha doin' out here?"
"Going home."
"Lemme walk you to your car."
She wished she had a car! "I'm okay, thank you."
"Come on. It's not safe for a woman like you to be out here all alone at night."
And instead of declining again and walking away, Linda got defensive. She put her hands on her hips, "and what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you should be walking with someone. A big strong man."
"A big strong man like you?"
"Yeah," he stepped closer to her. "So come on- we gotta go."
"I think I'll take my chances."
"Let's go!" He bellowed at her, making her flinch. He grabbed her wrist, and she struggled to get free. Panic was rising in her chest- she hated having her wrists grabbed. It reminded her of Tony, it reminded her of Jack.
"Let go of me!" She planted her feet on the concrete as well as she could and started yanking her hand away.
Richard watched her, amused, before letting go of her hand and sending her falling into a puddle. He loomed over her, "see why stupid bitches like you need a man to do things with them?"
She was about to retort, when a familiar voice interrupted her.
"Everything okay here?"
Keith! It was Keith! Keith was good, Keith was her friend. Keith was hospital security with a gun license and a black belt in one of those martial arts. She couldn't remember which one.
Linda looked to him then to Richard. "It's okay, Keith. I just fell."
He looked to Richard who grumbled something Linda couldn't make out. He walked away, and Keith held his hand out for Linda to take. He easily lifted her to her feet, "you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," she lied, looking at her scrub pants in disgust. "Except I just ruined a perfectly fine pair of scrubs!"
"Do you need a lift?"
She eyed him; she trusted him. He had a wife and kids and was a devoted Christian. He wouldn't try anything. But like a fool- like Danny had pounded into her head- she refused.
"Oh, um, no thank you. It's way out of your way-"
"What're you talking about? I live in Staten Island too."
"Oh... right. Well... okay. Thank you."
Linda watched Keith drive away from inside the apartment lobby. She was glad he drove her home- she didn't think she'd be comfortable on the bus after the encounter with Richard.
As she walked up the stairs- stupid broken elevator- she started to worry. What was she going to tell Danny? Should she tell him at all? He wasn't home, he didn't see her getting out of a strange car. She'd be changed and showered by the time he got home.
Maybe it'd be better if she just kept it to herself. After all, she didn't tell him everything that happened at work. She couldn't- it was like him and his work, confidentially and all that.
"It's better not to tell him," she decides, putting the key in the door. "Better not to worry him."
As it turned out, better not to worry him was the wrong decision. She was jumpy around him all evening, and when he asked her about it, she flat out lied... without even having to think about it.
"One of my patients today was a drunk. Early to mid twenties. He got a little handsy, and it sort of freaked me out."
"Do you know his name?"
"You can't beat him up, Danny. I'm okay, really I am." She forced a smile and kissed him, praying her wouldn't see through her ruse.
Later, as they laid together in bed, Linda couldn't sleep. It wasn't so much the fear of Richard playing at her mind as it was how easily she lied to Danny. She shouldn't have been able to lie that quickly and that smoothly. What kind of person does that make her? She didn't want her marriage to be one full of unnecessary lies.
"Danny? Danny, are you okay?"
He sighed, "what's wrong, Linda?"
She bit her lip, suddenly glad they weren't pressed against each other. "I... I have a confession to make."
"Okay..."
She sighed, "I... I lied to you."
"When?"
She felt him shift, presumably towards her. "Earlier tonight. A-about the patient groping me."
"Why would you lie about that?"
"Because it wasn't a patient. It was another nurse."
Danny sat up and turned the light on. "What?"
She sat up too. "He didn't grope me, either. He just... tried to. He grabbed my wrist, and I think if I hadn't resisted and he hadn't thrown me down and Keith hadn't shown up... then he would've... done something a lot worse."
"Who's he? And who's Keith?"
Linda explained and told the whole story. By the time it was over, she was sniffling, on the verge of tears.
He guided her into a tight hug. "Honey... why didn't you just tell me?"
"I don't know," she responded. "I... didn't want you to worry."
I didn't want you to fly off the handle and ban me from working.
"But you're my wife. It's in my contract to worry about you."
She smiled at the words; she had said them to him just last month. "I hope my car is fixed soon."
"I'm picking you up tomorrow. I don't care how bad a ripping I get. You're my wife, and you're first priority."
She hugged him tightly. Why had she even been worried in the first place? "I love you, Danny."
"I love you."
