So sorry for such a long delay in updating due to being ill for a week or so haven't had time to update.
Not sure if anyone is still following after such a long time but if you are please leave a review.
There are only two chapters left so everything is brought to a conclusion in this chapter. Hope you enjoy. Love the new season just love Danny and Linda glad showing more of them Last week was my all time favourite episode.
CHAPTER NINE
That evening Linda took the boys to the hospital to see Danny. They were so excited in the car on the drive over thinking Danny had been on a secret mission, not understanding why their father was really in hospital and that he was nearly killed by a monster.
As they approached his room Linda made them wait, she was always nervous of letting them into the room without first checking that Danny was ok. As she entered the room Danny's eyes brightened but upon not seeing the boys behind her, the sparkle seemed to fade. Linda smiled and seeing Danny was ok for the boys to see she turned and called them in. They both raced past her and ran straight to Danny's bed. Both boys knew they couldn't kiss Danny as his jaw was still wired up so they both took a hand each and held it tight.
Tears weld in Danny's eyes and Linda grabbed the pad so Danny could write the boys a message. "Was it really cool on your secret mission?" Sean whispered to Danny, so as not to let the nurse know what his Dad was working on. "Did you get attacked by wild animals and have to fight them off Daddy?" Jack asked. "Uncle Jamie said you had to go deep into the woods on a special mission. Did a big bear grab you?" Sean said, nodding his head hoping that something really exciting had happened to his Dad.
Danny wrote on the pad, "Sorry boys, walked into a tree in the dark looking for some men stealing from a farmer, sorry boys. Danny finishes and shrugs at the boys by way of apology for ruining their story. The boys went quiet then said "Can we press the button on your bed to make it go up and down?" Danny rolled his eyes as Linda told the boys to wait till Danny had got out of the bed as the movement might make him feel sick.
As Linda was helping Danny out of the bed he heard the door open and thinking it would be his Dad or Jamie, Danny raised his hand to gesture them in letting them know he was more up to having visitors than when they had tried to see him earlier in the day.
He felt Linda's arm tighten her grip on him and felt her body go stiff as she looked at the door. Danny pushed himself up off the bed to see what could have caused Linda to react in such a way and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Angela standing in the doorway.
Not wanting to upset the boys, Linda moved over to her mother and pushed her outside the room telling the boys to stay with their father. "What the hell do you think you are doing turning up here like this?" Linda asked her mother, the venom easy to hear in her voice. "I don't want you anywhere near my husband and boys. How dare you turn up and try to upset him after all he has been through, get out now!" Linda's voice became raised and a nurse came over to see if Linda needed any help.
"Please Linda, I need a few minutes with you and Danny. I need to explain what happened….the reason I was so against you marrying a Police Officer."
Before Linda could speak, a voice from behind them spoke for her. "You have had eighteen years to tell her why you disowned her for marring my grandson. You have never been there all the other times she needed her mom, so like hell you will be here now while my grandson is lying in a hospital bed. Now get the hell out before you end up in one of these rooms!" Henry shouted, as he approached them his cane raised in the air.
Before Henry got the chance to say or do anything else, Frank appeared from the lobby and ordered his father to cool down. "Pops this isn't the time or the place to be raising your voice while my grandson's are next door. I won't stand for it not here not anywhere, so either cool down or go outside. It's your call Pops," Frank ordered his father.
Henry glared from Frank to Angela before lowering his cane to his side. "Well?" he asked Angela, his tone sharp. "What is it you feel Linda needs to hear after eighteen years?"
Linda was standing next to Danny's room unable to speak over Henry. "Well mother?" she replied, "We're waiting…"
Just then Erin appeared from the lobby and seeing everyone standing outside Danny's room, feared something was wrong with her brother. She raced to Linda. "What's happened, is Danny ok?" she asked her sister in law, not even noticing Linda's mother. "He's fine Erin. This is my mother, you haven't met her for a long time, and she is just about to tell us what the hell she is doing here…" Linda told Erin. Angela smiles at Erin and offers her hand as she says hello, before asking Erin if she could take the boys to the cafeteria, as she needs to have a word with Linda and Danny away from the boys. Erin nods and enters Danny's room to get Jack and Sean. Danny was perched on the edge of the bed. He grabbed the note pad and wrote "Erin. What's going on?" Erin told him Angela wanted to see him and Linda and she was going to take the boys outside while Linda and her mother came into the room.
Danny was seething by the time Angela entered the room and thought for her sake, it was probably best that he couldn't speak at the moment. Linda, looking pale, followed behind her mother, with Frank and Henry a step behind closing the door and standing either side of Linda.
Angela took an old photograph from her handbag of a policeman in uniform. The picture was torn and battered, an old black and white image. Let me ask you if the name Brannigan is familiar to you Commissioner?" she asked Frank. "James Brannigan mean anything to you?" Frank shook his head. "No it doesn't, why?" he asked, looking at the old photograph.
"This is my father. Officer James Brannigan, he was killed when I was nine years old during the strike on the docks. A riot broke out and he was killed by a police horse that was sent to disburse the crowd. Maybe the name Tommy Brannigan will be more familiar. I'm sure you'll remember him Henry, it was while you were a detective that he killed himself with his service weapon, after the case of the three little girls who disappeared in the summer of 1964. He found the last victim. He never fully recovered and started drinking too much. His wife left him and when things got too much for him, he put a bullet through his head. He was my brother."
The room fell silent as Angela turned to Linda. "That's why I didn't want you mixed up with a policeman, and a Reagan at that. I knew Danny would want to follow in his Grandfathers footsteps and he would push himself all the time. Danger would never be far behind Danny, and I just couldn't bear you to lose your husband, feel the pain I felt when my father died. I couldn't stand by and watch you suffer the way my mother did. She was a widow at just thirty with five children, and the force then didn't even bury him. She had to sell her wedding ring to help pay for the funeral."
Linda moved over to Danny as he sat perched on the end of the bed. She put her arm around his shoulder as she looked at her mother with eyes full of sadness. Linda squeezed his shoulder as she spoke to her mother as if to reassure Danny. "All this time mother, you never told me you where from a police family? At least then I would have known why you were so set against me marrying Danny. But in truth it wouldn't have changed a thing, I would have married Danny if you had told me this eighteen years ago. I love him mom, always have and always will and I wouldn't trade one day of our marriage. Yes I have cried myself to sleep over Danny but those tears were cried out of love, not fear, and the laughter and the love we have shared… that outweighs the worry ten times over."
Angela moved over to Linda and Danny. "I did what I thought was best, to protect you, and I was wrong. You are happy and Danny, you are a good man. I have followed your career through the news and I have seen all your big cases. I want to thank you for the life you have given my daughter." Danny stood up and held Angela's hand. "Well I have said what I came to say and now I will leave you to recover. I just wanted you to know Linda, that I never stopped loving you. You have a wonderful family and you should be very proud of your husband," Angela said, as she fled the room so no one could see her tears.
Linda stayed routed to the spot until Danny leaned over and held her tightly to him. Nobody said a word as Frank and Henry left Linda and Danny alone.