I'm In Trouble Deep

Worried Parents

Danny yawned at work that day as he heard the dial tone of the phone. He was about to give up when the familiar voice answered, almost out of breath.

"Dr. Riley. How may I help you?" She let out a puff of air.

"...Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah! Yeah, definitely. I'm fine. Who's this?"

"Danny Reagan."

"Danny! Hi! It's been a hot minute."

"Do you have a few minutes?"

"What's wrong?" Brie sat in her chair, wondering why he was calling her. "Are you doing okay?"

"Uh... yeah. Sure."

"You're holding back. What is it?"

"Linda's pregnant with our second kid-"

"I know! Congratulations!"

"Thank you. Thank you. The only problem is... that it's stressing. Who knew waiting for a baby would be taxing on your mental health?" He was fine talking to Brie about his worries. She knew what was going on in his head, and she didn't ridicule him.

"It's a lot, especially if it's your first kid."

"Yeah. I just.. I don't know what's coming, I guess. She's six months pregnant, and... that's when we lost the first baby."

"And you're needing some reassuring logic?"

"Yes."

"Danny, the first time was a- a fluke. I shouldn't call it that, but that's what it really was, wasn't it? Linda was very stressed and scared, and it triggered labor. If you keep her calm and stress free throughout the rest of the pregnancy, she should be fine."

Danny smiled, feeling a little more calm. All he had to do was get Linda to relax and not stress. How hard could that be? He knew he could do it in a number of ways. "I can do that, yeah." He was about to say something when he heard another dial tone. "Hold on, Brie. Someone's beepin'."

"That's okay. I gotta go anyways. It was nice talking to you again. Hope I helped."

"You have. Thanks."

"Absolutely." Brie hung up, and Danny answered the next call. Before he could say hello, the other person started talking.

"Danny, it's Linda," Joe's voice filled his ear. "I don't know what happened! I was in the neighborhood-"

"Wait a minute. In the neighborhood? Nobody is ever in the neighborhood of Staten Island!"

"Do you want to know what happened to your wife or not?"

"Something happened to Linda? Is that her crying in the background?"

"Yes. She called me, because she didn't want to bother you, cause you were up with her all night and are now cranky. But she was crying then, and she hasn't stopped crying. Only for like, ten minute intervals, then it's the waterworks again! I can't get her to calm down."

"I'm coming. Tell it'll be fine, whatever it is, it'll be fine."

"Okay. Hurry, though, I'm afraid she'll pass out."

"I'll be there soon."

**********

Danny was practically jumping out of the car before he had even had it parked. He was so worried about his wife. What would make her cry for seemingly hours on end? He met Joe by the door and together they quickly walked into the living room. Danny immediately sat next to Linda on the couch, everything else around him a blur.

"Danny!" Linda sobbed, holding her arms out for a hug. She cried onto Danny's shoulder, holding his shirt and wrapping his tie around her hand. He held her as she cried, waiting to ask any questions until she had calmed down enough to answer them.

As he held her, he noted the wastebasket next to her feet, filled with used tissues. He noticed the glass filled with ice and no water sitting on the table. He noticed how observant his younger brother really was.

"I'll refill this," Joe picked up the glass and walked into the kitchen.

"You ready to talk?"

Linda pulled away, nodding. She smoothed out his shirt and tie, swallowing thickly, trying to get her throat dry. She smiled at Joe when he handed her the water. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"What's wrong? Do you need anything? What can I do?" Danny rubbed her arm reassuringly.

"What if..." she sighed, taking another sip from the glass.

"That's right. Slow, steady sips." He nodded, waiting for her to talk, to be ready to open up to him.

"What if... what if this baby..." she whispered the last of the question. "Dies? What if... something goes wrong? What if..." her voice got louder with every 'what if', some of them being absurd scenarios.

"Linda, Linda. Honey." Danny tried to get Linda to stop rambling on, "you're gonna freak out the baby."

She stopped then, her hands on her swollen belly. "But it's- I'm six months, now, and that's- that's when.. what if.. it should happen again?"

"It won't happen again, I promise."

"You don't know that! You can't say that!" She stood up and started shaking again with sobs.

Danny guided her to sit back onto the couch, handing her the water again. "Do I need to call someone? Shelby or Dr. Fifer or- or maybe even Brie?"

She shook her head, "no. It's just that..." she glanced over to Joe, silently signaling she wanted to be alone with her husband. She looked to her lap, "everything's going pretty okay- except for the dizziness- but she gave me something for that. But... I feel awful, and terrible, and down right gross, and I look even worse than I feel!"

"No you don't," Danny pushed her hair from her face. "You look great. You're beautiful."

"You're supposed to say that," Linda wiped a few tears off her cheek. "You're my husband."

"If it's any consolation," Joe spoke from his spot by the tv, "I think you look hot."

"Joe," Danny slightly glared at him, a warning tone in his voice.

"I think I want to lay down," Linda stated, getting off the couch. Danny followed her up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Something else is wrong," he held her from behind, laying on the bed with her. His hand subconsciously rubbed her stomach. He kissed her shoulder, "what is it?"

"There's- it's... break through bleeding."

"What's that?"

"It's bleeding between periods. Sometimes it's heavier and a lot more painful then the actual cycle."

Danny could tell she was in "nurse mode". She wouldn't been crying otherwise as she explained to him. "But you're pregnant."

"I know."

"So what does it mean?"

"Any number of things," she turned to him slowly. "From inflammation of the cervix to placenta abruption."