We're Gonna Go Through This Together

Chapter Seventeen

It had been three months since Linda's kidnapping, and she had gotten worse. She had nightmares all the time, and violent episodes of restless sleep, waking up screaming and in a fearful sweat. She could see very vividly how the perps hurt her. Every day, she saw the scenes over and over again. She hated how her life had made a turn for the worse.
Danny really didn't understand what was happening, and he was getting frustrated with it all. Frustrated that his wife wasn't healing, frustrated that he had no idea how to help her, frustrated because when she lost sleep, he did, too. And because he was frustrated and on edge, his family was also. And Sunday dinners would always end with someone being offended, and Linda crying.
Every Reagan prayed every day that Linda would get better, and be back to normal. So far, their prayers were going unanswered....
*******
Linda walked downstairs and into the kitchen one stormy night. She opened the knife drawer, and fingered the big carving knife. She curled her fingers around the handle and stared at it. Her heart pounded fast as she ran her left index finger across the blade, resulting in blood dripping fast down her hand and to the floor. Linda swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, holding the knife above her head. She was going to do it- she was going to kill herself. She breathed heavily, debating if this was the best idea. Finally, she decided "yes". She was about to plunge the knife straight through her heart when a strong hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around.
He thrust his lips onto hers, kissing her like she had never been kissed before.
Linda dropped the knife to the floor, letting her husband kiss her. She knew that her husband would be steamed after they broke the kiss, but she felt like she had to defend herself.
"What on earth were you thinking?!" Danny almost yelled. "Why on earth would you try to kill yourself?! You've got a good life—"
"No, Danny, I don't! My life sucks!" Linda yelled back. "I feel like I'm running through darkness all the time! And the light keeps getting further and further away! I can't go on like this! I can't!" She reached down and grabbed the knife. "So I'm gonna do myself in!"
"The hell you are!" Danny grabbed the knife and threw it in the sink. He looked at his wife with concern in his eyes, along with traces of worry and fear, as he put his hands on her upper arms.
Linda started crying when she saw her husband look at her like that. She cried as Danny pulled her close. She hugged him tightly, hearing his heart beating faster then hers. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry."
"Shh.." Danny rubbed his wife's back and swayed a little bit. "We'll get you not to feel like this. I promise. You're gonna be okay. You'll see," he pressed his lips to her head, his tears beginning to fall. Right then and there, Danny said a silent prayer, please, dear God, please help me to help her.