We're Gonna Go Through This Together

Chapter Twenty One

When Linda heard knocking on her front door, she grabbed her skillet and carefully descended the stairs. "Who is it?" She called from behind the door, weapon ready.
"It's Jamie!"
"And Janko!"
Linda sighed when she heard the familiar voices. She unlocked the door, peeking out through the crack. When she saw her brother in law and his partner, she unhooked the chain lock and let them in. "Thank goodness it's you two!"
"Where's the burglar?" Jamie asked.
"Upstairs."
"Why do you have a cast iron skillet in your hand?" Janko wondered as Linda led them to her bedroom.
"I keep it under the bed if stuff like this happens. Don't tell Danny, okay? He doesn't know I hide one."
"You keep a skillet under your bed and your husband, the best detective the city has ever had, doesn't know?" Eddie Janko smiled. "I like her," she whispered to Jamie as they entered the bedroom.
"There! That's him!" Linda sat on her bed, hugging Danny's pillow.
Jamie bent over and cuffed him, then felt for a pulse.
"He's not- is he- he's-"
"He's alive, just out." Jamie stood up and looked at Linda. "Can you tell us what happened?"
She nodded. "I had just gotten out of the shower, when I heard something downstairs. I grabbed the plunger, that one over there," she pointed to it and the officers followed her finger. "Then I came in here. When nobody was here, I thought I had imagined it. But I heard crashing again. So I grabbed the skillet," Linda paused and saw Eddie smile. "And he shot the doorknob off."
"I was wondering why it looked like that." Jamie looked over at the door.
"Then he came in. I saw that he had a gun, and that sack." She pointed to the sack in question. "Then I hit him upside the head with the skillet. He fell down, I called you guys, then I called Danny."
"I got that right, right? Danny's your husband?" Eddie asked, not quite sure of the Reagan family tree.
Linda nodded. "He should be here-"
"Linda!!" Danny called from downstairs.
"We're up here, Danny!" Jamie responded.
Danny took the stairs two at a time and went into the bedroom. Linda ran into his arms and let her tears fall.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know- I was-"
"Hey, it's okay. What happened? Why is there a skillet on the bed? And that guy on the floor?"
"Linda heard some noises, and that guy had a gun. He blasted your doorknob, and Linda hit him with the skillet," Eddie explained. "That's the bag he was caring, and that's the gun." She pointed to the items.
"Where'd you get the skillet?" Danny led Linda to the bed.
She hit the bed, then pointed underneath it.
"You hide a cast iron skillet under the bed?"
She nodded as she started hyperventilating.
"Do you need some water?" Jamie wondered and Linda nodded. He left to retrieve the water.
"Okay, Linda. Remember what the doc said- just breathe." Danny had insisted that Linda see a therapist. The doctor had told her that breathing was very important, and had coached both Danny and Linda on how to calm down just by breathing. "Breathe with me. In and out. And in and out. And in and out..."
Eddie didn't realize she was breathing along with them until Jamie stood next to her. "What're you doing?" He asked.
"Watching." She breathed in then out.
"You're following the breathing exercise."
"Oh..."
"And in, and out." Danny continued to help Linda.
She took one big breath, then let it out slowly. Breathing in, she said, "I'm okay, now." She opened her eyes and sort of smiled at Danny.
"Y'sure?"
She nodded and Jamie handed her the water. "Thank you for coming."
"No problem," Eddie smiled- they were hardly ever thanked.
The burglar began to stir, and Linda yelped, hiding behind her husband.