Can't Do It Without You

Daddy's Far Away

~Present Day, late September/Early October, 2002~

He gripped her hips, his face buried in her neck. Her hips arched, her legs wrapped around him, pulling him impossibly closer. Their heavy breathing synched, and they had their highs together.
"Ohhh...." Linda smiled widely, looking at the man next to her. "I'm glad they let you have R&R."
"Of course they let me have R&R. How else am I supposed to make love to my beautiful wife?" Danny leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She smiled, then frowned. "I wish you didn't have to go back."
"Linda..." he almost chastised.
"I know." She snuggled closer to him. "At least you only have a year or so left."
"That's right. And you've gotten along just fine without me."
"Not just fine. I don't think I can keep up with the rent anymore. Frank's been helping the last couple of months. I told him no, but... you know how you Reagans are."
Danny chuckled, "really? How are we?"
"Stubborn, hard-headed cops who don't take 'no' for an answer or leave well enough alone."
The detective laughed, "can't argue with that."
"I just really miss you. And the R&R is not helping that."
"It'll only be a few more months, then I'll be here to stay."
"You better."
***********
Linda laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been nine weeks since Danny went back to fight, but it felt like twenty years to the blonde. She just couldn't fall asleep without her husband by her side. She sighed when she heard Jack crying over the monitor. She got out of bed, forgetting her robe.
Jack was sitting in his bed, clutching the police man bear his Daddy had given him when he was just a newborn.
"What's the matter, baby?" Linda sat down next to him, pulling him into his arms.
"Daddy!" Jack cried, holding his bear in the air.
"Oh, I miss Daddy, too. But he's saving lives." She rubbed his back and kissed his head, feeling tears pricking her eyes.
"Wok?"
"Yeah. Daddy's at work."
"P-sin?" Jack wiped his eyes, feeling tuckered out.
"No, not at the precinct. He's..." Linda sighed, little Jack still didn't understand that Daddy was fighting. He didn't know why Daddy came back for a few weeks, then went away again. "he's in Iraq.... here." She set her son on the bed, and went over to his book shelf. Turning the over head light on, she showed him a map. "See? We're here," she pointed to New York on the map of the world. "And Daddy's right.... here." She used her other finger to point to Iraq.
"Dada far?" Jack wondered, not being able to make sense of what his mother was showing him.
"Daddy's far, far away."
"Be 'om toon?"
"No. He's not coming home soon.  Another year..." Linda's tears were silently falling, "Come on. Why don't you sleep with mommy in the big bed?"
"Yay!" Jack liked that idea. He loved the big bed.
Linda picked up her son, and switched the light off. She tucked Jack in and snuggled beside him, draping a protective arm around him. Which only served to make her cry, because Danny had always done that to her. No matter the sleeping position, he always had a hand or an arm or even a leg on her, protecting her from whatever she was afraid of. She sighed, closing her eyes. Linda bit her lip and said a silent prayer, please bring him home safely.
**********
The next morning, Linda felt sick. She figured it was because of the lack of sleep- she knew sometimes if she was really tired, she'd feel sick. She placed Jack in his seat at the table, her mind on her husband.
"You want pancakes?"
"Panny!" Jack clapped, his bear tucked under his arms. Linda figured that bear would become an extra appendage.
The phone rang, Linda reaching over the counter to retrieve it. "Reagan residence. Linda speaking."
"Hey, Linda! It's Erin. Are you doing okay?"
"Why does everyone keep asking that? It's not like he left me. He just left to go fight."
Erin wrinkled her brow, "I know that, Linda. We all know that. And we're all just as scared as you are."
"I'm sorry, Erin. It's just... I haven't slept well since he left, and I'm tired all the time—"
"It's okay, Linda. I just called to see if you were free for lunch?"
Linda sighed, "I dunno, Erin. I don't like leaving Jack at the daycare in the hospital."
"Alright, so how about dinner? You, me, Jack, Nicky, and Jack. My place."
"Thank you, I'll have to see if the hospital wants me to do a double."
"Okay, so we'll play it by ear. I'll see ya when I see ya."
"Yeah. Bye, Erin." She dropped the phone on the counter, and walked over to the sink. She felt like she would throw up from the nerves that were constantly buzzing. Gripping the sink and closing her eyes, she willed the feeling to go away. But she kept feeling the contents of her stomach creeping up her throat. "Jack, honey, be a good boy. Mommy's gonna be right back."
"I goo'!" Jack sat still, hoping he'd get extra syrup on his pancakes if he obeyed.
Linda rushed off to the bathroom, and dropped to her knee in front of the toilet. She opened the lid and held her hair back, and vomited bile. She sat back on her knees, deciding if she should work today. No, she thought, I'm too tired. Plus, I have to be sick! I just threw up!