You're Not Alone

Too Far

Linda watched as Danny downed another glass of whiskey. Five months had passed since he had come back home. He had been doing much better, but then his mom was diagnosed with cancer, and he went back into his shell.
Guilt played Linda's stomach like a hillbilly played the banjo- constantly and dreadfully. She hated how her husband was slowly dwindling away into those people he always vowed he wouldn't become. Vets who came back from the wars, and simply couldn't adjust to family life were the ones who bugged him. He hated how they snapped at their wives, yelled at their kids, drank too much whiskey, did badly at their job (or put all their time into their job). The detective was slowly becoming one of those people- he got rip after rip at the precinct, snapped at his family, yelled about everything. But the thing that hurt Linda the most was that he wasn't coming to her with his problems. She was his support, his anchor, his light in the storm.... didn't he see that? She made her way down to the basement where he had been spending all his free time. He'd work out until he got hungry. He'd eat, work out, and come to bed at one in the morning.
Linda stood with her arms crossed, watching him. This has got to stop.
"What are you doing?"
"Wha' does look like 'm doin'?" Danny mumbled to her, not meeting her eyes.
The now brunette frowned. She could tell he had been drinking.... a lot. It seemed like that was his favorite thing to do. "It, um, it looks like you're, Uh... fi- fighting... air?" She was confused. He was acting like he was fighting someone- someone he hated.
"No!"
Linda didn't understand the name he had barley said. She was steadily moving past concerned. She slowly walked up to him, studying him. He was so different from the man she had kissed goodbye serval years ago. He was battered, torn, angry, stubborn then ever.... he was broken. It broke her heart to see him like this, and it broke her heart she didn't do anything about it. She let it get out of hand, with having a baby who was constantly sick and going back to work.... she just let it slip. She hated herself for letting it get this far.
"M-maybe you need a time out?" She put her hand on his shoulder. Linda ducked Danny's punch. Now she was scared- he was trapped in his mind, not registering where he really was. "Danny, I think-" she groaned as his fist made contact with her left eye. Tears welled in her blue eyes, the fear in her stomach bubbling.
"I'm fine," he mumbled, continuing his fight with the air. "Go 'way."
She walked up to him once more, putting her hand on his shoulder, "Danny?"
He quickly pinned her to the wall, "I tol' you t' go 'way!" He slurred, punching her in the left eye once more. He grabbed the whiskey bottle as he walked up the stairs.
Linda was stunned for a moment. She sunk to the floor, her tears stuck in her eyes. She quickly got up when she heard the motor of the car. "Oh no. Danny!" She ran up the stairs, and out the front door. She watched him pull out of the driveway, "Danny!!"