You Are On My Mind

I Need Her

Danny stood in the hospital chapel, the lump in his throat growing. He swallowed as he stared at the altar. He blinked back the tears, and looked to the ceiling. "Hey. I know I've been buggin' Ya lately. Promising stuff You an' I know I'm not gonna keep. But.... Linda- You need good people here, right? Like the Glenn Campbell song. A Few Good Men, A Few Good Women? Well.... Linda's one-a those good women. She's- she's the kindest person I've ever known..." Danny managed a small smile, "except for Mom.... You can't have Linda yet. Please. I need her." He walked towards the altar as he continued talking to God. "She just- remember when I came back from Fallujah? The second time. I treated her like a piece of shit, and she stayed with me. She helped me. And she's helping other people, too. She's—" he sniffed, wiping the tears. "You sent me a beautiful, blue eyed angel. An angel who's enthusiastic, loving, caring, kind.... I know I've had a long time with her, twenty four years, in fact. And I- I need her for another twenty four years. And another after that. I just- You watch everything. You know everything. You can see how much I need her. You know how much I need her. Please, don't take Your angel back. She's needed here, on earth. With me. In my arms. Please." Danny didn't care that his tears were flowing freely. He needed Linda. "I need her like the air I'm breathing. Please. Don't take her from me." He whispered, his body shaking with sobs. He get whispering, "please. Don't take her. I need her."
"..... Detective Reagan?"
Danny quickly wiped his tears away. He sighed, expecting the worse.
***********
Linda's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her vision was blurry, but that didn't matter. She knew who was holding her hand. "Danny?" Her voice was hoarse and vulnerable.
"Hi," he said quietly. "You're awake. You're awake!"
"Wh-where am I?"
"Oh.... you had an accident, honey. You're in Saint Victor's Hospital."
"How?... how?"
"Oh, baby, that's not important." He held her hand, "What's important is that you're alive."
Linda closed her eyes, the machines beeping and humming in the background. "Wha- What happened? Wha...."
"You don't have to worry about what happened," Danny kissed her hand, "all you gotta do is sit there, and keep looking at me.... with those big, beautiful blue eyes."
Linda moaned a little bit, "I remember you. I was some- someplace, then there- there was this light. Then there you were again." She reached out for his face, "you looked so beautiful. Like an angel."
"You're my angel." Danny kissed her knuckles again. He watched her slightly protest, "no, no, you are. You are my angel. Sent from up above..... I thought I was gonna loose you." He sniffed and wiped the stray tear away with Linda's hand. "You really scared me."
"I'm not.... that easy.... to get.... rid of."
Danny smiled, "oh, see? You're already better! Crackin' jokes." He kissed her palm, "y'know, if you wanna keep teasin' me, you gotta rest."
"No... I wanna- I wanna remember."
"You will, baby. You will. All in good time."
"Wait." Linda started moving, pain coursing through her body. She moaned, trying to sit up. "No, wait. Wait."
"No, baby. No. You gotta stay calm, Linda. You gotta stay calm. You gotta relax, sweetheart."
Linda stopped and reached for his hand. Even still half asleep and unsure of what was happening, she knew when Danny called her sweetheart, he meant business. "I- I remember."
"No, no, no," Danny tried to shush her. He didn't want her to remember just yet.
"I was here, and someone else, too...."
"Baby, no."
"Curtis. Curtis was here.... there- there was this noise. He- he went away, and Hector... Hector was dying."
"Linda—"
"We- we didn't save him. Curtis.... he- he shot me. He tried to kill me."
"No, baby, no. Uh uh. Curtis was shooting at Hector. You were guarding Hector's life, you were doing your job. Looking after your patient. Curtis fired anyways, and he accidentally hit you in the process."
"He shot me. Where is he?"
"Sweetheart, listen-"
"Where is he?" Linda's voice cracked as she reached for Danny's shirt collar.
"He can't hurt you. Don't worry about him, I swear he can't hurt you."
"But-"
"No, he can't hurt you. I promise."
Linda nodded, not believing him.
"Don't waist your energy on him. Right now, you gotta focus on getting better, okay, sweetie?"
She nodded again, looking down. Tears slowly started rolling down her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" Danny was ready to fly to Jamaica to get her coffee.
Linda sniffled as her husband pushed her bangs back. He caught her tears with his thumb. "Just— I don't- don't feel the same inside. What if I can't be your wife anymore?"
Danny's heart broke again. "That's not gonna happen."
"I couldn't take it if...." she swallowed a painful lump, "if we couldn't make love. Or dance. Or play with the boys. Or cuddle. Or-"
Danny kissed her nose, "We're gonna be able to do all that, I promise. But you gotta get better for me, okay?"
Linda closed her eyes and nodded, letting her tears fall down her cheeks.
"Aw, baby," Danny wiped her cheeks again, then stood up.
"Don't- Don't leave!"
"Never." He walked to the other side of the bed, and got under the covers with her. He carefully helped her shift into his arms. "I'm never gonna let you go. We're bound by the bonds of love, right?" He took her rings out of his pocket, then slipped them on her slender finger. He kissed her hand again. "What God has joined together.... what, baby? What's the next part?"
"Let no man put asunder."
"That's right. And you're gonna get better for me, right? Put no stress on yourself. Just let nature take its course. Can you do that for me? Focus on healing and relaxing."
"I can do that." Linda sniffed once more, "I love you."
"I love you more."
"I love you most..... I'm tired."
"Then go to sleep-"
"Lay with me?"
"You know I'd lay with you in a field of stone." He helped her get comfortable.
"When I wake up.... will you stop lying and tell me what happened? Please? I wanna know."
"Okay, baby. But right now, you need sleep, okay?"
She nodded, "Will you do something for me?"
"Anything."
"Sing please?"
"Linda-"
"Please? Tanya Tucker. Would You Lay With Me."
Danny sighed, but nodded. "Okay... this one's going out to a pretty lady who needs a lot of rest and relaxation."
Linda smiled and closed her eyes while Danny's soft voice filled her ears. He was right; she didn't need to know what had happened- not yet at least. All she needed was him. She vaguely noticed Danny changing the lyrics.

I would lay with you in a field of stone
If your needs were strong I would lay with you
Should your lips grow dry I would wet them dear
In the midnight hour if your lips were dry
I would go away to another land
Walk a thousand miles through the burning sand
Wipe the blood away from your dying hand
I will give myself to you
I would bathe with you in the stream of life
When the moon is full I would bathe with you
I will still love you when you're  down and out
In your time of trials I will stand by you
I Would go away to another land
Walk a thousand miles through the burning sand
Wipe the blood away from your dying hand
I will give myself to you
I would lay with you in a field of stone
If your needs were strong I would lay with you.
"Thank You so, so much."