You're Not Alone

"Don't do it, Danny," Mary Reagan said, standing in the kitchen doorway, one dark night in May.
"Why not?" He lamely responded, looking into the amber colored liquid. A few days ago, he had come back from nearly four years of war. Ever so Slowly, he was starting to fade, but denied it, nevertheless. He said he was "fine, just not completely used to civilian life yet". His wife was slowly starting to see through his lies.
"Because you have a wife, and a son. A son who thinks you don't love him." Mary sat down next to her son, "he thinks you don't love him or Linda anymore. And Linda? If she didn't have a baby inside of her, she would've done herself in a long time ago."
Danny looked to his mother, a little horrified.
"She'd be cutting herself, not eating, and the like that goes with depression... but she hasn't, because she has another offspring in her. She cried herself to sleep every night, wishing you hadn't gone away. She had been cutting herself, until she found out she was pregnant with the baby."
".... the doctors didn't put her on pills?"
"Apparently, it's bad for the baby."
Danny nodded, mentally blaming himself.
"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, I'm just telling you what's been going on.... Danny, you have an entire army behind you. So if you need support, go to one of us. To me or to Frank, or to Henry. But especially your wife. She knows how to deal with other people's emotions. Hers on the other hand...."
Danny chuckled softly. "I knowit. She's a good person."
"She's a great person." Mary put her hand on his shoulder.
"And I'm always going to be right by your side, for better or worse."
Danny looked behind him to see Linda standing there, her hand clutching her very pregnant belly. "In sickness and in health."
"As long as we both shall live." They finished together.
"What're you doing down here? I could've gotten whatever you needed." Danny walked over to Linda, forgetting his pain.
"I don't think so."
"What do you need?"
"I need a hospital. My water just broke..."
**
"Must you?" Linda wondered, sweaty, tired, and quite annoyed with her husband.
"Sorry," Danny put down one of the tools, "what's it for anyways?"
"I don't know! Just... hold still!"
"Alright, I'm sorry. Whaddaya want me to do?"
"Just hold my hand!"
"How long do you think it's gonna take?"
"Danny!"
****
"Of course Danny's baby would decide to be born at the most annoying time," Joe grumbled, yawning widely. "What time is it anyways?"
"3:45," Erin answered. "I know we Reagans stick together, but isn't this a little too much? We gotta be at work in a few hours."
"You don't work, Erin."
"We as a collective, Joe. But I have to take Nicky to school in the morning."
"This one's gonna be exactly like the last one. Long."
"Oh, stop your griping! They're doing a wonderful thing!" Mary smiled, "even if it's a little late."
"You can't just once be a pessimist, can you?" Joe grumbled, looking to the floor. He looked to the ceiling, then his sister. "Hey, wanna make some easy cash?"
"How?"
"Twenty bucks says it's over ten hours."
"Deal." Erin shook Joe's hand.