Someone said earlier (can't remember who) that we haven't really seen much of Lindsay's background on the show. Which is true, because all we really know is she's from Montana, has an uncle in NYC, and that she suffered the trauma she did when she was younger.
And I'm not going to say that's not bad. Having lost 2 friends suddenly myself within a matter of four days last year, I understand how that can mess you up. I wasn't in her situation, hers being the only survivor of a multiple homicide, but I'm still trying to deal with it a year later (they both died in accidents).
Yeah, she's moved on. But let's look at Season 3, when the guy went on trial and she knew she'd have to go back to Montana. It affected her, made her emotional again, recalling all the details. Stress'll do that to you, and that's where she was at the time.
Having said all that, I don't think she has PTSD. If she did, other scenes would've affected her when they didn't. I think her getting emotional again was that the wounds she had closed were now reopened with the upcoming trial. Things she had got past were coming back into the forefront, putting her right back where she had been after the incident. If she has PTSD from that, then Mac has PTSD too (think Charge of This Post).
And yes, she was young, and that does have an affect on things. But she's managed to make her life work, and I think that's something. She functions rather well, and doesn't often let cases bother her.
Why do I defend her as such? Let's look at what we know about Danny.
He grew up in a family under surveillance, where his brother ended up in a gang. He was beat up when he was 10 by a gypsy cab driver (along with his father). He didn't have the best relationship with his brother, especially after the night in '91.
When trying to keep Danny out of jail, Louie was beaten into a coma, which Danny felt guilty for. After all, if it wasn't for his cigarette in the grave, Louie wouldn't have done what he did. And, I don't really think Mac helped by telling Danny that the only reason he was still out of jail was Louie (because Danny felt guilty about Louie being in the hospital).
Then, a little while later, Aiden was murdered, which obviously hurt Danny deeply. He was really close to her. Then, shortly after that, Flack almost died in an explosion. All three of these things (Louie, Aiden, and Flack) came pretty much back to back.
Then there was Snow Day, Ruben's death, and everything else that has happened this season. I think all of these affected Danny really deeply.
Now, to go more into his psyche...
He does (as previously stated) tend to incite others to hurt him. He seems to always will people into doing so. And I think that stems from the feelings that he's not worth anything more than that. How he got there, though, has never been shown (though I think Louie always treating him like crap probably helped out with that).
He doesn't like to be vulnerable, and doesn't like to let people comfort him. Think Run Silent, Run Deep, when him and Mac were on the street. He was hesitant to talk to Mac at all (shown by him turning the other way when Mac walked up), and he stood against the wall, hands in his pockets, not really talking. Mac asked if he was okay, and he didn't really answer, just restated the situation. And when he started crying, and Mac hugged him, he kept his hands in his pockets, and didn't really accept the hug.
I think that scene speaks not only to his relationship with Mac (where he feels like Mac is someone above him, etc.) but also to his not wanting to be vulnerable or comforted by others.
He doesn't trust others enough necessarily to open up in front of them, but he does feel they should trust him and open up to him. Remember Heart of Glass for a moment, when he was hurt to find out he was the last to know about Mac and Peyton. All of Season 3, he wanted Lindsay to open up to him and let him help her.
He has a savior complex. Not in the sense that he always wants to be a hero and wants to save everyone physically, but more in an emotional sense. He hates when the people around him are hurting, and he tries everything (sometimes, at the extent of himself) to make them feel better.
For example- Snow Day. When him and Adam were held hostage, Danny was trying to comfort Adam and identify with him ("I know you're scared, but so am I"). He also called Adam "buddy" and tried to help him through the situation.
Example #2- the relationship with Rikki. Both of them had just lost Ruben, but Danny was more insistent on making her feel better than himself. He comforted her in any way he thought, and didn't care about himself as much.
I think these point to Danny's need to put everyone above himself. He'd rather make everyone in the world around him feel better than himself. And he more than likely deals with himself when no one else is around.
So, to that extent, Danny is more damaged than Lindsay. Lindsay can be open (to some extent) and reach out to people when she needs help, but Danny can't. Danny gets too over emotional, tries to incite people against him, and doesn't trust anyone completely. Lindsay functions relatively normally and on an even keel.
Given that Mac and Danny are pretty much the same side, it seemed like a thinly-veiled excuse to get closer to him--and to get him to spend time with her outside of work for the drinks.
