Ch. 38

Walter was not in a good mood that day. Mr. Petersen had given him a raise, even gushed about what wonderful help he was. That wasn't why he was in a bad state of mind; just that it didn't help put a damper on his anger. He was preoccupied with thoughts of Dan. Well, Laurie, actually -- what else was new nowadays -- still, Dan was a big part of it. The events with Dan upset him, but the fact that he was upset about him to begin with upset Walter even more. Walter had tried to be patient, god knows, he was new at this whole relationship business, but he didn't like how things were going with Laurie and Dan. At first he had brushed it off thinking maybe Dan would get the hint and go away, and yet he persisted. Laurie did nothing to deter him, either. It seemed she was keen on being friends with him. It was easier at least when she had decided she hated him, but now that she was more lenient towards him, it really put Walter in a bad place.

Walter had kept mostly silent about Dan. He did let on that he did not approve of the situation, but never to the degree of his disapproval. After Laurie confirmed the status of their relationship the night before, Walter decided that he should nip this in the bud -- a bigger bud than it should be, but a bud still -- while he had the chance. Many times Walter wondered if he should try to find out where Dan lived and have a talk with him. Then he wondered if it was better if he just had a talk with Laurie. What would he say to her, though? Walter didn't want to give Laurie the impression that he distrusted her. He didn't -- well, not much, anyway -- he didn't think she would betray him if they were out fighting criminals, of course, but when it came to Dan, he really didn't feel very safe at all.

I mean, sure, they were dating now; she was his girlfriend, so he had much more say than if they were just seeing each other. But she wasn't his wife, either. It would be so much easier if she was his wife; then he could tell her not to have any male friends or visitors and Dan would be out of sight, out of mind.

Walter hadn't slept much the night before. It really seemed he slept the best when Laurie was there. He certainly was spoiling himself that way. It didn't help that he was thinking about Dan, though. The more he thought about Dan, the angrier he became. He had worried his stomach into his knots over Dan. One bouquet was enough, but why two? With a note, no less? Had he been visiting Laurie while Walter was away? Wasn't he happy enough causing scandals with the Twilight Lady without having to add one more on top of it all? Goddamn Dan.

After work, Walter went home and changed. He made his way to the Blake residence, worrying about Dan mostly, but also about Laurie's mother. Her mother had invited him to that awful dinner before, and he couldn't imagine what sort of strange questions she had in mind for him this time. He even wondered if she had invited Dan there. Laurie hadn't specified how many people would be present at dinner. What if it was those people all over again, from the dinner party? Sally was crazy -- maybe she went and invited Agent Orange, too. Who knew? No, no; Laurie would have told him if that were the case. And Agent Orange was behind bars, or at least being given a hard time by the police, wherever he was. Walter was just making mountains out of this mess.

When Walter arrived at the Blake home, he thought he was dreaming for a moment or maybe thinking about Dan too much, because he saw him there. It took him a while to realize that he really was there. Laurie had answered the door and the first thing he saw were her wide eyes. The second thing he saw was Dan sitting on the couch like he lived there. Walter was angry beyond reason.

"He stopped by to drop off a book of mine my mother lent him," Laurie whispered. "Now he won't leave; I'm sorry."

Oh, Laurie, poor innocent, naive Laurie. What else would Dan be there for? Returning that book was all a ruse and he knew it. Walter was going to take care of him for sure.

"You," said Walter, seeing red for a moment and shaking his head so he could see Dan again.

"Oh, hi, Walter," said Dan, smiling pleasantly at him. Walter thought he was wasting his pretensions on him.

"Stay away from her," Walter told him in a low voice. Blunt, but to the point. That was the only way it was going to be.

"Sorry?" Dan adjusted his glasses.

"Stay away from Laurie," said Walter. "Or I'm going to have to kill you."

"Walter," Laurie exclaimed, but Walter wasn't listening to her.

"I'm sorry," said Dan, standing up. "But why?"

"She's mine," Walter told him. He almost added something profane afterwards, but he couldn't do that, not even now.

"But we're just friends, Walter," said Dan, shrugging after realization graced his facial features. "I mean, I understand where you're coming from. I get jealous too, but I try to be reasonable about it, you know?"

"Not about reason," Walter said. He was hoping Dan would stop talking for his own sake. He really was going to kill him if he didn't shut up. "It's about respect. You don't go rifling through another man's house for things to put in your own."

Walter must have had some kind of expression on his face, because Dan held up his hands.

"All right," he said. "I'll try. But I'm friends with Sally and I might end up near Laurie at some point and I don't want you flying off the handle."

Walter paused. Was the creep mocking him? He had half a mind to punch him in the mouth. Dan backed away.

"I'll be going then," he said, eyeing Walter, then looking at Laurie. He smiled at her. Oh, no he didn't.

"Uh, bye Dan," said Laurie, looking into Walter's eyes. She was pleading with him. Walter nodded at her and tried to calm down.

"Bye Laurie," said Dan. Walter saw Dan's next move as if it were in slow motion. Dan's hand was reaching out and Walter couldn't believe what he was doing. Suddenly his hand was on her shoulder, not just a brief touch which would be bad enough, but a squeeze. That was it. He lost it.

Dan made a strangled sound as Walter rushed him. Dan fell backwards into a coffee table, crushing it, but Walter didn't care. He punched Dan once, and his glasses flew off. He landed in another punch, then another, before Dan started defending himself. At first he put his arms up, but Walter applied thick punches up into his gut and Dan started fighting back. Dan grabbed Walter by the shoulders and rolled around and punched him; pinning him down and hitting anything he could. Walter could hear something said in the background, but he didn't identify the words. Was that Blake's voice? Didn't matter.

Walter punched Dan in the throat. Wheezing, Dan punched him in the face. Enraged, Walter started to strangle him. Dan grabbed Walter's forearms and dug his fingers into them, but Walter didn't let up. Kill him. Yes, he would kill Dan. See how he liked talking about mechanical engineering from behind the grave, the bastard. If he thought about having Laurie in ways that should not be imagined, he was going to kill him for that too. Kill him, twice if you have to. Yes. Walter smashed his head into Dan's and bore his full weight down into his arms. He felt strong hands wrap around his torso and wrech him backward. Walter resisted and fought against it with his elbows.

"Shit," he heard Blake say. Then he felt Blake's hands press against him harder to tear him away. Walter held on to Dan as long as he could and finally gave way with bloody streaks from Dan's throat as Walter's nails slipped. Blake pinned his arms down and Walter struggled as Dan started to get up. Walter gave him one last kick in the face before biting into Blake's arm.

"Goddammit," shouted Blake, to Dan, as Dan recoiled with a bloody nose. "Get the hell out of here before I kill you myself if it'll make him stop!"

Dan gaped at first Blake, then Walter. His eyes were reeling with horror when he saw him. He slipped, turned, and ran out the door, holding his nose and throat. Walter struggled and screamed.

"I'll kill you," he shouted after Dan. "I'll find you and kill you."

Walter snapped out of his crazed state, shocked by the voice that came out of him. He was still angry, sure, but enough to kill? That was a sobering thought for sure. Walter fell limp and Blake nearly toppled backwards into the wall at the sudden lack of resistance.

"Shit, kid," said Blake. "Have you lost your god damned mind? What the hell happened?"

Walter wasn't sure. He just lay there, stunned, letting Blake have his hold on him. He could taste blood, and he realized there was more trickling down his face. He held up his hands to look at them and they were covered in blood, too. The carpet was a mess, and the living room had been trashed. He looked up to find Laurie staring at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"Why did you do that, Walter?" she asked, as tears came down her face. "That was awful, so awful."

Walter had nothing to say to that. He was still surprised he had done it, himself. He felt Blake's grip loosen on him and he slipped to the floor where he sat, dazed. Blake moved around to study him.

"Geez," said Blake, chuckling with humorless disbelief. "Jesus Christ. You kids..."

Blake stood up and shook his head. Then he started to laugh.

"Christ," he said, laughing some more. He reached into the broken remnants of the coffee table and pulled out a box of cigars. He eased one out and lit it.

Walter wrinkled his nose at the stench of cigar smoke as it filled the room. He heard footsteps behind him.

"Sorry I'm late," said Sally, as she came in. "Why is the-- my god, Eddie, what did you do?"

"What the hell," said Blake, as Sally rushed inside.

"What have you done to him, Edward Blake," shouted Sally, as she stared at Walter, horrified. "He's a mess, this place is a mess!"

"What have I done?" Blake asked, gesturing. "He did this himself! Attacked the Owl kid."

"What?" Sally looked up at Blake as if he had just claimed he flew down from outer space.

"Yeah," said Blake, drawing on his cigar in a contemplative gesture. Then he started to laugh again. "Kind of funny, actually. You should have seen his face--"

"I don't see how this could be funny at all, Eddie."

"You had to be there, I guess." Blake laughed. He looked up, held out his bleeding arm with Walter's teeth marks in it and laughed harder. "Thought I had a temper, kid. That was pretty amazing; fireworks and everything."

Laurie turned and left the room. Sally looked at Laurie first, then at Blake, before she followed her daughter.

"Eh," said Blake, waving his hand in a dismissive fashion at Sally as she went away. "Women."

Walter wished he could follow Laurie into her room, but what could he do then? He didn't really have any way to explain himself. Instead he sat on the living room floor with Blake and his cigar, stewing in shame. All Walter could do was look down at his bloody, shaking hands and hope he hadn't ruined everything.

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To be continued...