Jamie tried to pull his wrist from the tight grip; despite his physical condition, David was still very strong.
"No, no, no," he stuttered, feeling his breath catching. His vision started to darken at the edges and he knew he was in danger of passing out.
Bear's aggressive growl grounded him as the dog jumped to his feet, teeth bared.
"Easy boy," David cooed, although Jamie wasn't sure who he was referring to.
Memories from Red's past crashed down making Jamie shake.
"There's my good boy," Drakkon would coo; it whispered over and over in Jamie's mind.
"Let go of me," he finally got out between raspy breaths.
David shook his head.
"I think I'd like you to stay a little longer, 'Jamie',' he mocked, pulling back on the other man's arm. "Its been ages and we have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?"
David looked around pointedly at the older patrons in their wheelchairs, laughing and biting into the sweet dessert.
"If you make a scene with an amputee in a wheelchair, you're going to scare all these good people. And make yourself look mad as a hatter," he warned. "You don't want them to see the real you, do you, 'Jamie'?"
Looking around at the innocent faces, he knew David was right. If he flipped out, he risked going into a "Red Rage" as he called those episodes where he became trapped in his alter's feral mindset. He could turn on one of them, not just the asshole in front of him.
"Sit," the psycho ordered, looking at both Jamie and Bear this time.
Resignedly, he sank back into the chair and David's fingers released their grip. He glared at the other man as he tried slowing his breathing.
"How are you here?" he managed to hiss softly. "I killed you!"
The Cheshire cat smile from his nightmares twisted the tyrant's features.
"As you can see, news of my death was greatly exaggerated," he quipped.
Jamie shook his head vigorously, dark grey locks swishing with the movement. Remembering to keep his voice low, he argued in vain.
"I disemboweled you! Your intestines were all over the floor of the Spectrum! There's no way…" he moaned, not wanting to believe this encounter was real.
David shrugged and laughed.
"You get an A plus for that cute little stunt. The doctors certainly had a time putting me back together. But there were still pieces missing."
He pulled back the blanket bunched around his waist to reveal a colostomy bag attached to his abdomen. Jamie's eyes widened in horror, his head still shaking in denial.
"Oh, and launching me into a solar star?"
He raised his fingertips to his lips.
"Chef's kiss, truly. Very creative. But not enough."
Now he pulled back the blanket further, showing his stumps.
"Those burns hurt like a motherfucker, 'Jamie'. Add to that the dose of radiation I was exposed to. Not much the good old doctors could do about that except taking my fucking legs," he started to snarl.
"And you deserve every fucking bit of it," Jamie growled back.
David's mood shifted back to one of pleasantness.
"True," he laughed, shaking his head.
Jamie crossed his arms over his chest as he seethed.
"You know, I almost didn't come today. I was the biggest asshole this morning, but they still insisted on getting me out. Sitting here by myself when I see a ghost stroll in the door."
He clicked his tongue.
"I almost thought I was having neurological event at first. I didn't recognize you with that sexy, trimmed beard and sharp eyewear. You can barely see that scar next to your mouth. I'm surprised you stuck with the shaggy hairstyle though."
He raised his brow.
Jamie snorted, "Real funny story. I seem to have an intense dislike of people behind my head with sharp objects. And I don't see that changing anytime soon."
"I see," David chuckled. "I left my mark on you."
Narrowing his eyes, the other man snarked, "More than one, asshole."
Ignoring the comment, David went on.
"I never forgot the way you smell though. And when you passed my table, smelling like fresh rain and earth and…. Just…you…" he locked eyes with the other man across the table. "I knew you'd come back to me."
"Hardly. It shouldn't take me unzipping your guts and tossing you into a sun to get the message I fucking hate you," Jamie panicked, hearing that familiar possessive tone creeping in David's voice.
Bear whined, picking up his companion's growing distress.
"After you sliced me open with that old sword of yours, I seem to remember you holding me close and stroking my hair. You said we were both too fucked up to live and we were headed into a sun. You even kissed the top of my head. So it appears someone is sending mixed signals."
Jamie's finger shot up, stopping the war lord's narrative.
"And after I thought I watched you die, I dropped you face first on the ground and made my escape. I knew you would somehow pull some shit like this! And you had assumed I died," he interrupted. "I wanted to make sure you never looked for me again!"
"Cute, 'Jamie'," he teased back.
A high-pitched female voice spoke loudly over the din of conversation.
"Alright everyone! It looks like the rain has stopped and we can all head back!"
The nurse started gathering the patrons' assorted walkers and other possessions as she and the other staff assisted their patients in getting ready to leave.
"Well it looks like our reunion is at an end, 'David," Jamie mocked. "I guess its back to bed baths and bingo."
He started to rise from his chair, eager to put as much distance as possible between himself and the psychopath.
"Looks like you aren't going to get to hear the best part," David said slyly. "How I managed to survive and how I arrived here. Its quite…interesting. Feel free to visit since you know where I find me. Room 210. And I feel like you still want to tear me a new asshole…"
Jamie looked pointedly at the other man's lap where the colostomy lay.
"No need."
"There's that smart-ass mouth. I was surprised how much I grew to miss it."
The nurse rounded the wheelchair and started getting David ready to return to the facility. She looked surprised to see someone actually sitting with the mean, hateful man.
"Hi, there!" she greeted. "Jamie, right?"
David snorted laughter; the other man glared hotly at him.
"Yeah, that's right," he answered, staring into David's eyes.
"Are you and David acquaintances? We've been trying to track down any family or friends. He's been looking pretty lonely with no visitors."
"Something like that," Jamie answered, arms still crossed.
"Well feel free to come see him anytime. I think it would do him some good. He's not been much of a fan of anything we've tried to do with him. Just hides out in his room all day."
Jamie said nothing, watching as the nurse bundled the blanket back around David's waist and unlocked the wheelchair. She started pushing him towards the door.
"Don't be a stranger, 'Jamie'. We've lost too much time together."
He glanced down at Bear.
"Make sure you keep being a good boy, little pup. I've been missing my good boy."
The nurse laughed lightly.
"David, I didn't know you had a dog. Where is he?"
Smiling up at Jamie from his wheelchair, David winked.
"He ran away. But I found him."