Two Old Farts

Chapter Eight

The punch smashed into Reese's cheekbone. He swore painfully and tried to push Logan away but his hands were shaking too much. The floor was swaying. God, that punch had been strong.

Logan raised his fist again but this time Reese jerked to the right at the last second and the idiot buried his fist in the cement wall.

"Shit, shit, shit." He cried and jumped back, shaking his bleeding fist. Reese picked up his cane and with a loud crack smacked Logan upside the head with it. He tumbled and crashed to the ground, shouting and cursing. Reese stood over him, holding his cane threateningly.

"Shall we try this again?" He asked. His cheek was pulsing like crazy but the drug-like adrenaline was keeping him going.

"Christ..." Logan pawed at his head. It wasn't bleeding but it had been enough of a strike to send his brain to outer space. Reese felt himself getting quite dizzy and set the cane back on the ground and leaned against the wall. "I need the money from her will, okay? She's old and will kick the bucket any day now," Reese smacked Logan's ankle with the cane, "Ow! Seriously? You wanted me to talk and now I'm talking." Reese grunted in response. "Aren't you like a hundred years old...?" Logan muttered.

"Anyways, I just really need the money, okay? You don't get it. My wife, Jess, is pregnant and we're not ready. I've been working day and night shifts for the last month but it's not enough. We can't afford another baby..." He glared at Reese and sat up. "It's not like I want to hurt Nova...I'd make it fast and she wouldn't feel a thing."

"Oh, you're such a humanitarian." Reese sneered and jabbed Logan in the chest, knocking him back to the ground. "You better stay away from her. Do you know what the only thing you're going to get out of this is, Logan?" The slime-ball grit his teeth. "Surprise, it's a restraining order."

Reese walked away from the fallen man and strode right back into the hospital. As soon as he knew Logan couldn't see him he collapsed into his chair and gently touched the cheek that'd been punched. It was very sore and he prayed his dark skin concealed any bruising. Reese glanced at the doorway and wondered briefly if Logan would dare to return here. The fight replayed in his mind, causing the grumpy old man to smile unwillingly. He had kicked that prick's ass. And he had so many moments where it didn't feel like he was sixty-three but instead he felt like he was in his twenties again. Reese dusted his hands off with his pants and patted the handle of his cane; it really had been a good fight.

"Hey, you want some more pudding?" Nova slid another vanilla pudding cup to Reese's side of the tray and smiled. He sat down on the chair beside her and took the food, eating it slowly. "So...what have you been up to today?" She asked.

"I may have given your nephew a concussion."

"Nice," She laughed coolly.

"No, I'm serious."

Nova's head jerked up and she looked to Reese in bewilderment, "Wait...what?"

He filled her in on the conversations he'd heard Logan having with his wife and what happened when he'd finally confronted him. Thanks to the amnesia, Nova didn't feel the need to make excuses for this man she knew nothing about other than that he was somewhere in her family tree. Reese told her about filing a restraint order and she agreed whole-heartedly. They decided that once she got released from the hospital she'd get everything sorted out.

"Pass me that, will you?" Nova pointed to the blue marker on the table across the room. Reese grabbed it for her and she popped off the cap. "Gotta make sure that if I wake up one of these days I know what to do." She said jokingly and scrawled in shaking hands the words file restraint order for nephew, the little shit, on her forearm.