Page 90 of Brain Damage

He’s not going to let this go. I take a deep breath. “Thank you,” I say quietly.

For a moment, Jamie’s eyes meet mine. I know what he’s thinking. He’s heard every word that Clark has said to me, and he’s pissed off. But he must understand that I don’t have a choice here. This is my only option.

What happens next happens so quickly that if I turned away for a minute, I would’ve missed it. Jamie is right next to his chair, but instead of sitting down, he lays the ball of his hand against Clark’s chest and shoves him. Hard. Hard enough that Clark stumbles backwards, trips on a mat, and falls to the floor. Right on his butt.

For a moment, Clark just sits there on the floor, looking completely stunned. I look over at Jamie, who has a small, satisfied smile on his lips. And I have to admit, I feel a little bit pleased myself.

That lasts all of ten seconds. It takes that long for Clark to scramble to his feet, looking beyond furious. I see his hands ball into fists.

“What the hell?” he yells at Jamie. “Did you just hit me? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Jamie just blinks innocently. “Sorry about that. I lost my balance and was just trying not to fall.”

“Sorry?” Clark growls, his face turning purple. “You did that on purpose! That wasn’t an accident.”

Natalie steps between the two men, her arms outstretched to keep them separated before another punch could be thrown. “Please calm down, Mr. Douglas,” she says. “I’m certain that was an accident. Wasn’t it, Mr. Knox?”

“Of course,” Jamie says, his eyes darkening. “Why? Do you think you said something to my friend Charly that would make me want to hit you?”

Clark’s blue eyes widen and he finally gets it. “You need to mind your own business, asshole,” he snaps. “Or do you want me to rip you apart?”

Jamie doesn’t look worried, but maybe he should be. Before his accident, I’m certain that Jamie would’ve been a good match for Clark in a fight. Clark does work out, but Jamie is clearly in pretty good shape as well. But now that Jamie’s balance is off, Clark would definitely have the edge. I wouldn’t want to see them in a fight.

Luckily, Natalie intervenes. “Mr. Douglas,” she says tightly. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave this group. And if you make any more threats against my patients, I’m going to have Steve here escort you from the building.”

Clark looks like he has more to say, but he looks from Natalie to the hulking Steve, and wisely keeps his mouth shut. He looks down at me, and I’m certain he’s going to order me to leave with him, but then Natalie says, “I’ll bring Charly out to you as soon as she finishes her walk.”

“Fine,” Clark grumbles. He shoots Jamie one last dirty look before he storms out of the gym. Natalie rushes over to shut the door behind him.

With Clark gone, I figured Natalie was going to walk me. Instead, she comes back to where Jamie is sitting, and places her fists on her hips.

“Jamie,” she says in a stern voice. She’s a small woman but she’s really tough when she needs to be. “We all know you hit him on purpose.”

“He deserved it!” calls out a voice from my left. It sounds like Angela.

Jamie just shrugs. “He did deserve it.”

Natalie hesitates. I want her to tell everyone that my husband is a nice guy, and they shouldn’t give him a hard time. But she’s not going to say that. Because she doesn’t believe it.

“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “You don’t hit people just because they make you angry.”

“Sometimes you do,” Jamie retorts.

Natalie raises her eyebrows at him. “Is that the sort of thing you would’ve done before?”

Jamie is quiet for a minute. “I’m not sure,” he finally replies. “I guess not.”

“I know you felt like you were standing up for Charly,” Natalie says, more gently this time. “But I don’t think she wanted you to do that. Did you, Charly?”

I shake my head. “No,” I say. “I wish you hadn’t done that, Jamie.”

Jamie looks at me, and his eyes are very sad. “Is that really true?”

“Yes,” I say.

It’s the truth, not just what Natalie wants me to say. I know Clark very well, and I know that Jamie has made him furious. Jamie doesn’t have to deal with him being furious though. I do.

“I’m sorry, Charly,” he says softly. “It’s just hard to see…”