"Stuff" Happens
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
13
Views:
4,873
Reviews:
41
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
13
Views:
4,873
Reviews:
41
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 11
Finally! This was actually supposed to be the last chapter for this story but because of length, I decided to write the final chapter after this one.
Chapter XI
After the arraignment seven months later
Day 2 of trial
“Dr. Bowman,” The prosecution’s attorney, Harold Daly, began as he stood up from his seat, buttoning his suit jacket professionally as he did so. Judge Gayle Toller gave the plump and balding lawyer the first opportunity to call his witness. “Last week you were able to talk with Max Garner, correct?”
The 40 something year old man nodded slowly. From where he sat in the audience, Austin could see the arrogance practically streaming of the psychiatrist. He sat at the witness stand with his head held high and his chest out proudly.
“That is correct. I had Max brought to my office and he and I talked for a good while that day.”
“Hm. And what did you talk about?”
“A little bit of everything, actually. His childhood as an orphan, his time in the service, the paraplegia, his homosexuality….all the way up to the murder.”
“Quite an interesting list Mr. Garner has there, don’t you agree, Dr. Bowman?”
“I do.”
“He’s an orphan with no previous inclination of who his parents were, an ex-soldier with a ruined career because of his paraplegia, and a homosexual……That’s enough to make someone bitter isn’t it?”
Before Dr. Bowman could answer, Norris stood from his seat abruptly. “Objection, your honor. The prosecution is putting words in the witness’s mouth.”
Harold turned to the lady judge and replied calmly. “Not if he agrees to it.”
The red-headed judge nodded. “Objection overruled. I’ll allow it. Continue Mr. Daly.”
With a smirk to Norris, Harold turned back to his witness. “I’ll repeat the question. Would you concur that one with a lonely upbringing and low self-values, like Mr. Garner has, would be bitter towards society?”
Dr. Bowman nodded. “Yes, I would. Normally, the case would go that someone who was raised as an orphan, lack the guidance, confidence, and support one gets from having parents. And because of that, many grow up to become bitter with society. The thinking of, ‘Aren’t I good enough?’ dwells in their minds and festers I guess you could say. His homosexuality sprouts from his lack of guidance as a child. Being raised in an orphanage, no one there sits a child down and gives them one-on-one talks about life and proper ways of living. So when the child starts to grow and hormones develop, they don’t know how to control these odd feelings for those of the same sex. No guidance leads to rebellious acts. Not to say that they all go through that, however, some DO.” Max, who was sitting next to Norris in a black suit, slouched down in his seat rubbing his eyes wearily.
Harold placed his hands in his pockets. “And what of the paraplegia?”
“Max has told me that ever since he was a boy he knew he wanted to make the army his career. He didn’t like or want any other profession. Joining the army, he said, was the best thing that ever happened to him. It was his life. So it crushed him when he became paralyzed. He felt his career was over before it truly began.”
“More anger.” Harold stated.
“Correct. That produced more anger.”
“Back at the arraignment, the defense entered a plea of innocent by temporary insanity. You sat with Mr. Garner, Dr. Bowman. You talked with him. You went over the murder with him. Did what he tell you make you think he WAS temporarily insane?”
“No, it did not.”
“So what do you think the situation was?”
“Just as I stated before. Bitterness. The murder of John Cutlis was more out of pure bitterness than mental state.”
Harold walked closer to where the doctor was sitting at the stand. “So you’re saying Max Garner was sane during the murder, yes?”
“Yes.”
Austin closed his eyes and sighed. Regina’s girlfriend, Laura, blindly reached for her hand, squeezing it.
Harold Daly smiled cordially. “No further questions, your honor.”
Judge Toller looked to Norris, who was conversing with his legal team consisting of another young male lawyer and a lady paralegal. “Mr. Hampton, your witness.”
“Um, your honor, we’d like to ask for a small recess.”
“Granted. We will convene in one hour.” She grabbed her mallet and hit it once against the podium, dismissing everyone. Max was silently carried out the courtroom and into a holding cell in the back. Austin got up to meet him.
**********
“What the hell was the purpose for a recess?” Laura asked her fellow blonde brother once she and Regina walked into one of the conference rooms of the courthouse Norris and his team were strategizing in. “You should’ve stayed in there.”
“We’re simply re-grouping, Laura. Nothing to worry about.”
“Sure it’s not. But because you up and called for a recess at such a critical point in the trial, the jury probably thinks you don’t have shit to refute Bowman’s testimony with.”
“Laura—“
“Timing. Being a good lawyer is all about knowing what questions to ask, how to ask them, and TIMING. You told me that. Do you wanna lose?!”
“Laura! Please!” Norris stood up, running his fingers through his hair. “Listen, don’t worry about this. It’s under control. The reason why I called for a recess is because my paralegal, Julia, got a call during the trial. She received some valuable information about our boy Dr. Bowman and she’s gone now to get it. We’re gonna shut this asshole up then ask for another psychiatric analysis with our own doctor, who will claim Max was temporarily insane. If we can do that, it will be easy-street from then on.”
“I just hope this ends,” Regina stated. “Austin hasn’t slept since this trial started and Max seems to look more ragged with each passing day.”
“Well, with any luck with Julia’s information, our own legit doctor testing Max, and my bomb ass closing argument, we’ll have this in the bag in two more days.”
************
Max took in the dark circles under his lover’s eyes and the hunched over, drained curve of his posture. “You look tired.” He stated. Both he and Austin were sitting at a metal table in the large holding cell, their hands absently caressing the other’s.
Austin shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Will you? When’s the last time you slept?”
Austin sighed deeply. “Ummmm….since this past summer.”
Max frowned. “Austin.”
The brunette smiled. “I’m serious. I haven’t had a decent nights rest since you’ve been arrested. You’ve got to get out of here so I can go to sleep.” He slowly ran his finger tips down the palm of Max’s larger hand, playing with his digits. “I wish there was a button I could push that could just take all this away. Take us back to that night at home when it stormed and the lights went out. That night, it was just about me and you. There were no outside troubles…..nothing.”
“If only it were that easy.”
Austin nodded. “If only.” The ex-soldier watched tears form in his lover’s beautiful hazel eyes. “Oh God, Max, I don’t know what’s gonna happen.” He began to sob.
Max pulled Austin by his hands to his side of the table, sitting him down on the metal bench next to him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hugged him close to his chest. “It’s alright, baby. Everything’s gonna be alright. This will all be past us soon.”
“But at what cost to us?” Austin whimpered.
“……..I don’t know.”
***********
“Your witness, Mr. Hampton.” Judge Toller said to the blonde.
“Thank you, your honor.” Norris got up from his chair and walked to Dr. Bowman who was back in the witness stand. “Dr. William Bowman, you’ve been a psychiatrist for how long?”
“32 years.”
“And do you doctor children as well?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Norris walked to his table and grabbed a manila folder off his table, holding it. “Do you recall a Jeffery Sutherlin and Thomas Palmer?”
Dr. Bowman frowned, thinking. “….No, no I can’t say I do.”
“That’s really a shock to hear, Dr. Bowman, considering these two then ten year old boys became the reason why you don’t counsel children anymore. Do you not remember being arrested for child molestation back in 1995?”
Harold jumped up. “Objection. The defense is being argumentative. Dr. Bowman is not the one on trial here.”
“Your honor,” Norris started. “I’m merely stating facts about the doctor to see if he’s even fit to be a good choice to get accurate psychiatric treatment from. This trial is a serious one, one that could ruin a man’s life for a long time. All analyses made on my client should be done by doctors who are the most qualified, the most trustworthy, and the most unflawed in their profession.”
“Overruled. Have a seat, Mr. Daly.” Scowling, Harold sat back down. Norris continued.
“Dr. Bowman, do you remember being arrested for attempted child molestation back in 1995?”
Slowly, the stiff and arrogant demeanor William Bowman carried when he first took the stand was dwindling away. Max could see the sweat form on his forehead. His eyes skirted around the room, almost searching for the right answer to give. “I…I um, I don’t remember.”
Norris laughed slightly. “You, you don’t remember? You don’t remember being arrested and later found guilty of molesting these two young boys, who were patients of yours at the time?”
“Well, I—“
“I have pictures here as well Dr. Bowman.” Norris held up the manila folder in his hand and slapped it on the witness stand. “Mind boggling photos of you during that time. Photos you took of yourself with these boys at your home. Would you like to see them? Maybe they could refresh your memory since you seemed to have caught amnesia.”
Slowly, Bowman reached for the folder but he stopped, pulling his hand slowly back. “………..It was a long time ago.”
“Of course it was.” Norris stated nonchalantly. “You’re still registered as a sex offender, are you not?”
Austin watched as Norris simultaneously broke the doctor down into multiple ruined pieces of worthlessness. “………………Yes.” He murmured.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“I…I said ‘yes’.” The man spoke a bit louder. There were gasps coming from the audience and a few members of the jury shook their heads in disgust.
“Sick bastard.” Regina whispered.
Laura smiled. “Tally 1 for the defense and 0 for the plaintiff.” Austin didn’t say anything. He just kept his hand over his mouth watching and listening…..and hoping.
“You’re battling your own demons, Dr. Bowman. How do you expect to help anyone else with theirs and be accurate?” The young blonde backed away. “Your honor, I move to dismiss Dr. William Bowman and his psychoanalysis of my client, and let the defense bring in our own doctor.”
“Permission granted. You will make your choice of doctor, have the defendant tested by tomorrow, and we will continue the very morning after at 10:30. Court is adjourned.” Judge Toller got up from her seat and left.
Final chapter coming up next.
Chapter XI
After the arraignment seven months later
Day 2 of trial
“Dr. Bowman,” The prosecution’s attorney, Harold Daly, began as he stood up from his seat, buttoning his suit jacket professionally as he did so. Judge Gayle Toller gave the plump and balding lawyer the first opportunity to call his witness. “Last week you were able to talk with Max Garner, correct?”
The 40 something year old man nodded slowly. From where he sat in the audience, Austin could see the arrogance practically streaming of the psychiatrist. He sat at the witness stand with his head held high and his chest out proudly.
“That is correct. I had Max brought to my office and he and I talked for a good while that day.”
“Hm. And what did you talk about?”
“A little bit of everything, actually. His childhood as an orphan, his time in the service, the paraplegia, his homosexuality….all the way up to the murder.”
“Quite an interesting list Mr. Garner has there, don’t you agree, Dr. Bowman?”
“I do.”
“He’s an orphan with no previous inclination of who his parents were, an ex-soldier with a ruined career because of his paraplegia, and a homosexual……That’s enough to make someone bitter isn’t it?”
Before Dr. Bowman could answer, Norris stood from his seat abruptly. “Objection, your honor. The prosecution is putting words in the witness’s mouth.”
Harold turned to the lady judge and replied calmly. “Not if he agrees to it.”
The red-headed judge nodded. “Objection overruled. I’ll allow it. Continue Mr. Daly.”
With a smirk to Norris, Harold turned back to his witness. “I’ll repeat the question. Would you concur that one with a lonely upbringing and low self-values, like Mr. Garner has, would be bitter towards society?”
Dr. Bowman nodded. “Yes, I would. Normally, the case would go that someone who was raised as an orphan, lack the guidance, confidence, and support one gets from having parents. And because of that, many grow up to become bitter with society. The thinking of, ‘Aren’t I good enough?’ dwells in their minds and festers I guess you could say. His homosexuality sprouts from his lack of guidance as a child. Being raised in an orphanage, no one there sits a child down and gives them one-on-one talks about life and proper ways of living. So when the child starts to grow and hormones develop, they don’t know how to control these odd feelings for those of the same sex. No guidance leads to rebellious acts. Not to say that they all go through that, however, some DO.” Max, who was sitting next to Norris in a black suit, slouched down in his seat rubbing his eyes wearily.
Harold placed his hands in his pockets. “And what of the paraplegia?”
“Max has told me that ever since he was a boy he knew he wanted to make the army his career. He didn’t like or want any other profession. Joining the army, he said, was the best thing that ever happened to him. It was his life. So it crushed him when he became paralyzed. He felt his career was over before it truly began.”
“More anger.” Harold stated.
“Correct. That produced more anger.”
“Back at the arraignment, the defense entered a plea of innocent by temporary insanity. You sat with Mr. Garner, Dr. Bowman. You talked with him. You went over the murder with him. Did what he tell you make you think he WAS temporarily insane?”
“No, it did not.”
“So what do you think the situation was?”
“Just as I stated before. Bitterness. The murder of John Cutlis was more out of pure bitterness than mental state.”
Harold walked closer to where the doctor was sitting at the stand. “So you’re saying Max Garner was sane during the murder, yes?”
“Yes.”
Austin closed his eyes and sighed. Regina’s girlfriend, Laura, blindly reached for her hand, squeezing it.
Harold Daly smiled cordially. “No further questions, your honor.”
Judge Toller looked to Norris, who was conversing with his legal team consisting of another young male lawyer and a lady paralegal. “Mr. Hampton, your witness.”
“Um, your honor, we’d like to ask for a small recess.”
“Granted. We will convene in one hour.” She grabbed her mallet and hit it once against the podium, dismissing everyone. Max was silently carried out the courtroom and into a holding cell in the back. Austin got up to meet him.
**********
“What the hell was the purpose for a recess?” Laura asked her fellow blonde brother once she and Regina walked into one of the conference rooms of the courthouse Norris and his team were strategizing in. “You should’ve stayed in there.”
“We’re simply re-grouping, Laura. Nothing to worry about.”
“Sure it’s not. But because you up and called for a recess at such a critical point in the trial, the jury probably thinks you don’t have shit to refute Bowman’s testimony with.”
“Laura—“
“Timing. Being a good lawyer is all about knowing what questions to ask, how to ask them, and TIMING. You told me that. Do you wanna lose?!”
“Laura! Please!” Norris stood up, running his fingers through his hair. “Listen, don’t worry about this. It’s under control. The reason why I called for a recess is because my paralegal, Julia, got a call during the trial. She received some valuable information about our boy Dr. Bowman and she’s gone now to get it. We’re gonna shut this asshole up then ask for another psychiatric analysis with our own doctor, who will claim Max was temporarily insane. If we can do that, it will be easy-street from then on.”
“I just hope this ends,” Regina stated. “Austin hasn’t slept since this trial started and Max seems to look more ragged with each passing day.”
“Well, with any luck with Julia’s information, our own legit doctor testing Max, and my bomb ass closing argument, we’ll have this in the bag in two more days.”
************
Max took in the dark circles under his lover’s eyes and the hunched over, drained curve of his posture. “You look tired.” He stated. Both he and Austin were sitting at a metal table in the large holding cell, their hands absently caressing the other’s.
Austin shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Will you? When’s the last time you slept?”
Austin sighed deeply. “Ummmm….since this past summer.”
Max frowned. “Austin.”
The brunette smiled. “I’m serious. I haven’t had a decent nights rest since you’ve been arrested. You’ve got to get out of here so I can go to sleep.” He slowly ran his finger tips down the palm of Max’s larger hand, playing with his digits. “I wish there was a button I could push that could just take all this away. Take us back to that night at home when it stormed and the lights went out. That night, it was just about me and you. There were no outside troubles…..nothing.”
“If only it were that easy.”
Austin nodded. “If only.” The ex-soldier watched tears form in his lover’s beautiful hazel eyes. “Oh God, Max, I don’t know what’s gonna happen.” He began to sob.
Max pulled Austin by his hands to his side of the table, sitting him down on the metal bench next to him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hugged him close to his chest. “It’s alright, baby. Everything’s gonna be alright. This will all be past us soon.”
“But at what cost to us?” Austin whimpered.
“……..I don’t know.”
***********
“Your witness, Mr. Hampton.” Judge Toller said to the blonde.
“Thank you, your honor.” Norris got up from his chair and walked to Dr. Bowman who was back in the witness stand. “Dr. William Bowman, you’ve been a psychiatrist for how long?”
“32 years.”
“And do you doctor children as well?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Norris walked to his table and grabbed a manila folder off his table, holding it. “Do you recall a Jeffery Sutherlin and Thomas Palmer?”
Dr. Bowman frowned, thinking. “….No, no I can’t say I do.”
“That’s really a shock to hear, Dr. Bowman, considering these two then ten year old boys became the reason why you don’t counsel children anymore. Do you not remember being arrested for child molestation back in 1995?”
Harold jumped up. “Objection. The defense is being argumentative. Dr. Bowman is not the one on trial here.”
“Your honor,” Norris started. “I’m merely stating facts about the doctor to see if he’s even fit to be a good choice to get accurate psychiatric treatment from. This trial is a serious one, one that could ruin a man’s life for a long time. All analyses made on my client should be done by doctors who are the most qualified, the most trustworthy, and the most unflawed in their profession.”
“Overruled. Have a seat, Mr. Daly.” Scowling, Harold sat back down. Norris continued.
“Dr. Bowman, do you remember being arrested for attempted child molestation back in 1995?”
Slowly, the stiff and arrogant demeanor William Bowman carried when he first took the stand was dwindling away. Max could see the sweat form on his forehead. His eyes skirted around the room, almost searching for the right answer to give. “I…I um, I don’t remember.”
Norris laughed slightly. “You, you don’t remember? You don’t remember being arrested and later found guilty of molesting these two young boys, who were patients of yours at the time?”
“Well, I—“
“I have pictures here as well Dr. Bowman.” Norris held up the manila folder in his hand and slapped it on the witness stand. “Mind boggling photos of you during that time. Photos you took of yourself with these boys at your home. Would you like to see them? Maybe they could refresh your memory since you seemed to have caught amnesia.”
Slowly, Bowman reached for the folder but he stopped, pulling his hand slowly back. “………..It was a long time ago.”
“Of course it was.” Norris stated nonchalantly. “You’re still registered as a sex offender, are you not?”
Austin watched as Norris simultaneously broke the doctor down into multiple ruined pieces of worthlessness. “………………Yes.” He murmured.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“I…I said ‘yes’.” The man spoke a bit louder. There were gasps coming from the audience and a few members of the jury shook their heads in disgust.
“Sick bastard.” Regina whispered.
Laura smiled. “Tally 1 for the defense and 0 for the plaintiff.” Austin didn’t say anything. He just kept his hand over his mouth watching and listening…..and hoping.
“You’re battling your own demons, Dr. Bowman. How do you expect to help anyone else with theirs and be accurate?” The young blonde backed away. “Your honor, I move to dismiss Dr. William Bowman and his psychoanalysis of my client, and let the defense bring in our own doctor.”
“Permission granted. You will make your choice of doctor, have the defendant tested by tomorrow, and we will continue the very morning after at 10:30. Court is adjourned.” Judge Toller got up from her seat and left.
Final chapter coming up next.