CHAPTER 85: BLAME GAME

MS CHEN

I wince as Lindsay’s forehead connects hard with the table as she crumples to the floor.  I look at her for a few seconds as I know that had to hurt and she’s not moving.  I don’t think she meant to do that.

“Lindsay!”  I hear her mother yell and starts to rush round to assist her daughter.

“Mrs Peterson stay there!”  I find myself barking.  “I’ll deal with this.”

I turn Lindsay on her side and check her airway before I am pushed aside by the medics; after five minutes, she’s taken out and on her way to the hospital.

There’s murmuring through the court at the latest drama but Judge Richards’s gavel soon brings everyone back to order or so I thought.

“See what you’ve done?!”  Mrs Peterson whirls round and yells and points at Slick, who starts to stand.

“Mrs Peter…”  Judge Richards starts.

“I will be heard!  People need to know!”  She snarls back at him and starts to advance towards the back of the court.

“This can’t be good.”  I mutter and start to follow her while Mitchell and Novotny are hustled out.

“You!”  She raves.  “All you had to do was accept my offer and this would not be happening to Lindsay and…”

Before Ms. Phoenix even has the chance to utter a rebuttal against Ms. Peterson’s spurious onslaught, she’s cut off by a surprise defender… Gus Kinney.  “Two things!  First, you need to shut up you deranged battleaxe. Nobody caused this but Lindsay and secondly if you keep coming closer, I shall slap you so hard you’ll be shitting teeth!”

Everyone goes quiet and still.

“Take your grizzled ass out of here and go do what nobody else wants to do which is look after your daughter!  Let’s hope that knock to her head knocked some fucking sense into her!”

Nancy just stands there before turning to Judge Richards.  “Are you going to let this child speak to me like that?”  She sneers.

“Why not grandmamma; it’s the longest conversation we’ve ever had!”  The young man yells back.

Nancy turns back to face him.  “Gus?!”  She gasps before straightening up.  “Obviously being amongst these people has done you no good whatsoever.  Thankfully Lindsay is coming back to the correct path and will no longer be associated with their ilk.”

“She’s a lesbian in a woman’s prison.”  He sneers.  “To her, that’s pussy paradise and she won’t have mommy dearest to stop her for the next ooh 4 years.  And another thing…”

“Sonny Boy.”  Brian’s voice calls out and Gus goes quiet but remains standing.

“Mrs Peterson, shouldn’t you be going to the hospital?  A cab can be called for you.”  Judge Richards calls out.  She stalks out with as much dignity as she can muster.

“The jury is…”  Judge Richards starts and then clears his throat.  “The jury is dismissed.

I go to sit back down and can’t look at anything but the table.  “Pussy paradise?”  I repeat to myself and snort.  “Come on Chen, be professional!”

“Young man.  Gus is it?  Can you come down here please?”  Judge Richards calls out and I square my shoulders.

“Your honour?”  I question, ready to defend.

“Court decorum, no rebuking.”  Judge Richard beams at me and I sit back with a smile.

“Gus, as well deserved as that was, there is a certain way of speaking in court and that, as entertaining as it was, wasn’t it.”  He grins at him.  “Next time, don’t swear.  You may retake your seat.”

He waits for Gus to sit down and then faces the court again.  “Ladies and gentlemen, the matter of the State vs Michael Charles Novotny and Lindsay Peterson is now settled.  Court is dismissed.”

“All rise for Judge Richards.”

I gather my papers and walk out chuckling.  Pussy paradise…seriously!

ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL

LINDSAY’S BEDSIDE

NANCY

I watch the bump and bruise form on her forehead and wait for Lindsay to wake up.  After another five minutes of watching, she starts to stir.  She turns her head and blinks at me before giving me a small smile.

“I had the most horrible dream.  How long have I been here?”

“About an hour and…”  I begin only to be interrupted by a cough from the foot of her bed.

“You’re awake Peterson that’s good.”  The woman gruffs out.  “I’ll send the doctor in so you can be checked and discharged.”

She nods tiredly and looks across at me.  “I can’t wait to go…”

“Ladies, I’m Dr Stone. That is one heck of a goose egg you are going to have.”

We help her to sit up and as he checks her over. I give her the look.

“How do you feel?”  He asks, without actually looking at her.

“A bit confused.”  She mutters and looks around.  “What happened?”

“You fainted after you were sentenced to 4 years in prison.”  The same woman from earlier interrupts before I can say anything.  “So Doctor, is she okay to be released?”

“Oh yes.”  This time, he does look at her.  “It was a nice try though.  She’s good to go in about an hour.  I should imagine she’d like a nice shower before she goes.”

He looks back on her notes.  “I will send your notes to the prison doctor, where’s she going?”  He speaks to the guard as if we’re not there!

“Upstate.  What was a nice try?”  She asks before she smiles.  “Was going to try and delay her transfer by claiming to be confused?”

“Uh huh.”  He turns to look at us and shakes his head.  “They’re all yours.  Good luck Ms Peterson.”

As I watch the door close behind him, I look at the woman pointedly.  “We’d like some privacy.”

“Tough.”  She retorts and leans against the wall.  “And you’re wasting time Peterson.”

Lindsay gets up and stalks to the bathroom.

“Wow! What a miraculous recovery.”  The woman drawls sarcastically.

PENNSYLVANIA UPSTATE MEN’S CORRECTIONAL FACILITY – TWO HOURS LATER

GENERAL POPULATION WING

MICHAEL’S CELL

I am annoyed.  I’ve had to have a cold shower and kept my back against the wall the entire time. There was a bit too much eyeballing for my liking.

The reason for my annoyance is because of what my dad and supposed best friend said.  Brian, I knew would defend her but I didn’t expect him to say anything else. It was like he wanted me to be returned to jail!  And as for my father, he brought the full drama queen and didn’t need to mention the bank account or make Slick look like a fucking angel.

“New fish!”  Some yells across from me.  “You’re lucky, Bear is really gentle.  He likes to find out how much you can take first!”

I try not to show my fear as a very large Middle Eastern man comes in and leers at me.  “So you’re my new playmate?”

“No.  I’m nobody’s toy.”  I glare at him.

“Oh such a brave little trinket.”  He purrs then reaches behind him and pulls out a bible.  “I like to read before I eat.  Relax my pretty, we have time. Lots and lots of time.”

BRITIN – SAME TIME

LOUNGE

JUSTIN

We’re looking sternly at Gus and not each other.  Even Mel is trying hard not to laugh.

“So would you like to explain yourself young man?”  Mom starts.  “First there’s the deranged battleaxe comment to deal with.”

Gus looks appealing at Brian, whose face is starting to lose its impassiveness.

“If Aunt Lucy can say it, why can’t I?”  Gus states defiantly.

“Lucy!”  Mom gasps, scowling at Lucy’s reddening face.  “You should be careful around the children because…”

“I heard pussy paradise from you Aunt Jennifer.”  Gus smirks as Brian starts to chuckle.

“Mom!”  Molly snickers.

“Mel said it first!”  Mom protests.

The room starts to fill with laughter.

“So Sonny Boy, the slap you so hard you’re going to be shitting teeth is from?”

“Not you?”  I am surprised.

“Nope, but it sounds like something that Debs would say.”  But Debs shakes her head.  “Emmy Lou?”  Again Emmy shakes his head.

Slowly Slick puts up her hand and we all look at her in surprise.  “When the hell did you say that?”  Brian demands.

“You know that Maserati?”  We all nod.  “It belongs to Granger Philips, a particularly odious man who only deals with Russell now.  But we were in the middle of a discussion and I didn’t realise, in my defense that Gus was still there.   And I said the other thing...”

“Slick!”  Brian exclaims.  “You didn’t?!”

“I did.”  She winces and sips her drink.

“What?  What did you tell him?!”  I demand, looking between her and a scandalised Brian.

“Can I say just once?”  Gus grins.

“No!”  Brian and Slick shout.

“Oooh it has to be bad if Taylor-Kinney is saying no.”  Emmy chortles and leans across to Slick.  “Dish.”

I get up to try and hear but Brian pulls me back down.  “Brian!”  I wriggle in his arms much to his amusement but he easily holds me to his chest.

“Jesus, how mad were you?”  Emmy Lou breathes.

I squirm around in Brian’s arms and settle in his lap and blink up at him and kiss his chin.  “Tell me.”  I kiss under his chin again.  “Please.”

“People in the room Justin.”  Mom chides me but I ignore her.

“I’ll tell you later.”  Brian smiles at me and I turn back around and we’re happily chatting and wondering how they are settling in.

Finally they leave a couple of hours later.

“Okay they’ve gone now tell me!”

“You cuntquat.  You’re what happens when wank jobs get lucky, now fuck off or I shall rip off your head spit down your neck then mail you to your mother.”

I just stare at him.  “If Gus ever says that we’re grounding both him and Slick for a month!”

Brian smirks and heads up the stairs.  “Sure…you ground Slick.”  He laughs and breaks into a run.

“You’re supposed to love me!”  I start to chase him, giggling.

“I do!”  He calls back as he makes it to the bedroom.  “But I’m scared of her!”

I pin him to the bed.  “Aww come here my little scardy cat.”  I purr against his lips.  “I’ll protect you.”

He rolls us over and kisses me deeply.  “We’ll protect each other.”