I'm Not Okay

Lyn-Z’s defense attorney wriggled around in his seat as the judge pointed at him and told him, for the third time to say something in his clients’ defense. I could see his problem we had pretty much won this thing, and Lyn and Todd? Didn’t have a pray in hell.

He stood up, his hands on his tie and cleared his throat, “Your honor, the defense rest.”

“You have nothing to say in defense of your clients?” He asked.

“No, your honor.” He replied glumly before sitting back down in his chair and whispering something to Lyn and Todd they nodded, their heads hung low.

“Well if that’s all then the jury we break for deliberations and we will adjourn again tomorrow at noon.” He banged the gavel again and we all stood as he left. I turned to Gerard as our attorney told us we did well and that he didn’t think we would have to do much more.

I wrapped my arms around Gerard, “This is so good.”

“I know.” He whispered. Gerard could speak in small doses since the doctors had found out what was wrong with him and fixed it quickly before it did too much damage. But he had to vocal therapy a few times a week.

[>>>The Next Day]

“Will the defense please rise for the jury’s decision?” The bailiff called as I looked over at Lyn quickly to see her face, hopelessness was written all over it. I actually felt sorry for her, even after all her and Todd put us through, I felt sorry for them. They knew what their fate was, sort of.

The juror at the very end stood and cleared his throat, “We the jury of this court find the accused guilty, on all accounts of rape and attempted murder,” I sighed and felt Gerard grip my hand gently. It was over; finally they were going to be gone for good. “And the jury would like to ask for the maximum sentencing.”

I glanced over at the defense table, their faces were pained, but they also looked like had suspected all of this and they looked a bit, relived? My eyes must be deceiving me.

“What does the Jury have in mind?” The Judge asked as he turned and looked at the Juror who stood and faced him.

“The death penalty for both, your Honor,” The Juror had barely gotten the words out before Lyn-Z and Todd’s attorney shot up from his chair.

“I object!” The entire courtroom stared at him, bewildered, he was finally making a sound, an attempt to save his clients- and I think it was really too late.

“On what grounds?” Judge Mason asked him.

“They don’t fit the requirements!” He said with slight hope, I glanced down and saw the same hope flicker across Lyn and Todd’s faces.

“That’s ludicrous, they do: They used more force than necessary to try to kill my clients. Ms. Ballato tried to kill out of hatred, she was mad that her marriage had upturned and her ex-husband was taking care of a young girl. She found Todd Price who was also made at the pair, who had brutally raped Ms. James and wanted to silence her before her tale got him in trouble. They fit it so well, it is ludicrous!” Our lawyer stated. The defense lawyer shut his mouth and sat down quickly.

“Very well then, the sentence will be carried out as soon as possible, until then the guilty will stay in the Oakland City Jail,” Judge Mason banged the gavel one last time and stood, we all stood like we were supposed to and watched as Lyn-Z and Todd were escorted out of the room to be processed and to await their fate.

I turned to Gerard and smiled as he wrapped in up in a hug, “It’s over, nothing’s ever going to go wrong now!”

Oh how I wished I could have believed all of that. That the perfectness of that one moment as we hugged and kissed and thanked god for our lives one more time would have lasted forever, that we would always be.