Hard Time (Part Five)

Elisabeth paced nervously outside of the courtroom doors. Officer Sanger was there, as well as two other officers who had Scott with them. Scott wasn't in his usual orange jumpsuit today. Instead he was wearing a dark green shirt and black pants, and he was clean shaven. Elisabeth smiled despite her nerves. Scott looked incredibly good today. Sanger was also in "street" clothes, a grey suit with a yellow tie. Elisabeth had her hair down in curls and was wearing a dark blue dress suit that brought out her grey eyes. She noticed Scott's eyes on her. He smiled in approval.1

"Elisabeth, just sit down and relax." Sanger said trying to calm her down.2

"I can't," Elisabeth said nervously. "I'm freaking out! I....I, wow, I don't know what to do! I've never done this before, what if I say the wrong thing?"3

"Lyons, you are going to be fine in there. Remember, YOU are not on trial,REMBOLT is." Scott reassured her. Elisabeth took a seat next to Sanger and played with her hands. Then the bailiff appeared through the door and motioned for Sanger to enter the room. Sanger got up and followed.4

"Don't worry, Lyons it will be me before it is you." Scott reassured her again. "Calm down, you'll be just fine."5

Elisabeth looked over at Scott. "Thank you," she nearly whispered. She wished she could lean on Scott right now, just feel his strength against her. But she knew that she couldn't. Instead she just looked into his eyes that were gazing intensely into hers. She quickly looked away hoping no one would notice. She wasn't sure how the warden would feel about their relationship, and she was praying to God that somehow things would work out for them.6

After what had seemed like forever, the door opened again. This time the bailiff looked at Scott. Scott and his escorts stood up and followed the bailiff into the courtroom. As much as he wished he could reach out and touch Elisabeth to console her before he left, he couldn't. He looked down at his handcuffs in disgust. Couldn't they have taken them off?7

Elisabeth was alone now, and she prayed for strength. "God....I don't know what to do. I've never been in this position before. I don't want to say the wrong thing. Please give me strength. Please!" Elisabeth settled her head inbetween her hands. After awhile she felt a sort of peace. She could do this, she had to do this. After what had seemed like forever, the door opened again. The bailiff's stomach growled. It was obvioulsy afternoon, but they weren't recessing. Elisabeth stood and straightened out the skirt of her suit and followed the bailiff into the courtroom. Judge Powers sat at the head of the room. His looks reflected his name. He was a big man with dark hair and a stern face. Elisabeth was led up to the witness' stand and placed her hand on the Bible.8

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?"9

"Yes, I do." Elisabeth sat down.10

"Elisabeth, why don't you tell us about your relationship with Officer Rembolt before the altercation?" The DA stood up as he asked.11

"Well, it was purely professional. I had no desire to see him outside of the workplace. I treated him with the respect that an officer deserves to be treated. He asked me out many times, and I turned him down." Elisabeth looked over at the table where Rembolt was sitting. He glared at her, and her heart nearly stopped. 12

"Miss Lyons," the DA continued,"Did you ever ask Mr. Rembolt to stop asking you out, as in did you make it perfectly clear that you did not want a relationship with him?"13

"Yes, I did. I told him on more than one occasion that I had no desire to see him outside of work. He wasn't my type at all."14

"Miss Lyons, I realize this is going to be difficult for you, but can you take us through what happened that morning?" The DA's voice was kind as he spoke.15

Elisabeth breathed in deeply once more praying for strength. "I had just come off of nightwatch 2. I went to the women's lockers to take a shower. I had been in about two minutes before I heard the door open." She paused. "I...I thought that it was one of the other women's officers....but then the curtain opened. The next thing I knew I was being choked. I heard Officer Rembolt say that I wanted this. I fought back....I elbowed him in the side to try to get away....but he blocked the only way out. He punched me in the eye...he...he..." the tears were coming down Elisabeth's face now. She swallowed and continued. "He kissed me, but I clawed him and then kicked him. Then....then he threw me against the shower head and I fell. That's when I heard the shot."16

"And who fired the shot?"17

"Officer Sanger, but I didn't know it was him at the time."18

"Who else was there?"19

"Scott Kendrick, he covered me and tried to keep me awake until the medics got there."20

"And you are sure that the accused is the one who attacked you."21

"Yes. I saw his face."22

"You are sure that you never gave any indications that you had a romantic interest in Mr. David Rembolt?"23

"I am sure."24

"I have no further questions your honor."25

Then Rembolt's lawyer stood to question Elisabeth. "Miss Lyons, do you want to tell me about the incident at Delaney's Pub?"26

"That was the night I started work there." Elisabeth said slowly.27

"Who asked you to go?"28

"Uhm, Rembolt did."29

"You said earlier that you never gave any interest whatsoever in Rembolt before didn't you?"30

"Yes, but this was different.."31

"Answer the question, yes or no."32

"Yes, I did say that."33

"So you were, in fact, lying before."34

"No I wasn't! That was just going out for a friendly drink...."35

"That can be construed as wanting more Miss Lyons. I have no further questions for this witness your honor."36

"But he didn't even let me finish!" Elisabeth tried to go on but was stopped by the judge. 37

"You may step down now Miss Lyons." Judge Powers said curtly. Elisabeth stood shakily and began to walk towards the back of the room. She felt dizzy. She saw an evil smirk on Rembolt's face. The room began to spin around her. Then all was black.38

........39

There was a gasp in the courtroom as Elisabeth fainted. Scott nearly jumped out of his seat, but that would do no good. He was pissed at Rembolt's lawyer for doing that. He had even heard Elisabeth turn Rembolt down before. Scott and the rest of the courtroom watched as Elisabeth was carried out of the room. The judge said something that Scott couldn't hear. He realized that his escorts were pulling him to his feet. Scott was walked out of the room. He looked around in the hallway to find Elisabeth, but she was nowhere to be seen. 40

.........41

Elisabeth saw hazy forms above her. Slowly they came into focus as medics. She tried to sit up but was pushed back down. She closed her eyes for a moment and re-opened them. She heard one of the medics say "She's fine." and another handed her a bottle of water. Elisabeth took it and took a long drink. She felt hot and dizzy.42

"Miss Lyons, you are fine but you need plenty of water and rest." said one of the medics. "You probably shouldn't be alone tonight, is there anywhere else you can go, or is there someone who can come by?"43

"I'll be fine on my own." Elisabeth stood up shakily. "Just give me my things and I will be on my way." Reluctantly the medic gave Elisabeth her purse. Elisabeth walked out of the courthouse, made it to her car and got home. Elisabeth drank another bottle of water before crashing on her bed fully clothed.44

..........45

Elisabeth woke up to broad daylight. She realized that she was still in yesterday's clothes. She looked at the clock. It was 2 p.m. Elisabeth got up off the bed and took a shower. Clad in a bathrobe and towel, Elisabeth grabbed a bowl of Mini-Wheats and plopped down on the sofa and turned on the tv. She noticed her purse on the coffee table. She pulled her cell phone out and noticed a few messages. Most of them were from some of the officers asking how she was. One of them was from the Warden telling her that she didn't have to show up tonight for work if she did not want to. She was slowly transferring back to day shift, as she was working Nightwatch 2 and Daywatch 1. Elisabeth called the warden to inform him that she would be working that evening, and went back to watching TV.46

...........47

Elisabeth walked up and down the cell block bored out of her mind. Even Scott, who usually got himself up to see her was asleep. Elisabeth sat in one of the chairs at the end of the hall. She reviewed the events of the courtroom yesterday in her mind. She didn't really even know Rembolt at the time, and she only went because some of the other officers were going. She hadn't had the chance to explain. Oh well, there was nothing she could do now, except go back for closing arguments, and who knew, maybe she would be called again.48

Elisabeth turned the on her watch light. Five forty. At about six thirty it would be time for her to leave and go to Cell Block A for Daywatch 1. She got up and paced her side of the hall again. This time Scott was awake and he was standing at the bars. Elisabeth smiled as she leaned against the bars and let Scott give her the best hug he could considering the circumstances.49

"Hey," he whispered into her head, "Feeling better?"50

"A lot better," Elisabeth pulled away and faced him, "I think I might have been really dehydrated. Or scared, or both."51

Scott smiled, "Yeah, you were pretty pale, but you looked good."52

"You did too, Scott. Best I have ever seen you look. I so wanted to...well it would not have been possible. The guards and everything." Elisabeth smiled shyly.53

"Yeah cuffs and escorts are a real hinderance." Scott said. "By the way, it really pissed me off how that lawyer tried to discredit you. I could understand when he pulled the whole murderer bit on me, but he had no place trying to discredit you."54

"Well I wish I would have been able to explain. I went only because other people were going, and come on it was my first day!" Elisabeth ranted.55

"Yeah. Your first day here was an interesting one." Scott smiled and took her hand. "You shook up this whole block."56

"Really?" Elisabeth teased.57

"I must confess Elisabeth, as soon as I saw you....well...I thought to myself that my time before I died wouldn't be so bad after all."58

"When I saw you Scott, I was immediately attracted to you. I wanted to know why such an innocent looking guy was locked up for murder."59

"It's really very simple Elisabeth. I was an ass."60

"Well you aren't anymore....at least not that I know of." She teased again. Scott laughed and kissed her. "I love you." Elisabeth whispered before she could stop herself.61

"I love you, too." whispered Scott.