*James*

Apparently, I had a damn seizure while on the stand. The courtroom was adjourned, and everyone was escorted out of the room while I was unconscious. Even the jury had to leave the courtroom.

"Do we need to call a rescue?" Judge Capriotti asks, now overwhelmed with the medical situation."

"No. He was fortunate to have his nurses right here. If he were in prison...." Dr. Giovanni starts but Colton West cuts him off.

"You're honor......" He squints at the doctor.

"James, hey man. You're ok." Jonah sits me up but I don't feel right. This one was different. I look down to see Nate put his expensive suit jacket over my waist. I pissed myself during me seizure.

"Mr. Gallo." Dr. Giovanni pulls out his cell phone and turns on the flashlight and begins checking my pupils. "That could have been a bad one, son." He turns to Judge Capriotti. "This stress is too much on the man."

My doctor turns to both lawyers now. "Putting him up on the stand like that. Shame on you." He shakes his head and stands. "Medically speaking I am saying Mr. Gallo needs a break. This is all too much for a person WITHOUT any medical issues, never mind a person who has seizures from stress."

The judge nods.

"Take Mr. Gallo home and be on standby. We will need to resume session, but I will let you know if James is required to take the stand." He turns to one of the guards. "Prepare for Mr. Hollan's exit out of the building. Make sure no reporters get to Mr. Gallo. We don't need this happening again."

Nate and Evan pull me to my feet and Nate quickly adjusts the jacket tied to my waist. He's trying to save me from embarrassment, and I appreciate that. I don't need photos of my pissed-on pants all over the internet and more people feeling sorry for me.

"This way. There's a private back door. It's clear." A guard announces and Evan, along with two police officers and two more bodyguards surround me to escort me out. Nate calls Ren to have him pull up out back and we wait behind the door until Evan says Ren has arrived.

I say nothing. I quickly get into the SUV and remain silent. Maggie hops in and sits right on my lap.

"We'll go home and get you cleaned up and then I will take you to see Julia, ok Mate?" Nate says while climbing into the back. I nod and stare out my window trying not to think about this disaster of a day.

********

*Trisha*

I look out my window as we drive around the courthouse to the main road. There are SO many reporters. More than usual.

"Casey or Jonah, can you help me shower really quick?" James asks while he focuses out his window. I frown. He doesn't want me to help him. He knows I will want to talk or ask how he is or some shit. He just wants one of the nurses to do their jobs so he can go see Julia.

I'm trying to not take anything to heart. James is going through so much. But when I feel Nate hold my hand and squeeze it my eyes water. He could tell this hurt me.

"Just leave it." Nate whispers against my ear and I nod.

Once in the apartment, Jonah takes James into the bathroom while Casey finds comfortable clothes.

"Trish. Can you call the cleaners to come tomorrow to grab the laundry?" Nate comes out of his room with James's soiled on suit and puts it in a garbage bag for the cleaners. I text myself a reminder and begin to make myself a cup of tea.

"Don't take it personally. I know you are." Nate leans against the counter facing me and puts his hands on my hips. "I can read you like a book, angel."

"He's pushing me away." I close my eyes and drop my head to his shoulder.

"He is. But let him right now. Let him do whatever the hell he needs to do, ok?" 

I nod but then push myself off Nate and walk away...leaving my cup of tea behind. I walk out to the balcony for a little air but that's when it all catches up with me. I lean against the railing and bury my face in my hands to cry.

I hate this! I hate that James is going through so much and I don't how to comfort him. I don't have the listening skills he needs from me. I lack so much since mom died. And then Dave messed me up.  I gave him everything. All of me. I'll never do that again. The only person who understands me is Nate.

 I'm shut off, have trouble showing emotion without trying to fix shit and apparently, I'm just an uncompassionate, awful person to be around. I'm losing James and I really like James. Never mind dating...

I'm losing him as a friend.

******

*James*

Evan drives me and Nate to The Avalon so we don't have to call Nate's driver again. We park in the back where the apartments are. There's a private lot to park in and then a cute walkway that leads to each apartment. I don't know how many there are, maybe four or five, nor do I know which one is Jeremy's. But Julia's has this cute little sunflower welcome mat and a flower wreath on her door. I imagine Jeremy must have put it there. Next to her door is a nice white privacy fence where her yard is. Maggie has taken ownership of that space.

Paul answers and Julia, who is in the kitchen, almost knocks her drink off the table and runs to me for a hug.

"Oh my God, are you ok??"

"I'm fine. Just have a tension headache now. That was all aired on tv, huh?" I hug her so tight I may just break her.

"No. They shut off all cameras as it happened. I knew it was a seizure from the expression on your face though. And then Maggie started barking." She cries into my chest.

"Babe, I'm ok. I'm just really tired, that's all. It was a long day." Lately, every time I have a seizure it drains me, and I becomes physically exhausted for quite some time after. Sometimes days. Julia doesn't respond. Not in words. Instead, she takes my hand and walks me to her room to lay down and rest. She sits me on her big, perfectly made bed and takes my sneakers off for me before I climb into the covers.

"Will you lay with me? Just for a little while?" I smirk. She'll give in.

Julia climbs in and lays right next to me so our foreheads almost touch. I close my eyes and when a tear slides down my face Julia swipes it away for me, leaving her hand on my cheek.

"I'm so tired." I say with my eyes still closed. "These seizures are more frequent and take a lot out of me."

"I know, sweetie." Julia kisses my lips as we drift off to sleep together.

We actually sleep for a good three hours before I wake up. Maggie has made her way in between us and is licking my face and putting her paw on me. She's bored and wants my attention. Julia is still fast asleep which makes me think she hasn't been sleeping as much as she needs to at night. I slowly get out of bed and fortunately, Julia didn't shut the door all the way. She probably did that on purpose because she knows I can't turn the handle very well.  

"Hey man, you ready to go home and eat?  I'm sure Maggie is ready for Casey to take her for a long walk." Jonah looks up from the kitchen table where he is scrolling through his phone. I nod, still somewhat groggy and look at the microwave. It's already almost seven at night. 

Once back at Nate's, Jonah is the one to help me eat, shower and get ready for bed. I can't sleep well without a shower before bed and he knows that. Casey and Trisha both fell asleep on the couch watching TV so Evan takes the dog out around the block for me one last time before she is in for the night.

I feel bad I've been avoiding Trisha. It's not her. It's me. I can't focus on a relationship right now, nor do I want to lead her on and then find out I will have to go to jail and never see her. That would be awful. Instead, I've been distancing myself more and more so it won't hurt as bad. Because deep down, I really feel like they are going to make me serve time.

******

"All rise!" The bailiff announces. 

If they decide to call me back up on the stand, I'm afraid of what will happen. Will I have another seizure? My body is so mentally and physically tired I don't know if I can handle another one so soon.

Judge Walter Capriotti enters the room, and we go through the morning routine before the trial begins. 

"As you all know, yesterday took a toll on Mr. Gallo's health. Mr. West and Ms. Landry, I'm familiar with your history. I know you both want to win. What lawyer doesn't? But this isn't about winning or losing. Not this case. Because no one comes out a winner. Both the victim, Nadine Jones, as well as the offender, James Gallo have lost. Ms. Jones lost her uncle in a tragic accident and Mr. Gallo has lost his own life in more ways than one with his physical disabilities. Due to health concerns, I am not going to call James Gallo back up to the stand."

Oh thank you God. But I'm not out of the woods yet. My freedom is still on the line.

"We are going to move this along for all involved. All evidence has been presented so we will now have our closing arguments before the jury takes the time needed to come to a verdict. Mr. West..."

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the court, I'm not here to persuade you to adopt my view of the case and the evidence. Like Judge Capriotti said, this isn't about evidence. We know James Gallo is guilty of Reckless Driving. He is responsible for the death of Malcolm Jones." Colton nods to Nadine while pacing the room.

"All Ms. Jones wants is hold him accountable, like we would for any individual who has killed another human being. I'm here to secure her the compensation she deserves for the loss she's endured. This is the United States. We have rules and laws for a reason. We need to hold James Gallo accountable for his actions."

Tears stream down my face as I listen. The guy is completely right. I took this lady's uncle away from her. Just because I'm fucking disabled doesn't disqualify me from jail time. I broke the law and now I need to pay the consequences. I continue to listen to the lawyer fight for his client.

"He ran a red light and killed a man. James Gallo needs to pay the price for his offense. Do what is right. Follow the law that has been put in place so this never happens again."

Colton sits down as Addison stands up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. The prosecution is right." She begins with a sympathetic look. "This ISN'T a guilty or innocent plea. This isn't about evidence or who did what. James Gallo IS Guilty. Mr. Gallo is guilty of working too many hours to help provide for his family financially. A man who never calls out of work, has never been in trouble with the law. He has a clean driving record. This is a man who was in a car accident." Addison goes on with her well-spoken speech but all I can think about is going to jail.  All I can thing about is the kind of people that the inmates are. Murderers, rapists, child abusers, violent men like my father.

And then there's me.

I ran a fucking red light.

"This is a HUMAN BEING, ladies and gentlemen. A human who requires a nurse 24/7 along with a medical dog. This man deserves the medical care he needs. He will not get the medical care needed in prison." She shakes her head and then hands me a tissue. I try to grasp it but fumble and it falls to the ground. Of course, everyone notices this, and I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Addison continues with her speech.

"Would you want to see your son or daughter, or mother, go to prison for one car accident? No. No, you would not. So yes, do the right thing. Do what you would want others do for you. Show sympathy for this struggling man. Do not put him behind bars. James Gallo does not belong in prison."

The judge dismisses everyone so the jury can talk and come up with a verdict. We were told this could take hours.  

Everyone files into the holding room and Casey puts Maggie's peepad down for the dog to use, then cleans it all up and properly disposes it. 

"James, is it ok if I take the dog for a walk around the building. She's going to need to burn some energy."

I stay nothing. I sit on the couch and drop my head into my hands.

"Go ahead, Case." Jonah sits next to me and pats my back.

"I try so hard in life to be good and do the right things." I mutter, not talking to anyone specific. "I try so goddamned hard!"

******

Hours go by before we are called back into the courtroom. I watch the jurors enter and take their seats. I've had this hard lump in my throat for days and now...

This is it.

This is the moment I find out my fate. I close my eyes and begin to pray in my head.

"Your Honor. We have reached a verdict." A short, chubby old says and I open my eyes. He hands the judge an envelope and I find myself holding my breath. 

Judge Capriotti furrows his brows before reading. "The verdict in the case of Nadine Jones vs. James Gallo for reckless driving resulting in the death of Malcolm Jones is..." He shakes his head and glances at me before looking back down at the document.

No. The look he just gave me ... oh my God, no.

"A fine of $1000.00, two points on your DMV driving record and following the laws of the state of California, a jail sentence of approximately one year for vehicular manslaughter."

******