Broken - #Wattys2016 Completed

Chapter 18

Court Day #2

Court started again the next day in the usual manner; Victoria was brought into the court room and sat beside Stacy at their familiar wooden desk.

Discarding some papers she had been reading Stacy smiled and looked up at Victoria as she whispered "Get through today and you can see Emily right after."

"How can I thank you enough Stacy, I needed this so badly?" she said trying not to cry with desperation for the day to be over already.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to get through today, this is going to hurt."

Danny and Alistair took their seats soon after followed by a stream of people filing into the courtroom, murmuring quietly as they respectfully shuffled past each other finding their seats.

They all rose for judge Smithies, who announced, "court is now in session, Daniel Jacobs please come to the witness stand, Mr James your witness..."

"Thank you your honor, replied Alistair, waiting as Danny was sworn in, as he began he looked at Danny hard, reminding him of their agreement."Mr Jacobs what was your relationship with Victoria Thorne like, were you happy?"

"We were very happy, and then when Emily come along our family was complete, we were so happy at first..."

"Well what happened to make things not so happy at home?"

Danny looked down at his hands before answering, "Victoria started getting depressed; she would cry a lot and tell me that she wasn't cut out for this."

Looking towards the sea of faces in the back of the court Alistair paused before asking, "Cut out for what?"

"For being a mother, I just thought she was having some trouble adjusting and things seemed to spiral from there, it was like Emily sensed she was unhappy and started to cry a lot more too, so Victoria wasn't getting a lot of sleep, but I thought it would pass, I thought everything would go back to the way it was....before"

"Did it?"

Victoria moved uncomfortably in her chair, subconsciously rubbing her wrist as Daniel drew in a deep breath.

"Objection, your honor," said Stacy desperately, knowing it was no use.

"Sustained, answer the question Mr Jacobs, said judge Smithies looking annoyed at Stacy.

"No, things got worse, about 2 months ago I found her in the bath and she had cut her wrist, before it happened she was crying saying she didn't deserve to live, she was a failure just like her mother."

"That must have been hard for you, so what did you do?

Danny cleared his throat, "I took her to the hospital a doctor there said it was post-natal depression and he prescribed her some pills, he said they would help."

"Did they help Mr Jacobs?" Asked Alistair grinning as he moved closer to Danny.

"I thought they were helping, she seemed to be much better, but she was still so sad all of the time. She stopped waning to go anywhere, or do anything, she just moped around the house, that's why I thought maybe if she went out for a while to see my sister Demi, and have a break from Emily it might help get her out of the rut she was in."

"That was very kind of you, so what did you do that night when Victoria was out?"

"Watched a movie and then went to bed."

"And what time did you go to bed?"

"Our other daughter Amanda and I were in bed by 8.30, we didn't even hear Victoria come in."

"Tell the court what happened the next morning when you called out to Victoria after you discovered Emily choking."

"I panicked and yelled out to Victoria to come quickly," said Danny turning away as his voice broke, his emotions beginning to get the better of him.

"What happened when Victoria come into the room?"

Now beginning to sob a little Danny began making a shaking motion with his hands, "She picked Emily up and shook her, then turned her over and started hitting her back, like this.... hard. I was afraid she was hurting Emily, then Emily screamed loudly and just went limp so I took her from Victoria and we all rushed her to the hospital.

"Thank you Mr. Jacobs, that is all, Alistair said smiling at Danny as he turned and sat back at his desk.

Miss Dylan did you have questions for Mr. Jacobs?" Asked Judge Smithies.

"Thank you your honor," Stacy got up from where she had been sitting and began to slowly walk towards Danny as she spoke.

"Mr. Jacobs how long have you and Victoria been together?"

"Almost 5 years."

"You told the court that you were at home with your other daughter, tell me about her"

"Yes Amanda is my 8 year old daughter from another relationship; I got full custody of her two years ago,"

"What type of relationship did Victoria and Amanda have?"

"Amanda loves Victoria very much," he said smiling sadly.

"So Victoria helped you care for Amanda for the last 2 years and if Amanda loves Victoria they must have had a good relationship, did Victoria take good care of her?"

Danny nodded, "Yes she did, and Victoria was very good to Amanda, much better than her birth mother, my ex."

"Can you describe what the night at your house was like, when Victoria was out visiting your sister?"

"Quiet, uneventful, like I said before we went to bed early."

"Did Emily wake up during the night?"

Danny looked away before quietly answering, "We were all sleeping."

"That is not what I asked you Mr Jacobs...did Emily wake up during the night?"

Danny looked past Stacy and at his lawyer for a moment, before loudly proclaiming "No"

"One last question, Mr Jacobs, did you hurt Emily that night!"

Danny lifted his gaze so he was looking Stacy right in the eyes and said very clearly, "No I did not!"

"That is all, thank you Mr Jacobs, thank you your Honor."

After Stacy took her seat next to Victoria the judge brought her hammer down and announced, "Court will finish early today, we will convene again tomorrow morning for more testimonies, Thank you.

As they all rose from their chairs and watched the judge disappear Stacy nudged Victoria, "Are you ready to go and see your little girl?"

"I have never been more ready in my whole life!"

"Good, well I will see you there," whispered Stacy as the two guards approached to escort Victoria from the court room.

Victoria sighed happily, she should have been feeling steam rolled after all of the things Danny had said about her in court, she most likely should have even been feeling betrayed, belittled, but none of that even mattered, not today, not now, because in a few short hours she would be with Emily, the one place she wanted to be more than anything in the world.

She would have gone through this humiliation 50 times a day if it meant she could spend even one hour with her child. "Mummy is coming baby," she whispered as the guards led her away, this time she glanced at Danny, who had gone back to his desk and was looking away from her, but she didn't try to talk to him, unlike Emily, she missed him less and less with every day that passed.

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