The Mental Health Ward

Chapter 25 - Before the Trial

It was a week before the trial was to start and i had lawyer coming to the ward to talk to me about going on the stand. There were seven of us in total that was going to testify against Tristan. We were all represented by the same person, her name was Alison and she was lovely and sympathetic to us all.

I was to be the final person to take the stand because there were witnesses to my attack. Alison said that it would be my statement and the witnesses statements that would make a conviction stick.

I was so nervous about the whole trial it was making me physically sick all the time. Nursing staff were watching the patients more closely and was talking the the seven of us daily to make sure we were ok and not about to refuse to testify in court. 

I wasn't the only one feeling sick all the time, Tilly had become thinner and looked almost dead. She had not eaten or drunk anything in a week and staff were starting to worry. She was told that if she didn't start eating soon she wouldn't be able to testify against Tristan and i think part of her really wanted that to happen.

Alison was coming to see me today to go over my statement again and go through a list of questions the defence team would ask me. Alison had been doing this with me and the others once a week for the last month to make sure we were ready for what they were going to ask and have the strength to answer honestly.

The part i was most afraid of was telling my story to twelve random strangers that would make up the jury and convincing them that what i am telling them is the truth.

The defence was telling the story that Tristan was seduced by the patients who were hormonal and found him attractive and said that if they wouldn't do things with him they would make up stories about him to get him fired. This of course wasn't true and it was the prosecutions job to make at least one member of the jury to believe them. 

The days leading up to the trial you could feel the fear on the ward, most witnesses got no sleep or was waking up because of nightmares. One girl kept having panic attacks about the trial and Alison had to withdraw her name but a written statement from the girl was to be shown as evidence. 

The final option that me and the other witnesses had to make was if we were going to take the stand in person or communicate through a wireless connection. This was for people who didn't want to face Tristan in person or that they were not allowed to leave the ward. Tilly took this option but Dawn, Ceri and i decided we were going to go in person.

Most of me only wanted to go in person so i could go and look at him in the eyes while i told my version of the story. We were not allowed to watch the rest of the trial in person but a camera was set up for us to watch in a room with another member of staff present but we are allowed to go to the sentencing if there is one.

I wasn't giving my statement until day two so i had an extra day to prepare myself for things. Dawn and Ceri were the first two people to take the stand starting at 9 o'clock in the morning. All witnesses that was taking the stand on day one were all given something to relax them and help them sleep the day before.

We were all rushed into bed by half ten in the night to get a good nights sleep but sleep is one thing that did not come for me that night 

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I know its a short chapter but ive decided that i want to end this story so theres only about 5 chapters left.

Thanks to all the reads and votes i have gotten so far i hope to have a good ending.

Any and all feed back is welcome.