I'll Stand By You

by Sharon Sala

  It was almost noon by the time Meeker called her.

  “Hey, honey. It’s me. Luther has an ear infection.”

  Dori groaned. “Oh, that’s what I was afraid of,” she said. “So what did they do?”

  “The doctor gave him a shot to head it off and some medicine for him to take orally. He’s asleep right now, and we’re fine.”

  Dori frowned. “A shot! He’s never had a shot before. Did he cry?”

  Meeker chuckled. “Hell yes, he cried. He let them know how pissed he was, while he was at it.”

  Dori felt sick. His first shot and she hadn’t been there for him. “Poor little guy. You don’t have to sound so proud of it.”

  Meeker chuckled. “It’s a guy thing, honey. He’s good. We’re both good. See you later.”

  “Yeah, see you later,” she said and ended the call.

  Walter had been listening to her call without apology.

  “Is your boy sick?” he asked.

  Dori nodded. “Ear infection.”

  “That’s tough,” Walter said.

  Dori nodded. “He got his first shot today. He cried and I wasn’t there,” she said and then burst into tears.

  Walter looked a little anxious and went back to his grill. Crying women made him nervous.

  * * *

  By the time 2:00 p.m. rolled around and Dori’s day was ending, Johnny was on his way to the courthouse with the boys. It would be the unveiling of Brooks Pine’s injuries.

  Once the citizens of Blessings figured out they would not be present during the hearing, they regrouped and began gathering out on the courthouse steps as well as lining the halls inside, their curiosity shining for all to see.

  Johnny was as prepared for what lay ahead as he could be. He had dressed the boys in clean jeans and new red T-shirts, and made sure they’d combed their hair before leaving the house. But there was a knot in his stomach as he drove uptown. Confronting the boys who’d caused Beep so much pain was going to be hard for all of them. Beep was scared to see them again, and Marshall was in big-brother protective mode. Johnny needed to know justice would be served.

  By the time they arrived, the parking spaces were filled up on both sides of the street, and the growing crowd in front of the courthouse was daunting.

  Marshall leaned forward.

  “Why are all these people here?”

  “Minding everyone’s business but their own,” Johnny muttered and circled the courthouse to look for an empty parking space.

  As he stopped at a stop sign, he noticed a young woman waiting to cross and then recognized Dori Grant. He watched her glance toward their car as she started to cross, and he could tell by the look on her face that she’d recognized him too. To his surprise, she smiled shyly and waved. Before he could wave back, she was gone. A little startled that he’d momentarily lost focus, he turned the corner and finally found an empty space.

  Marshall got out on his own as Johnny helped Beep out of the car. He could tell by the way his little brother was stooped over that he must be in pain.

  “Hey, Beep, are you hurting?” he asked.

  Beep shifted the plastic mask on his face to a more comfortable position and then ran a hand across his tummy.

  “A little.”

  “Do you want some help? I’ll carry you in if it’s too far for you to walk.”

  Beep looked at Marshall and then ducked his head.

  “They’ll think I’m a baby,” he muttered.

  Johnny frowned. “To hell with them. We don’t care what they think.”

  Beep eyed the set of his brother’s jaw. “You said a bad word.”

  Johnny sighed. “Hold my hand, okay?”

  Beep nodded.

  “You can hold mine too,” Marshall whispered.

  Beep latched on to both of his brothers and up the sidewalk they went.

  The sun was warm on their faces as they walked past bushes of blooming azaleas rife with honey bees and butterflies. Intent on what they had yet to face, they also missed seeing the hummingbirds darting in and out of flowers. A squirrel was sitting beneath the old oak on the courthouse commons, scolding all who walked past, while another was on the back of a bench beneath it. It was an idyllic scene in the midst of chaos.

  Johnny shortened his stride for Beep, who was moving like a little old man stiff with arthritis. Marshall stayed in step right beside him with his chin up and a frown on his face, a miniature version of his big brother.

  The crowd at the front of the courthouse was noisy and bordering on disturbing the peace. With nothing but a sidewalk separating the people wanting justice for Beep from the others wanting it all to go away, it wouldn’t have taken much for trouble to begin.

  But then someone noticed the Pine family coming up the sidewalk and word began to spread. Voices lowered and then trailed off into total silence as the full extent of Brooks Pine’s injuries became apparent. Shock spread silently through the crowd. It was no longer about the haves and have-nots. It was about a very small boy who appeared to have been beaten within an inch of his life.

  A woman from the back of the crowd called out, “God bless you, child.”

  A man took out his handkerchief and quickly wiped his eyes and blew his nose.

  Embarrassed by the stares, Beep stumbled and then cried out in pain from the jolt. If Johnny and Marshall had not been holding on to him, he would have fallen.

  Ignoring the countless onlookers, Johnny stopped and knelt. “Are you okay, buddy?”

  Beep was holding his belly.

  “It hurt me here,” he said, rubbing his side where the ribs were broken.

  “Put your arms around my neck and hold on,” Johnny said and slid his arms beneath his little brother’s backside as he stood.

  Beep hid his face in the curve of Johnny’s neck. He’d had enough notoriety for one day.

  Marshall was anxious. He didn’t know what to think about all the people staring at them and was grateful when they finally got inside.

  They had to stop at the door and go through a metal detector, which slowed down their progress even more, but there was a bright spot on their horizon. They were no longer on their own. Butterman was waiting for them on the other side of the detector. Johnny caught his gaze and Butterman winked. It reminded Johnny to relax. They weren’t the ones in trouble.

  They passed through the halls without looking once at the people lining the walls, and when they reached the judge’s office, Butterman led the way inside.

  When Johnny realized the boys and their parents were already there, he paused in the doorway, giving all of them a look none would challenge.

  One by one, they looked away.

  “Take a seat here,” Butterman said, indicating chairs on the other side of the room and then glancing at his watch. “We still have a couple of minutes.”

  Johnny sat down, and as he did, Marshall took the chair beside him. As soon as Johnny sat, he eased Beep into his lap, seating him with his back against Johnny’s chest. He felt Beep flinch and knew he’d seen the boys, and at the same time, the parents were getting their first look at Beep, as well.

  “Dear God,” Mrs. Sharp said and then clapped a hand over her mouth as Coach Sharp stared in disbelief.

  Carl Buckley’s lips went slack, and then he glanced down at his son, as if seeing him for the first time as a person capable of doing something that horrific.

  Mrs. Rankin moaned and then covered her face.

  They had all agreed on one lawyer to represent them, because the boys had been equally charged, and now he sat staring at the boy across the room and knew the best they could hope for was leniency from the judge.

  P. Nutt Butterman was in his element. He’d seen the panic on Brooks Pine’s face as he’d faced his attackers. He was sorry as hell the kid had been hurt in such a vile manner, b
ut he was more than satisfied to see how scared the others were now.

  “I want to go home,” Beep whispered.

  Johnny patted his leg. “I know, buddy. So do I, but we have to be here for a while, okay?”

  Beep’s voice was soft, but it carried. Every mother in that room heard the fear in his voice and was horrified that a child of theirs was the cause.

  A secretary opened the door to the judge’s chambers and then stood aside.

  “Judge Brothers is ready for you,” she said.

  When they stood, Beep hung back with Marshall and whispered in his ear, “Don’t let them hurt me, okay?”

  Marshall’s voice took on the tone of a holy vow. “I promise, Beep.”

  But for Johnny, rage swept through him so fast it made him shake. He made no attempt to temper his voice. “No one’s gonna touch you, buddy. I promise.”

  Butterman was shocked. He’d been so focused on the actual physical injuries Brooks Pine suffered that he hadn’t realized the depths of the emotional impact, as well. He put a hand on Beep’s shoulder.

  “And I’m going to help your brother keep that promise.”

  Beep looked up. In his eyes, these men were giants in stature, way bigger than the boys who hurt him. It was a reassuring sight.

  They were the last to enter and took the remaining empty seats as Judge Brothers came in and sat down behind his desk.

  Johnny eyed the man closely. He saw manicured fingernails and the collar of a silk shirt beneath the robes and his heart sank. The man’s appearance spoke money. Would their lack of social standing be the undoing of any justice for Beep?

  Only time would tell.

  Chapter 6

  Judge Brothers had read all the files, seen the video interviews, and knew to the last stitch what injuries Brooks Pine had suffered. He also knew the parents of the perpetrators were considered upstanding citizens of Blessings, but in his eyes, their progeny did not get a free pass because of their parents’ reputations.

  He could see the four boys had been coached to be on their best behavior. They were sitting upright, hands in their laps and appropriately penitent expressions on their face.

  And then there was Brooks Pine. Smallest kid in the room by far and looked like he’d been run over. And he was scared. Judge Brothers had seen plenty of scared kids in his courtroom during his career, and it was clear this boy was the victim, not the perpetrator.

  “Good afternoon,” Brothers said as he began. “Just to be clear, this is not an opportunity for lawyers to plead their cases because guilt has already been recognized and admitted. As I adjudicate sentencing, I don’t want to hear a parent speak out in argument or a lawyer interrupt what I have to say. Do we understand each other?”

  While everyone else nodded, Beep shrunk back against Johnny, trying to make himself as small as possible, and then closed his eyes. The judge’s voice was loud and sounded angry. He wanted to go home.

  Judge Brothers saw that the boy was frightened, but his job wasn’t about making friends. It was about meting out justice.

  “I want to call attention to something very obvious to me before I go on. I want Lewis Buckley, Kevin Sharp, and Bobby Jay and Billy Ray Rankin to please rise and come stand at the front of my desk.”

  The boys glanced at their parents and then did as they’d been told.

  “Now will Brooks Pine please join them?”

  Brooks sighed so loud it almost sounded like a groan, but he stood up without hesitation and walked two steps forward. There was less than a foot of space between him and Lewis Buckley, and the obvious difference in their sizes was immediate.

  “Now, boys, will you please turn around and face the room.”

  All five boys turned.

  “Parents, I want you to take a good look. If there were any lingering notions you were harboring regarding this child’s participation in the beating your sons gave him, I hope you have the good sense to let them go. Brooks, you may sit back down.”

  Beep pressed a hand against his belly as he walked back.

  The four boys were still facing the room.

  “All of four of you turn and face the bench.”

  The boys hesitated, looking around the room for a bench. Their lawyer had to whisper for them to turn and face the judge before they complied.

  “I’ve read your statements,” Judge Brothers said. “But I want to hear it for myself.” He looked straight at Lewis. “Lewis Buckley, what prompted you to attack Brooks Pine?”

  Lewis stuck his hands in his pockets and started to slouch.

  “Stand up straight. Take your hands out of your pockets and answer me!” the judge snapped.

  Lewis blanched. That demanding tone of voice sounded too much like his father’s voice to ignore. He quickly obeyed.

  “Beep had ringworms. He’s white trash, and we didn’t want him near us.”

  Brothers frowned. “According to the evidence, that statement is false. Brooks Pine had no such disease. In fact, he was a perfectly healthy child until you attacked him.”

  “Well, we thought he had ringworm,” Lewis said.

  “And so for that you attacked him?”

  “I just pushed him away,” Lewis said.

  “Did you kick him while he was down?” Brothers asked.

  Lewis shrugged and looked away.

  “I won’t tell you again. When I ask you a question, I want an answer, not a shrug. Did you kick him while he was down?” Brothers snapped.

  “I guess,” Lewis muttered.

  Judge Brothers looked at the next boy. “State your name.”

  “Kevin Sharp, sir.”

  “What part did you take in this attack?”

  “I guess I kicked him some too.”

  “Did he do anything to you?”

  Kevin shook his head.

  “I can’t hear you either. Speak up,” Brothers said.

  Kevin shuddered. “No, he didn’t do anything to any of us.”

  “And yet you deemed it necessary to hurt him. You did know you were hurting him, didn’t you?”

  “I guess I didn’t think about it,” Kevin muttered.

  “Was Brooks Pine bleeding?”

  “Yes, sir,” Kevin said.

  “Was he crying?”

  Kevin’s chin dropped against his chest. “Yes.”

  Judge Brothers looked past Kevin to the twins. “State your names.”

  “Billy Ray Rankin.”

  “Bobby Jay Rankin.”

  “You are twins, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” they echoed.

  “Was Brooks Pine asking anyone to stop hurting him?”

  “I guess,” Billy Ray said.

  “Yes,” Bobby Jay said.

  “Why didn’t any of you stop?” Brothers asked.

  The boys all looked at Lewis and then at the judge.

  “Lewis is the leader. Lewis didn’t stop, so we didn’t stop,” Kevin said.

  Carl Buckley’s stomach roiled. At the moment, he didn’t much like his son.

  The judge eyed Lewis again. “So you’re the leader?”

  Lewis nodded and then remembered the judge wanted answers. “I guess.”

  “What do you think makes a leader?” Judge Brothers asked.

  Lewis smirked. “My daddy says leaders get what they want out of life.”

  The judge’s frown deepened. “Is that so? So what did you think you were going to get for harming another person as you did Brooks Pine?”

  Lewis didn’t hesitate. “Show him his place. White trash always needs to be shown their place.”

  Carl Buckley felt ill. He’d said those very words without a notion of how they would be used.

  Judge Brothers glanced at the banker, then lifted a hand. “I’ve heard enough. This meeting was to rule on th
e crimes of assault and battery for which you four boys were arrested. If I did what should be done, you would all four be sent to the state reformatory for youthful offenders. However…”

  The hair stood up on the back of Johnny’s neck when he heard the judge beginning to hedge.

  Here it comes. He’s going to let them off.

  The judge continued. “I think you boys need a ‘come to Jesus’ moment of your own. You scared that little boy within an inch of his life, and then you nearly ended it with your callous and vicious behavior. The first part of your sentencing is that you will be sent to the state prison this Saturday on a bus with other juvenile offenders such as yourselves who’ve been ordered to go through the Scared Straight program. You’re going to get an up-front and personal look at what it’s like to live behind bars with killers and criminals of all kinds.”

  Johnny exhaled with relief as the four boys burst into tears.

  Mrs. Buckley moaned and covered her face while her husband shifted nervously in his seat. It wasn’t going to look good for the bank president’s son to be in such a program, but he knew better than to say so.

  Sally Rankin wouldn’t even look at her twins. She knew they were bawling because she’d seen their shoulders shaking, but her heart was fixed on the little boy in Johnny Pine’s arms.

  Coach Sharp was pale and shaken. His wife was staring at a spot on the wall above the judge’s desk. She’d mentally clocked out of this meeting the moment she’d seen Brooks Pine.

  Judge Brothers continued. “After you return to Blessings, you will report every Saturday for the next twelve months to Officer Pittman at the police station, at which time he will give you community service duties to perform. You may not participate in any family activities on that day. You will work at whatever Officer Pittman sets you to do and nothing else, and you will not be late. You will not be excused for any reason or for any holiday that happens to fall on a Saturday. Consider yourselves on parole. If you mess up in any way, if you so much as look cross-eyed at Brooks Pine again, or for that matter any other kid in Blessings, I will make it my personal quest to see all four of you incarcerated until you have reached the age of sixteen years. Do I make myself clear?”