by Barbara Ebel
Danny’s shoulders sagged. “I didn’t mean to worry them. I’ll give them a call.”
Toni shot a glance their way. “You know what a woman would be thinking if her man doesn’t come home, don’t you?”
“She’s right, you know,” Casey commented. “And you’ve been down that path before. Why don’t you fill me in so I know how to defend you? But also because I am curious and concerned.”
“The only thing that lets a man get off sleeping beside his woman,” Toni said, “is if he has to work in a different time zone or is ill in a hospital. And if he’s on the job nearby, he has to have witnesses.”
“Sounds like he has to be handcuffed to her bedpost,” Casey said.
“No, that’s a bit too restrictive or kinky. Locked in the house is more like it, with alarms that go off if someone tries to leave in the middle of the night.”
“I’m glad we agree on the kinky part,” Casey said. “I’m beginning to understand why you’re not married.”
“You betcha,” she said. “The last guy I dated told me he was going fishing one weekend and I came to find out his last girlfriend was not totally out of the picture. He called the status of that relationship ‘the photo finish’ – as in, when an old girlfriend was fading out as a new one broke through the winner’s banner. Anyway, he had spent another night with her.”
“So what’d you do?” Casey asked.
“What any female paramedic would do. I told him if I ever gave him mouth-to-mouth again, I’d bite off his tongue. And that wouldn’t be the only appendage I’d bite off.”
“Uh, I hate to interrupt,” Danny said, “but are you two finished?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry Danny,” Casey said. “So anyway, I’m on the way home and I can reassure Mary you were at the hospital. But Sara must have left already.” He eyed him cautiously. “But were you here all night?”
“No. I was across the way in R&D. And I did have to sleep there for a little bit because my eyes were slamming shut. It may not be the last time either if I am going to invent a ground-breaking method to handle epileptic patients.”
Toni paused as she listened to the confidence behind Danny’s words; Casey’s face grew serious and he rubbed his hand along his crew cut. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, either at home or over in the lab, just let me know. I believe it’s David’s recovery that is foremost on your mind.”
-----
Mid-afternoon and without knowledge of any incoming emergencies, Danny decided to head home. But, as he headed out of the parking lot and glanced at his watch, he decided to take a chance. Sara should still be at school and, in recent years, he couldn’t remember ever paying her a surprise visit.
He suppressed a yawn and flipped on the windshield wipers for a couple of swipes. An earlier shower had left droplets on the window but now the sun began even evaporating the small puddles as he drove east.
The stately brick building already showed signs that classes had been dismissed as after-school activities had begun. When he drove slowly around the front, he glanced over the vehicles and finally spotted Sara’s car. Since he felt so tired, he sighed with relief that the trip was not in vain.
He parked his Lexus and went to the door where he had to be buzzed in by the front office. The school has more security than a hospital, he thought, which was somewhat reassuring since both his ex-wife and daughter spent their days there.
Inside the office to the right, Danny poked his head in. One woman was feeding papers into a fax machine. “Where can I find Sara?” he asked.
“Dr. Tilson,” she said, “we haven’t seen you in forever.”
Danny laughed. “That ends right now. Forever is a long time.”
“She’s probably still in her homeroom. Make a right down the hallway and it’s at the end. Room 8.”
“Thanks so much.”
Danny saw that the door to Room 8 was closed so he peered in the window and, sure enough, class was dismissed. Sara sat at the head desk and a man sat ninety degrees off to the side in a wooden straight-back chair.
He knocked and waited for acknowledgement before going in; the man looked over and Sara’s face lit up. As she rose, she waved for him to enter.
“Danny, what a surprise,” she said, smoothing the black and white floral dress she wore. A belt accentuated her waistline and her lipstick must have been refreshed during the day. She still made his heart thump, especially when he encountered her in unfamiliar places or situations.
“Please have a seat and meet Ross, our principal. We’re just discussing budget concerns. There’s never enough money to do what we’d like.”
Knowing the head of the school had been interested in Sara in the past, Danny stiffened. He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You must be the lucky man who used to be married to one of our finest teachers,” Ross said.
“I am fortunate that we are still a couple,” Danny said with sincerity, noting Ross’ thin frame and sparse beard and mustache. He didn’t seem like the bereaving widower that Sara had described to him.
“I was worried about you,” Sara said, her tone changing as she sat back down.
“I was just leaving,” Ross said.
“No, that’s okay,” Sara said.
“With an assistant’s help,” Danny said, “I started a new project over at the medical campus yesterday. It may consume time which I already don’t have.” He laughed lightly.
“Danny is very dedicated,” Sara said, “as we all are.”
Danny had to agree, especially looking around at Sara’s impeccable classroom: A large world map covered the side bulletin board; a circular table near them had a lone microscope with what looked like an exhibit of small reptilian species laid out all around it; one blackboard had her writing, fluid and sweeping with biologic terms and short definitions; and her desk had a black and white picture of Darwin sitting with a notebook on the Galapagos Islands. Underneath it she had taped, “Always be thinking creatively thinking. Solve biologic puzzles.”
“We have a student here that saw a doctor over in your campus’s neurology department,” Ross said. “He’s doing quite well.”
“Right now, one of my most vexing patients is almost as young as your students.”
“I bet you can understand an older person having difficulties,” Ross said, “but a young person with serious health problems is a different story. But actually, our student is doing quite well. The school had a fundraiser and, with the money we collected, we were able to help him get a service dog. The dog, Melbourne, now alerts him as well as his teachers that a seizure is imminent.”
Danny’s unrest over Ross’s presence with Sara faded. “That’s exactly what I’m concentrating on - epilepsy. And a service dog for seizures is an idea I haven’t had experience with. I think, down the road, the same type of dog may be a helpful addition for my patient. Thank you, Ross, for your input.”
Ross’s pencil-thin eyebrows rose and he smiled. “Sure thing. Any time.” He absent-mindedly got up. “I better leave you two alone. See you tomorrow, Sara.”
The principal walked out, snapping shut the door behind him.
Sara began putting away pens and sorting papers on her desk for the next day. “You certainly did surprise me and I’m glad you came by.”
“Me, too. It’s been too long. The principal seemed more together than I imagined him.”
“He’s come a long way. He’s getting over the grief from his wife’s passing and is a lot more whole. He asks me for advice about women once in a while since he’s taking baby steps back into dating.”
Danny smiled. “Since that dating doesn’t involve you, I wish him lots of luck.”
When Sara got up, she led the way out. In the hallway, she closed the door and wrapped her fingers around Danny’s. They walked out hand-in-hand like the corridor was a wedding aisle.
-----
After another few days of surgeries, office work and extensive tinkering in the lab, Dan
ny hoisted Julia onto his shoulders, called Dakota, and went outside. Wearing light jackets and carrying a tennis ball in his pocket, they went up to the main backyard porch. From there, Danny put Julia down, dug the ball out and threw it as far as he could. Dakota took off like a bullet and Julia slowly ambled down into the grass.
The French door opened and Casey stepped out. “I was going to hunt you down,” he said, stretching his arms over his head then behind him. “I know it’s short notice, but how about coming to court with me tomorrow? It’s for the finger-debacle issue.”
Danny eyed his stretching maneuvers. “Despite your muscles, you sure stay limber. Yes, I think I can arrange that because I’m already jockeying my schedule around. I don’t think I want to miss it.”
“Good. We’ll leave at nine and meet Mark Cunningham at the courthouse.”
Chapter 18
Danny and Casey quickly walked up the wide courthouse steps. They both wore suits and shoes like Wall Street businessmen and looked more refreshed than the haggard lawyers rushing past them. Inside, they stood in a short line for security where everyone moved quickly, familiar with the process.
Their assigned room was upstairs so they took the steps and waited for Mark on a bench. Casey wrung his hands and rotated his wedding band.
“This is a whole different world,” he said. “I guess I’m uncomfortable with it because I don’t know enough about what goes on. When I hear about seemingly bad people getting off without much punishment, I don’t understand the law. And I sure couldn’t work as an attorney.” He watched a lawyer walk by with a woman who scowled at him after an innocent glance. Her hardened appearance almost made his skin crawl.
“I agree,” Danny said.
“You’re a seasoned veteran already,” Casey said. “I hope this is my first and last time in a courtroom.”
“If you don’t attract trouble, it should be. By the way, how is Mary feeling?”
Casey stopped fiddling with his hands and flashed a wide smile. “Fine, and her appointments are going well, too.” On purpose, he didn’t mention their first healthy ultrasound pictures.
The heavy doors opened to their left and a cascade of people left, including two young children being dragged by an adult. From among the group, Mark emerged and stood before them, reshoving his briefcase closed due to its overstuffed contents.
“Good day, gentlemen,” Mark said. “I just had another case. Rare to have a to-follow in the same room. It must be my lucky day. You can go in unless you have any questions.” He cocked his head and they both shook their heads ‘no.’
“I’m taking a bathroom break,” he said and shuffled down the hallway with short steps.
Casey peered around the doorway into the big room. “Just like TV,” he said and rolled his eyes.
Danny stood. “Come on, let’s go in and get seated, especially before her highness shows up.”
Casey rose and straightened up his shoulders; his heart rate ramped up a bit as he went in and sat with Danny in the front row. Danny decided not to tell him that he’d be sitting up closer as Mark came back in and signaled for Casey to follow him to a front table.
They all heard the clicking of high heels as Rachel and Phil Beckett came up the aisle. “Hi, boys,” she said as she sat with her attorney at the other table; she had on a mauve pantsuit with a floral pin on the lapel and matching earrings.
Danny watched both lawyers and clients from behind. The time for attorney-client discussions was over at this late date and all four were quiet and expectant of the judge to be announced.
“All rise,” said the bailiff. “Judge Underwood presiding.”
The black-robed judge ambled in from the back door and sat down. With broad shoulders and a square chin, she looked like a retired heavy-duty sports player. Rather than once again inspect the briefs she had put on the desk, she scrutinized the new group in her courtroom.
“Mr. Cunningham,” she said with a husky voice, “according to your brief, your client is fine with a judge deciding this case. I will let him reconsider a jury trial one more time before we begin.”
For appearances sake, Mark glanced next to him. Casey shook his head and placed his hands on the table.
“Your Honor,” Mark said, “my client does not want to tie up the court’s time or attention on this matter. As you recognize, he is only asking for due monetary compensation for the medical bills he sustained. We will decline a jury trial and ask for your consideration and verdict.”
Mark believed the woman at the bench had a reputation of being a no-nonsense judge so he held his tongue and didn’t pitch into a theatrical discussion about the horrors of Casey’s accident. On the other hand, unless Phil was good at reading people, he was at a disadvantage since he primarily worked in Knoxville and was not too familiar with the Nashville judges.
When Mark finished, the judge narrowed her eyes at Casey and then looked over at Phil and Rachel. “Mr. Beckett, I hear that is a fine law firm you have over in Knoxville. Welcome to our city.” She cracked a small smile and Rachel relaxed with a deep breath. “Are these medical bills a financial burden for your client to pay?”
As Phil deliberated his reply, Danny thought it was nice for a change that he was a spectator and not in front of the judge himself. But how he hated that his best friend had to be in court at all.
“Your Honor, the accident in question occurred after my client had checked her oil. She was at a house where she was waiting for her daughter to come out for visitation. She simply still had her car hood open when Casey Hamilton came out with her daughter. She didn’t ask him to stick his hand in there and look at her engine.”
Although Rachel had explained the situation as he just told it, Phil thought they had a judge who was a big ‘women’s libber,’ so he continued with one more thought. “Sometimes men think that women aren’t capable of taking care of their own vehicles.”
“So true, Mr. Beckett,” she said, but her tone was indecipherable. “However, you still have not answered my question. Are these medical bills a financial burden for your client to pay?”
Rachel nudged Phil with her elbow. “May my client address that question?” he asked.
“Go ahead, Ms. Hendersen.”
“Your Honor,” she said, getting up and slightly drooping her shoulders. “I am a single mother doing the best I can to make ends meet. Mr. Hamilton has an extremely lucrative field in the medical profession. For me, all bills are a financial burden. But despite my hardships, during the miniscule time I have left over for myself, I volunteer at a children’s hospital taking care of the most invalid cases.”
Rachel knew the volunteer work was a nice ploy but she also knew the real reason she was rushing to Knoxville was that she was due in court because of her involvement in Julia’s child abuse case. If they ever knew that, she’d be in big trouble.
Listening to her, Casey wanted to pick up his jaw after it had metaphorically fallen on the floor; he tried to keep his anger from boiling over or to look back at Danny with disbelief. Danny had already dropped his head and closed his eyes; maybe they shouldn’t have encouraged Casey to sue after all.
The judge noticed Casey’s reaction as well as that of the man behind him and folded her hands on the desk. Rachel lowered into the stiff chair as if she had a backache.
“You can stay seated, ma’am,” the judge said. “I understand you were in a hurry after Mr. Hamilton lost much of his finger. You weren’t the one to drive him to the hospital?”
“No. I had limited visitation with my daughter and was preparing that day to do this volunteer work. And my car wouldn’t start so that’s why I couldn’t drive him.”
“So something was wrong with your car when Mr. Hamilton went to look at it for you?”
“Well, I didn’t know that when I decided to check my oil. I didn’t know it until I tried to start the engine and leave.”
The judge twisted her mouth as if she clamped down on a wad of gum. She looked at Casey. “Mr. Ham
ilton, please give me your version.”
“Your Honor, I brought my brother-in-law’s daughter out to Miss Hendersen.” He turned his head and nodded to Danny. “He’s in the courtroom behind me. Anyway, after strapping Julia in and Miss Hendersen turning her ignition key, the engine wouldn’t start. I told her I’d help her and to not turn the engine on while I looked under the hood. While my hand was under there, she started the car and a belt whacked off my finger. She said she was in a hurry and, for her, that was the end of it.”
There was silence. The stenographer looked around waiting to take notes.
“What is your brother-in-law’s name? the judge asked.
“Dr. Danny Tilson,” Casey responded.
“Dr. Tilson, do you pay Miss Hendersen child support?”
Danny stood up, a little relieved to render information. “Yes, I do. However, it’s not much because I have Julia most of the time. Her mother has her on an occasional weekend.”
The Judge looked down at her desk, scratching behind her ear.
“Your Honor, may I say something?” Phil Beckett asked.
“No, Mr. Beckett.”
“Mr. Cunningham,” she said, “if you have your client’s best interest at heart, I think you did not serve him well.”
Mark didn’t know what to say; it was rare to be so admonished by a Judge.
Judge Underwood’s broad shoulders pulled back as she sat with perfect posture and she looked intently over at Phil Beckett.
“Mr. Beckett,” she said, “your client will pay Mr. Hamilton’s medical bills, every single penny within the next thirty days.”
She shifted her gaze to Rachel. “You are an amazing woman to feed me that volunteer work story. If it’s true, then it must be done in as callous a manner in which you treated Mr. Hamilton after the injury he sustained by your mistake. Do you realize you have shown no empathy in this courtroom for him losing most of his finger? He’s walked around with that digit his whole life and he was going to use it for the other half, too. Too bad you had some place to go. You are heartless, Miss Hendersen.”