Fighting the Stars - A Jack Harries Fanficton

Chapter 23

Jack’s POV

Dr. Andrea Jerkins wasn’t actually a doctor, not a medical one anyway. She had earned her doctrine in the field of Law, and rightfully so I’ve come to believe. She had a perfect track record on her resume of never losing a domestic violence case. Let’s hope that Sophie’s won’t be the first blemish.

I helped Sophie into her office, given that she was still weak from the previous encounter. Behind the oak doors we entered was exactly what you would expect from a lawyers office. Everything was neatly stained wood, nearly overflowing with class. Dr. Jerkins’s chair was rather large for her petite frame and covered in dark velvet. Bookshelves occupied most of the back wall, a light layer of dusk on the spines.

Sophie sat herself down with caution, wincing as the pressure of contact with the chair caused her healing ribs to grind together. She sucked in a large breath of air and pressed her pale lips into a thin line. A moment after I decided she looked comfortable enough, I turned to Dr. Jerkins.

I had been expected some dastardly cold woman with her hair pulled back into a flat pallet and a boring gray suit that she had twenty of. But her dark curls and soft features threw me off guard. She was small, so small in fact that it seemed impossible for her to be considered a full-sized adult, or even seem remotely intimidating in the courtroom. Her hands were bare of any rings, although she wore an ornate pearl necklace that only the finest of money could possibly afford. And although most of her was small, her teeth were rather large. I’m sure that on a normal-sized person they would look fine, but for her they felt out of place.

“Welcome, Miss Caliway and Mr. Harries.” she said, her accent smooth and thick. “It is a pleasure to meet you, although on such unfortunate measures.”

“Likewise, Doctor,” said Sophie. I noticed her take a large swallow, the air creating a bulge as it slid down her throat. She was doing her best to remain calm, I could tell. But still she caused the very air around her to sweat with nerves.

Dr. Jerkins stood up from her grand velvet chair and moved to the front of her oak desk. She hopped up on to it, positioning herself between her framed Law Degree and her name plate. She looked down to her fingers, where she was straightening the inscripted metal that bore her name. She then glanced back up to meet Sophie’s blue eyes.

“I’m going to do everything I can to help you, Miss Caliway.” she said. Her eyes were chestnut brown, and the more I looked at them the more I realized that finally, after all these years of pain, Sophie would finally be free. 

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Sophie quietly. She was still terrified, I could tell. If this trial didn’t end in our favor Sophie would never be able to feel safe again. And not to mention the wrath she’ll have to face from her father. 

Dr. Jerkins reached over her desk and grabbed a pen and notepad and placed them in her lap. “I’m going to need to ask you a few questions, is that alright?” she asked. 

Sophie nodded her head. I wrapped my hand around hers, giving her some sense of comfort. I knew how hard this would be for her, having to relive the past.

“When was the first time James hit you and why?”

Sophie inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. I squeezed her palm with mine. “First week of July. We were supposed to be having a quiet date at my home, just the two of us. He was about an hour late, and piss-drunk. He was angry because dinner was cold.”

“Was he often drunk when he would hit you?” 

“For the most part, yes. Although, recently he didn’t need it much anymore.” she answered. Her limbs were shaking. I rubbed the pad of my thumb over the back of her hand to soothe her.