A Thousand Years- Thorki

Chapter 23

The repetitive beeping seeps into my consciousness. When I open my eyes, I look out the window to find the same dark hallway as my last visit. I furrow my brow and sigh "Same room."

Thor scoffs and takes my hand "Is that a problem?"

I give an annoyed look and remind "Dark hallway and a window that faces a brick wall. This is where dreams come to die."

He looks me over tiredly and explains "They were able to start the trail. You're now last on the testimony list."

I nod and look towards the telly to find Graham Norton on. I take a deep breath, before asking "When do you testify?"

He looks me over in pity and states "Mum, father, Hela, and I, testify tomorrow. The day after, it's the forensic psychologist, Mobius, and the surgeon from your first surgery. They're then going to hold the trial until you get out of here. Then it's just your testimony and closing arguments, unless they try to drag something out of the wood works."

I give a short nod, before taking a deep breath and furrowing my brow at the telly. In confusion, I ask "Is that Carol and Hela on the news?"

He looks to it and immediately grabs the remote to turn it up. The headlines read "Ending hatred, one trial at a time."

A massive herd of people protest on the courthouse steps, waving pride flags and holding signs I can't quite read. Hela and Carol stand in front of the protesters, speaking to a reporter.

"Yes, I know the victim." Hela states, before explaining "He's my brother's boyfriend. Me and my whole family were there when his attackers pushed him, naked, half-dead, and bloody, out of their moving car. We had been looking for him all day. All he did was go on a run."

The reporter raises his microphone to his lips and asks "Tell us more about the victim."

Carol sighs, before explaining "He was a star swimmer, an avid runner, and a survivor of childhood sexual assault. He made such a great life for himself. He crawled his way up, kicking and scratching to be the best person he could be." She has a frustrated look on her face as she continues "The people who attacked him, not only caused more trauma, along with his previous trauma; they also, took away the two things that calmed him. Swimming and running."

I set my jaw and look to Thor, asking "There were protesters?"

He presses his lips into a fine line and looks over to the window. I groan "Thor! You didn't!"

As I look back to the telly, Thor walks down the stairs in his suit as the reporter and camera guy approached him. Hela, Carol, Frigga, and Odin, follow behind him.

The reporter calls out "Sir! Sir, do you know the case?"

"Yes." Thor replies. And Frigga tries to tell him to move along.

"Do you think the victim just likes it rough?" The reporter asks, cockily.

"Excuse me?" Thor asks, stopping dead in his tracks, and I can see the anger in his face. Frigga tries to stop him, but he's too far gone. He steps forward and asks "What the hel did you just say?"

The reporter explains "They're using the excuse of rough sex gone bad due to mental defect."

Thor takes a deep breath, and shoots off "Do you think getting beaten and sodomized with a cricket bat is consensual? How would you feel if someone forced a gun into your mouth, or, better yet, if someone forced a gun inside of you and pulled the bleep trigger?"

He scratches his forehead and sighs "They might have censored it when they reaired it..."

I take in a deep breath, before reaching for the call light. When the aide from last time walks in, he smiles "Morning, stranger."