Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

trial and error

As I'm tucking in my button down white shirt into my black medium length pencil skirt Ian jolts awake, "MPs! Get up, they're coming!" His panic wakes Mickey up, "Come back to bed." He groans as Ian is pacing, "Ian, what the fuck?" I ask and he pushes past me, "I can't let them get into the house!" Ian yells as he runs downstairs, "You okay?" Mickey asks me groggily as I rub my elbow, "Yeah." I say and follow Ian downstairs, "Morning." Fiona says, "Episode." I groan as I walk past her and into the living room to see Ian holding the bat and crouching by the window. "Move the couch in front of the door so they can't get in." Ian panics and starts to push the couch, "Hey. Sleeping." Frank groans, "Help, please." Ian says, "Someone slammed the door and he jolted awake and started panicking." I explain, "Ian." Fiona calls his name, "They're coming to get me! They're gonna take me." Ian panics as he runs towards the back door, "Ian, nobody is coming for you." Mickey says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he walks up behind me, "Somebody muzzle that kid!" Frank yells, "Shut up!" I yell at him. Just then the bathroom door opens behind him and he swings the bat, nearly killing Debbie, "Jesus Christ, Ian!" I say, heart racing, "Fuck." Mickey mutters and Fiona lets out a panicked scream. "Debs." I say, pulling her into a comforting embrace as Mickey snatches the bat from Ian's hands and whips the door open, "Nobody is out there!" He says, "Fucking look!" He then grabs his arms and guides him towards the front door, repeating the same process. "Ian, it's only going to get worse." I sigh, "You need your meds." I inform hesitantly knowing he doesn't want to hear it. "We gotta get you to the clinic today." Mickey says, "Don't do it." Frank mutters, "Shut up, Frank!" Fiona says sternly. "Come on, let's go get dressed." Mickey says softly to Ian, guiding him upstairs, "You okay?' Fiona asks Debbie who is standing back from everyone, "Yeah, why are you two all dressed up?" "Going to see the lawyer, see if we can get Carl back as soon as possible." I inform. "Goodluck." Debbie says, walking upstairs. "Ready?" I ask her, "No." Fiona chuckles nervously as we walk to my car. Same.

++

"I'm not a rat." Carl says to the lawyer, sternly. "Carl." I groan, "Don't think of it as ratting out your drug dealer, think of it as justice for the scumbag who made a kid do his dirty work." The lawyer reasons, "He didn't make me, I wanted to." Fiona and I share a quick glance, "That's not an argument I'd advise using at your sentencing." "Gallaghers don't snitch." Fiona says, "Doesn't it help that he pled guilty?" Fiona asks, "A little but they want names and they want Carl to seem like the victim so they can try to get him as least time possible." I explain, "Exactly." The lawyer agrees, "His fingerprints were all over the drugs so we need him to play victim and be apologetic." He further explains, "There's gotta be another way to keep his sentence down. It's his first offense!" Fiona reasons, "First criminal offense. They pull school records for juveniles and well his isn't the cleanest. He's in double digits for suspensions at school, he's sent-" "Yeah, we got it." I cut the lawyer off, "Carl, you gotta show remorse." I try to reason, "What's that?" "Say you're sorry." "I'm not!" He raises his tone with me, "Then lie!" Fiona raises her tone with him, "Isn't lying in court illegal?" Carl snarks, "You're worried about what's illegal now? Little too late." I scoff, "Carl, just tell the judge what she wants to hear. She could give you a year." Fiona explains, "Better than school. Maybe learn something in juvie." Carl is set in his way, "We can't guarantee your safety in there." The lawyer butts in, "What's that supposed to mean?" Carl asks, "You lost your dealer a lot of money. You don't think he's got friends in juvie that will make you pay?" The lawyer is trying to squeeze a confession, "The police don't want you, they want your boss." He finishes; not true, they want them both. Carl is safer doing exactly what he's doing right now, staying silent and being a smart ass.

"Carl, I love you. I'll see you at your trial okay?" I say, hugging him, "I love you too." He says, "See you in a year." Carl smirks as he gets taken back by the officers, "Jesus Christ that kid is so hard headed." I sigh and walk out with Fiona, "Tell me about it. He needs to show some fucking remorse ." Fiona rants, "See you later." She sighs, "Need a ride?" I ask, "No, I need to walk." She says and walks down the street. Now off to help my other Gallagher. He needs to stay in school.