MADISON
I wake up when I hear the shouts. My father, Wen and my mother. They are all arguing but I can't understand what is being said. I feel like I haven't slept in years. My eyes refuse to stay open and my throat is sore like if I am sick.
"Should I get a lawyer?" I hear Dylan whispers from somewhere in the room. I sit how I can on the sofa and find him sitting against a wall talking with Levy while they eat a plate of fruit.
"My mother would handle it," Levy assures him whispering too.
"What's going on?" I ask hoarsely. They look at me and immediately Dylan stands up giving me a plate full of different slices of fruit. "Good morning," he says smiling and I force a smile taking the fruit waiting for an answer to my question.
"They notified about the lawsuit, an hour ago," replies Levy. Oh.
"That's what all the fuss is about?" I ask putting a piece of watermelon in my mouth. It has a strange and disgusting flavor for some reason.
"Well, Wen didn't take it well... as expected," Levy says eating a grape like I do but this time it makes me sick with its terrible flavor, so much that I end up vomiting on the floor. "Madison!" one of them holds my hair while the arcades continue and I can't stop.
"Are you okay?" Levy asks passing his hand on my back. I don't think I am okay, this wouldn't be happening if I were okay. It's not supposed to happen.
"Water," I ask and immediately they give me a small glass of water. But the moment it touches my mouth it ends up in the floor.
"Madison," this time I hear my mother who in less than a second is already beside me. "Honey are you okay?" she holds my face and looks me in the eyes. "You are burning." She touches my forehead, neck and hands, worried.
"I am fine," I assure her despite the headache that it's beginning to grow and the fact that all I want is more sleep.
"What's wrong?" she asks worried.
"I want to sleep," I say trying to lie back down and she looks at me confused when clearly my eyelids begin to close against my will.
"Sure, you... are going to be fine," she says helping me to lay down again and passes her hand on my hair sitting next to me. "Did they give her something?" I hear my mother saying like she's talking through a tunnel far away. I don't hear any answer but I suppose they say no.
* * *
The court where we are cited three days later is huge. A room with dark wooden furniture full of chairs of the same color. The desk where the judge is supposed to be has a big and shiny golden plate with his name carved on it: JUDGE WILLIAM FREDERIKSEN. Next to it there's the small podium where we will testify later, and in front of this there are two tables, each with two chairs; one for the applicant and the other for the defendant.
Behind and separated by a railing, there are the places for the witnesses and observers. From one side the witnesses for the applicant and the other for the defendant's. If you ask me I don't really know why they bother to separate us.
"Hello, Madison you look gorgeous," Clarisse greets me giving me a kiss on the cheek and holds my hands in hers. "You can relax, the only thing you need to do is answer with the truth," she assures me.
She looks extremely professional. Her hair is tied up in a tall ponytail and she's wearing a shiny black suit that matches the briefcase in her hands. She exchanges some words with Dylan and Levy who are next to me and then passes the railing to sit on the left table.
Dylan and I sit down on the third line of chairs behind Levy's mother. "I feel like I'm inside a movie," he says trying to relieve the nerves that are eating us from the inside. I just force him a smile. "Are you feeling alright?" he asks taking my hand and I nod. After three days of terrible tiredness and just sleeping and vomiting, I finally feel 'fine'. I enjoyed to finally be able to retain the food without the need of getting it from injections.
Compared to Wen's witnesses we are not even half of them. From where did he get all these people? The majority are adults around the age of my parents, and the rest are very old people. Some of them look at me with anger, others show me plastic smiles and the rest of them just ignore me which I really appreciate.
"Everything is going to be okay, she has been getting ready for years," Levy assures me when he sits down on my other side.
My mother is finally who draws the attention away from me. When she sits on the applicant's seat the air practically disappears from the room. Nearly everyone glares at her with ire: Wen, his lawyer, my father and the rest of the witnesses who begin mumbling between them while she only looks at the desk listening to the advice that Levy's mother gives her, who seems to be ignoring the shift in the room, too.
"On your feet," one of the guards orders and we all stand up immediately. Enters the court a tall, serious and authoritarian man. His hair is almost fully white for his age and it seems like his glasses are going to fall from his nose at any moment. "Enters in session the case b- nineteen sixty four in charge of your Honor William Frederiksen."
The judge gives the order for us to sit down. First, the lawyers introduce themselves and both parties to the judge to later proceed with the presentation of the case. Both parties explain two completely different positions. While Wen's lawyer talks about me, Clarisse focuses on Alison's situation in particular, luckily leaving me aside. After that, the judge takes notes of both presenters and leaves us in a cruel silence that makes me want to run away.
"Lawyer, what is it that you ask for?" asks the judge to Levy's mother.
"The annulment of the experimentation permits in California, your Honor," Clarisse stands up to reply and then sits down again letting the judge take notes.
"Lawyer, what is it that you ask for?"
"For my client to continue with his labors with no restrictions, your Honor." The judge nods writing again and we wait in silence for a few minutes while he analyzes the situation.
Minutes later, there's a break time and they make us leave the room. Dylan and I found a small garden where we stay trying to hide from the others. Unfortunately, a few seconds after we get there, Clarisse finds us. "Can I?" she says showing me the spot on the bench next to me and I nod with no other option. "How are you?"
Why do they keep asking that?
"Nervous?" I say more as a question and she forces me a smile.
"Do you have any doubts?" My mind is full of them. What's going to happen? What are they going to ask me? What am I supposed to tell them? What happens if I say something I am not meant to? What happens if they don't like the truth?
"What's going to happen with Alison when this all ends?" The question leaves my mouth as soon as I get it in my mind. She smiles.
"She's going to be a free and happy child, you can be sure of that." I feel Dylan smiling behind me. He is holding my hand and he squeezes it a little with Clarisse's answer like he were saying 'See, there's nothing to worry about,' but I don't buy that at all.
"What if it doesn't end up how we want to?" I don't even want to look at her when I reply. I feel like the most negative person on Earth. But I really think no one has thought of that outcome. Would she live? Would they force her to continue? What would happen if she refuses to go on?
"Everything is going to be just fine."
EDITED BY: JadeFoliage
THE STORY GOT ITS FIRST 500 READS AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER! THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING IT! I REALLY HOPE YOU ARE LOVING IT SO FAR!
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE TRIAL COMING? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO COME TO LIGHT?
MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND GUESSES BELOW AND VOTE IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER!
Read you later.
-MF. Hernandez
Next Chapter: December 7th, 2018.