Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1)

by Selina Coffey

  “Furthermore, ladies and gentlemen,” Bill continued, taking advantage of the pause and the clear surprise on the faces of the jurors, “her behavior does not seem to be abnormal. It seems her family a history of sex work, particularly her older sister, Kenzie, who moonlighted as an escort two summers in Las Vegas during college.”

  Now it was Jenn’s turn to be shocked. She turned around in her seat to stare at Kenzie sitting behind her. Her older sister had turned white, and felt the immense pressure of the entire courtroom suddenly turning to stare at her. She mouthed the first things she could think of at her sister: What? Is that true?

  Kenzie shot a quick guilty glance in her direction.

  Jenn was floored.

  Bill paused briefly, waiting for the gasps to die down. He appeared very pleased with himself, and talked onward. “Is it a difficult stretch to say that if one Walsh woman was willing to put up her body through sexual stress to pay for college — oh yes, we have that documentation here for the judge and jury to peruse — is it a stretch to ask if one Walsh sister did it, the other one wouldn’t? What would stop a young lady with exorbitant medical bills to try to find a way to pay them off easier? What would stop a family from conspiring to steal as much money off the hospital as possible, knowing they could exploit the claim of sexual abuse and assault?

  “As Ms. Walsh herself established at her attorney’s questioning this morning, her parents are not well-off. In fact, doing a background check on her parents indicates they have taken out a second mortgage on their house and have been consistently late on their car payments.”

  Jenn was speechless. The hospital had clearly done its research and had no intentions of going about this lawsuit justly or with any tact. She shouldn’t have been surprised by the ruthlessness Richard showed, or by the aggressiveness of the attorneys, but she was disappointed and infuriated that Steve could sit there stone-faced and pretend everything was fine. Even if he was the hospital executive’s son, he knew the truth — and willfully chose to ignore it.

  The first day of the trial over, Andrew and Jenn knew they had a tough battle to fight — it was not going to be as cut-and-dry as they’d expected. Andrew’s colleagues had warned him about this. It was his first time going up against a huge corporation, and his inexperience showed. The second day continued with further witnesses and testimony from the primary witnesses, with nothing more shocking than the bomb that Richard and his team dropped the first day. Now that the third, and final, day of the trial was here, it was up to the closing statements to convince the jury of anything.

  Jenn walked into the room slowly; her energy was shot. She had felt light-headed that morning, despite having a large breakfast, and had to brace herself on the rows of seating as she walked to the table. Suddenly Jenn swayed and reached an unsteady hand out; she lost her balance and wobbled, falling heavily onto the floor in the aisle. The people around her gasped. Andrew, a few steps behind her, put his papers down and rushed to her, pulling her to her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked. “What happened?”

  “I’m okay. I just... feel funny. Can you get me some juice?”

  “There’s a vending machine outside; I’ll grab something there.” Andrew held Jenn’s waist and her free arm and led her to her seat, making sure she was sitting down before leaving again.

  Jenn leaned back in her chair. Her head throbbed with a distant pain, and her whole body felt dizzy after her fall. Maybe she hadn’t had enough to drink that day — with her kidney failure, she needed to be especially careful of her liquid intake. When Andrew returned with a small bottle of orange juice, the ache dissipated briefly. She let out a quiet moan and shifted in her seat. One more day of sitting through this trial. She hoped her constant headache would be done after this, no matter the outcome.

  The judge called the defense up first. Bill rolled off his haunches and stood up in front of the jury, clasping his hands together, looking solemn in front of the men and women who would decide this case.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” he began, “you’ve heard quite a bit of testimony over the past several days, full of both fact and emotion, but when it comes down to it now, this is a simple case. It all comes down to a young woman who is very ill, burdened by a medical problem that plagues her life, and she is desperate to pay for all the treatment she receives. It’s hard for her family to pay for her bills: her parents have financial issues of their own. Her sister resorted to working in the sex industry to make it through college. Clearly, this is a family in a crisis.

  “Ms. Walsh is further plagued by a disease that causes not only physical distress, but also wreaks havoc on her mental welfare. She tells a very compelling story. That’s precisely what this is: a story. The prosecution is unable to provide proof or evidence for the allegations that Ms. Walsh brings forth to this court.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, you can see the incentive for Ms. Walsh to concoct such a story — wouldn’t you, if you thought there was monetary gain? She has a severe financial need and an overactive imagination spurred by the pity she receives from her friends and family. No one would dare question a sick girl who has to live in such a harsh reality, right? During her brief relationship with Steve Connelly, she discovered the wealth and generosity of his family.

  “But she wasn’t satisfied with that. She still wanted more. When she was no longer receiving everything she wanted from the Connelly family’s generosity, she concocted this story with her legal team and presented it to you, the jury, with an agenda to pull the wool over your eyes.

  “The only fact that the prosecution has presented is that Jenn Walsh is inflicted with a terrible disease. The Connelly family has tried to ease her suffering, but with the Walsh family’s history of immoral and reckless behavior, it soon became clear that Ms. Walsh was the one orchestrating this scheme, and Steve — along with the hospital — has been forced to rescind his support for her, and as we you know, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Thank you.”

  A couple of jury members, whom Jenn had observed taking notes the entire trial, began scribbling furiously on their papers after Bill had finished talking. She, too, was scratching notes, more out of anger than to remember later. She felt dull, overwhelmed — she was naïve, and hadn’t expected this much of an attack on either her or her family for a case they should have easily won.

  Bill walked back to his chair, a slight smile on his face. As soon as he was seated, Richard leaned over to him and began whispering in his ear — Bill’s smile grew. Jenn scowled at them. Steve still hadn’t moved at all.

  Andrew was already sitting erect in his chair, waiting for the judge to call him to give his closing statement. Jenn, observing his nervousness, couldn’t resist sliding a gentle hand onto his thigh before he was called up. His leg was tensed up, the muscle tight, and she suddenly felt a rush of pride that someone so dedicated and passionate was on her side. He stood up the instant he was called, and Jenn flinched, recoiling her hand at the abrupt movement. Andrew’s chair screeched on the floor as he stood up.

  The late afternoon sunlight was streaming in through a row of narrow windows at the top of the room, and Andrew’s shined shoes glinted in their light. Jenn took a deep breath for him, at the same time that he cleared his throat several times, taking a pause to consider his words carefully.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard the defense’s side of the story, claiming that the only fact we know at all in this situation is that my client, Jenn Walsh, is ill. That part is true, but the defense is forgetting the facts of the case themselves as presented from the one person who knows them better than anyone: Jenn herself. The facts are that Jenn trusted her doctor, who betrayed and abused her and tried to kill and ruin her.

  “The defense has painted a portrait completely contrary to these facts. The Walsh family is a hardworking family, struggling to stay strong and united in the face of some very unfortunate events that have occurred. Her parents have taken financial responsibility for everything they could
, and yes, they have needed help at times, but they are in the same situation as many middle-class families. Her sister overcame a financial struggle of her own when she was getting her education, and it paid off now, because she has her own business and has a stable life.

  “But this case is not about Jenn’s family; it is about her. It is about her suffering, her triumphs, and her redemption. This is not about the money for her. It is about getting her story out there and preventing this from happening to anyone else. It is about standing up to corporate greed and rape apologists. St. Benedict, Richard Connelly, these men sitting at this table here, they wanted her to hide behind her secret to save their own business and reputations. They thought Jenn must be removed from the picture, silenced, and covered up out of their own interest. They wanted to destroy any evidence of any wrongdoing.

  “But Jenn is a living, breathing piece of evidence. Why should her word get discredited because of her family’s actions or her relationship with hospital staff? The fact remains that she was sexually abused, impregnated, given an abortion and the target of a murder, and subsequent cover-up.”

  Andrew was in his stride now. As he was talking, he had discarded his suit coat on his chair, and he had rolled up his sleeves halfway up his arms. Jenn’s heart beat faster, nearly double the click of his shoes on the wood floor as he paced back and forth in front of the jury, pausing for effect now and then. Her hands clasped tightly between her legs under the table.

  “I can only present so much to you, ladies and gentlemen; the onus is on you to make this decision. The only place in the world that makes every single person equal is here in this court of law. It is both a blessing and a curse that anyone can bring a case in here based in evidence — or in some cases, lack thereof. I can present to you the case of a young woman. She is a real-life person whose life has been turned upside down by the actions of this hospital. Then let you decide on your own what action to take: to listen to hate mongering by a corporation with all the power in its hands, or to understand the suffering of a woman who should be given a chance. I trust that you will make the right choice. Thank you.”

  Chapter 5

  Finally, it was over. The trial was ended; the judge, jury and parties had finished everything up, and the courtroom was emptying out. Jenn took a deep breath; she was starting to feel her head spin again. She sat at the table while Andrew fielded questions from worried family members and other people involved in the case. While he was talking, Kenzie slid into his seat and started rubbing her back gently. “Hey, sis, you made it. How’re you feeling?”

  “Ugh, Kenzie, I’m so glad this is over.” Jenn reached over to her sister and gave her a quick hug. “I’m so tired. I just want to go home.”

  “Yeah, I bet. Well, you did great. And now — oh my god.” Kenzie suddenly stopped talking, her eyes widening at Jenn. “Jenn, your nose is bleeding! Do you have a tissue?”

  “Huh?” Jenn reached up to her face and felt the wetness below her nose, dripping onto her lips.

  Kenzie rummaged into her purse to see if she had anything to stop the bleeding, but panicked briefly when she didn’t. “I’ll run to the bathroom and get something,” Kenzie said.

  When she returned, Jenn’s hands were covered with blood. She frantically reached for the paper towels in Kenzie’s hands and shoved them up to her face. “It won’t stop. Kenzie, it’s not slowing down.”

  Kenzie could see the growing worry in her sister’s eyes. “Okay, we’re going to the hospital. Come on, get into my car.” Kenzie reached over and tapped Andrew on the shoulder, telling him where they were going. He immediately stopped talking to the crowd around him and leaned concernedly down to Jenn, but she waved him off. Kenzie could take her to the hospital; let Andrew commune with everyone before coming down there. His eyes showed strong concern, but at Jenn’s insistence, he kissed her on the cheek lightly before Kenzie brushed him off.

  Kenzie raced to the hospital, practically testing the speed limits of her car. Jenn sat in the passenger seat with wads of paper towels pressed up against her nose. The pair sprinted into the hospital and were unhappy to not get a room right away. After the bleeding finally stopped and Jenn could be examined, she sat nervously picking at her fingernails waiting for the doctor to come in.

  The news was grim. Perhaps it was the stress of her circumstances, or some other undetermined cause, but Jenn’s kidney failure was happening at an increasingly alarming rate and because of her other complications, a transplant was an additional risk, and her kidneys were at the end of their functional lives. The doctor told a somber-faced Kenzie and Jenn the situation. There was no getting around it: it was unlikely Jenn would survive another six months.

  The sisters were too shocked by the news to have any audible reaction. They could only sit there together, clasping their hands together tightly. Their minds had gone blank.

  This was it. For almost six years, Jenn had endured IVs, medication, hospital visits; she had been poked, prodded, and, ultimately, abused by doctors; she had been the victim of too many physical and emotional traumas over the course of her life. Now it was all going to be over. The suffering would end.

  Jenn always knew this day would come, and she was remarkably calm in the face of the news. She was worried for Kenzie, for her parents, for Andrew; for all the people she wanted to fight for now. For everything to end — that was the pain of the reality. She wasn’t afraid to die. She was afraid not to be there for the others. Not after she had endured so much and developed a fire, she never knew she had.

  A few minutes later, as Jenn and Kenzie ruminated in silence, tears sliding down their faces, there was a knock at the door and Andrew poked his head through the threshold. He was ignorant to the atmosphere in the room at first, and smiled. “You guys. We won.”

  Jenn sniffed and sat upright. “We won?” Her eyes filled with tears — it was not the reaction Andrew had anticipated. “Oh my god. Andrew....” She reached out her hands, and he came to her and enveloped her in the warmest embrace.

  “What happened? Are you okay?” Andrew pulled away from her and looked deep into her eyes.

  She looked away, her vision blurred from the tears in her eyes.

  “Andrew,” Kenzie spoke up softly, “we just got some news. It’s not good.”

  “What?” Andrew’s eyes looked back and forth between the sisters. “What is it? Tell me.”

  “I — I only have a few months left.”

  “What?”

  Jenn nodded. “The kidney failure is happening a lot faster, and there’s nothing they can do. I’m sorry. I just—” She gasped, trying to get more air amid her sobs.

  Andrew was nearly out of breath, too. He leaned back into her and hugged her tightly, just holding her and rocking back and forth. Kenzie rubbed her hands up and down Jenn’s back. There the three of them sat, quiet, crying, together.

  Thirty days later — thirty days of continued decline for Jenn in the hospital — Andrew showed up at her room one night while Jenn was watching the evening news. Kenzie was there, too, as was her habit; she would visit Jenn in the morning and again in the evening. Today she sat reading the paper in a chair in the corner when Andrew arrived.

  “Knock knock!” he said while entering, prompting a smile from Jenn in the bed. She was always glad to see him. “Guess what I’ve got here — it’s the judge’s official order from the trial. Listen to this: the jury found St. Benedict Regional Medical Center guilty on all counts and has ordered the Connellys to pay you a $10 million settlement.”

  “Wow!” Jenn exclaimed.

  “Wait, it gets better. Just as they offered initially, they will cover all of your medical bills— past and present. On top of that, there will be a new trust account set up in your name for victims of medical malpractice — again, past, present and future. Plus all of the hospital’s board of directors and executive staff are gone, and there will be court-appointed replacements for now.” Andrew sat down on the edge of her bed. “And the best part? The
newly staffed hospital is going to create a lupus research endowment fund set up in your name.”

  “Oh my gosh, wow!” Jenn didn’t know what to say; this was all so sudden. The past year of her life had been such a whirlwind of tragedy and pain that she wasn’t accustomed to receiving all of this good news. She felt honored and flattered — and happy to have achieved all of this, especially with Andrew.

  He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You did it, sweetie. I’m so proud of you.” There was one other thing she achieved in the victory in court, and Andrew stifled a grin to not give more away; Jenn would find out very soon. For now, she was content to lie there next to him for a few minutes, and her gaze faded out as she daydreamed.

  But she was abruptly jolted out of her happy thoughts by a familiar voice on the television: it was Holly Mills, the reporter who had interviewed Jenn for the local television station, the one who had blown up the whole scandal into a national affair. She was sitting at the news desk with a somber voice, and Jenn snapped to attention when she heard a familiar name.

  “The son of a former hospital executive was found dead on Friday in his home in what appears to be a suicide after the hospital’s fall from grace. Steve Connelly was discovered by his mother in the garage after being thought missing for several hours. Steve was the son of Richard Connelly, the former president and CEO of the St. Benedict Regional Medical Center — the family and hospital recently lost a medical malpractice case. Steve Connelly was 30 years old.”

  “Oh my god,” Jenn gasped, and put her hand to her mouth. “Did you guys see that?”

  Kenzie nodded. “Yeah. Wow. I can’t believe that.”

  Andrew immediately turned to Jenn to make sure she was okay.

  She nodded back. “I think so. I’m just — I should have seen that coming.”