Chapter 11
Three Months Left
December 30, 2019
L.A Hospital: Room #101
8 A.M
A nurse helps Sam walk. She walks as she uses an IV drip stand (with wheels) for support.
Sam has dark circles and pale skin. She pants and sweats as she walks across the room.
"Sam, come on" the nurse encourages Sam, who's been dizzy for the past few hours since intoxication.
Sam lets go off the IV drip stand. Her legs are quivering. She pulls the IV drip injection out of her arm and slowly walks across the room.
"Good" the nurse congratulates her. This would make the 1st time that Sam could walk since the incident.
Goomer enters the room. He motions the nurse to exit the room. The nurse abides.
"It's time to go" Goomer instructs Sam; he puts a pair of folded clothing on the bed. "Get ready"
"Alright" Sam agrees and asks. "Are you sure I don't have a lawyer?"
"Yep" Goomer replies. "You're guaranteed a lawyer by the constitution. But they couldn't find anybody to defend a criminal like you"
"Ugh" Sam groans but then pauses for a moment. She ponders on a thought and then requests: "Goomer. Can we stop by the Elderly Care center first?"
December 30, 2019
L.A Court House: Inside the Courtroom
9 A.M
Cat has been called to testify; she's in the witness stand. Spin City Records' lawyer looks through her documents and speaks:
"Ms. Valentine. By supporting Sam, you jeopardize your job contract" the lawyer warns her of the consequences.
Cat pauses for a moment. She shakes her head and stares the lawyer in the eye.
"What Sam did was wrong. But I forgive her" Cat informs the lawyer. "Changing my location back to New York will be inconvenient. But she's truly sorry"
The lawyer gives her a look. She can't even speak and tries to find the words. Sam is surprisingly not in the courtroom
Gibby, Spencer, Freddie, and Carly sit in the front row. Spencer swallows some medication, Freddie and Carly just stare, and Gibby texts someone over the phone.
"If she's truly sorry, then why isn't she telling us that?" the lawyer asks. "Where is she?"
"She just went to the bathroom" Cat answers.
The lawyer taps her foot and stares at her wristwatch: "It has been 40 minutes since she left. I know girls take long, but this is ridiculous"
Cat pauses and sweats. The lawyer looks at the judge with a confident smile on her face.
"Your honor. If Sam Puckett couldn't care enough to be here today, then who is to say that she cares enough to be sorry about her crimes? Maybe she was fled through the bathroom window!"
Suddenly, the backdoor of the courtroom opens. Everyone stares and gasps: Sam Puckett is wheeling Nona, who slouches in the wheelchair and stares at the ceiling.
An IV drip is injected into her arm. That IV drip is on a stand with wheels. The stand is being wheeled by Goomer.
"Nona?" a surprised Cat asks. "What are you doing here?"
No answers. Neither Sam, Goomer, or Nona utter a word. Sam didn't have a woman's suit for the trial. So, she's just wearing ripped jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and a leather jacket.
"What's going on here?" the judge asks impatiently.
Sam and Goomer wheel the sickly grandma to the front; Sam faces the audience and speaks the truth.
"What I did was wrong. But I did so because Spin City Records was making Cat miserable"
Cat gives a surprised look. The lawyer squints her eyes at the megastar.
"You sure about that?" the lawyer asks. "Sure, we have competition from the rap genre. But still, you earn $200,000 a year!"
"Money can buy her everything but happiness" Sam poetically explains. "Cat loves her job as a singer. But she hasn't seen her grandma in years! You wanna know why? It's because you greedy f*cks don't give her family time!"
Cat stares at Nona's fragile state. She just stares at the ceiling and appears sickly. She sheds a tear and lies:
"That's not true! I love the $200,000. And being a singer has been my childhood dream!"
"We're not at fault here!" the lawyer admits. "We're getting off-topic here, your honor!"
"I'm getting there" Sam interrupts and then partially lies. "I forged those papers because I don't want Cat to leave L.A. Her grandma has 3 months to live. And I wanted her to be here for those final moments"
The entire room drops to silence. Cat has a shocked expression on her face. Her jaw drops.
"T-three months?" she utters with a quivering voice. Sam nods.
"Well, I can't argue against that" the judge admits. "Samantha, what you did was wrong. But it was well meaning. We need more testimonies about you"
"Before we do that" Cat interrupts. "I'd like to quit Spin City Records"
"Cat, what are you-" Sam interrupts her, not wanting the redhead to make an impulse decision.
Cat motions Sam to stop; she abides.
"I love singing. But it is true: They didn't give me any free time to see my dying grandma! I work 120 hours a week across the globe!"
The lawyer is speechless.
"I quit! I just want to spend these next 3 months with my grandma!"
The lawyer rudely comments: "Cat. Your grandma will croak in 3 months. So, you could return to work after that"
"You're not serious, are you?!" Cat snaps. "I quit!"
"Very well, Ms. Valentine" the judge nods. "You're dismissed. Go spend some time with your grandmother"
Cat nods and wipes her tears. She runs towards Nona and hugs her.
"So, I have a granddaughter now?" Nona asks and coughs. She struggles to even breathe. "I didn't even remember having a daughter"
"We have a lot of catching up to do" Cat replies. She and Goomer wheel the old lady out of the courtroom.
The lawyer sweats and reads over the strategy plan in her stack of papers. But alas, she draws a blank.
December 30, 2019
L.A Court House: Inside the Courtroom
10 A.M
"May the grand jury give us their verdict" the judge asks for Sam's future.
"We the jury find Samantha Puckett guilty of breaking and entering. We have decided to sentence her to 2 months in a community prison"
Sam looks down at the ground. With great difficulty, she looks at her friends who sit in the back. They all give sad looks on their faces, including a distant Carly.
"Because they have to film the iCarly reunion tomorrow on New Year's Eve, she'll begin her sentence on January 1st"
"This court is adjourned" the judge slams his hammer on the wooden plate. The entire crowd, besides the friends, flee out the door.
Sam just stares at her friends, who look incredibly disappointed by the sentence.
"Gibby. We're filming the reunion tomorrow?" she asks in disbelief.
"Yeah" Gibby nods. "The producers just gave us the yes!"
"When are we filming?" she asks and stares at her watch.
"Tomorrow at 10 P.M" Gibby replies. "So, we have 36 hours left"
"36 hours?" Sam calculates in her head. "I need to access a computer and those are at the library. I'll see you guys on-set!"
"Hold on. Why do you need a computer?" Freddie asks.
"I'll tell you at the reunion!" Sam replies and runs towards the exit. "I don't have much time"
"Wait, Sam" Carly interrupts her.
Sam pauses and her eyes jolt open. Is Carly actually talking to her? Hell yeah, she's talking to her!
Sam turns around and faces her. The blonde girl has a shocked and confused look on her face.
"Do you wanna have dinner with us tomorrow night?" Carly asks. She doesn't crack a smile but doesn't sound bitter anymore.
Sam pauses for a moment and pinches herself. OW! Yep, this is really happening to Sam!
She cracks a smile and nods. "Text me the address"
Carly nods
"Are you guys staying at a hotel tonight?" Sam asks.
"Yeah! Do you wanna stay with us tonight?" Carly asks.
"Can't do! I'll probably pull an all-nighter at the library" she turns down the offer. "But definitely tomorrow night!"
"Ok!" Carly nods and Sam dashes out the door.
To be continued
ONE CHAPTER LEFT
(Apologies if the last chapter comes out late. I now work for someone's presidential campaign, which has kept me pretty busy. But I'll try my best to get it out ASAP!)
