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Chapter 13
Dwight Evans made his way up the aisle toward the area where Quinn and Artie were seated. His large frame consuming most of the space in the walkway as he approached. Others who had been milling about during the recess jumped out of his way, perhaps in fear that Dwight would run them down if they didn't move. And he would have. Dwight didn't give an inch, for anyone.
"I want to know who is responsible for this travesty," demanded Dwight slamming his fist on the table in front of Quinn.
"And what travesty are you referring to?" asked Artie immediately rising to his feet to face down the larger man.
"The one that caused Shannon Beiste to be dragged into this train wreck. She had to push through that hoard of media vipers just to be subjected to this nonsense. There is nothing Shannon can say that will save you Quinn. You made your bed, and you will be forced to wallow in it."
"What gives you the right to come in here and harass my client?" asked Artie crossing his arms across his chest.
"I am Dwight Evans. The baby she tried to kill was my granddaughter. I have all the rights in the world."
"Artie Abrams meet Dwight Evans," said Quinn blandly, not even bothering to look up at the two men.
She had been through this countless times before. Dwight blustered and others either quivered in fear or challenged him until they were ultimately brought to their knees. There was no winning with Dwight, just degrees of retreat. Quinn had managed to learn over the years how to tango with Dwight and still leave with most of her dignity intact. The key was to disregard most of what he said as just the confused ramblings of a cranky old man. Sam used to tell her to just let him rant on, don't even argue with him, he would eventually tire himself out and drop the conversation. That might have worked for Sam, but Quinn had not been so lucky. She had been one of Dwight's favorite targets almost since she stepped foot in Lima. He seemed to dislike her on sight.
"Abrams," said Dwight sizing up the man in front of him. "Well you definitely got the short straw being put on this case."
"I volunteered," stated Artie, placing a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "Quinn's a wonderful person and she just needs some help getting her life back on track."
"Oh boy, Quinn! Hooked another one I see. Young man let me give you some advice right now. Get out while you can, don't look her in the eyes, and definitely don't sleep with her. You are dealing with Medusa in the flesh."
"Dwight that's enough," warned Shannon Beiste as she and Julian walked up behind him.
"I don't think so Shannon. Someone needs to answer for involving you in this mess."
"Dwight come sit down. The court is about to return to session," pleaded Beiste grabbing Dwight's arm in an attempt to force him to move, her camel colored pants suit jacket riding up her waist as she tugged.
Shannon Beiste was a strong woman, tall and sturdy, in excellent shape, with a short no nonsense haircut, and sharply chiseled face. Some might say she was a hard woman, giving off a decidedly masculine air, and they wouldn't be wrong. Those attributes had gone a long way in helping her be a successful high school football coach, but all of that toughness was a facade. Behind her hardened exterior, resided the most delicate woman, with a sensitive soul and a compassionate heart, only her piercing crystal blue eyes hinted at her softer side.
"Don't try to usher me off woman," said Dwight swatting Beiste away. "I have more to say."
"Why don't you just give it a rest Dwight? She is here facing her crimes. Let the system work," said Julian dryly.
Julian seemed to barely be paying attention to the exchange, as his eyes flitted around the courtroom, his hands stuffed in his gray trouser pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. He was looking everywhere but at her. Quinn noticed his gaze repeatedly landed on Mercedes, probably wishing he could go and sit. Anything to be far away from her.
"Thanks Julian," said Quinn finally getting him to meet her gaze. He nodded his head in acknowledgment as he quickly looked away once again.
"Shannon let's go. I can't watch you or my fool headed nephew Puck fall over this woman again. Julian, you may have a brilliant mind for science, but in the common sense department you are a damn idiot. You need to learn how to cut the deadweight and Puck needs to stop thinking with the brain in his pants for once."
Dwight and Beiste left the area and a quiet settled over the remaining trio. Artie returned to his seat, but Quinn noticed how he kept trying to slyly look at Julian from the corner of his eye. She guessed he was being protective. Artie couldn't know if Julian would be just as volatile as Dwight had been. But Quinn knew better, it took a lot to get Julian riled up enough to cause a scene. He would have to actually care. And he had made it very clear over the past few months that he no longer did.
Julian rolled his eyes at Dwight before turning back to Quinn. "Anyway, Quinn I don't know if you realize but I am going to be called to the stand."
"I know. Artie told me."
Quinn cursed herself for the gush of hope that coursed through her when Julian said her name. Just like when she was a teen, first meeting Julian through Puck, she had this inexplicable need to impress him. She wanted to be worthy of his friendship and taken into his fold like Puck was. Ultimately she got her wish, and Julian opened his heart and his home to her the same way he had with Puck, and things had been so good for awhile, finally she felt like she had the familial bond that was lacking within her own. Then she had gone and wrecked it, hurting both Puck and Julian in one swift blow. Never had she felt more alone.
"Okay, so I just didn't want you to be surprised or anything. If I had my way, I would be as far away from here as possible. I've been trying to keep my distance from all of this," said Julian backing away as he spoke.
"I've noticed," said Quinn quietly to his retreating form.
That was the longest conversation she and Julian had managed to have in weeks. He had just seemed to shut her out of his life completely, as if their connection to each other never even existed. How could a man she once thought had the biggest heart of anyone she had ever met, suddenly turn so cold?
"Are you okay?" asked Artie tentatively his head cocked to the side seemingly trying to read her.
"Yes," she tried to smile at Artie reassuringly.
"It's okay if you're not."
"Trust me I'm used to Dwight and his tirades. It's how we communicate."
"I was asking more about whether you were okay about seeing Julian and also your ex sitting back there. That had to be difficult."
"I can't think about that right now. I just want to focus on today."
"Sounds good, but if you ever need to talk," he said his voice trailing off hesitantly.
"And how much do you charge per hour Mr. Abrams," Quinn teased.
"For you? I would definitely cut a deal. We could swap war stories, an ex for an ex. I think that would be fair." He smiled at her widely, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He had a nice smile. Not quite like Sam's, no one had a smile like his, but Artie's was nice.
"You have an ex too?" asked Quinn somewhat surprised by his admission. She figured Artie was too busy studying the law to have much of a social life.
"Doesn't everybody?"
"Well I have numerous exes. You may be in for more than you bargained for. Think you can handle it?"
"My ex Charli is a model/actress, got her big break on reality TV. You know the one where they all live in a hut and have to catch their own food? She was the vegan that whined the whole time."
"I think I remember her. Didn't PETA put her in their ads after that?"
"That would be her. Until they caught her on hidden cam in the McDonald's drive thru ordering a Big Mac. Her drug of choice."
"Nice," Quinn laughed. "Sounds like our little chat could take awhile."
"You'll be a free woman soon, we've got nothing but time."
Quinn closed her eyes and smiled at the thought. A free woman, what she wouldn't give to have her life back, to be with Beth again. By the end of the day it all could be true.
"Dr. Jones due to the close personal relationship you had with Ms. Fabray, I'm confused as to why you are involved with her case."
"I'm not a part of Quinn's medical team."
"But weren't you the one that found out that Beth Evans was not the biological child of Noah Puckerman?" asked Judge Leary.
"Yes. Both Ms. Fabray and Puck, I mean Noah, had thought up to that point that she was their child together. Quinn had paternity tests early on in her pregnancy but turns out there was some sort of clerical error because when Beth was ill after being born prematurely, Puck wasn't a genetic match. I was the one that had to break that news to Puck."
Quinn balled her hands into fists in her lap, opening and closing them as she braced herself for Julian's statement. She had no idea what he would say, but Quinn knew it couldn't be good. She cheated on Puck and broke his heart. Julian pretty much hated her now because of all the pain she caused. This would definitely be a great chance for him to exact his revenge. At the very least he could damage her already shattered image even further. Quinn could see the headlines now. "Hot shot surgeon slams local Lima slut on the stand." The media would have a field day.
"How did you come to realize that Ms. Fabray could have been suffering from postpartum depression?"
"Her erratic behavior. Her unwillingness to hold or care for Beth for prolonged periods of time. She was more focused on trying to get Puck back than taking care of her newborn. It was just out of character for her, she had wanted this baby so much so I thought something more could be wrong. Then when I heard about the incidents at Shannon Beiste's house, when she left the baby unattended, I knew. That's when I called Dr. Hill and asked her to meet with Quinn," stated Julian.
"After you put Quinn and Dr. Hill in contact your involvement was over?"
"Yes I needed a clean break from this very emotional situation. I had to regain my balance, find my center so to speak, so that I could be there for Puck. I've known both Puck and Quinn since they were teenagers, I love them like my own and it was very difficult being stuck in the middle of this situation. Ultimately, I had to put Puck's needs first and focus on him and help him maintain his sobriety while he dealt with this devastating loss. At first I thought Quinn understood this, but it turned out to be a very difficult thing for her, because Quinn didn't seem to realize that her relationship with Puck was truly over. Even after she started treatment for her PPD, she still continued to try to win Puck back. And she continued to use Beth in her cause."
"These instances she used Beth, did she put her in any danger?"
Under the table Artie grabbed Quinn's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. He must have been as nervous as she was about all the ways Julian could ruin things for her up on the stand. Clasping Artie's hand tightly she held her breath as Julian continued.
"No, she just tried to use our emotional connection to the baby to guilt Puck into taking her back and to get me to let her move back into the house. She would make up false ailments for the baby to get me to examine him and use those instances as an excuse for Puck and I to spend time with Beth and her."
That wasn't so bad. Maybe Julian didn't have it out for her. Perhaps he truly was serious about just wanting to put it all behind him. Quinn almost didn't know which was worse, Julian going for the jugular or his complete lack of regard for anything that had to do for her. Which was worse, to be hated or to be ignored?
"Thank you Dr. Jones. Is there anything else you would like to say today?"
"I hope Quinn gets the help she needs and gets her life back on track. She caused a lot of pain for my family, my daughter, and mostly herself. I just hope that her mental issues of the past few months are not indicative of a greater psychosis."
"Do you have any reason to think that Ms. Fabray's medical team may have misdiagnosed her and that she is still suffering from illness?" asked the judge with piqued interest.
"As I said earlier, I'm not part of Quinn's medical team, but as a physician I do know that sometimes symptoms can go undetected. I just hope nothing is flying under the radar with her, for all of our sakes."
Quinn was floored. She dropped Artie's hand and grabbed the picture of Beth on the table, clutching it between her fingers. Julian actually thought she was crazy. He thought she could do something to hurt her sweet baby again. Tears burned in her eyes as she let the full brunt of all that Julian had just said sink in. Julian used to be the man that knew her better than anyone. Over the years he had been more of father to her than her own. If someone had told Quinn a year ago that Julian would be ready to have her committed, she would have laughed in their face. But here she sat and Julian was telling the world that she was unstable.
"Thank you Dr. Jones. You may step down. I now call Shannon Beiste to the stand."
"I understand that Ms. Fabray's counsel asked you to come today and speak on her behalf."
"Yes your honor and I am glad to do it. Some very damaging and dare I say inaccurate things have been said in your courtroom today about Quinn."
"What in particular do you disagree with?"
"As you know, Quinn was staying at my home with Beth after she was born. They were with me from the month she was out of the hospital until her accident. Beth is still with me."
"Let the record show that Quinn was living with Shannon Beiste from November until December of last year. Please go on, Ms. Beiste."
"During the time she lived with me, I was witness to her interaction with the baby, and I just want to say that the picture that Sue Evans Sylvester painted is grossly exaggerated. While I do agree that Quinn seemed less than attentive with Beth at times, she never consumed alcohol. You see your honor, I keep an alcohol free home, and Quinn definitely respects me enough not to violate that rule."
"Could it be possible that Quinn perhaps drank when you were not around? I know you're busy running BreadStix and working in the community, you couldn't have possibly been home all the time."
"I do lead a busy life, but I would know if someone were drinking in my home. I have a sixth sense about these things."
"Ms. Beiste, can you please tell me what was Quinn like when she was with Beth. What kind of mother was she?"
"She seemed like the typical new mom to me dog tired and often frazzled. Caring for a newborn is hard work and most women are not fully prepared for the demands. I was worried she seemed to sleep quite a bit, often so soundly she wouldn't hear Beth crying. But I just chalked that up to her recovery, since she had him prematurely."
"Were you aware that Ms. Fabray was in treatment for postpartum depression?"
"Yes I was. She told me after her first appointment with Dr. Hill. I was relieved to hear she was getting help."
"Why were you relieved Ms. Beiste, when you said earlier you thought she was just suffering from the fatigue of being a new mother?"
"What I meant was that I was happy she was going to be having more energy to engage with her daughter. I didn't want her to miss out on those little sweet moments that newborns bless us with."
"And up to the point of her being diagnosed with PPD she was missing out on moments?"
"With all due respect your honor, I feel like you're cross examining me." Beiste turned in her seat to face the judge directly. "I came here to speak on Quinn Fabray's behalf, not to be grilled. My daddy was an attorney I know the drill. So let me speak my mind and leave."
"By all means, Ms. Beiste, please speak."
"Thank you. Quinn is not perfect by any means, but she is a survivor. Life knocks her around and she gets right back up and faces things again head on. I have always admired that about her. She is going through a particularly tough time right now, but I have faith that she will face this battle and win as well. I was around Quinn while she was pregnant; I know she was looking forward to being a mother. My heart just breaks that this terrible illness has stolen precious time from her. Time she can never get back. I hope that you will see your honor that this woman deserves to be with her daughter, to nurture her and love her. They shouldn't waste any more time apart."
Beiste smiled warmly at her from the stand. Quinn couldn't believe that Shannon Beiste thought all that about her, even after everything she had done to hurt her family. If someone like Beiste could find the good in Quinn, perhaps the judge could too.