Chapter 28: Courtroom Follies

July 28, 1992 - Tuesday

"When did you find out about Mr. Diamond taking credit for the discovery from May 29, 1991?"

"That same day."

"And you brought it to his attention right away?"

"Yes."

"And did he try to explain to you why you misunderstood his intentions?"

"His intentions were not misunderstood."

"That was not the question, sir. The question was did he try to explain his actions to you?"

"Yes, he tried to-"

The attorney cut him off, shortly after the 'Yes'. It was the defense's turn to cross-examine prosecution's prime witness, and this attorney wasn't going to give in easily.

"Did you listen to his explanation? Or did you simply judge him prematurely and take drastic measures against him?"

"Objection. Defense is leading the witness," the prosecutor interrupted.

"Sustained," the judge said, looking toward the defense attorney, "Rephrase, and I'll permit it."

"Sir, did you fire Mr. Diamond before hearing his side of the story?"

"No."

"So, you did listen to his side of the story?"

"There was no "his side of the story". He lied about-"

"So, you did not listen to what he had to say?"

"Not all of it, no."

"But you did listen to all of what another student . . . a Ms. Ellie Sattler . . . had to say. You listened to her side of the story, is that correct?"

"There was no story. I was there when the discovery was initially made, so I witnessed her finding it."

"Are you and Ms. Sattler . . . involved?" Alan looked at the defense attorney, but said nothing. "Please answer the question, Dr. Grant."

Alan looked toward Ellie, who was sitting in the spectator section.

"Yes."

"Were you involved, on or before May 29, 1991, sir?"

"No."

"Are you quite certain?"

"Yes."

"Were you . . . smitten . . . with her back then, sir?"

"Smitten?"

"Yes, sir."

"I guess so, yes."

"Then is it possible that you simply ignored Mr. Diamond's pleads for justice, because you were . . . smitten . . . with the other person in the dispute."

"There was another person involved in that dispute. Another student, as well," Alan offered.

"That has no bearing on this case, sir. There is no record of another student."

"There was no record of it at all," Alan said.

"Except for a notation on one of your record books from the dig site."

Alan starred at the man, not really knowing where this was going. The man held up a logbook.

"I'd like to admit this as Exhibit C. A logbook from the dig site in Northeastern Montana, near Hell's Creek." The judge nodded. "According to this logbook, sir, you had written an explanation for Mr. Diamond's departure."

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"It says here . . . and I quote . . . Greg Diamond let go today for lying and trying to steal someone else's find," the man closed the book, "Did you write that, sir?"

"Yes, I did."

"And now you want the court to believe that there was another student in the mix, as well?"

"Yes, there was."

"There is no record of that, in this logbook, sir. It clearly stated 'someone else's find', and nothing more."

"There was another student. You will find her name in that logbook a little farther down, as the fossil was examined."

"Yes. It does mention that she examined the fossil. But it does not state that she, in fact, helped discover the fossil."

The judge sighed, causing the defense attorney to look toward him.

"What is the point of this query, sir!" the judge asked.

"Well, sir. It's to show that there were only two students present at the time of discovery. And that Dr. Grant took the side of one student over another, because that other student was someone he fancied."

Ellie tensed up and almost stood up in protest, but Rob was already holding her hand and squeezing it tight, so she remained seated and quiet. Alan sat in the testimony box, stewing, but he didn't dare show he was angry. That would backfire on him at this point. The defense attorney went back to questioning him.

"So, Dr. Grant. I would like to touch on the actual dismissing of Mr. Diamond as a student."

"Okay."

"According to my client, you made it a point to hunt him down and find him, in order to dismiss him."

"That is not true."

"What is your version of the truth, sir? Could you please tell the court."

Alan sighed, as he thought about just how much he hated this sort of thing.

"I dismissed him on the spot. Right there on the field, next to the discovery. Later on, he-"

"So, you dismissed him just as soon as you thought, and I do stress 'thought", that he had lied about finding the fossil?"

Alan was becoming slightly unraveled, trying to decipher all the different ways of asking the same question.

"Yes," he finally said, "I told him that he had to leave."

"According to my client, you dismissed him later in the day, during a heated conversation in front of your trailer, sir."

"No."

"So, you didn't have a heated conversation in front of your trailer?"

"Yes, we did, but-"

"Were there other people present at the time?"

"No. Not that I know of."

"So, again . . . it's your word against Mr. Diamond's."

Alan was getting fed up with the whole courtroom process.

"Yeah, it seems so, doesn't it?" He asked, sighing.

"Dr. Grant, were you annoyed by Mr. Diamond?"

"Annoyed?" Alan asked, but his question wasn't quite heard, as the prosecutor stood up, already stating his objection to the wording of the question.

The judge nodded, "Sustained. Keep it specific, Mr. Ross," the judge said.

"Yes, sir," the defense attorney said. He looked back to the witness, "Dr. Grant, did you find Mr. Diamond annoying to work with?"

"No."

"Did you find him difficult to work with?"

"Yes, at times."

"Was Mr. Diamond outspoken and impatient?"

"Yes."

"And those are traits of someone you would find difficult to work with?"

"Yes."

"So, is it safe to say you didn't like the kid?"

"Objection!" the prosecutor said loudly.

"Overruled. You can answer the question, Dr. Grant," the judge said.

Alan took a deep breath before answering. "It wasn't easy to teach him anything. He already thought he knew everything."

"Before the events of May 29, 1991 . . . would you say you found it 'difficult' to work with Mr. Diamond?"

"Yes."

"So, is it possible that, in addition to taking the side of your lover-"

"Objection!" the prosecutor shouted.

"Sustained," the judge said. Then he added, "Mr. Ross, you're treading on thin ice, sir."

"Let me rephrase that," Ross stated, "Dr. Grant, is it possible that you took Ms. Sattler's side because you were involved with her . . . and because you didn't like Mr. Diamond in the first place?"

"Absolutely not."

"And this . . . so-called confrontation . . . with my client, near your trailer. Is it possible that you have just gotten the facts mixed up."

"No."

"Are you an easily angered person, Dr. Grant?"

"No."

The defense attorney approached Alan, gesturing toward the black and blue marks on his face.

"Looks as though you get into a lot of fights, Dr. Grant."

"Objection. The defense cannot make assumptions," the prosecutor said.

"Sustained," the judge said, and then looked toward the jury, "The jury will disregard that last statement."

It was already too late, though, as several of the jurors looked as if they were buying into the lies of the defense. The defense attorney continued.

"Dr. Grant, would you say that the last time you talked with Mr. Diamond, it was a heated discussion?"

"Yes."

"And would you say that Mr. Diamond had a right to be upset?"

"I guess so."

"You guess so. You told him to leave, sir. I think that is grounds for being upset."

"When you put it that way, yes."

"So, what you are saying, sir, is that you were, indeed, the one who had started the confrontation with Mr. Diamond, when you thought he was lying to you?"

"No, that is not what I said. I said-"

"No further questions at this time," the defense attorney announced, turning his back to Alan.

"Care to re-examine, Mr. Warner!" the judge asked the prosecutor.

"Yes, I would, sir."

"Your witness then, counsel," the judge stated.

Mr. Warner stood up and approached Alan. The prosecution needed to clear up some of the facts in their case, so he quickly went right into it.

"Could you tell the court where those black and blue marks on your face came from, sir?"

"From an accident at a dig site I oversee. There was a cave-in and I was trapped for several hours."

"So, the cuts and bruises are from that accident?"

"Yes."

"And to repeat some information in that twisted questioning technique used by my colleague . . . "

"Objection!"

"Please rephrase that, sir," the judge said, sighing.

"To reiterate previous facts . . . were there witnesses present, when you dismissed Mr. Diamond?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Two. Ellie Sattler and Allison Dover."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant. No further questions at this time."

Raymond Knox's lawyer questioned Alan next, and about half way through, the judge called for a break. The questioning had been intense, but not as intense as Greg Diamond's lawyer. Ellie was waiting in the closest hallway for Alan to be dismissed by the judge. She felt relieved to see him finally, as he exited the courtroom. She casually smiled, as he walked toward her. He was wearing a suit, which really made him look handsome, but she could tell that he was very uncomfortable wearing it.

"You holding up okay?" she asked, when he was close to her.

After a long sigh, and a quick brush through his hair with his hand, he answered.

"Yeah," after another pause, he continued while awkwardly adjusting his tie, "I think Diamond is going to get off easy."

"That lawyer is really good," she admitted.

"I can't believe this judge is letting you and Rob stay in the courtroom. It's kind of like a conflict of interest, or something . . . isn't it?"

"It is kind of strange, now that you mention it."

"Where is Rob anyway?" Alan asked, looking around.

"Little boy's room."

"Good idea," Alan said, nodding, "I think I'll do the same . . . God knows how long I'll be stuck up there in that uncomfortable chair, answering the same questions stated in a hundred different ways."

"Hang in there, Alan. It'll be over soon."

"Not soon enough."

"What did the judge say to you, right before you left?"

Alan laughed.

"He told me not to talk about the case."

She smiled at him.

"Well, you better stop it then," she said, slightly gesturing to a guard that just walked from the courtroom.

Alan took the queue.

"I'll see you later," he said, in a short manner.

"Okay."

She watched him head off in the other direction.

August 4, 1992 - Tuesday

With the trial well into day four, the defense began to call its own witnesses. Alan's testimony was completed on day two, with Ellie and Rob's started and completed on day three. The three of them were about the only witnesses in regards for Greg Diamond, but the prosecution had quite a few more witnesses lined up for Raymond Knox. All but one witness, finished testimony on day three, leaving one straggling witness for the prosecution on day four.

The rest of day, the defense introduced their witnesses, including family members of Greg Diamond. on day four, and the judge was getting set to let the jury deliberate.

That's when the prosecution introduced another witness, out of turn. The surprise witness took the stand and waited for the questions.

"Could you state your name for the court, please?" Mr. Warner said nicely.

"Allison Dover."

"Ms. Dover, could you tell the court where you were on the afternoon of May 29, 1991?"

"Certainly. I was at a Paleontological dig site headed by Alan Grant near Fort Peck Lake, Montana."

"And what were you doing there?"

"I was a volunteer student there for the summer."

"Could you tell the court the events that transpired on May 29, 1991?"

"Another student, Ellie Sattler, and I had discovered a plant fossil completely in tact. Dr. Grant immediately came to see it, and after looking, decided to go the supply tent to get some glue to secure the find. Ellie Sattler went with him, leaving me at the location alone. After a few minutes, Greg Diamond walked by, to take a look at it."

"And Greg Diamond was just another student, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, go on. What happened after he arrived, Ms. Dover?"

"Well, he talked with me about it for several seconds, and then he stated that he wanted to be included in the discovery."

"And what did you say?"

"I said no."

"What did Mr. Diamond say to that?"

"He said he didn't care what I said because I was a female and people would believe him over myself."

"Objection!"

"Overruled," the judge said, "Go on, Mr. Warner."

"And then what happened?" Warner asked.

"Shortly after that, Ellie came back and fought with him as well."

Warner looked at the judge, and then to the jury.

"Let the record show, that Ms. Sattler has already testified about this particular argument this witness is referring to. So, we'll move onto my last point."

The judge nodded, as did most of the jurors.

"Okay, Ms. Dover, where were your sleeping quarters located? On site or off site?"

"On site, sir.""Could you tell us what you overheard on the evening of May 29, 1991?"

"I knew that Dr. Grant was still around the dig site, as he hardly ever leaves the premises, so I had gone looking for him, to ask him a question about the plant fossil we had found."

"Did you find him?"

"Yes, sir. I found him very close to his trailer."

"Did you talk with him?"

"No, sir. He was talking to someone else, so I didn't want to bother him."

"Could you see whom he was talking to?"

"Yes, sir. It was Greg Diamond."

"Objection!" Diamond's attorney yelled, but knew there was no reason for it, other than just halting the momentum of the prosecution.

The judge noticed this, as well.

"Overruled," he said, sighing.

"So, could you hear what Mr. Diamond and Dr. Grant were talking about?"

"Yes. Greg was very upset at Dr. Grant for dismissing him earlier. He was talking in a very threatening tone."

"Objection! The witness is speculating."

"Your honor, this witness is simply stating how she thought Greg Diamond's spoken words were delivered," Warner said, matter-of-factly.

"Overruled, but get to the point, counsel."

"Yes, sir," Warner stated, and then looked back at Allison, "Ms. Dover, could you clearly hear any of the words being spoken?"

"Yes."

"Could you please share with the court, what you overheard."

"Greg tried to get Dr. Grant to reinstate him. He even went as far as to offer money to do so. Dr. Grant stayed firm, though and kept repeating no. Greg told Dr. Grant that he would be sorry for what he did."

"After hearing this, did you fear for Dr. Grant's safety?"

"Yes, I did."

"Would any reasonable person fear for Dr. Grant's safety, from these words?"

"Objection. The witness cannot speak for others."

"Sustained."

"Question withdrawn, your honor. No further questions at this time."

Nodding, the judge looked toward the defense table.

"Your witness, Mr. Ross."

Ross stood up.

"No questions, your honor."

"Mr. Diamond, sir. You have been found guilty on two counts of Assault and Battery. But since this is your first offense, I am going to go a little more lenient with my sentence. Since you already served two months in jail last year, I hereby grant you two years of probation, accompanied by three hundred hours of community service.

This sentence received a few gasps from the audience seated in the court room. Greg was obviously very happy with this decision, as it meant he could continue his studies and become a scientist. He stood there, glancing over toward Alan and Ellie, smugly smiling, as he straightened his hair.

Alan could tell that Ellie was not taking that sentence very well. She was very tense, as she was squeezing his hand very tightly, trying to control her emotions. She had promised that she would, and that's the only reason she was here. Alan tried to talk her out of coming, but she had insisted. He was angry with the outcome, too, but he was able to cope with it.

"Now onto Mr. Raymond Knox," the judge said, looking over to Raymond, who stood up after his name was called. "You sir, have been found guilty of a great many things, including six counts of Assault and Battery, Operating Under Influence of Liquor, Motor Vehicle Negligence, Negligence Leaving the Scene with Property Damage, and Passing Counterfeit Bills, not to mention the two additional counts of Assault and Battery proven in this latest trial."

Raymond was still standing but didn't look so well.

"Mr. Knox, you are a detriment to society, sir, and I am giving you the maximum sentences in each of these cases."

Raymond stood there, almost in a fog, listening to the years upon years, that the judge continued to add to his sentence. Finally, he started to become a little coherent, understanding his grave situation. Upon hearing the judge's final words, Raymond grew very angry, rather than remorseful. He was about to spend the rest of his foreseeable life in prison and it was all due to Alan Grant. He quickly turned around, seeking out the man who ruined his life. He found him quickly, pushed one of the defense attorneys away, and jumped the little guard rail, gunning for Alan.

Alan saw him coming, but he was sitting so close to Raymond, there was no proper time to react. Raymond landed on him, breaking the wooden bench he was sitting on. The two men hit the floor, with Raymond repeatedly punching him as hard as possible.

Ellie had been sitting next to Alan, when the bench broke. She had quickly stood up and reached into her purse. She looked toward the front of the court building and saw that the bailiff and a guard were on their way toward them. There was no time to waste though, as Raymond continued to punch Alan with fury. She watched Alan finally get angry, as he began to punch Raymond back. He had been successful in getting the madman off of him, and that's when Ellie decided to strike.

She grabbed Raymond by the hair, pulled his face toward her, and doused his wide-open eyes with mace. Raymond grabbed at his eyes, screaming loudly, but still swinging blindly toward Alan. The bailiff reached the convicted criminal, and together with the guard, the men got Raymond to his feet. They struggled with the angry man for several minutes, before they finally got him under control enough to escort him from the courtroom.

Greg Diamond simply stood in bewilderment, at what just occurred. He didn't dare move, for fear of being Ellie's next victim, as she was making eye contact with him now.

Alan was still sprawled out on the floor, looking up at the woman he loved. She still had the mace can in her hand, ready just in case Raymond got away again. Finally feeling his eyes on her, she looked down at him. He smiled at her.

"Thank you," he said, wincing as he touched his jaw, and then smiling despite the pain.

"My pleasure," she said, smiling back.

"Order in the court!" the judge yelled.

Ellie tucked the mace can back in her purse and helped Alan to his feet, and then carefully checked his injuries. His clothes were slightly ruffled, but for the most part he didn't look hurt . . . he looked angry. He took hold of her hands.

"I'm okay," he said, looking to where the bench used to be. He moved over to another bench, "Come on. Sit down . . . before you get us arrested."

She nodded and calmly sat down. The judge wasn't so calm.

"Ms. Sattler! Surrender that weapon!"

"Weapon?"

"Yes. The mace can. Give it to me now."

"Yes, sir."

Ellie took the mace can out of her purse and gave it to the bailiff.

"Sir, I'd like to apologize for-"

"How did you get that in here!" the judge demanded, interrupting her apology.

"How?"

"Ellie, quit fooling around. Just tell him," Alan whispered.

"You're not really wanting to make me repeat myself, are you!" the judge warned, clearly annoyed.

"No, sir. I - I just carry that in my purse, sir. No one checked my purse when I entered."

The judge looked around at the few security guards, who were now looking down, not daring to make eye contact with the irate man.

"Very well, then. What's done is done," he said calmly. Then he lost his temper, "So, if you would . . . get out of my court room before I make up something to charge you with!" the judge shouted.

Alan quickly stood up and grabbed Ellie's hand, escorting her out of the courtroom. The judge's angry outbursts could still be heard.

"Case closed!"

Alan, with Ellie in hand, made it to the exit to the building. They could still hear the judge.

"Who here was responsible for checking bags and purses?" he was shouting.

"Got him all riled up, I guess," Ellie whispered.

"And why was that felon not handcuffed! What kind of a courtroom do you think I'm running here!" The judge yelled, and then continued to yell other incomprehensible things.

Alan waited for the judge to stop, and then he looked at Ellie, "You have that effect on people sometimes," he commented, and then he laughed.

"What is so funny?" He was about to answer, but she stopped him, "I don't think it's funny that I was almost arrested or whatever . . . saving you, I may add."

"No, it's not that," Alan said, laughing more, "although that is funny." He waited for her to hit him in the arm before he continued. "I was thinking about Raymond. You maced him when you first met him, and now . . . you just maced him the last time you'll probably see him."

Ellie laughed, too.

"That guy must hate me and my mace can."

"Serves him right," Alan commented.

The judge waited until an hour after the courthouse closed, before he began the trek to his car. It was still daylight, but the sky was somewhat gloomy, as a light drizzle had begun. He reached his car, and that's when a dark clothed man approached him. The man had been carrying a briefcase and had set it down, next to the judge's feet.

"You did very well . . . with the exception of the lack of arresting Ellie Sattler for possible assault and battery of her own."

"I believe that I've done enough for your family."

"Speaking of which, you could have lessened those community hours.

"A lesser sentence would have looked suspicious. Your son is lucky, and he should be more than happy about how things turned out, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The judge was whispering and looking about to make sure they were alone. He nonchalantly picked up the suitcase, opened his car door, and placed it on the passenger seat.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, judge," the man said.

"I bet it was, Mr. Diamond."

Gerald Diamond took a step forward, stopping the judge from closing his door.

"Please, sir. No names."

"Sorry. Of course, whatever you wish. Good evening."

The judge shut his car door, took a deep breath, and started the car. He drove out of the municipal parking lot, keeping his eye on the father of Greg Diamond. He had instantly been sorry once the first part of the money had exchanged hands, before the trial. It wasn't something he had done before, and it made him very nervous. He had let Gerald Diamond's son off the hook pretty easy, but not easy enough really to detect any wrongdoing on his part. After feeling semi-guilty about the whole thing, the Ellie Sattler mace incident in court was a justified means to an end, as far as he was concerned.

Ellie entered the trailer, immediately hunting for Alan. She found him in the small kitchen, getting some iced tea. She noticed a stack of papers in one hand, as he turned and spotted her standing in the doorway.

"Did the party die down?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, walking closer, "What do you have there in your hand?"

"Another paper for John Hammond. I just finished it."

"Good. I'll type it up for you tomorrow."

"Thanks," he said, as he took a sip of the tea.

"So, when did you sneak away anyway?" Ellie asked.

"About fifteen minutes ago," he said, laughing, clearly proud of himself.

"Didn't feel like doing the whole alcohol thing, I take it?"

"No, not really. I'm already depressed, so I don't think that would help much."

The trial had really taken a lot of out Alan. He actually felt exhausted, like he had just been through a vigorous exercising routine. He was glad that it had finally ended, allowing him to get back to the normal life he was accustomed to. Ellie seemed to read his thoughts, as she made her way right in front of him now. She seductively removed the glass of iced tea out of his hand, and took a sip.

"I know a way to un-depress you," she offered.

Alan smiled, watching her lips carefully, as she drank from the glass.

"You do, eh?"

"Oh, yes, I have just the plan."

She reached past him and placed the glass on the sink, and then slowly brushed her hands over his shoulders and neck, coming in close to his ear.

"Rumor has it that you're smitten with me," she whispered.

"I don't think that's a rumor," he whispered back, slowly putting an arm around her waist and drawing her even closer to himself, "More like a fact." He tossed the papers on the small kitchen table. They missed and gently sailed to the floor.

"Well, that's what I was wondering actually," she teased, as she began to play with the back of his hair, "I was wondering if we could test out that theory."

"Absolutely," he said quickly, coming in for a kiss.

She wasted no time first untucking, and then unbuttoning his shirt as they continued to kiss. After a second they were staring into each other's eyes again.

"Let's get out of the kitchen, shall we?" she suggested, smiling.

"You read my mind," he whispered.

They quickly left the kitchen, heading toward the small bedroom. When they were almost there, the sound of the door opening echoed through the tiny hallway. Alan sighed deeply, as he unwrapped his arms from around her. She smiled.

"It's probably Rob, just being stupid," she suggested.

"I'll go get rid of him."

"Good idea," she said, still smiling at him in that tempting way.

He quickly made his way to the front of the trailer, partly buttoning up his shirt. Before he saw who it was, he was already talking.

"Okay, Rob . . . why don't you go back outs-" He stopped short as he saw Allison standing in front of him, with a few tears running down her cheek, "Allison . . . " he paused, looking closely at her, "Are you okay?"

Allison was quite surprised to see him standing there. She had seen Ellie go in there, but didn't realize that he was in there, too. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she backed up.

"I was looking for Ellie," she said, wiping the tears away, and faking a smile, "I'll talk to her later. No big deal really."

Alan stared at the distraught women, and for half of a second, he thought about taking her at her word and letting her leave. Obviously there was something wrong with her, though, so he pushed that thought away, as she began to head for the front door. He took a step towards her, gently grabbing her arm.

"You don't have to leave. It's okay. I'll go get her."

Allison had already made up her mind. She didn't want to be a burden and by looking at the way he was half way undressed, it was obvious that he and Ellie were trying to share a private moment.

"I'm just going to go," she said to his back, as he was already going to get Ellie. She waited for him to turn around and face her, before she continued, "I'm interrupting something here. My little problems can wait."

"Do me a favor and stay right there," he said, pointing at her, "I'm going to get her, and if you're not here when I get back, I'll more than likely get into some sort of trouble . . . so . . . stay," he said smiling.

He managed to make her smile, as well. Satisfied that she wouldn't leave, he went to get Ellie.

"Allison, what is it?"

Allison looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. She did her best to wipe them away again, but it was very clear that she wasn't holding up well.

"I'm not sure where to start," she was finally able to say.

Alan cleared his throat, causing both women to look at him.

"I'm going to go outside, give you two a little privacy."

"It's okay," Allison sighed, looking at Alan, and then toward Ellie, "I'm just overly emotional, so don't take anything I say too seriously. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Ellie took Allison by the hand.

"Come over here and sit down. Alan was just leaving," she said, as she lead Allison to the couch in the living area.

Alan stared, thinking about just how moments ago, he and Ellie were alone . . . and what that meant to the both of them. The moment was gone now, though, whooshed away by Allison. He wasn't exactly complaining . . . okay, yes he was complaining . . . but he kept those thoughts to himself, as he took Ellie's hint and left the trailer.

Allison began to cry again, burying her face in her hands. A second later, she lifted her head and began to look angry instead of sad.

"I can't believe the hell he has put me through."

"I wish you would have told me. I just talked to you about a month ago, Allison. You could have told me something about it. I would have gotten on a plane and been there that same day."

"I know," Allison said, shaking her head, "I didn't have a clue where to start. And I didn't want to trouble you. You're needed here . . . Alan needs you here. My problems are just that, my problems."

"You know that isn't a healthy way to think, don't you?"

Allison looked at her, thinking intensely before answering.

"No, it's not healthy. I agree. That's why I finally decided to tell someone about what has been going on in my life."

Alan walked outside, and took a quick glance around at the people. There was quite a rowdy party going on and he only recognized about half of the people. There were two bonfires going, one of which was a little big in Alan's opinion. He walked over to the closest water tower and tried it, to make sure it wasn't dry. Water flowed from it, so he relaxed some and moved on. He didn't want to drink and be merry, so he headed over to the research trailer.

A few drunk people were singing and dancing near the smaller bonfire. Again, he had no idea who those people were.

"Damn tourists," he muttered.

When he was almost to the research trailer, he heard someone call his name. He knew immediately who it was. Frowning, he turned around to face the person behind the voice.

"Hi, Kara."

"When did you lose the baby?" Ellie asked. The way Allison had just blurted it out was shocking to her.

"About three months ago."

"What happened?"

"Mitch and I broke up a few months ago, after I told him I was pregnant."

"He left because of your pregnancy?"

"Mostly, yes. That and the fact that we had been doing nothing but fight."

"I'm so sorry, Allison."

Allison wasn't listening though, as she was still remembering all of the bad details in her head.

"He came to the house to get some more of his things, and we had another shouting match. One thing led to another, and I began to have terrible pains."

"Oh, my God."

"He called an ambulance, and then quickly left after it got there."

"That son of a bitch."

"I lost everything, in the span of an hour."

"Allison, you should have called me."

"I know, but that's over now, so try not to hold it against me, okay?"

"You know I'd never do that."

Allison began to cry again. Ellie leaned over and hugged her, letting Allison continue to cry.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'll talk to you later," Alan said. It was lie, but he just didn't know how to act in front of Kara anymore, after the whole cave incident. For him, it was better to just pretend it didn't happen at all.

Kara reached out and grabbed his arm, as he began to walk up the steps to the research trailer.

"Please, wait. I was hoping to be able to talk to you."

Alan turned and came back to ground level.

"If this is about what I think it is, I'm not sure talking about it is a good idea."

"I think it could help. I've been here for a few weeks since then, and you keep avoiding me."

"That is how I decided to deal with it, I guess."

"That's not very mature."

Alan almost said exactly what he was thinking, the thing you did to get us here in the first place, wasn't exactly mature, but he stopped himself. From all the disagreements he had experienced with Ellie, he knew better than to upset a woman by now.

"I know," he said, sighing.

"So, let's try to act like adults now."

"Could we just forget about it?" If they never mentioned it again, he would be completely happy.

"I don't think that's healthy, Alan. We used to be able to talk to each other and goof around. I want that back," she said, knowing that she was losing the battle, so to speak. He was acting exactly the way she had feared.

"Well, that may take some time," he finally commented.

"I want to try to repair what I've done to our friendship. That's all I'm asking."

"Okay."

"It's true that I've always been very fond of you. But when I . . . kissed you, it was very spontaneous. I wasn't thinking at all. That kind of thing will ne-"

"You kissed Alan!?"

Shocked that someone else was talking, Alan and Kara both glanced toward the voice. It was Rob and he wasn't quite totally drunk yet, but he was very . . . happy. He stood there with his mouth agape, staring at his sister and friend.

"Rob, ever hear of a private conversation?" Alan asked, placing his hands on his hips and looking around for additional people within earshot. Rob was the only one, though.

Rob ignored him and walked up to his sister.

"Kara . . . you sly dog you. No wait . . . dogette! You sly dogette!" He followed this statement with the accompaniment of howling and barking noises. By his demeanor, he definitely fit in with the rowdy party crowd that Alan had passed by earlier.

Rob was about the last person that either of them wanted to find out about this confidential information. Alan took a good look at Kara, and how distraught she was looking. Just thinking about a half-drunken Rob running around and telling people, made him uneasy as well. He thought for a second, and then formulated a game plan.

"Rob, what do you think she said to me?"

Rob answered with making smooching noises with his lips, pretending to be in a passionate kiss with someone. Had it been under different circumstances, Alan probably would have found his behavior funny, but he needed to put a halt to it.

"Kissing? You thought she said kissing?"

Kara stared at Alan, not having a clue as to where this was going. Rob stopped smooching and did the same. Both of them staring at him in the exact same way, caused Alan to slightly smile, but then he got serious again.

"Kicking, Rob. She said kicking."

"Huh?" Rob asked, trying to concentrate on the words coming from his friend.

Kara folded her arms, watching this plan unfold, thinking that it just might work.

"I was mean to that little girl in the cave. Kara got mad and punched and kicked me."

Rob laughed.

"Way to go, sis!"

"Uh, thanks," Kara said, still sort of uncertain.

Alan briefly looked at Kara, smiling, and then walked closer to Rob.

"Come on. I think you've had enough fun for one night, my friend."

"Buddy. I'm your buddy, right?"

"Oh, yes. Buddies."

"I knew it!" Rob said, slapping Alan on the back really hard.

Kara cringed, as she could see that it had hurt Alan a little bit.

"Maybe you should get some food in your system," Alan suggested.

"Oh, I already did that," Rob said, floating his arms around awkwardly, "I'm all set there."

"What did you eat?"

"Potato chips."

"Potato chips?" Alan repeated.

"It's one of the four basic food groups," he said, bouncing four fingers in the air.

"No, it's not, you idiot," Kara said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

Rob clearly looked hurt by her words. Alan tried to persuade him to keep moving, though, as he laughed with Kara.

"Of course it is. Come on, let's keep going," he said.

She watched him help her brother away from the research trailer, leaving her there by herself. To her happiness, it looked like Rob was having an independent streak, so Alan left him be. He lingered there for a minute, watching Rob walk toward his own trailer. After the drunk lunatic had gone inside, Alan turned and looked in Kara's direction. Seeing that she was still there, he lowered his head, sighed, and walked toward her.

"Close one," he said, when he approached her.

"Yeah," Kara said. She couldn't think of anything to add, making the moment uncomfortable once again.

"Kara, I think that if we just put this behind us, we'll be better off."

"Yeah."

"This is going to sound dumb . . . "

"What is?"

"I was oblivious to the fact that you," he paused, desperately searching for the right words, ". . . were interested."

"By your actions that day, and the days since then, I can see that."

"I wasn't steering clear from you to upset you. I just honestly had no idea how to deal with this."

"It's okay."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"Don't be. It was me who acted like a fool. I'm sorry."

"How about neither of us apologizes and we just get past it?"

"Okay."

Alan sighed with relief.

"Okay, then. Good."

"This is something I'm sure you never want Ellie to find out about, so I'll stop bringing it up and bothering you about it."

Just thinking about the look on Ellie's face if she found out made Alan very uneasy, much less how she would react after the information sank in. It was definitely something she never needed to know.

Ellie cautiously looked over Allison, as she finally fell asleep on the couch. Placing a blanket over the exhausted woman, Ellie began to wonder why she hadn't realized that Allison was so distraught. She had been so happy to see her friend, that she simply hadn't noticed that she was having such a difficult time. She should have been able to figure it out and it angered her to think that she didn't see it coming at all. She would have to be a better friend in the future, that was for sure.

Glancing outside, Ellie looked around for any signs of Alan. He was nowhere to be seen, so she breathed in deeply and headed for the bedroom, hoping that he would find his way back soon.