TWENTY ONE
Once again he sat in Lisa Harris' office. Sam had to stay in hospital two nights longer than Martin, the first night he returned to his apartment, his mom stayed with him. The moment he had gone to bed, he had gone into the bathroom, and had an extensive vocal opposition to his and Sam's recent life events.
When he had returned to his room, his mother was sitting on his bed holding the teddy bear that he was given when he was three by his father after he won it at a show. She had stayed with him as he cried, listening to his tears and shedding a few of her own.
"Martin?" Her voice woke him up from the thoughts flooding her memory. He looked up at her startled. "You didn't answer my question." She smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry, what was your question." Martin hated what his brain was now making him do; forgetting the simplest and easiest to remember things.
"Do you think that Samantha has been progressing positively in her recovery?" She sighed repeating the question for the fourth time that day. Martin had developed a certain knack for avoiding questions either by zoning out or evading a simple answer.
"I answered that question." Martin sighed leaning back in the chair.
"Yes, but not to my satisfaction. 'As good as can be expected' sounds more like a doctor's expression to a hopeful family member. I want to know in your own words what you think." She leaned forward slightly in her chair.
Martin sighed. "It's hard to say, or at least to distinctively say for sure, positive progression or negative progression. At first I thought it was positive, she didn't want to be alone at night so she would insist on sleeping with me, in my bed that is not sexual or anything." He clarified quickly.
"But then I realized that the only reason she was like that was because she needed to know she was safe, and by knowing that I was in the bed beside her, or the room with her, she was safe." He sighed again. "It kind of stayed like that, she became a light sleeper," he sighed, knowing that she knew about the days before the attack, "and whenever I would roll over, touch her, brush against her, she would jump awake and start strangling me, realize what she was doing and retreat to the end of the bed, where sometimes she would just sit, rocking and swaying gently until the sun came up." He continued
"About a week ago, she woke up again, she was screaming and crying and the moment she realized that I too was awake she flung her arms around me and cried until the sun came up, which was a good four, five hours." Martin paused, swallowing. "But then, that night, she retreated again, that day she had been happy, or at least her face had more signs of happiness than it used to. I just confused and frustrated." Lisa had remained silent the entire time he was talking, never even showing any signs of talking or interrupting him.
"Do you think this has something to do with the upcoming trial?" She asked.
"The trial isn't for another two weeks." Martin was confused she was asking such a question.
"I know that, but do you think that because the trial is drawing closer, could have an affect on her?"
Martin thought for a moment. "I guess it could, but if you're talking about her getting better, and then getting worse, it's been close to three months since the attack." Martin was more thinking out loud.
"Maybe so, but from what I have learnt, she has had a hard time adjusting to what has happened to her."
Martin sighed looking down. He knew that Sam was scared of the trial, petrified more like it. But he also knew that she detested the prosecutor for forcing her to testify. All she wanted was to put the whole event behind her, be told how long they would all be in prison, but no, she had to sit there in that little booth staring at them.
The day of the trial finally came. Martin had found it hard to understand her behavior. The night before she had clung to him as though one of them would appear through the window of a 17th story window and take her away. As they were getting ready she avoided him at all costs, walking with him, so close that they could have been touching, yet they weren't.
Danny greeted them on the steps outside as they entered the court house, hoping in vein to steer them past the waiting media troop stationed on the steps.
"Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, can you tell us about your ordeal?" They all shouted at her, as Danny and a group of other agents attempted to hold them back.
It startled Martin that he had been able to touch her through all that, given that most of them were men. When they walked in through the large doors he quickly removed his arm from her back to avoid being attacked.
"Just remember, you're a Federal Agent. They'll all be going away for a long, long time." Martin sighed as they approached the metal detectors.
She nodded weakly, following him closely as they passed through the detectors, flashing their badges, Martin holding Sam's because she found it hard to focus on anything.
"Martin." She whispered as they walked a few steps away from the metal detectors, still able to hear the media throng outside. "I wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for me these past couple of months." She said weakly looking up at him and holding his arm.
"It's nothing really." Martin shrugged, glancing Danny approaching them, looking exhausted.
"No, it's not nothing. Without you being there, I don't think I'd still be alive today. Which is why I wanted to give you this." She said handing him a small notepad.
"What's this?" He asked confused taking the pad.
"I've been talking to Lisa about it, and she said that it would be good for me to show you, as a way of telling you how you've helped me." She whispered, hearing labored breathing approaching them, a set of chills screaming down her spine.
"Because Danny looks like he's just fought a war on his own, I'll have a look at it later." Martin smiled, pocketing the pad as Danny arrived.
Sam still wasn't fully settled seeing him standing in front of her, given his breathing pattern and how she had heard him approach them.
"Don't do that again." She said quietly, not looking at Danny and moving to the wall, leaning against it so that no-one could approach her without her seeing.
Danny watched her confused. "You're approach and current breathing." Lisa said from behind him.
Danny twirled around to see Lisa Harris standing in front of him. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Danny stuttered.
"I was subpoenaed to testify on behalf of the defense." She sighed.
"Well then we shouldn't be talking to you." Martin said apologetically, watching Joanna Myers, the prosecutor entering the court house.
"I know, just telling Danny why Sam's spooked. Think about it." She finished walking off, waving at them weakly.
"What's she doing here?" Sam asked re-joining Danny and Martin.
"She's here to testify and that's all we can say." Danny responded. "Sorry about before." Looking at Sam.