Phil woke up to the sound of pleasant conversation. PJ was discussing somethings with a friendly nurse.
"Hey hey Phil! Welcome back to the land of the living!" PJ smiled, thrilled to see he was awake. "How are you feeling?"
"PJ, you're taking the words right out of my mouth!" The nurse joked, before going to check on Phil.
"I feel fine, I guess, where are we?" Phil mumbled, sitting up stiffly as the nurse reached him.
"We're in the hospital, you've been in shock for about a week." PJ informed cheerfully as if it were good news.
"You sleep when you're in shock?" Phil questioned the nurse.
"Sometimes, in your case at least." The nurse noted, listening to Phil's heart carefully.
"This is Emmeline, she's a trainee and doing a fabulous job, I might add." PJ flirtatiously introduced Emmeline to which Emmeline batted a hand in his direction before leaving. "She's really great." PJ assured Phil as if Phil had questioned it but the only thing Phil was questioning was what wasn't obvious.
"Where is he?" He wondered, not looking around too much, in fear Zachary might pop out at any moment.
"Dan? He's at court at the moment." PJ commented dismally.
"Not Dan, the guy that beat the crap out of you." Phil corrected, irritated as well as worried.
"Oh, he was taken away about three days ago. He just needed the bullet taken out of his leg, a few stitches, a cast and he was off! He's going to trail and this bloc named Roger or Richard or…" PJ was snapping his fingers to help him remember to no avail.
"Rogan?" Phil wondered hopefully.
"That's his name! He and his partner took that twat to jail until his trail. Rogan told me to tell you that the chance of him getting anything less than fifty years was as unlikely as Rachel Ray winning the Great British Bake-Off."
"Who's Rachel Ray?" Phil laughed.
"I don't know!" PJ replied, also laughing at Rogan's humor. It felt good to laugh, Phil noticed, deeply and from the heart. After such horrible days, it felt like the sun was going to break from the clouds and produce a glorious rainbow.
"Wait," Phil stopped laughing and replayed what he had heard. "Did you say that Dan's at court right now?"
"Yeah," PJ gasped, he tried to stop laughing and get serious as Phil, but it was a struggle. "Dan is in court as a witness to his rapist's murder; he isn't accused, thank god but he's still not in a good way." PJ shook his head, glad he wasn't in Dan's shoes but sad he couldn't support his friend.
"Is it being broadcasted? Could we watch?" Phil seemed eager as he looked for the remote to the TV perched high above.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Phil." PJ warned, hiding the remote next to him.
"PJ, give me the remote." Phil demanded, hand outstretched once he saw PJ had what he desired.
"Phil, trust me, you don't what to watch Dan being interrogated and told he's wrong. I was on a jury once, it's brutal. Believe me Phil, its torture to watch for some people." PJ tried to deter Phil from watching such a low thing for humanity to do. But Phil glared at him and commanded PJ to give the remote to him with another shake of his hand. PJ reluctantly gave Phil the remote and Phil ripped it from PJ, angry that PJ had attempted to discourage him.
"If I can't be there by his side, the least I can do is watch him and support him through physic waves." Phil shook the remote at PJ before turning it on with a flick. PJ was quiet as Phil searched the channels frantically looking for the trial. Suddenly, a flash of Dan's healing but battered face caused Phil to stop and run back to the channel where the trial was recorded and broadcasted on an outdated camera. "Dan." Phil breathed when he sees Dan in his full awkward glory. But he is not nearly as candid as he was with Phil. In fact, he was anything but smiling as he was addressed.
"Mister Howell," A well-dressed man wandered in front of him as he spoke. "When was the first time you met Mister Butler?"
"Objection your honor!" The other lawyer rose to his feet and slammed his hands on the table in front of him.
"Denied." The judge growled as if this wasn't the first time he'd ask for an objection. The outraged lawyer glanced apologetically to Dan before the first lawyer went on. "Mister Howell, please answer the question." The judge requested.
"I was raped by Mister Butler a few months ago." Dan announced tightly which sent a stir through the courtroom which was stopped with the gavel.
"How did you know it was Mister Butler?" The lawyer questioned unfeeling and emotionless. The other lawyer was about to object, or clock him one, but Dan answered calmly.
"You don't forget who raped you every easily." Dan stated heatedly.
"But did you see his face, how did you know it was him?" The lawyer pressed. Phil felt uncomfortable as Dan began to grow angry. "And what are the odds of you being at the same place at the same time as he was the night he was shot? I say that you led him to his death by framing him and holding him until he was attacking you and the policeman shot him!" The courtroom was still and silent as Dan composed himself to answer.
"To answer your questions, Mister McGlinn; I heard his voice and it haunted me for months, I heard him screaming in my ears at night with his breath crawling on my neck every time I went to sleep. I woke up screaming every day. I am aware the chances of us seeing and meeting each other again were scarce to say the least, but it so happened that God wanted to see what would happen if we did meet again. Say what you want, but that's what happened. I charged after him in the alley. I came because I heard Mr. Kendall's cries for help." There was a small shift in the crowd as he mentioned Mr. Kendall's name. "I wasn't about to let that poor man be affected like I had been and haunted like I was. So, if it seems unlikely and you want to blame me for a horrible man's death, go ahead. Because your opinion doesn't matter," Dan pointed to the jury "Theirs' does!" No one spoke as Dan grimaced as he sat back into his wheel chair.
"No further questions, your honor." Mr. McGlinn smiled, thinking Dan had just said something that would expose Dan as a thoughtful and careful murderer. However, Dan's testimony didn't seem like that was the impression he had made on the shocked jury; on the contrary, the jury seemed sympathetic. One woman even dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. The other lawyer now rose as Mr. McGlinn sat.
"Mr. Howell, how are you feeling today?" He asked, polite and conversational as if Dan was opening up a new bank account.
"I'm sore, honestly." Dan muttered as he adjusted his still casted limps.
"I'm so sorry. How did you get such horrible injuries?" The lawyer's eyes seem to twinkle as Dan went into detail how, when Mr. Butler was alive, he had beaten Dan into this state of being. The smug smirk slipped off of Mr. McGlinn's face like a wet sponge, slow but obvious. After Dan was finished with describing all his hospital needs and his bills that he still needed to pay somehow, the lawyer smiled warmly and thanked him for his time. A nurse then came and wheeled Dan away. Phil then switched off the TV and both he and PJ sat in a long stillness of wordless amazement.
"He did great." PJ pointed out, after a while.
"He was absolutely amazing." Phil whispered in awe at Dan's bravery and how he had held onto the truth even when he was told he was wrong.
"When are you going to tell him?" PJ asked startling Phil.
"Tell him what?" Phil wondered, having no idea where this was going.
"That you love him." PJ prompted, thinking that it was obvious. Phil went ruby red and flustered.
"What? What makes you think that I love him?" He was flabbergasted that PJ would suggest such a thing.
"Right, because you call people 'absolutely amazing' on a daily biases. Phil, you almost tore my arm off with your glare went I didn't give you the remote, for goodness sake!" PJ laughed at the outrageous risk Phil almost took. "You don't say and do those things for just anyone, Phil." PJ reminded him before rolling over, grabbing his Nintendo 3DS to give Phil time to mull things over for a while.
Was PJ right? Was Phil in love with Dan, a man that he only had one real thing in common: they'd been raped on the same day?