NOBODY'S HOME
Monica's heart broke when she saw Chandler sit before her. He looked worse than ever. Gaunt, pale, with red puffy eyes, dishevelled greasy hair, and a nervous flighty air about him. She pressed the palm of her hand against the glass barrier. Chandler stared vacantly into space, not meeting her hand. Her husband had never looked so emotionally unstable. He looked like a ghost. He was just an empty shell, and nobody was home. Monica felt the beginnings of panic rise up in her chest. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"Honey?" asked tentatively.
Chandler continued staring into space, seemingly lost in tormenting thoughts. Monica knocked gently on the glass. Chandler snapped out of his daydream, glancing around the room in confusion, before finally locking eyes with Monica.
"Honey, the defence lawyer said you agreed to plead guilty to aggravated assault, is this true?" Monica asked gently. Chandler nodded vaguely.
"You did? Honey, why? Why would you do that?" Monica asked, fighting to keep the shock out of her voice.
Chandler shrugged indifferently, slouching against his seat. Monica persisted.
"Chandler, I need to know why. I need to know why you did that. Do you realise aggravated assault will get you an average of 8 years imprisonment? Did you know that?" Monica pressed anxiously.
Chandler replied like a rebellious small child, "Yeah so?"
Monica stared at him incredulously, "Yeah so? Yeah so? 8 years, Chandler, 8 years for a crime you didn't commit! Why? Why would you agree to that? Why would anyone agree to that?" Monica said increasingly shrill.
"Why not?" Chandler replied nonchalantly.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE INNOCENT, GODAMMIT!" Monica exclaimed, slamming her fist against the glass barrier in frustration.
Shocked, Chandler stared at Monica with wide watery blue eyes. Tears spilled down his cheeks, and his thin pale frame shook like a leaf. Monica ached to the very depths of her soul, seeing her husband this way. She touched the glass barrier gently, as though she were touching Chandler's face.
"Chandler, honey, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, honey, I didn't mean to upset you…" Monica apologised profusely. "Chandler, I cancelled your guilty plea. I need you to fight, please," Monica whispered.
A look of sheer exhaustion crossed Chandler's face, "Words can't describe how tired I am. I want this over. All of this, whatever you're expecting of me, I'm done. I can't do this anymore."
"For the life of me, I can't understand why you've given up on yourself. But I haven't given up on you, and I never will. Jack and Erica need their father, and I need my husband, because God knows how lonely I am. Tell me you're still here, Chandler, tell me you'll fight this with me," Monica pleaded.
Chandler tried to force himself to confess to Monica, that which was eating him alive, the gang-rape at the hands of his vicious cellmates. But he couldn't. He couldn't find the words to express his ultimate debasement, and so, he just stared at his feet, and spoke in a flat distant voice to mask his pain.
"I'm gonna call it a day now, head back to my cell. I'm beyond exhausted." Monica closed her eyes in defeat, nodding sadly at Chandler, as he stood up and walked away.