A/N Wow, what a lovely response to the last chapter, thank you all so much! The reviews (Foreverholby, insidealiceshead, Teamzollie, and Becca) really made me smile and give me so much confidence to write, so thank you! And insidealiceshead, thank you for the suggestion of more Guy/Ollie, I hope this chapter fits *smiles* anyway, enjoy part 2 of the trial- will Seb be found guilty? Will Zosia's nightmare finally end?
'That defence lawyer was brutal!' Ollie exclaimed as he opened the front door to Zosia's flat, and she and Guy followed him in. 'I was sweating in there, I can't imagine the questions he must have been asking you sweetheart' he said to Zosia, helping her with her coat off before starting to disappear into the kitchen. 'What a menace' he continued. 'I hope the prosecution lawyer is as ruthless with Coulter as his lawyer was with us!'
'They're supposed to be' Guy reminded them, still feeling a little awkward at the bombshell Zosia had dropped, but he was relieved that she was ok. Zosia smiled slightly, before proceeding into her bedroom, and Guy followed her. Dom and Arthur were at work, and she was relieved that they weren't there- she was already feeling drained enough with the trial, the scare and having her dad know about the pregnancy, without having to tell anyone else yet. As she sat, Guy stood standing awkwardly in the doorway. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he was relieved that Zosia was ok, but he still felt weird to think that his baby girl was having her own baby.
'Dad? You haven't said much' Zosia urged, calmly. Guy sighed and put his head in his hands, before taking a deep breath himself.
'I'd be lying if i said I wasn't shocked' Guy said, truthfully sighing, but sitting next to Zosia all the same. 'You've only just gotten engaged, Zosia. It's all going very quickly'
'With respect, it's mine and Ollie's decision' she reminded him, and he nodded.
'I know- darling why didn't you tell me? Did you really not know?'
'We only found out ourselves yesterday' Zosia admitted, 'it was a shock for us too. We had no idea, it wasn't like we were trying or anything. It just, happened.'
'I assume you're keeping the baby?' He asked, turning towards his daughter.
'Yes.' She said simply. 'I'm sorry dad'
'What for darling?' He asked, leaning in and taking her hand.
'For scaring you...for not telling you...for making you a grandpa...what else?' She laughed slightly, thinking, and Guy laughed.
'Well...I'm sure I can get used to the last one, in time...as for the others, I'm just glad you're ok' he sighed as he pulled Zosia in for a hug. She relaxed into his arms as he stroked her back, and his heart beating against her face comforted her.
By now, Ollie had stepped into the bedroom with cups of tea for them all, and Zosia's slippers that she had left in the living room, knowing that the heels she was wearing were likely to have been killing her. Ollie perched the other side of Zosia, who took a drink from her steaming mug.
'I might have a sleep, is that ok? I'm pretty tired' she yawned. Guy kissed her on the forehead, and Ollie kissed her before they both let her rest, going into the living room.
Guy sat on the sofa, and Ollie hovered for a moment. He had the feeling that Guy wasn't completely over the moon about the pregnancy, and he thought it best to stay careful in whatever he said in the next few moments.
'Listen, Mr Self, I-'
'Let me, Ollie...' Guy began, standing awkwardly, shuffling his hands. Ollie sat slowly and nervously, and Guy started to speak. 'I'm not going to pretend that all of this isn't a shock' he began, just as Ollie looked down and started to fidget with his hands. 'It isn't ideal, you're both young and developing your careers. And Zosia is, and always will be, my little girl. Although I missed a lot of her growing up, I know that she knows what she's doing, and despite the shock I am very happy that she's found you' he continued, and Ollie looked up, smiling.
'Thank you Mr Self' they both smiled. Just as Guy reached out for a handshake, Ollie took his hand and Guy continued.
'Let me just make one thing clear though...' He began, and Ollie's face began to drop, and he started to feel nervous. 'Zosia has been through a lot. Not that I have any worries with you, Valentine, but hurt her, and you hurt me' he said, sternly, and Ollie shook his head adamantly.
'I will never hurt Zosia, I love her' he reassured Guy who smiled and nodded.
'Good' he smiled, simply, before they continued to drink their tea. 'And if you need any advice at all, just let me know. I know I wasn't there a lot for Zosia, but I still know a thing or two about parenting and how to cope with a pregnant partner…trust me, if Zoshie is anything like her mother, which she is in every other way possible, then you're going to need all the help you can get!' Guy joked, and Ollie laughed.
'Thank you Mr Self, I'm looking forward to the next 6 months, hopefully I won't get on Zosia's nerves too much' he laughed.
'Yes, me too' Guy laughed. 'And please, call me Guy'.
When Guy left to go back to work, Ollie spent a couple of hours doing paperwork and, as he had a rare chance, playing on the X-Box, before Zosia woke up feeling groggy. She stepped into the living room wearing a black vest top and pyjama shorts, and Ollie caught a glimpse of the increased volume to her breasts. As Zosia sat down, she looked at him weirdly.
'Oi Valentine, my face is up here' she clicked her fingers in front of Ollie's face as he gazed down towards them, and then he looked up, looking cheeky.
'I'm sorry-' he murmured, still not looking away.
'What colour are my eyes, Ollie?'
'34C' he blurted and she smacked him playfully on the arm as he held his arms out, letting her fall into them. 'I'm joking, I know they're blue grey' he smiled, and she kissed him in the cheek.
'I wonder who our little squidge will take after?'
'It'll be fine as long as it's me' he poked his tongue out, and Zosia looked at him, hurt, before Ollie quickly gave his serious answer, given the hormones likely to be raging through Zosia's system. 'Zosh, it's a joke. Remember when we talked about Churchill quotes on the ward? Just a bit of banter. Honestly, I would love for the baby to take after you' he replied, and she relaxed again. 'When are we going to tell everyone else?'
'I suppose we can be a bit more open now, seeing as the scan was fine' she smiled, placing a hand on her stomach. It still doesn't feel real' she daydreamed. 'In 6 months our lives will never be the same again'
The next morning, the couple donned their suits again and met Elliot and Guy at the courthouse for the second and final day of the trial. Elliot had also faced a similar backlash from the defence lawyer, which made them all nervous. While they had all given their testimony, in their minds the most nerve wracking parts of the whole process was yet to come, and they had no choice but to be mentally ready for it. This time, they all sat in the public gallery together, and Zosia held Ollie's hand throughout. 'What was it you always used to say, Zosh? This too shall pass' he kindly reminded her, and she smiled.
'Thank you' she whispered, just as the court clerk stood.
'All rise' they called out, just as the judge entered. When he sat, everyone else sat, and then Seb was brought out onto the stand. Again, he was wearing a suit, looking confident, but they tried not to let that bother them. The judge indicated that he was ready for the case to proceed, and with the jury ready also, the defence lawyer rose.
'Good morning' he began, addressing the jury, 'this morning, we will be hearing from the defendant, Dr Sebastian Coulter, and the prosecution will hear from an expert witness. Now, please can you state your full name for the court, and how you know Ms March?'
'Sebastian Coulter, consultant psychiatrist at Holby City Hospital. I met Zosia in work, and began dating her before pursuing a relationship.'
'Is it correct that Ms March cheated on you with Mr Valentine and she ended the relationship?'
'Yes' he nodded.
'How did that make you feel?'
'Well obviously I was upset, disappointed. But I went on sabbatical to work on my research for 6 months, so it was an opportunity to get over her, and I did get over her'
'What happened on the day that you took Ms March away from the hospital?'
'The unit received a call from Professor Elliot Hope, saying that Zosia was having a bipolar episode and he was worried about her. As the only free psychiatrist at the time, I went downstairs to his office. We were alone, and she became extremely agitated, paranoid, and when she became uncontrollable I had to sedate her'
'Did you tell Professor Hope and Mr Valentine where you were taking Ms March?'
'I told them I was taking her upstairs to the unit, but it then occurred to me that the best place for her was the Tall Trees rehabilitation centre. I asked a nurse to let them know, but she obviously didn't.'
'And you told Ms March that you were intending to do this?'
'Yes- when she has bipolar episodes she flits from one thing to the next, it's only natural that she forgot she had agreed to come with me to Tall Trees. However when she became violent on the journey, I had to sedate her again and I realised I couldn't get her there in that state, so intended to take her somewhere neutral to recover.'
'Did anyone know where you were doing to take her?'
'As I said, I told a nurse I was going to take her to Tall Trees. Anything after that, I'm afraid not, there was no time' he lied.
'The prosecution have heard that you have a series of candid photographs of Ms March in your flat, can you explain these?'
'I suffer from an obsessive disorder, it makes me act out when it plays up. Having photos like this, it keeps me calm'. Hearing Seb talk about this made Zosia feel sick, and she stood and quickly left the room. Ollie stood quickly and followed her out, and sat her down.
'Ok, take some deep breaths' Ollie said calmly, rubbing her lower back to try and calm her.
'He's a liar! Why is he saying all these things?!' She shouted, and Ollie shrugged.
'He'll get what's coming to him, don't worry. The jury aren't stupid, at least they don't look stupid' he laughed, and she smiled. She took a deep breath and nodded, placing her hands over her face.
'I can't do this, Ollie' she shook her head. 'I can't sit there and listen to him lie like that'
'Then you don't have to' he reassured. 'Really, we can sit out here and wait, or we can leave, it's up to you.'
'Ok, let's wait, then we'll get to hear the closing arguments and the verdict' he suggested and she nodded.
'Thank you' she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder.
The pair reentered when the expert left the room, just as the prosecution lawyer stood to give his closing statement for the jury. As they sat, they felt nervous- nothing else could be done.
'Dr Sebastian Coulter, the defendant in this case, abused his position of trust, in a bitter, twisted attempt to win back his ex girlfriend, with a series of lies, deceit and even to the extent of administering unprescribed medications to make him seem more credible. After his arrest, he feigned chest pains to be admitted to the ward where Ms March works, despite having bail conditions to stay away from the hospital, and Ms March. The effect this has had on her life is significant- already vulnerable, he took advantage of her mental health condition, and the whole series of events has made her feel paranoid, scared and untrusting. I urge you to find a guilty plea for false imprisonment. She was not of sound mind when she went with the defendant, he took her against her will by force, intentionally and knowingly confining her to his flat. We have heard from an expert witness that the effects of the drugs she was given, as well as suffering from a bipolar episode, was likely to make her more impressionable and to believe any lies told to her, especially in such a calculated manner. Dr Coulter needs to be detained for Ms March's protection, he has shown no remorse, no sympathy, maintaining to you all that he was trying to help, in a situation that evidence strongly suggests, is his own making. Members of the jury, this concludes the case for the prosecution, and I urge you to find a guilty plea' the prosecution lawyer concluded before sitting down.
'That was very good' Guy whispered to Zosia, and she nodded, but they suddenly felt nervous again when the defence lawyer stood to give their response to the jury.
'Members of the jury, over these past two days you have heard testimony from all key parties in this case. Ms March, midst a bipolar attack, quite possibly forgot that she agreed to accept help from the defendant, requiring sedation to allow the defendant to act on her best interests. She even agreed to leave the country with him. I would invite you to use common sense here- yes, Dr Coulter should have communicated his intention to take Ms March to an, it turns out, undisclosed location, but time was sensitive. The defendant has already lost so much- his license to practise as a result of these proceedings, the respect of his colleagues, peers and friends, and all the while suffering from a mental health condition himself. The burden of proof here is on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Dr Coulter intended to falsely imprison Ms March, and a I invite you to find that this was not the case, that he was rather acting in the best interests of his patient, despite a difficult breakup.'
And that was it. After a few words from the judge to direct the jury on the law, they retired to the jury room to consider their verdict, and Seb was placed back in custody until they had reached their decision.
Ollie, Zosia, Guy and Elliot all sat nervously waiting for the verdict to come through, and to their surprise, the jury were only out for half an hour. As they came back in, Seb was brought back, and Zosia started shaking. Ollie placed a firm but calming hand on her knee. 'Whatever happens, I love you, we'll have a wedding, a baby, and a beautiful future' he whispered and Zosia nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
'Can the foreperson of the jury please stand?' The judge commanded, and a middle aged woman stood. 'Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict of which you are all agreed?'
'Yes, your honour.' She said, before reading off a sheet provided by the clerk. 'In the matter of the Crown and Coulter, on a charge of kidnapping and false imprisonment, the jury finds the defendant...'
There was a pause, and Zosia felt lightheaded with nerves. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing but she had to know.
'...guilty'
And with that, Zosia finally breathed again, Ollie and Guy both sat back, relaxed, with huge smiles on their faces, Elliot smiled at the three of them, and Zosia looked on in ecstatic disbelief. It was all over. It was time for her to move on.
The judge spoke. 'Mr Coulter, you've been found guilty of kidnapping and false imprisonment in a gross abuse of a duty of care towards a vulnerable patient. I will need time to consider an appropriate sentence for you, so a sentencing hearing will convene in two weeks time. I should notify you however, that a custodial sentence of a minimum of 18 months, maximum 6 years, is possible in these circumstances. You may go down' he finished, as Seb, for the first time since the trial started, looked down towards his feet, defeated.
'It's over Zosh' Ollie smiled, kissing her, and Guy placed his hands on her shoulders.
'Darling, congratulations' Guy smiled as they hugged each other.
'Now that bad smell is behind us, I suggest we celebrate.' Ollie smiled, and Zosia nodded.
'I would love nothing more' she smiled, as they stepped away from the court. 'Ollie, dad, Elliot...thank you. I couldn't have gotten through this without you' she smiled, and they all smiled together. It felt like a weight had been lifted, and they looked forward to celebrating this horrible state of events being over, and preparing to become a young family.