"For the state's first witness," Mrs. Cunningham went on, "I would like to call up to the stand Dr. Nathan Cope."
Kim nodded approvingly as the middle-aged man made his way up to the stand. Dr. Cope was the pediatrician who had been in charge of treating Jim and Tim when they were in the hospital, so he was fully aware of the physical damage they had suffered. He was the ideal person for making sure the jury was aware of it, too.
After Dr. Cope had been sworn in, Mrs. Cunningham approached him. "Dr. Cope, please tell the court what you do for a living."
"I work as the managing pediatrician at Middleton General Hospital."
"And you saw James and Timothy Possible there as patients on April 12. Is that right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What kind of condition were they in?"
Dr. Cope sighed. "I've been practicing pediatric medicine for over twenty years, and I've treated a fair number of children who have been sexually abused. But this was probably the worst case I've seen. Both boys had experienced rectal trauma and had blood in their anal cavities when we examined them. What was much more disturbing, however, was the state of their genitals. They both had human bite marks on them that had cut the skin, and they both showed signs of severe trauma. Jim had experienced a testicular rupture, and Tim had testicular torsion—that means the spermatic cord got twisted—for both testicles."
Kim glanced over at Ron. The color had drained from his face and he looked physically ill. She wasn't surprised—being a guy, he knew how delicate that area was.
Mrs. Cunningham took a deep breath. "Was the damage repairable?"
"Unfortunately, no. It's my professional opinion that Jim and Tim will both be sterile for the rest of their lives."
The prosecutor was doing her best to keep her poker face, but it was obvious that she was emotionally affected by the situation. "Thank you. I have no further questions." She turned to the judge. "Your Honor, the state will enter into evidence medical photos of Jim and Tim's injuries. Dr. Cope has signed an affidavit that they are authentic and accurately reflect the state that the boys were in."
Kim immediately closed her eyes. She had never been able to bring herself to actually look at those medical photos, and she was sure she would break down crying if she saw them now. Judging from the audible gasps she heard from the courtroom, they were as horrible as she imagined them to be. When she finally opened her eyes again, she turned to look at Ron. Somehow, he looked even worse.
"Ron, are you—"
"Oh, Kim." He looked almost green. "Your poor—" He suddenly put his hand over his mouth. "Exhuse me," he mumbled as he got up and hurried out of the courtroom, clearly needing to throw up.
Dreading Tomorrow
Mr. Gray's attorney went on to cross-examine Dr. Cope, but there really wasn't much he could do. The medical reports and especially the photos spoke for themselves. But as the first day of court ended, Jim and Tim were clearly nervous in the extreme. Tomorrow, they would be taking the stand themselves.
As the family drove back home from court, Kim noticed a tear coming out of Jim's eye. Growing concerned, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"I—I guess." He sniffled a little as he rubbed his eyes. "It's just scary to think about."
Kim felt so bad for him. She knew how hard this was for her brothers and how difficult it would be for them to describe the worst moment of their lives to a room full of strangers, not to mention Mr. Gray and his attorneys.
Biting her lip, she took his hand in hers. "I can't even imagine what this must be like for you guys. But remember when you first told me about it? And then told Mom and Dad? I know that was scary for you, too, but you did it. And I know you can do it now, too."
"We know," Tim said, joining the conversation. "But back then we didn't have Mr. Gray in the room watching us."
"And we didn't have to worry about his attorney cross-examining us," Jim added.
Kim felt tears come to her eyes. Her brothers were right. This was going to be unlike anything they'd ever experienced. And much as she wanted to, she couldn't protect them from it.
But by God, she could encourage them.
"That's true," she told them. "But remember that I'll be right there with you. And I know that you're both incredibly strong and that you can do this." Despite her tears, she smiled at them. "I don't need to tell you I'm a famous superhero. But I want you both to know that you're MY superheroes. You don't need kung-fu fighting skills or a battlesuit to be a superhero, you just need to do the right thing even when it's hard. What you're doing by going into that courtroom is as brave and heroic as anything I've ever done, and I couldn't be prouder to call you my little brothers."
In an instant, the worry in the boys' faces disappeared completely. With huge smiles, they threw their arms around Kim as she returned their hug. And from the front seat, James and Ann were wiping away their own tears as they beamed with pride at all three of their children.
