What If? - The Good Lawyer
Shaun's malpractice suit instead of the earthquake, is the catalyst that makes Lea realize she was wrong to reject Shaun.
Janet is practically storming through the hospital heading towards the clinic to talk to Aaron. She finds him at the desk talking to Lea, his assistant.
"Aaron! You cannot seriously tell me that you are ok with Dr. Murphy risking his career like this?
Lea looks up in shock at the mention of Shaun, but she quickly looks back down.
"Hello to you too and no, I do not think it is a good idea, but it was his decision, and once he makes up his mind, no one can convince him otherwise."
"But a lawyer with OCD, who has never seen the inside of a court room?"
-lawyer? what is going on?- Lea thought
"You hired her, why do you have so little faith in her?"
"I do, she is very good at what she does but her OCD has a tendency to get in the way."
"Or do you let it get in her way? Maybe the reason why he chose her to represent him is because everyone here used to treat him the way she way is, until he proved himself as a doctor."
"If she loses this case, Dr. Murphy loses his medical license, you get that right?"
Glassman sighs, "Yes, I know that."
"Then make him change his mind before it's too late to save his career!"
"Last time I tried to make him realize something it blew up in his face, I can't do that to him again, he'd turn his back on me and I'm all he has left now, outside of this damn hospital."
"This is different Aaron, and you know it. You know him better than anyone, you know all the good he is capable of doing, if he doesn't give up, like he's doing right now!"
"Maybe what they both need right now is to be around someone that understands what it is like to be constantly judged on what you can't do instead of what they can do. It's been a long time since Shaun has had anyone have faith in him and refuse to give up." Glassman can't help but glance at Lea as he said this.
"I will admit, she does seem very confident in herself, since Shaun became adament about her representing him."
"That's what he does, he sees the good in everyone, despite no one ever seeing all the good in him."
"Fine, you made your point, I won't interfere unless I see her losing control of the case. We've been friends a long time Aaron, I know how much time you've invested in Shaun to help him see his own value in the world."
"Thank you, now if you don't mind, I have patients to attend too."
Lea hears the lawyer walk away, she looks up at Glassman to see he's looking at her.
"Glassy, what is going on? Why does Shaun need a lawyer?"
"So now you care about him?" he huffs and walks away.
"I never stopped." she says quietly.
Lea decides to take her break and go get lunch. She walks into the cafeteria, as she gets her food, she sees Shaun talking to a woman she's never seen before. -That must be his lawyer- she thought. Making sure he doesn't see her, she sits near them to see if she can find out what's going on.
She fails to notice that Joni sees her.
"Why do you have so much faith in me? I'm a lawyer with OCD and I was late to the only meeting we had. So why me and not the test you were going to do?"
"Because the test doesn't care"
Lea sees that made her smile and she feels a twinge of jealousy.
"Dr. Murphy"
"Please call me Shaun"
"Ok, Shaun, part of my job as your lawyer is to make the jury like you and dislike the plantiff"
"Hmm, what is your plan?" he asks quietly.
"By getting to know who you are as a person and not as a person with autism, because just like my OCD is not all of who I am, your autis isn't all you are. You have so much faith in me, that I wonder if you have faith in yourself."
"Hmm" he thinks about what she said. "As a doctor, I do believe in myself."
"But?"
"As just a person, I do not."
"Why?"
Shaun just shrugs.
"Do you not feel like anyone has any faith in you?"
"In what regards?"
"Let's start with as a doctor, do people have faith in you as a doctor?"
"No one did at first because all they saw was my ASD, but eventually I got everyone to see that I do belong here. I temporarily lost my surgical residency, almost a year because a new Chief of Surgery was hired and he didn't want me to be in his department, so he transferred me to pathology. Everyone fought for me. They made it clear that I was an amazing surgeon and that by working with me, they became not only better doctors but better people."
"Ok, and what about as just a person?"
"No, not since my brother died"
Lea clenched her eyes shut -That's not true, I do, it's myself I don't have faith in- she pleaded in her mind.
"Tell me about your brother"
"Why? What does that have to do with this?"
"Because everyone we've ever met, makes a difference in our lives whether it be big or small, those influences helps us become who we are meant to be."
Hmm. "My brother always used to tell me that I was the smart one, that I could do anything"
"That's pretty good advice."
"It was."
"You don't believe that you can do anything, anymore?"
"No" Shaun said sighing.
"Shaun?"
"Yes, Joni?"
"What broke you? I looked at your case before I even met you and I read what you did that for man. Remember what I told you that day? What you did was extraordinary and you didn't deserve what was being done to you"
Shaun meets her eyes, then looks away, "How can I believe that I can do anything if I can't even find someone to love me? Over the past few weeks, I've been slowly convincing myself that I'll never find someone to love me, and that I just need to move on with my life. That's why Dr. Park and I were on the road that night. He was driving me back from a job interview that was four hours away. It was too far to take the bus. It's like my dad and everyone else I've met, I'll never be good enough."
Lea couldn't stop the tears that were running down her face. -But I do love you, I told you that, I'm the one that's not good enough-
"Shaun, I think that maybe what you need right now is a break, a night out to unwind. Listen, I have to get back to the office to prepare for our motion to dismiss in a few days. What do you say, you meet my sister and I for a few drinks tonight?"
"Why would you even bother?"
"Shaun, I'm never going to be able to get the jury to like you if you don't even like yourself. Jurys can see see the lack of confidence in defendants, its how innocent people lose."
"That's fair, ok Joni, I'll come but no karaoke, just drinks"
Joni laughs, "Not a problem, not really a fan of karaoke, ya know with the extreme anxiety"
"Ok, Logan's Tavern at 9 tonight?"
"Abbie and I will see you there"
Shaun gathers his things and gets up to leave to go home, he isn't even supposed to be here right now. He doesn't notice Lea sitting there with her head in her hands crying.
Later that evening, Lea showed up at the bar she overheard Shaun mention. She knew she was going full stalker mode, but he's been ignoring her, but she sees no other way to figure out how to repair the fracture between them. She orders herself a small tray of tequila shots and then hides in a corner, where no one coming in could see her unless they were purposefully looking for her. At 9 on the dot, Shaun walked in through the door and a few minutes later his lawyer and another woman walked in.
"Hey Shaun, you remember my sister Abbie from your visit to our home the other night?"
"Yes, hello Joni and Abbie, nice to see you again"
Lea saw them sit at the bar so she moved closer.
"First round is on me Shaun, what would you like?"
"I've only ever had tequila before"
"Do you want that or do you want to try something new?"
"Um, surprise me"
Joni caught the bartenders attention, "Two margaritas and beer please" A few minutes later, the three drinks were placed in front of them. Joni handed her sister the beer and handed Shaun on of the margaritas.
"Here's to getting everything we deserve out of life" toasts Abbie.
Everyone took a sip of their drinks, while Lea downed another tequila shot.
"So, what do you think of the drink Shaun?"
"It's not bad, what is in it?"
"The main ingredient is tequila, you didn't think everyone drank that stuff straight did you? It burns like hell going down." she laughed.
Shan just shrugged and kept drinking more.
"I thought I would show you that you can take one thing you like and blend it into something new and still be happy with the result."
Lea rolled her eyes and took another shot.
"I understand your point" he said as he finished the drink.
"Do you want another?"
That line, made Lea bring to mind the the time she asked him that. She will admit he was a lot different back then.
"I don't know"
"Shaun, you're on leave until this case is over and tonight is about us loosening up and getting rid of all the self doubt"
"Ok, Joni, I'll have another"
"Another round please!"
"So tell us about yourself Shaun, you mentioned a brother who died, what about your parents?
"My dad is dead and I don't want anything to do with my mom"
"You don't have anyone?"
"Outside of the hospital, only Dr. Glassman"
"We have to change that" Abbie said to Joni.
"Is it because you chose not to have friends outside of work or because no one will give you a chance because of your ASD? Shaun, I think that if you were given the chance, that you'd prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can in fact be everything someone neeeds and wants. You just need to believe in yourself again"
Abbied snorted"Now if only this one would take her own advice"
Joni rolled her eyes, "There's a difference, I have extreme anxiety that started when our dad died and our mom couldn't take care of us because of her own grief and its not like I don't date, or a random one night stand, everyone has needs. I'm just not in a place for anything long-term, it's getting better though thanks to the exposure therapy."
By this point Shaun was almost done with his fourth drink and Lea was on her fifth shot.
"Shaun, my friend, you either need to slow down or we need to order some food"
"Fries?"
"Fries it is."
An hour later, the trio could not stop laughing about whatever it was they were talking about. Lea could no longer understand anything they were saying, except that Shaun was happy without her, so she ordered herself an uber and left. Failing once again to notice that Joni saw her. Lea had the week off work, paid, thankfully, because Glassman was going to be at the courthouse to support Shaun. No one knew this but that was where she was planning on being as well. The motion to dismiss was denied thanks to the plantiff's lawyer triggering an OCD attack in Joni, so now they were going to trial.
On the last day of the trial, Lea was sitting behind Glassman and Joni's boss. Lea saw Glassy lean in to say something to Janet.
"Janet, what did Joni do to Shaun? I haven't seen him this relaxed in months" that really caught Lea's attention, -has he moved on with his lawyer, was she really losing her chance to be ready to be with Shaun?- she despairingly thought.
"She made sure he wasn't alone. He's gets along really well with both her and her sister. They kept taking him out for dinner every night. She told him that sitting at home all alone with nothing but his thoughts wouldn't make him feel any better about his life, that he needed to be around friends."
"She didn't like lead him or anything did she? I can't live through that again. He looks hopeful for the first time in I don't even know how long."
Janet laughed, "Yes, she made it VERY clear to Shaun since day one that all they would ever be is friends. and she hoped that once this case was over that they could continue being friends, because she throughly enjoys his company. She told me he's quite funny. Aaron, I hate to admit it but you were right about the two of them"
"Oh really and how was I correct?"
"That what they both needed was to be around someone that understands each other to a point, and spend time with someone who wouldn't judge the other because of the neuroatypical personalities. Joni told me this morning she didn't understand how he has no friends, that she couldn't get what no one could see what an amazing guy Shaun is."
"Well I'm glad he found a friend, that solely wants to be his friend and shows it"
"Aaron what's that supposed to mean?"
"His first friend he made since moving to San Jose, was his neighbor, and she led him for years and once he told her he was in love with her and wanted to be with her, she flaked on him.
"What did she do that led him on?
"From what he told me, she had kissed him a few times, and had even hugged him on occasion. Then when his dad died, his dad said really hurtful things to him after Shaun told him he forgave him for everything, that he had a meltdown in the hotel and was hurting himself, that she came into the room and she took him in her arms and calmed him down. That they were cuddling as they fell asleep. I knew then things were going to end badly. It's a huge deal for Shaun to let someon touch him like that, I just knew he was going to be hurt, when she rejected him. I didn't think she would reject him because of his autism though, she always seemed to treat Shaun like a person and not a problem, but I guess that was fake as well. Did you know it took me almost 14 years to get him to even hug me? She accomplished that within weeks."
"Wow, no wonder Joni said she had to help Shaun rebuild his confidence."
Court was now in session
First the plantiff had to testify. Things were going well until the plantiffs lawyer made his chair squeak and made Joni panic, Janet ended up being given a fine to help her snap out of it. Joni was doing a very good job and she didn't want her to give up now.
Without missing a beat Joni said, "If my client hadn't been a good Samaritan and hadn't stopped to help, you'd be dead and his career wouldn't be in jeopardy, is that correct?"
The plantiff just sat there not know what to day as the everyone in the courtroom gasped in shock.
Joni, making her point that the guy was a jerk said, "No further questions your honor." Next it was Shaun's turn to testify. Joni asked him some basic questions about that night, what happened, what led to him amputating the man's hand. Then she decided to flip everything, so the jury and a certain someone in the court room could see what type of person Shaun really is.
"Shaun, would you please tell us about yourself?"
"I have Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have always had autism spectrum disorder and I have always wanted to be a doctor, but at first there was a lot of people who thought I shouldn't be a doctor because all they saw was my autism. As my coworker and friend, Dr. Clarie Browne, once told me, that I had earned her respect as not only a doctor but as a friend because she could see that I could change and adapt, and that she now considered me to be one of her closest friends because being around me made her a better person. That's all I've ever wanted was to make peoples lives better."
"But that isn't all there is to you is it Shaun? You want to make people better in both your personal and professional life right? We've only known each other for a few weeks correct?"
"Yes, that is correct"
"You've made me a better person just by knowing you and getting to know you. Other than you giving me the confidence to be your lawyer, do you want to know what else I've learned?"
"Ok, sure"
"That yes you may struggle with expressing your emotions verbally, but you do not struggle with showing them through your actions. I think you already know that, otherwise you wouldn't even have friends at work. See everyone thinks that the only way someone can show that they care or love someone is through verbal communication but that true emotions are shown through action. If it wasn't, Dr. Park and yourelf wouldn't have stopped that night to help. There was a bad rainstorm that evening, I know I'm not sure I would have been able to do what you did. I think that anyone should consider themselves incredibly lucky to have someone who shows how they feel about someone through what they do, not what they say. Yes its great to hear I love you from the person you love but we all know, whether your neurotypical or neuroatypical, that actions speak louder than words." Joni then turned to the jury and she thought she saw some hope for her client. "Nothing further your honor"
The case was put into recess so both sides could finish preparations for their closing arguments. An hour later court was called back into session. The plantiffs gave his his closing argument then it was her turn.
"My mentor once told me that people don't like me, that I make the uncomfortable. She's right, and no one likes my client either. We're different, but we're all different. You've worn purple everyday of this trial, I assume because you love it and you want it to be your thing and you've got those mutton chops, they make you, you. But once we start getting judged on our differences, it's no longer fun. And fair enough, you are literally here to judge my client. But don't judge him on the way that he talks, or the way he doesn't look at you, or on his awkward mannerisms. Judge him on who he is. Someone who spends everyday trying to make the world a better place. Don't punish him for that. Do what the plaintiff should have done and say Thank You." Joni breathed, "Thank you for your time"
The court was then adjourned so the jury could deliberate. Out in the hallway away from everyone, Lea couldn't stop thinking about what both Shaun and Joni had said about Shaun's character in the trial. Lea then knew that she had been an idiot for not giving Shaun a chance to prove that he could be everything she needed, who was she kidding, he was all she wanted. Her head and her heart were finally in agreement with each other and she knew she needed to do something before she lost her chance forever.
Two hours later
After they had won their case, everyone met up a bar to for celebratory drinks. Just as Lea ordered her drink she heard Joni talking to Shaun.
"Shaun, we did it!"
"Yes Joni, we work well together!"
"Yes we do, my friend."
Shaun got the biggest grin that Lea noticed, "Yes friends, I would really like that"
After a few drinks, Shaun and Joni made plans to hang out in a few days. Needing a minute, Shaun stepped outside to get some air. He wasn't sure if he had ever been this happy before, not only did he not lose his medical license, but he had made a new friend. Just as he turned around to go back inside, there stood Lea, looking at him. Her being there confused him, he thought he made it clear that they were no longer friends. So he decided to ignore her and go back inside the bar. Just as he was about to pass her, he felt Lea grab his hand, he cautiously turned to ask her what she wanted, but as his head turned to face her, she pulled him into a kiss. He pulled away, "I don't know what that was. It could be a practice kiss or a pity kiss or a goodbye kiss." Lea shook her head no, "It was I am such a stupid idiot for not seeing it but I love you with my whole heart, and heres another" She kissed him again. He pulled away looking at her with just a smidge of hope. "I am so sorry Shaun, what I said was about me not you, but I want you. I want to be with you, only you." She said looking into his eyes, hoping he could see that she meant it. Then as she was about to lose hope, he leaned down to kiss her and pulled her into his arms and that is where they stood making out.
Inside, Joni took a look around to see where Shaun had gone too. Then she saw him outside kissing Lea and she grinned -my plan to show her what she was losing out on worked- She had a feeling who Lea was when she kept spotting her everywhere her and Shaun would go, she could see she was watching Shaun, trying to work up the nerve to say something.
For the first time, Joni looked forward to the future, she had won her first case, made a new friend, and helped bring together said friend and the woman who loved him.