~ Stranger In The Night ~

~ By Vicky ~

~ Chapter 22 ~

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Courtney groaned and snuggled closer to the naked man in bed beside her.  Jason's arms wrapped around her and rubbed her bare back beneath the covers.  "I don't want to leave this bed," she said sleepily, her eyes remaining closed.

"We have to," he replied, also not opening his eyes.  He did reach over to the night table and stopped that incessant beeping from the alarm clock though.

Courtney groaned again, and buried her face in his chest.  "Can't we just sleep the day away, and pretend it never happened?"

"You know we can't do that.  Come on, the sooner we get this day over, the better."

"I know…" she sighed and rolled over.  She got up from the bed, and slipped her robe on. 

As she walked by, Jason's hand reached out to hers. He looked up at her from the bed, and their eyes connected.  "It's going to be ok."

She nodded and gave him a half a smile before finishing her trail to the bathroom, to start her shower and the day ahead.  Jason sighed.  This was going to be a rough day for everyone.

Forty minutes later, they were showered and almost ready.  Jason stood in front of the mirror, struggling with his silver tie, as Courtney sat on the bed putting on her black pumps, which matched her simple black skirt and white blouse.  She got up and adjusted his tie for him.  Their eyes met, and they shared a silent moment of understanding.  Neither of them knew how the events today and the trial would turn out, and the repercussions it would have on their future.  She finished straightening his tie and after a final brush of her hand down his black shirt, broke contact.  Clearing her throat, she asked, "What time do you have to be there?"

"10am you?"

"9:30.  Baldwin wants to go over my testimony," she said with disdain.

He nodded.  "Then you better get going."

"Yeah…" Neither wanted to leave though.  She moved towards him and kissed him goodbye.  He held on to her hand until the distance between them made it impossible, and then watched her walk out the door.

At the courthouse, Courtney was ushered into a secluded room, and told she wouldn't be allowed in the courtroom until it came time to testify, something Courtney was not happy about.  When she got into the room, she saw the woman she knew to be Elizabeth Webber, the prosecution's star witness against Jason, already there.  She gave the brunette a glare and sat at the opposite end of the room.

"He doesn't care about you know," the brunette said.

"Excuse me?" Courtney replied, not wanting to speak to the woman.

"I've heard the rumors… about you and Jason?" 

"You don't know anything about me and Jason."

"But I do.  He pulled the same deal with me, he'll make you believe he cares and that he's letting you see a side to him that no one else does, but you don't know him.  No one does, he's cold and violent and…"

"Why are you even talking to me?"

"I just thought I should warn you," she shrugged.

"Well I can take care of myself."

"If that were the case, maybe your baby wouldn't be dead."

Courtney's eyes went wide and began to tingle with tears.  "Where the hell do you get off?"

"I didn't…"

"Look we probably shouldn't even be talking to each other so just shut the hell up ok?"

In the courtroom, the trial was just about to start.  The room was filled various Port Charles citizens here to witness the trial.  Behind Jason, sat Sonny, Carly, Mike, Bobbie, and Jason's loyal friends and guards Johnny and Francis.  On the other side, the prosecution side, sat most of the Quartermaine clan, Alan, Monica, Edward, Skye, and even Ned.  Plus anyone who ever had anything against Jason or Sonny, so Jax and Taggart were both there to make sure Jason finally paid for his crimes.  Emily walked into the courtroom, and looked to both sides, obviously torn.  Her eyes met her brother's, and then her parents.  Debating it, she took a seat in the last row behind Jason. 

The bailiff stood and announced, "All rise for the honorable Judge Lewis presiding."

The judge knocked his gavel.  "Be seated.  In the matter of The People vs. Jason Morgan, court is now in session."

Scott stood.  "Scott Baldwin on behalf of the people,"

"Justus Ward on behalf of the defendant your honor," Justus followed.

"I am prepared to hear opening statements.  Mr. Baldwin?"

"Thank you your honor," Scotty stepped from behind the desk and began to pace.  "Jason Morgan is a career criminal, a mob enforcer who's main job is to kill people for Sonny Corinthos, among countless other illegal activities.  For years he has managed to escape the law, until now.  You see this time, he was sloppy and a witness happened upon him before he could finish the job and murder AJ Quartermaine, a prominent Port Charles citizen and businessman, a former member of the city council.  Now AJ is laying in a hospital bed in coma.  The doctors don't think he will ever wake up, and if he does he will most likely suffer permanent brain damage.  AJ and his family deserve justice, and Jason Morgan needs to be stopped before he takes another life."  Scotty moved back behind the desk and sat down, with a satisfied grin on his face.

Justus stood and walked over to the jury booth.  "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, my client is also a respectable business man.  He owns a coffee import/export business that has created many jobs and brought a great deal of business to Port Charles.  He's an honest, hardworking man.  He won't deny that he and Mr. Quartermaine fought on the night of September 10^th, but attempted murder?  Jason and AJ are brothers, and while they don't always get along, Jason loves and cares about his family, his mother, grandmother, and sister.  He would never do something that would hurt them, and killing his brother certainly would.  The truth is it was a simple bar fight that got out of hand.  Wrong?  Yes, but attempted murder it was not."  Justus finished and returned to his seat next to Jason.

"Mr. Baldwin, you may call your first witness," the judge announced.

"The prosecution calls Dr. Tony Jones to the stand."

Tony stood up from the back of the courtroom and made his way to the front.  He was sworn in and sat down.

"Dr. Jones, you are the doctor on AJ Quartermaine's case, correct?" Baldwin asked as he walked towards the witness stand.

"Yes."

"What was your first impression of AJ Quartermaine's injuries when you saw him on the night of September 10^th?"

"Well it was obvious that AJ had been severely beaten, and close to death.  He was unconscious and unresponsive."

"Exhibit A for the court.  A copy of AJ Quartermaine's medical records from that night.  Dr. Jones would you please explain these for the jury."

"Yes, it says here that AJ had received multiple blows to the head, leaving him with a cerebral hematoba, which means his brain was bleeding.  We were able to operate to stop the bleeding, but AJ never regained consciousness."

"So he's still in a coma?"

"Yes."

"What are his chances of coming out of it?"

"Not good. It's a safe assessment to say he will never regain consciousness."

"So he will basically spend the rest of his life a vegetable?"

A sob could be heard from the back of the courtroom, and Jason looked back to see his mother in tears.  Alan placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.  Tony Jones cleared his throat before answering, "It seems that way."

"What other injuries did AJ receive that night?"

"He had three broken ribs, a broken nose, and some internal bleeding, not to mention the countless bruises and cuts."

"And what kind of person could have done something like that to another person?"

"Objection!" Justus stood up.  "The witness couldn't possibly be able to determine 'what kind of person' Mr. Quartermaine had an altercation with."

"The witness is a medical professional, a neurosurgeon in fact. He is fully qualified in the field of personality disorders and brain functions," Baldwin rebutted.

"Sustained, it is a stretch Mr. Baldwin," the judge said.

Scott turned back to Tony, "You were also the lead physician on the defendant's own medical case in 1996 correct?"

"Objection!  Relevance?" Justus questioned.

"Dr. Jones was there first hand when Mr. Morgan suffered from his personality altering injuries.  No one would know better what the defendant is capable of."

The judge sighed.  "I'll allow it.  Please answer the question."

"Yes, I was Jason's doctor after his accident in 1996."

"And after all was said and done with his treatment, what was your final diagnosis?"

"Jason suffered permanent brain damage after fracturing his skull in a car accident."

"Do you know the details surrounding this accident?"

"Yes, AJ was driving under the influence, and crashed the car into a tree."

"So, there is reason to believe that Jason might have blamed AJ for his brain damage? Resented him?  Wanted to get back at him?"

"I don't really know about that."

"Ok, so explain this 'brain damage' to us.  How did it affect the defendant?"

"Well, the most obvious effect was that Jason has no recollection of the first 22 years of his life, which is everything from before the accident.  He had to relearn many simple tasks, and social behavior.  He is not capable of the type of feelings that a normal person would, he has no sense of guilt, love, happiness, despair…"

Jason shook his head.  Dr. Jones never understood him, and had no business telling anyone what he was or wasn't capable of feeling.

"Fascinating! So really he isn't a human being, he's a machine?"

"Objection!" Justus shot up from his chair.  "The witness said no such thing, and the DA has no place suggesting that my client is a machine!"

"Sustained.  Please strike Mr. Baldwin's last remark from the record.  Mr. Baldwin you are starting to tread on thin ice here," the judge warned.

"Understood. Dr. Jones, but what you are saying is that Jason Morgan is capable of beating someone to the point where they are near death, and not feel any guilt whatsoever? Correct?"

"Yes."

"I'm finished with this witness your honor."

The judge nodded and looked to Justus, who stood to begin his cross-examination.  "Dr. Jones, you were arrested and guilty of kidnapping, Michael Corinthos, then Morgan, the child that was under Mr. Morgan's care? Yes?"

Tony squirmed in his seat and looked to Carly who just smirked at him. "That's right."

"So you obviously have something against my client?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Then what would you say? Why would you kidnap the boy Jason loved and cared for as his son?"

"Because he wasn't his son!"

"But he wasn't yours and you didn't know Jason wasn't his father…"

"He was not fit to raise a small child!" Tony yelled.

"And that was your decision to make? Do you work for child protective services Dr. Jones?"

Scott stood up, "Objection! Your honor Mr. Morgan is the one on trial, not the witness."

"Sustained, Mr. Ward get where you are going with this please."

Justus nodded, "The fact is Dr. Jones, you don't like the defendant do you?"

Tony took a deep breath, "That would be a correct observation," he said glaring at Jason.

"I have no more questions for this witness."  Justus walked back behind the defense table, and Scott stood again.

"Dr. Jones did the defendant retaliate against you in anyway for kidnapping the child?" Scott asked.

"Yes, he smashed my hand with a butt of a gun, thus breaking several bones in my hand."

Scott smiled, "That's all."

"You may step down," the judge instructed Tony.  "Your next witness Mr. Baldwin?"

"The prosecution calls Elizabeth Webber to the stand."

The back doors opened and Elizabeth was escorted in by an officer of the court.  She took the stand and was sworn in. 

"Ms. Webber what did you see outside Jake's bar on the night of September 10^th, 2002?" Scott asked.

"I found Jason Morgan attacking AJ Quartermaine."

"And how was he attacking him?"

"He was punching and kicking him repeatedly."

"What did you do when you saw this?"

"I yelled for him to stop, that he was going to kill him, and then I pulled him off AJ."

"Did Jason say anything when you told him he was going to kill him?"  She nodded and looked to Jason.  "What did he say?"

"He said something like that's the point or that's the idea."

Jason's eyes bored through her.  How could she do that to him?  He thought they were friends.  He knew things didn't really work out for them the way she may have wanted, but he never thought she would turn on him like this.

"Then what happened Ms. Webber?"

"Jason left and I called 911."

"Thank you, no further questions."

"Ms. Webber, what is your relationship to Mr. Morgan?" Justus asked as he stood up.

"Relationship?" Liz questioned.

"Yes, relationship, how do you know him, do you have a past with him? That sort of thing."

"Well… um…  we were friends who had a special connection."

"What do you mean by 'special connection'?"

"I don't really know how to explain it."

"Were you dating?"

"Well, no not really, but we wanted to."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Timing never really worked out I guess," she shrugged.

"When Jason Morgan returned to town last May, did you think you would get together?"

"Yes, I supposed it would happen."

"But it didn't?"

"No."

"Were you disappointed that it didn't?"

"Yes in some way."

"Enough to want to get back at him for not being with you?"

"What?"

"Objection!" Scott stood up.  "The witness' relationship with the defendant doesn't change what she saw first hand."

"Just exploring a theory on how the witness might tend to exaggerate events given her past resentment towards my client," Justus explained.

The judge looked at Justus, uneasily, "I'll allow it."

"Do you hold any resentment towards Jason Morgan?"

"No, not to the lengths you're suggesting."

"Ah but you do admit there is some resentment there?"

"Maybe a little."

"That's all your honor," Justus said on his way back to the desk.

The judged knocked his gavel, "We will be taking an hour recess for lunch and will meet back here by 2pm."

~

Courtney stood outside the pizza shack waiting for Jason.  She was relieved to be out of that damn room for at least an hour.  She saw him heading towards her and met him half way, resisting the urge to kiss him.  "Hey, how's it going?  I've been going crazy thinking about it."

He touched her hand and shrugged, "It's hard to say, come on let's eat and I'll fill you in."

They ordered their pizza and sat down at a nearby table.  Jason smiled as she began to pick the pieces of chicken off her chicken and broccoli slice and pop them into her mouth.  "So tell me everything!  Does the jury look sympathetic?" she asked.

"I don't really know.  It might be easier to tell once we present our side.  So far Dr. Jones and Elizabeth testified.  Baldwin brought up my accident and what Tony thinks of me.  You know that I basically can't feel and have no remorse."

Courtney shook her head, "Anyone who knows you knows that's not true."

"Yeah but the problem is the jury doesn't know me.  They only know what they've read in the papers and what people tell them.  I think Justus managed to discredit a lot of what Tony had to say though.  Elizabeth was the worst.  An unfavorable eyewitness is never good."

She shifted in her hair and sort of avoided looking at him.  "Just how close were you and Elizabeth?"

He looked up from his pizza and stared at her curiously,  "We were friends… at least I thought we were."

"Just friends?  Nothing more?"

"Yeah why?" he asked.

"Well it's just that Elizabeth kinda made it out like you were dating or something…"

"What?  No!  I mean there was a time when it looked like maybe there could have been something more there, but it never worked out… and I'm glad it didn't."  He touched her hand from across the table.  "Because I like where I am and who I'm with right now."

She smiled and blushed a bit.  "Come on Jason!  You're on trial for attempted murder…"

"So what!  I'm always on trial for something, but I have you and that's all that matters."

Her eyes began to water and she looked deep into his baby blues.  "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too… and I don't want you worrying about any of this.  Once you testify, I'm sure the jury will understand and see we weren't the bad guys in all this."

"I hope you're right…" she said as she pushed the rest of her pizza aside.  Once they went back to the courthouse, she knew she would take the stand and the thought made her sick.  What if she couldn't save Jason from this?