Chapter Ten: A Beginner's Guide to Law
Disclaimer: John Silver and everything involving Treasure Planet does not belong to me. Blah, blah, blah…
Lady Safira: okay, okay, I'm sorry for taking so long last time…but it won't happen again, and I thank you for sticking with me. And by the way, I love rambling reviews, especially when yours are my only reviews S2moviefreak glares at everyone except lady Safira I'm glad you're still enjoying it!! Hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Red, all I see is red…and bars, locks, chains, doors, darkness.
Hell – worse than I ever imagined – for all eternity I will remain in this Hell.
Confined – alone – numb – breathless - dead.
Everything is numb, except my lungs – my lungs burn; they burn because I'm in Hell.
The clanging of chains, clicking of locks, footsteps…
"…breath, man, breathe…" a distant voice calls to me.
Hell – red – prison – death – burning…
"…Wake up...what's the matter with you?!" the distant voice becomes louder, more persistent. Wake up…breathe…
"…Do something…wake him up…"
That voice…whose is it? Where is it coming from?
"…throw water on him…pinch him…shake him…something!"
The creaking of hinges resounds throughout my hell – a silhouette obscures my view…
…a red, evil silhouette…the devil himself…
"Wake up, you idiot!"
A painful blow collides with the right side of my head…searing pain…
Jolted out of unconsciousness, I realize that I am not in Hell – at least not the one I thought – I am in prison – I have not been hanged – I am not dead…
And I am not breathing…
Gasping for air, I return from the nightmare, allowing sweet oxygen to pass painfully into my burning lungs…gasping…coughing…inhaling…exhaling…saved from death.
The redness in my eyes slowly disappears as my lungs fill with air...the silhouette becomes clearer…an angry, silent visage looks down upon me…the source of the blow which saved my life.
"Was it quite necessary to hit the man that hard?" another voice draws nearer…closer– the same voice as before…a young voice…
My breathing slows down…my heart rate does not…the voice – the source of the voice sits at my eye-level…a young, male face…
"…Silver…John Silver, can you hear me?"
I try to speak, to tell him that I can in fact hear him, but my words are cut off by a choking sob. I have not realized until now that I am sobbing.
I slowly calm myself down, my sobs subsiding as air continues to fill my lungs and reality kicks in.
"Aye, I hear ye," I state, shakily.
He smiles, relieved. Then, he turns to Colbourne.
"What'd you do that for? There was absolutely no need to strike that hard!" he looks back at my face, "I mean, good God, man, he's bleeding. You could've ripped that little mechanism thing right out of his head!"
"He should be grateful that I even woke him up," Colbourne sneers at me, "His head will be fine…it's not like he'll even need it much longer anyway."
As Colbourne laughs at his cruel joke, I grit my teeth: both to keep me from killing him and to keep me from sobbing all over again.
"Well, another assault like that and I swear I'll have you reported!" the human boy, barely over the age of eighteen, threatens. Colbourne simply glares back at him, speechless.
The boy looks back at me…he looks familiar…sounds familiar…acts familiar….almost as if he were…
"Jim?" I ask, hoping…please let it be Jim…
"Um…no sir…the name's Adam…er…your lawyer." He extends his hand toward me, a smile on his face.
"Oh…" I state, disappointed. Must've been wishful thinking…I wanted to see him so badly…this boy looks nothing like Jim…sounds nothing like Jim.
"Well, um, I know I may not be what you expected. I know I'm young and everything but…" my "lawyer" states "…well, frankly, I was the only one who would take your case."
Before I can reply, another voice interrupts.
"Yeah…best we could get you was the closest firm's intern," a cold, hard voice laughs, "You're his first case. Hope that's alright."
The lawyer glares briefly up at Colbourne, and then looks back at me.
"Yes…you are my first case, but…I swear I'm qualified," he assures, "I graduated top of my class."
Great.
"Okay…great…" As I become fully conscious, the pain in my head gets progressively worse. A groan escapes my throat – my head has taken quite a beating lately.
"Officer, I demand that you release the shackles from my client's hands…" my lawyer commands Officer Colbourne, "…so he can properly tend to his injured head."
A look of pure astonishment comes over Colbourne's visage, "That would be incredibly unsafe…this is a pirate, for God's sake."
"Sir…" my lawyer states calmly, "…at least give him one free hand."
The officer looks toward me again, contemplating. After a few moments, he walks behind me and releases the shackles from my left hand…and proceeds to connect that end to the bars of the cell, holding my right arm in place. At least I have some freedom back.
"Here, Mr. Silver…" he hands me a handkerchief, "…this is all I have right now, but I can get some alcohol or something after the trial…"
As I take the handkerchief and begin painfully wiping the blood from my face, the impact of what he just said hits me…
"My trial?" I don't know if I can handle a trial right now…
"Oh no…" the lawyer begins laughing at a joke I clearly didn't get, "…don't worry about this trial, it's not important."
Colbourne clears his throat, glaring, annoyed at my lawyer.
"Okay, it is 'important,' but it won't decide anything. It's just the trial for the crimes you committed on this planet, which is resisting arrest and thievery, petty thievery at that. If found guilty, you'll get maybe five years in prison, but compare that to the sentence you'll get at your next trial for piracy…" he pauses and winces, catching his tactless comment too late, "…er…this one's no big deal."
"I see…dat's good te know," I state, only half-sarcastically, "So, when does me trial start?"
"Fifteen minutes," Colbourne answers before my lawyer can, "So, you better come with me now to the courthouse."
"Wait, officer, I would like a word with my client…in private." My lawyer states tersely.
Colbourne considers for a moment, reluctant to take orders from such a young man.
"I'll be back in five minutes."
Colbourne exits the cell, leaving me and the lawyer alone.
He looks toward me, and without warning, shakes my left hand with both of his own, "Wow, John Silver…wow…"
"What?" his sudden change in mood floors me.
"I'm in the presence of the infamous pirate, Long John Silver…a living legend, you are," he still has not let go of my hand, "I've heard stories of you and your exploits since I was a young boy…hell, I wanted to be you when I was a young boy."
He shakes my hand with more fervor as I sit in astonishment. Who would've thought I had such a devoted fan?
"…and being able to plead your case is a real treat, sir…a real treat."
The fact that my trial begins in ten minutes, and that this gushing admirer shaking my hand is my lawyer, hits me suddenly, breaking me from my reverie.
"Well, ye know, if ye could win de case fer John Silver…" I force my hand from his grasp, "…dat would be a real treat fer de both of us."
The lawyer – Adam, I think he said his name was – suddenly looks uncomfortable, as if he suddenly doubts both his talents as a lawyer and my chances of staying alive after this ordeal.
"Well, Silver, as I said, this trial is not crucial so there's no need to worry," He states softly, "All I need to know is whether or not you committed thievery on this planet…"
"Aye, I did," No need to lie about it.
"And I know you resisted arrest, judging from that big, ugly bruise on Colbourne's face…I think he lost a tooth or two, if I'm not mistaken. No wonder he has it in for you…you really got him good, didn't you?"
I hadn't noticed that Colbourne had been injured. At least I got one good shot at him. The lawyer's question must have been rhetorical, for before I can answer, he continues.
"Well, if you're guilty, I want you to plead guilty, and get this trial over with as soon as possible so you and I can get off this God-forsaken planet…"
"What d'ye mean?" I ask. I can't leave this planet, no without…
"Well, you're only being kept here until after this formality, then you're being sent to a more secure prison somewhere near Spaceport Crescentia to await your next trial…the one that matters."
"But I can't leave yet!" I state without thinking.
"Why not? I mean, I know you can't be looking forward to the next step of this process, but…"
"No, it's not that. It's just that…someone…" He seems trustworthy enough, but would it be wise to tell him about Eve?
"It's just what?" the lawyer asks persistently. Maybe telling him would be best…
"I have a little girl out there. I promised I'd take care of 'er."
The lawyer stares at me in disbelief.
"John Silver has a child? That doesn't seem like you at all. I mean, I've always been under the impression that you don't 'stick your neck out for nobody.' Of course, I guess after the whole Treasure Planet – Jim Hawkins thing…"
Before I can get a word in, he keeps talking – rambling.
When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Let me get Colbourne, he'll find her and…"
"No! He can't find 'er. He'll take 'er to a workhouse or somepin', and she won't survive there. There has te be somepin' else…"
Stopping mid-sentence, I hear the sound of footsteps drawing nearer…it's been five minutes.
"Alright, it's time to go. I'll talk to my superiors and see what we can do," my lawyer states, looking warily at Colbourne, "Until then, good luck John Silver." He extends his left hand toward me.
"Yeah…good luck…" I reluctantly shake his hand, and quickly pull it away. The lock clicks as Colbourne enters the cell. Wordlessly, he re-shackles my left hand behind my back and orders me to stand; however, unlike in my nightmare, my right leg has not been reattached. I fall to my knees as I attempt to stand.
"Officer, where is my client's leg?!" My lawyer had apparently been oblivious to the fact that only one leg was currently attached to my body. Before Colbourne can respond…
"Because, you know officer, according to statute 13-E, section 24, paragraph 8, it is considered cruel and unusual punishment to remove any limbs from a prisoner, even artificial ones, unless they threaten the safety and well-being of the officers. And I must say, sir, I doubt I will find his artificial leg to be of any danger to you or your colleagues if I inspect it, and once again, sir, I would have grounds to report you.
Both Colbourne and I stare at my lawyer in disbelief – my expression swaying more toward respect, his more toward indignation – until Colbourne finally finds his voice.
"Well, it did have weapons on it…"
"Weapons that could have easily been taken off…sir, there could be a bloody cannon on his leg, for all I care. You have impeded my client's ability to walk and I demand that you reattach his leg immediately before the trial."
"B-but, it's too dangerous…."
"Think about it officer. If the weapons on my client's leg were dangerous and functional, why wouldn't he have used them against you when he was arrested? I mean, from what I can see from the case file, he resisted with 'brute strength' alone, using no weapons."
Adam looks at me and winks. He seems to be trying to prove himself more than anything.
For the first time, Colbourne seems floored and speechless.
"But…" he looks at me and glares, seeing as I'm biting my lip to keep from laughing out loud. The look of indignation on his face is beyond priceless.
Conceding, Colbourne begins to exit the cell.
"I'll be right back," he states curtly.
Adam and I glare at his back until he turns the corner, after which we both proceed to laugh at our victory.
"See…told you I was qualified…" he struggles to say between chortles.
"Aye, ye did…who would've thought such a young lad would know so much about cruel and unusual punishment."
"Well, to be honest," he struggles to control his laughter and lower his voice, looking to where Colbourne had turned the corner, "I was lying about all of that 'cruel and unusual' punishment' stuff…there is no statute 13-E, section 24, paragraph 8!"
A new round of chuckles escapes our throats. Well, at least I have myself a fast-talking lawyer, albeit inexperienced.
"Well, thank ye for talkin' out of yer ass fer me," I laugh, until Colbourne comes back into view, carrying my leg in both arms.
"I didn't realize how heavy this piece of junk is," he states as he unlocks the cell, balancing my leg on his knee. Adam doesn't move to help him…I can't move to help him if I wanted.
When the door unlocks, Colbourne doesn't enter. Instead he roughly throws my leg to the ground, probably trying to break it, and exits the cell, locking it once more.
"Attach it, yourself…" He states as he unlocks the shackles from both of my hands, "…and be quick about it…you have a trial to get to."
Although relishing my arms' newfound freedom, I'm not looking forward to reattaching this hunk of hardware…judging from how painful it was to attach the first time.
It takes me awhile to attach it, having to go back 20 years to when I first got the thing, and the doctor had shown me how. Adam offers to help, but I wave him away. I was right, it's pretty painful, but it's worth it to be able to stand and walk freely again.
I tinker with it until finally every mechanism is clicked into place, and it comes alive as if it had never been removed.
"Done yet? You're going to be late for your trial, get up!" Colbourne yells from outside the cell. I do as he says, glaring all the while at him.
"You, Adam was it? Restrain him…" Colbourne hands the shackles to Adam through the bars and waits outside the cell.
Coward.
Adam rolls his eyes as he walks toward me and I put my hands behind my back. No need in resisting just to prolong my stay here.
After I'm safely restrained, I am led out of the cell and toward the courthouse.
The same scene as before - The courthouse to the right; my nightmare to the left.
I heave a sigh of relief and thank God as they lead me to the right.
A/N: Where's Jim you ask? He's coming, and don't worry, Adam won't take Jim's place. Not even close. Jim's coming soon.
And by the way, Adam and Eve is a coincidence. My grandmother told me to name the lawyer Adam, and I like the name Eve, so…