Mastering the Valley: Completed

Chapter 65: The sister secret

I walk outside of the room ready to take on this challenge. I go into the courtroom and the judge walks up to Mr and Mrs LaRusso and then they gesture to me. I walk over there.
"Hello Kate, I'm Judge John Marshall. How are you doing today?"
"I'm doing fine. How are you?" I ask, using my manners.
"I'm doing well. Do you mind if we all discuss everything in my chambers?"
I look to Mr and Mrs LaRusso. "Sure." I respond.
We walk past the courtroom and walk down a hallway to get to the judge's office. His office is huge, it has eggshell white walls and dark brown hardwood floors.
"Let's take a seat."
We sit down and discuss everything that happened, and then the judge tells us.
  "She can't testify if she is too emotionally attached to the situation."
  "Judge- How can you say that to her? She went through something so traumatic.. even I would be emotional about it." Mrs. LaRusso says.
   "I'm just saying, as soon as she starts to shed a tear or raise her voice she is going to have to be taken off of the stand."
   "No offense your honor, but that rule is bullshit."
  "Eli- stop." Mrs LaRusso says to Hawk.
"Don't tell me to stop, especially right now." he then gestures his body towards the judge. "You don't understand how hard it was for her to even show her face, and then you come in all high and mighty with your whole 'emotional attachment' bullshit and you know damn well that she is STILL trying to get over this and entire situation."
  "HAWK." I stand up and raise my voice.
   Mr LaRusso stands up and looks to us. "Katelyn, sit back down and stay in here. Elijah, come with me." he says.
  He must really be pissed, he has never called me Katelyn and has NEVER called Hawk Elijah.
  "Your honor, we have to excuse Eli. He has also been going through a hard time with this whole situation."
   "How so?" he asks.
  "His little sister got kidnapped a few years ago and well... she never made it back home."
   Wait... Hawk had a sister?
  "He is wanting to get justice not only for Kate's sake... but for his sisters as well, god rest her soul."
  He had a sister? Thats insane. He has never mentioned anything about a sister.
   "I will make a deal with you. I'll let Kate on the stand, but the second she gets too emotional, we will have her removed from the stand." Judge Marshall says.
   "That will be perfect. Thank you judge." Mrs LaRusso says.
  "You are welcome. I understand that this is a tough situation. Being taken against her will and being abused on top of that. Especially seeing how this situation has happened to her before." he shifts his body to me and holds both of my hands. "You are a miracle kid."
   "Thank you." I say, dumbfounded.
  I'm so surprised that he has a sister.. or well he had one. I can't help but wonder if that's why he has made a big deal out of this entire situation. What if I was just a small piece of a bigger picture?
   I'm probably just reading too much into this.
"Kate?" Mrs LaRusso says, snapping me back to reality.
   "Yeah?" I ask.
  "He asked you a question." she says. I move my head towards his direction.
  "I'm sorry, I was not paying attention. What did you ask?"
   "We offer therapy for victims of Domestic Violence, abduction, and abuse. I asked you if you wanted us to provide you with therapy. Would you like us to provide you with a therapist?" he asks.
   I have never really thought about therapy. Therapy could help, but what if it doesn't. What if I'm just trapped in this endless loop of anxiety and depression? What if there is no way out? I have so many thoughts but they are all leading me to one answer and one answer alone.
   "Yes."