After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 29

December 14, 1992. 9:21 AM.

Acting was a skill Jack Merridew had mastered during the first fourteen years of his life. He could act like he wasn't bothered by his father's disinterest when he really was, and he could also act like he was bothered when he wasn't simply to wage a war that would get him a little attention. Jack was the king of being exactly what he needed to be when he needed to be it. And in this world, it was the only thing Jack got to be the king of.

On the second Monday of the trial, Jack was dependent on that skillset to get him through the morning. It wasn't the testimony that made sitting in Courtroom 4 unusually tiresome, but the need to try much harder than usual to avoid making eye contact with Ralph Langley across the aisle. The brunette boy's family sat in the row directly beside Jack's, just on the other side of the aisle. Whether or not he felt Ralph looking at him, Jack struggled to keep himself from glancing over at him. Not only did Jack not want Ralph to catch him looking, but he was told to assume that at least one of the twelve jurors had their eyes on him at all times. Every movement would be telling, Brett never stopped saying, as if the pressure of being on trial for murder wasn't daunting enough.

Beside him, Paige quietly filed her nails with a mini nail filer she'd pulled from her tiny designer purse. On his other side, Brett Winslow sat perfectly upright in his fancy, tailored suit as he payed close attention to the proceedings. Today marked the fourth day in the courtroom that Evan wasn't there. Jack knew that Brett was calling Evan with updates every recess and evening. Though Jack knew his father's interest in the case had less to do with him than it did with keeping his family name clean. That was precisely the reason Evan Merridew was so unbelievably angry with his son, after all.

The first three witnesses of the day Jack recognized from his time at Bainbridge Military Academy. They were all staff members who aided in conducting the international training program every year. Dana asked them about Captain Benson, and Jack determined from the questions she asked that they were here as character witnesses for the man. Jack was beginning to wonder why so many witnesses were needed to testify to Captain Benson's character. It wasn't like he was on trial.

Just before the noon recess, Dana Barnes called to the stand another co-worker of Captain Benson. He was another pilot who worked with Bainbridge Military Academy and the cadets through the RAF International Military School Training Program; a program that was based out of several different bases across the U.K. The witness, Captain Richard Klein, talked to the courtroom about joining the staff team at Bainbridge Military Academy, working alongside military veterans and cadets, and the role he played in the keeping the academy's international program running.

"Mr. Klein, for how long did you work alongside Johnathan Benson?" Barnes asked.

"John and I worked together for four years, since my first year with Bainbridge Military Academy."

"And what were your respective roles at the time?"

"I was a trainer and pilot for the international training program. I worked with the boys in the couple weeks leading up to their departure for the United Kingdom, educating them on terminology, and base concepts and expectations. Johnathan did most of the combat training with them, and he also ran the base training safety course all cadets are required to take at the academy before they leave. He and I were co-trainers for the First Aid course the boys took during those two weeks prior to departure as well. John was assigned as the pilot and academy staff member for the Fall of 1990 term of the international program. I was supposed to be the pilot and supervisor for the program in the year's second semester that would've run from February to April of 1991 for our Unit 12 squadron, but after what happened in 1990, the second semester's international program was cancelled for that year."

"It sounds like you both had rather critical roles in preparing these boys for the trip" Dana insinuated with a sympathetic smile. "Tell me about your experience working with Johnathan Benson. Not just in 1990, but in all four years you worked on this program together."

"John was incredible. I came to Bainbridge Military Academy after ten years in the Air Force, and it was the change of pace I needed. I was grateful for the opportunity to work with the military in a different capacity, and to still continue working in aviation overseas, as I did while serving. John was a mentor to me in my first year at Bainbridge. He showed me the ropes, and essentially took me under his wing. We weren't just colleagues, we were friends as well. Many of the tips and tricks I got for working with young cadets, I learned from John. Those cadets looked up to him, they respected him, and he cared deeply for each one of them, year after year. I can't imagine what those four years would've been like for me without him there. Johnathan Benson was a known hero in his work long before he died."

"Wow, that is a truly remarkable story, thank you for sharing that with us today, Mr. Klein. And I want to thank you on behalf of the court for your service in the Air Force. It sounds to me like these boys had the very best at Bainbridge Military Academy" Dana proclaimed in that sappy way she did whenever she was trying to earn extra sympathy from the jury for her witnesses. It made Jack's eyes roll a little, but only on the inside.

Dana alongside Richard Klein continued to paint a picture of what a wonderful and outstanding person and leader Captain Benson was in the last few years leading up to his death. In his cross-examination of Klein, Jeremy Reynolds asked the Air Force veteran about his experience in the military, and some of the things he experienced and saw during his time serving his country. When Reynolds started asking him about his own experiences of having flashbacks, distressing dreams, and intrusive, involuntary memory relapses, Jack wasn't sure where he was going with it. Clearly, Paige was also confused because she turned to her brother, eyebrows scrunched, a sign that she too wondered what Richard Klein's post-military experience had to do with the case.

"Objection!" Dana Barnes stood up, to neither of the Merridew siblings' surprise. "Relevance?"

"Councillor, is there a point to asking the witness to rehash all this?" Judge Eldeson turned to Reynolds to inquire.

"Yes, Your Honor. I'm building to something quite crucial to the Benson case" Jeremy insisted.

"You better be" Judge Eldeson warned. "Overruled."

Jack watched Dana sit back down in a defeated manner, causing him to wonder what bad this was doing for her case. He had to really force himself not to look at Ralph now as he wondered whether the Langley boy was also confused about what any of this had to do with their case, and why Dana Barnes was clearly bothered by it. Jack also struggled not to look over to Roger now, to see if maybe he might know something Jack didn't. But it would've been a moot point, Jack knew, because whether Roger was stumped or not, it certainly wouldn't show on his face. Nothing ever did.

Just as Richard Klein finished answering Reynolds' last of many questions about his mental state post-combat, Judge Eldeson banged his gavel and adjourned court for recess. Finally, it was noon. For the next hour, Jack didn't have to be a defendant. For the next hour, he could simply be fifteen.