The Winner

All For Us

"It was all for nothing." Julia sits up in bed. Paul sits on the recliner, and I sit on the edge of the bed while we talk in private.

"The plan. Everything I went through. It was all for nothing." She whispers. Paul shakes his head in defeat.

"We're gonna figure this out, ok?" I pat her leg that's under the covers.

"There's nothing to figure out, Nate. He wins. Jeremy wins. If I follow through, it puts a stop to your tour, and it sounds like whatever Jeremy has against me is worth the fight. If I drop the charges..." She looks down and cries. I look at Paul. Neither of us knows what to do. We are in over our heads.

After talking to my lawyer, who seems to know Jeremy's lawyers, it's a losing battle. Whatever incriminating shit Jeremy  has, he can twist into his favor. The fact that Julia had already slept with him before this all happened and the fact that she has Bipolar doesn't make her look good.

"I just don't understand. He was caught IN THE ACT. By US!" Paul stands up and paces, which is very unlike him to do. "He was arrested. She was sent to the hospital for medical attention. They did the rape kit, and they documented the bruises.."

"You can't deny the physical evidence, Jules."

It's been such a stressful day. I don't blame Julia for having an episode one bit. I was ready to throw a chair at Cohen myself. I can't believe they put her in restraints. I can't even file a complaint because it IS stated right in the documents that restraints would be used if there is potential harm to another patient or doctor. A chair would do it...  I can't imagine what she was feeling when they did that and Paul looks fucking traumatized from it. The poor guy looks like he aged ten years today.

"It doesn't matter. He's gonna draw this thing out. On purpose. Nate, I just want things to go back to normal. I want to go on tour with you. I never want to go to The Avalon again. Please!" Julia cries out and I swear I could almost hear my sister's voice in her words.

But the fact that the Avalon is covering Donovan? The fact he was even in the same building as Julia... we aren't up against just one man. We're up against an entire organization. An organization I donate to. An organization whose patients all adore Jeremy and want him back. He has a clean record. Squeaky clean. Not even so much as a traffic violation, which is alarming right there. Someone erases his mistakes for him. Someone bigger than me.

"Julia. I will support whatever decision you make, ok? I know you want justice to be served. I also know you don't want to be dragged through the dirt in court, which is exactly what he's planning on doing.  He knows your entire life. Your past history. The bouncing back and forth between me and James. He has it all documented."

"So. I just ...drop the charges." Julia states. "I put myself out there to get raped in order to catch my rapist and not only do I get raped, he walks away. Dropping the charges makes me look insane."

"I don't care about any of that. I only care about you and how you feel about it. People are gonna talk regardless. You tell me what you want to do and I will support you 100%."

"I want to do the right thing. Not just for me. For all of us."

"I know you do, love. C'mon. Let's go eat something, yeah?" Julia has not consumed one thing the entire day.  James is a mess because of it. He's come in and checked on her multiple times and when he's not in here. He's in his room. This whole thing has James stressed out more than I've ever seen in him.

*****

*Julia

Everyone is in the main living area. Everyone but James. Casey points to his room, and I nod.