Benjamin stood outside Rachel Avery’s apartment, drenched from head to toe. The relentless rain drummed on the pavement, soaking his clothes as misty breath escaped his lips into the cold night air. His fists clenched and unclenched as he stared at the door, hesitating to knock again. Before he could make up his mind, the door creaked open.
James Avery, Benjamin's old classmate and Rachel's husband, stood in the doorway, his bathrobe slightly askew, his hair tousled from sleep. “Benjamin? What are you doing here? It’s—” he glanced at the clock, “—past midnight.”
Benjamin swayed slightly, the scent of cheap whiskey on his breath. His eyes were bloodshot, “I just… I just needed to talk, James. ”
James sighed, stepping aside reluctantly to let Benjamin inside. “You’ve been drinking,” he said softly.
Benjamin let out a bitter laugh as he stumbled into the hallway, rainwater dripping onto the hardwood floor. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve been drinking.”
James closed the door and turned to face Benjamin. His voice was firm, but with a gentle undertone. “Ben, it’s late. Maybe you should head home, sleep it off. We can talk tomorrow.”
But Benjamin wasn’t listening. His gaze was distant, his mind somewhere far away. “It’s been two weeks, James. Two weeks since I last saw her face. Since I buried her. And now… I can’t even picture her. I can’t remember her face anymore.”
James winced, his heart aching for his friend. He placed a hand on Benjamin’s shoulder, steady but sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Ben"
Benjamin’s shoulders shook, a sob bubbling up, but he swallowed it back, his voice breaking. “You don’t know, James. You don’t know what it’s like to lose your only daughter and realize you could’ve done something. I should’ve done something…”
James hesitated for a moment, glancing toward the hallway. “yeah, youre right I don't know, you know Rachel and I… we’ve been trying to have a child, you know. For years now. We’ve gone through treatments, disappointments, failures”
Benjamin’s eyes, hollow from the weight of his grief, softened.He didn't know how to respond to it. He kept his silence.
Rachel appeared from the hallway, her robe tightly wrapped around her. She took in the sight of Benjamin, soaked and broken, and her heart ached for him.
“Ben,” she said gently, walking toward him, her voice soft with concern. “You did what you could. You gave Alie the best care. You fought for her.”
Benjamin shook his head, vehement and tortured. “No, I failed her, Rachel. I failed her… and I failed everyone else. I was on the wrong side, protecting Neuragen. I didn’t care about those families. I didn’t care about anyone but myself.”
Rachel stepped closer, her hand gently resting on his arm. “You were doing your job, Ben. You’re a lawyer .”
Benjamin’s voice trembled, his despair deepening. “Every night, I see her in my dreams. And every night, she asks me if we’re good people. She asks why I didn’t help that boy, why I made him cry. I failed her, Rachel.”
Rachel nodded, her eyes filled with empathy. “You just need some time to recover,Ben. Time to forgive yourself. But you can’t carry this burden alone. Have you thought about talking to someone? A professional?”
“I don’t need a therapist, Rachel,” Benjamin said frustrated, pulling a plastic-wrapped set of documents from his drenched coat. “I only came here because of this.”
James and Rachel exchanged a concerned glance as Benjamin handed over the documents.
“I had requested some files from Neuragen for the case. When i went through it Something didn’t sit right with me. The data—some of it contradicts itself, they might have made mistake during forging i think. If you show this to the court, it could buy you more time. Enough time to gather stronger evidence.”
YOU ARE READING
Heaven
Fantasigenre- Fantasy/Medicolegal Drama A lawyer is send back to earth after his death to full fill his promises.
