Behind the mask

Freedom

Alvin's lawyers fought furiously for him as Mala laid out her case, presenting witness after witness for her expert and carefully constructed prosecution.  Doctors who cared for Hiccup, the gang-especially Astrid, the nurses from ICU who looked after Valka, Gobber, both Astrid's parents and the officiant from the crematorium had all testified against Alvin. Her star witness, of course, was Hiccup, who walked self-consciously to the stand, his lean shape rigid with anxiety. He knew he was no saint and had been warned by Mala that Alvin's lawyer would do everything to discredit him.

And it had been very hard, revisiting the abuse, feeling so embarrassed and weak and...and useless. Explaining why he had accepted the slaps, the blows, how he had seen his Mom picked upon and undermined, how Alvin drank at weekends and holidays and then grew angry and violent. How Hiccup used to distract Alvin's attention and ended up beaten or locked up for his troubles. And how Alvin had hounded him at home and school, giving detention, demanding every detail of his day and hitting him at will.

Astrid sat through it all, watching him struggle as he gradually told his tale and displayed his scars when asked.

"And why didn't you seek help from the council family services department when you were made homeless?" Mala asked quietly. He swallowed and took a slow breath.

"Because they would have called home," he said shakily. "They would have taken me back because Alvin would have told them I ran away. And when I was taken back, after I had been thrown out...I was beaten and then thrown out again."

"And if it was so bad, why didn't you run away?" Mala asked gently. He played with his hands.

"Mom," he said roughly. "I couldn't leave her alone. I-I promised Dad I would look out for her..."

"And when she died?"

Hiccup paled.

"She sent for me, asked me to come. She knew she was dying. Alvin didn't want me there and threatened her that she'd regret it...but she wanted me there. And...and I held her hand until she died..." He gulped and looked down, absently palming his cheeks to wipe away the tears. "And then...I found he'd gone and removed himself as next of kin. He-he left me to sort everything out. I-I had to ask the H-Hoffersons to borrow the money to pay her bills and for the funeral..."

"So why should we believe you, Hiccup?" Mala asked him firmly. "Your disciplinary record is terrible, you confess to being in trouble with the cops, you've cut classes, truanted school, indulged in petty pranks and mild vandalism...why should the jury believe you?"

Hiccup stared at her in a betrayed look.

"Because it's the truth," he said defiantly. "You know, that's what Alvin always said? Who will they believe? A respected pillar of the community and Principal of the High School or a screw-up who's an inch from being kicked out of school?" He paused and his shoulders sagged. "And that's what makes it worse...because I have endured this for years, knowing no one will believe me. I have gone to bed so many nights with no food, been locked int he cellar as a punishment, lain in my room, my face burning with the slaps...or lying curled on my side, my body aching from a beating...and you know how horrible, how utterly desperate it feels to suffer that, to fear going home every day...and knowing no one will ever believe you because you're a bad boy? To know that my suffering is worth nothing because it's done by a well-respected man. And that if he killed me, if I never came back to school, no one would care..."

"So why did you finally disclose what had happened to you?" Mala asked him. He sighed.

"Mom had turned against me," he sighed. "When I was thrown out, I tried to contact her. I went to see her...but she sent me away. I tried calling. I gave her a present at Thanksgiving-a drawing with my cell number on..." He handed over the folded drawing. "But when I tried to contact her again, I was turned away. I was told I had phoned the wrong number when I called her while I was in hospital after I had been run down. In the end, when I was beaten at school by people who wanted me not to press charges against the guys who tried to kill me, I gave up. My Mom was lost, school wasn't a safe place and I just needed to reveal what had happened. The hospital had asked me before about the injuries...and I finally admitted them. Because he had started to target Astrid because she was my friend. And I wouldn't turn him in because it would hurt Mom...but I couldn't let him hurt anyone else. Even if it cost me my Mom: I had to protect her."