Needing A Spring Day

3. A Little Longer

Namjoon looked up from the documents in his hands to the clock sitting on top of his desk. The meeting he had been waiting weeks for was finally in session and for the past two hours since they entered that room, his heart had been pounding against his chest waiting for an answer.

He hadn't been able to focus all day, not with his friends fate being decided only a few feet away. As much as he tried to get through the daily tasks he was given, his mind constantly drifted to the last conversation he had shared with Taehyung face to face.

"When do I get to go home Joonie?" Taehyung asked, his plump lips quivering as he held the phone tightly with both hands. He hated having to watch his friend through a stupid sheet of glass, forced to hear his friends voice muffled through the large ancient phone.

He had only been behind bars for three days, forced to share a small space with a man twice his size and scary as hell. The officers weren't as mean to him as they were the others, mostly because he listened to Namjoon and obeyed all their orders without a fight. But even then, he was terrified.

Namjoon looked down at the small table in front of him, trying to keep his face from displaying the emotions he felt on the inside. "Tae, I need you to listen to me and understand what I'm about to tell you." He replied, taking a deep breath before looking over his shoulder to the two women behind him. He had requested to break the news to his friend first before they shoved all the legality in his face, which would only confuse and overwhelm the already scared boy. "Mrs. Song looked into your past police records and believes we have enough evidence to pursue a counter suit against the city as well as your father once he recovers."

The younger boy looked down, trying to piece together the meaning behind the earful of information. After learning the single stab with the broken bottle had left his father in the hospital, he was rather relieved he hadn't killed someone but fearful of what the consequences would be once the old man healed. Would he come after him again to finish what he started?

"What does that mean exactly?" He asked, looking back up with narrowed brows.

"It means you can sue the city for neglecting your reports, which resulted in you having to use the defense you did when your father attacked you." Namjoon explained. "They also suggest we pursue legal action against your father for child endangerment and attempted murder towards you and your mother."

Taehyung nodded slowly, licking his dried lips. "That's a good thing, right?" He asked, eyes widening with a sense of relief.

The older boy nodded, swallowing hard as he clutched the phone against his ear. "The only catch is that your pro bono only applies to your defense. If we were to pursue this, we would have to pay the legal fees." Taehyung stayed silent, watching as Namjoon fought with himself internally, his optimism slowly fading the more the older became distraught. "Mrs. Song was able to cut us a deal but even then, the guys and I can't afford both this and the bail."

"So that means—"

"You would have to stay until the case is taken to trial." Namjoon clarified. A single tear cascaded over Namjoon's cheek as he watched the panic set in on his friend's face. "But since all of this is happening, your case will be pushed forward. Mrs. Song is working diligently to build your case fast and we already have a hearing set for two weeks from now." He fought to get the words out, hoping to raise his friend spirits.

But instead, the phone slowly slipped from Taehyung's grasp as his eyes cascaded down, fixated on nothing in particular as the information filled his head. He would not be able to leave until the case was settled? He would have to stay behind bars until the trial and possibly a lot longer if they lost?