Toxicity

16

Timeline: one week later
TW: sexual assault
DEREKS POV
Today was Amelia's court day. I opened her door and she was finished getting ready.
"We have to leave in 20," I said.
"Okay," she said.
"You okay?" I said.
"Yeah it's whatever," she said.
"What do you mean it's whatever," I frowned.
"Do you think he's really going to go to jail," She said, "you see the news. Nobody ever believes people like me, and once they find out about the drugs I'll look so untrustworthy. Nobody will believe what I have to say, just like they never believe the girl who got drunk at a party because she was drunk."
"Amelia," I frowned.
"You know I'm right," She said sadly.
"Is Link coming?" I asked.
"Oh shit," she said, "he said he'd stop by at 9:30."
"Is he like your boyfriend now?" I asked.
"No," she chuckled, "no."
"You kiss him all the time," I said.
"I do not," she said, "and friends can kiss each other sometimes. Right?"
"No," I laughed, "no they don't."
"He's not my boyfriend," She said.
"Whatever you say," I chuckled. The doorbell rang and she looked at me.
"That must be Link," she said softly.
"Your not boyfriend," I said.
"Mhm," she said and walked downstairs.
AMELIAS POV
I opened the door to Link.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey," he said. He looked nice. He was in a button up and khaki pants. He was cute.
"You look nice," I said.
"So do you," he said.
"Thanks," I said.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"Nervous," I said.
"Don't be," he said.
"They aren't going to believe me Link," I said.
"Yes they will," he said and pushed my hair behind my ear, "don't think negatively."
"Yeah," I said.
"I'll see you there?" He said.
"Yeah, uh, thanks for stopping by," I said and kissed his cheek. He put his hand on my waist and I smiled.
"You're welcome," he said and kissed me, "I'll see you later, and good luck, just take a breath and tell them the whole story."
"Thank you," I said. He left and I walked back into the house and Derek smirked at me.
"Totally not your boyfriend though right?" He said.
"Right," I said.
-
I was freaking out. We were at the court house. I felt like I was going to throw up. I was going to throw up.
"Meredith," I said as I felt my voice shake.
"What?" She said.
"Can you come to the bathroom with me," I said. She nodded as we ran down the hall. I ran into the bathroom and started throwing up in the garbage can.
"It's okay," she said and rubbed my back.
"I wanna go home," I said crying.
"I know it feels like that but you don't want to," Meredith said, "you want to testify against him."
"No I don't," I said crying more.
"Just calm down okay? You just have to get through today," she said and kissed my head, "Just today."
"Just today?" I said.
"Well, and the next day after that, and after that, but let's take it one day at a time," she said.
"Okay," I said.
"Sound like a plan?" She asked. I nodded and hugged her.
"Let's breathe okay?" She said and looked at me and took a deep breathe in and I followed her.
"Derek and I will be there the entire time sitting by you okay? If you want to stop you can, If the questions get too hard you can stop okay? If the judge thinks we need a break we'll take one okay? Just do whatever you're comfortable with," She said.
"Thank you," I said. I walked back out into the hallway and saw Ryan and his mom with their lawyers.
"Let's go," Mer said and pulled me down the other hallway.
"Amelia," Derek said as he caught up to us, "everything okay?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Link's here," Derek said.
"He is?" I said. Derek nodded and hugged me.
-
This was horrible. I felt sick to my stomach. I had to speak soon, if I could even get myself to the podium.
"Next can we speak to Amelia Shepherd," the judge said. I looked at Derek and he nodded.
"You're okay," he whispered.
"I'm going to be sick," I said as I looked at him.
"No you're not. Mind over matter. Go talk," he said softly. I got up and walked past Ryan's table and sat down at the podium. I looked at Link in the back of the room. He nodded at me and I swallowed hard. It was going to be okay.
"Can you please state your legal name for the record?" The judge said.
"Amelia Frances Shepherd," I said.
"And do you agree to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth?" She said.
"Yes," I said.
"We can begin," she said, "state your relation to the defendant."
"He's my ex boyfriend," I said.
"Okay," she said and wrote something down. I started talking and I couldn't look at Ryan. I was so scared. I told them how he pushed me. How he shoved me. How I had bruises all over my body, and Arizona submitted pictures from the hospital. I had to detail the rape which was the worst thing I've ever done in my entire life. I was done and I looked at Derek and he nodded. I was almost finished.
"Is it true that the plaintiff was on drugs while most of this occurred?" Ryan's lawyer said.
"Is it?" The judge said and looked at me.
"We both had a drug problem yes," I said.
"So could you say that the drugs could have altered your judgement and the events that happened?" The judge said. I looked at Derek and didn't know what to say. I knew this would happen.
"I," I started, "I wasn't on drugs when some of it happened."
"So you're admitting that you could be fabricating some of this story from the drug use?" The lawyer said.
"No," I said.
"But you were on drugs right?" The lawyer said.
"So was he," I said.
"That wasn't the question," the lawyer said.
"Y-yes," I said weakly.
"I think it's time for a break," the judge said and dismissed everyone. I ran as fast as I could out of the court room and down the hallway. I opened the bathroom door and locked myself in the last stall.
"Amelia," Meredith said as I heard the door open. I threw up and I started crying.
"Amelia," Meredith said as she knocked on the stall door.
"I'm doing so bad," I cried.
"You're doing fine," she said, "I promise you're doing fine."
"They're turning it back on me!" I cried.
"The judge likes you okay?" She said, "I can tell, Ryan's lawyer is just trying to make you look bad okay?"
"I want to go home," I cried.
"You're almost done okay?" She said.
"I don't want to do this anymore Mer," I said.
"Can you open the door?" She asked. I opened the door and she hugged me. The door opened and I looked and it was Derek.
"You're doing good I promise," Derek said and hugged me.
"You're in the ladies room you freak," I joked.
"You holding up okay?" Derek said.
"No," I said.
"You're answering the questions fine," Derek said. Our lawyer opened the door and I wiped my eyes.
"Amelia they want everyone back in the court room now," she said, "I can ask for another few minutes if you need."
"I'm fine," I said.
"Okay," she said. The three of us walked back to the room and I sat down. Arizona Robbins testified about my injuries and so did Richard Webber.
"I think we have heard enough," the judge said. I looked at Derek and Meredith. Derek grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Meredith grabbed my other hand as I held my breath.
"I have found the Defendant Ryan Kerrigan guilty of domestic abuse and rape. Sentenced to 5 years with parole," The judge said. I looked at Derek as I felt the tears form in my eyes. Derek hugged me tightly.
"You're okay," he said, "it's over. You're safe."