 |
||
The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Cleaning Tony's Clock -- Part II
"What!" Carly explodes. She starts to rise but Alan quickly uses the bulk of his arm across her shoulders to anchor her to her seat. The Judge slams down his gavel within a split second of Carly's exclamation. The bailiff who had been opening the door to the witness room shuts it again firmly. Groans and comments are heard murmured across the court room.
Luke closes his eyes. "Oh Sweet Caroline." AJ is already moving across the courtroom to sit on Carly's other side. Jason stands at the back of the courtroom, Mac also stands.
The judge points his gavel at Bobbie's attorney. "Request a 10 minute recess."
"Requested."
"Granted. Ms. Benson, in my chambers now." The judge rises in a flurry of robes striding back to his chambers not looking back.
"Oh God, Oh God." Carly starts to mutter. She bites her tongue as she sees Tony's smirk. Alan sees it as well and as he is escorting Carly to the Judges chambers makes sure that he is between Carly and Tony. Alan accidentally brushes against Tony as he's walking past. (okay so he smacks him in the back of the head--hard.) Both AJ and Jason also head to the judges chambers. When the judge turns around from hanging up his robe he sees not only Carly but also Alan, AJ and Jason.
"Oh for heavens sake shut the damn door before we have the whole damn courtroom in here." AJ pushes the door shut with his foot not looking back to see that he had just cut Bobbie off.
"Your Honor, Carly and I just got back from out of the country early this morning. She had no time to talk to her mother or the attorneys to find out that Robin was on Tony's, Dr. Jones', witness list; it was a surprise to all of us." AJ explains rapidly.
"What time did you get in?" The judge sternly addresses the question to Carly ignoring AJ.
"Two am, Sir." Carly whispers.
"Where is your son?"
"With the nanny, Your Honor." Carly hesitantly points to Jason. "Jason, had Michael while we were out of town like we arranged in the custody agreement."
"So you haven't seen him since you got back?" The Judge clarifies. Carly shakes her head. "Well then I think that it is time that you did, don't you? Ms. Benson, as you are neither a witness nor a principle in the matter before the court, you are dismissed from my courtroom. But before you leave I want one thing from you."
Carly looks confused for a minute and then tells the Judge sincerely. "I'm sorry for disrupting your court."
"Good Answer. You may leave-- use that door." The judge points to the door that leads to the corridor and not back into the courtroom. Alan, AJ and Jason move to follow Carly. "Not so fast, Mr. Morgan." The judge protests.
"Excuse me?" Jason says.
"You are a named witness. You aren't going anywhere until you either testify or are released by Dr. Jones' attorney."
Jason swears then pulls out his cell phone. He turns it on and calls the penthouse. "Leticia, Carly is on her way to pick up Michael. No court isn't finished yet, just Carly staying for it. Right." Jason shuts the cell phone off again and slams it shut. He glares at the judge. Then walks over to the hallway door where AJ, Alan and Carly are talking quietly. "I'm still under subpoena." Jason sneers ticked beyond belief. "I called Leticia to let her know that you were on your way." With that Jason gives the judge another dirty look and stalks back to the courtroom.
"Jason, Jason!" Bobbie hurries over to Jason's side. "What happened; where is Carly?"
"Don't worry he didn't throw her in jail; the judge sent her home." Jason says tersely. "She is going to pick up Michael and head back to the house, I guess." Jason glares at Tony and his attorney. Jason walks away from Bobbie and over to them. Tony takes a step back before catching himself. "Call me to testify. I dare you."
************
The corridor outside the courtroom--
"What about Mama?" Carly asks. "AJ, you have to stay. Alan will take me to pick up Michael." Carly looks over at Alan questioningly.
"I have to be back at the clinic, but I can drop Carly and Michael off." Alan confirms.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, tell Mama and Jerry to come over after court we'll have an open house or something." AJ looks significantly at Alan. "You too, Alan. After you get off work swing on by. AJ, you should invite Jason if you can tear him away from Sonny and Robin." Carly says bitterly.
AJ just shakes his head. "I'll see you at home."
"Call first so I can have 10 minutes warning."
"To kick your boyfriend out?" AJ teases.
"Stark nekkid in the snow, Baby." Carly raises a brow and then kisses AJ on the cheek. "If the judge rules for Bobbie invite him over too. I think I'd like him fine outside this building."
AJ rolls his eyes. "I can't believe you sometimes."
Carly strings a hand through Alan's arm. "Seems like everyone else gets to know a judge. Edward golf's with his. You think that the judge would like pool?"
"Carly, go pick up Michael. I'll call you as soon as something is decided." AJ looks down at his watch and grimaces. "Got to go. Drive safe, Dad. Precious cargo on board."
Inside the courtroom Jerry is stretching his legs at the front of the court room. He stands in front of the judge's podium and looks out over the courtroom. He starts to grin. He does a slow saunter over to Tony's table where Tony is consulting with his attorney. "Hey Dr. Jones, maybe you should have hired some professional mourners?" Jerry points behind Tony and Tony turns around. Laura and Felicia had left to pick up their kids from playgroup and Alan hadn't been seen since Carly had been hauled into the judge's chambers. His side of the courtroom was barren. While Bobbie's side was still full, not even Monica had left. Well one person had moved-- Luke was no where to be seen. But he was probably finding a place where he could disable the smoke detectors and have a cigar. AJ enters the courtroom from the back double doors. He is stopped by Jason.
"I thought that you'd have left with Carly?" Jason demands.
"Carly wanted me to stay here with Bobbie. Dad is driving her over to the penthouse to pick up Michael and then back to the house before he goes back to the clinic." AJ replies. "After this is all over, Carly wants us all back at the house..." AJ extends the invitation grudgingly "unless you have something that you need to do with Robin." AJ walks away taking his seat behind Bobbie. Bobbie turns around in her chair to talk to AJ. Jason sits back down in the back seat of the courtroom and kicks the seat in front of him. Then he gets up again and moves over to Tony's side of the courtroom and takes the seat vacated by Carly right behind Dr. Jones. Tony feels the hair go up on the back of his neck, as does his attorney who turns around to meet Jason's flat cold stare. The attorney quickly turns around and shuffles some papers wondering what is taking the judge so long.
"All Rise!" Calls out the Bailiff. As the assembly rises the judge takes his seat and waves everyone to take theirs.
"We're back on the record. Call the next witness." Demands the Judge. Tony's attorney rises and calls Robin Scorpio. This time there is total silence in the courtroom as the bailiff opens up the witness room door and escorts Miss Scorpio to the stand to be sworn in. Robin is perfectly groomed with her gamine haircut framing her delicate features. The witness chair swamps her and she edges forward maintaining her perfect posture. Tony's attorney questions her about her relationship with Tony and basically rehashes the testimony that was offered in Tony's trial for kidnapping Michael. Robin once again places the blame for the whole misunderstanding on Carly, excusing Tony. There is the grinding of teeth from several members of the gallery but none that can be heard by the judge. Finally Bobbie's attorney has her turn.
"Miss Scorpio, where are you living now?"
"I'm going to school in Paris."
"That's not the only school you've attended recently is it?"
"I've taken some classes at PCU, Yale and now again at the Sorbonne."
"You take a number of medications, don't you? Could you list them?" Tony's attorney objects. Bobbie's attorney counters with her next question will show relevance. The judge allows it. Robin lists her medications spelling some of them for the court reporter. "Miss Scorpio, are these the same medications you were on when Michael Morgan went missing?"
"No, I've had to recently change one of them because it was losing effectiveness."
"Miss Scorpio, it's my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, but there are a limited number of HIV drugs available and the regime is everything to insure that the disease doesn't rebound or mutate into something resistant to the current drugs." Robin agrees. "And isn't it also true that the first so called cocktail of drugs is the one with the most manageable side effects and that the lesser preferred drugs can have nasty side effects?" Robin again agrees. "Miss Scorpio, have you ever missed doses of your medication?"
"Only at one time."
"And that time was?"
"When I was with Tony at his fishing shack."
"Ms. Scorpio, this is your life at stake here. Why didn't you go get your medication?"
"Because I was locked in; I couldn't leave."
"You couldn't leave." Tony's attorney jumps up to protest that the question had been asked and answered. And that Bobbie's attorney was editorializing. The judge waves Tony's attorney back to his seat allowing the questioning to continue. "Miss Scorpio I'm sure that you asked Dr. Jones about your medication. What did he tell you?"
"He said a few days wouldn't matter and he gave me some aspirin." Robin admits reluctantly and softly.
"Excuse me, I didn't hear you. Did you say aspirin?!"
"You heard her fine, and so did I, get on with the questions." The judge demands testily.
"Sorry, Your Honor. Miss Scorpio, were you present at the conversation that has been testified to already by both of the Drs. Quartermaine where Dr. Jones admitted taking Michael Morgan and his intent to take Lucas Jones?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I was admitted to GH for pneumonia."
"Okay lets back up just a bit. When Mr. Morgan arrived to take you and Michael home from your vacation with Dr. Jones. Did Dr. Jones just hold the door open for you so that you could leave?" Bobbie's attorney is starting to get impatient and frustrated with Robin's answers hence the sarcasm.
"No."
"Well what happened?"
"Tony pulled a shotgun on Jason and told him to tie himself up. Jason took the shotgun away from Tony and I think that he was going to shoot him."
"But he didn't."
"No, he broke Tony's right hand with the butt of the shotgun. Then Jason's friends arrived and I don't remember anything after that."
"Why not?"
"I was unconscious." The judge is shaking his head and remembering the conversation with AJ only a few weeks ago when AJ had talked about justice being bought and sold in Port Charles. He really was going to have to look this case up and find out who tried it. 'Custodial interference my ass' he thinks. Whoever tried this case needed to get disbarred. Bobbie's attorney takes another note from AJ and grins.
"Miss Scorpio, could you tell us what classes you took at PCU?" Robin lists off the classes that she had taken before transferring back to Paris. "But didn't you also take an abnormal psych course from Dr. Kevin Collins?"
"That course was dropped by the University."
"Before or after they discussed the Stockholm Syndrome?" Tony's attorney is on his feet in a heartbeat to object but Bobbie's attorney withdraws the question. "Why did the university drop the course?"
"The instructor had a breakdown."
"He was caught stalking Felicia Scorpio-Jones, you mean."
"No, he had a breakdown and had to be hospitalized." Bobbie's attorney is getting fed up with Robin's sophistry and finally asks her rote questions.
"To your knowledge has Dr. Jones ever sought grief counseling for the loss of his daughter, or shown remorse for either the custodial interference of Michael Morgan or the threat to take Lucas Jones from his mother?"
"No. But..."
Bobbie's Attorney cuts her off. "In your experience does being a doctor, competent or grossly negligent as Dr. Jones appears to have been in the treatment of your HIV and pneumonia, mean that you are a good person or emotionally stable? Before you answer let me give you a list to consider: Buzz Stryker, Alan Quartermaine, Kevin Collins, Pierce Dorman and Dr. Jones."
"No. But..."
"No further questions, Your Honor." Bobbie's attorney cuts Robin off again. Tony's attorney sags back in his chair not knowing exactly where to go from here. The judge looks at him impatiently.
"No redirect, Your Honor." The judge asks him if he has any more witnesses after giving Robin permission to step down. The attorney considers Jason Morgan but the glare he can still feel at the back of his head dissuades him. Tony is clamoring to be put on the stand and the attorney shakes his head telling him it is not a good idea."
"Well?" Demands the Judge.
"We rest, Your Honor."
Bobbie's attorney is on her feet. "Your Honor we requested that the petition be dismissed at this point. And the restraining order stand."
"Your Honor!" Tony's attorney is also on his feet protesting.
"Both of you sit down and shut up." The judge says coldly. "Dr. Jones, stand up." Tony rises. "Dr. Jones, at this point I'm inclined to go with your ex wife's attorney. You have put on no case. And that is something that you need to take up with your attorney. You have wasted the court's time. I believe that you are employed-- great. I believe that you completed your community service but that is irrelevant to this matter since you were under court order to do community service on another matter-- you aren't going to get any double dipping credit in this court. You could have used the time of the restraining order to address your issues as a parent to your son and as a human being but instead you used the time to circumvent the court and directly violate it's order." Tony attempts to interrupt. The judge holds up his hand. "Let me guess-- you're about to tell me that you weren't really going to steal your son from his mother and that you regret even thinking about it?" Tony nods. "Why am I not surprised? Consider it said. Ms. Spencer, I don't like open ended restraining orders. I am rewriting this order to end one year from the date of the warehouse fire. Dr. Jones, joint custody is denied. Visitation is denied. I suggest to you that you address your issues prior to bringing this matter before the court again. And let me tell you right now, Dr. Jones, I will entertain the motion of extending the restraining order every time you violate it. You will not be rewarded for your illegal acts." The judge slams down his gavel to punctuate the end of the matter and rises from the bench walking off to his chambers.
"Can he do that?" Tony protests.
"He just did." Tony's attorney says ruefully gathering his papers together.
"But we can appeal, right? I mean this judge didn't know what was going on."
On the other side of the courtroom Bobbie is hugging her attorney and thanking her profusely. The attorney pulls away and tells Bobbie flatly to not thank her yet. "All that happened today was your ex got a laundry list of things that he needs to get done before the next hearing."