Trials

chapter 8

"Please be seated, everyone," Judge Roberts stated. "Mr. Frost, would you like to cross examine the Prosecution's first witness?" he asked, looking to the Defense attorney. Danny Frost stood, turning to the Judge as he spoke.

"We would like to question him, when we bring in our own witnesses, sir." The Judge nodded.

"Mr. McLean, you do not need to return to the stand today," the Judge looked to Mr. Owens, "your next witness, please."

Owens nodded and called Eva to the stand. She entered the courtroom nervously, approaching the stand. After being sworn in, she took a seat and looked at AJ's attorney, who was sorting through a few papers before beginning.

"Good morning, Ms. Cuervo," Jon was trying to get everything sorted before beginning and went for the distraction route.

"Good morning, Mr. Owens," Eva faked a smile. She wanted to get this over with. Finally, it looked as though Jon was prepared.

"I would now like to present a recording of a 911 call made on the night in question. This recording is labeled exhibit 3A."

A small amount of static could be heard as the tape played. Eva didn't want to hear it. She closed her eyes and imagined back to that night....

"911 what is your emergency?"

"I'm not sure yet, a guest... I just heard him screaming at me to call an ambulance," Eva's heart had frozen when she faintly heard Kevin yelling out to her. Just moments before he ran to the room, Eva had heard a door open. She'd assumed it was AJ, who they'd been waiting on. She couldn't see down the hall. Kevin had taken off running, leaving Eva praying everything was okay and wondering why Kevin was in such a hurry.

"Is there any way you can find out, ma'am?"

"Is it on the way? Oh God..." Eva was frantic.

"Yes."

"Okay hold on," Eva dropped the phone and quickly peeked out the door. She saw Kevin running as best he could down the corridor, holding AJ in his arms, much like a child. Eva's eyes widened and she gasped as she picked up the phone again. "Oh my God, there's blood... I think he's been stabbed," Just as Eva's pulse began to rise, Kevin reached the lobby.

"Towels, Eva I need towels," Kevin demanded, his voice shaky. Kevin gently placed AJ on the tiled floor of the lobby. Eva ran in front of the desk and handed Kevin the towels. Acting quickly, Eva ran behind the desk, placed the phone on the counter and re-emerged soon after.

"Okay... Oh my God, what do I do?" Eva questioned the operator, looking from Kevin to AJ. Without a second thought, Eva reached down and brought her fingers under the edge of the tape over AJ's mouth. AJ looked into her eyes for a moment and nodded. Eva gripped the tape and ripped it from his face.

"Ma'am, you need to apply as much pressure to the wounds as possible. Try to get his feet elevated. How many are there? Are there any other injuries?" The tape's removal and the resulting scream were clearly heard on the recording, behind the operator's questions.

"There's... I don't know, he's wearing a shirt... oh God his arms are cut, they've been cut, there's so much blood," Eva rambled, as she struggled not to break down.

"How deep are the cuts?"

"Not deep, they're barely... I'm taking the... tape off his wrists," Eva began to unwind the tape. "Oh God, AJ... you're going to be okay," Eva tried to reassure him as she disregarded the bonds to her side, grabbing one of his hands.

"Eva... it hurts," AJ's reply could not be heard on the recording but she would never forget it. She looked up to Kevin, who was concentrating on keeping AJ from bleeding to death.

"Ma'am, the ambulance should be there shortly. There's nothing more that I can do for you."

"Okay." The recording turned to silence and Eva opened her eyes. Jonathan turned to her and she took a deep breath.

"Ms. Cuervo, what happened after the end of the 911 call?"

"I told Kevin to wait in the lobby. He looked up at me and he looked so scared. I told him I was going to get Steve..."

"Who is Steve?"

"He's my Assistant Manager. He was staying at the hotel while he was moving. I... I didn't want to leave AJ's side," Eva looked down. She almost felt ashamed, "I was scared he was going to die while I was gone. I was scared I'd come back and he... but I went anyway."

"What did you need with Steve?"

"I was thinking they wouldn't let Kevin get on the ambulance with AJ. My shift was up in an hour. If Kevin needed a ride to the hospital... I couldn't leave the hotel unattended." Eva looked to her right towards the plaintiff's table. AJ had his elbows on the surface, his hands pressed together covering his nose. His eyes were closed and his cheeks wet.

AJ hadn't been able to remember what happened in the lobby until now. He'd only vaguely remembered Kevin carrying him there and Eva untying him. It was hard to sit twenty some feet from that bastard. He couldn't believe the fucker was trying to plead insanity. Sure the guy was psycho... but still... he was plucked from his thoughts by Eva's voice.

"When I came back... the paramedics were there. Kevin was in a heated argument with one of them. They weren't going to let him come with, as I'd feared. I could hear AJ saying... no, begging them to let Kevin go. He was saying, 'Please... I'm scared," and the medic kept saying, 'there's no room, honey. He needs to get a ride. We're here for you." AJ started saying something about not wanting to die alone. The medic told him he'd be OK. It was chaos..." Eva looked at AJ again. He nodded, he could remember now. The pain. The fear. The confusion. He was looking at her as though she held he key to it all in her hands, and wanted her to open it.

"Ms. Cuervo, please continue."

"I went behind the desk and grabbed my purse and keys. Kevin gradually let go of AJ's hand once the medics began to roll him away. Kevin was standing there just... shocked. He was pale. Both of us... we were both..." Eva closed her eyes and bit back a sob. "We were both covered in blood. I called out to the medics and asked what hospital they were taking him to. They told me ORMC..."

"ORMC? Please clarify."

"Orange County Medical Center."

"Go On."

"I put my hand on Kevin's shoulder and told him to follow me. Just as we neared my car, a police squad pulled up. He must have seen our clothes because he just stopped by my car. He asked what we were doing.

"'Hospital' Kevin told him. After a few words, I'm not sure what was said, the squad pulled around. Kevin opened my passenger door and I followed his lead into the drivers'. Kevin looked at me as I started my car and I saw the squad had its lights on. 'Follow him,' Kevin told me.

I did as Kevin said, out onto the Interstate. My car is fifteen years old, so the fastest we could go was 75mph but it was the best I could do. Traffic was minimal. We were at the hospital in fifteen minutes. Once I parked, I got out of the car, trailed by Kevin as I ran to the reception desk. Kevin was out of breath when he asked where AJ was. We were told to wait."

"How long did you have to wait, Ms. Cuervo?"

"An hour and a half," Eva scanned the crowd in front of her looking for the others. Her eyes landed on Kevin and she closed them, sighing. The wait had been so hard. The two of them wanted to know what'd been going on, yet they feared the worst and had second thoughts the whole time. It had been in that lobby where she finally broke down. It was so unfair. Not really for her but for Kevin. Howie, her friend, his friend. The guys on a whole. She thought of his mother...

"Ms. Cuervo, when you were finally confronted by hospital staff, what happened?" Jon interrupted her thoughts.

"A nurse came down and told us to come with her. Kevin and I followed her down the hall and into an elevator. We traveled to the second floor and went towards a very quiet part of the hospital. She led us to a room with a couple of couches in it. I guess it was the waiting room. Once we had a seat she told us AJ's condition."

"What was his condition?"

"He was in surgery. The nurse told us he was stable."

"Did she tell you anything else?"

Eva nodded, tears in her eyes. "She told us... she told us he'd been tested..."

"Tested for what?"

"For..." Eva took a deep breath, "for sexually transmitted diseases."

"Did this come as a shock to you?"

"Yes. I... I didn't know about the rape," Eva downcast her eyes. "That was... I'd never guess someone would do that to him."

"Was that the conclusion of your conversation with the nurse?"

"Pretty much... she told us he should be alright but they didn't know for sure. He... he'd lost a lot of blood... they weren't sure yet if it was enough to cause brain damage. Then she left."

"Nothing further, your Honor." Jon stated. The Judge looked towards the defense attorney.

"Would you like to question to prosecution's witness, Mr. Frost?" the Judge asked.

"Yes, your Honor." Danny stood and approached the podium. Eva swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't want to be questioned anymore, especially by someone representing that monster.

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