Page 82 of Brother to Brother

“Of course, is there anyone in particular that you’d like to begin with, Your Honor?”

“You said the child’s current physician is on your roster?”

“Yes Judge.”

“Let’s start there,” the Judge leaned back and Doc went up and was sworn in.

“When did you first meet Noah Beswick?” the Judge asked.

“He was brought into my emergency room with a minor head laceration,” Doc answered and the courtroom on my parent’s side broke out into murmurs. It was like every bad courtroom television drama and I felt my gorge rise.

“What did Mrs. Turner say happened?”

“She was in her kitchen making dinner, and Noah was running through the apartment they lived in at the time, she was tending hot food on the stove and before she could get to him, Noah tripped and his head hit the sharp corner on the strike plate of her bedroom doorway. You know, the thing that the little tab on the doorknob’s side fits into.”

“I know what a strike plate is,” the Judge grumbled. “Thanks for explaining anyway. How bad was the injury?”

“It required two stitches.”

More murmurs and I was terrified that as well-meaning as Doc was, he was making the situation worse and not better. I started to pray.

“And you don’t consider stitches serious?” the Judge asked, scribbling notes.

“No, not in my line of work.”

“Fair enough. How was Mrs. Turner behaving?”

“Honestly, she was a right mess. Crying, scared for her son, and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was frazzled, like any good mother would be.”

“Objection,” the lawyer on my parent’s side stood up. “The doctor can’t judge whether or not someone is a good parent based on one emergency room visit, let alone one where the child was clearly injured due to his mother’s negligence.”

“Well now,” the Judge said, tapping his name plate on the desk, “I do believeIwill be the judge of that. Mrs. Turner?”

I stood up, “Yes, Your Honor?”

“Were you being negligent on the day in question?”

“I… I honestly don’t think so, Judge. I was home alone with Noah and trying to make sure he had dinner. I told him to stop running, but how doyouget a one and a half year old who is excited, laughing, and having a good time to stop doing something that makes them happy?”

The Judge huffed a laugh, “I’m not the one whose parenting is being called into question.”Ouch.God damn it Melody.“I’ll assume you were being rhetorical though, and answer your question, and the answer is: you don’t.” I nodded and he gave me a nod indicating I should sit down.

“You didn’t report the incident as abuse or negligence, did you doctor?”

“No, I did not.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, in my professional medical opinion, there was no negligence or abuse. Mrs. Turner, who at that time was Ms. Beswick, was beside herself and completely distraught. That’s not how an abuser, or negligent mother acts.”

“And what do you base that opinion on?” the Judge asked.

“Over thirty-three years of being a medical professional, fifteen of which have been spent in one of the area’s busiest emergency departments; I’ve seen a lot of negligence and abuse cases in that time, and I can tell you right now, Melody Turner’s case wasn’t one of ‘em.”

“Okay, thank you. I think I’ve heard everything I need to. Mr. McNulty, who’s your next witness?”

“Carina Washington.”

The Judge looked over to where Ms. Washington held my son who’d fallen asleep and said, “Well, I don’t see a problem with you giving your testimony from right there, Ms. Washington. I’ve had you in my courtroom before, why don’t you tell me how you became involved in this.”

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