| Vance sits behind his desk. He has a television remote control in his hand. There is a ripped open 9x12 manilla envelope and photographs as several legal documents laid out in front of him on his desk. His VCR is on pause. The assistant Coach Ryan�s video of the confrontation with Brian and Jim at the high school game in front of the snack shack is being viewed. Ryan sits nervously across from Vance. Vance rewinds the tape and plays a portion of it over again. He pauses the picture right as Julie is revealed behind Brian. �There�s Julie Hobbs, right there. She spent five years as a state prosecutor, for Christ sake.� Ryan slumps farther down in his chair. �Her brother�s a state representative. She has to be the one that got this investigation into the wrongful death suit filed on behalf of Cynthia reopened. I don�t think Brian Kinney�s behind any of it.� Jim leans forward in his chair. �But he�s still the only eye witness.� �I�ve already made arrangements to deal with Brian Kinney. Coach, you track down those three idiots that raped this girl and make sure they know what�s at stake here.� �What should I do?� Ryan asks. �You don�t know anything about anything or you�ll end up another casualty. The life�s blood of this university rest on its reputation. And, gentlemen, we will protect it,� Vance explains. *** In the background, a nurse is clearing away the dishes from the dining room table as Brian sits in the living room with his mother. �Mom, I�m giving Claire the tavern. Do you understand?� �The tavern... Claire... Are you leaving?� �Yes.� �But what about your father? He needs you.� �I can�t do anything to help him. There�s nothing anyone can do.� �He�ll be home soon. He never misses a game.� �No, he never did.� *** Brian is on the highway right outside of town. There is a full moon. Brian is racing out of town in his sport's car, going faster and faster. He has a bag of clothing and a box of keepsakes in the back seat. He is completely distraught. Brian speeds by traffic also heading out of town. Coming around to a curve, Brian tries to slow down, but his brake fail. Brian�s foot presses the brake pedal over and over without success. Brian�s car becomes airborne as it leaves the road. His car tumbles end over end, Brian is held in place by his seat belt. Broken glass and a somersault of violence attacks Brian until suddenly there is no motion only silence. *** Jack lying unconscious in his hospital bed suffers another heart attack in his sleep. The heart beat monitor goes flat. *** Brian�s mangled car is resting upside down in a nest of evergreen trees. Brian is unconscious. The highway patrol officer, Carl, is the first to arrive on the scene. He stoops to look into he car�s interior and see Brian hanging there. �Jesus, God...� Michael frantically drives to the sight of Brian�s wreck. He passes the speeding ambulance. Michael uses a large crow bar to pry open the car�s driver side door. The ambulance crew work on Brian. They cannot force him to regain consciousness. �God, please don�t do this. Please,� Michael begs. Brian�s unconscious body is wheeled into the hospital, and Michael follows right behind Brian�s gurney. Claire rushes to her brother�s side as they wheel him into emergency, an Michael has to grab onto Claire to try and comfort her. �He said they�d kill him too,� she cries. Hours later, Stephen is sitting beside Claire holding her hand. Stephen�s wife, Emily, is sitting on a small couch with Peter across from Claire. Peter has fallen asleep with his head in Emily�s lap. Emily gently strokes Peter�s hair. John is sitting with K.C. nearby. Justin is walking up and down the corridor over and over again. Michael is leaning against a wall taking in everything. *** Funeral services have just convened. There are many large floral arrangements. Justin is crying and hugging Claire. Peter is standing between her father and his wife. John is standing beside K.C. and Sondra. Michael is with his mother and his uncle. Josh, Danny, and Blake stand off to one side. Trenton, a large black man, is among the mourners. He is wearing the only tailored suit and stands out in the crowed. There is very large arrangement of Lilly of the Valleys that has a card on it that reads, �Holding you in our prayers... Dallas Cowboys Staff and Players.� *** *** Trenton peeks into Brian�s hospital room. Brian is lying in the bed. His left leg leg is in traction. He is in a partial body cast to protect his broken ribs and collar bone. He is hooked to an IV. �Damn, you�re just one big bruise all over.� �What?� �I said, you look like hell. Do you remember me, Brian, or did you get your clock cleaned as well.� Brian studies the man�s face. �Trenton. Trenton Bairstow. How did you?� �Know you were here. That�s easy. I�m living back home in Detroit. I stop at Star Bucks to get my morning coffee, and I�m reading the sports section of the USA Today. And they have a this blurb about you crashing a car, �cauze someone jimmied your brakes, because you were trying to expose the cover-up of some college coed�s rape, and I think, damn. Then this attorney, Julie Hobbs, calls my office and tells me she�s investigating what happened way back when. And I�m just amazed, because she doesn�t know it was was Gerome and me that helped that girl, and you to the hospital long before that girl died. This Julie is contacting all the guys who were on ECU�s football team when this Cynthia was a student. I think to myself, self, now there�s one white boy who knows how to keep a secret, and people are trying to kill him to keep him quiet.� �You didn�t say anything to Julie, did you?� �I haven�t as of yet, but that's really what I came here to do. I wanted to meet that lawyer face to face, size her up. I didn�t know about your dad �til I got here, but I made it to the grave side service... You don�t have many black folks in these parts do you?� �No, not many.� �I came here to tell you I�ve talked to Gerome, and We�re in agreement. We never should have kept quiet about that poor girl. We were all cowards and completely powerless back then.� He fights back tears. �I traded my silence to hold onto my college degree and a chance at the Pros. Nobody in my family had ever had the opportunity I had... Now, I see a opportunity to try and do right. I�ve got teenaged girls of my own, and God tears at my heart telling me, I need to do right by Cynthia.� Trenton pauses a moment. �I�ll tell them everything I know. Even, what it was like to be poor and black, and endure what Coach Jim Stockwell laughingly referred to as his own little plantation.� Trenton says with pride, �But you walk out out on him, Brian, and he really needed you that season... you probably had a shot at the Heisman, and you had the guts to stick it to him, and throw it away. And I love you for that, man.� �I wasn�t being brave, Trenton, I was scared. Cynthia died. I couldn�t stay there. I wouldn�t have been able to play football...� �We did what we thought we had to, and we did have to.� Michael leads Justin into the room and looks with curiosity at Trenton. �Hello, again,� Trenton says to Justin. �Hi.� �Well, Brian, looks like you got better things to do than pass the time with me,� remarks Trenton. �Besides, I got a meeting with that Ms. Hobbs. I�ll come back again this evening. Folks...� He nods his head at Michael and Justin and then makes his way of the room. �Just who the hell is that anyway?� Michael asks. �I thought you were a football fan...� Brian smirks. �That was all Pro defensive tackle, Trenton Bairstow,� answers Justin. �Damn....� Michael looks at Brian and then at Justin. Words fail him as watches the two stare at each other. Sadness that draws upon his face, erases into a weak smile. �I�ll leave you leave alone. I�ll in the waiting room if you need me.� Michael quickly walks out of the room. �Mickey, wait...� Brian cries after him, but he leaves with out turning back around. Brian looks back at Justin. Justin sits himself beside brian on his bed, and takes his hand. The movement causes him pain, but he deals with it. �Justin... I�ve got nothing left to offer.� �Brian, all I want, more than anything, is just to stay with you for the rest of your life, I love you.� �Brian�s hand tightness its grip on Justin�s hand and he kisses his hand over and over again. He places Brian�s hand against his cheek. With his other hand, he straightens out Brian�s hair. Justin touches the bruise on Brian�s face and starts to cry. *** The courtroom is jam pack. At the prosecution's table, stands an attorney, a very well groomed, successful Harvard law graduate, checking her notes. Julie sits beside her as co-council. There is an empty chair next to her and then Trenton and Gerome Hartnett. At the defense�s table sits two attorneys, Jim, and the three male defendants all Brian�s age. Jim is scared, but he�s trying not to show it. Brian limping noticeably, takes his place in the witness box. Justin sits behind the prosecution table in the first row of seats next to Claire holding her hand. Brian holds up right hand. �Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?� asks the bailiff. �I do.� *** In spite of his limp, Brian and Justin are dancing with seral other couples. K.C. is working behind the bar as the bartender. Claire are servicing drinks. Michael is with Debbie, Carl, and Vic at a booth. Behind them, Danny, Josh, Stephen, and Blake. Brian pulls Justin in closer to him. �What are you thinking?� �Dallas is just so big. I was thinking that maybe we could move back here to Groverton. Our families are here. I just think it would be better.� �I�d need a job.� �You would move then? Back to Groverton.� �As long as you�re with me. Yes.� Justin smiles wide. �You soo love me.� Brian kisses Justin before Justin can say another word. |
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| ~THE END~ |