DeezChains? More like DeezHandcuffs

You and Eric were sitting next to each other on a bench. You were fine. Eric had an icepack from an EMS first responder over his cheek and eye.

Two bailiffs were talking with Garrison and DeezChains’ lawyer. Garrison was red in the face and stabbing his finger in the air at the other lawyer, more animated than you’d seen him over the last two days of the trial. Behind them, at the edge of the slowly diminishing crowd, you could see Gemma and Sabrina along with the two associates, waiting for the chance to come to you. Several more bailiffs were keeping the crowd back.

DeezChains’ bodyguard was on his ass in handcuffs. The friend had disappeared. DeezChains had already been hauled off, shouting and cursing, and then screaming for help because of ‘police brutality.’ He was probably somewhere in a holding cell in the back of the building.

“So how many interviews and podcast appearances do you think you’re going to get off of this?” you asked Eric quietly.

He chuckled and then groaned. “A lot,” he said.

“Thanks for the save,” you said.

“Well, you were trying to save me first,” he said. “And it’s not like you would have put a black eye to better use than I will.”

“Still, thanks,” you said.

“No problem,” he said and offered you his knuckles. You tapped them with your own, and you waited.

Eventually, DeezChains’ lawyer stormed off, and Garrison calmed down as he exchanged a few more words with the bailiffs. Then the bailiffs left, and Garrison came to you.

“Well,” he said. “I should probably fire you two, but at least you managed to cause problems outside of the view of the judge.” He’d already gotten your side of the story.

“I think we’d both appreciate keeping our jobs, sir,” you said.

Garrison shook his head and sighed.

“Did you happen to find out why he was even here?” you asked.

“A different lawsuit, probably as frivolous as the one that pondscum lawyer of his was trying to drum up against you two,” Garrison said. “There won’t be one coming from them on this, I made damn sure that asshat knew what would happen if he tried it. His client is getting charges pressed on him anyway, and he isn’t a criminal defence lawyer so he’ll probably fade away into the mists to leech off of some other person with more cash than good sense.”

“Are either of us going to need to testify?” Eric asked.

“Probably not,” Garrison said and gestured around. “This whole place is wired with security cameras. It’s likely caught in five different angles, and you two were de-escalating as much as reasonably possible. You’ll probably have a chance to do a victim statement if you want though, Eric.”

Eric snorted and smirked. “Yes, please.” You could tell that would just be more fodder for his burgeoning internet personality career.

“What’s the next step then, sir?” you asked.

“If you’re good to walk, Eric, we head for lunch. We’ll be pressed for time now so we’ll need to make it quick. You can head home if you’d like instead though Eric, and the firm will cover the ride.”

“I’ll stay,” Eric said after a moment, and you nodded thinking he’d made the right choice. He pulled the ice pack from his face. His eyes weren't too badly swollen, but the bruising was already starting to come in.

“Alright, good man,” Garrison said and patted him on the shoulder. “We’ll get moving in five minutes. I’ll let the ladies come talk to you in private.”

Garrison stepped away, and with a silent nod gave permission for Sabrina and Gemma to come over. They didn’t exactly rush, holding their dignity, but they were quickly sitting on either side of you and Eric. Each of them was speaking in a rush, Gemma quietly scolding you for getting involved and apologising for making it worse and thinking you were a hero for helping Eric. Sabrina, meanwhile, was thanking Eric for saving you, scolding him for getting in trouble, telling him to keep the ice pack on his face, and suggesting he should take a picture and tell Lucy if he wants to impress her. Then they switched sides, seemingly without communicating it, and you had Sabrina fussing over you while Gemma fussed over Eric.

Eventually, you cleared your throat loud enough that they both went quiet, and you chuckled softly. “I love you both, but you’re being a little overwhelming right now.”

“I dunno, I kinda like it,” Eric smirked.

“Come on,” you said. “Garrison still wants to try and get to lunch.”

The four of you stood, which was a signal for Garrison and the associates, and you followed them out of the courthouse.

Lunch ended up being at a local pub-like place that seemed to be a hotspot for lawyers and other workers at the courthouse, but they had a pair of tables pushed together and reserved for you even though you came in late. A bunch of people in the crowd were staring at you and Eric as you walked in and had clearly been witnesses to the confrontation.

Once you were all sitting down, Sabrina and Gemma manoeuvring to sit on either side of you at the end of the table, Garrison declared that since you needed to eat quickly he’d hold off on the trial recap talk. “Besides, I’m not sure Eric could hear me over the ringing in his ears.”

“What?” Eric said, playing along.

Garrison smirked and shook his head. “We’ll do the recap at the end of the week. I expect the defence will take up the afternoon and into tomorrow, and then the Judge will dismiss us to consider the case and make a ruling. That may not come out for a couple of weeks, so you guys should expect to be back in the office on Thursday. We’ll do the recap then.”

Further discussion was interrupted by the waitress coming by, and you noticed Garrison talking with her quietly and slipping her some cash. You had a feeling you’d be getting rush service from the kitchen. There wasn’t exactly a ton of privacy even at the end of the table, so you, Gemma and Sabrina tried to just make it a normal lunch and make small talk with everyone. Your food was delivered quickly and you all dug in, Eric a little less zealously since his black eye was coming in strong now. Gemma ended up offering him an Ibuprofen from her purse, which he readily accepted.

Lunch finished quickly and you all rushed back to the courthouse and up to Court Six just in time for the judge to call the trial back to order and the defence to start their case.

If you’d held out any hopes that the Defense would be a little more enthusiastic or dramatic, you were wrong. Other than a fifteen-minute recess where you treated Eric to the snack machine in thanks for his taking the hit for you, the afternoon dragged on, and on, and on. By the end, when the judge called a halt for the day and the lawyers packed up and prepared to head out, you were seriously questioning whether you would ever consider corporate law as a speciality no matter how well it might pay.

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