I was also glad to have moved away from my idiotic, overfamiliar comment to Declan. However, if he was in the least bit fazed by what I’d said, he didn’t show it.
Lucy, however, shot me a knowing look. She had of course in the meantime pumped me for information about our unusually close client/solicitor relationship as well as about that infamous picture in the newspaper. But I’d insisted repeatedly that there was nothing to tell.
Nothing at all.
43
Madeleine tapped her fingers impatiently on the wooden table before her. It was only the third day of the trial, but yet it felt like the third year.
Her nerves were absolutely shot, and while she understood that it was standard to get through all of the plaintiff’s witnesses first, it was beginning to feel like each and every person going on the stand had it in for her.
In particular, that Health Service representative yesterday, who seemed to be holding her personally responsible for the recent decline in MMR vaccination uptake that had the Health Board concerned about the herd-immunity threshold. Which had even resulted in government pressure to bring this very trial date forward “in the interest of public safety.”
That was all they needed, to be held responsible for a public health epidemic as well as Rosie O’Hara’s plight. The judge really needed to hear from someone who would paint her and Tom in a more impartial and sympathetic light.
Because Madeleine had realized a long time ago that it wasn’t just her and Tom’s decision on vaccination that was on trial here—it was their parenting.
She stole a sidelong look at her husband and Matt Townsend. As per the norm, they had their heads pressed together with Michael McGuinness discussing strategy, and only rarely did they include her. This made her mad, as well. The case was affecting her life...she was heavily involved...and she had lots of opinions—shouldn’t she be included in these discussions, too?
Not for the first time, Madeleine started to doubt that the team was taking the right direction. Every once in a while she thought that their barrister might display a flash of brilliance from a legal standpoint, but all too often she felt that they freely allowed the plaintiff’s side to make everything too personal, so as to make circumstances more real and heartbreaking to the judge.
And their side was missing that.
This was a very personal thing, too, and her and Tom’s decision to not vaccinate the kids was not something they took lightly. They had to be able to convey that and put an end to the conspiracy-theory nonsense that had been endlessly spouted by the media and everyone else who disagreed with their stance.
Of course, she had said as much many times, but Matt and the barrister had said just “Wait until the plaintiff rests and then we’ll have our say.” She guessed that she would have to trust them and believe Tom that his family’s testimony would do the necessary in that regard. However, Madeleine suspected that no one was going to be able to hit that point home more than her.
Then again, she’d tried that last year with the blog post, hadn’t she? Tried speaking from the heart and explaining her position—only for Tom and Matt to insist she take the piece down before it had made barely a ripple.
Hardly anyone had viewed it, and she was almost certain Kate hadn’t, which was a shame. Because, more than anything, Madeleine had wanted to get through to Kate and let her know that she was so sorry for what had happened.
But she had never truly been allowed to have her say.
* * *
The plaintiff side duly confirmed that their case had rested, and Matt Townsend was ready to start presenting the Coopers’ defense.
The last few days had been character assassinations of his clients at best, and while Michael McGuinness had experienced a few wins during cross-examination of the plaintiff’s witnesses, he felt Madeleine’s and Tom’s frustration growing—not to mention his own.
Of course, it wasn’t uncommon for clients to get upset during the trial, but he really needed to regain some lost footing here—especially since the other side couldn’t actuallyprovethat it was the Coopers’ kid who spread the disease. Their very own witnesses had confirmed that.
Looking down at his notes, he heard the defense barrister announce to Judge Dowling that the first witness they would like to call was Dr. Terrence Pitt.
Matt had of course vetted this guy thoroughly in preparation, but it was Tom who had found him initially. It seemed that Pitt was used to appearing in courtrooms all over the world, and he seemed very legit.
Hopefully, his viewpoint would go a long way toward undoing some of the damage the Roe & Co. had caused, and help present his clients in a more rational, levelheaded light.
Dr. Pitt stood up from where he sat and regally made his way forward, almost as if he expected to be saluted for his stature within the medical community. After taking his spot on the witness stand, he was sworn in and then placed an expectant look on his face, awaiting the first question.
“Dr. Pitt, for the benefit of the court, could you give us an overview of your professional biography?”
The man nodded and Matt assessed that the guy couldn’t be more than forty-five—compared to the plaintiff’s expert witnesses, he looked baby-faced.
“Of course, and I am happy to be here today, thank you,” stated Dr. Pitt with some significant bluster, as if he was about to accept an Academy Award. “I graduated with my medical degree from the University of California in Los Angeles in 2002. I am a ranking member of the California Medical Review Board and ran a lab as an assistant professor of neurology at Caltech.”
“And can you tell us why you came to Dublin to testify today?”
Pitt nodded. “Well, for the majority of my career, I confess I believed in the power of vaccines, and I never questioned any of it until I met my wife. She is a chiropractor, and her experience truly opened my eyes to the world of holistic medicine and natural therapies.”
