Winners and Losers

Danny was sitting on the witness stand again, he was slouched over in his chair as Barba asked him

"In full detail as much as you can remember, please tell the court what happened on June 20th 2019."

Danny inwardly scolded himself

"Open that fucking mouth of yours and speak you blockhead! C'mon! its not like you don't have fucking nightmares of the incident you complete moron, cat got your tongue?"

Danny sighed and took a deep lungful of air in his lungs, as he felt the sweat soak his dress shirt and he opened his mouth and began

"I left the house to throw some trash away, I had filled the garbage with some stuff I needed to throw out, when I opened the flap of the trash can and I felt a hard iron bar hit me, I instantly felt everything go dark and I could feel myself hit the ground, I was so tired, I opened the eyes as I saw William Lewis flip me over and cradle my face and drag me inside my own house by my own ankles, I remember my eyes opening and closing every few seconds as I was dragged into the main foyer and then up the stairs up to my bedroom, I lost consciousness as he dragged me onto my own bed, I couldn't even try to move, my body wouldn't move of its own accord. I woke up again and tried moving my wrists and ankles over and over. I couldn't move them at all, they were tied up to the bed frame and I was so damn helpless, as he taunted me, threatened me to not scream or...or he would make a Pablo Picasso artwork of my bedroom walls, he aimed his gun at me for good measure and then he undressed me, and he..."

Danny gulped as his eyes looked firmly downward, Danny was pale and tired as he continued 

"He dumped a gallon of gasoline on me, all over, then he proceeded to take another gallon of gasoline and soaked my bed. He then...he raped me. He raped me over and over, I didn't even know for how long it lasted, I couldn't see my bedside clock. I couldn't even reach my phone. He forced me to look into his eyes as he raped me, I could see nothing but soullessness in his eyes, he was forcing me to be aroused to enjoy the rape and to...ejaculate with him."

Danny gulped as he continued

"I remember him shooting me, and that's when everything when dark again and he dragged me out. I don't remember much afterward until I woke up in an alleyway and I could hear the cops coming to rescue me. It was completely terrifying as I was put into an ambulance. I had no idea if I was going to be saved or kidnapped again."

The defense attorney smirked and said

"That is a very detailed story right there Danny."

"Its Captain to you, counsel." Danny snarked back

"You see, you forgot to mention that you didn't try to fight back as you were raped...does that mean that you were ever raped at all?"

Barba yelled 

"OBJECTION!!" before he even stood up, his blood boiling with rage, with how they were shaming a depressed and drained main who had been threatened with his life if he dared resist. 

Barba knew they were trying to shred Danny because they knew they had nothing to lose, that their chances of avoiding jail was slim, but if they could do some mud slinging in the process to destroy his reputation.

Then Buchanan added

"You seem to be unable to recall bits and pieces of your story, as if you have amnesia, can it be certain that you were really raped and not just you trying to get your name in the headlines, I mean, you must be a man who is jealous of his fathers media attention."

Barba noticed that Danny was trembling with terror and he moved for another objection due to leading and intimidating the witness. Barba requested a recess and not a moment too soon because Danny bolted out and vomited in a trash can, he heaved out whatever breakfast he had and he could feel someone rubbing his back, his memories of the rape becoming more sharper and clearer with each breath he took and he glanced at Peter and he nodded before going back in as he sat on the chair and the defense had no more questions for him, soon he sat down as two more witnesses were interviewed and then court was adjourned. Danny was soaked from head to toe in sweat and he quickly drove home to avoid the crowds and got dressed in his uniform to attend Eames's funeral down at the funeral home, he went there, he was dressed in full dress blues as the sun shone above them, he went inside with his whole family by his side as they watched the coffin be brought in by the NYPD cops she had worked with, Goren had tears in his eyes he refused to shed as he held the coffin balanced on his shoulder and he helped place it on the raised dais, her coffin had the American flag draped on the coffin as Commissioner Frank came up to deliver his speech and his gratitude that this brave woman had taken down so many criminals during her time as a cop and that her bravery would never be forgotten. The director of the FBI also spoke of her kindly and her Special Supervisor spoke as well, it was a dreary funeral and rain started to fall as the cops carried out the coffin and into the hearse to be buried.  

Danny watched her get buried in the same cemetery as his wife and he bawled harder than ever, his heart hurting as he wondered how life would go on now.