In a frenzy of fury, Ben's chair flew backward, tipping over, and Ben kneed Barnes's attorney in the face accidentally as he tackled the monster from his chair taking him to the ground. Ben landed an uppercut and one solid threat, "I will fucking kill you if you ever come near her again," before he was pulled back by a security guard, his dad, Joe, and Grace's father.
Barnes laughed with blood coming from the side of his mouth. "She was so good to me. Is that my baby she's carrying?"
Three grown men couldn't stop Ben from kicking him in the ribs, but another security guard added into the mix did the trick. As they were dragging him back, he yelled, "Don't you ever fucking look at her! Never fucking again or I will end-" before his mouth was covered by his father's hand.
His father warned, "Don't say anything else, son. Calm down."
The judge had been yelling to remove Ben from the courtroom, and Grace stood horrified, covering her mouth in shock. As Ben was pulled into the lobby, he could hear the judge yell at Grace to stay seated, that she was still under oath, and would finish her testimony.
Ben shook eight hands off him and shrugged his jacket into place before storming away to rest his head against the cool marble of a nearby wall.
"Son, you've got to calm down-"
"I hate that fucker. I hate him so much." Ben could feel a combination of heated anger and bile rising in his throat. "Did you see how he looked at her?" He turned quickly to meet his father's concerned eyes and then John's worried ones. "This case is only about money. Nothing more. He served four fucking months for messing with her medical records, and that's it. That's fucking it! Four fucking months at some high-end prison resort up north. How is that fair? He took away three years of her life, of our lives-"
"He lost his medical license-"
"It's not enough. He shouldn't be walking the streets."
"It's the only recourse we have. If we don't follow the law, we're no better than him, Ben." Joe looked over his shoulder at the security guard who was still trying to catch his breath, then back to his son. "Your wife needs you. She's on the stand. Can you do this, or not?"
The security guard announced, "He can return on one condition. If he has another outburst the judge will dismiss the case. Mr. Edwards, do you understand this condition?"
John moved closer to Ben and whispered, "Grace needs you in there, Ben. If not for you, do this for her."
Ben nodded, reading the plea in John's eyes.
A hushed wave of silence befell the crowd when Ben re-entered the courtroom. Ben focused on Grace who looked like she was on the verge of tears and made his way back to his seat and remained standing under his counselor's advice. The judge asked him if he could cooperate and abide by her courtroom rules. Ben agreed, sneaking a glance at the defense. Barnes's lawyer had the remains of what looked like a bloody nose and Barnes had a scowl on his face while his neck was flaming red, revealing his true feelings. A wry grin spread across Ben's face while looking down at the papers in front of him, trying to appear "controlled."
The rest of the afternoon was spent listening to Barnes's testimony. Ben and Grace rolled their eyes at least ten times each and shook their heads in disgust repeatedly. He claimed he saved her from the scene of the accident and was dutifully portrayed by his attorney as a hero. Ben and Grace could agree that he did save her, considering the extensive injuries she suffered from the car hitting her, but their attorney argued how Barnes entered her into the hospital records as Jane Parker instead of Jane Doe, which violated hospital protocol. This accounted for no one knowing who she was. The police came up empty-handed since no Jane Doe or Grace Stevens had been admitted. The missing-person flyers were removed to make sure that no one put two and two together and her property had been left at the scene of the accident only to have all her belongings and identity stolen. They had the Starbucks barista testify to what happened inside the coffee shop prior to and after the accident. Stringing all those little things together, Barnes was given the perfect opportunity to obtain the affections of a woman who had rejected him minutes prior.
A psychiatrist had met with Barnes before the hearing and determined that not only was he not crazy, but he knew full well what he was doing. The term "God Complex" was used several times to Barnes's dismay. It was determined that he hadn't planned the violation. There was no way for him to know this would happen, but he took advantage of an opportunity with an ill-conceived plan that he conjured on the spot after the accident. Guilty without malicious intent. The mere act itself was malice. Ben couldn't watch this play out. His insides raged in frustration.