Wing Of Change
Chapter 98

Frank felt awfully uncomfortable as he sat between his mother and best friend in the nearly filled courtroom with a clenched jaw that clearly expressed his dislike for being there.

He rather be home with his daughter or at the hospital with Aria but that moment was because of her and missing out on the final court hearing against her captor was not an option he’d like to consider.

To think that Henry was pleading not guilty to all the charges levied against him, causes every b***d running through his vein to boil with anger and the hair on the back of his neck to stand on edge.

Henry has no single act of remorse in his heart not even after all he has done.

Aria was in a pitiful condition because of him and it would be over his dead body to see him walk out of there, a complete free man. He already made sure of that by hiring one of the best attorney he could replace.

His lawyer, barrister Roland_ has assured him that Henry wasn’t getting out of the situation easily if at all he thought there was even a slight chance that he might get acquitted since the victim was still in coma and can’t testify against him. Apparently, Frank had recounted everything that happened and there was enough evidence to sent him behind bars for at least a whole decade for kidnapping.

The busy room bursting with little talks and hushed voices was later thrown into dead silence the moment the judge walked in and took his place_ followed with the sound of his gavel against the wooden seat on his desk.

The moment he was sure he had everyone’s full attention, he peeped through his glasses hanging at the bridge of his nose and signaled to both the defendant and the persecutor to approach his desk for a brief incoherent meeting because that’s what it looked like to the rest of the people while in reality_he was making sure the two men in black and white outfit representing their various client follow due process as par law demands.

“We all know why we are here and I expect both parties to act according” he has spoken more to the two lawyers at his table

Satisfied with their reply. He ushered them back to their respective table before looking back at the rest of the people in gathering.

“You may now proceed with the final questioning and argument from both parties” He ended his little speech and relax against the armrest.

Barrister Roland was the first to clear his throat as he acknowledged the judge with a slight bow and stepped forward.

“With your permission your honour. I will like to call the accused to the witness stand for final questioning”

The judge gave a nod and replied. “permission granted”

He turned towards the opposite direction by his left, where the accused and his lawyer were seated and eyed them both gingerly for a split second. At the back of his mind? He was staring at a guilty man whose expression is the exact opposite of what he could be feeling. There was zero anxiety and air of worries on his features. The more he observed him, the more he is itching to prove how guilty he really was with that attitude of his.

Dressed in a plaid green shirt with his back resting against the wooden back rest. Henry has no facial expression whatsoever as his face was a mask of blank sheet. His head was bend slightly to the side as he stared back at the man who was set to prove to the jury and everyone in attendance just how guilty he truly was.

Could he blame him? Not in the slightest. If not for anything, at least for failing to carry out his plans. His only regret was not succeeding in his plans when he had her and now he found out she has been in a coma.

Even his dear cousin was among the gathering. He spared her nothing more than a single glance when he was led in by the officer. She was the one that ratted him out to Frank. He was sure of that now because she never came to visit him at the cell but that was the least of his worries at that point in time.

He needs his freedom back. In fact he crave every minutes of it. Having been locked up in that dark smelly cell was starting to mess with his sanity. The sooner he got out_the better. His lawyer had assured him of a minimal sentence if only he pleaded not guilty and that was exactly what he did.

His eyes rolled back up to meet two set of narrowed eyes watching him carefully like a predator on his prey. The moment their eyes met, his lips went up in an angry snarl as they continued to stare at him.

It wasn’t long before he heard his overly confident voice beckoning on him to step forward.

“Mr Henry Edet. Please step into the witness box for further questioning”

Henry threw his lawyer a single glance before he did as he was told and got up and forced his feet to walk towards the stand and half sighed.

His eyes met Frank’s for a brief moment when he looked back at the audience before he dragged them away. If eyes could kill_he’d be dead by that single act and with that, he made a silent note to himself not to look at his direction again.

A lady dressed in a trouser pant suit approached where he stood with a Bible and asked that he place his right hand on it and took the pledge.

After he pledged to speak nothing but the truth, the persecuting lawyer stepped closer to the stand with what looked like a grimace.

After a whole hour of intense back and forth arguments between both lawyers who kept presenting evidence, including police reports, statements, supplemental reports such as doctor’s test result on the use of a certain amount of drugs on the victim not to mentioned Lizzy’s final statement of disclosing some information about the victim to the accused without knowing his real intention at the time and just about any other information that may be relevant to the case was duly presented.

While the defending attorney was bent on proving his client innocence or being misjudged, had argued that Henry had nothing to do with the substances found in her system nor was he the cause of her being in coma.

Infact_he waved it off as an unfortunate incident that his client was caught in trying to help a neighbour who was in labour and being the doctor he was, had to intervene even though it was none of his business.

The jury took their time to deliberate on both arguments that went on between the defending counsel and the persecuting party before the final verdict was handed to the judge.

With the white envelop in hand, he looked over to the jury and asked if they had come to a unanimous agreement on their final verdict and they all agreed.

The jury being a set of nine individuals from different area of works and religion were carefully handpicked for that unbiased purpose.

With a nod, the judge pushed up his glasses and began to read out loud from the piece of paper in his hands.

“Both parties have had the chances to present their evidence and prove to the court what it is and what is not and with the complete help of the jury, everyone has been given a fair hearing and so at this juncture I will like to say, we are at the end of it all”

He took a brief pause and continued.

“With the authority invested in me by the law and in fair agreement with the jury, I hereby declare Mr Henry Edet guilty of all the charges levied against him which led to the unfortunate incident of Mrs Aria Davis_Okoji being in a coma and therefore sentence the said to seven years imprisonment with maximum correction and also for his medical license to be seized immediately!” The judge had read the sentence handed to him by the jury as he stamped it with his gavel and closed the case.

Before Henry was led away. He threw Frank a single glance which he returned with an angry glare. Henry could see the relief his sentence has brought him even though something tells him he wished his sentencing had been more lethal.

“I guess I will be seeing you in seven years?” He jested.

Frank could only reply with an angry sneer “I hope you rot in prison and never make it out and if you ever make it out then I will be waiting”

The two prison officers had dragged him away before he could offer a reply as he only chuckled like a manic.

**

Frank felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he got home that day. Henry was finally going to spend years in prison even though he wished he had gotten more than that.

Now he can finally look at his little girl without feeling like a loser who couldn’t defend his family. He would actually be able to sleep better at night these day_ knowing that he was locked behind bars just like he deserves.

Frank got a call from Aria’s doctor the next day and hasn’t stopped singing all morning. It was the second best news he has heard in a while since the beginning of that week.

Aria was finally responding to treatment and her heart rate was starting to return to normal.

She was no longer connected to the life support machine but the heart monitor and other body tubes were still intact since she still couldn’t breathe on her own yet.

Frank couldn’t wait to see her for himself as he continued to prepare little Evergreen food and extra bag to carry along on the road in case she needed diaper change or food because she always does. Especially the food.

The little girl was practically a foodie.

Frank felt the argue to take her along for the first time since he took her home from her incubator.

He adjusted the rearview mirror and smiled when he realized that she was still sleeping soundly in her baby carrier that was strapped safely against the back seat.

He took a deep breathe and pumped the car engine back to life as he drove out of his garage and went on his way.