At Dawn, in the Forest

“Your Honour, there is something that is not sitting right with me. These doctors,” Thomas aggressively pointed at Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein,” claim they didn’t know what Mr. Sullivan was doing. They claim all of his actions were done behind their backs. They claim they didn’t authorize Mr. Sullivan’s experiments. But they also claim that they ran the facility. Now, Your Honour, to my knowledge you either run things or you follow, but these people claim both. I know there isn’t any evidence to support the claim that Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein authorize Mr. Sullivan’s actions, but there is evidence that supports the claim they did run the facility.” Thomas went full steam ahead after the break. Dawn’s case was one of the worst he had seen in his life and he wanted that Dawn got the justice she deserved.

“Now moving on to my next point. Mr. Sullivan was just a doctor. Meaning he did finish his residency in a regional hospital somewhere hidden away in the country, but he never did a fellowship. He wasn’t a specialized doctor. But the experiments conducted on Dawn were clearly done with precision and full knowledge of the bodily autonomy, something a doctor like Mr. Sullivan couldn’t have conducted on his own. But doctors like Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein could have with their education.”

Mr. Callaway stood up. “Your Honour, Mr. Sullivan was their protégé, he learned from them during his time in the facility and because of the illegality of their business there is no record of Mr. Sullivan getting diplomas or recognition for his advancement in the medical field.”

“Even if that is true, some of the experiments are too advanced for someone with Mr. Sullivan’s background. And seeing the experiments they did on the other prisoners they weren’t as advanced as the ones they conducted on Dawn. It doesn’t rhyme, Your Honour.”

The middle councilman held his hands up to come in between the representatives. “I would like to hear from Miss Carson herself how she experienced her time in the facility. Miss Carson, if you please?” He pointed at the chair in the middle.

Dawn got up from her seat on wobbly legs. Slowly she made her way to the chair in the middle, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. As she sat down she took a big gulp and her leg started to bounce up and down.

After she swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth the lady on the far right did the questioning again. “Tell me Miss Carson, what would a typical day look like when an experiment would take place?”

“Uhm,” Dawn tried to look at the lady but she was nervous. She was scared she would say something wrong or make a mistake. “Uh, Jack would come to get me, I-I mean Mr. Sullivan, and he would-would take me to Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein. Then…” Flashbacks caused Dawn to pause. She had suppressed the memories of the experiments since her talk with Max and Caspian.

“Take your time, Dawn,” The woman reassured.

Dawn took another deep breath and continued. “Then Dr. Willow would be the one to greet me. I spoke with him the most during-during those experiments. He-he then would ask Dr. Klein what-what would be on the schedule for that day. She would tell him and then-then Dr. Willow told Jack to prepare me…”

“Were you often alone with Mr. Sullivan?”

Dawn shook her head. “No-no Your Honour. He would only pick me up, bring me back, or-or check on me. I-I wasn’t even allowed to discuss anything me-medical related with Jack, the same thing was told to him as well.”

“Told by whom?”

“By Dr. Willow, Your Honour.”

After she uttered those words Dawn heard a chair scraping against the floor. “Your Honour, I don’t understand why we are wasting our time like this. We have already concluded that Miss Carson isn’t eligible as a witness. Her high levels of silver and wolfsbane in her blood at that time could have caused hallucinations also pain can cause those as well.”

“We are well aware of that fact, Mr. Callaway. Still, we saw it necessary to let Miss Carson tell her story.” The councilwoman turned to Dawn again. “Is it true that Mr. Sullivan was with you during your rescue?”

“Yes, Your Honour.”

“And why was he with you at that moment?”

“Because of Dr. Willow’s orders.” Dawn didn’t understand why they suddenly asked about the rescue. Confused she turned around to Thomas, hoping he could do something or say something. Only he just shook his head, almost as if in defeat.

“Thank you, Miss Carson. I think we have heard enough,” The councilwoman dismissed her. Dawn was even more puzzled regarding her short questioning. Didn’t they want to hear her story?

The councilman in the middle spoke up after Dawn sat down. “We shall review everything that is said today and will take it into account with all the documents and material we have gotten. By five we shall come with a ruling, thank you.” Everybody stood up as the council members left the hall.

Panicked looks were shared amongst Dawn and her family and friends. They all turned to Thomas for reassuring words when they had found a quiet place in the building to wait. “Well, what do you think, Thomas?” Boaz asked impatiently.

The representative sat down with a sigh and rubbed his face with his hands. “It’s hard to say… I have a feeling they will favor Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein’s story.”

Aiden looked surprised. “But why? Dawn has given a detailed testimony.”

“Yes, but this case isn’t about whether those experiments took place yes, or, no. We all know that they were conducted, and the evidence is clear on that account. But it’s about who has done them, and their strategy to blame everything on a dead man was smart.”

“What happens if they don’t believe Dawn?” Mateo asked. He asked the question everybody was too afraid to ask, but wanted to know the answer to it.

“Then they won’t count the crimes regarding Dawn in their ruling for Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein. They will only count the crimes against those other prisoners and that may result in a less harsher punishment.”

“No,” Larisa whispered.

Dawn shook her head. She paced. “But, but they did it. They hurt me, they tortured me! I am not lying!”

Aiden grabbed her shoulders. “Nobody is saying that, Dawn.” He spoke softly. He wanted to grab her face place a kiss on her forehead and hug her. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright. But Dawn shrugged off his hands.

“It’s close to five, we should head back again,” Larisa announced.

***

“After reviewing the case that was brought to us today we have come to a ruling. This ruling will be done in two parts. The first part will be our ruling regarding whether Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein are guilty of conducting illegal experiments and torturing while doing so on Miss Carson. The second part will be our ruling regarding the punishment of Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein as we have already ruled them guilty of conducting illegal experiments on twenty-six other werewolves.” The councilman in the middle announced.

“We have read your testimonies, we have listened to witnesses, we have seen the evidence, and we have heard your cases made by the representatives. After all this, we have concluded that the evidence regarding Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein experimenting on Miss Carson is all circumstantial. None of it is direct evidence that points a clear finger at these two doctors present here with us today. The only direct evidence we found was the two testimonies by two of the twenty-six werewolves who have been imprisoned by them as well. But they point their finger in a different direction, that of Mr. Sullivan who was killed during the rescue.

“The only crime carried out by Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein that we can conclude of all the materials against Miss Carson is that of involuntary capturing a minor and illegal imprisonment. Out of all the evidence we cannot rule Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein guilty of conducting illegal experiments on Dawn Carson and we shall therefore not take that into their ruling for their punishment.” Murmurs went around in the audience. Besides friends and family of Dawn, there were other survivors present and loved ones who lost their mate, or friend, or family member by the experiments of the two doctors.

Dawn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could they not believe her? “No,” She spoke in a loud voice. “No!” Thomas tried to keep the distraught woman in her seat. “Dawn, you cannot do this. Not now,” He whispered. His words, however, fell on deaf ears. Dawn still tried to stand up.

The councilmen continued despite the restless atmosphere in the council hall. “Now, to the second part. For conducting illegal experiments on werewolves which resulted in medical torture, disfigurement, and death we rule 25 years to a life sentence to Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein.” Now other people were calling out the council as well, but still, the uproar was ignored by them. “After negotiations with the human law department, we will come to a final ruling. That’s all.”

“No!” Dawn yelled. Her scream of agony echoed loudly through the hall. Blinded by rage she fought against Thomas and surpassed him, making her way to the wicked and evil people who hurt her for so long. Just as she was about to scratch Dr. Willow in his face she was caught by Aiden and a guard. “No! No! He should die! He must pay for what he has done!”

Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein were escorted out of the hall when the evil doctor showed again his villainous smirk to Dawn. This gave Dawn more fire to spur. She trashed in the men’s arms and managed to escape from them. She climbed over the desk and sprinted for Dr. Willow, tackling him. He fell down with Dawn on top of him, she managed to scratch him once with her sharp claws when both her arms were grabbed and folded against her back.

The guards took her off Dr. Willow and forced her to the ground, pressing her face into the ground. As she was lying on her left cheek, she saw how Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein got escorted away. She cried and yelled. “Let me go! Let me go!”

Slowly the uproar quieted down as people were asked to leave the council hall in order to get a hold of the situation. It was just Dawn on the ground with guards, Aiden, and her father. When she lay completely still, silently sobbing, the guards let her up. It took them thirty minutes to convince both the guards and the council to let Dawn go with a warning.

She felt empty and numb. She couldn’t comprehend how it was possible that Dr. Willow and Dr. Klein got away with their crimes regarding to her.

Dawn fainted when they let her go, not being able to confront reality.

A/N: Please don't hate me and let me know in the comments your thoughts on this chapter.

Thank you :)