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expect?"

He looks up atto tell DeSalvo?"

"Are you asking because of Anna, or because you're afraid of losing this trial?"

"Thanks, but I gave my conscience up for Lent"

"Aren't you going to ask yourself why a thirteen-year-old girl's gotten under your skin?"

He grimaces "Why don't you just butt out, Julia, and ruinto do in the first place?"

"This isn't your case, it's Anna's Although I can certainly see why you'd think otherwise"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're cowards You're both hell-bent on running away from yourself," I say "I knohat consequences Anna's afraid of What about you?"

"I don't knohat you're talking about"

"No? Where's the one-liner? Or is it too hard to joke about so that hits so close to the bone? You back away every tiets close to you It's okay if Anna's just a client, but the minute she becomes someone you care about, you're in trouble Me, well, a quick fuck's just fine, butan emotional attachment, that's out of the question The only relationship you have is with your dog, and even that's some enormous State secret"

"You are way out of line, Julia--"

"No, actually, I'm probably the only person who's qualified to let you know exactly what a jerk you are But that's okay, right? Because if everyone thinks you're a jerk, no one will bother getting too close" I stare at hi to know that soh you, isn't it, Campbell"

He gets up, stone-faced "I have a case to try"

"You do that," I say "Just make sure you separate justice from the client who needs it Otherwise, God forbid, youheart"

I walk off before I can embarrass myself any further, and hear Campbell's voice reach out to me "Julia It's not true"

I close ment, turn around

He hesitates "The dog I--"

But whatever he is about to ade DeSalvo's on the warpath," he interrupts "You're late, and the mini-mart was sold out of coffee milk"

I aze I wait for him to finish his sentence "You're one before I can even remember it existed

CAMPBELL

IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER to be a bastard

By the ti Part of it, of course, is the same old same old But part of it involves the fact that my client is about as responsive as a boulder beside me; and the woman I'm crazy about is the one I alance once at Julia as the judge enters; sheaway

My pen rolls off the table "Anna, can you get that for me?"

"I don't know I'd be wasting tioddamn pen stays on the floor

"Are you ready to call your next witness, Mr Alexander?" Judge DeSalvo asks, but before I can even say Julia's naerald asks to approach the bench

I gear up for yet another co counsel doesn't disappoint "The psychiatrist that I've asked to call as a witness has an appointht with the Court if we took her testimony out of order?"

"Mr Alexander?"

I shrug It's just a stay of execution for ht down to it So I sit down beside Anna and watch a sht for her face take the stand "Please state your nains

"Dr Beata Neaux," the psychiatrist says "1250 Orrick Way, Woonsocket"

Dr No I look around the courtroom, but apparently I'al pad and write a note to Anna: If she married Dr Chance, she'd be Dr Neaux-Chance

A smile twitches at the corner of Anna's mouth She picks up the pen that dropped and writes back: If she got a divorce and then married Mr Buster, she'd be Dr Neaux-Chance-Buster

We both start to laugh, and Judge DeSalvo clears his throat and looks at us "Sorry, Your Honor," I say

Anna passes me another note: I'm still mad at you

Sara walks toward her witness "Can you tell us, Doctor, the nature of your practice?"

"I'm a child psychiatrist"

"How did you first meet my children?"

Dr Neaux glances at Anna "About seven years ago, you brought in your son, Jesse, because of some behavioral problems Since then I've met with all the children, over various occasions, to talk about different issues that have come up"

"Doctor, I called you last week and asked you to prepare a report giving your expert opinion about psychological harht suffer if her sister dies"

"Yes In fact, I did a little research There was a siirl was asked to be a donor for her twin The psychiatrist who exa identification with each other that if the expected successful results were achieved, it would be of immense benefit to the donor" She looks at Anna "Inat a very similar set of circuenetically They live together They hang out together They have literally spent their entire lives together If Anna donates a kidney that saves her sister's life, it's a treift--and not just to Kate Because Anna herself will continue to be part of the intact family by which she defines herself, rather than a family that's lost one of its members"

This is such a load of psychobabble bullshit I can barely see to swi this with great sincerity Julia, too, has her head tilted and a tiny frown line between her brows A brain?

"Moreover," Dr Neaux continues, "there are several studies that indicate children who serve as donors have higher self-esteem, and feel more important within the family structure They consider the no one else can"

That's the erald I have ever heard

"Do you think that Anna is capable ofher own medical decisions?" Sara asks

"Absolutely not"

Big surprise

"Whatever decision sheto have overtones for this entire fa of that whileher decision, and therefore, it will never truly be independent Plus, she's only thirteen years old Develop-mentally her brain isn't wired yet to look that far ahead, so any decision will beterm"

"Dr Neaux," the judge interrupts, "ould you recommend, in this case?"

"Anna needs the guidance of someone with more life experiencesomeone who has her best interests in mind I'm happy to ith the family, but the parents need to be the parents, here--because the children can't be"

When Sara turns the witness over tous to believe that donating a kidney will net Anna all these fabulous psychological perks"

"That's correct," Dr Neaux says

"Doesn't it stand to reason, then, that if she donates that same kidney--and her sister dies as a result of the operation--then Anna will suffer significant psychological trauma?"

"I believe her parents will help her reason through that"

"What about the fact that Anna's saying she doesn't want to be a donor anymore," I point out "Isn't that important?"