Story Notes:
This is my first writing adventure. I welcome all reviews; good or bad.
Role Reversal- Chapter 1
Sara closed her eyes and leaned her head to the side, resting it on the cold window. The vibrations from the moving car shook through her body, denying her any chance of actually falling asleep. But who was she kidding? She had not been able to sleep for days. She wasn't sure if she would ever sleep again.
The car came to a sudden stop; causing her to lift her head, her eyes now open. The driver looked back at her through the rear view mirror. "Sorry Miss Tancredi, damn light went straight to red."
"That's ok, David" she answered back. She was grateful for the red light. They were closing in on her destination and she wasn't quite ready for today's events. Sighing loudly, she ran her hands
through her hair.
"Everything's going to be ok, Miss Tancredi" David said softy.
"Yeah, right" was her sharp reply. She immediately regretted her tone. David had always been good to her. Most of her father's staff treated her like a child. David had been an exception.
The car started moving again and within a few minutes they were stopping again. This time David got out of the car and walked to the back, opening the door for her.
He reached in and helped her out of the car.
"I guess this is it,” She whispered.
"Good luck today, Miss Tancredi." He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.
Sara nodded and walked away from the car. A crowd of reporters, shouting a million questions at once, suddenly surrounded her. Camera flashes almost blinded her as she tried to move forward.
"Miss Tancredi, do you think you will be found guilty?"
"Are you still using?"
"Do you have anything to say to the family of Cameron Mahone?"
The sound of his name made her steps falter and her eyes close. She fought back tears, not wanting to give the press anything to run with.
She ignored the questions and pushed her way through the masses. "Where the hell is my lawyer?" she thought to herself.
As if on cue, She saw her lawyer Nick Savrin appear and take her arm, leading her up the courthouse steps. "Sara, are you OK?"
"I'm great Nick, just great." she answered sarcastically. "Today my life is over."
"Don't think that, Sara. You have to have faith" Nick replied.
"I killed that boy, Nick. I deserve to rot in jail."
Once in the courthouse, Nick led Sara down a long corridor and into what appeared to be a meeting room. It was only 8am and the trial didn't start for another 2 hours.
Nick needed some time to discuss things with his client. Sara still hadn't made a decision as to how she wanted to proceed.
Nick took a seat and motioned for Sara to be seated next to him. "Sara, have you thought anymore about how you would like to plead?"
"Can we go over my options again?" She asked.
"Sure", answered Nick. They had been over this a dozen times. He knew she was stalling.
"Sara, you have 2 options. Your first option would be to plead not guilty to all charges. This would include Vehicular Homicide, Driving Under the Influence, possession of illegal drugs, possession of a concealed weapon, and possession of a stolen vehicle."
"But Nick, that wasn't my car! I had no idea it was stolen! I didn't know about the drugs or the gun!"
"Sara, it doesn' t matter. You were driving the car and that means the car and its contents became your responsibility. If you plead not guilty, you will be tried for all these charges and run the risk of spending the next 25 years in prison. It's a really big risk, Sara."
"Nick, they won't put me away for that long. I am the Governor’s daughter." Sara said hopefully.
"Actually, Sara.... That's something I wanted to talk to you about." Nick frowned and looked away from her. "Your dad held a press conference last night."
"What!" Sara exclaimed. "I saw my dad yesterday and he didn't say anything about a press conference."
"Yeah, well.. It seems your father's reelection campaign has taken a hit since your arrest."
"Nick, what did my father say last night?"
"Basically Sara, your dad tossed you to the wolves. He said he hoped you received the full sentence for your crimes."
Sara pulled her hand up to her mouth and seemed to momentarily lose consciousness. Nick caught her before she fell to the floor.
"Why would my dad do that to me?" Sara cried.
Nick shook his head. "I don't know, Sara, I don't know."
Sara sobbed and looked down at her hands. "I would do anything to take that day back, anything."
"I know you would, Sara." Nick replied as he patted her shoulder. "We all make mistakes."
Nick took his hand away. "Sara, there is another option. The DA has offered a plea bargain. If you accept, you will be pleading guilty to Vehicular Homicide and Driving Under the Influence. The sentence would be at the discretion of the judge, with a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10. With this plea, all other charges would be thrown out."
Nick looked at her and smiled. "This isn't a bad deal, Sara. I'm sure that the fact you have been heavily involved in charity work for the last few years, and the fact that you didn't flee the scene will count for something."
"Yeah, I was so high on morphine I could barely get out of the car, much less flee the scene", Sara thought to herself.
"Nick, I need to take responsibility for my actions. I'll take the deal."
Sara closed her eyes and leaned her head to the side, resting it on the cold window. The vibrations from the moving car shook through her body, denying her any chance of actually falling asleep. But who was she kidding? She had not been able to sleep for days. She wasn't sure if she would ever sleep again.
The car came to a sudden stop; causing her to lift her head, her eyes now open. The driver looked back at her through the rear view mirror. "Sorry Miss Tancredi, damn light went straight to red."
"That's ok, David" she answered back. She was grateful for the red light. They were closing in on her destination and she wasn't quite ready for today's events. Sighing loudly, she ran her hands
through her hair.
"Everything's going to be ok, Miss Tancredi" David said softy.
"Yeah, right" was her sharp reply. She immediately regretted her tone. David had always been good to her. Most of her father's staff treated her like a child. David had been an exception.
The car started moving again and within a few minutes they were stopping again. This time David got out of the car and walked to the back, opening the door for her.
He reached in and helped her out of the car.
"I guess this is it,” She whispered.
"Good luck today, Miss Tancredi." He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.
Sara nodded and walked away from the car. A crowd of reporters, shouting a million questions at once, suddenly surrounded her. Camera flashes almost blinded her as she tried to move forward.
"Miss Tancredi, do you think you will be found guilty?"
"Are you still using?"
"Do you have anything to say to the family of Cameron Mahone?"
The sound of his name made her steps falter and her eyes close. She fought back tears, not wanting to give the press anything to run with.
She ignored the questions and pushed her way through the masses. "Where the hell is my lawyer?" she thought to herself.
As if on cue, She saw her lawyer Nick Savrin appear and take her arm, leading her up the courthouse steps. "Sara, are you OK?"
"I'm great Nick, just great." she answered sarcastically. "Today my life is over."
"Don't think that, Sara. You have to have faith" Nick replied.
"I killed that boy, Nick. I deserve to rot in jail."
Once in the courthouse, Nick led Sara down a long corridor and into what appeared to be a meeting room. It was only 8am and the trial didn't start for another 2 hours.
Nick needed some time to discuss things with his client. Sara still hadn't made a decision as to how she wanted to proceed.
Nick took a seat and motioned for Sara to be seated next to him. "Sara, have you thought anymore about how you would like to plead?"
"Can we go over my options again?" She asked.
"Sure", answered Nick. They had been over this a dozen times. He knew she was stalling.
"Sara, you have 2 options. Your first option would be to plead not guilty to all charges. This would include Vehicular Homicide, Driving Under the Influence, possession of illegal drugs, possession of a concealed weapon, and possession of a stolen vehicle."
"But Nick, that wasn't my car! I had no idea it was stolen! I didn't know about the drugs or the gun!"
"Sara, it doesn' t matter. You were driving the car and that means the car and its contents became your responsibility. If you plead not guilty, you will be tried for all these charges and run the risk of spending the next 25 years in prison. It's a really big risk, Sara."
"Nick, they won't put me away for that long. I am the Governor’s daughter." Sara said hopefully.
"Actually, Sara.... That's something I wanted to talk to you about." Nick frowned and looked away from her. "Your dad held a press conference last night."
"What!" Sara exclaimed. "I saw my dad yesterday and he didn't say anything about a press conference."
"Yeah, well.. It seems your father's reelection campaign has taken a hit since your arrest."
"Nick, what did my father say last night?"
"Basically Sara, your dad tossed you to the wolves. He said he hoped you received the full sentence for your crimes."
Sara pulled her hand up to her mouth and seemed to momentarily lose consciousness. Nick caught her before she fell to the floor.
"Why would my dad do that to me?" Sara cried.
Nick shook his head. "I don't know, Sara, I don't know."
Sara sobbed and looked down at her hands. "I would do anything to take that day back, anything."
"I know you would, Sara." Nick replied as he patted her shoulder. "We all make mistakes."
Nick took his hand away. "Sara, there is another option. The DA has offered a plea bargain. If you accept, you will be pleading guilty to Vehicular Homicide and Driving Under the Influence. The sentence would be at the discretion of the judge, with a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10. With this plea, all other charges would be thrown out."
Nick looked at her and smiled. "This isn't a bad deal, Sara. I'm sure that the fact you have been heavily involved in charity work for the last few years, and the fact that you didn't flee the scene will count for something."
"Yeah, I was so high on morphine I could barely get out of the car, much less flee the scene", Sara thought to herself.
"Nick, I need to take responsibility for my actions. I'll take the deal."
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