Abyss (R) (Smash) PART 8
Title: Abyss
Author: blackpoetcat
Rating: R
Character: Derek Wills
Disclaimer: NBC owns all, just playing drama with
Summary: Everyone knows he doesn't give a shit about anything but the show. So when Derek's life capsizes, will anyone give a shit about him?
( Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7)
Only a few hours later, Derek was fetched and delivered to the visitor's area. When the officer first announced that someone was here to see him, he assumed it would be Bellamy; but he was not led to one of the special meeting chambers where prisoners and their attorneys could talk in private. Instead, he and his guard entered a confined room with a long row of seats, each one separated by Plexiglas walls and equipped with phones to talk to the visitors.
He was positively surprised and of course relieved to see Eileen sitting on the other side of the security window. Derek sat down, smiled at her and picked up the phone, but frowned the next moment when he noticed her cold and angry expression.
"Eileen..." he started, but she interrupted him at once.
"Don't you dare say anything," she said in the strangest tone he had ever heard from her. "Do you have any idea of what havoc you have wreaked? What it cost me to not only protect the cast from the media, but to save the whole damn show?"
Her voice was as cold as ice, as was her killing glance. The former friend, no matter how much they fought in the past, was nowhere to be seen anymore. Quite the contrary. Derek had never felt so uncomfortable in her presence, let alone in a defensive position like this. Nevertheless, he made an attempt to express his honest regret.
"Look, Eileen... I'm aware that my arrest is probably troublesome for the show, but --"
"You have no idea, so shut up!" She cut him off again, even fiercer than before. "It's not only the extra money I've had to pay for a security team, so the cast can at least work despite getting stalked everywhere they go, it's you! I thought we were friends, that you would help me build up a new life without Jerry. And what have I got now? Nothing but trouble! First Ivy, now this girl! I should have listened to Tom and kept you away from 'Bombshell' from the beginning!"
Appalled, Derek leaned back in pure disbelief of her unexpected icy reaction, swallowed hard and tried again to get through to the woman, the friend, he'd known for so many years.
"Eileen, please listen! Whatever the police are saying, I am certain that I didn't harm the girl --"
"You were too drunk to remember anything, Derek! So don't tell me you're as innocent as a baby," Eileen hissed. "And it's not about the girl, as sorry as I am for her. You jeopardized everything we worked for all those long, hard months by drinking yourself into oblivion. I could ignore, even tolerate your reckless hunting, your outrageous behaviour, as long as it didn't interfere with my business. But now it does! And I can't and won't stand it any longer, understood? I have absolutely no use for someone so irresponsible. You're fired!"
FIRED???
Derek's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opened and shut a few times until his mind was able to think rationally. Whether or not he was found guilty, he would stay confined for weeks, or possibly months. Obviously, the show needed another director, at least during the following previews; therefore he couldn't blame Eileen for firing him now. It was the only logical decision. But of course, when his attorney succeeded and he was freed, he would return to 'Bombshell' and...
"For good!" Eileen added, at exactly the moment Derek's thoughts reached the point when he would overtake his job again.
"What?"
He must have misheard. She did not just say that he had been ultimately sacked, now did she? The thought alone was so surreal, Derek found himself absolutely unable to comprehend.
"I said you - are - fired - for - good," Eileen repeated, pronouncing every word in a way that left no doubt of her utter disdain. "And regardless to the court's verdict -- I will never hire you again. I am through with you, and I don't care if you ever get out of jail! But just in case you do, I'll get a court order to keep you as far from my show as possible. Oh, and by the way -- when the cast checks out tomorrow morning, I am not paying for your hotel suite. After your escapade forced me to hire a security team, I consider that as the least compensation."
There was no doubt that Eileen was absolutely serious, that she really condemned him, abandoned him to an uncertain fate. Derek was not only horrified, but desperately disappointed. Of course he had expected sharp words -- a lecture, or even a furious tirade -- but it had never occurred to him that she would drop him like a hot potato.
"Good luck. You'll need it," Eileen finished, hung up the phone and left without giving him the slightest chance to speak with her again.
To place his phone back was an automatically move. Apart from that, Derek sat and stared with unseeing eyes at the place Eileen just left, running one hand several times through his hair, until the guard came and took him back to his cell. There he just lay down on his cot and buried his face deep in the pillow, struggling hard to fight back the tears he would definitely not allow anyone here to see.
He had put all his hope into Eileen's support. Now he was alone, with no ally but his attorney: a thought that left a very bitter taste and made him shiver to his bones. Though he had managed almost everything in his life on his own, without fear, Derek now felt not only lonely and awfully lost but terrified, imagining what the press might have written about him and the dead girl -- or any other incident involving any female who had ever crossed his path...
***
At least Parker Bellamy continued to stay by his side. The attorney advised him about everything that needed to taken care of, let him sign the necessary authorizations to instruct Derek's bank to pay upcoming bills, such as his apartment's or hotel's suite rent, and to allow Bellamy access. The attorney promised to drive to the hotel, pack and deposit safely everything Derek did not need now, and to bring over his toiletries and writing stuff.
After everything was well-ordered, Bellamy looked at his client with a meaningful expression.
"Mr. Wills. There are two further matters we need to talk about."
"Which would be...?" Derek inquired.
"First -- I suggest we ask for questioning with a lie detector. Even if you don't remember anything, the test will at least prove that you're not lying about the black-out. In the worst case, we can base a plea for temporary mental incapacity on that."
Not that Derek was looking forward to appearing mentally incapable to anyone, even if only temporary. But of course Bellamy was right to try everything to prevent a full six-year sentence, which would be the maximum he could get for involuntary manslaughter with his clean record.
"Agreed. And second?" Derek asked.
"In an interview with 'The Boston Globe' Ms. Peterson's parents announced that they will file civil action against you. If the jury finds you guilty, you will probably end up completely out of funds," Bellamy told him. "That is, after I have been paid. You will definitely be able to afford my services for the whole process. Despite that, I'm afraid you will lose everything -- and spend the rest of your life in debt. Please understand that I don't tell you this to terrify you. It's a question of experience that compensation for loss suffered through crime is not taken lightly, but assessed highly. You need to know and start to adjust to this possible scenario."
Derek sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure that he would be able to stomach any more bad news. Not only was he threatened with years of captivity, he would be bankrupt and, on top of that, without any chance to work in show business ever again if they lost. Well, he would seriously consider suicide before he would end up labouring his ass off for other people instead of himself.
Continued in Part 9
Author: blackpoetcat
Rating: R
Character: Derek Wills
Disclaimer: NBC owns all, just playing drama with
Summary: Everyone knows he doesn't give a shit about anything but the show. So when Derek's life capsizes, will anyone give a shit about him?
( Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7)
Only a few hours later, Derek was fetched and delivered to the visitor's area. When the officer first announced that someone was here to see him, he assumed it would be Bellamy; but he was not led to one of the special meeting chambers where prisoners and their attorneys could talk in private. Instead, he and his guard entered a confined room with a long row of seats, each one separated by Plexiglas walls and equipped with phones to talk to the visitors.
He was positively surprised and of course relieved to see Eileen sitting on the other side of the security window. Derek sat down, smiled at her and picked up the phone, but frowned the next moment when he noticed her cold and angry expression.
"Eileen..." he started, but she interrupted him at once.
"Don't you dare say anything," she said in the strangest tone he had ever heard from her. "Do you have any idea of what havoc you have wreaked? What it cost me to not only protect the cast from the media, but to save the whole damn show?"
Her voice was as cold as ice, as was her killing glance. The former friend, no matter how much they fought in the past, was nowhere to be seen anymore. Quite the contrary. Derek had never felt so uncomfortable in her presence, let alone in a defensive position like this. Nevertheless, he made an attempt to express his honest regret.
"Look, Eileen... I'm aware that my arrest is probably troublesome for the show, but --"
"You have no idea, so shut up!" She cut him off again, even fiercer than before. "It's not only the extra money I've had to pay for a security team, so the cast can at least work despite getting stalked everywhere they go, it's you! I thought we were friends, that you would help me build up a new life without Jerry. And what have I got now? Nothing but trouble! First Ivy, now this girl! I should have listened to Tom and kept you away from 'Bombshell' from the beginning!"
Appalled, Derek leaned back in pure disbelief of her unexpected icy reaction, swallowed hard and tried again to get through to the woman, the friend, he'd known for so many years.
"Eileen, please listen! Whatever the police are saying, I am certain that I didn't harm the girl --"
"You were too drunk to remember anything, Derek! So don't tell me you're as innocent as a baby," Eileen hissed. "And it's not about the girl, as sorry as I am for her. You jeopardized everything we worked for all those long, hard months by drinking yourself into oblivion. I could ignore, even tolerate your reckless hunting, your outrageous behaviour, as long as it didn't interfere with my business. But now it does! And I can't and won't stand it any longer, understood? I have absolutely no use for someone so irresponsible. You're fired!"
FIRED???
Derek's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opened and shut a few times until his mind was able to think rationally. Whether or not he was found guilty, he would stay confined for weeks, or possibly months. Obviously, the show needed another director, at least during the following previews; therefore he couldn't blame Eileen for firing him now. It was the only logical decision. But of course, when his attorney succeeded and he was freed, he would return to 'Bombshell' and...
"For good!" Eileen added, at exactly the moment Derek's thoughts reached the point when he would overtake his job again.
"What?"
He must have misheard. She did not just say that he had been ultimately sacked, now did she? The thought alone was so surreal, Derek found himself absolutely unable to comprehend.
"I said you - are - fired - for - good," Eileen repeated, pronouncing every word in a way that left no doubt of her utter disdain. "And regardless to the court's verdict -- I will never hire you again. I am through with you, and I don't care if you ever get out of jail! But just in case you do, I'll get a court order to keep you as far from my show as possible. Oh, and by the way -- when the cast checks out tomorrow morning, I am not paying for your hotel suite. After your escapade forced me to hire a security team, I consider that as the least compensation."
There was no doubt that Eileen was absolutely serious, that she really condemned him, abandoned him to an uncertain fate. Derek was not only horrified, but desperately disappointed. Of course he had expected sharp words -- a lecture, or even a furious tirade -- but it had never occurred to him that she would drop him like a hot potato.
"Good luck. You'll need it," Eileen finished, hung up the phone and left without giving him the slightest chance to speak with her again.
To place his phone back was an automatically move. Apart from that, Derek sat and stared with unseeing eyes at the place Eileen just left, running one hand several times through his hair, until the guard came and took him back to his cell. There he just lay down on his cot and buried his face deep in the pillow, struggling hard to fight back the tears he would definitely not allow anyone here to see.
He had put all his hope into Eileen's support. Now he was alone, with no ally but his attorney: a thought that left a very bitter taste and made him shiver to his bones. Though he had managed almost everything in his life on his own, without fear, Derek now felt not only lonely and awfully lost but terrified, imagining what the press might have written about him and the dead girl -- or any other incident involving any female who had ever crossed his path...
***
At least Parker Bellamy continued to stay by his side. The attorney advised him about everything that needed to taken care of, let him sign the necessary authorizations to instruct Derek's bank to pay upcoming bills, such as his apartment's or hotel's suite rent, and to allow Bellamy access. The attorney promised to drive to the hotel, pack and deposit safely everything Derek did not need now, and to bring over his toiletries and writing stuff.
After everything was well-ordered, Bellamy looked at his client with a meaningful expression.
"Mr. Wills. There are two further matters we need to talk about."
"Which would be...?" Derek inquired.
"First -- I suggest we ask for questioning with a lie detector. Even if you don't remember anything, the test will at least prove that you're not lying about the black-out. In the worst case, we can base a plea for temporary mental incapacity on that."
Not that Derek was looking forward to appearing mentally incapable to anyone, even if only temporary. But of course Bellamy was right to try everything to prevent a full six-year sentence, which would be the maximum he could get for involuntary manslaughter with his clean record.
"Agreed. And second?" Derek asked.
"In an interview with 'The Boston Globe' Ms. Peterson's parents announced that they will file civil action against you. If the jury finds you guilty, you will probably end up completely out of funds," Bellamy told him. "That is, after I have been paid. You will definitely be able to afford my services for the whole process. Despite that, I'm afraid you will lose everything -- and spend the rest of your life in debt. Please understand that I don't tell you this to terrify you. It's a question of experience that compensation for loss suffered through crime is not taken lightly, but assessed highly. You need to know and start to adjust to this possible scenario."
Derek sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure that he would be able to stomach any more bad news. Not only was he threatened with years of captivity, he would be bankrupt and, on top of that, without any chance to work in show business ever again if they lost. Well, he would seriously consider suicide before he would end up labouring his ass off for other people instead of himself.
Continued in Part 9