James Grippando - Blood Money

“Next chart. How old?”

“Ten weeks.”

“Chief medical complaint was what?”

“Fever. Diarrhea. Vomiting.”

“If you go down to the middle of the page to the line that is highlighted, the ER nurse reported that the temperature was normal, correct? No fever?”

“That’s right.”

“Next page. Your daughter was twelve weeks old. Chief medical complaint was what?”

“Some kind of rash.”

“Some kind of rash, huh?”

“And sleep apnea.”

“Was there any verification of the apnea?”

“I don’t know.”

“Look at the next highlighted line. Could you read that aloud, please?”

Her hand was shaking. It took her a moment to steady the paper and read it. “It says ‘Apnea-as reported by mother.’”

The judge interrupted. “Counsel, do you intend to go through each and every one of these records? It’s quite a stack.”

“My point is almost made,” Gaines said. “Let me get straight to the bottom line. Mrs. Laramore, turn to the page that is flagged by the yellow Post-it, about two-thirds of the way down your stack of records there.”

Jack followed along with copies.

“Can you tell the court what this is?” asked Gaines.

“It’s a blood test report.”

“Blood test for your daughter, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Would you read the highlighted portion of the box at the bottom of the report, please?”

Jack glanced at his own page. He saw the answer that Mrs. Laramore finally uttered: “High concentration of diuretic,” said Mrs. Laramore.

“The blood test confirmed that someone was giving your daughter a high dose of a diuretic, isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

“Had any doctor prescribed a diuretic?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“In fact, that would have been a really stupid thing to prescribe, wouldn’t it, for a child who had presented to the emergency room for dehydration”-he paused to check his notes-“eleven times?”

“That wouldn’t be smart, no.”

“And yet someone ,” he said, his voice taking on an edge, “was giving your daughter diuretics.”

“According to the blood test, yes.”

He moved closer, tightening his figurative grip on the witness. “Mrs. Laramore, you’re aware, are you not, that excessive use of diuretics can cause long QT syndrome?”

“Objection,” Jack shouted.

“Sustained.”

“That’s fine,” said Gaines. “If the court wishes, we can bring in a dozen doctors who will testify to that fact.”

“The court wishes you to ask your next question.”

“Yes, Judge. Mrs. Laramore, doctors have told you, have they not, that your daughter’s heart condition was caused by excessive use of diuretics?”

“Objection.”

“No, I’m going to allow that one,” said the judge. “It’s a different question.”

The witness shifted uneasily. “Yes. Doctors have told me that.”

There was a murmur across the courtroom, as if the observers sensed that Gaines had truly scored.

Gaines took another step closer, his voice rising. “Mrs. Laramore, you gave your daughter those diuretics, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“You caused her long QT syndrome.”

“No!”

“Objection!” Jack shouted. “This is pure harassment.”

Gaines repositioned himself yet again, as if someone had pointed out the perfect spot in the courtroom for TV coverage. “Judge, we intend to show that the QT syndrome was caused by the victim’s own mother, who presents a classic case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.”

“What?” said Jack.

“Her daughter presented to the ER nearly every two weeks before her second birthday. Mrs. Laramore shows a high level of understanding of her daughter’s medical condition. She has never left her daughter’s side since she’s been hospitalized. This is a psychology that thrives on the illness of children. The diuretics given to her daughter caused symptoms that fed the mother’s illness, but they also caused long-term heart problems for Celeste.”

“Judge,” said Jack, “it doesn’t matter how Celeste got long QT syndrome. The point is that it’s treatable and would not have resulted in a coma if BNN had not interfered with the transmission of vital information from the ambulance.”

“I’ll sustain the objection. Counsel, please approach the bench.”

Jack came forward, and Gaines stood with him at the judge’s bench.

“Mr. Swyteck, your objection is well founded because, yes, in a strict legal sense, you are right: It doesn’t matter how Celeste got long QT syndrome. The law says that a wrongdoer takes the victim as he finds her. I’m sure Mr. Gaines is well aware of that rule of law. But if these allegations of Munchausen syndrome by proxy are true, Mr. Swyteck, you need to settle this case. To be blunt about it, the sympathy value of your case has been neutralized. These are smart lawyers you’re up against. They are going to find a way to get this information before the jury if and when this case goes to trial. If not in the courtroom, it will definitely be in the media. And as much as I tell jurors not to read newspapers or watch TV, they do. This is the sort of thing they will hold against your case and your client.”

“I guess that’s why BNN wanted today’s hearing on television,” Jack said, unable to resist a swipe.

“That’s an outrageous accusation,” said Gaines.

“I won’t ascribe any motives to anyone,” said the judge. “I’m denying BNN’s motion to dismiss the case. But take my warning to heart, Mr. Swyteck. You’ve got serious problems.”

Jack turned away and glanced at Mrs. Laramore in the witness chair.

Don’t I know it.

“The witness may step down,” the judge announced. “We’re adjourned.”

" Idon’t want to talk about it.”

That was all Virginia Laramore said to Jack after the hearing before Judge Burrows. Jack was fine with it, at least until the handful of inquisitive reporters stopped trailing them out of the courthouse, down the granite steps, and to the parking lot. The media coverage wasn’t nearly as extensive as it had been for the Sydney Bennett hearing, but one reporter followed them all the way to the car, asking over and over, “Mrs. Laramore, did you abuse your daughter?” The question was met with silence, punctuated by Jack slamming the driver’s-side door.

Jack was behind the wheel and turning onto Flagler Street when his client finally opened up.

“Celeste was adopted.”

Jack hit the brake, then looked straight at her. “What?”

“All those medical records are from the time she was with her birth mother. Ben and I adopted her after HRS took her away and she was put in foster care.”

Jack pulled the car over to the curb and put it in PARK. It wasn’t easy to get tough with a woman whose daughter was in a coma, but Jack was losing patience. “Why didn’t you tell me that? And, for God’s sake, why didn’t you shove it in Ted Gaines’ face when he attacked you like that?”

“Because Ben and I have never told anyone outside the family that Celeste is adopted. And I’ve never even told Celeste that her birth mother was abusive. I wasn’t about to make that blowhard Ted Gaines the first person to hear it. Especially not on television. Celeste has already made enough headlines for his disgraceful client.”

Jack couldn’t disagree. “I’m sorry you had to go through that today,” he said.

“It’s the second worst thing I’ve ever had to deal with.”

Jack knew the first.

“Can we get back to the hospital, please? I want to be with Celeste.”