Blend #4 - Video

[beenwaitinglong]

[Godot sits on the sofa in the living room of his new apartment. The room is bare except for a few small boxes, and a coffee table in front of him on which the communicator is resting. Something like 12 white coffee cups are scattered around the table's surface.]

Indulge me in a parable, my Imported amigos.

[You don't really get a choice, it seems, as he is all ready to go. It's time for Morality, Philosophy and Coffee Talk with Godot.]

There once was a doctor who lived in a small, peaceful town. He was very successful, and often called to other nearby villages to care for the people there.

The doctor returned from a long journey one day to find the door to his home left open. When he went inside, to his horror, he found his family, dead, all the victims of murder. He caught a glimpse of a man fleeing through the back window with a bag of valuables. The doctor gave chase, but could the man escaped into the woods. There were no other witnesses, and the doctor was left alone with nothing but his grief.

[He pauses for a slow, savored sip of the coffee in his mug. For a moment, it almost seems he's forgotten about the story, so concerned is he with the coffee. Just when it starts to become an awkward silence, he continues.]

The doctor left his home to continue his traveling practice, haunted by what had happened to his family. Years passed, and he finally felt able to move on with his life.

One day, he was working the back lines of a battlefield. The camp was small, and he was the only doctor working. A cry came out from one of the nurses, and the doctor rushed to help. A patient needed surgery, quickly, in order to live.

But when the doctor saw the face of the man lying unconscious in the bed, he recognized him. It was the same man he had seen fleeing from his home the day his family had died. Here, a man who had made a vow to save lives held in his hands the life of a man who may have committed the ultimate personal wrong against him.

His oath and his livelihood bind him to save this man. However, he could also do nothing-- or alternatively, twist the scalpel in his hands a little too far to the left or right, press a little too hard, and watch him die.

[Godot gives this part a long, dramatic pause as he finishes off the last of his mug.]

That's the end of the story. But the answer depends on the listener.

So tell me. Does the doctor save his life, or not?

Comments

[khajidont]

[That gets a laugh out of him.]

My grandma would've agreed with him. She never could stand you guys.

[beenwaitinglong]

Ha...!

For your information, I've never chased an ambulance in my entire life. I went into criminal law for a reason.

[khajidont]

Y'know, I had a feeling you're not the sort of lawyer who has those cheesy advertisements on TV. [A beat.] So what's that reason, anyway?

[beenwaitinglong]

Any advertisements I'd do would be classy as hell, thank you.

[He pauses for a sip of coffee. Ordinarily, he wouldn't go telling this to anyone, but since he's represented Jaime and all...]

When I was 14, my grandfather was arrested and charged with murder.

[khajidont]

Oh, geez. What happened?

[beenwaitinglong]

He worked overnight shifts in a warehouse then. That night, it was only him and one coworker on that shift. She disappeared midway through and the next morning, her body was stuffed into his locker, strangled.

It looked pretty bad, as you can imagine.

[khajidont]

I can imagine, [he echoes dutifully, then tilts his head, following Godot's train of thought.] But he didn't do it?

[beenwaitinglong]

He said he didn't. My mom and I didn't believe it either. My grandfather was the kindest, most gentle man you could imagine.

Unfortunately, I grew up in the rougher side of the greater Los Angeles area. My family could barely keep our house, much less afford to retain a lawyer. We expected to get a public defender who would tell him to plead guilty or take a plea deal.

Instead, a defense attorney offered to take his case pro bono.

[khajidont]

Wow. I don't see that happening very often. So? Did the defense manage to prove he was innocent?

[beenwaitinglong]

No, you don't. You don't see a defense attorney like that man very often.

Not only did he prove my grandfather innocent, but he proved that he was framed-- by the warehouse supervisor, who had been carrying on an affair with the victim. He took a hopeless case and turned it around on its head. And all of this without receiving a dime in return.

For a kid like me at that age, that was more than kindness. It was a miracle.

[khajidont]

That's great. Um, what he did for you, not what the supervisor did - that guy's an asshole. [Just to be clear.] So you decided to go on the same path, pass it on?

[beenwaitinglong]

Yeah. Something like that.

It's a very heartwarming story.

[khajidont]

Well, it's sure a lot more heartwarming than your first one. I've been meaning to thank you, actually.

[beenwaitinglong]

You're welcome. I was only doing my job. It's a pleasant occasion I have such a polite client in this public position, as a matter of fact.

[khajidont]

Pft, what would I get out of being rude to my lawyer?

[Okay, no. He's just naturally polite.]

Besides, I talked to some of the others, and their lawyers just told them to plead guilty. So I appreciate you, uh... not just calling me crazy.

Suddenly private!

[beenwaitinglong]

I wish more people would ask themselves that.

[And after a moment of deliberation, he switches the feed to private.]

I hope this doesn't diminish your appreciation, but I represented the first person we think was tied to the Manipulator case.

private

[khajidont]

I know. You told me as much back when we met - and that you managed to get the guy off.

[beenwaitinglong]

Yeah. Though that time, I was much worse off than with you. We didn't have a trail of similar cases to work with that time.

Your was just sitting in a pile that nobody wanted to touch. It looked a little lonesome.

[A pause, where he takes a sip of coffee.]

Besides. You remind me of somebody, a little bit.

[khajidont]

[Again with the coffee, huh...?]

Oh yeah? And who's that?

[beenwaitinglong]

[You have no idea, son.]

At the risk of sounding like a complete geezer-- this kid I knew.

[It's himself, but he's doing this... identity thing right now, fyi.]

[khajidont]

[Aw, Godot, if you don't want to look like an old man, don't tell kids that they remind you of your old self...!]

A... kid you know. [Jaime raises his brows.] You can't be planning on leaving it like that.

[Getting straight answers out of a lawyer: trickier than it looks.]

[beenwaitinglong]

[As far as he's concerned, he's doomed to look like a geezer anyway, with his appearance as it is now at the tender age of 34.]

I was, actually, but if you're really that interested in hearing me wax poetic about the good old days...

[khajidont]

[He shrugs.]

Hey, I got time.

[beenwaitinglong]

Maybe you remind me a little of myself, that's all.

[khajidont]

Ohh. [He doesn't look at all displeased, at least. Jokingly, he says,] Should I be taking that as a compliment, or were you an awful teenager?