IMMOLATION: CHAPTER 45

Matt shuffled the note in his hands, reviewing briefly what he planned to say should things go badly. Even the slightest of sounds echoed in the hallway with its marble floor and hardwood paneling. Matt was beginning to see why Joan hated coming to the courthouse so much. He flipped through his notes again, the sounds of the rifling paper reverberated down the corridor.

“You'll crease them,” Dr. Muto said, laying a hand on the papers to prevent Matt from fussing with them further.

Silence filled the hallway. Matt followed Dr. Muto's example and sat still on the bench, waiting for them to be called into the courtroom on the other side of the heavy double doors that stood, imposing, to their side. A guard stood before the doors, staring straight ahead as though Matt and Dr. Muto weren't there. Of course, this wasn't the same courtroom used for Joan and for that he was thankful. Matt didn't know what they used that courtroom for now, seeing as how Joan didn't have to heck in regularly anymore. Not here at least. Perhaps they'd turn it back into a standard courtroom again.

Poor Joan, Matt thought to himself. It was months since they'd last spoken to one another. He thought he was being all sorts of clever when he gave Joan his other cell phone. Matt believed he'd be able to talk to her, help her, until the Heat Machine was ready. Then he'd have a real excuse to be allowed to visit her on a regular basis. In actual practice, the phone lasted less than a week before the battery died. Even if Matt had thought to give Joan the charger, where would she have plugged it in? No, it was a nice idea, if only a bit flawed.

“Please,” Dr. Muto stated more firmly, “you need to relax.”

Matt hadn't realized that he'd begun shuffling his papers again until Dr. Muto spoke.

“Sorry,” Matt said, and he placed his notes inside the folder they belonged in.

“There's nothing left for us to do but wait,” Dr. Muto assured Matt. “We've made our case, presented our evidence, and it's now up to the Judge to decide on the matter.”

Dr. Muto spoke with a steady, confident cadence and Matt wanted to believe him. He knew this wait would pass by so much quicker, so much more pleasantly, if only he could relax. But try as he might, he couldn't. How Dr. Muto managed to behave so calmly was beyond Matt's understanding. True, they'd spent the greater part of the past few months preparing their case. Matt even felt that they'd done a pretty good job of arguing their side of things. They had solid answers to all of the questions put to them, rehearsed for hours and hours in the days leading up to today.

“What if the Judge doesn't rule in our favor?” Matt asked, finally voicing the fear that was gnawing away at him.

Dr. Muto turned his flat, steady gaze onto Matt. He felt as though Dr. Muto were sizing him up like an adult does to a child who's just asked a serious question and the adult is deciding how much of the answer the child can understand. It took a painfully long time for Dr. Muto to decide, or at least, that's how Matt felt once Dr. Muto began to speak.

“If things go badly for us today,” he said evenly, “Then we are finished.”

Matt waited for Dr. Muto to go on, to expound upon his statement. He couldn't believe that Dr. Muto would be so pessimistic about the situation. Certainly there had to be another course.

“What about an appeal?” Matt asked. “We could—

“We could waste time with more court hearings,” Dr. Muto said in a terse voice, cutting Matt off mid-sentence. “Even if we filed for an appeal it's unlikely that it would be granted. Even if we were successful and presented our case again to a different Judge who decided to overturn today's decisions, it would most be too late.”

“But,” began Matt and he was again cut off by Dr. Muto.

“The world is killing itself,” Dr. Muto stated. “It does not have enough time remaining for us to hope for another chance.”

Matt stared at the wall in front of him, not really seeing it. The finality of Dr. Muto's words sank deep into him and it seemed as though his entire being could cease to exist.

“They're ready for you,” the guard said and he moved to pull the heavy doors open.

They stood and followed the guard into the courtroom. Matt's heart threatened to burst up through his throat, it was pounding so hard. His stomach clenched as the Judge entered the room and they all took their seats. It would all be over in a few moments time. The Judge would pass down his judgment and they'd be finished. The world would die and they would be powerless to stop it.

Dr. Muto placed a hand on Matt's leg and gave him a firm but subtle shake. “You look like you're going to be sick,” Dr. Muto said under his breath. “Now would not be a good time for such things.”

Matt took in several deep breaths and steadied his nerves as best he could. His hands were still shaking when the Judge withdrew the folder containing their files but his stomach at least had stopped flopping around.

The Judge went through the usual opening statements and at one point Matt had to state his name, followed by Dr. Muto. Events moved in a blur as though he were stuck on a sped up merry-go-round and his nausea returned in force.

“...and so it is the decision of this court,” the Judge was saying and the world slowed back down to the painfully slow pace it had been at before when they were still waiting outside.

Dr. Muto's eyes were shut, his face calm. Only the muscles around his temples were tight and Matt suspected that that was his way of showing fear. The court recorder sat off in the corner, stacks of papers and forms surrounding her desk, her hands busily organizing and filing the documents nearest her.

His stomach heaved and Matt tasted bile in his mouth. There was movement around him but his ears didn't appear to be working properly and all he could hear was a piercing ringing in his head. He heaved again and only just kept from throwing up. More movement. Matt's vision swam, the edges of the room turned dark, and everything took on an unnatural green tint. He was aware of there being sounds around him, but he couldn't hear them; a strange paradox.

“Matt,” Dr. Muto's voice was hushed but urgent, his hands firmly shaking Matt out of his stupor.

Everything returned to normal and Matt was shocked to see that the Judge was standing.

“What's happened?” Matt asked.

“Stand up!” Dr. Muto growled, nodding his head toward the Judge.

Matt stood, his knees threatening to give way, and the Judge walked out of the courtroom. As soon as the door was shut behind the Judge, Dr. Muto took Matt by the arm and lead him away. They left the courtroom, turned down a few halls and eventually Dr. Muto stopped them, pulled open a door and pushed Matt through.

They were in a bathroom.

Instinct claimed him and Matt stumbled into the first stall he came to. His knees gave out and he knelt, purging for some time before rising back up, lips shaking. Dr. Muto had the water running for him and Matt rinsed out his mouth.

“Wash your face,” Dr. Muto instructed. “The cold water will feel good.”

Matt splashed his face a couple of times and it did indeed make him feel substantially better. At last, Matt was himself again and he and Dr. Muto sat down on a bench just outside the courthouse. It was cold and snow was just beginning to fall but their bench was sheltered beneath the overhanging eaves of the courthouse.

“What happened?” Matt asked.

“You had a panic attack,” Dr. Muto stated as though this should have been obvious.

“No,” Matt allowed himself a chuckle, “what did the Judge say?”

“Mmm, that,” Dr. Muto said but did not continue.

In the few moments that they'd been outside, the snowflakes had increased in size and they were falling more quickly now as well. The few pedestrians lingering about the courthouse dispersed and Matt and Dr. Muto were suddenly alone outside.

“We were granted our petition,” Dr. Muto said at last. “Though, we must build the Heat Machine within Miss Darcy's enclosure,” he added. “It seems as though her fire has become even more uncontrollable.”

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. Joan would be sad that he hadn't been able to get her out, but at least he'd be able to see her again, and now the courts couldn't keep him from visiting her.

*     *     *     

What was your first impression on Matt and Dr. Muto's situation? Did you know what they were there for? Did it make sense?