"How are you feeling today, Calum?" Doctor Gram used his notorious opening question.

"Fine." I fidgeted in my seat as I thought about what Skyler had said just minutes before. Friend.

He gave me a skeptical look, but moved on to the more pressing matter at hand. "How are you feeling after learning about what you did that night?"

"Horrible." I turned to look out the window.

"Why is that?" He jotted something down on his notepad.

"I permanently disfigured a guy." I laughed bitterly and shook my head, the question seeming silly.

"But you also saved a girl from being raped." I cringed at the use of that word, not liking just the sound of it.

"Do you think he deserved what you did to him?" Doctor Gram pushed.

I bit at my lower lip and finally looked back at him. "I don't know anymore. It's all I've thought about since I remembered, but-"

I shook my head again. "Even if I did save someone. I had to hurt someone else to do it."

"It's a fact of life, Mr. Hood," He spoke with a sigh and leaned back in his seat. "Sometimes you have to lose one thing to gain another."

"What have I gained?" I scoffed, though he had an odd all knowing smile on his face. "I'm probably going to lose a lot more in the next couple of weeks."

"What do you mean by that?" The smile was gone in seconds and was replaced with interest.

"The trial." My nerves easily getting the best of me as I fidgeted with the strings hanging from the hole in my jeans. "I still have no idea what is going to happen. What you're going to say about me."

"Would you like to know?" He question caught me up and I leaned forward with curiosity.

"Are you even allowed to tell me?" I wondered as a skeptical look crossed over my features.

Doctor Gram cleared his throat as he set his notepad down on the table between us. "Let me tell you what I've learned so far about the kind of person you really are..."

"You most certainly have a temper and an attitude to match," He started as I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest just to prove his point.

"You also take a lot of pride in what people think of you and now that there is no one around to tell you otherwise, you think you aren't worth as much. Quality over quantity is the key to living a good life, Mr. Hood."

I listened hard to his words as he continued on. "Even though what you did that night was wrong,and over reactive, the most important thing to remember is that you were protecting someone else's well-being. You are the type to step in if something looks out of hand. I guess the best word for it would be peacemaker."

"I caused a scene that night," I interjected not fully understanding him.

"But since then you've done nothing but try and repent for your actions." He smiled slightly. "And you've also found a way to try and help someone else in need."

"Skyler," I spoke through a sigh.

He nodded. "That protectiveness you feel for her is the person I think you really are. So you don't need to worry..."

I gulped back my nerves. "You're going to help me?"

"I plan to tell the judge exactly what I've just told you."

I could feel tears sting the backs of my eyes as I smiled over at the balding man. I had never been happier to hear that someone so influential on the case was on my side. And even though the idea of the judge taking the beating into more consideration than the saving crossed my mind, I finally had some hope.