When the court recessed about ten minutes later, I texted John and said I'd be out right away. We'd listened to the final cross-examination of the medical examiner, and the state had asked the judge to recess for lunch while they waited for the next witness.
I stood up and left the courtroom quickly, taking the side door out of the building instead of the front doors. I hoped to avoid any reporters who might be hanging around wanting to talk to observers. I saw John on the street waiting beside the car, and felt a sense of relief flood through me. Before I could reach the car, I felt someone grab my shoulder and jerk me around.
The next thing I knew I was on the ground, seeing stars after a fist slammed into my cheek.
Kate
The call came in around 12:10, just as I was mixing some yogurt and fruit for Sophia's lunch.
She was sitting in her highchair beside the kitchen island while I worked on the counter, stirring my leftover vegetable soup and cutting fresh peaches for the yogurt. We'd spent the morning walking through the streets around the apartment, getting fresh air and enjoying the late October sunshine. There had been a break in the rain, so I wanted to take advantage of it.
I picked up my cell and saw that it was from John, Drake's bodyguard, and my stomach felt like it fell through my body to the floor.
"John, what is it?" I said, panic filling me. "Is it Drake? Is he all right?"
"Dr. Morgan is all right but he was attacked outside the courtroom by Lisa Monroe's brother. He lost consciousness for a few moments and so we brought him in to the ER at New York Presbyterian for a check just to be safe. He's feeling better, but is a little woozy."
"Does he have a concussion?"
"Yes," John said, his voice soft like he didn't want Drake to hear him speaking. "But the neurosurgeon on call in the ER said it was minor and he should be fine."
"What on Earth happened?"
"Apparently, Lisa's brother Jeff hid in a group of people outside the courthouse, waiting for Dr. Morgan to leave. I didn't see him and he cold-cocked Dr. Morgan out of the blue. Dr. Morgan, fell back, hitting his head on the pavement. He's got a real bruise on his cheek and a black eye, plus a cut on the back of his head that required stitches, but otherwise, he's fine."
"Oh, God," I said, covering my mouth with my hand. "What the hell? Why did he do it?"
"I guess he flipped out seeing Drake in the courtroom."
I had wondered if Drake should avoid the courtroom, but had thought he should avoid it more because of publicity -- not because one of Lisa's relatives would become unhinged and attack him.
"I'll come down as soon as I can. Why didn't Drake call me?" I asked, only then thinking of it. "You're sure he's okay and you're not just saying that so I don't panic, right?"
"No, no," John said. "Trust me, he's fine but he's down waiting for an MRI just to be safe. He asked me to call you and said he was sorry that you'd have to miss your session at the studio this afternoon."
"That doesn't matter," I said, shaking my head at Drake's apology. "I can go there any day. I'll call my sitter and see if she can come by on short notice. Luckily, she's a retired nurse and has a really flexible schedule."
"Okay," John said. "He should be out of his MRI within half an hour. The neurologist said he'll probably stay overnight for observation, just to be sure."
"Thanks for calling," I said and glanced around. "Tell Drake I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I will."
I ended the call and immediately dialed Karen Mills, hoping that she was home and available. The phone rang and rang, and I was almost ready to hang up when she answered.
"Hi, Kate, what can I do for you?"
"Sorry to bother you on such short notice, but Drake was attacked and is at the NYP ER. I was hoping you could come by and sit with Sophia while I go and see him."
"Oh," she said and I heard noise in the background. "I'm out shopping, but let's see... I can pay for my things and be there in fifteen minutes, if that's okay. I'm just a few blocks away from your place."
"Great, and thanks so much, Karen. You don't know how much I appreciate having you as a sitter. Seriously. I think I'd go crazy if I couldn't go and see Drake."
"Don't mention it," Karen said. "I'll be there as soon as I can. How is Drake?"
"He's getting an MRI done right now," I replied, quickly scooping some yogurt in Sophie's dish, mixing in the fruit. "Apparently, he has a mild concussion but they're doing the MRI to rule out anything else."
"Who attacked him?"