“In what has presented itself as a startling turn of events on week two of O’Hara v. Cooper, I am standing outside High Court buildings this Monday lunchtime among a crowd that is still in shock over this morning’s abrupt dismissal of the case—a lawsuit that has divided the nation and given rise to strong opinions from all sides in the controversial vaccination debate.
“It is being reported that some new information came to light over the weekend that effectively invalidated all claims in the legal proceedings against Tom and Madeleine Cooper issued last year by Kate O’Hara on behalf of her daughter, Rosie.
“With us now to illuminate these new findings are City College biology student Scott Ferguson and his solicitor, John Fleming. Gentlemen, thank you both for agreeing to talk to Sky News...”
* * *
Judge Dowling was gracious enough to allow the group of former plaintiffs and defendants to leave the court building through a service entrance out back. Dealing with the media frenzy out front would have been way too much, especially as all parties were still managing their shock and trying to absorb what had just happened.
Madeleine was reeling all weekend from Scott’s revelations, and had been so eager for the judge to learn the glorious truth that would get her and Tom off the hook on Monday morning that she hadn’t properly considered how Kate would react.
But, she warned her husband and Matt Townsend, there would be no triumphant courtroom posturing over Kate’s mistake; hence her insistence that the legal team introduce Scott in private.
In this situation, Madeleine realized sadly, nobody won.
For her part, Kate had informed the judge that she wanted to drop the case and wasn’t going to drag it out any longer. Yes, she had suffered a loss of income and other hardships, and she and Rosie would continue to live in an altered reality, but what had happened was no one’s fault, it was just nature doing what it did.
Viruses evolved and spread, people got sick.
“I’m so sorry,” she kept saying to Madeleine, clearly distraught. “I was so certain...”
“You weren’t to know. Try not to think too much about that now, and just go home to Rosie,” she soothed, while behind her she felt the weight of Tom’s incredulous stare.
“She’s bloody lucky we’re not going to take her goddamn lawsuit and throw the very same charges back in her face,” her husband fumed as all parties quietly made their way outside to the waiting cars.
But it was not the time for remonstration or gloating.
Up ahead, Declan opened the door of their car so Kate could climb in. However, just as she was about to enter, she turned back to look at the vehicle that had pulled up behind it, where she and Tom waited for their lift home.
Madeleine paused then to meet Kate’s eyes. The two women held each other’s gaze for just a moment, and something passed between them. All at once it seemed to communicate a mixture of regret, forgiveness but not quite acceptance, Madeleine realized. It might have been resignation that, yes, this whole ordeal might be over, but there were still other struggles that needed to be addressed within their small community and within each of their respective families.
There were still issues that both she and Kate had to face.
The time for placing blame was over. Now it was time to address a new reality.