The judge shouted to the bailiff, “Hold him. That man’s in contempt,” even as Kramer appealed to the judge.

“Your Honor! She’s using shock tactics. Plaintiffs’ counsel orchestrated this stunt.”

O’Mara shot back, “This is my doing? Are you crazy?”

“Both of you. In my chambers,” Bevins growled.

Kramer heard a woman scream! He turned in time to see Friedlander’s face contort, the blood leave his face. The man was obviously in trouble, gasping in short, hard breaths, reaching out his arms. He clutched at the screaming woman beside him before falling across her lap, then spilling out onto the hard stone floor.

“Call the paramedics,” Bevins yelled to a security guard. “Court is adjourned until two p.m. Bailiff, escort the jurors to the jury room.”

Pandemonium ensued.

Kramer saw a man in glasses, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, charge the fire exit, stiff-arming the lock-release bar on the door.

The high-decibel alarm on the door screamed as the EMS team clattered up the stairs and entered the courtroom.

Chapter 106

Chapter 106

CINDY FELT JUMPY AND DISTRACTED as court resumed, the whole terrifying Friedlander scene repeating through her mind on a short loop: the cursing and screaming, the poor man collapsing, the shrill shriek of the alarm as her new friend, Whit Ewing of the Chicago Tribune, had crashed through the emergency exit.

The judge banged his gavel, and the rustle of whispers across the public gallery quieted.

“For the record,” Bevins said, “I’ve questioned each member of the jury individually, and I’m satisfied that their judgment of this case won’t be affected by the incident this morning.”

He looked over to the defense table. “Mr. Kramer, are you ready to continue?”

“I am, Your Honor.” Kramer walked to the lectern, his genial smile looking forced.

Cindy leaned forward in her seat, put her hand on Yuki’s thin shoulder. She whispered, “Here we go.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Kramer said. “I have a note here that Mr. Friedlander has been treated and is expected to recover fully from his heart attack.

“My clients and I feel very badly for him. The man lost his son, and he’s in a lot of pain right now.

“But as badly as we all feel, your charge as jurors is to decide this case based on the facts, not on emotions.

“I said earlier that it’s important to distinguish between mistakes and medical malpractice.

“It’s a mistake when a nurse mixes up medicine on a tray, or a doctor gets distracted by another emergency and forgets to mark up a chart, so the patient gets medicated again. Those are mistakes.

“Malpractice is gross negligence. For instance. And for your information, these are all real cases that I’m mentioning.

“A doctor leaves a patient on the operating table while he runs out to make a bank deposit.

“Or a surgical towel is left inside a patient’s body.