“I think that’s the fair treatment Judge Friedman was referring to,” I said. By the time I realized I’d said it out loud, everyone was staring at me. “You know—not giving a man a fair hearing before he’s sent to the electric chair. I think that’s what she was referring to.” Judge Adams looked at me like I was a traitor, while Judge Friedman stood in silent astonishment. My coclerks held their breath. “So, why don’t we wait until the en banc before declaring winners and losers. It seems that even if you win—as you put it—America has lost.”

That’s a wrap!

Linda Adams stormed off, seeking refuge with Betsy by the smoked salmon. Judge Friedman spun around to chase after Sandra Day O’Connor. Kate and Evan relieved their lungs and bolted for the door.

“Jesus, Sheila—America has lost.” Matthew laughed. “Which movie did that come from?”

“I have no clue. A Few Good Men maybe. But don’t you agree? I think Adams seems like a lovely person, but her stance on Nelson is disgusting to me. And while Friedman is a nightmare personally, I respect that she’s gone to bat for a man in the most hated segment of society—death row.”

“It’s tough for me to separate the good from the bad at this point, I guess,” Matthew said, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey, I’m going to run to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

Waiting for Matthew, I took a long sip from the water fountain. Didactics were dehydrating. I felt someone breathing heavily behind me. It was the judge.

“Sheila, I will never forget what you did for me.” She touched my hand. “Thank you.”

Before I could respond, Matthew reappeared, the judge’s face contorted, and she clapped.

“Come on, people. Back to the office. We’re rilly rilly busy.”

I got my period when I was twelve. Exactly three minutes later, Puja jubilantly announced to a houseful of aunties and uncles: “Sheila thinks she has butt cancer—isn’t that hilarious?!”

The morning of the en banc was even less hilarious.

Nelson v. Pennsylvania dominated the morning news shows. Matt Lauer interviewed a former death row inmate whose innocence was gleaned from DNA evidence just a few weeks before his scheduled execution. He discussed his new book: Off the Ledge: Faith, Healing, and Happiness. Diane Sawyer chatted with the mother of a woman slain by a man who’d been executed a year earlier. She was pounding her fists, crying. It looked like she could use the other guy’s book.