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31_days2012-02-10 01:05 am
insaneladybug.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2012-02-10 01:05 am
[February 10th] [Perry Mason] Candles and the Snow, 10
Title: Candles and the Snow, scene 10
Day/Theme: February 10th - Fire is never a gentle master
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Hamilton Burger, Mignon Germaine
Rating: G
Time Period: Close to present day
Referenced: Season 7, episode 16, The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands
By Lucky_Ladybug
Mignon was concerned when she noticed Hamilton sitting at a table near the back of the Club Caribe. He had been watching the dinner show, but he seemed occupied. He was still nursing the drink he had started some time back. As soon as the lights went up and the performers began to disperse, Mignon hastened to his table.
“Hamilton.” She slid into the seat next to his. “What’s wrong?”
He looked to her with a start of surprise. “Mignon. What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
She gave him a Look. “I don’t think,” she said calmly. “I know. Your mind has been somewhere else tonight.”
Hamilton sighed, setting the glass on the table with a loud clunk. “Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself,” he admitted.
Mignon watched him carefully. “Did something happen in court today?”
“Yes.” Hamilton rubbed his eyes. “Everything turned on its head and I lost my temper. I made a complete fool of myself in front of the jury.”
Mignon kept a poker face. “Did your outburst disrupt the outcome of the case?”
“No, thank goodness. I just wish it hadn’t happened.”
“What, exactly, happened?” Mignon queried.
Hamilton leaned on the table with one elbow. “Oh . . . I’d granted the brother of the defendant immunity if he would testify about how he got hold of some money. Instead he decided to lie on the witness stand to protect his sister and claim that he took the money off the guy’s body after killing him.
“Well, I hadn’t expected that at all. I was sure he was lying. And when Perry asked for him to repeat what he’d said, I tried to stop it.” He shook his head wearily. “I wasn’t trying to exercise misconduct or obstruct justice. I just didn’t want that kid to repeat what he’d said before I could talk to him again and find out what was really going on. I wanted a recess to try to stop things from spiraling even more out of control. Well, we got a recess, but not before I made myself look ridiculous. It always seems to happen when there’s a jury, too,” he muttered, more to himself.
“Perhaps you put too much pressure on yourself when there’s a jury trial,” Mignon said. “Then when something goes wrong, you’re more likely to snap.”
“Maybe so,” Hamilton consented. “But that doesn’t make me feel better about it.”
“Everyone loses their temper sometime,” Mignon said. “Sometimes in the worst situations.”
“Sometimes I wonder how I’ve gotten re-elected,” Hamilton said. “For me it always seems to happen in the worst situations.”
“The people know you’ve done good work for them.” Mignon’s reply was swift. “They’re willing to forgive a mistake here and there. And perhaps they’ve seen, as I have, that you’ve changed through the years.”
Hamilton blinked in surprise. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Mignon placed her hands on the table. “When I first met you, Hamilton, you were filled with an impulsive spirit. You jumped to conclusions. You were very passionate about your likes and dislikes, particularly when it came to crime and the law.
“But there was another side to you too—a quiet, serious, gentle side. It was a strange contrast, perhaps, but I was intrigued.
“I still see all of those traits within you, but they’re better balanced now. Oddly enough, I believe your friendship with Mr. Mason has a lot to do with that.”
Hamilton was baffled now. “How so?”
“When you first became district attorney, I had the sense that you wanted to show up Mr. Mason. You didn’t like how he sometimes bent the law while looking after his clients and you wanted to let him know he couldn’t get away with it.
“At the same time, you respected him for his courtroom prowess. And of course, your sense of justice has always trumped any need to beat Mr. Mason or anyone else. If Mr. Mason’s clients were innocent, you wanted them proven as such, no matter what.”
“Of course,” Hamilton said. “I still feel that way.”
Mignon nodded. “I don’t quite understand how or why it happened, but I saw how your respect for each other began to develop into something more. You became friends. And I saw you begin to relax. It was a gradual process, but your courtroom battles against Mr. Mason taught you well. You were forced to learn to rein in your temper, that jumping to conclusions usually results in disaster, that you had to control your impulses.
“Fire is never a gentle master, as you’ve seen all too well. Sometimes still, in a moment of weakness you may lose your patience in court. But overall, you have become a better, more mature person because of your association with Mr. Mason.”
Hamilton searched her eyes, but only for a moment. Mignon always told the absolute truth as she saw it, and he knew it.
“Thank you,” he said at last.
Mignon leaned back, satisfied that she had gotten through to him. “Of course,” she added, “there is always room for improvement.”
“I know,” Hamilton said. “I’m working on that.” He took another sip from the glass. “I admitted to Perry that I’d made a fool of myself.”
“Good,” Mignon said.
Day/Theme: February 10th - Fire is never a gentle master
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Hamilton Burger, Mignon Germaine
Rating: G
Time Period: Close to present day
Referenced: Season 7, episode 16, The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands
Mignon was concerned when she noticed Hamilton sitting at a table near the back of the Club Caribe. He had been watching the dinner show, but he seemed occupied. He was still nursing the drink he had started some time back. As soon as the lights went up and the performers began to disperse, Mignon hastened to his table.
“Hamilton.” She slid into the seat next to his. “What’s wrong?”
He looked to her with a start of surprise. “Mignon. What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
She gave him a Look. “I don’t think,” she said calmly. “I know. Your mind has been somewhere else tonight.”
Hamilton sighed, setting the glass on the table with a loud clunk. “Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself,” he admitted.
Mignon watched him carefully. “Did something happen in court today?”
“Yes.” Hamilton rubbed his eyes. “Everything turned on its head and I lost my temper. I made a complete fool of myself in front of the jury.”
Mignon kept a poker face. “Did your outburst disrupt the outcome of the case?”
“No, thank goodness. I just wish it hadn’t happened.”
“What, exactly, happened?” Mignon queried.
Hamilton leaned on the table with one elbow. “Oh . . . I’d granted the brother of the defendant immunity if he would testify about how he got hold of some money. Instead he decided to lie on the witness stand to protect his sister and claim that he took the money off the guy’s body after killing him.
“Well, I hadn’t expected that at all. I was sure he was lying. And when Perry asked for him to repeat what he’d said, I tried to stop it.” He shook his head wearily. “I wasn’t trying to exercise misconduct or obstruct justice. I just didn’t want that kid to repeat what he’d said before I could talk to him again and find out what was really going on. I wanted a recess to try to stop things from spiraling even more out of control. Well, we got a recess, but not before I made myself look ridiculous. It always seems to happen when there’s a jury, too,” he muttered, more to himself.
“Perhaps you put too much pressure on yourself when there’s a jury trial,” Mignon said. “Then when something goes wrong, you’re more likely to snap.”
“Maybe so,” Hamilton consented. “But that doesn’t make me feel better about it.”
“Everyone loses their temper sometime,” Mignon said. “Sometimes in the worst situations.”
“Sometimes I wonder how I’ve gotten re-elected,” Hamilton said. “For me it always seems to happen in the worst situations.”
“The people know you’ve done good work for them.” Mignon’s reply was swift. “They’re willing to forgive a mistake here and there. And perhaps they’ve seen, as I have, that you’ve changed through the years.”
Hamilton blinked in surprise. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Mignon placed her hands on the table. “When I first met you, Hamilton, you were filled with an impulsive spirit. You jumped to conclusions. You were very passionate about your likes and dislikes, particularly when it came to crime and the law.
“But there was another side to you too—a quiet, serious, gentle side. It was a strange contrast, perhaps, but I was intrigued.
“I still see all of those traits within you, but they’re better balanced now. Oddly enough, I believe your friendship with Mr. Mason has a lot to do with that.”
Hamilton was baffled now. “How so?”
“When you first became district attorney, I had the sense that you wanted to show up Mr. Mason. You didn’t like how he sometimes bent the law while looking after his clients and you wanted to let him know he couldn’t get away with it.
“At the same time, you respected him for his courtroom prowess. And of course, your sense of justice has always trumped any need to beat Mr. Mason or anyone else. If Mr. Mason’s clients were innocent, you wanted them proven as such, no matter what.”
“Of course,” Hamilton said. “I still feel that way.”
Mignon nodded. “I don’t quite understand how or why it happened, but I saw how your respect for each other began to develop into something more. You became friends. And I saw you begin to relax. It was a gradual process, but your courtroom battles against Mr. Mason taught you well. You were forced to learn to rein in your temper, that jumping to conclusions usually results in disaster, that you had to control your impulses.
“Fire is never a gentle master, as you’ve seen all too well. Sometimes still, in a moment of weakness you may lose your patience in court. But overall, you have become a better, more mature person because of your association with Mr. Mason.”
Hamilton searched her eyes, but only for a moment. Mignon always told the absolute truth as she saw it, and he knew it.
“Thank you,” he said at last.
Mignon leaned back, satisfied that she had gotten through to him. “Of course,” she added, “there is always room for improvement.”
“I know,” Hamilton said. “I’m working on that.” He took another sip from the glass. “I admitted to Perry that I’d made a fool of myself.”
“Good,” Mignon said.