The Greatest Lie Part 12

Now that I felt a career in law was not for me, I awaited the approval of my grant with greater anticipation. Finch had assured me it was a sure thing. But when I called, I sensed disappointment in his voice.

"Well, you got it, but it’s not exactly what we wrote up. The foundation thinks you should use local people as your research assistants. There’s no grant money to support Tran."

"Well, there’s no way I’m leaving her. She just got her admissions to Chang Mai and Minnesota. She’s worked so hard, and she’s really had a bad time."

"Well, that’s fine, but there’s really no more money. It’s only 5,000." It was barely enough for one plane ticket, tuition and living expenses. "O.K. Thanks, I’ll think of something."

Tran looked devastated. "There’s no money for me to go to Thailand?"

"The grant is short of the money, but you’re still coming. I’m not going to let you dump me at this late date, Ms. Teri New. We’ve been through far too much for that."

"No, it’s O.K. It’s your grant, you go. I’ll be fine here. I’ll start running my ad again, taking calls."

"You can take all the sex calls you want after we get our vaginas properly finished. Then we can do some proper whoring together! In the meantime, have you still got Pavel’s phone number?"

"Yeah, why?"

"’Cuz we’re making a sequel: Post-op Transsexual Hookers!"

Tran smiled at me, and I gave her a hug. "Don’t worry about a thing. As long as we stick together, nothing can stop us."

(NB: Witnesses lose it on the stand every day. Does the fact that Tran said, "I don’t know," at an inopportune time preclude any attempt to describe the harm done her on subsequent examination?

If Nora is good, can she still include Tran in part of any award? I don’t know whether you want to let this ficticious case continue, but could it be realistic that Tran be awarded damages even though she had been badgered into tears on the stand?