"Yes, sir."

"But this was different, wasn't it Corporal? You thought he was dead, didn't you?"

"I don't know."

"You did, you thought he was dead, isn't that true?"

"Objection, asked and answered."

"Sustained."

"You called Sergeant Brown because neither you nor Nurse Benson could revive him, isn't that correct?"

"I don't recall exactly, sir."

"Sure you do, Corporal, you've been in action on the battlefield, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you've seen someone dead before, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"And when you saw Ahmed Khury, slumped over in the feeding chair, with vomit and liquid and blood coming out of his mouth, you thought he was dead, didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure if he was alright or not."

"Move to strike as non-responsive."

"Denied." Brent had taken his shot, but it didn't pay off. Time to move on.

"Thank you, Your Honor. No further questions."

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE.

After a short break, it was Nagel's turn to cross-examine Reeding, but he handed over the job to Joe Cicatto, his second chair.

"Corporal Reeding, do you think you overreacted to the incident in the feeding room with Mr. Khury?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"Corporal, you testified that this was a new detail for you, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"What kind of a medical background do you have, Corporal?"

"None, sir."

"No education in health care at all?"

"No, sir."

"So when you thought Mr. Khury was in danger when you observed him coughing up the feeding tube, you didn't really know if he was, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you're not qualified to make an opinion as to the state of his health at the time, are you?"

"No, sir."

"And how long have you worked under the supervision of Sergeant Brown?"

"Almost a year now, sir. The entire length of my tour at Gitmo."

"Sergeant Brown runs a tight ship, doesn't he, Corporal?"

"Yes, sir, he does. He likes order."

"So, upon his arrival, when he asked you to clear the room, did that surprise you?"

"No, sir, not at all."

"It didn't surprise you that he took Mr. Khury back to his cell because you were hysterical, isn't that correct Corporal?"

"Yes, sir."

"You had several occasions to speak with Mr. Khury during his detention, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"How many times did Mr. Khury tell you he wanted to die?"

"Several times, sir."

"Upon hearing that from Mr. Khury, what, if anything, did you do?"

"I reported it to Sergeant Brown, and I recommended a psychiatric evaluation."

"As a result, did Mr. Khury receive a psychiatric evaluation?"

"Yes, he did."

Brent brought forth a multitude of guards, both male and female, who testified unemotionally and unaffectedly about the treatment that they had collectively inflicted on Ahmed.

Prolonged solitary confinement, sensory deprivation, and overstimulation were all terms that each knew well and each knew the purposes of the techniques. They testified how Ahmed was removed from his cell by teams of guards dressed in riot gear and flak jackets, and how he was routinely pepper-sprayed to subdue him so he could be thrown onto the floor and handcuffed. Several guards admitted that they had seen others "walling" him while hooded, as they were taking him in and out of his cell.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO.

James Benson, the naval nurse, continued the uniformed procession of witnesses, which was beginning to look like a military parade. As he took the witness stand, one would have thought it was the most uncomfortable seat in the world, and, for Benson, it probably was.

"Nurse Benson, how old are you?"

"I'm 25 years old, sir."

"Nurse Benson, you are a licensed practical nurse, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you hold a certificate as such from the North Carolina Board of Nursing?"

"Yes, sir."

"How long have you held that certificate?"

"Approximately two years, sir."

"And did you receive training in enteral feeding?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where?"

"Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, sir."

"How long did that training program last?"

"Three days, sir."

"So this was a relatively new procedure for you when you fed Mr. Khury, isn't that correct?"

Benson coughed, and poured himself some water. "Excuse me," he said, and drank a sip. "Yes, sir."

"And you were the nurse who last fed Mr. Khury before his death, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Brent took Benson through the feeding procedure, as he did in the deposition.

"Nurse Benson, I'm going to play a video for you of a feeding of Mr. Khury that has been marked for identification as Exhibit 36, and ask you if you can identify that the proper enteral feeding procedure is being used. Your honor, this video was obtained during discovery and is part of the official record."

"Proceed."

The old cliche that picture is worth a thousand words had obviously been coined before video was invented because video imparted a million words. As Brent observed the jury, he could see that every sickening detail of Ahmed's force-feeding had crept under their respective skins, and was crawling there and festering, like a boil.

"Nurse Benson, does this video properly depict the procedure of an enteral feeding?"

"Yes, sir, it does."

"And this procedure is performed at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camps without anesthesia, is that correct?"

"Well, we lubricate the end of the feeding tube with lidocaine, if the patient requests it."

"You sometimes lubricate the end of the tube with olive oil, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. Detainees are given a choice between lidocaine and olive oil."

"And olive oil is an acceptable form of lubricant in the enteral feeding procedure?"

"Yes, sir."

"That is standard operating procedure, correct, to use either lidocaine or olive oil?"

"Yes, sir."

"Both are approved by your command?"

"Yes, sir."

"And showing you what has been marked for identification as Exhibit 37, can you identify this as an enteral feeding tube?"

"It looks like it, yes."

"This tube is a little over two feet long, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, sir."

"And it all has to go in?"

"Yes, sir."

Next, Brent had to lay the foundation for Dr. Orozco's testimony, which ran the risk of losing the jury, due to the technical medical details. Brent put a chart on the easel and began to play "Bill Nye the Science Guy."

"Nurse Benson, does the chart I am showing you, which has been marked as Exhibit 38, depict a simple diagram of the human digestive system?"