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Something is wrong with Phoenix Wright. He’s less focused than usual. He isn’t as creative when thinking outside the box. He even misses some of more obvious contradictions. Good thing Miles Edgeworth has the same goal as Wright: find the truth. Edgeworth is able to smoke out the truths and finally land a verdict.
Edgeworth walks up to Wright after the trial. “Hi, Edgeworth,” Wright says softly. He puts his elbow to his face to cough, but he suppresses it.
“Hello, Wright. You weren’t as sharp today. What’s the matter?” Straight to the point. Edgeworth hates to waste time.
“What do you mean?”
“Your performance was less than expected.”
“Guess I’m having an off day.” Wright shrugs. “Other than that, I’m fine.” Just after he says that, he starts coughing uncontrollably.
“Wright, you’re sick,” Edgeworth says. Wright hugs himself.
“I am not.” He starts to walk away, confusing Edgeworth.
“What? You were just coughing.”
“Something was stuck in my throat!” Wright explains, still walking away.
Edgeworth crosses his arms. He’s lying. Why? Edgeworth chases after Wright.
He finds him outside trying to unhook his bicycle. “Wright, let me drive you home.”
“No. I’m fine.”
You don’t look fine. “Are you sure? It’s been a long day and we finally finished this trial.”
Wright hesitates. He sniffs. “You’re right.” He turns towards Edgeworth and follows him to his car.
The car ride was silent. They arrive at Edgeworth’s place. They enter, and Edgeworth takes Wright’s coat and hangs it.
Wright has his hand over his face. “We have to do paperwork now,” he whines.
“You can do them tomorrow. Right now you need to re-”
“No!” Wright cuts off Edgeworth.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m fine! I don’t need to rest. That’s ridiculous! What makes you think that I need to rest right now?” Immediately followed by a lot of coughing. Edgeworth raises his eyebrows.
“Man, could have fooled me,” Edgeworth says. “I’m going to make you tea.”
“Thank you.”
“And you go sit down.” Wright nods. He takes his backpack and walks to the couch. Edgeworth goes to the kitchen to start his tea kettle. He turns around and is a little startled that Wright decided to follow him. “Wright…!”
“Do you need help? I could make dinner.”
“No. You’re sick. Please go sit down so you can rest. In fact, you can go to bed.”
Wright just looks at Edgeworth. Though his stare is a little serious, Edgeworth can’t help but feel his heart beat faster. “No.” It’s so stern.
“Excuse me?”
“Excused! I don’t want to rest because I don’t need to!”
“Go sit. I’ll bring you some tea. I have leftovers,” Edgeworth says.
Wright stares again. This time he looks down and sighs. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
Edgeworth brings the tea to the coffee table in his living room. Wright picks up the tea made for him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be right back. I’ll get you a blanket.”
“Heh, heh, alright,” Wright says. He looks at his drink. “This isn’t poisoned, it is?” Edgeworth stares at Wright incredulously. He can’t figure out if Wright is joking about it or if he’s half serious.
“What?”
“Because that would be… bad,” Wright continues, hesitantly taking a sip of his tea. Edgeworth still watches him with concern.
“I agree with you. Poison is terrible.” Edgeworth still doesn’t know why Wright said something like that, but he rolls with it. He goes back to getting blankets.
Halfway through a movie, they are both finished with their tea. Wright threw the blanket that he was using over Edgeworth as well so they were sitting close together. Edgeworth notices Wright get tired, as he slowly rests his head on Edgeworth’s shoulder. Edgeworth smiles softly, looking at Wright. He wants to stay like this, but he knows that Wright would be more comfortable in bed. Gently, he wraps his arms around him and gets up. “Let’s get you to bed.”
While going towards his room, he sees his sister working in her office. They nod in greeting.
Edgeworth lays Wright on his bed. He puts him in a comfortable position, pulling the covers over him. Wright’s breath are heavy, and he groans in pain. He tries to open his eyes, but he can’t. Edgeworth goes to his bathroom to find some medicine. He pours some water in a glass and brings them the Wright.
“Here you go. I got you cold medicine for your illness,” he explains.
“I don’t want to take it.”
“Please take it. You’ll feel much better-”
“I don’t want to take it,” Wright says more forcefully. Edgeworth huffs, folding his hands in fists.
“I’ve had it with you! Why are you being so difficult? Why wouldn’t you just take a break, and take the medicine?!”
Wright’s face turns from shock to fearful. “I’m sorry!” he says quickly.
Edgeworth, confused, takes a deep breath to calm himself. This isn’t what he wants Wright to feel, especially when he’s sick. Wright whispers. “What did you say?”
“Please, don’t hurt me.”
Edgeworth sighs disbelieved. “I’m… I’m not going to hurt you.” He slowly sits on the bed. “Wright, I wouldn’t hurt you. Why would that be something I do? I love you.”
Wright laughs it off. “You know, exes.” Edgeworth doesn’t know, but he isn’t going to ask, since it seems that Wright is very uncomfortable. Instead he just offers a hug. Wright falls into his arms. He clutches Edgeworth’s shoulders.
“I’m here to help you. I want to see you feel better. I am interested on why you’ve been refusing my help.”
Wright sniffles. “I just feel a little guilty when someone takes care of me. I don’t want to be a burden, and for you to resent that.”
It’s only a little cold, Edgeworth wanted to say, but he just hugs Wright. “I want to help you.”
They stay like that for a little bit.
“Okay, I will let you take care of me, but please don’t make me take the medicine.”
“You know that it’ll make you feel better. You’ll be uncomfortable sleeping with a stuffed nose and a sore throat.”
“I know. I know that.”
Edgeworth takes a deep breath. “Okay. I won’t make you take the medicine.” He kisses Wright’s forehead. “Will you please go to sleep?”
Wright smiles. “Yeah. I will.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you stay here for a little bit? You can grab your computer and finish up emails, or whatever you have to do.”
Edgeworth chuckles. “Alright. I’ll have to bring my laptop. That means I’ll have to leave to room.” Wright whines. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” he pouts.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Edgeworth closes the door to his room quietly. He turns around to see Franziska Von Karma standing there with her hands on her hips.
“Is Mr. Phoenix Wright doing okay?”
Edgeworth smiles knowing that his sister cares for him, too. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. He caught a cold.”
“Hmm, sucks.”
“You know, he’s more stubborn than you,” Edgeworth smirks.
Von Karma gasps, offended. “How dare you! He’s not better than me at being stubborn!” Edgeworth just snickers at her outburst. “Miles Edgeworth! Take it back!” He just walks away to go grab his computer. She just huffs. “Fine. I’ll make sure he’s not stubborn! He’ll take help whether he likes it or not!”
Thanks for helping Wright get better, Edgeworth thinks. He’ll feel better in no time.