Chapter Text
"Objection! It's just a matter of time until this woman here kills another one!"
"Objection! Your Honor, the defense requests for the prosecution to not make any baseless accusation!"
"Objection sustained. Prosecutor Gavin, what's the matter? I've never seen you so angry!"
"I'm sorry Herr Judge, but I cannot let this slip in front of my eyes. This woman is guilty!"
"Then where is your evidence, prosecutor Gavin. We've been here for almost four hours, and it's the third day, meaning you've got nothing to prove your point!" Claimed Apollo, hitting his bench.
"I have evidence!"
"Then why aren't you showing it to us!"
Klavier bit his lips, and closed his eyes in determination.
"The evidence..." He started with a sigh. "It's--"
"HOLD IT!"
Everybody fell into silence as the defendant stood straight in the podium, holding her hands to her chest.
"I... I must confess something. Mr. Justice, if you please?"
The tension in the air was evident.
"W-wait, Ms. Deadlock!"
"No. I cannot wait any longer. This man here..." She glanced towards Klavier, with a glint in her eye. "Is insane."
The audience gasped. She braided her long brown hair in a twist, as if imitating Klavier's own hairstyle with mock, and continued with her speech.
"I'm afraid this man here is not qualified to keep prosecuting."
"Defendant! What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about this case, and how it's very much like the one his brother was involved in!"
"This has nothing to do with that." Rebutted Klavier, clenching his fists.
"Of course it does. Didn't your brother poison someone? And aren't you accusing me of the same? I believe you just think I'm guilty because you can't see another answer to this."
"I said that has nothing to do with you being guilty of murder. I've got evidence of you poisoning that innocent woman. You can't deny your own mistake."
"Then what is your evidence. Tell me, Mr. Gavin. Show it to me."
"We found two cups of plastic on a trashcan near your workplace. One of them had the victim's DNA on it, and the other one... had yours." He said calmly, regaining his composure. He was going to win this one. He couldn't risk another poisoning assassin walking free on the streets as silent snakes looking for their prey.
"So? What if it got Helena's and mine's DNA, if there was nothing linking them together? Why is that important? I don't get it." She tried to defend herself, visibly nervous.
"There was something linking them together, Fraülein Deadlock. A bag. Oh, and they were put together too."
"I still don't get why this is important."
But the defense attorney caught it immediately.
"Don't tell me there was-!"
"Yes, Herr Forehead. If you're thinking the same as me, of course." He smiled at him, getting a hold of himself at last. "There was poison. To be more specific, atroquinine." He finished with a sour look and voice.
"Y-you can't be serious! Why didn't I know about this?!"
"Apollo, calm down!" Trucy cried beside him, patting his back."
"But she lied! She lied to me and I didn't perceive it!" He accused, pointing his finger to her.
"Defense attorney! Aren't you on my side?!" She demanded quickly. "You're supposed to be defending me. Now do your job or you won't get any!"
"Herr Forehead, didn't I told you this Fraülein here was a special one? She knew about you and your ability."
"She knew... how to lie to me. I can't believe it."
"That's a lie, Mr. Justice! Didn't I say he was insane? He's not on his right mind, I tell you!"
"If that's a lie, then why can't I perceive it?"
"Maybe your ability is losing its power?"
Apollo stared at her with bright and tormented eyes.
"Herr Justice, don't let her get to you! Believe me! She's the killer!"
"Shut up, you meddlesome prosecutor!"
"She killed Fraülein Rios!"
"I did not! He's lost his mind over his betrayal!"
"This has nothing to do with that!"
"Order! Order, I say order!"
"You shouldn't be prosecuting! You're going to get everyone guilty in fear of letting another criminal walk free!"
Klavier suddenly stopped arguing, just as Apollo stopped breathing. The defendant continued as if nothing.
"Everything you've been doing is a lie. Maybe you have put innocent people in jail just because you were afraid the story would repeat itself again. You've been rash, unforgiving. Even harsh. You've lost yourself since that case."
"You cannot talk about something you know nothing about."
"Oh, but I do know. I know a lot. I always know a lot. And you're an easy one to spot, Mr. Gavin, just as your brother was. You admired him quite much, you loved him. Yet you incarcerated him, and betrayed him even being his own family."
"I won't speak about something that's not related to the case at hand." He said, trying not to fall back into desperation again.
But Apollo could see how he gulped way too much, how his fingers fiddled with his rings trying to stay calm and collected as always.
"I believe you got insane. And you have nothing to--"
"Objection!" Shouted Apollo, already tired of hearing her fake words. "Your confession has strayed too far from the actual point, Ms. Deadlock. That has nothing to do with this."
"Why are you his side? Aren't you my defense attorney?"
"I am. But I'm also human, and I can see you're hurting the prosecution."
Klavier visibly flinched at his comment.
"I-impossible!"
"And the evidence is clear, Ms. Deadlock. You lied to me.” he touched his left wrist, feeling his bracelet tighten up. "You killed her, didn't you?"
"I didn't-!"
"Stop denying it! I now can see how you blink three times longer than usual when you lie! It's hard to tell, but now I'm sure! Confess now and your sentence might be reduced!"
"I...! I...!"
"You killed Helena Rios!" He shouted, pointing with his finger accusingly towards her.
She flinched hard, letting her hands fall from her chest, revealing a little bottle-like necklace that she seemed to hide with apprehension.
That was the decisive evidence Klavier needed.
The audience erupted into chaos, while the defendant suddenly went silent. She lowered her head as she took the bottle in her neck and in a blur she was gone, heading towards the prosecution's bench at high speed.
Not even Klavier could have predicted what was going to happen next, as he felt something force past his lips and into his throat.
"I'm going to take you with me to hell, just as you did with your own brother with this damned atroquinine!" she screamed, and the whole crowd around them gasped.
Two guards came of nowhere, getting her out of his sight, and in a second, a sour flavor took place in his mouth, suddenly feeling nauseous as his stomach seemed to react at whatever she made him drink.
Confused and wide-eyed, he tried to take a step towards the bench, only to find out his legs felt heavy and uncooperative.
"Gotcha!" He heard someone said -was it Apollo? -when he almost fell to the ground. He tried glancing at him but even his head was hard to move now. "Hey, don't you dare close your eyes, you heard me? Stay here."
Why, he wanted to ask, if he could, that is. He only managed to grunt. His chest felt heavy.
"It's only been five minutes, Klavier. I know you can last longer. Please don't close your eyes..." He heard him say in a whisper.
"You were right about everything. It's your win, Klavier. So please, stay with me."
Right about everything...? So that meant...
No. This couldn't be happening.
He tried to move again, and found out his body had started to ache. A dull pain that gradually evolved into a fierce one. He felt as if millions of knifes were stabbing him constantly on every limb of his body, his chest feeling the worse of it all.
It was atroquinine poisoning. He even wrote a song for the damned thing, about the pain, the symptoms. He should know.
And he wasn't supposed to die like this.
His grunts and moans might have evolved into full screams of pain since Apollo started to hold him tighter than before, talking desperately to him and at the verge of tears. He didn't think Herr Forehead cared that much for him.
"Where's the damned ambulance!" He almost didn't catch him say that, but he was sure the look in his eyes might have been fierce and his voice might have been louder than usual. He felt sorry for the poor ears of the audience. Oh, wait, was the audience still in the room? Was he even in court yet?
His mind started to drift off to nowhere, but he still felt Apollo's arms wrapped around him protectively.
"Y-you're going to be just fine! J-just fine! So don't die, please! Please Klavier!"
He would be feeling another loss again. So soon...
Suddenly, nothing. His hearing went off, or so he thought, and the arms around him disappeared just as his vision went black.
Was he going to die? He didn't want to. Not when he was still so young, not when he was just starting his life as a prosecutor.
Not after hearing that man say those words to him.
But he couldn't do anything now, as the damned atroquinine took his senses, his future, and his life.
Oh, the irony.
"Klavier! Klavier, no!"
He had stopped thrashing. And Apollo felt despair, coldness seeping through his spine. He couldn't lose him. It was too soon to lose another one. Klavier might not be the friend Clay was, but he’s important to him. He was such a good person, and had endured so much at the cost of his own brother and that damned atroquinine that seeing him suffering from the same stupid poison was frustrating. It was like rubbing salt on fresh wounds.
The tears started falling without him even noticing. He was becoming desperate, but didn't dare shaking Klavier up in fear of causing him more unnecessary harm. He was still breathing, there was still hope, and fifteen minutes hadn't passed yet.
"Move aside! Paramedics incoming!"
Thank god! He carefully passed Klavier to one of the two paramedics, who immediately sprang into action.
"What happened?" He asked, while checking Klavier's vital signs.
"He got poisoned. With atroquinine."
"How much has passed?"
"Around 10 minutes."
"Oh god, we don't have much left." His words put Apollo on edge. "Hey you! Help me get this man on the ambulance, now!"
Another man appeared, running towards them. He decided to leave them space. They were the experts, he would be disturbing their work and time was absolutely precious now. But he couldn't deny it felt strangely wrong to leave Klavier alone with them.
In an instant, Klavier was quickly wheeled out of the courtroom in a stretcher. When he stood completely alone (when did people leave? Where did Trucy go?), the tears he had been furiously fighting began to fall free. He whipped his eyes once, two times, but they would not stop.
It was unfair.
He felt guilty. If he had heard Klavier from the very beginning, this wouldn't be happening.
"Polly!"
But how could he guess she knew about his special skill? How did she manage to lie?
"Apollo! Hey!"
This looked too suspicious.
"Hey! Apollo Justice! Earth to-"
"I'm sorry, I was thinking." He solidly interrupted her.
Trucy fell into silence, adverting her eyes to the floor. She looked lost for a moment, almost hopeless, but then with a smile she looked back at him, and hugged the attorney tight.
"He's going to be okay, Polly." She whispered to him, and he knew she was trying to toughen up. Even though the young magician could not hide the tears that little by little began soaking his vest, she was trying her best.
He should too.
He returned the hug, patting her back for good measure.
After a moment of consolation passed, they started moving.
"We're going to the clinic after him, right?" Trucy asked just as they exited the courtroom. Apollo nodded in approval.
"Yes, but... Maybe it would be better if you went home with Mr. Wright."
"But Polly, I want to see how Mr. Gavin is doing!"
"That's why cell phones were invented."
"But-!"
"Apollo, Trucy! There you are! Are you okay?!" Came a breathless voice from the end of the long hall.
"We heard about an incident occurring in Courtroom number 5!" Added a second one, a feminine voice both knew very well.
Phoenix ran to hug his daughter with apprehension while Athena stood quiet, firmly holding widget with her right hand.
"We're fine, don't worry about us. But yeah... Something happened…"
"What is it? I heard a guard talking about an uncooperative defendant at courtroom number 5 and then ambulance sirens." Said Phoenix, crossing his arms. "After that there were bailiffs running around looking tousled, trying to find someone."
"Maybe it was my client..."
"Apollo? I hear discords in your voice, are you okay?" Athena asked, calmly approaching him.
"I... I honestly don't know."
"Where's prosecutor Gavin?"
"He... H-he's... He was attacked. By my client." He finished, feeling a lump in his throat.
Both gasped at the new information.
"Is he going to be okay?" Asked Phoenix, concern evident in his voice.
"I don't know... It's hard to tell that right now, since he was poisoned with... Atroquinine."
"What?!" Exclaimed the older attorney, remembering the dark, endless days, and the face of a particular person hiding in the shadows.
Apollo crossed his arms and adverted his eyes, trying to hide his worry.
"I have to go." He said, looking at them with determination.
"Wait. Let me contact Edgeworth, he might give us more information when we'll need it."
Apollo nodded. It was a good idea, actually. It may give them more freedom when asking about Klavier at the clinic.
"For now, let's go outside to calm down a bit."
"I don't think I can calm down at this moment, Mr. Wright."
"Then we'll simply force you to be calm." He told him in his mocking voice. Old habits die hard.
"Mr. Wright-"
"And also, he's going to be okay. If Vera survived, why wouldn't he?"
Vera Misham... He had forgotten about her own incident. She seemed kind of weak and fragile, and yet survived the worst part of the poison. The doctors had said there was a very little margin of survive, and fortunately they were wrong.
If Vera survived... Then Klavier was going to be okay.
But he couldn't shake off the lingering dread posing as a dead weight on his stomach. It felt as if something was very wrong and he had yet to know what it was.
"See? We're outside now, and you seem a little calmer."
"Daddy is the best at this kind of situations!"
"It's okay to worry, but don't let it blind you, or you'll end up taking unnecessary risks and decisions."
He knew what he was talking about but made no intentions of following said conversation. Instead he admired the late afternoon, wondering how time had passed so fast, and how he desperately wanted to run and go see Klavier at the clinic.
Trucy stood by his side, sometimes looking at him with distant eyes, as if remembering something from the past. When he looked back at her she just smiled, hoping to get him to smile too. And he did.
Trucy was truly a blessing. Sometimes he wondered if they were siblings in a past life. They were connected in a way he didn't think it was possible with a non-related person.
"I called Edgeworth. He said in a few minutes more he'll be here to take us to the clinic."
"Can I go too, daddy?"
Phoenix observed her for a while.
"I don't know, Truce..."
"I can stay with Trucy at the agency, boss. If you don't mind that, of course!" Athena jumped in, smiling her usual confident smile.
"Hmm, it sounds like a good idea."
"But daddy!"
"I'm sorry, Truce."
"Promise me you will call to tell me how Mr. Gavin is doing!"
"I will. Now go with Athena."
She hugged him for a while and let go, still kind of annoyed at the fact she couldn't go.
"Klavier's gonna be okay! But if whatever thing happens and you don't feel good you can call me anytime, ¿te quedó claro?"
"Yeah, Athena. Thank you." He smiled at her, already feeling better than before. Her optimism was contagious.
"That's good. See you later!"
They waved the girls off.
A cellphone rang in the middle of their quiet silence, and was promptly picked by its owner. By the look of Phoenix's face it looked like it was Miles Edgeworth.
He walked a bit farther and let them a little of space.
The call resulted in being shorter than before. Phoenix made signs for Apollo to approach him.
"Edgeworth said the clinic where Gavin was admitted contacted him. Apparently he was the first number contact in his phone."
"I should've gone with him on the ambulance, but everything went so fast I hadn't time to react to everything."
Phoenix put a hand on his shoulder, showing an attempt at consolation.
"Its fine, Apollo, but you didn't let me finish."
"I'm sorry, I'm still nervous about all of this. What did Mr. Edgeworth told you?"
"A nurse called to tell him Gavin was currently being operated, and was under the hands of the clinic’s director. They also told him he entered in a critical state so had to be derived to the ICU, which is a part it'll be very hard to get answers. It's just like Vera's case."
"Is he going to be okay?"
Phoenix suddenly fell into silence just as a red sports car appeared, immediately showing who the owner was.
He stationed the car in front of them, and didn't get off it so they could make things faster. Understanding the idea, both lawyers got into the car in a second, Apollo getting in the backseat.
"Thanks for getting us there, Edgeworth."
"No need to thank me. I was going there anyway."
They parted towards the clinic at full speed. Apollo stared out the window, his stomach twisting in knots from the tension and anticipation.
"How did it exactly happen?"
"Huh?"
He hadn't been paying attention to the conversation occurring in front, so when he was addressed with a question he confusedly stared at them.
"What happened today at court, Mr. Justice."
Oh, that.
"We were about to uncover that the defendant was guilty when it happened."
"Was there something that triggered the defendant to do it?"
"I... I don't think so. But they were arguing, the defendant and prosecutor Gavin."
"What about?"
"About... Mr. Kristoph Gavin."
A coldness dropped on them at the sole mention of his name.
"She started accusing prosecutor Gavin of being insane. She told him he shouldn't be prosecuting, in fear of incarcerating every suspect of a crime where poison was involved. Naturally, prosecutor Gavin said nothing. He just let her talk, until I had to intervene."
Apollo took a pause, and then continued.
"He told me the defendant knew about my perceive ability. That she could lie without me knowing. That's when I knew she was guilty. Prosecutor Gavin showed evidence that couldn't be rebutted with anything, and she started to get nervous, showing her nervous tic at last. After that..."
He took in a deep breath and clenched his fists.
"She took a bottle-shaped pendant in her hand and brought it to her lips, and then jumped towards the prosecution's bench and screamed something about atroquinine. Klavier didn't know, I didn't know, hell, even the audience didn't know what had just happened. She just got there, took him by surprise, and kissed him. She kissed him."
"A deadly kiss... Such a poetic gesture." Commented Phoenix, absentmindedly.
"It was horrible, not poetic. A bailiff had to get her off him. But it was too late..."
A silence stretched on the car, each mind thinking up theories and explications about what had transpired.
They didn't notice when the clinic had begun visibly appearing. Miles drove expertly, parking the car near the emergency entrance.
"We should be fine here. Now let's get to the main point."
They walked to the reception, where a nurse was stacking documents and files.
"How may I help you?" She asked in a boring voice.
"We're here for a person who was admitted not too long ago." Spoke Miles on behalf of the other two.
"Name?"
"Klavier Gavin."
"And who might you be?"
"His boss. Miles Edgeworth."
"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth. We called you before. You may pass."
"They're also with me." He gestured to Phoenix and Apollo. "And this man is Mr. Justice, whom I mentioned you before."
"Oh, yes. Then the three of you may pass. Please go with discretion, it's a very delicate part of the clinic, and we advise the visitors to remain calm and composed. Anything can happen there, okay? The ICU is on the left wing, floor 5."
"Excuse me Miss," asked Apollo before leaving. "Do you happen to know how he is?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Justice, but I know nothing. You'll just have to find out once you arrive there. But don't worry too much, Mr. Hickfield is in charge along with a poison specialist."
They walked through the long halls of the clinic, walking up the stairs to get to the left wing. Apollo was tense, worried. He didn't know what to expect, or what he'll find. He just hoped he was fine.
They got to the reception on the fifth floor. There was an unnerving calm, the kind that told you people were getting treated like they were in their last moments. This was the place where their lives decided if continuing or not.
A place constantly deciding between life and death, and Klavier was here doing the same.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Another nurse greeted them, this time a man looking like in his late twenties fiddling with files.
"We've come here for Klavier Gavin, who was admitted today."
"Ah, you must be Mr. Edgeworth, right?"
"Yes. How is he?"
"He's still undergoing treatment at the moment. You'll have to wait a little longer for more information, I'm afraid."
"Damn..." Cursed Apollo to himself.
"You're Mr. Justice, right?" The nurse addressed him, and he jumped.
"Uh, yes. I am."
He suddenly smiled, reassuring him of something he still didn't know.
"Your partner is going to be alright, I can assure you that."
Partner...?
"I'm sorry?" He asked, feeling a little lost at the term he used.
"Oh, did I misinterpret? I'm sorry!"
"Misinterpret? What?"
"Apollo, don't think about it too much." Told him Phoenix.
"A-anyways, you can go seat over there. I'll call you in case of anything happening concerning Mr. Gavin."
They nodded and went to take a seat in cushions that were placed near a window. From there, Apollo could see the whole city about to start its nighttime's activities. Millions of people had left for their homes, and the ones that still had something to do were roaming the streets around. Ambulances came and went, and the parking lot looked haunted, a big yellowed moon appearing behind clouds.
It had been four hours since the incident, and the sun was already gone, and no star shone in the sky. Today was a dark day.
"I hope we don't have to wait too much."
"Trucy will be alright, Wright. She can handle herself. Besides, didn't you promise to call her later?"
"Yes, but she's still sixteen and I've been neglecting her lately..."
"I'm sure she understands why. And today is an abnormal occasion, although..."
"What?"
"Nothing is holding you from going home."
Phoenix looked puzzled for a second.
"I'm here because they called me, and I know Mr. Justice is here because he was with him at the moment of the accident, but you just decided to tag along with us today."
"You're so harsh, Edgeworth."
"But it's the truth. Am I correct?"
He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yeah. Yeah, as always. I won't go yet, though. I have... Some unfinished business here."
"That sounds suspicious, Wright."
"It's nothing bad, I swear. I'm just worried about... something" he finished, dropping his eyes to the tiled floor.
"I won't pry further."
"Thanks."
They kept silent for a while, adverting their eyes in different directions. The air got a little tense, and Apollo shuffled in his feet trying to stay comfortable with the situation. Just as he was going to take a seat at one of the big cushions, he remembered something he had to ask.
"Mr. Edgeworth?"
"Yes?"
"What's this business about this partner I supposedly have?"
Miles stared at him for a while, and then sighed deeply through his nostrils. He fiddled with his fingers before answering him.
"This was solely for the purpose of information, Mr. Justice, so please don't feel offended."
"It depends."
"I don't think you're going to like it, but I told the nurses you were Mr. Gavin's partner so they could give you access to him."
Apollo almost dropped his jaw.
"What? Couldn't you have just told them I was his brother or some other related family?!"
"I couldn't lie to them like that."
"But you lied anyway with this partner thing! I am not this fop's boyfriend!"
"Calm down, Apollo! And Edgeworth is right, he hasn't lied."
"Then explain it to me because I can't seem to understand!"
"Isn't Gavin your partner in court?"
Apollo gave them a dead stare, feeling done with the both of them.
"That's weak."
"Apollo, don't deny it. We've all seen how you two get when being together."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh please, it's not that bad. Sometimes defense attorneys and prosecutors develop a very strong relationship."
"Are you talking about yourself and Mr. Edgeworth?"
At the mention of their names, both veteran lawyers went a deep red in their faces. Miles tried to conceal it by turning his face away from Apollo's piercing eyes, but Phoenix accepted his fate, keeping his eyes trained on Apollo's.
"This is different. But it’s not uncommon."
"This is impossible, Mr. Wright. It's Klavier Gavin we're talking about and me. There's nothing I feel for him, and reverse."
He swore he heard sounds of chains and locks closing up, but he ignored them.
"You better retract what you just said."
"What do you mean...?"
But as Phoenix was going to continue, the nurse from before made himself present at the scene. His face looked grim, as if he was going to deliver very bad news, and Apollo felt his stomach tighten at the thought.
"I have some information about Mr. Gavin. I'm afraid it's not so good."
The three of them braced for what came next, Apollo balling his hands in fists.
"We did everything possible to counter the poison, and we succeeded. He's now stable, still under medicine and the antidote for the atroquinine. Only..."
"Only what."
"He won't show any attempts at waking up. He's entered in a coma. We don't know when he's going to wake up, or if he'll even do. I'm sorry."
A silence stretched after he spoke, being broken later by Apollo.
"It can't be possible. He has to wake up."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Justice. I know it must be hard for you..."
"He won't give up that easily, I know sooner or later he'll be up, and this will be but the remains of a bad nightmare."
He was trying to convince himself, and the others noted it almost immediately. He was at the verge of tears again, just as he was before. He didn't think it'll affect him this much, he didn't know he cared so much for the idiot fop.
"C-can we see him?" He asked, his voice breaking.
"I believe you're authorized to. Only one at a time, though."
The older lawyers nodded in approval at him.
"Okay. Follow me."
They walked past the big and seemingly heavy doors of the ICU section, entering an even more sterile ambience that went straight up Apollo's nostrils. Doctors in scrubs walked by, followed by nurses carrying trays with medical equipment. The silence from the waiting room expanded here, the only sounds being those of the life supports of patients resting in their beds.
He felt out of place in his red work attire, seeing as the majority of the place and people were white.
"Okay, we're here." he said, stopping in front of a glass door. "Are you okay?"
"Me?" he asked, confused by the question.
"Yes, you. He's someone you care a lot for, so it's okay to feel a little worried about how you're going to find him."
"I'm fine." He assured him, trying to convince himself too.
"Good. Stay here for a little bit, I have to see if the doctor has finished yet."
"There's no need to. I'm finished here." Interrupted a soothing voice coming from the other side of the door.
It appeared to be a bespectacled brunette man in his late thirties, with a relaxed attitude. He was dressed in a white hospital gown, a typical stethoscope hanging around his neck.
"I assume you're Mr. Justice?"
"Yes. Pleased to meet you, uhh..."
"Roland Gatewell, poison specialist. I'm currently Mr. Gavin's doctor, so if you have any questions regarding his health just ask me. I quite assure though that your boyfriend is going to be alright."
Boyfriends... He'll have to get used to people calling them that here.
He felt relieved though, his bracelet hadn't squeezed his wrist at the doctor's words.
"Now, let's get inside so I can explain some more details about his condition."
Inside... He was going to see him. He knew he was in one piece, that the physical damage was on the inside but seeing him quiet, contrary to how he used to see him was going to be a little shocking.
When he actually entered, followed by the nurse and doctor, his breath hitched. Klavier was at the center of the room, hooked up to a lot of machines that emitted regular sounds and beeps. He looked like he was sleeping, his hair now undone forming a golden halo around his head.
He didn't dare moving. He felt paralyzed.
A push on his back made him come back.
"Go, you're supposed to make him company. Don't worry."
He stepped once, and then twice. He stopped by his bedside. He realized his face was relaxed in a way he didn't think he had seen before, with interfering tubes connected up his nose to help him breathe.
He also noted that his clothes were replaced by a white spotted hospital gown, exposing some of his toned chest, his trademark necklace missing for a change. He looked weird with all the bling off, unnatural even. It was as if he had lost all his usual shine, changing for a dull, emotionless face of an average person.
A seemingly sleeping forever person.
He was breathing though, and that was all that mattered.
"He's pale." He commented, kneeling beside him slowly.
"It is because of the meds we're injecting him. They're a strong kind of antidote which may leave him weak for a few days."
Apollo's eyes casted towards his hands.
"You may."
"What?"
"Take his hand."
"Oh."
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was correct to take his hand while he was sleeping. The hand that extended towards him was the one that was free from the IV, and it was in a perfect position to be taken. It was as if he was inviting him to.
Well, he had to keep with the charade of being boyfriends if he wanted special access or something. He was doing it for his own satisfaction, no more no less.
With extreme precaution, as if fearing the man would wake up, he reached towards his palm, tracing the lines with his fingers and finding it felt almost pleasant. His hand was a little cold.
Apollo tightened the hold, and he suddenly was expecting him to do the same.
It then dawned on him that he had slipped into a coma, and that it was uncertain if he was going to wake up.
His hold tightened even more.
"I think now is the time to explain in detail about Mr. Gavin's condition." Began the doctor, standing at the foot of the bed.
Apollo nodded approvingly. It was time to face it all.
"As you must know by now, atroquinine is a very deadly kind of slow-acting poison which attacks the central nervous system at first, making the victim paralyzed in fifteen minutes, and thus losing their life at the end."
Yes, he knew that very well. It was actually the main power used by the other Gavin, one that he really wanted to forget about.
"Mr. Gavin here arrived when fourteen minutes had passed, and let me tell you, it was a miracle he actually survived." He glanced towards the comatose prosecutor, smiling a bit. "It was as if he wanted to keep going, even as his vital signs had dropped almost to zero and his heart started to fail."
This stubborn, enthusiastic idiot...
"Of course, after the treatment was done, we didn't expect him to wake up actually. He probably slipped into a coma because his body needs to reorganize itself again, and that’s not bad. The worrying thing is we won't know if there is any neurological damage if the coma extends for longer.
Even though that you shall not worry so much Mr. Justice, as we've performed tests and exams and they showed us positive results. It's just a matter of time now; until his body decides it's ready to wake up we will update you with more information. For now it's best to leave him rest here for as long as he needs. We'll transfer him to a private room once his vital signs stabilize enough to declare it good."
Apollo took in the new information, feeling a lot calmer than before. Sure, he was going to take his time waking up, but he was going to be fine and that was all that mattered to him.
"How long can I stay here?" He asked, glancing at the doctor and nurse.
Both looked at each other and smiled.
"We shouldn't be letting you in for so long but... You've got two hours." The doctor said with a strange voice. "Now, we're going to leave you two alone. Take care of him, and call me in case something happens. We'll be checking up on him every fifteen minutes though, so that's not a problem. Well, see you soon, Mr. Justice."
"I'm going to update Mr. Edgeworth with the new information. I'll see you soon too, Mr. Justice."
Both left, closing the glass door with a soft thud.
"Well, it's just the two of us now..."
Silence.
"Hey, isn't that a song? I've heard you sing it before..."
More silence.
“Funny… That time you sung it I told you to shut up, and now I’d give everything to hear you again…”
It had been a strange occurrence that time. They were alone in the Wright Anything office, and Klavier had started singing. He remembered his voice sounded different when there was no loud guitars and drums, and he found he actually liked it. Of course he didn’t told him, he just made him shut up.
But now he wanted to hear it again.
His cheeks involuntarily heated up. He realized he had said something embarrassing… but it's not like he could hear him.
“I wonder when you’ll wake up…”
He squeezed his now warm hand and rested his head on the bed, sighing deeply into the covers. He closed his eyes, relaxed by the sounds around him.
He didn't notice the time had passed until the doctor shook him awake.
"Mr. Justice, visiting hours are over, I'm sorry."
Apollo glanced at him, wondering when he fell asleep.
"I'm surprised, you didn't even notice the nurses walking in to check on Mr. Gavin."
"I didn't?"
Now he felt genuinely surprised.
"Yes. They didn't want to wake you up, it seems you looked peaceful on your sleep. I'm sorry you have to go, I know it's hard when someone you care a lot for is in the hospital."
"Yeah, I-"
"I mean, it's hard to leave them there, in the unknown yet expert hands of professionals like us, but he'll be alright."
"Okay, thanks, I get it." He quickly finished, feeling like the man in front held some more words about the subject.
"Good. I'll let you stay 5 minutes more so you can say good bye to him for now."
"Okay, thank you."
"Don't get too physical with him though, no kissing is allowed." He said while opening the door.
"Uhh, a-alright."
"I'll see you outside."
When the doctor left the room, Apollo covered his face with his hand, feeling a headache forming up in the middle of his forehead. That was... weird.
"W-well, I guess I should follow doctor's orders." He said, getting up and dusting his pants from invisible dirt.
He approached Klavier's bedside, staring at his unmoving frame. He hadn't changed at all since his arrival, but that was normal considering he was in a comatose state, he just still couldn't associate such information with reality. A lot has happened today and he had yet to absorb everything to react conform the situation.
He feared it.
"So, uhh... Good night."
He hadn't never been that close with Klavier, the only instances of a decent conversation occurring inside the courtrooms' doors. They had never talked outside, but that was a given due to the status of the prosecutor as an ex rockstar. The paparazzi were an awful thing to exist.
So trying to be casual about something with him was hard. Even considering the situation.
But he had screamed in despair when he fell. He felt desperation when he started wailing in pain, and he had cried when he stopped altogether his movements. It looked like they were more near than ever then. He really didn't know he cared so much for him.
They weren't even friends, for God's sake!
"Umm, I'll see you tomorrow, so you're not alone, okay?"
No response. Of course there was no response.
But... at least he was alive.