Today was a very tiring day for Miles Edgeworth. He won in the trial of the accused named Fernando Galca, a maniac who often kill children. However, the trial made him very stressed and exhausted, it's already late at night when he left the courtroom. He walked slowly toward his car, can't wait to go home and warm himself with warm water. He yawned once or twice before heating his car and started driving.
The streets were deserted, and the cold night air made him feel more sleepy. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he should pull over for a nap afterwards to continue his journey. But eventually he was discouraged because he did not want to go home late again. He was unconscious, his decision to keep driving drowsy is a very wrong decision, which would make him feel guilty for the rest of his life.
Edgeworth driving faster, did not realize there was a man who was crossing the street. He yawned, then ...
BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
The man who was crossed right in front of him getting hit by Edgeworth's car, and thrown into the air. The man then fell to the position of his head hit the road.
Realizing that he had made someone get hurt, frantically Edgeworth down from his car to check on the man who had hit by his car. Trembling, he turned the man who lying unconscious in the street. His heart immediately sank as he realized who has been hit by his car.
"W-W-W-R-IGHT?!" He exclaimed with stumbling. He shook Phoenix's body that has been bloodied harshly, as if to shake Phoenix would make the spiky haired man will automatically conscious.
"N-nooo... Oh God, I beg you ... Forgive me ... Wake up, Wright, wake up! WAKE UP !" said Edgeworth again. He can't thinking clearly. Some people who were walking on the streets approached him.
"Sir, what's wrong?" cried one of them.
"Gee, isn't that Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Phoenix Wright?! Someone please immediately call an ambulance!"
One of the crowd was finally called an ambulance with his mobile phone.
"Quiet, Mr. Edgeworth! The ambulance will be here soon and bring Mr. Wright!"
Edgeworth did not answer. He hugged Phoenix tightly, buried Phoenix bloodied face into his chest. Oh God, if he died…..I have killed him…..
15 minutes later, but like 15 years for Edgeworth, an ambulance finally came and brought Phoenix to the Central Hospital. Arriving at the hospital, the doctors immediately brought Phoenix to the Emergency Unit to be handled. Edgeworth waiting in the waiting room with tense, his head lowered, unremitting he cursed himself.
Wright, I beg you… Forgive me ... If something bad happens to you ... I will never forgive myself ... Oh God ... What sin have I committed?
A tear fell from Edgeworth's eyelid. It's been a long time he didn't cry. The last time he was cried, was when his father died. In the past, he was always haunted by feelings of guilt and nightmares that it was him who had killed his father. What if the nightmare was repeated again now? And why the doctors handled Phoenix very long? Completely exhausted, Edgeworth finally fell asleep in the waiting room.
The day was already sunny when the doctor who treating Phoenix, Doctor Vincenzo Mortensen, wakes him gently.
"Are you Mr. Phoenix Wright's relative?" asked Dr. Vincenzo to Edgeworth who leaned against hospital walls, his eyes unfocused.
"Yes, yes. I'm his best friend," said Edgeworth. "H-how is he?"
"Come to my office, we need to talk," said Dr. Vincenzo again. Edgeworth then follow Doctor Vincenzo toward his office.
"Sit down," said Dr. Vincenzo, invited Edgeworth to sit down. Edgeworth seated and silent.
"Your friend, Mr. Wright ... Suffered severe brain damage. Conflicts when he was hit was very hard, when he wakes up, he will not remember who he is, what is his profession, who are his friends and family. He would not be himself again. He will have a mind like a 3 year old child and there are possibility he can only speak a few sentences."
Word by word Dr. Vincenzo has been spoke permeated in Edgeworth's ear. Edgeworth rooted to his seat. It's all my fault...If only…If only…I didn't drive drowsy ... If I had stopped to sleep... I'm not going to hit him. Oh God, why all of this should happen?
Edgeworth bites his lips, swallowed hard, trying to hold back his tears. But he failed. A drop of tears flowing from his eyes.
"Here," muttered Dr. Vincenzo softly as he handing him a tissue. Edgeworth took it without looking at the doctor's face, buried his face into the tissue, and sobbed quietly.
"Feeling better, sir? Do you want to see him now?" asked Dr. Vincenzo again gently. Still buried his face into the tissue, Edgeworth nodded slowly.
"Come," Dr. Vincenzo leads Edgeworth towards the ICU, and left them alone. Edgeworth rids the tissue of his face, and knelt beside Phoenix bed.
"I'm sorry, Wright. You become like this because of me. It's all my fault, Wright ! If what Dr. Vincenzo said was true, I swear I will devote all my life for you .. I'll take care of you ... You'll stay with me ... I'll take care of you day and night tirelessly! I swear I will atone for my sin to you ... F-forgive me, Wright!" Edgeworth buried his face on Phoenix belly, and held his hand. During his enter life, he had never felt more upset like this. In fact, when his father died, he was not crying hard like this.
Phoenix twitches his finger to answer Edgeworth, then he slowly opened his eyes. Edgeworth hastily wiped tears from his eyes, felt relieved.
"You're awake? Brother, how do you feel? I ... I'm sorry, really!"
But Phoenix didn't answer Edgeworth. His eyes unfocused, then he moves his eyes toward Edgeworth.
"Papa?" whispered Phoenix. Edgeworth stunned.
"W-what did you say, Wright? You called me what?" asked Edgeworth confused.
"PAPA!" exclaimed Phoenix again. He sat on his bed and hugged Edgeworth very tightly, his face slightly tilted, and he smiled. This turned out to be worse than Edgeworth expected.
"W-wright, I'm not your father, we are good friends, r-remember? Y-your parents had died in a plane crash, r-remember?" Edgeworth stammered. He then tries to release Phoenix hugs.
"Wright? My name is Wright, Papa?"
"Y-yes, Wright. Your full name is Phoenix Wright. And me, I am Miles Edgeworth, we are good friends since elementary school. You can call me Miles. You understand? I'm not your father, so you will not have to call me papa. Just call me Miles."
"P-phinix? How do I say it, Papa?"
Edgeworth really hope Phoenix to stop calling him "Papa."
"Follow me. P-H-O-E-N-I-X," said Edgeworth patient, taught Phoenix how to spell his own name.
"Ffee-nieeee ... I can, Papa! Feenie is my name!" Phoenix clapping his hands with glee. Edgeworth smiled weakly, his tears falling again. He hurriedly wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, so that Phoenix didn't see him cry.
"Wait here, Wright. I have to talk to Doctor Vincenzo," Edgeworth murmured as he stepped outside and walked toward Dr. Vincenzo office back.
"What is it, Mr. Edgeworth? Did Mr. Wright already awake?" asked Dr. Vincenzo while invited Edgeworth to sit down.
Edgeworth nodded slowly. "But... he is mistaken of recognized me, Doctor. He assumed I am his father. He called me Papa. And his parents had died. What should I do?"
Doctor Vincenzo sighed. "I knew it. Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. The nicest thing to do is, you should really behave like his father. Don't make him feel forgotten and neglected, Mr. Edgeworth. Give him attention and affection that he needs."
Edgeworth sobbed in silence again. He rose from his seat and went back to Phoenix's room. Arriving in Phoenix's room, Edgeworth finds Phoenix was sobbing on his bed.
"Wright, what's wrong?" cried Edgeworth.
"Papa ... .papa is back. Papa left me." Phoenix replied with the same innocent voice.
"I did not leave, Wright. I only spoke briefly with the doctor. Look, I'm here, right?" whispered Edgeworth as he hugging Phoenix, and buried Phoenix face into his chest. A tear fell from his eyelids again. No! You must not be a crybaby, Edgeworth...How can you take care of Wright if yourself can't be strong? Remember what Doctor Vincenzo said... You should really behave like his father! You have to be Phoenix parent….. It's the only way to atone your guilt to him!
"Papa... are you crying? Don't cry, Papa," said Phoenix while wiping Edgeworth cheeks with both of his hands. "Feenie didn't like Papa cry. Feenie want Papa laughed. Feenie didn't want to see Papa cry."
Edgeworth smiled weakly, and wiped his eyes. "No, Papa didn't cry. You see, Papa smiles, right?" I had to get used to call myself Papa. I must. I should be able to be his father. For Wright.
4 days later, Phoenix was finally allowed to leave the hospital. As promised, Edgeworth brought Phoenix to live with him in his house.
"Well," Edgeworth whispered when they arrived at home. "This is your house, Wright. Do you like it?"
Phoenix nodded with vigor. "This is beautiful, very beautiful, Papa!"
Edgeworth then guided Phoenix into the house. Phoenix seemed stunned by his very fancy house. Edgeworth sat Phoenix on the couch and turned on the TV.
"You want to watch TV? What do you want to watch?"
Clapping cheerfully, Phoenix replied, "My little pony tail! Feenie like My Little Pony Tail!"
"Alright." Edgeworth then turn on the channel that broadcast the My Little Pony Tail cartoon. Phoenix clapping excitedly, swaying in his seat, and humming the cartoon intro song.
"Feenie like the blue horse! Feenie like blue color!" Phoenix pointing his finger to the television screen. "What color do you like, Papa?"
"Eh, maroon, Wright." Then the cartoon was finished running.
"Feenie want to draw! Feenie love coloring! Let us coloring together, Papa!" said Phoenix again.
"Uh, I can't draw, Wright." Edgeworth replied awkwardly.
"It is okay! Feenie can teach Papa! Feenie know how to draw!"
Edgeworth surrender. He ended up taking a few markers and paper from his office, and gave it to Phoenix. Phoenix received the markers cheerfully. He kissed Edgeworth's cheeks, making Edgeworth stunned.
"Thank you, Papa! Feenie like the markers! Let us draw together, Papa!" cried Phoenix as he dragging Edgeworth to the desk. They both sat down, and Phoenix began drawing with the markers, while Edgeworth watching him.
For a few minutes, there are only sound of the markers and ticking clock audible. Finally, Phoenix finished drawing. He proudly shows his work to Edgeworth. Phoenix drew caricatures of himself and Edgeworth, his doodle was very rough and messy, as it was being drawn by a 3 year old child.
"That was… awesome, Wright." Edgeworth murmured softly.
"Thank you, Papa! Papa, Feenie want to learn to write well! Papa, how to write Papa and Feenie? Teach Feenie, Papa!"
Wiping his eyes again, Edgeworth puts his hand over Phoenix's hand that still holding a marker, then began to teach Phoenix how to write.
"Well...this is how to write Feenie. This letter F. E. I. Just pull the line slowly ... Straight lines…" Edgeworth pointing Phoenix's hand to write. "And, we're done. Feenie."
Phoenix laugh childish. "Cool, Papa! Feenie want to try it by myself now!"
Edgeworth took his hand off from Phoenix hands, and watched Phoenix wrote "Feenie" by himself. Phoenix wrote slowly with a blue marker, he managed to write "Feenie" although the writing was more like an irregular line. He clapped happily when he was finished.
"Papa, Feenie can! Feenie can write!"
Edgeworth nodded weakly. "Good, Wright, you're a smart kid," he whispered. Phoenix then yawned.
"Papa, Feenie feel sleepy."
"You want to sleep? Come on, Wright," murmured Edgeworth. He then guides Phoenix walked into the room he had prepared for Phoenix. Slowly, Edgeworth lay Phoenix on the bed. Edgeworth covered Phoenix and muttered, "Sweet dreams, Wright." Then he stepped out of the room to go to the bathroom.
When Edgeworth had just turned on the hot water in the shower, suddenly he heard Phoenix's scream. With haste, Edgeworth ran out of the bathroom and go back into Phoenix's room.
"Papa ! Feenie had a nightmare," said Phoenix, his whole body trembling ungodly, his body covered in sweat everywhere. Edgeworth then hugged Phoenix very tightly, burying Phoenix head to his shoulder.
"What did you dreamed of?"
"Feenie dream Papa fall from a plane." said Phoenix stumbling. Edgeworth then stroked Phoenix's hair and back with affection.
"Ssssh ... it's just a dream, Wright. An ugly bad dream? Papa, - "strange for him to say that word-" is here, and Papa fine, right? Look, Papais healthy, right?" Phoenix watched him from head to toe, then nodded.
"Well, now you must go to sleep again, okay? Papa would sing a lullaby for you so you can sleep soundly. How?" Phoenix nodded, and Edgeworth began singing a lullaby to him.
There's a flower, in the smallest garden, reaching for the light.
There's candle, in the darkest corner, conquering the night.
There is amazing strength, in a willing hand,
There are Victories, that you've never planned,
There's a hero, in everybody's heart.
There's a fire, inside of everybody, burning clear and bright.
There's a power, in the faintest heartbeat, that can not be denied.
Go on a trust yourself,
You can ride the wind,
Your gonna take your dreams
Where they've never been,
There's a hero
In everybody's heart.
Edgeworth sings for 3 minutes, after he finished, Phoenix finally fell asleep again. Smiling a little, Edgeworth stroked Phoenix's hair once again and kiss his forehead. "Sleep well, Wright," he whispered.
-TO BE CONTINUED-
