Chapter Nine
The silence of the hospital room was broken today by not only Lamiroir's CD, left on at a low volume, but the bright clinking of metal. Occasionally, more of a metallic crash as the interlocking rings - an unfamiliar configuration, a gift from Uncle Edgey - fell to the tile floor. "Oops... sorry," Trucy murmured, leaning over in her chair to pick them up again. "I thought I had it that time. I guess... I'm having a little trouble concentrating."
She made herself smile up at Apollo, despite the fact he wasn't responding, he wasn't moving. "You know..." she added conspiratorially, "Uncle Edgey brought us chocolates, too. Swiss chocolate - really from Switzerland. I bet you've never had chocolate from Switzerland before, right? So you'd better hurry up and get better, before Daddy eats the whole box. He seriously ate like half of it yesterday. And then he turned me down when I offered to make dinner. Hee... You see what happens without the two of us around to take care of him?"
Still nothing. Not that this was a new development, but Trucy had been so excited when he spoke the day before, and opened his eyes the day before that. Never mind that the doctors had cautioned her not to expect too much - it may have been progress, but it didn't mean his recovery was imminent. Sometimes people lingered in a state like this for weeks, or years, or until they were removed from life support... But this was Apollo, Trucy had thought, determined. He wouldn't keep them waiting that long - he just wasn't that type of person.
Trucy sighed a little, and pulled the cell phone from her pocket, glancing at the display. "After eleven... Mr. Gavin's trial's started. I wonder if he and Daddy are doing okay. ...I could have gone with them," she admitted, putting the phone back, "but Daddy said he'd be all right. I know he's done this before without me around, but still. Sometimes he's kind of hopeless. He said he'd call if anything big happened, though. Whether good or bad, he'd keep me posted... and then I could keep you posted. So I'd be useful if I stayed here too." She bit her lip. "Except I'm pretty sure he said that just so I wouldn't feel bad about not wanting to go. I... I'm not as mad as I was, since Daddy said he's sure he didn't mean to do this to you, I think now I'm mostly just disappointed... but I'm still a little mad at Mr. Gavin. I don't know what I'd do if I had to sit there with him."
"...can't stay mad at him... I try, but then he starts talking in German about how he wants to swallow me whole... gets down on his knees..."
Trucy wrinkled her nose. ...It wasn't until a moment later that she realized that even if she didn't care to think about her brother having sex - even if it was with Mr. Gavin, who (regardless of what she thought of his character at the moment) was indisputably really hot - she should have been surprised by the mumbled words instead of grossed out. "Polly!" she gasped, looking up to the head of the bed again. Apollo's eyes were open - not looking at her, not really looking at anything, but open. And staying open. And he'd said a whole sentence - a couple of whole sentences, even if they were kind of embarrassing. The rings fell to the floor with a clatter once more. "Polly!" she exclaimed again, getting up out of the chair to bend over him. "You're awake?"
There was a long pause, but his eyes flickered over to her face, blinking and trying to focus. "...I don't know," he muttered. "I'm..."
A direct response to her question! Trucy was thrilled. "You're what?"
Apollo frowned a little, reached up gingerly to rub his head. Trucy was about to ask him if his head hurt, when he spoke again. "What's with my hair?"
Trucy laughed aloud. "You've been asleep for more than a week, Polly! It's no wonder you have a bad case of bedhead. Hey - can you say my name? Do you know who I am?"
"You're my little sister, Trucy." He looked thoroughly confused. "Where's Mom?"
Okay, so he was a little disoriented - that was to be expected. "She disappeared when we were kids," Trucy reminded him, taking his hand. "You were adopted... My old Daddy raised me for awhile, and then he disappeared too, and the two of us have been living with my new Daddy."
This left Apollo even more confused. "...But I heard her... noise. Talk. ...Singing," he settled on finally. "That's the word."
"Oh, that's just the CD Mr. Gavin brought you, from Lamiroir," Trucy explained. "Remember her? There's a song on there that made me think of Mommy too."
Apollo shook his head slowly. "No... it was Mom singing. I'm sure of it."
Trucy shook her head and gave him a little smile. "You were dreaming." But now he was awake, and he was conversing (if strangely - he'd never have said anything like that first admission in front of her under normal circumstances).
"...I'm tired." He frowned more deeply, as if he were trying to concentrate. "Was I asleep?"
"Boy, were you ever." Trucy realized she had something she had to do other than just stand there and talk to him. "Hey, uh, don't go back to sleep right away, okay? I'll be right back."
He didn't reply, but still looked like he was trying to concentrate. Good enough for Trucy, and she dashed away from his bedside to the door, opening it and waving to the nurse on duty in the station down the hall. "Hey, hey!" she called excitedly. "He's awake, he's awake!" That wasn't much information, and maybe she was a little loud about it, but if Apollo fell asleep again while she was letting them know, Trucy thought as she ran back to his bed, she wouldn't be able to stand it.
"It was Mom," Apollo insisted, before she could say anything. "And Klavier. He was singing with her." He started to sit up, looking around. "Where is he? Where am I?"
"He's at the courthouse, you're in the hospital," Trucy told him, and thinking about that dampened her good mood slightly. "Apollo... do you know what he did?"
"Well... I bet he won, if I'm not there."
"Er, today's trial's a little different." Was it up to her to explain this to him?
Before she'd managed to find a way to begin that explanation, a handful of doctors and nurses, rallied by her announcement, had rushed into the room to check Apollo over. The necessity of an explanation postponed for the moment as they began asking him questions, Trucy's grin crept back onto her face, and she stepped out of the room for a moment to make a phone call.
Klavier was finding that as the trial went on, it was easier to deal with if he concentrated on listening to what was being said rather than just letting the noise go on about him. When he could tell that the words weren't being spoken to him personally, they seemed less a targetted attack on his poor head. Not that having it caught in the crossfire was much fun.
As far as he could tell, with his reduced ability to follow the proceedings, no one was getting anywhere. A witness for the prosecution would come to the stand, testify that he was indeed very good at getting the reaction out of people that he desired, and Phoenix would wind up forcing them to agree that he never seemed to desire anything harmful. A witness for the defense would come to the stand, testify that he was a good person and would never wish harm on anyone, and Payne would cause them to acknowledge that Klavier could be very persuasive, possibly to the point of manipulation. Phoenix had even called Klavier's counselor, as he'd intended, and after her testimony stating that in her opinion he was very distraught at the moment, Payne had brought up just how much fun Docidone withdrawal was - and wasn't that a possible explanation for Klavier's current misery as well?
Still, Payne wasn't making any clear progress. It was just that Phoenix couldn't completely disprove his theory either. The whole thing was growing so pointless and predictable, in fact, that at one point Phoenix even quietly took a phone call while a witness was speaking. Rather than being annoyed or disappointed, Klavier kind of wished someone would call him and provide a distraction as well. Besides, after he hung up, Phoenix seemed a bit more fired up.
Finally, after the Gavinners' drummer had testified and been dismissed, the judge's gavel sounded, heralding his agreement with Klavier. "I must say," the judge declared, "that this has dragged on for some time now - well past an appropriate lunch hour, my stomach informs me - with no significant changes in either side's argument, without any new information or evidence. Although neither the defense nor the prosecution has proven its point conclusively, I don't see much point in continuing. The decision must be made by the men and women of the jury, based on their own observations and feelings about what has been said in this courtroom - yes, Mr. Payne, including the detail that Mr. Gavin is talented when it comes to evoking emotions," he added, as Payne opened his mouth. "I believe we have had that point drilled into our heads by now." He then looked to the defense. "...Mr. Wright?" Klavier glanced over just in time to see Phoenix look up, guiltily. "If the defense has an objection, perhaps you should voice this to the court, rather than your phone."
"I'm sorry, Your Honor," Phoenix said quickly, setting the phone down. "I have a request - may we call just one more witness? I believe there is a person related to this case who will give us a fresh perspective on the character of Mr. Gavin, as well as the events of that night."
"Why not?" the judge sighed wearily. "We've been here so long already, I suppose we might as well hear one more. Go ahead - assuming you mean to call this person to the stand," he clarified, "and not by telephone."
"Actually, this person is not yet present," Phoenix admitted. "If we could take a thirty minute recess-"
"A significant amount of time," the judge grumbled, "yet not enough to eat our overdue lunches. I'll allow fifteen minutes."
"...Fifteen minutes," Phoenix agreed. Klavier was close enough to see his expression darken, his eyes narrow.
"Do you have any objections, Mr. Payne?" the judge inquired, turning to the prosecution.
Payne shook his head, looking quite smug. "I will dismantle this witness as I did those previous. I don't mind at all."
"Very well." The judge banged his gavel. "The court will reconvene in fifteen minutes. This mystery witness had better be worth it."
Klavier turned to Phoenix, about to ask who it was, but Phoenix was already holding the phone to his ear again. "Yeah, sorry about that. We're running out of time, though - I managed to buy you fifteen minutes. ...I know, it was the best I could do. Nothing's been accomplished in the last two hours, except possibly making the jury fall asleep from boredom." There was a long pause while the other person spoke. "I figured. ...Let's just give it a shot, okay? Even if it doesn't work, I doubt the jury's going to decide on a unanimous guilty verdict today." Another pause. "Sure thing - we'll be waiting. Thanks."
"Your mystery witness?" Klavier inquired as Phoenix hung up.
"Not exactly."
It sure had sounded that way to Klavier. "So who are you intending to call to the stand?"
Phoenix slipped the phone into his pocket, then looked up at Klavier with a confident smile. "It's just as you and the judge said - the witness is a mystery."
"...I see." Klavier was sure that if he could concentrate just a little bit better, he'd be able to solve the mystery. Unfortunately, he couldn't concentrate at all. "I apologize for not being any help," he added with a sigh.
"It's all right - I have it under control now. And fifteen minutes is more time than the judge seems to think," Phoenix added thoughtfully. "Want a bite to eat? Nothing amazing, in that amount of time, but we could get something from the vending machines in the lobby..."
"Now that you mention it, ja - I could eat something," Klavier replied. Since he couldn't help with the big things, he might as well tackle the simpler questions. "I haven't really eaten in a few days... Some nutrition might help me to collect my thoughts."
"You do realize I mentioned the vending machines, right?" Phoenix teased. "Anyway, my treat. ...With your superstar lifestyle, a vending machine lunch is probably the only meal I could afford to treat you to anyway."
Klavier grinned a little, and let himself be led off towards the lobby, putting the matter of the mysterious witness out of his mind in favor of things that were easier to grasp. Despite all his brother had done to discredit the man, he trusted Phoenix Wright. Whatever he was up to, it would have to work.
Phoenix was unfailingly relaxed during the recess, or at least it seemed that way to Klavier; Klavier had to admit, though, that it may have some basis in comparison, considering how jittery he felt. He managed to eat half a bag of vending machine candy, but handed the rest over to Phoenix, who munched away on it casually as he brushed off Edgeworth's queries regarding what he had up his sleeve.
Miles Edgeworth - Klavier found it a little awkward to be meeting him, seeing as he'd been something of a legend. Less so now, thanks to Klavier having beaten him out in the 'youngest practicing prosecutor in the district' department some years back, and Edgeworth's reputation was a fierce one. Far from what he'd been expecting from the man who had been called the 'demon prosecutor', he seemed mild enough, and seemed to hold no grudge, but Phoenix noted that he was like a completely different person in court.
They socialized a bit, Phoenix and Edgeworth teased each other, and Klavier was a little envious of how comfortable they seemed - until the bailiff came to tell them that the recess was over. At once the smile left Phoenix's face, and he pulled out his cell phone, staring at it in disbelief. "...It can't be time yet."
"It is," Edgeworth confirmed, looking at his watch. "And your witness hasn't arrived."
Phoenix shook his head. "I was afraid of this... I thought it would take longer. That's why I asked for half an hour."
"I'll go and see if I can help." Edgeworth's demeanor abruptly changed, becoming hard and determined, and then Klavier could almost imagine him as the 'demon prosecutor'. "You stall for time." A smirk turned up the corner of Edgeworth's mouth. "You've always been good at wasting the court's time."
"Very funny," Phoenix muttered, and then hesitated. "Wait. You do know who we're waiting for, right?"
"Please, Wright," Edgeworth assured him. "It wasn't too difficult to figure out. Especially when she also has my cell phone number. Granted," he added, "I think you're mad for trying it so soon. There are too many things that could go wrong."
"Not in such a way that it would be a disaster for us. Besides." Phoenix shrugged. "Stubborn."
Edgeworth nodded knowingly. "I hope you're right."
Klavier wished he could manage to figure it out too - this seemed like it should be obvious, if he could just stop hurting long enough to put his thoughts in order.
"All right," Phoenix said, turning to him as Edgeworth left. "So we have a little more work to do. But even if this doesn't pan out, we can try again tomorrow."
Unless there was a unanimous verdict before the day was through. "I hope you're right."
"I'm always Wright."
It took a moment for Klavier to get it, and he groaned, putting a hand to his temple as they entered the courtroom. "Jokes that terrible aren't going to stop my head from exploding."
They weren't actually the last ones back to the courtroom, but almost - a few straggling observers were still seating themselves as Phoenix and Klavier stepped to the bench. Phoenix gave Klavier a sideways look, abruptly serious. "You can sit if you'd like," he offered. "Edgeworth's right - I'm pretty good at stalling. And I'm sure there won't be a final verdict anyway, even if my witness doesn't make it."
Klavier laughed quietly. "Do I look that bad?"
"Not unless I look close." Phoenix glanced at him again. "...Actually... let me see how you look without the sunglasses."
Though a little reluctant (he'd seen himself in the mirror that morning), Klavier lowered his sunglasses. Phoenix looked him over, then nodded to himself. "Let's leave them off for now, all right?"
"...Ja." If Phoenix was going to play the pity card, Klavier supposed he wanted him to look pitiful. Not that Klavier liked looking pitiful. But at least if it was going to be made known that he felt terrible, he had no reason to try to stand, and so he sat after all, watching Phoenix sort through transcripts.
The judge's gavel pounded, resuming the proceedings. "Well, Mr. Wright?" the judge inquired. "Where is your mysterious witness?"
"I believe that was 'mystery witness', Your Honor, not 'mysterious witness'," Phoenix replied.
"Regardless, is this person ready to testify?"
"And you know, I wouldn't say they're particularly mysterious," Phoenix mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Usually quite straightforward, in fact."
The judge frowned. "Well then, if the defense is so intent on picking on my choice of wording in a childish fashion... Is this quite straightforward witness present?"
"Any moment now, Your Honor."
"You were allowed fifteen minutes to produce this witness," the judge reminded him sternly. "Just how much longer do you intend to keep us all waiting?"
Phoenix held up his hands in a helpless shrug. "Perhaps they were caught in traffic... but you could be right," he admitted. "It's not my intention to waste the court's time."
Yes it is, Klavier thought to himself with mild amusement.
"If the court is averse to waiting any longer," Phoenix suggested, "then I wonder if the prosecution is ready to give a final statement? He looks... eager." He did, Klavier observed, looking across the room to Payne. The man was grinning, almost maniacally.
"I hardly think that's necessary," the judge stated, "considering that we've spent the entire day so far listening to him make the same inconclusive point over and over."
"Begging your pardon, Your Honor," Payne put in, "but there is one last, decisive piece of evidence that I believe should be seen by the jury before they make their decisions."
"Evidence?" The judge raised an eyebrow curiously as the onlookers murmured. "That would certainly be something new for this trial. As would anything that could be called 'decisive'. By all means."
"...What other evidence could he have?" Klavier whispered to Phoenix, baffled. "There is none, besides my confession."
"The fact that you put something in Apollo's drink isn't what's being debated now, though," Phoenix murmured back. "He's trying to prove that you did it with the intent to harm Apollo."
"No one can prove intent in a case like this..."
"There are ways," Phoenix acknowledged. "But since it's not the truth, Payne won't be able to prove your intent."
Phoenix was right, Klavier realized, as the bailiff wheeled in a cart with a television and VCR. "What we are about to see," Payne announced, "is the defendant talking quite cheerfully about how simple the crime was."
"Was!?" Klavier gasped.
Phoenix looked at him sharply. "Is that possible?"
"Nein! That is... I don't think so, I didn't speak with anyone about it until after I'd already confessed..." Klavier's head throbbed, and he clutched at it. "A-at least... I don't think I did." Was it possible he just didn't remember?
"Ohhh." Understanding softened Phoenix's expression. "Come to think of it, I'm willing to bet... Ha. That's what I thought," he finished as the tape began to play.
Payne fast-forwarded through footage of the detention center's visitation room, where Klavier and Phoenix were talking through the glass, and then let it play, just in time to hear Klavier casually say "You know, it's funny how close I came to getting away with it."
The tape was paused, and when the judge looked to the defense bench, Phoenix had his head buried in his hands. "Do you have anything to say about this footage, Mr. Wright?"
"It seems that there is one battle which I simply cannot win against Prosecutor Payne," Phoenix acknowledged with a sigh, as Payne cackled with glee. "And that battle is..." He straightened, smirking at Payne. "...Over who's better at wasting the court's time. In that, Payne reigns undefeated."
"What?" Payne protested. "But-"
"Do you even know when that video was recorded?" Phoenix asked. "This video, which clearly shows my client stating that he nearly got away with it, is from the day he confessed, allowing a wrongfully accused man to go free rather than be jailed in his place. "If you would recall Bell's trial, and the time at which he was declared not guilty due to this confession - and then compare that time to the timestamp in the upper left hand corner of this video."
"Why, you're right!" The judge exclaimed. "This is over an hour after the confession!"
"Besides, why else would Mr. Gavin be on the far side of the glass?" Phoenix further noted. "This could only have been recorded after his confession and subsequent arrest. Here he is stating that he could easily have kept his secret, letting Bell be charged for a nasty prank on him that unwittingly struck Mr. Justice instead - but he chose not to, knowing that he would be imprisoned once he implicated himself! I appreciate the lengths you've gone to, Payne," he added, "to prove my client's strength of character for me."
"But...!" Payne sputtered helplessly. "Character, Wright? He's smiling about his crime in this video!"
"If you let the tape play just a little further," Phoenix stated, "you will hear Mr. Gavin admit that he'd taken five capsules of Docidone already that day - over twice the amount he'd taken the night when his lapse of judgment led to him placing the drug in Mr. Justice's drink - and that he was feeling no fear. Would that be enough explanation for you? Or must we call Detective Skye to testify about the drug test Mr. Gavin took that afternoon, and the results correlating precisely to what he told us? Or perhaps we could call my client's counselor again to refresh your memory about the euphoric effects of Docidone in high dosage?"
"That won't be necessary," the judge stated, quick and firm. "Mr. Payne - is this utterly useless video all the evidence you have to present?"
"Well, er, yes it is." Payne pounded his fist on the bench in frustration. "But one more thing which the court should take into consideration - the matter of Mr. Gavin's upbringing! You may have all heard of his older brother, Kristoph Gavin, a former defense attorney who is currently on death row, awaiting execution for multiple murders. The only reason he has not been executed, in fact, is because there are further incidents which he may have been involved in."
"Objection!" Phoenix exclaimed, and Klavier noted with gratitude that this time, he really sounded angry. "Klavier Gavin was unaware of his brother's crimes - and when they became known, he helped to bring Kristoph to justice, just as he stated earlier."
"That was not my point," Payne informed him.
"Wasn't it?" the judge asked curiously. "Then... overruled. Go on."
"What I'm getting at, Wright," Payne continued, "is that these two young men grew up together, in the same household. In fact, Mr. Gavin, being several years younger, was largely raised by his older brother - a proven sociopath who considered even murder to be acceptable if someone inconvenienced him. And never was it so simple as merely murder - his killings were plotted out in such a way as to implicate others who he felt posed a threat to him. In many cases, people who called him a friend - even you, Wright - and would have vouched for his kindness and generosity. ...Are we seeing a pattern here?"
"Only your pattern of growing more and more desperate as your case unravels," Phoenix replied with a frown.
"It's quite simple," Payne insisted. "Klavier Gavin grew up in an environment where this sort of deception would have been considered 'normal' - this cycle of people being used when it was convenient, and discarded when it was not, masterminded by an accomplished manipulator. Is it so difficult to grasp how it must have affected him? Seeing as his other career depended on the manipulation of young minds, why would he not have also followed in his brother's footsteps when it came to the pattern of befriending colleagues, only to stab them in the back?"
"Objection!"
The assembly, as one, whipped their heads around to look - except for Klavier, who just smiled. ...Then he realized why he was smiling, and stopped, frozen in his shock. That wasn't Phoenix, but...
That same voice was clearing its throat, and groaned slightly. "You need to take it easy," another voice chastised him, panting tiredly. "Pace yourself, okay?"
"Look who's talking about pacing themselves," the first voice muttered. "You're practically falling over. And besides, the second we got here, instinct took over. I can't just turn it off."
Klavier was afraid to look, even though he knew that he knew that voice, hoarse as it was, and the other was rather familiar by now too. He did, however, manage to turn and look at Phoenix, who was now grinning. "Thanks for stalling the trial for me, Payne - it seems my witness has arrived after all."
"You can't be serious!" Payne shrieked, then managed to pull himself together a little. "...The victim, testifying for the defense?! Why would he defend his attacker?"
"He isn't testifying specifically for the defense," Phoenix stated. "He'll be testifying on his own behalf."
"I suppose we can't stop the victim from telling his side of the story," the judge acknowledged.
"No, we really can't," Phoenix agreed. "He was adamant when my daughter explained what was going on - and you just try shutting Apollo up when he really wants to say something."
"Well then... Mr. Justice?"
Klavier finally made himself look. Trucy was bent over just inside the entrance to the courtroom, trying to catch her breath - and a rumpled, exhausted-looking Apollo was staring at him from the wheelchair she was holding onto for balance. His expression was unreadable, but even so, Klavier couldn't stop himself from smiling in relief. "...Mein Gott, Apollo... There are no words..."
Apollo just stared back at him for a little longer, unsmiling, then turned to the judge. "I want to testify," he confirmed. "As Mr. Wright said, not for the defense or the prosecution, but with my honest thoughts on the matter."
"Very well." The judge nodded. "Please take the stand, Mr. Justice. ...Ms. Wright too, I suppose," he added.
