Turnabout Labyrinth
[X]
The nurse went to call the next of kin.
The file had been tampered with, though she didn't know.
Instead of Franziska being listed as first contact person, Phoenix was listed first instead.
"Well, everything is all set. You can move whenever you're ready."
The man grinned. "Does Wright know?"
"Oh yes. I changed the file so that he was called first before Ms. Von Karma was."
"Good." He said, satisfied. "When does Wright come to the hospital?"
"He's on a leave of absence from his job, so he comes whenever he wants. If you want to run into him, you're better off hanging around the hospital and waiting for him to show up."
"I think I have enough time for that."
The first man held out a syringe. "This is all you'll need. Just inject it through the IV."
The other man took the syringe and gave an evil smile. "Finally, I'll get my revenge."
"Yes, yes, just get on with it. If I have to field one more phone call from that blasted Interpol agent, I'll go mad. He's threatening to send his own expert over, since I can't seem to do the job."
"Relax Milton. It will all be over by the end of the day."
"I hope so." Hiram Milton said as he leaned back in chair and looked at his partner in crime. "I certainly hope so."
Franziska did not take the news that her brother was comatose well. For starters, she had not found out from the hospital what had happened, she found out from Phoenix after it had happened.
She stood looking down at the bed her brother slept in. "You should wake up, you fool." She muttered as she sank heavily down into the chair by the bed. Edgeworth didn't stir.
"It's not like you to lie around you and let everyone work around you." Franziska said grudgingly. She was upset, and trying to hide it.
She sat there for a little while longer, and then left the room to talk to the medical staff.
Once she had thoroughly interrogated the nurses and Milton she stormed back to the courthouse and set to work with a ferocity that terrified those around her.
Gumshoe twiddled nervously with the end of his coat as he sat by Edgeworth's bed. "I've been keeping your office clean, sir, just like you would want. And we're working really hard at trying to find out who did this to you, too. We're going back through all the leads and interrogating everyone who was related to this case in any way. Don't worry sir, we'll get to the bottom of this."
And though Edgeworth remained silent, Gumshoe could imagine what he would say. "Gumshoe, would you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to sleep here."
"Sorry sir," Gumshoe said with a little laugh, as though rather then sitting by his boss's sickbed, he had walked in on Edgeworth asleep on the couch in his office after a long day in court.
And he sat there next to Edgeworth for a long time.
"Don't worry Mr. Edgeworth. We're gonna figure this out. I'm not sure how 'cause you're not really here to help us with your shwick-logic, but we'll do it anyway! I'm sure Mr. Wright will figure something out!" Kay said. "Mr. Wright's on his way to see you, too. I heard it from Maya when I called her earlier."
Kay paused and adjusted herself in the chair so that she was sitting with her legs hanging over the arms of the chair. She glanced at the monitor next to the bed. The line was still moving on it, so Mr. Edgeworth was not dead.
She had wanted to stay yesterday, but Phoenix had made her go home and spend the night there. She had come back to the hospital as soon as she could. After a few moments of silence, Kay spoke again. "You know, I watched this episode of Doctor Who once where the Doctor was all out of sorts after he regenerated, but he woke up and was fine after a cup of tea." There was a long pause as she considered it.
"I don't think it works that way in the real world." She decided after a moment, "But I'm going to go get you some tea anyway, for when you wake up."
And with that, she left.
Phoenix had just gotten off the fourth floor elevator and was heading for Edgeworth's room. The floor was oddly deserted, with only one nurse on duty at the station.
He went around the corner from the station and to his shock, saw someone he had never expected to see again. "Hey! You're supposed to be in pris-"
He never got to finish his sentence, as Manfred von Karma, grinning like a madman, swung a heavy statuette he had taken from somewhere in the hospital around and hit Phoenix full in the face.
A moment later, Phoenix hit the floor, unconscious.
When Phoenix came too, the first thing he realized was that his head was killing him. When he opened his eyes, the room was spinning. He tried to move, only to find he that he couldn't.
For a moment, he sat there, eyes closed, trying to piece together the last things he remembered before he woke up here (wherever here happened to be.)
He had left the Agency. He was on his way to the hospital to see Edgeworth. He had seen Kay in the lobby, and she was on her way to the cafeteria. He had come up to the fourth floor and seen…
Phoenix gasped and opened his eyes. "Von Karma!"
Manfred von Karma stepped away from Edgeworth's bed and turned to smile at him.
"What? How? You're supposed to be in prison! Actually, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be dead!"
"Well there's always an appeal now, isn't there?" Von Karma asked. "Did you really think I would give up on my revenge on the two people who ruined my life?"
Phoenix was tied to a chair, he tugged on the rope. "What did you do to Edgeworth?!" he demanded.
Von Karma raised an eyebrow. "I've cured him." He said with a smirk. "After all, I want to him to wake up. I want him to know who killed him. He can take that message with him to the afterlife. I'd like Gregory Edgeworth to hear it."
"You're insane." Phoenix retorted as he struggled to get free.
"That's what they'll be saying about you after today. Why did famous defense attorney Phoenix Wright go crazy and murder his best friend in cold blood? Why did he turn the gun on himself after he was done? I daresay the news reports will have field day after this afternoon."
Behind von Karma, Edgeworth stirred. He was starting to wake up, Phoenix realized with a sick dread, and willed Edgeworth to keep sleeping, at least long enough to delay von Karma's plan and let someone arrive to see what was going on.
But it was to no avail, as Edgeworth stirred again and lifted a hand to his face. Von Karma turned and smiled maliciously. "I've waited a long time for this."
"Leave him alone, you bastard!" Phoenix shouted.
"Leave him alone, you bastard!"
The voice was familiar, Edgeworth realized as slowly came back to awareness. But what was Wright doing back here? Had there been a break in the case?
He opened his eyes and the blurry hospital room slowly came into focus. He had had another bad dream…one where von Karma had come back.
Then his vision came into focus and he saw von Karma standing there, and knew his nightmare was real. "Von Karma," He muttered, his voice weak from disuse. Just how long had he been sleeping?
"Welcome back, Edgeworth." Von Karma said. "For the last time. I don't want any misunderstandings about who was the holding the gun this time." He laughed. "Not that I'll personally be holding the gun, you see, but I will have orchestrated this. When you get to the afterlife, you can give your the father the correct information."
Von Karma turned and began sliding Phoenix's chair closer to the bed. "No!" Phoenix exclaimed, planting his feet on the floor to stop the chair from sliding.
Von Karma scowled and slammed the gun upside Phoenix's head, not hard enough to leave a mark but hard enough to daze him again. "I will not have interference." Von Karma growled. "Especially from the likes of you."
Kay had found the tea in the cafeteria just fine, but she couldn't find a lid for the cup. Eventually she just gave up, paid for the drink and left.
On her way back to the stairs, she spotted a gray-haired man on his way upstairs. There was something about him that made her stomach turn. Something about the hate in his face…
"Kay!" She turned suddenly and saw Gumshoe standing there. Was he off duty at already? "Kay, what are you doing?" Gumshoe asked.
"Gummy…" She looked around for the man, but he had gone. "Gummy, there was a man here earlier. I don't like him." She said. "I'm going to check on Mr. Edgeworth."
"Wait, Kay! What did the man look like?" Gumshoe asked.
She stopped and thought for a moment. "He was wearing a nice suit. He had long gray hair. A cane." She shrugged. "He looked mean."
She continued up the stairs as Gumshoe mulled over the description. A moment later, he straightened up. "I don't like this. I don't think my detective instincts are wrong about this." He spotted a security guard near the door. "Hey!" He shouted, pulling out his badge. "LAPD, pal! I need your help!"
Von Karma was still fighting with Phoenix when the door swung open again. "Mr. Edgeworth! When you wake up, I have some tea for you." Kay announced as she stepped into the room, and stopped when she saw the gun von Karma was holding.
"Kay, leave. Now." Edgeworth ordered tersely.
"Don't move," Von Karma countered with a growl as he pointed the gun at her.
For a moment, there was a pause. Then Kay held the cup she was holding out. "Would you like some tea?"
"No!" The man snapped. "Put it down!"
"Okay." Kay said as she lowered her arm. Then she suddenly snapped her arm back up and threw the hot liquid in his face.
With a howl of pain Von Karma lunged towards her, firing as he did, but as he was moving forward Kay had already dropped to the ground. Phoenix was the only one who saw her somersault forward until she was behind Von Karma. She got to her knees and aimed a kick at the back of Von Karma's knee, knocked the man forward as she jumped to her feet and swept her scarf out of the way.
The gun had slipped out of Von Karma's hand and slid along the floor. He reached for it, but before he could the door to the room swung open, revealing Gumshoe and two of the hospital security guards. "Nobody move, pal!" Gumshoe exclaimed. "LAPD!"
Von Karma growled and slammed his fist on the floor, realizing that his plan was beyond salvaging.
Phoenix exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding and looked at Edgeworth, who looked just as relieved as he did.
It was finally over.
[A/N:] And thus we learn that some people were right early on in the story. I don't actually have Chapter 11 done yet, so that might be awhile yet. But I expect it to be the last chapter, too. Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay in getting this up here.
Umm... I don't have too much to say this time, so I hope you enjoyed, I'm sorry if the mystery element was weak (mystery isn't one of my strong suits), and please review and let me know what you thought!