Chapter Ten
"I must admit," said the judge, as Trucy pushed the wheelchair to the witness stand, "this comes as quite a surprise. The last we had heard, you were unconscious in the hospital."
"I was," Apollo confirmed. "I only woke up... uh..." He looked up to Trucy, who seemed to have caught her breath at last. "When was it?"
"A couple hours ago," she said with a fond smile, which she turned to the court. "He was pretty out of it for awhile, though - he's only been really awake for about an hour."
"I'm not sure I could say that I'm 'really awake'," Apollo muttered. "Everything's still kind of fuzzy, and my vocabulary sort of comes and goes."
"Are you certain that you're well enough to testify?" the judge inquired.
"No, but I want to," Apollo stated. "Trucy can help me if I'm having problems remembering the right words - is that all right?"
"Well, we'll give it a try, and see how much of it you're managing on your own," the judge agreed. "Most of us present know you, and many others must have figured it out by now in context, but for the record - please state your name and occupation."
"My name is Apollo Justice," he replied. "I'm a... uh..." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry. Trucy?"
"Defense attorney?" she offered.
"Yeah - I'm a defense attorney. And this is Trucy Wright, my sister. She's a... she... does things. Tricks. How is it I can remember the word 'vocabulary'," Apollo grumbled, "and not that one?"
Klavier couldn't stop staring at him. Aside from the disorientation and the droopiness of his trademark antennae, Apollo seemed so normal. So alive. "Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered to Phoenix.
"The same reason I asked you to remove your sunglasses," Phoenix whispered back. "I wanted the court to see your honest, unrehearsed reaction to seeing him awake."
Klavier blinked. "...Maybe I shouldn't try to hold back these tears then, ja?"
"Just be yourself," Phoenix told him. "I think we can count on the same from Apollo - I've seen how he gets when he's not feeling well - and it seems to me that if everyone's honest, we'll get a fair verdict."
"As far as I'm concerned," Klavier murmured, "any verdict Apollo thinks is fair is a fair verdict."
Phoenix reached back for a moment to squeeze his shoulder, giving him a smile. "I agree."
"As we all know," the judge continued, "you are the victim in the case we're currently trying. Ten days ago, you were at a nightclub with the defendant, Mr. Gavin, when you collapsed and fell into a coma, as the result of an adverse reaction to a drug which was placed in your drink."
"That's what Trucy told me. I don't actually have any memory of that night."
"Then we can assume that you won't be testifying about that night?"
"No, Your Honor - I won't." Apollo's eyes were fixed on the judge. Klavier wished he would look his way. ...Why wouldn't Apollo look at him?
"Perhaps," Payne suggested, "he might wish to testify about the suffering he has endured due to Mr. Gavin's cruel actions?"
Apollo looked away from the judge to aim a glare at Payne. "Will you shut up?"
Klavier nearly laughed at the mortified expression on Payne's face. Like Phoenix, he'd been around Apollo when he wasn't feeling well, and he'd never get away with acting like that if he were defending. As merely a witness, the rules of courtroom decorum were somewhat lighter.
"Oh yeah," Apollo added, pressing a finger to his forehead in a gesture of concentration that was soothingly familiar to Klavier. "I had an objection. To what he was saying about Klavier. That's what I was going to testify about."
"Please, go ahead," the judge invited him.
"Okay. Uh... where was I." Apollo frowned, sitting up straighter as he gathered his thoughts. "The uh... the one that's trying to get a guilty verdict... he was talking about Klavier following in his brother's footsteps - manipulating people, befriending them only to backstab them later. That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard."
"Er..." The judge didn't seem to know what to make of an objection on the grounds of a statement being 'dumb'. "Could you explain to us why you believe the prosecution's statement to be dumb?"
"It's like this," Apollo stated. "As far as the backstabbing goes, I'd like to see you find one person who would ever say Klavier's stabbed them in the back."
"Uh, what about Daryan?" Trucy murmured.
"Whose side are you on?" Apollo asked her, giving her an incredulous look. "Convicted murderers don't count - exposing their crimes and bringing them to justice isn't backstabbing. And he couldn't manipulate anyone."
"You seem rather confident about this," the judge observed.
"I am. Sure, Klavier's self-absorbed and vain. He pretty much does what he wants and gets all butthurt when someone doesn't think everything he does is awesome - a total prima donna. He can be petty, and pushy, and he just won't let it go if you disagree with him - he'll keep on pressing until you give in. That's how I wound up at the club with him that night. I hate clubbing."
"...And this goes against Payne's accusations of manipulative behavior how?" asked the judge.
"The thing is," Apollo continued, "despite all of that? Klavier's terrible at manipulating people. He tries, yeah, but he sucks."
This time, Klavier really did start laughing, dropping his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking. Leave it to his Herr Forehead to be painfully blunt.
"I mean, when he's trying to get you to see things his way, he's way too obvious about it. He'll get all super-polite, maybe lower his voice and make it all husky, maybe start talking in German, flash you a pretty smile..." Apollo rolled his eyes. "It works on his teenage fangirls, but anyone with half a brain can see through it."
The courtroom was silent, aside from Klavier's half-stifled laughter. "If I might point something out?" Payne ventured. "You claim that Mr. Gavin is hopeless when it comes to coersion - but just a moment ago, you said that he'd coerced you into going to that club."
"Yeah, I did," Apollo replied. "I wouldn't say it was coersion or manipulation, though. Even though he's terrible at being underhanded, he usually gets what he wants anyway. Not because he tricks people into it, or forces it on them, but because at heart, he's a good person. Deep down, below the stupid flashy rock idol image, he has more depth than you'd expect. He has beliefs, values, convictions. Trucy told me he confessed to putting that stuff in my drink so that another person, someone who had even been talking shit about him, wouldn't go to jail for it. That's the kind of man he is."
Klavier had stopped believing that over the last few days. Hearing Apollo say such things of him... Klavier didn't know whether he wanted to thank him, or object.
"Knowing that," Apollo finished, "why wouldn't I want to make him happy now and then by doing something I don't really want to do? I caved, yes, but I chose to cave. It wasn't a battle I felt I needed to win."
"However," the judge pointed out, "he did, unbeknownst to you, slip an illicit substance into your drink. Does this change your opinion of Mr. Gavin's character?"
"...I would have said that it was unlike the person I knew," Apollo said thoughtfully. "Except that... Like I said, I don't remember that particular night at all. But I'd been to clubs with him before a couple of times, and I'd noticed he was acting really weird. Kind of, uh, what's the word...? He was... well, giddy isn't the word I want, but it's close. Trucy said he'd taken some of the same drug he'd given me - and looking back, thinking about how he'd been acting, it should have been obvious to me he'd been on something for awhile. I mean, sometimes we'd get home and he'd take off the shades, and his pupils would be all dilated... I figured it was something to do with his wearing sunglasses at night at a dimly lit club. If I'd known he was under the influence of something... I wouldn't have put it past him. He always acted stupid when we were clubbing anyway. If I knew what was causing it, I would have made him quit a long time ago if he ever wanted to see me again." Finally, he looked over at Klavier again. "...I liked him better without the drugs. Even before this happened."
It wasn't Klavier's turn to speak, he knew that, but he couldn't stand it. Apollo looked so disappointed with him. "I'm sorry, schatzi," he said earnestly. "So, so incredibly sorry."
"For what you did to me?" Apollo asked, his expression unchanged. "Or for doing that stuff to yourself?"
"For making you look at me like that, when I know I deserve it..." Klavier rested his head in one hand. "...So I suppose both."
Perhaps realizing that they were witnessing something that should have been a private moment, the court was silent as Apollo simply fixed his eyes on Klavier. "...We have a lot to talk about."
"...Ja." This all hurt so badly, a physical ache in his chest - yet a part of him felt like singing, simply because they were talking.
"I don't like who you were when you were on drugs," Apollo said flatly. "He was a waste of my time. But if we can find the person you were before the drugs, he might be worth my time."
"I'm not so sure," Klavier admitted. "But he would try to be worth your time."
"That's why I think he'd be worth my time." Apollo hesitated, then gave Klavier a little smile.
Klavier couldn't return it - he was having too much trouble trying to hold himself together. "Verdammt..." he mumbled, taking a deep breath. "This is just... I mean... Apollo." He was shaking again, and this time it was probably visible.
"We'll talk about all of this," Apollo assured him. "Promise."
Klavier sat there, shaking, holding Apollo's firm gaze in silence. Finally, the judge spoke up. "I apologize for interrupting this moment," he said, "but we are holding a trial. Mr. Justice - as the victim, your measure of the wrong that was done to you holds more weight than any other witness. In your personal opinion, what do you feel the verdict in this case should be?"
Apollo looked away from Klavier to the judge - he looked like he'd forgotten anyone else was there besides the two of them. "Oh, uh... verdict? Well... he did it, obviously. He confessed and everything. And I can't say I'm not mad at him for doing such a stupid thing, or that he doesn't deserve some punishment. But just look at him." He gestured in Klavier's direction. "He's already miserable. Compare that to any of his publicity shots - he'd never go anywhere looking like that if he wasn't suffering." Klavier fought the urge to cover his face - he didn't much care for that observation.
"...I don't even know what he's being charged with," Apollo admitted. "I only know what he did. And since he did it to me, I think his punishment should be up to me."
"By which you mean...?" the judge prompted. "What do you think his punishment should be?"
"Beyond a few days in jail, being forced into painful withdrawal, and a week and a half of being afraid I was going to die because he made a stupid mistake? I don't know yet," Apollo finished with a shrug. "I'll think of something eventually. When I do, I'll make sure he pays up."
There were a few scattered laughs throughout the courtroom. One of them was from Klavier, in relief. "...Schatzi..." He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say, but...
Actually, Klavier didn't want to say anything, and Apollo must have seen it in his eyes, because he glanced up at Trucy. "Could you...?"
She nodded, and smiled brighter than Klavier had seen her smile since all of this began. "Of course, big brother!" she agreed, pushing the wheelchair from the witness stand, rolling it towards the defense bench.
It seemed a little awkward, with Trucy right there and Phoenix next to him, but Klavier got to his feet shakily as Apollo came close, reaching out to take his hand. ...The hell with it, he decided, and just knelt down in front of the wheelchair, sliding his arms around Apollo's waist and burying his head in the blankets over his lap. Apollo bent forward, embracing his shoulders loosely - and Klavier not only forgot Trucy's presence, but didn't even hear the resulting applause that began slowly, and grew to fill the courtroom.
Klavier wasn't too clear on the last few minutes of the trial. Afterwards, he didn't quite remember hearing the judge declare the verdict, or Payne's apparent reaction to it - which was too bad, Trucy told him later, because it was pretty funny. Dazed and overwhelmed and still a little bit jumbled from withdrawal, he didn't even really remember leaving the courtroom, but he must have.
In the defendant's lobby, he knelt down by Apollo's chair again, looking Apollo in the eye and gripping his hand. "You're really better? How are you feeling?"
"You look like you feel worse than I do," Apollo replied, with a little smirk, which turned into a grimace. "Throat's dry, though... too much talking." He glanced up at everyone. "Could somebody get me-"
"I'll do it," Klavier said quickly, getting to his feet again. "I owe you, ja? I'll be your slave from here on out, if you're willing to have me back."
"His slave? Awesome!" Trucy said with a grin. "Apollo, can you make him clean my room?"
Apollo sighed. "I don't want a slave. ...I wouldn't mind a little extra attention, though, I guess..." he admitted, looking up to Klavier. "You do owe me."
"Anything you want," Klavier assured him.
"For now? I just want you to stay the hell away from anything stronger than aspirin until you're well over all of this, then we'll figure out what else I might want." Apollo licked his lips. "Well, besides some water."
"Oh - right." Klavier headed for the water cooler, and before filling a cup, splashed a little water on his face. He felt hot and puffy. ...He was going to have to do something about this before he left the courthouse and was at the mercy of the cameras.
For now, though, he had more important matters to deal with, and at least the cold water had woken him up a little. "Here, fraülein," Klavier suggested, waving Trucy away as he returned, offering the cup to Apollo. "I thank you for all you've done, but I'll take over wheelchair duty now. I should be the one helping him."
"No way! Apollo's my brother, I get to push his wheelchair!"
"Nein - I insist!"
"You two are acting like it's a privilege," Apollo muttered.
Trucy blinked at him. "Isn't it?"
"Ah, family life." Amidst all the commotion, Phoenix was calm and quiet, looking thoughtful as he gazed toward the door. "...There's someone missing from this scene," he observed.
"Is there?" Klavier asked.
"Uncle Edgey," Trucy informed him. "Yeah, he's not back yet. That's kind of funny."
Apollo looked puzzled. "Wasn't he in Europe?"
"He flew back for the trial," Trucy reminded him. "Remember? You even talked to him at the hospital."
"I did?" Apollo scratched his head. "...I think I'd better just abandon trying to think logically for awhile - it's not working so well."
"Ja, just relax," Klavier assured him. "You've done enough logical thinking for one day."
"I prefer to think there's not a limit on that sort of thing - especially not a half hour limit."
"Okay, enough logical thinking for having been in a coma for days just a couple hours ago," Trucy suggested.
"...Point taken, I guess."
It was then that Edgeworth returned, looking slightly frazzled. "I take it the trial's ended?" he inquired, smoothing his hair quickly as he approached the four of them. "How did it go?"
Phoenix smiled. "Was there ever any doubt?"
"Hmm..." Edgeworth smiled back, a little bit. "Seeing as Payne was clearly projecting in regards to Klavier's repeated losses to Apollo... you might want to watch your back, Phoenix."
"Very funny. And it's not like you haven't already got my back," Phoenix pointed out. "Speaking of, thanks for the help today. What was going on, anyway?"
"Apollo was still fairly weak, and having some trouble communicating," Edgeworth explained. "The doctors didn't want to let him leave the hospital just yet."
"Ah - so you convinced them."
Edgeworth averted his eyes. "...Not exactly."
Odd as it was, Klavier thought he looked slightly embarassed. "...What, then?"
"After Apollo convinced me that it was what he wanted, more than anything else, to come here and say his piece..." Edgeworth turned his head, clearing his throat. "I, er, distracted the head doctor."
"It was really obvious, she thought Uncle Edgey was cute," Trucy said, beaming. "So while she was talking to him, I got Apollo into this wheelchair, and-"
"...Wait." Klavier was floored. "You stole a wheelchair and snuck mein schatzi out of the hospital without a doctor's approval?"
"That's my girl!" Phoenix said proudly, resting his arm across her shoulders.
"Ran all the way here," Trucy affirmed with a nod.
"Kind of a bumpy ride, too," Apollo muttered. "My teeth are still rattling."
"...I can't say I wish you hadn't done that..." Klavier admitted. "But what if something had gone wrong? What if he wasn't well enough to be out of bed?"
"I would've taken him back," Trucy protested, then paused. "...You know, I bet they've discovered it's Mr. Hat lying in his bed by now."
Apollo facepalmed. "You think?"
"You should probably be getting back," Klavier suggested. "You only just woke up - I don't want you overdoing it and ending up in a coma again."
"I feel okay," Apollo insisted. "Mostly. I could probably even walk if I tried. You're the one who looks half dead."
"Mr. Gavin's right," Trucy agreed, grabbing the handles of the wheelchair and turning it towards the door. "Apollo, you need your rest."
"Don't you think ten days sleep is enough?"
"Fraülein, didn't I say I would take care of the wheelchair?" Klavier asked, hurrying to keep step with her.
"But I want to! He's my brother!"
"But I'm the one responsible for him being in that chair, ja? Besides, he said it was all bumpy when you were pushing him."
"That's not my fault - it's the sidewalks around here!"
"Ow! Watch it, will you?" Apollo complained. "You just slammed my foot into the door."
"All the more reason I should steer, fraülein."
"Hey!" Ema protested, entering the lobby just in time to turn around and follow the three of them out. "You, fop! You can't leave - until the paperwork's finished, you're still in police custody!"
Phoenix looked over to Edgeworth with a little grin. "Aren't you glad we weren't as messed up as these kids when we were their age?"
"I, for one," said Edgeworth dryly, "was the very picture of mental stability in my twenties."
"...Okay..." Phoenix conceded. "But at least one of us had his head on straight."
"Which one of us was that? The one who tried to run across a rickety burning bridge? The one who once ate evidence in a fit of passion?"
"Fond reminiscence about the good old days is completely impossible with you around," Phoenix complained.