Phoenix sat at his desk with his cell phone to his ear. Phoenix never liked to use the office phone, since he thought that his cell phone was more reliable.

"Yeah, I'd like to speak to Klavier Gavin if that's okay." Phoenix asked. He paused for a second. "What do you mean he's in Frankfurt?" Another pause. "Yeah, I know they're six hours ahead of us but..." Apollo looked up at the mention of Klavier Gavin and Frankfurt. Did that mean that Klavier wasn't in the country? Apollo secretly clenched his fist in celebration.

"An attack? Where?" Phoenix questioned. "Who was hurt?" This pause was longer and Apollo wondered if Phoenix had heard something he didn't want to hear. "Larry Butz...was shot?"

Apollo had heard of Larry from Phoenix countless times. He had been Phoenix's childhood friend but had been pretty useless. Apollo held his hand over his mouth.

"He's in a coma. How long until he wakes up?" Phoenix paused again. "They don't know. Okay. Can I come in and see him?" Yet another pause. "Good." He slammed the phone down and held his head in his hands.

"Mr Wright...are...are you okay?" enquired Apollo. Phoenix didn't respond. Apollo stood up and began to walk over to him.

"Apollo." Phoenix mumbled. "If it comes to it, I might need your help in court."

"How come?"

"I just...have a bad feeling about this." Phoenix replied, standing up. "I'm going to the surgery across the city. Larry's in there. You know Larry don't you?"

"Yeah." Apollo smiled weakly.

"He was my first client." Phoenix informed Apollo. "If he...anyways, I've got to go."

"Okay, Mr Wright. I'll keep Trucy under control." responded Apollo. "Take all the time you need."

"Thanks, Apollo." Phoenix replied. He walked outside and unlocked his silver BMW, slipping into the driver's seat. If he wasn't so worried about Larry, he would have admired his car. Despite the financial troubles he was in, he couldn't help but stand back and admire his vehicle.

* * *

Phoenix rushed into the hospital, skidding to a halt as he reached the information desk.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help?" asked the receptionist. Phoenix tried to catch his breath.

"I'm here to see Larry Butz." gasped Phoenix between deep breaths. The receptionist looked slightly disturbed but continued tapping on her keyboard. She glanced briefly at the screen.

"He's in Intensive Care Room 4. Please don't disturb him." the receptionist said. Phoenix thanked her and jogged quickly to Intensive Care Room 4. Along the way, he saw a stretcher with a body on. It looked silent; the woman who owned the body could have been sleeping. But the doctor wheeling the stretcher looked defeated. The looked proved to Phoenix that the woman had died. Phoenix shook off the fear and continued to Intensive Room 4.

A single guard stood outside.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the patient is currently in a Grade Two coma. It would be nice if you did not disturb him." the guard said. Phoenix growled.

"So I drove almost thirty miles to come to the door to find I can't come in? I'm the patient's friend if you don't mind." Phoenix spat, hands on hips. The guard hesitated but pushed the door open. Phoenix nodded towards him and gasped as he saw the patient on the bed.

Larry was sprawled across the bed, tubes trailing out of him left, right and centre. He was half naked with some pyjama trousers on. Phoenix sighed sadly as he saw the sight of his childhood friend so close to death.

"Oh, Larry..." cried Phoenix. He sat in the chair next to his friend and bent over him. Larry's eyes were closed and Phoenix yearned to know who had attacked him like this. Phoenix clenched his fist angrily.

"It's been eight years." Phoenix chuckled sadly to himself. "It looks like it's not going to be a happy reunion, Larry. But with you, it's always wild and wacky." He scanned Larry's beaten face, his chest rising and falling regularly and the sound of his light breathing could be heard. Phoenix smiled weakly. That was a good sign. At least he was still alive.

For the first time, Phoenix saw the effects of the beatings Larry had taken. Were it not for the tubes keeping him alive and the scene of the hospital room, it would look like Larry had just been in a very bad fight...and had lost. Phoenix saw a deep scar trailing down from the tip of his skull all the way down to his jaw. The scar was covered in a purple colour; it had obviously swelled up overnight. Phoenix sighed and ran his finger down the side of it. It felt cold, unlike the rest of his body. Full of despair...who could have done this?

Then Phoenix sat back in his chair and rested. He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew...

* * *

Phoenix woke up to the sound of a long and alarming beep. It took him a moment to remember where he was but then he saw Larry. There was a problem. Larry's chest wasn't rising and falling. He wasn't breathing. Phoenix then had the worst feeling in the world. Larry was dying. He recognized his heart monitor going crazy. The door burst open and a hoard of doctors rushed in, all around Larry. Phoenix edged away to the back as the people rushed back and forth. A man, most likely the head doctor, dabbed his forehead.

"I need a current!" he yelled. A female assistant passed him two plates connected by wires and he slips his hands into the handles and pressed them against Larry's chest.

"One...two...three...go!" the doctor yelled. The charge rung out but there was no movement by Larry.

"Let's try it again. One...two...three...go!" he repeated. The electric current could be heard again but there was no effect.

The doctor stood up and shook his head.

"There's nothing more we can do for him. His heart's been offline for almost three minutes." The doctor sighed. "That's enough to kill anybody." He turned to Phoenix. "I'm sorry. Time of death: 13:52."