CHAPTER 28
Franziska looked out the passenger seat window as they sat together in silence on the car ride back to the apartment; after seeing the little girl like that, nausea had been working it's way up Franziska's stomach. She nor Edgeworth were in the mood to talk.
Usually, on a day like this, it would feel fitting for the sky to be overcast, and if Franziska had her way, no chance of rain, but it was a deceptively sunny day; lazy clouds were hanging in the sky, the sun was reflecting off the lake as they crossed the bridge connecting the two parts of the city together. All that was missing was the birds chirping.
They pulled into the underground parking garage and parked in the designated parking spot. They got out of the car and made their way towards the stairwell, but Franziska stopped just short of the door; she was feeling a bit too nauseous to climb 29 flights of stairs. Miles noticed this; "Franziska...you know you don't have to take the stairs with me. You can use the elevator anytime you want, you know." She clutched her right elbow with her left hand; her whip was situated in her right hand.
"I...I can do it." She wasn't about to be weak; she would tell him how she feels, but she wasn't going to be helpless. She wasn't a damsel in distress, after all.
Miles wasn't taking this, though. "Franziska...you're looking green right now. I think you should take the elevator. You're not in any condition to climb 29 flights of stairs."
She began getting light-headed; "No! Miles Edgeworth, I can make it up the stairs." He crossed his arms as if her were contemplating what to do.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the elevator. When they got there, he pressed the button. "Miles...what are you doing?"
He let go of her arms and was growing impatient waiting on the elevator; "You're not in any condition to climb the stairs, Franziska."
The Elevator rang and the doors open, and he pulled Franziska inside. "Miles, you don't have to do this..." He pressed the button for the 29th floor and the doors closed.
"Miles..." He eyes were closed and his arms were crossed in an attempt to hide his trembling and how he was growing more pale with each passing second.
Ding. The doors opened, and Miles breathed a sigh of relief as they made their way out of the elevator. She grabbed onto his hand; What he puts himself through for me...she tried shifting her attention away from the sickness in her stomach, but her attempts fell in vain.
She held his hand as they made their way to the apartment together; his legs seemed like jello. Once they got to the door, Miles spoke up. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to get us some blankets and we'll lay down on the couch together."
She made her way to the kitchen table; she was starting to sweat because of the nausea. Miles brought her her nightgown, and she got up and put it on real quick. He had already changed into his pajamas.
He lay down on the couch first, and she lay down on top of him. They covered up with a sheet, and Miles picked up the remote, but didn't turn on the tv. They sat in silence for a little bit, before Franziska broke the silence.
"So, Miles...what do you remember from our childhood together...?" She said in an attempt to make conversation.
He quietly laughed. "I remember you were even more awkward than you are now." She blushed and rolled on her side to hit him in the shoulder.
"I also remember that you loved gardening and puzzles, and you had a riding crop instead of a whip."
"Yeah, well, I can remember more about you than that." She said, full of confidence. "...You...you liked to read! And you drank a lot of tea!" He smiled. "I still do those things, Franziska."
"Hmph." She blew out this sound in an upward direction, hitting her hair.
Miles yawned; she felt it, but she didn't hear it; it was a silent yawn."Franziska, I'm going to take a nap, now. Wake me up if you get too lonely, okay?"
"OK." With that he dozed off, and after about 5 minutes, she did the same.