December 17th, 2027

7:30am

General Hospital - Suite 247

He gathered his things as quickly as he could. He'd underestimated how long it would take him with his wounds, but at least he didn't also have to worry about being quiet. Athena, artificially deaf following emergency brain surgery, wouldn't wake even if he knocked his entire setup over. She'd received another dose of anesthetics at about one that morning. He hoped that with painkillers starting to build in her system, she'd been in anything less than agony today.

He told her to go. She should be at the office, unharmed. But no, she refused to leave him, and very nearly met Clay.

He was the one closer to the blast, but she'd been the one rushed into emergency surgery. He came back around in the ambulance, she had to be resuscitated in the OR.

Something in him called against it, but he found himself wandering towards the curtain separating their beds and pulled it aside.

Of course he'd been expecting her to be there, he just didn't expect her crystal blue eyes to shimmer back up at him, or for his whole body to soften so suddenly on seeing her. He waved a small wave, then bent beside her. She was in great, obvious pain, but so was he. That would not deter him however, nor would it deter her. She snatched his hand up to lip read, and they were in a conversation.

"How are you feeling, Pollo?"

"Could be a lot better, honestly," No need adding another lie to the many he'd told her lately. "But at least I don't have stitches running through the back of my head."

"Good on you. Could you give a girl a hand up?"

"Thena, you had brain surgery! You're supposed to be down!"

"This was a draining procedure. Last time was much worse. Besides, you're going somewhere. I'm going with you."

"No, Athena. You are going to stay here and rest. If you start bleeding again under those stitches, which the doctor said is definitely possible, we might lose you."

Despite his words, she pushed herself up and out of bed, disconnecting the IV from her catheter. "If you're going to be self-destructive, I'm coming with you."

Of course she knew how to remove an IV. Probably learned it while working on her doctorate, even though she was a Ph.D and not an MD. "Fine. But if something happens to you, you're done. Remember, you're deaf."

"Same to you, Apollo, and I know."

December 17th

9:22am

District Court - Defendant Lobby Number Five

Hmm… Nope! Not feeling nervous at all! She had to keep this internal monologue going. Everything around her was so still and quiet, it threatened to eat her alive if her voice didn't echo inside her head. Normally, the monologue refused to shut up, but she feared just how quickly she'd fall apart should it finally run out of words. It's amazing what a girl can get used to! Even a tense atmosphere like this is no biggie!

There was not much that fazed her, after all she'd been through. The throbbing in her head was nearly enough to cripple her, and for that she was mildly grateful for the deafness. Had the noise of the courthouse been flowing into her once-sensitive ears, she would very likely have crumbled and required Mr. Edgeworth to see her back to her hospital bed.

She couldn't succumb. She hadn't been here a year yet. She had to be worthy, she had to, she had to.

She felt a gentle hand rub her fingers before two familiar lips were felt on their tips. "You doing okay, Athena?"

"Oh, Apollo!" Apollo… he was bandaged up from neck to legs, his hands covered in soft bandages. His right eye was covered by rougher bandages, bandages she'd placed herself in their shared apartment.

The past few days had been rough on him to say the least. Three days ago, he'd had to file a missing person report on her after an appointment gone awry, two days ago he'd lost his closest and best friend, yesterday evidence related to the death was destroyed in a bombing that also had placed both of them swiftly in the ER. Despite being closer to the blast, he avoided emergency surgery, but still was massively injured. She'd been tossed by the blast into a pillar, causing a major concussion and bleeding on her brain. No one told her how long she'd been unconscious after she hit, but she remembered nothing. She'd been told only three things, the aforementioned description of injury, she'd had neurosurgery and that she was likely deaf. But she had to remain strong, for him if nothing else. "Y-Yeah, doing great!" She mouthed back, trying to enunciate more clearly due to his thick bandages. "Like, hum-a-little-tune great!"

She did not feel great. She felt like roadkill, to be bitterly honest. The concussion had stressed her body out enough that she struggled to fall asleep the night before, and the inflammation from the bleeding had yet to go down. She was regretting her stubbornness. For once, all she wanted was her bed.

"Oh, yeah?" She saw amusement sparkle in his one good eye before his chuckles even reached her fingers. "Well, that's good to hear. Although…" A mischievous glint flashed in his eye and his head tilted smugly. "I could've sworn I felt your lip get real twitchy for a second there."

Ugh. She's so obvious. "Twitchy? N-No, I'm not twitchy! Not twitchy at all! Nerves of steel, I tell you! Maybe it's just you who's twitchy! You know, from the painkillers?"

This time, she got a full-blown laugh, but the sound of his gentle voice was denied to her. She loved him, that much was clear. She'd been wishing the past few days were just some terrible nightmare, what with her disappearance and Clay's death and their suddenly omnipresent fights and the courtroom bombing… She'd hoped she'd wake this morning snuggled in his arms, in their home, with their calico perched on his shoulder. The shooting pain in her head, however, denied all those wishes.

Today, she was glad to be the co-council. Junie deserved the best defense possible. Her as team lead in this state would end the trial in a 'Guilty' verdict faster than Mikeko could gobble up chicken.

She did her best to flash her own mischievous look. "Speaking of steel, how are you holding up? That explosion really did a number on you."

"I'm just happy that you're okay, Athena. If I had lost you…" She felt his own lip twitch and pulled him into a hug. "I can't pretend I have no connection to this case," he declared as he pulled away. "That's why I'm gonna see to it that Juniper's name is cleared! And I'm sure you feel much the same way."

His energy filled her aching body with enthusiasm, and she pounded her fists together. "You got that right! I won't rest until Junie is completely cleared of all suspicion!"

He smiled brightly, before suddenly turning his head to the side, the bright smile fading into something a little more gentle.

Her childhood friend was there, dressed just like she remembered from all those years ago. Her features were crestfallen, and her mouth moved softly, but nothing came of it. 'Junie!' She tried to blurt out, but nothing came of her either. Juniper startled backwards a little in surprise, then burst into a coughing fit.

She tried so hard, she wanted to ask her friend if she was okay, but nothing was happening. Eventually, Apollo seemed to realize no one had been told of her condition, and all she could do was watch him explain that she couldn't hear, and she was having trouble speaking.

Junie grabbed her hands, and the fear in her eyes was no longer for her. Just as suddenly, she whipped around to Apollo and grabbed his bracelet. Athena knew Junie was asking about her wellbeing, and Apollo was trying to soothe her. He tapped his fingers to his lips, she knew he was explaining how she could communicate her needs.

The news kept proclaiming her friend as the "alleged bomber" who, on top of terrorism, willingly killed Detective Arme and attempted to kill her and Apollo. But that's insane! She was so overwhelmed with concern for them, how could she have been the bomber?

Juniper asked something of Apollo, he nodded and they turned back to her. "Juniper's got a little something for you." She felt on his lips. Junie pulled a ripe orange, void of any defect, and placed it gently in her free hand. "It's from her garden."

"Hey, thanks!" She had to keep herself looking happy to prevent the tears from falling. "So, um, is this an orange or a tangerine?"

It was an orange. According to Junie's grandmother, orange is the color of strength and endurance. According to Athena, orange is delicious. "'Well, don't you worry! We'll be so powerful in there, they won't know what hit 'em!' she says. 'Right, Apollo-' oh, wait, that's me. Yeah, that's right. Come what may…" Apollo? "This is one trial… we just can't lose…!" He began to sweat profusely, and collapsed before she could catch him.

Her and Junie both screeched his name, and she immediately bent down to check on him. He pulled himself up with her body as she checked him over. Blood was seeping through his bandages, and it was obvious his fear for her became his reality.

She caught the bailiff in the corner of her eye.

Oh no, no, not now!

Apollo's in no state to defend! Or to do much else! She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective steel table, and knew what she had to do.

"I… I have to… defend Juniper!"

She shoved him into the couch, then turned to her reflection in the table, grabbed the tiny dials in her ears and turned them backwards.

There was chatter, rustling of papers, Apollo huffing in pain.

She heard them. "Apollo, give me all the evidence for the case. Right now!"

"Huh…? Athena, what?"

"Bailiff. The defense would like to submit a substitution of attorney petition."

Her head was in searing pain, she clutched Widget to her chest to hide his monitor. She couldn't give in yet. She had two months to go. She couldn't call Mama either, even though that's what the boss wanted her to do. Mama didn't care. The trial was over, Juniper's sentence had been stayed for one more day.

She was going to get Apollo. She was going to get Apollo and they'd go somewhere quiet to heal. He would leave tomorrow to come help Mr. Wright, but he would come back and tell her Juniper had been acquitted. They would go to Clay's funeral when it was held, and she'd help with the closure. She'd hit her year, then she'd be safe, she could tell him the things she couldn't tell him now.

He was in Courtroom Number Four, looking for anything among the ruins that would clear Juniper's name. He wouldn't rest while someone so important to her was slated to meet Clay.

She rushed on ahead despite her agony, despite the fluids starting to seep through her stitches, with the anticipation of calling out for him and receiving a warm hug. She rushed ahead in anticipation of getting cuddled on the way back to the hospital. "Apollo! Trial's over for today!" Nothing. Mr. Wright and Junie filed in behind her, but those were the only footsteps she heard. "Pollo?"

She scanned the room. Her eyes landed upon a GYAXA jacket. A gasp escaped from Junie. Scenes flashed through her mind. A scream echoed from her mouth.

Apollo had been taken from her too.