Chapter Text
There were many things that connected Mia to her home, even when she was so far away. The magatama she always wore, for one, belonged to her father. It was gifted to him by her mother, as a wedding gift. It connected them more intimately than traditional wedding rings would.
Over the years, although her resentment of her upbringing lingered on her heart, she still felt a deep connection to her home. The busy and bustling city took awhile to get used to, and Mia finds she still longs for the quiet nights Kurain Village offered. She hates the modern look of the average apartment and misses the modest and traditional look of her old home.
The main thing that connected Mia to Kurain, however, was the thought of revenge. A man tore apart her family, leaving a little girl motherless and alone in his wake. Redd White.
She’d first learned about him when she was 16 on the anniversary of the night her mother left. Mia held a seance with the victim of the DL-6 case, Gregory Edgeworth, who gave her the name ‘Marvin Grossberg’. Upon visiting the city and stumbling upon a library, Mia learned of Redd White and his empire built from blackmail.
Mia grew up that day, really grew up. She changed her fate, she gave her title to her sister and studied to become a lawyer. At the time, she felt it was the only way to stop White. Mia felt it was the only way to bring peace to her family.
And now, 10 years later, Mia Fey is dying.
And so tragically young, too. She doesn’t remember exactly what happened but maybe that’s just the blood that’s leaking from her brain speaking.
She remembers darkness, except for the light of one lamp. She remembers a man’s voice, cold and condescending like ice against her neck. And then she remembers the pain. She remembers it going dark, but her eyes were open still. Mia remembers him grabbing her hand to write something with her blood.
The name of the man was lost to her right now, fogged over by the dent in her head. The reasoning, too, was lost. Had she done something wrong? That couldn’t possibly be it. What could she have done to warrant this? To warrant death?
At least death wasn’t so painful. The pain was beginning to fade now, and with her vision going dark and fingers going numb, it was a good sign this was the end.
That’s okay , Mia comforted herself. I think I had a good life. Her memories weren’t coming to her now, but she knew she was a good person. She knew she was loved.
She closed her eyes, as if welcoming death. Mia embraced it. She let death wrap its arms around her and bury its face into her neck like it was a lover. Death was something Mia knew like the back of her hand. She knew the dead personally, and they seemed like nice folks.
“Mia… you need to stay alive,” His voice whispered in her ear, softly, like he was waking her up. “They still need you.”
Mia opened her eyes, half-lidded. There was no one there. Except…
A cat. A large gray cat with wide yellow eyes and a red bell-collar. Mia, shakily, reached her hand to pet him. The cat faded away with a cold breeze, leaving Mia to think, did that cat just talk?
She knew people on the verge of death hallucinate, but shouldn’t she be hallucinating about, you know, loved ones? Like her baby sister?
“It wasn’t the cat, but he was our cat. Catimor.” The voice again. Mia turned her head. A man was next to her, his presence comforting to her in a way she couldn’t quite understand.
Mia met his eyes, they were a deep brown, almost black. She felt comforted by them. “Who are you?” She whispered.
“You know me.”
“You love me,” Mia realized, reaching out to him. They touched lightly, but she had a sense if she pressed any harder then this, he’d shatter before her.
The man smiled, the gray cat in his lap purring. “I do,”
“I think I love you, too, and that’s why I want to see you before I die,” She thought out loud, her hand still barely touching his. “Are you dead?”
“I might as well be,” He suddenly had a cup of coffee in his hand and took a slow sip. Mia was too in pain to do a double take. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” She smiled, feeling the blood drip down her face, slow but warm. “I’m sorry, too, for dying.”
The man smiled, it was warm and full of love. She remembered him, vaguely now, he was important to her. “Diego,” Mia breathed out his name, as if it was her last word.
Diego reached for her face, and Mia closed her eyes, expecting him to kiss her. Instead, she woke up.
The walls were white. Everything was white. There were two people at the side of her bed. One looked just like her. The other, she swore, it was Diego.
Patient Chart: Mia Fey, age 27.
Admitted September 5th, 9:27 pm.
Came into hospital via ambulance.
Presented with major head trauma to the frontal lobe, needed surgery to repair a cerebral hemorrhage.
Currently has memory issues (recovering w/ frequent visits from family. Believed to be due to emotional trauma), dexterity and flexibility issues, problem-solving skills deficiency, and unstable behaviors.
Emergency Contacts Called
Diego Armando (Deceased)
Lana Skye (Caller Blocked)
Phoenix Wright
“So, do you remember me?” Maya asked.
Mia forced a weak smile. “‘Course I do.”
“And him?” She pointed to a boy in a blue suit. He seemed sweaty and pale with worry. Mia could read him like a book, but she didn’t know the title.
”Diego! Right?” From the look on his face, it was wrong. “… sorry, I’m trying. I know who you are, but..” Mia’s memories weren’t erased, just damaged. Whatever that meant.
Not Diego sighed. “It’s… okay, Chief.”
Maya seemed pleased. “How aboouuutt… Aunt Morgan? Oh, and Pearly!” Her feet kicked with glee as she mentioned their family.
“Yeah, I remember them. How is Pearl? She’s so big now,” Mia closed her eyes and pictured her baby cousin now. It’d been what… 2 years since she visited home? She’s 7 now.
“At least her memories are improving,” Maya said with a smile. She’d managed to stay so cheerful through this all.
“You’re only saying that because she knows who you are,” The man sighed. Him? Not so cheerful. “She’s still calling me Diego,”
Maya frowned. “I think she’s just confused. Mia doesn’t know a lot of boys, besides her old boyfriend. Right, sis?” She held Mia’s hand.
“No, I saw him the other night. I’m sorry I keep calling you by his name. I just don’t want to forget his name again.” Mia murmured, squeezing Maya’s hand.
“It’s Phoenix, sis.” Maya said, matter of factly. “Didn’t you say his friends call him Nick? Is that easier to remember? I know his name is weird.” Phoenix frowned at that.
Mia glanced at him. His eyes were round with worry. He knew something about her that Maya didn’t. “Just one, Larry. Do you remember him, Mia?”
She tried to remember, but it was too foggy. Mia shrugged. “A little,” She lied. It made Phoenix smile. “What day is it? I can’t remember.”
“September 13th, 2016.” Maya replied. “Do you remember what happened, Mia?”
She remembered dreaming, dreaming over and over of that night. But each time, the man who attacked her was different. He was a combination of multiple men, but never the same.
“.. I got hurt. Someone hurt me.” Mia answered, straining to think.
Phoenix leaned forward, expecting a breakthrough. “Who?”
The question brought sorrow to her heart. She didn’t know. She couldn’t think. Both of them were staring at her with their big, sad, ‘we thought you died’ eyes. Mia couldn’t stop the tears. They flowed down her face, and she was reminded of the warm blood that trickles from her head wound.
Mia touched her head, where she would’ve been hit and was met with the textured feeling of a bandage. She looked at her hand, no blood.
“I can’t.. remember..” She whispered through tears. “Why can’t I remember? Maya.. Diego.. I..” Mia choked out as her throat tightened with sorrow.
“It’s okay, Mia, it’s okay,” Phoenix hushed softly. “You’re okay, just don’t think about it right now, okay?”
Maya couldn’t speak. Mia could see now how red her eyes were and how dark the circles under her eyes were. She was scared, sad, and confused. Just like her. It was like a mirror.
“I called you Diego again…” Mia muttered. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why his name is stuck with me.” She knew why.
Phoenix smiled. “It’s okay, Chief. I don’t mind. It’s a… handsome name.”
“Not as cool as Phoenix, though! Is that a nickname? Or did your parents ACTUALLY name you Phoenix?” Maya brightened up, looking at the man eagerly.
He sheepishly began to sweat, his cheeks flushing. He was embarrassed. “Ah, well, it’s kind of a long story—“
“Excuse me?” A doctor opened the door slowly. “Ah, good, the whole family is here. How is Ms. Fey doing?”
“She’s awake, and her memories are doing better! You seem to be right, it’s mostly temporary.” Maya explained, as if she were a nurse.
Phoenix cleared his throat. “She’s still having general fogginess, she can’t remember who hurt her, and she’s mixing up my name.. but I think she’s all right.”
Mia blinked. Guess they knew better than she did, she could barely remember these passing hospital days. “That sounds right…”
The doctor smiled, pulling up a chair next to Mia’s bed. “Mr. Wright and Ms. Maya… could you give us a moment?” She asked.
The two left without much fuss. Maya turned around to her and put on her biggest smile. This was taking a toll on her. “Don’t worry, sis! Phoenix here is going to buy my lunch at the cafeteria!”
“I am?” He asked with a snort, and Maya rushed him out snickering.
Mia turned to the doctor. “Am I okay?”
“That’s what I want to find out,” She said. “Sometimes patients put on a brave face in front of their family. I just want to go over some things with you. First, let’s do a test, okay?” The doctor put down a pen and a piece of paper. “Write your name for me.”
She grabbed the pen. Mia’s hand trembled with weakness. Did it always do that? No, she had nice handwriting. She always had gotten compliments on it. She wrote her name. Mia Fey.
It looked wobbly. It was crooked, messy, barely legible. Mia’s heart sank.
“This is good! We’ll work on your hand coordination more throughout your recovery, but this is amazing for your first time writing since the surgery!” The nurse explained gleefully.
Mia tried to take it to heart, she really tried to feel good about herself, but she couldn’t. She nodded silently.
“Now, let’s try something else, okay? A little more fun.”
“Well, hit me with it, I guess.” Mia replied.
“I want to ask you about the earliest thing you can remember right now,” The doctor said, pulling up a chair.
Kurain Village, 1998.
“OW! Iris, you PULLED my HAIR!” Dahlia whined as her sister braided her hair back.
“I’m sorry! But you just keep moving!” Iris responded, using a gentler hand to fold Dahlia’s hair into itself. “You know, if you just let me teach you how to braid your hair.. I wouldn’t be tugging on your hair.”
Dahlia crossed her arms with an indignant hmph . “Whatever. It looks better when you do it.”
Iris giggled softly. Mia lifted her head from the book she was reading, an old Kurain history book, and smiled at the twins gently. It must be nice having a sister.
She thought of the twins as her sisters, but she knew they were only her cousins. At the end of the day, when introduced to strangers, they call her their cousin. Mia did too. They had each other, they didn’t need her.
But it didn’t stop her from feeling sad when they’d play without her. Mia was willing to play games with them, even though she was five years older than them. Instead she was reading her book. Their grandmother had yet to choose an heir to relinquish the Master title too, but her mother was making her read up on it anyway.
Mia might be Master one day. It was something she struggled to comprehend.
“Mystic Mia,” Dahlia suddenly piped up, looking at her with wide, red eyes. Mia met hers. “What will happen if our mother is named Master? I mean, you’re still older than us.”
She hummed in thought, thinking of the best way to word it. “You guys would be Master after her, I guess, and eventually me and my mom and dad would go to the Inner Temple, with Sister Bikini and the other temple girls.”
“Which one of us? We’re twins!” Iris cried out.
“Whoever is better spiritually,” Mia replied. “Whoever your mom picks.” She added.
Dahlia frowned. “I don’t want to be Master alone! Why can’t I be Master with Iris?”
“Master Dahlia and Iris… I like the sound of that!” Her sister giggled. “The flower sisters!”
“It’s just the rules.” She shrugged. “Only one can be Master. Usually it’s the eldest sister. This is kind of a weird situation we’re in,”
Morgan’s powers were weakening. It was something she’d hid for awhile. She didn’t know why. Mia overheard her one night, crying to her husband. Their grandmother found out and began to question who should really have it.
Now Morgan’s working harder than ever, but her mother just wants her sister.
“The rules are dumb!” Dahlia huffed. “When I’m Master, I’ll change it so that way me and Iris can be Master together.” She grinned.
Mia giggled. “All right, it’s your reign.”
“Maybe you could be Master with us, Mystic Mia.” Iris suggested meekly. “You’re really good at training. And you’re so diligent in your studies!”
She was touched by that, but Mia darted her eyes back to her book. If she was going to end up as a temple girl, she’d have to know the entire family history.
The door to Mia’s bedroom slid open, and her mother stood at the door with a gentle smile. “Mia, can I talk to you, please?”
Mia closed her book, and she gave an unsure glance to her cousins before following her mother to her bedroom.
“Is everything all right, Mom?” Mia asked, her hands shaky. She loved her mother, she was a kind and loving woman, but her presence and raw spiritual power made Mia feel nervous, like she’d never be like her. That’s all she wanted to be.
“Everything’s perfect,” Misty patted the spot on the floor next to her. Mia sat on her knees, instinctively leaning against her mom. Her mom wrapped an arm around her. “Remember how you wanted a little sister?”
Mia’s eyes widened. “No way… really?!” She grinned.
Misty nodded, hugging Mia tightly. “I went to a doctor… a doctor outside the village.. and he told me everything was okay this time. You’re going to be a big sister.”
Mia couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t stop holding her mother. She’d really be a big sister.
Her mother grasped her hand with hers, and placed it on her stomach. Mia couldn’t help but feel a strong bond with whomever was inside. There was a tiny person in there.
She heard the shoji door slide open behind her, and turned to see her father. “Did you tell her the good news?” He asked, grinning.
“Noel! You’re supposed to be resting! The doctor said—“
“The doctor ALSO said we’re having a baby! I’m not missing a second of that!” He gave a chuckle, before joining the two of them. Her father wrapped his arms around both of them, repeatedly kissing their heads.
Mia smiled. “Dad! Stop!” She laughed.
She heard her mother and father laugh as well. Mia thought, even if they did end up in Hazakura Temple, at least she’d have her mom, dad, and baby sister.
And maybe Iris or Dahlia would change things. And they could all live together as a big, happy, family.
Mia took a faulty step forward, only being saved from death by falling ass first on the floor by the nurse. She clung to him like a child would their mother.
How embarrassing. She was a grown woman, relearning how to walk, while her pupil and baby sister watched with pride.
Mia’s memories had all but come back to her, except the details of that night. It plagued her empty mind. How could she forget something like that? Who did this to her? It seemed cruel.
And now she was being cheered on for walking by the two people she’d never want to see her like this.
I really am pathetic. She thought bitterly, taking another step towards Maya on the chair.
“C’mon, sis! You can do it!” Her sister cheered. “I bet you can run a marathon soon!”
Phoenix rolled his eyes with a light chuckle. “How about we focus on a simple hike first?” He leaned on the arm of the chair Maya was sitting in.
One more step. One more step and she could sit down. Mia let go of the nurse, holding her arms out for balance, and took a step forward.
She practically fell into the chair next to Maya, but she did it. She made it the ten steps from her bed to the chair. Mia was out of breath, tired , even, from walking. Maya cheered so loud next to her it gave her an instant sharp pain to her skull. She winced in pain.
“Oops! Sorry, Mia!” Maya whispered, covering her mouth. “But you did it! I’m so happy for you.. you’ll be discharged any day now.” She grinned.
Phoenix nodded. “Don’t worry. Maya and I have been taking good care of your apartment.”
The nurse was jotting something down on his clipboard. “Once you’re more steady with walking and you pass your problem-solving exercises, we can send you home! Recovery will be easier with those you love.” He smiled, walking out of the room.
Phoenix and Maya celebrated that news but it made a pit in Mia’s stomach that she couldn’t quite close. It filled her with dread, fear, and anger.
He was still out there. The man who attacked her, what he wanted, it was all lost to her. What if he tried to hurt her again? What if he succeeded this time?
Or worse, what if he didn’t, and Mia became even weaker? She was supposed to be Maya’s big sister. She was supposed to take care of her. The roles are reversed now. It made her uneasy.
What if he was here right now, waiting for the right moment? Mia’s heart began to race. Could she recognize him, if she saw him?
Her head was pounding with anxiety, Maya and Phoenix were still chatting in the background, her head was darting with fear and anxieties, all the while the lights made a distinct buzzing— It was too loud.
“Be quiet!”
Mia didn’t even realize when she snapped at them to be quiet, only when she saw their surprised faces staring back at her. There was a twinge of guilt and hurt in Maya’s eyes. Mia felt horrible.
Why didn’t she just ask them to be quiet? She couldn’t understand her own thought process and it drove her crazy. Was she going to be like this for the rest of her life?
Mia used to be able to keep a smile on her face and take anything anyone said to her. She could hide her thoughts from the world, from her partners, from even herself.
“Sorry, Chief, do you want us to leave?” Phoenix asked, quietly.
Mia thought about it. Fear gripped her heart tightly. “…No. What if he gets me?”
Maya glanced at Phoenix and then back to her sister. “ ‘He’? You mean..”
“The man… the man who attacked me..” She whispered.
“No one’s going to hurt you, Mia, I promise,” Phoenix assured. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Mia lifted her head. “….. Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.” She stood up, shakily, and Maya leaped to hold her up.
“I’ll help you to bed, sis,” She smiled gently, walking Mia to bed.
Phoenix grabbed the hospital remote and clicked to the random channel, to distract, he said.
Mia remembered when she’d have to help Maya into bed. She’d have to check her closet, check outside her room, check in her pillowcases, check everywhere to make sure there were no monsters. Then, Mia would tuck her in and tell her a story about their mother. It would always make Maya smile and fall asleep everytime.
She laid back down in her hospital bed, the room spinning around her as Mia focused on a cat-shaped dot on the ceiling. Vaguely, she heard Phoenix and Maya were whispering amongst themselves as they stepped out the room.
She couldn’t make out all of it, but she heard the name ‘Redd White’ . It sent a cold spike through her body.
Mia remembered now. It all came back to her. The pain, the impact, the sound made when the statue crashed into her skull- it made a hard crack didn’t it?
She shot up, hand to her forehead, warm and sweating with fear. It was the Thinker, it was the papers she hid in it, it was her livelihood, that’s what he wanted. Years she spent building that case and now the years have just slipped past her.
Mia glanced at her sister. Whatever happened to that receipt? She remembered White writing something with her blood.
“What happened?” She asked, desperately. “What happened to the receipt?”
Phoenix stood still, utterly silenced.
Maya glanced at her, a pained look in her eyes. “I.. I know you didn’t write it, sis. It’s okay.” She smiled weakly.
“That’s not what I mean!” She hissed, although she was relieved. “W-What happened to Redd White?”
Suddenly, Phoenix gained his voice. “Is that who attacked you?”
They didn’t know? “B-But didn’t you… didn’t you say his name?” Mia wondered. Was she losing it?
“That was the news, sis.” Maya murmured, gently putting her hand on Mia’s. “They’re doing a story on Bluecorp. Mr. White just said they’re investigating the cause for all those politicians’ suicides.”
The TV was on the whole time? Mia must’ve blocked it out. “Oh my God… Oh-“ She pulled Maya into a tight hug. “You…! Oh my God, Maya- what…”
“Chief Prosecutor Skye insisted the case against your sister be thrown out.” Phoenix admitted. “I don’t know how, but before it even went to trial, Maya was released. She sent you a letter.”
Maya nodded, hugging her older sister back. “She came down to the station to release me herself, her and Detective Gant. I didn’t know you and Lana were still best friends!”
We’re not. She thought. They never really were just friends, were they? Lana and her hadn’t spoken since last year, the SL-9 incident.
“I’m sorry…” Mia whispered, stroking Maya’s dark hair. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t there for you.”
“It’s okay…” Her sister smiled. “You’re here now. It wasn’t your fault anyway.” Maya pulled away to meet her eyes. “And if you say that Redd White did this to you, then me and Nick will make sure he eats dirt for this?”
Phoenix grinned. “Yeah! Don’t worry, Mia. We’ll take care of you.”
But I’m supposed to take care of you. Mia was his mentor and Maya’s older sister. She wiped the tears from Phoenix’s eyes and kicked his ass into motion after his trial. She’d dressed Maya’s scraped knees and stitched up her kimonos. She stayed silent, though.
They wouldn’t understand, and if Mia admitted how she feels, they’d say something corny like “well, it’s our turn to take care of you”. They were naive.
Maya was still 17, a child, to take care of her sister shouldn’t be on her mind. It shouldn’t be her cross to bear. And Phoenix, he was still just a rookie. What would they do, while she’s out of commission? While she’s like this?
Mia tried to think of the last time she didn’t have any responsibility, any responsibility to either her family, her job, her lover, or her student. It was before her father died. It was before Maya was born.
Kurain Village, 1999.
Mia remembered when her father died to the exact date and time. Her father died on April 14th, 1999, at 6:43 pm.
He died a slow, painful death. It was unpreventable. He was sick. Mia didn’t know what, she never asked.
The funeral was nice, as she recalled. Lots of people came, even some of her father’s own family. It was the first, and last, time she’d ever meet her paternal uncle and grandparents. They seemed nice, even if they never kept in contact with her.
Mia sat off to the side by herself for most of the service, though. She couldn’t see her father like that, she couldn’t remember him like that. She’s been uncomfortably comfortable with death for all her life, but it’s different when it happens to someone you love.
Her father used to give her piggyback rides. He’d carry her in baskets that they’d walk down to the market, and he’d carry her and their groceries back. Mia noticed when he stopped, but she always thought it was because she was getting too big.
She hugged her knees, watching everyone say their final goodbyes to her father. Mia couldn’t find the tears to cry for him, even though she so desperately wanted to.
“Hey, sorry about your dad,” Her cousin plopped down next to her.
Mia lifted her head in surprise. “D-Dahlia?” She whimpered.
Dahlia played with her waist bow absently. “Uncle Noel was really nice. And he could braid hair really good,” She said. “Better than Mother! She’s so rough!” Dahlia smiled. Her cousin always struggled with emotions, as did she. Mia knew Dahlia felt much more sympathetic than she let on, maybe even grieving in her own way.
She smiled back, sniffling lightly. “Heh, yeah, Dad was super excited to be an uncle. He and your dad were good friends, actually.”
“Really?” Her little mouth was agape. “Daddy doesn’t seem the type to have too many friends…”
“It’s true…” Mia felt her throat get heavy as she remembered. Her father and her uncle taught her to ride a bike. Mia fell over so many times, but her uncle never let her cry about it. Her father didn’t agree, but Mia appreciated her uncle’s effort. It made her tougher.
“Woah, hey! You’re crying!” Dahlia touched her face, as if she were going to instinctively wipe them away. Like her mother would. “Uhm, that’s okay!” She changed her tone, and hugged Mia instead.
She felt the tears streaming down her face. She hadn’t even noticed she’d started crying. Mia hugged her back gently, silently crying.
A month later, her little sister was born. On May 14th, 1999, Maya Fey was born.
Her head was throbbing. Mia couldn’t believe how awful a headache could be until post brain surgery. And she thought actually having her skull bashed in hurt.
Was this normal ? She thought. Am I dying? Am I bleeding? Mia touched her hand to the scar across her forehead. No blood.
Then why was she in so much pain? Mia hit the call nurse button about a hundred times. She was all alone. She was alone. She was-
“It’s okay, Miss Fey, it’s okay,” A nurse soothed her. She was messing with her IV. What was she putting in there?
“No.. no, no poison.” Mia muttered through blurred vision. The migraine made it hard to see, the edges of her sight were white. White… White .
She had to stop Redd White. “Miss Fey, please lay back down,” The nurse gently pushed her back down into bed. “I just administered your pain medication. You should feel better now.”
“No.. he’s still out there..! He’s still…” Why was it so bright in here? Mia grabbed the nurse’s arm, desperately. “Where’s my sister?” She asked.
“Miss Fey… it’s 3 am. Visiting hours are over, your family went home. You’re okay. They’re okay.”
“Did he take her? Please, I can’t lose her, too. I’ve lost everybody else.”
“She’s at home, she’s okay, no one took her,” The nurse consoled her gently.
Everything she said went through one ear and out the other. The pain started to subside, but Mia couldn’t stop the pounding heart in her head. “Is my mom coming?”
The nurse stood still. “I… what?”
“She’s not coming,” She answered herself. Her heartbeat began to slow, and Mia could begin to hear herself think again. Her migraine was just a light stinging behind her eyes now, and keeping them closed helped. “My mom’s not coming for me. She’s not coming back.” Acceptance washed over her.
Her life's work was to expose White to find her mom. White took everything related to himself from her office after he tried to kill her. Her work was done, just like that, an unfinished chapter in her life ended abruptly.
“I’ll.. call your sister in the morning, make sure she comes as soon as she can, all right?” The nurse offered a smile.
Mia responded with an ‘mmh’. She couldn’t find the strength to even be upset. Had she really been that naive? It’s been almost 15 years, her mother is long gone. She wasn’t coming to take care of her.
But Maya still deserved a mom. She was young, kind, and the heir to Kurain. She needed a Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, she needed a real, loving, kind mother.
Mia did her best but her best wasn’t enough. I’ll find her for you, Maya.
She worked her hardest to become stronger. Mia soon passed every cognition test, every motor and flexibility test they had. She blanked on a couple things still, but nothing could break her resolve to get back to work, to finally take down Redd White.
And a couple weeks later, after more tests and pokes and prods, Mia was being sent home at last. It was a weird feeling, being told she was fixed as she could get. She’d forever be mentally and emotionally altered from this.
Mia would have to see a therapist now, which gave her a weird feeling, but she’d soon rather die than ever lash out at Maya and Phoenix. Although, she knew it’d happen eventually.
She had the same body, same brain, same life as before, and yet it felt like she was a stranger in it all.
“I bet you can’t wait to go home, huh, sis!” Maya beamed as she folded up some clothes.
“Mhm… yeah,” She replied, trying to grasp the ends of her shoelaces. Of course Phoenix brought her laced shoes, of all her shoes. “Hey, am I ever going to get my suit back?” Mia asked the nurse.
The nurse shook his head. “Sorry, it was collected for evidence.”
“So I have to wear this out?” Mia gestures to the atrocious outfit Maya and Phoenix chose for her. Sweatpants, an old band (that she doesn’t even listen to!) t-shirt, and sneakers.
Maya frowned. “We wanted you to be comfortable! You’re probably just going straight to bed anyway, right?”
She frowned. She hated when Maya was right lately. Maya was right about her needing to rest, needing to wear a sleep mask at night, it was a little demeaning for her.
Another failed attempt at tying her shoes, Mia sighed in defeat. Maya stopped what she was doing and sat next to her. She slipped off her sandals. “Here, I probably shouldn’t have grabbed sneakers, anyway. Sorry, sis.”
“… I-It’s fine, Maya, really…” But Mia took the sandals anyway, giving Maya her sneakers. Aren’t we supposed to be fighting over shoes? Yet she knew Mia and Maya never really were typical sisters. Mia was all she had growing up, so sometimes it felt more like she was her mother.
“All right, gang,” Phoenix walked in with a grin. “I got us a taxi, are we ready to head out?”
Maya nodded. “I got all our stuff packed, who knew you could gather so much stuff from a hospital stay?” She tossed Phoenix the bag. “Do you want my help walking, or….?”
Mia stood up. “I’m good, promise. Let’s go home.” Her mobility had improved greatly, if not wonkier than before. There were definitely no more heels in her future, at least for a while.
The trio made their way down to the taxi, and Mia waved to the hospital staff that had helped her get this far. She knew she hadn’t always been the kindest to them, and they took the brunt of her instability for the first few days after she was hospitalized. Mia felt better now.
She had to keep her eyes essentially squinted shut the whole ride home. Had she really gotten used to the dimmed lights in her hospital room that much? The sun seemed infinitely brighter. Mia closed her eyes completely. She didn’t want to ruin this momentous occasion for them by complaining.
Her apartment was…. well, a mess. Phoenix and Maya had been crashing there, since she was conveniently a 15 minute walk from the hospital. From the looks of it, Phoenix had taken the couch. She recognized his couch print, the indent left from his arm pressed into the couch told the whole story.
Phoenix grinned sheepishly as he brought the bags in. “Sorry, I promise I’ll clean it! We both will.”
Maya shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one that let it get this bad.”
“We both stayed h- y’know what? Go help Mia to bed.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Her sister hummed with delight, taking Mia to her bedroom. The curtains and blinds were as shut as they could be, and the entire place was dark. “I’ll do your laundry for you, so you can have nice clean clothes tomorrow morning!”
Mia sat at the edge of her bed, grateful now more than ever she kept her king sized bed after all these years. It was lonely for a long time, but now she could appreciate the spaciousness of it compared to the hospital beds. “Thanks, Maya.” She smiled. “You can do laundry another day, though, for now I just want the time to myself.”
Maya looked a little surprised, but obeyed with a bow. “Of course, shout if you need anything, okay?” She left after.
Finally alone, Mia made herself comfortable in her bed. It was only half way over. This was just half the battle.
She reached for the letter on her nightstand, the one Lana left. Now was as good of a time to read it than ever. Mia ripped it open.
My Dearest, Mia,
I’m sorry I couldn’t spare you from this pain. I am overjoyed at the fact you’re alive and recovering. I understand you might have questions about that night, questions your student and sister can’t answer. I’ll elaborate.
Maya kept me updated throughout the entire night of your surgery, until she had been arrested. Your sister is very brave. I posted her bail, I explained everything to the Chief of Police myself and the sole witness, April May, admitted she’d never seen Maya at the scene. The case was thrown out and left open.
Everything is okay now, and we’re searching for the real culprit of who did this to you. I can only hope this peace of mind aids in your recovery. Unfortunately, I can’t answer any more questions. Please do not try. Although I know you will.
I wish you and your family all the best.
Sincerely, Lana Skye, Chief Prosecutor.
Typical Lana, she had to laugh.
So 10 years of her life is just, gone, just like that? Is it really all gone? Redd White destroyed her life, ruined her work, traumatized her family, and now there was nothing she could do about it.
She crumbled up the letter and tossed to the other side of the room, a burning anger deep inside her she didn’t dare let out, not right now. Mia had to be stronger than ever now, for Maya and Phoenix. If she was going to ever climb her way back up from rock bottom, she’d need to hold onto her hope and hide away in her own head. She’s done it once, she can do it again and again and again until she’s finally done.
Mia shut her eyes.
Death was something Mia had always been alarmingly comfortable with for the average person, she knew the dead personally, after all. Now that it has happened to her though, it’s a lot worse than it looks.