Chapter Text
Phoenix exits his dorm room. It's been awhile since he last stepped foot outside. He had been stuck for a month in his room since that trial. Because of his dumb stunt, he had to go to the hospital to get his stomach pumped and to remove the remaining glass shards from his throat. Afterwards, he got to go home but was ordered by the doctor to be on a liquid diet for a while. He had been stuck drinking disgusting protein shakes the whole month. He was also getting this weird shakey feeling whenever he left an open bottle alone. It was probably nothing but he threw them away anyway.
Today he's meeting up with Ms. Fey. He had switched his major to law after his trial. He wanted to meet up with her to tell her the news. And also finally pay her back. She agreed to meet up for lunch. Phoenix was also excited to eat something other than those protein shakes. He could only order a soup though but it was better than nothing.
After locking his bike, he steps in. He looked around until he saw Ms. Fey. He waved at her and quickly made his way to sit down.
"Hi! Ms. Fey! Thank you for meeting up with me!"
"Hi Phoenix, it was no problem." Mia was smiling at him. He was happy to see her again and glad that she wasn't angry with him.
"Oh before I forget..." He pulled out his wallet and took out all of the money in it. "Here you go! It may not be much but don't worry!" But Mia didn't take the money.
"Phoenix, thank you but I..." Mia starts but Phoenix interrupted.
"I plan on paying you more whenever I can. I've been on a liquid diet so it was easier saving money to pay you."
"Phoenix..." Mia tried again but he wasn't listening.
"Oh and of course since meeting was my idea, lunch is on me! On good old credit."
"Phoenix!"
"And if I sell my kidney then I can..."
"PHOENIX!!!" He stops rambling.
"Thank you but you don't have to pay me back."
"Huh, but I... you...but I have to pay you back for all you did for me." He has to... for all the trouble he caused her. But he's still holding out the money. Mia making no move to take it. In fact she isn't even looking at the money, she's looking at him with sad eyes. "...Then what about a painting or drawing as payment. I'm not working on any art because I changed my major but for you, I'll make something."
"You changed your major!?" Mia looked at him with surprise.
"Oh yeah, that's actually another reason why I wanted to meet up. To tell you. But I can still make something. So what do you want? You want a portrait? I'm good at those, then you can hang it in your office! Or I can make something else. Tell me, what do you want?" He smiles at her. But he's starting to get desperate. There has to be some way to pay her back.
"No Phoenix, it's okay. Now let's talk about something else. I, for one, am very interested about your major change." Phoenix is upset but drops the topic of payment. For now.
"I uh, am a law major now. You were the final push I needed to do it." Phoenix and Mia talk for awhile. They talk about different things. A waiter came to take their orders. Mia ordered a sandwich and some coffee. Phoenix ordered a tomato soup and some grape juice. They talk some more until their food arrives.
"Food! Finally! All I've had were those protein drinks." He started to dig in when he got that weird shakey feeling again. This time he ignored it and started eating his soup.
"May I ask, why are you on a liquid diet? If it's because you're trying to save money then don't." Mia looked at Phoenix with worried eyes.
"Oh no! It's because I had to get my stomach pumped and my throat is still scratchy from eating the pe... you know what." He doesn't even want to think about Dahlia. How he almost died. How she poisoned his cold medicine. He tries to eat the soup again but he's met with that shakey feeling. It starts amplifying more.
"Phoenix? Are you okay?" Mia asks in a worrying tone. A tone that makes him think about a big sister caring for a little brother.
"D-Don't worry, I'm okay." He tries to drink his grape juice. But instead of that calming affect he usually gets, the feeling grew more. He was lucky that he had met up with Doug or he would be dead. Even if he didn't take the medicine, Dahlia could have still been able to poison him. She could have even poisoned his food and drink... Suddenly that feeling grew into nausea.
"Are you sure, Phoenix? You're shaking like a leaf and you look so pale. If you need to reschedule our meeting, I'll be fine..." Mia started but Phoenix suddenly stood up, holding his hand up to his mouth. Then he ran not to the exit like Mia thought he would, but to the restroom.
Upon reaching a stall, he threw up all of what he had today. He stopped after a while but it wasn't enough. There could be poison still in his system. He stuck two fingers in his throat and threw up until all he was throwing up was his own stomach acid. A waiter had came in a while ago to check on him for Mia. He told the waiter to tell Mia that he needed to take a rain check on their plans. He finally stopped puking and got out of the stall. He washed up and got out of the men's restroom. Mia was standing outside.
"Ms. Fey!? What are you still doing here!?"
"I was worried about you. Are you sick? Do you still have that cold? I have medicine in my purse." Mia said as she started digging into her purse. She then pulled out a pill bottle. "Look it's that cold medicine you like. Here you go."
"No!" Phoenix slapped the pill out of her hand. The bottle rattled as it rolled off. Phoenix realizing what he did started panicking again.
"I-I'm sorry. I..." Phoenix started apologizing. He caused Mia so much inconvenience and now he yelled at her.
"No Phoenix, I'm sorry. I should have known that it would bring you unpleasant memories."
"It's okay, I didn't even know that I would react like that. I didn't even know that I'm scared of food now."
"Do you want to talk about it more? We could go for a walk. Don't worry about the bill, I already paid for it."
"Thank you, I uh would like that." Phoenix and Mia left the restaurant. After getting his bike, they started their walk. They walked for a few minutes in silence. Working out the courage to break the tension.
"So Phoenix, are you feeling alright or are you still feeling sick?"
"No, I'm alright. It's just... my mind was somewhere else and it must have manifested my sickness."
"Do you want water?" Mia said as she pulled out a plastic water bottle from her purse. Phoenix eyed it suspiciously.
"Has it been opened?"
"What? Ha ha ha no! Why would I offer you a water that has been opened?" Mia started laughing until she saw the look of Phoenix's face. He looked at her with a mix of suspicion and fear. A look that she would never want to see again. She starts thinking back to when they were at the restaurant. How he got sick just from a couple of spoonfuls. How he slapped the ColdKiller X from her hands. Like it was poison. "Phoenix... are you afraid that l might have poisoned the water?"
"What? N-No I-I why would I think that?" Phoenix denied. But his face betrayed him. He was sweating buckets. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, it was clear that Mia had hit bullseye. It was a truth that even Phoenix himself couldn't believe. Here he was with the person who saved his life and he couldn't help but think that she was trying to poison him. She wasn't, he knew a doubt that she wasn't. So why is that the only thought in his mind?
"Phoenix... I'm sorry she did this to you. I wish I could have saved you sooner."
"Ms. Fey..." Phoenix starts to tear up. "I'm sorry for thinking that you would poison me... The truth is I have been feeling like this for a while. I just didn't realize it until today. Even when I'm alone, I get this feeling. I know for a fact that you wouldn't do such a thing. I feel so bad for thinking otherwise. You've done so much for me and this is how I pay you back. I'm sorry and I wish that I could pay you back for all you have done."
Phoenix and Mia continue their walk in silence. Each feeling guilty for not doing enough for the other. Finally it's Mia who breaks the tension again.
"You know, if you still feel strongly about paying me back. I'm working on opening my own law firm. I could use an extra set of hands. I could even help you study for the bar exam. I could be a mentor for you. Just if you want to though."
"...Really? I can...I can work with you?"
"Yes, I would really like it if you can work with me. What do you say, Mr. Wright...?" She stook out her hand. "Junior Partner?"
"I accept..." Phoenix stook out his hand. They start handshaking. "Chief."
"C-Chief...? Ha ha ha!"
"I'm sorry... I couldn't think of anything else."
"No, I like Chief. Chief is good." They both laugh as they release their handshake. Then off they went to continue their walk. Both excited about the new journey they get to take together.