Day 50: Patient Library (3rd Shift)

[vstheworld]

Given a choice, as should have been implied by the whole "Free Choice Day" thing, Scott would have gone straight for the Game Room. Maybe it didn't have the greatest selection of games, but he was raring for another epic Tetris match with Indy or anyone else who cared to challenge him. Unfortunately for him, however, his nurse was already onto his line of thinking.

"Now Bryan, I know how much you love your games, but don't you think some more time away from them would be good for you?" the woman asked him in a soothing tone, gently taking his shoulder when he turned toward the Game Room.

"Uh, why would I think that?" he asked, blinking at her in honest confusion.

"Well, I know your family was worried about more than just your condition before you came here. They're hoping you can start to wean yourself down to a more healthy level of enjoyment with your games, too," the nurse explained with continuing gentleness.

"Yeah. And?" Scott raised an eyebrow. "It's Free Choice Day, isn't it? Don't I get to choose and stuff?"

"Of course, Bryan. But I'm still here to make suggestions, and I think you'd do well with a different activity today." The woman smiled at him, genuine care and concern in her expression. "You can always come here later in the week. It'll probably be more rewarding if you wait, too."

Scott was silent, considering the advice. He raised an index finger. "Well, I suppose... Uh, yeah no. Please to be going to the Game Room now, thanks."

The nurse frowned.

Five minutes of irritatingly gentle coaxing later, and Scott found himself in the patient library. "Stupid guilt tripping never even talked to my real mom and dad I bet I could be playing Tetris right now they don't even have any cool books in here..." he grumbled to himself under his breath as he lazily perused the shelves. He picked a book completely at random, The Oxford Book of English Verse. He was half-hoping that maybe pulling the book out would trigger something more exciting, like a secret item appearing, a bonus stage unlocking, or a new shortcut tunnel opening. But no, Landel's reality was boring as ever. "Maybe there'll be an awesome poem or something in here, at least," he told himself as he headed over to an empty seat with a short sigh.

[Unknowingly waiting for Sam]

Comments

[lawful_perfect]

[OOC: Sorry for the lateness, orz.]

For the longest time, while this buffoon cackled at him, von Karma just stared long and hard at this... this... infuriating man. Whether he really was Dr. Kant, Chief of Students, or Damon Gant, Chief of Police, he still had that irritating, cheerful tone of voice accompanied by that challenging emerald stare that intimidated most fools but which von Karma had no trouble confronting.

As the prosecutor listened to the overgrown clown's babblings, it seemed far more likely that he was, indeed, the smarmy detective-turned-police-chief instead of a fictitious university administrator. That would well explain why he was here in the Library instead of greeting von Karma in the Waiting Room... and also explain how he knew of Chief Prosecutor Skye. Still, until he had sussed out more information, he wasn't yet convinced that this was, in fact, Damon Gant in the flesh. Especially when the man was wearing something other than his flamboyant suit and those gaudy-looking rose-tinted glasses.

"Hmph," he grumbled, lowering the book (but maintaining a firm grip upon it). "Of course you belong, Gant. I'm not the one forgetting names either... you're the one mishearing names! Hah! But why should it surprise me? It's miraculous you can hear at all after all those years you've spent playing that racket you call music in your office!"

"As to the Chief Prosecutor..." he glared straight at the man, his eyes cold and piercing. "What precisely did she say?"

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

Gant wanted to shake his head. That was the worst deflection he had ever heard in all the years he had been in the force, and he had listened to plenty of sketchy testimonials in that time. Still, Gant made an effort to exaggerate tugging at his ears and checking to affirm they were working correctly, if only for the impostor's benefit. "Nope! My hearing appears to be in good order. But, do correct me if I'm wrong, I did hear you say something about me dropping by again. Could have slipped my mind, but I'm quite sure I never set foot in this establishment until my admittance yesterday."

Yeah, right. Gant wasn't some senile old man, despite appearances. He would not have forgotten a visit to a place like this, not ever. And as for the comment on his playing, he'd let that slide for now. Manny, God rest his soul, had never been very music savvy, but he always liked to have an opinion about everything.

The chief noticed right away when Manfred--that is, the impostor Manfred--put his guard up. It wasn't something just anyone would notice. Being good friends, or at least long-time partners of convenience, had trained them both to notice one another's little quirks. Neither of them ever had the upper-hand in their work relationship, but that made it all the more challenging and fun. Gant replied with a disarming smile.

"Oh, she recommended you. We were in a bit of a hurry last night, so she didn't have the focus to explain much about this place. Said your notes were top-notch." He shrugged in a very what-can-you-do kind of way. "Normally, I wouldn't allow her to pass jobs onto anyone else, but she sure was worried about Ema and we all know how gets about her little sister. Personally, I'm not sure why she was so upset. It was just a sleep study..."

Really, the girl had probably just been hooked up to a few machines while a doctor monitored her sleep patterns. Lana just worried too much about nothing, right?

[lawful_perfect]

Hmph. Such an ostentatious display of affectation. Impostor or no, one thing that this man had down pat was Gant's insolent mockery of von Karma's mindset. While he watched this fool pull at his ears, the prosecutor merely folded his arms and continued scowling at him. Just like old times, the fleeting thought drifted through his mind, in spite of himself. Less than eager to reminisce over childish antics and endless requests to go swimming, von Karma immediately forced that stray thought from his mind.

However, as "Gant" spoke, von Karma couldn't help smirking a little. "Oh, but apparently, your hearing comprehension is in far from perfect working order. At what point did I specifically mention your dropping by at this hellhole? I was referring to your last visit... while I was in the middle of preparing for that day's trial in my office. Hah! You need to learn to stop twisting my words into sheer nonsense, Gant." A sharp wave of the finger punctuated this smug statement.

After gloating to himself over his "save," he now listened to what the buffoon had to say about Lana. "Hmph. Of course they were top-notch. What else would you have expected from a von Karma, hmm, Gant?" This had better be one of those rare instances that you're being serious... I refuse to be the target of covert derision all because of an idiotic map that the Edgeworth spawn added to his primer! Most likely, Ms. Skye had better sense than to disseminate such a shoddy piece of evidence to just anyone, but... if she believed that this was Gant...

Just a sleep study?! The sneer immediately disappeared from von Karma's face, the impulse to grab onto his right shoulder unbearable. He just barely was able to compensate by crossing his arms again. "Indeed, you truly have not been here very long. Either that, or you're more of an idiot than I gave you credit for. Whether or not they've undergone them, anyone who's been here longer than a few days knows of these experimental sessions that the Head Lunatic euphemistically calls 'sleep studies.' They consist of torture personalized to each patient's own history and experiences. And I can assure you that from what I've heard, every single one of them is a flagrant violation of the law. No wonder the Chief Prosecutor was concerned for her sister."

He was thankful that his eyes were closed as he spoke. Between the distant flashbacks of his own M-U session and the thought of having to greet Gant's prolonged stare while subconsciously risking the disclosure of his humiliation at the hands of Martin Landel... the memories were far preferable.

Quick to change the subject (though, what with Gant being Gant -- provided that this was indeed the true Gant -- his attempt would likely be in vain), he asked, "Was there anything else about this hellhole you needed to be enlightened on?"

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

More deflecting. Manfred was sure acting suspicious today. Now maybe it was true that he had been referring to their last meeting at the Prosecutor's Office, but it still felt like a lie. Or maybe it didn't really matter. After all, this was an impostor. The real Manfred would be offended. How dare anyone impersonate him so boldly? But as he continued to talk, Gant couldn't help but feel the man might just be who he claimed to be, no matter how absurd the idea was that Manfred von Karma was back from the dead.

The sudden change from a smug smirk to a grim scowl set the chief on edge. This man had to be hiding something, but what? Gant became momentarily less interested in Manfred for a moment when he heard the truth about the sleep studies. He wasn't lying. Not about the torture. Gant thought back to last night. Maybe if he had known the truth he would have worked a bit harder to get Lana to her younger sister. Not because he cared about Ema, but he didn't tolerate any form of law-breaking whatsoever. At least, none that didn't help him put more criminals behind bars.

"That's quite an interesting bit of information. Might need to look into that a bit more..." And he certainly did have more questions for Manny, but those he could get to in a moment. He wouldn't get anywhere without calling the man's bluff first.

"And as for the notes, I expect nothing less that perfection from you, Manny! Of course! But after seeing Lana all bothered as she was last night... you should forgive me if I thought maybe she had been mistaken. After all," Gant leveled his gaze on the other man, all seriousness for once, "you're supposed to be dead."

[lawful_perfect]

So that's what it came down to, hmm? This farfetched idea that von Karma's death sentence had already been executed in full. This told von Karma one thing right away: if this was the real Gant fixing his disquieting gaze upon him, then the Chief of Police had been pulled from a point in time later than January 28, 2017. Ludicrous to even consider such notions as these time paradoxes. Yet, there was nothing in Gant's expression to indicate that he was bluffing or cracking some irreverent joke at his expense. Ergo, there was still the chance that this was the impostor known as Dr. Damien Kant, using a more elaborate means to addle him into losing the Head Lunatic's game. He would still be on guard for now.

"Well, Gant, as you can surely see, these rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Otherwise, would I be standing before you right now, listening to you spout your usual nonsense?" He peered around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then continued in a lower volume. "But since you are so insistent that I am supposed to be dead, you will explain why. Know this." He looked straight into the man's eyes. "One single contradiction in your account, and I will reject your ridiculous claim."

The ringing sound of his fingers clicking together was followed up by the demand, "Well, get to it, Gant. Your 'testimony.' Now."

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

That snap, and the demand that followed, was so Manfred, that Gant couldn't help himself. He clapped his massive hands together and laughed, "Ho ho ho! That's just what I expect out of you, Manny old boy! You don't back down." Manfred would demand a testimony. Though maybe he was still an impostor just fishing around for information, he was the most convincing double Gant had ever encountered.

Quieting his chuckles, Gant took a moment to collect himself while studying his hair. He had two ways he generally gave testimony. The first approach had him playing the fool. While he dallied around with his words he could trick whomever was doing the questioning into thinking he only had limited information. His second approach was a full on defense; it might be obvious that he was hiding something, but he would be tenacious as hell at keeping that bit of information secret. No one ever learned about anything Damon Gant didn't want them to know... except that one time, during the Goodman murder.

Ah, well. This was Manfred von Karma, or maybe the real Manny anyway, and he had already said he wouldn't accept contradictions. Best to stick to the truth for now. After all, Gant wasn't connected. What was there to lose?

"Well, now, let's see," he mumbled, releasing his bangs and grinning. "It started back in December, during the State vs. Edgeworth trial. Poor little Worthy was on the ropes, all the evidence stacked against him. Even his fingerprints were on the gun. But then ol' Wrighto came along and managed to make you look like the murderer. Udgey declared Worthy innocent and you were arrested soon thereafter."

Gant opened his eyes and returned his stare to Manny's face. Now that he thought about it, this was kinda weird, testifying to someone who should have been dead about his own death. Certainly would make a great story if he ever saw the boys back at the precinct again. "From what I recall, you pushed your own trial and sentence forward as fast as the courts allowed. You should have died sometime back around... oh, late January." Yeah. Weird.

[lawful_perfect]

While von Karma waited for "Gant" to give his testimony, he watched him tug and pull at that unruly lock of hair that the prosecutor had always nagged him to have snipped off. That hair style and associated habit of Gant's -- both were unfitting to one who held an esteemed leadership position in law enforcement! Yet as von Karma fixed his disapproving glare at the man's yanking upon that coarse white strand, it was all he could do to force himself to deny that this absolutely had to be the blasted Chief of Police instead of a very well trained actor. Little did he realize how mutual this sentiment was.

Finally, the buffoon quit playing with his hair and got right down to business. Just like Gant. von Karma had already known long ago just how canny his colleague could be... that the usual tomfoolery was little more than a garish veneer of farce overlaid upon a dark slab of cold granite. It was the only reason von Karma even tolerated Gant's presence for as long as he had. That, and of course, the decisive evidence the detective had quite the knack for "unearthing."

Hn. Just as expected. So far, there was nothing contradictory in Gant's testimony. The implicit accusation against that pesky defense lawyer was an excellent touch. However, also as expected, the statement was rather vague. "Hmph. This all sounds correct. However," he opened his eyes and once again met that piercing green gaze, "the details are lacking, Gant. You forgot to mention one very important thing." A sly glint emanated from his eyes, and one corner of his mouth quirked upwards.

"That late January date was precisely one month after the final day of State vs. Edgeworth: December 20, 2016."

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

"Oh, details," Gant chuckled, waving his hand a bit, but something stopped him from totally denying his knowledge. Something was wrong with what Manny had said, and he never said anything he wasn't 100% sure of. Unless....!

"Oh, I know this one!" Gant clasped his hands together eagerly, his grin stretched to capacity. Manny had every reason to be suspicious of anyone here, heck, even Gant couldn't believe half the things he had seen, and it looked like for now he was still trying to verify what knowledge Gant had of the case. Okay, if he needed more proof, Gant would give it to him. "Precisely one month after December 20, 2016, that would be... January 20, 2017!"

Gant remained smiling for a moment, letting Manny think he had been duped. But then Gant became serious, almost reaching up to grip the nonexistent medallion clasp he usually had fastened to his tie. He really missed his suit. These rags really lacked in the presentation department. Well, at least it didn't retract anything from his winning personality. "But I think you've underestimated me, Manny. Worthy is no small name around the precinct. If he ever managed to get into trouble, I would know about it almost immediately. And I know he was accused for a murder that took place on December 25th, a murder that was later ruled to have actually taken place on December 24th. Therefore, it is impossible for the last date of his trial to have been on December 20, 2016."

"Really, Manny, who do you think I am? Even after death, I'm sure you would know better than to doubt little ol' me." The disarming smile returned, but his voice never faltered from his smug, commanding tone. His "chief's voice" the boys used to call it, not realizing he had ears everywhere that would report back just such talk. He shook his head, but his eyes remained sharp. "And speaking of which, tell me, why aren't you dead?"

There really was no running from it now. No one else could be Manfred von Karma, no one.