Octavian, Hank & Xavier
Octavian opened his eyes, knowing that today he was going to have to go and talk to Xavier about things he'd successfully hidden for over 14 years of his life. Damn. Hank came in and helped him up, and then to get dressed, wincing slightly.
Hank handed him a pair of crutches and Octavian hobbled up to the professor's office. Xavier looked at him calmly, steepling his fingers as Octavian sat down carefully in the chair across his desk.
"Good morning, Octavian...we have many things to discuss."
Hank closed the door quietly behind him, leaving the professor and student alone. Octavian fixed a mask of cool aloofness onto his face, crying inside. How could he live now everyone would know?
"None of the students will know unless you wish to tell them," Xavier said gently.
"I must tell the teachers, however. I would feel better if I could inform the authorities, but Dr McCoy has already told me you feel that it is not a viable option. And since we would be depending on your eye witness account for a viable case..."
"No complaining witness, no court case," Octavian said.
"Why did you not tell us? We would have been able to protect you..."
"He would take it out on Dem. I would do anything to stop what has happened to me impact her in anyway. You will not tell her, and if my father requests my prescence, to keep him from her, I will go," Octavian said quietly.
Xavier looked at him in mild disapointment.
"A brave sentiment, but one that is misplaced. Demetria will be protected as well."
"You do not understand..."
"I think I understand too well."
They stared at each in silence for a few moments. Octavian broke eye contact first.
"You care deeply for your sister. You have a crippling sense of inferiority and shame that you mask with an air of aloof superiority, and you take back the confidence you lost in sexual violation by sexual promiscuity."
Octavian flinched.
"You have been carefully trained to react in certain ways. Your father is a sexual predator of the worst type. He preys on the ones society percieves as weak, often on children."
"What you say may be true, but it does not change my course," Octavian said quietly.
He slammed his shields up to prevent accidental leakage and rose from his seat, resettling his weight onto his crutches.
"I will see you later, professor."
Octavian made his way out of the room quietly, and Hank escorted him back down to the medlabs. Xavier sighed. They had failed badly here. How could he have missed the signs? But there had been so much on lately...no excuse! He was a psychologist, he should have noticed the indicators that Octavian was a sexually abused child. He should have noticed...
Xavier sat in his darkening office, thinking on how he could protect this student who had told him he would be interfering and his help was not needed.