Room 146: Grissom's Office

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Grissom sits in his office, preparing for his classes that evening. He's a bit tired, as he didn't get much sleep last night after Maia's prophecy, and still sore.



[OOC: Conversations with students are "confidential" until stated otherwise, or someone else busts in.]

Comments

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia walks by the office hesitating and then finally knocks.

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Come in," Grissom calls from the other side.

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia comes in quietly, she looks like hell and death warmed over. Her voice is hoarse but she glares at Grissom. "You didn't tell me the whole story." Maia's eyes are stricken. "I told you everything I saw. You didn't tell me everything."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Grissom turns and gazes at her, his eyes haunted and red-rimmed. "You don't want to know. Maia, it will affect your relationship with me as your professor, and won't help you or Sara. Drop it, please."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia sits in the chair in front of Grissom, tears leaking. "And this" pointing to her face "This helps? I didn't sleep last night, I was throwing up all night. I-I can't keep seeing her like that Grissom. I deserve to know what is behind that dream. I have kept Sara on the edges of my mind to keep from seeing her like I saw you. Now, she is coming in on all sides and I can't tell if what I am seeing is going to happen to her or what if I am seeing this because I care so much for her."
Maia is glaring at Grissom again. "Don't tell me to drop me." Her voice is cold and steady now and she fixes Grissom in her stare.

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"It won't happen. It's not real. I can promise you that. I'd..." He stands up, and begins to pace behind his desk. "You need to trust me."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia watches him giving him a disgusted look. "No I don't trust you. Last night I trusted you, I let you see what I saw and today, today your just someone who lied." Maia is firmly in the chair. "I am not leaving this alone Grissom. You are worried about straining our classroom relationship, bit late for that one. As for my relationship with Sara, not knowing what your hiding from me is going to hurt us more then if you just come out with it."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Just because I choose to keep something to myself," Grissom grunts through his teeth, "doesn't mean I can not be trusted. I have never lied. Never. Sometimes we sacrifice the perception of our character for a greater good. I am not hiding anything about Sara, the dream isn't about Sara, it is about me, your... prophecy guaranteed that."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia's heart pounds in her ears. "Your being alone in the car? Or your hearing. I don't play cryptic games Mr. Grissom. And in my book, when people are being open and honest, concealment is the same as lying. It is a crime is it not? Concealing information to a crime, well concealing information during an 'honest' discussion is the same thing."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Are you familiar with seppuku? It's a Japanese term, means ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was part of the bushido, the honor code of a samurai. The samurai takes his wakizashi or a tanto and plunges it into his abdomen, first a cutting from his left side to his right, and then making a stroke upwards, to spill his intestines on the ground in front of him. A friend, a kaishakunin, would then level another stroke that would come close to decapitating the samurai. But we are not all that lucky, are we, do have friends like that? Some must commit jumonji giri, alone, and wait stoically to bleed out. Only then can their shame be addressed.

They would also write death poems. Would you like me to recite one for you?

Spitting blood

clears up reality

and dream alike."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia stares at Grissom unsure of what to say, finally she setttles on the safest thing she can think of.

"so these, bushido's who kill themselves. You feel you fit that catagory only you've no friend to help you.?"

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"I'm telling you about my dream, Maia. You want to know so desperately. Do you think you could kill a man?"

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

((zomg. icon.))

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angelus arrived at the office not long after Grissom returned his call. He hung back, making sure they were alone before knocking on the door. "Doc?"

[ooc: In other words, Angelus does not arrive at the same time as Maia, or any other student]

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Angelus, come on in. Why don't you have a seat and tell me what's going on?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angelus came through the door, wiping his hands on the front of his shirt nervously. "Doc - I - thanks. Thanks so much for seeing me. I - " he paused, pointing towards the door " - should I close that?"

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Yes, go ahead. Although I'll tell you from first hand knowledge, these walls are not that thick. We will have to remember to keep our voices down."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"That's fine," Angelus closed the door. He stepped foward hesitantly, as though he couldn't decide if he wanted to sit or stand. "To be honest I'm not even sure we should lower our voices. I have to admit I'm kind of freaking out here, and having more witnesses might not be a bad idea."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"What happened? Are you okay? I can't say either way how many people you want to know about your issue, but believe me, this floor is not the place."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"I don't even know where to begin," Angelus spread his arms wide, helplessly. He then scrubbed a tired hand over his face. "Okay. Um - beginning. You know how I've been working hard to fight my old reputation, right? Had a couple of stumbles with the way I tried to woo River but ever since then I've been doing my best to stay on the straight and narrow. Wouldn't say that I was perfect but who is, right?"

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"It's a process, trying to change old behavior patterns. We tend to recess into our old roles from time to time, especially when we feel threatened. It's a temporary setback, and it happens to everyone. "The imperfections of a man, his frailties, his faults, are just as important as his virtues. You can't separate them. They're wedded." No one is perfect."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Especially not me, believe me, I know," Angelus grimaced ruefully. He finally took a seat, perching on the very edge of the chair. "Okay, here's the thing. My friend Marty played a practical joke on me. Friends do that, I get that, I know I just need to develop a thicker skin. But it upset me, you know? And it really upset my friend Faith, and - man, she's like a sister to me.

"So when I saw Marty's girlfriend in Study Hall I figured I should talk to her. Maybe get her to pass on a message to Marty that maybe next time he shouldn't joke around like that. I mean, how would he like it if somebody hurt Angela the way he hurt Faith, you know?"

[ooc: sorry for spammage, LJ hacked a hairball]

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"I think I understand. I know Martin and Angela, they are both my students. I am going to assume your confrontation with Angela didn't go very well..."

Grissom keeps his expression tight, but thinks to himself 'Oh, Christ. Trying to understand sullen teenage girls. This day gets better and better every second.'

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"You do?" Angelus's face brightened. "That's great. So you know what great kids they are. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt them. Heck, Marty's one of the smartest guys I know. If he and I weren't friends - I don't know what I'd do." Angelus gave another rueful grin. "Not like I've got a lot of friends to choose from."

Angelus leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge of Grissom's desk. "But that's not the problem. The problem is that I found out last night that there's another student who heard about me talking to Angela and - I don't know what happened. Heck, maybe I screwed up and really did scare her. I swear I didn't mean to. But... this mutual friend told me that this friend of Angela's is now out to get me. She's going to tell everybody that I'm back to my old ways and - " Angelus's eyes were wide and pleading " - Doc I don't know what I'm going to do."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Grissom pauses, trying to gather his thoughts.

"I think you made a mistake. You should have confronted Martin, and not Angela. It is understandable, you were upset about your friend and wanted to defend her, we don't all make the best choices in those scenarios. Angela also seems to be... quite delicate. She's emotional, and if you said something about her boyfriend that displeased her, she's going to react quite negatively and may spread rumors as teenage girls have a habit of doing. Have you spoke to Marty at all? I wouldn't confront Angela again, too unstable a situation, but maybe if you explained the situation to Martin to would understand and calm her down a bit. He is a very level-headed young man, and you may have more in common than you think."