Beacon – Medical Wing
News of the events that had transpired at the docks quickly spread throughout the student population. Few if any people weren't in the know of the sighting of Roman Torchwick working alongside the White Fang in an attempt to steal a large shipment of Dust. They also knew that several of their own students, consisting of at least two teams, had intervened in the attempted robbery, successfully foiling the criminal's plans but at the cost of some of their own. While a few of them were pretty banged up, everyone was thrilled to know there were no casualties on their side. Well, at least, not until Glynda Goodwitch got a hold of them.
"Good morning Tsune," Professor Ozpin said as he and Glynda strode into the medical wing.
"Good morning Headmaster, Glynda," Tsune, the resident medical practitioner replied.
Glynda nodded back, looking over the unconscious forms of three of their students as they lay in bed. Tsune was, by all intents and purposes, one of the best medical practitioners in Vale. Despite the fact she was a Faunus, as she sported a long fox like tail, she'd proved herself more than capable of overcoming stereotypes and discrimination in her pursuit of accomplishing her studies and becoming a doctor. Glynda suspected it was due to something else entirely, however. The woman was a well-known sadist, taking great pleasure in inflicting pain, something which her profession afforded her a great opportunity to satiate. While unconfirmed, prior to her joining the Beacon staff rumors had persisted of several of her fellow students who'd attempted to dissuade her from becoming a doctor, targeting her due to her Faunus heritage. Shortly after they were admitted to the hospital with strange bruises and cuts all over their bodies and, as soon as they were healed, they left school immediately. While they refused to name names, Glynda felt she had a fairly good idea who was responsible. In all honesty, she didn't know if she should feel proud or disgusted by the woman's supposed actions.
"How are our patients doing today?" Ozpin asked.
"Well, Mr. Wukong is healing nicely. He had taken the brunt of the damage but his aura protected him against most of it. I gave him an aura booster and he's showing promising results. Miss Belladonna was in a much worse state. Most of the damage she'd received came after her aura broke. She'll be sore for a few weeks but she's past the worst of it."
"And Mr. Arc?"
"Mr. Arc was completely fine. Exhausted more so than anything. Despite having been caught in a Dust container explosion, his aura protected him against the brunt force and he still had quite a bit left in reserve."
"Thank you, Tsune, but I wasn't enquiring as to his physical state," the headmaster said.
"I understand Headmaster, but I'm a Doctor not a therapist. My interests lie in the body and only the body," she said with a coy smile that sent an uneasy shiver through Glynda's frame.
"How long has Jade been with him?" Glynda asked, looking over to the small girl curled up next to her brother on the bed.
"Since yesterday evening. I thought of having his team take her with them back to their dorm but I thought better of it once I saw she'd fallen asleep. She seemed quite distraught when he arrived back."
"They've both lost their families and had only each other to rely on for the past year. It would make sense she might be worried she'd lose him as well," Ozpin said, taking a thoughtful sip of his drink as he eyed his student. "Keep me posted of his condition and, once he'd awake, inform him that I'd like to see him in my office as soon as he has time."
"Of course headmaster," Tsune replied.
/-/
Blake felt terrible. Despite her aura working to alleviate the major damage caused by her fight with Torchwick, she could still feel the tightness in her muscles brought on from over exertion as well as being batted around like a damn rag doll. She tried to lay as flat as possible, not moving in the least, but even the act of breathing hurt her chest, something which was quite unpleasant. Cracking her eyes open, she was accosted by the sun glaring at her through the nearby window. The white washed walls did little to alleviate its intensity and she had to take a moment to adjust to the brightness.
Glancing around she could see a few nearby machines monitoring her heartrate amongst other vitals. A few I.V. drips set nearby dispensed a clear liquid into her body curtsy of some needles stuck into her arm. Reaching around to the side of the bed, Blake quickly found the bed controls and used them to prop herself up. Her stomach ached from the change in position but Blake wanted to see her surroundings and make sure that Sun had survived at least. She was surprised to instead see Jaune asleep in the bed opposite hers with Jade curled up in his arms. Her little ears twitched whenever her brother breathed on them through his nose but it was a heartwarming sight to see.
Glancing over to her right, Blake felt her heart settle as she saw the sleeping form of Sun in the bed adjacent to her own. Now devoid of his shirt (which didn't cover much to begin with) he had a few bandages wrapped around his waist along with a few I.V.s stuck into his arms as well. His heart monitor showed a consistent beat, however, and that at least gave her reason to calm down a bit. Content to know that everyone was safe, she closed her eyes in the hopes of catching another nap. No doubt her team would be arriving at some point with everyone eager to give her an earful for doing what she did, Weiss especially.
The one thing she could count on, though, were the instincts she'd honed while in the White Fang alerting her to movement in the room. While she suspected it was the resident doctor, the masculine sounds they made told her it was Jaune. Recalling the conversation they'd had yesterday via scroll, she wasn't at all eager to speak with him. She instead kept her breathing steady, hoping he'd assume she was still asleep. Unfortunately, she had no such luck as she heard the young man making his way across the linoleum floor, sitting himself rather nosily on the metal stool next to her bed. She kept up her façade despite feeling his eyes boring holes into the back of her head. To make matters worse he began poking her in the back, just between her shoulder blades, as a means of gaining her undivided attention.
"Come one Blake, I know you're awake. You can either keep pretending by trying to outlast my attacks or you can face the music, up to you," he said.
Blake decided on the former, believing herself more than capable of withstanding his onslaught.
"Alright, you've left me no choice," he said, making a loud wet sound as he put a finger in his mouth before extracting it. "Jade always hates this one," he said.
Blake was puzzled by what he meant until she sensed his finger moving dangerously close to her ear. Her Faunus ear. On instinct Blake countered, snatching his hand before it could draw any closer and eliciting a string of protests from her muscles from the quick movements as she crumpled back into the bed. All the while Jaune maintained the same unapologetic, deadpan expression. He held no sympathy for the girl's plight that much was obvious.
Alright, alright, I'm awake," she groaned as her muscles began to settle.
"You're an idiot," he said with no remorse.
"I know," she replied, glancing away.
"Do you?" he asked, giving her a stern expression that would make Miss Goodwitch proud. "Do you have any idea just how stupid, selfish, and self-destructive your actions were?"
"I- "she began but was quickly interrupted by Jaune.
"Do you realize just how worried your teammates were? All of them?" he asked, causing her ears to flatten against her skull. "You made me a promise, one in which you'd stay safe and your team would be kept out of the line of fire."
"Jaune –"
"You lied to me, Blake," he snapped. "I placed my trust in you to the right thing, the mature thing, and you lied to me. I don't trust people who do things like that."
"I'm sorry," she said in a quiet voice.
"Words are cheap. You want us to trust you again, you need to show us with your actions. Show us you can be trusted by trusting us. Had you done that from the start this whole fiasco might have been avoided."
"I know," she replied, feeling her guilt stab her in the heart with each point he made. "I bet Weiss can't wait to rub this in my face. She was right, you know, the White Fang were involved in the robberies."
"I wouldn't count on Weiss lording this over you," Jaune replied.
"What do you mean?" she asked turning to face him with a quizzical look.
"Believe it or not, that girl hasn't left your side since you were brought in. The medical team had to work around her, she was so intent to stay at your side. Ruby and Yang had to practically drag her away to meals and lessons."
Blake starred at him, waiting for him to break into a smile and tell her it was all a joke. His deadpan expression hammered the point home, however, leaving her uncertain about how she should feel regarding the heiress' uncharacteristic show of affection for her teammate.
"Oh," was all she could manage.
"Yea," Jaune replied, "needless to say she's owed an apology, from you and I both."
"Why? What did you do?"
"It's nothing I did, more along the lines of something I said," he admitted, blushing slightly out of shame.
"You two get into another argument?" Blake asked, recalling how they had both been at odds with one another, beginning with the night before initiation and the following morning in the locker room.
"Yea, I might have lost my patience with her. Again," he admitted.
"You seem to do that a lot," Blake said with a smirk.
"It's something I need to work on, yes," he replied.
"It's not completely bad. I've heard it said that arguments are simply another form in which people show how much they care for one another," Blake replied coyly.
Jaune's gaze shot to her, bewilderment etched across his features. The Faunus couldn't help but smile, suddenly realizing why Yang liked teasing people so much. His expression quickly soured, however, as his eyes narrowed at her.
"That's not funny," he growled.
"Depends on your perspective," she replied.
Their conversation was quickly interrupted by the sound of rustling sheets. Blake instinctually glanced over to Sun, thinking he was awake, but saw he was still asleep. She then glanced over to the bed Jaune had previously occupied and saw that Jade had awoken. The little girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes and, after noticing her brother was missing, glanced around the room looking for him. As soon as her eyes meet Blake's they widened, her ears shooting up along with them.
"Blake," she said.
Before she could reply, Jade was scrambling to the edge of the bed. In her attempts to get down she unfortunately managed to entangle herself in the sheets and plummeted the two feet to the hard ground and kissed it hard. She cringed along with Jaune, thankful the girl's aura had been unlocked and would have dampened the blow. Disentangling herself from the bedsheets, Jade showed no signs of having been hurt as she raced over, climbing her brother like a tree, before making her way onto the bed. She stopped just short of Blake, her expression wary as she looked at the girl before her. Realizing that she was waiting for permission, Blake smiled as she held her hands out to her. Jade didn't come to her immediately, her emotions quickly rising to the surface as her face scrunched up and tears began pouring from her eyes.
"Blake," she wailed and threw herself against her chest.
Blake groaned, the impact causing her sore muscles to flare in protest, but she weathered the pain. The small girl in her arms sobbed into her chest, dampening it with her tears. It was difficult for her to not join in as she gently stroked the girl's head while she cried.
"You owe her an apology, first and foremost," Jaune commented.
"Yea, you're right about that," she said, continuing to stroke the girl's hair as her sobs slowly began to die.
"What's with all the noise? I have patients here in need of rest. Oh, Mr. Arc, you're awake," Tsune said, charging into the room.
"Sorry, Jade got a little emotional when she saw Blake was awake," he replied, motioning to the tiny girl in Blake's arms.
"Well, that's understandable. Miss Belladonna did suffer some very unfortunate injuries," she said, eyeing the girl before turning her gaze back to Jaune. "Seeing as how you're awake, I was asked to inform you that the Headmaster would like to see you once you were up."
"Professor Ozpin?" he asked, surprised. "What for?"
"No doubt to interview you regarding the events surrounding the incident at the docks. I'm sure he'll ask the same of Miss Belladonna and Mr. Wukong once they're well enough."
"I see. Did he want to see me now?"
"He asked you to come once you had some time. If you're not feeling well enough, we could run a few tests first?" the woman said, a devilish grin spreading across her face as she eyed him dangerously.
"I'll go right now," Jaune said, rising to his feet and standing stiff as a board.
"Oh, if you're sure?" she said, noticeably deflating. "Miss Belladonna, I'll be back later to check up on your progress," she said, turning on her heal to exit the room, her tail sashaying behind her.
"Looking forward to it," Blake grumbled as she cringed.
"I'd better get going. The longer I stay here the more I feel my overall health will be in danger," he said, doing nothing to hide his eagerness to abandon her. "I'll leave Jade with you. I know she was worried sick about her reading buddy."
"I'll keep an eye on her," Blake replied.
"Jade," he said, garnering the little girl's attention. "I have to go see Professor Ozpin. I'll be back later. Keep an eye on Blake for me, make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble," he said, earning an eye roll from the Faunus.
Jade quickly wiped the tears from her face, her eyes already bloodshot from the excessive crying, before giving Jaune a curt nod. She then turned her attention to Blake, giving her a stern glare that was less intimidating and more adorable, mostly due to how young and cute she was. Blake could only chuckle in amusement before waving goodbye as Jaune exited the room, only later regretting having not asked him to drop by her dorm to pick up some reading material for her.
/-/
Professor Ozpin sat at his desk, presumably doing paperwork when Jaune arrived. The telltale sound of the elevator dinging as he arrived at the top floor alerted the man to his presence. Whether he'd been expecting him or someone else, he couldn't quite say. The man had always been a mystery, even to those who worked under him. Regardless, he had a warm smile plastered on his face, like a grandfather when he saw one of his beloved grandchildren making their way towards him.
"Good morning, Mr. Arc, I'm pleased to see you're doing well after your excursion to the docks last night," he said.
"Yes sir," he said, taking a seat before. "I was told you wished to speak with me?"
"Indeed," he replied, taking a thoughtful sip from his mug before starting. "I've spoken to each of your teammates in turn regarding the incident. I was pleased to hear of you efforts to quickly take control of the situation and prioritize the safety of Mr. Wukong's and Miss Belladonna's lives."
"I simply did what I felt was the right course of action," he replied humbly. "We were there to help them anyway. I wasn't planning on fighting."
"Such is the life of a Huntsman. We often find ourselves walking into situations, assuming one thing only to find the mission priorities and objectives have changed significantly," he replied. "For the most part, your teammate's accounts align with those of team RWBY. Naturally, I'd simply file a report and send it the proper authorities for their investigation but there was something Miss Nikos told me that had garnered my interest, a small detail that would have been overlooked by anyone else."
"What detail was that?" Jaune asked out of curiosity.
Ozpin's expression took on a noticeably serious tone with the man interlocking his fingers together as he gazed across the desk at him. Jaune could immediately sense the shift in tone, wondering just what Pyrrha had said that would cause this change.
"Jaune, I feel prompted to ask something that may be very personal for you. I want you to understand that I am by no means judging you as being incapable of being a huntsman nor of performing your duties as a team leader. I merely wish to offer whatever services our school can provide in helping to remedy this situation."
"Professor, what exactly did Pyrrha tell you?" Jaune asked, both puzzled and a little unnerved by the man's response.
Ozpin fixed with his gaze before asking, "when you and Jade departed your village after its destruction, did you at any point take the time to properly grieve and mourn the passing of your families?"
The question hit Jaune like an Ursa paw to the face with how unexpected it was. His surprise must have shown on his face as Ozpin's expression relaxed into something much more sympathetic. While that was the man's intention, to Jaune's eyes it had shifted into something much worse, something he hated with a passion; pity.
Jaune hated that sentiment more than anything. Having spent a year on his own, caring for a child more than half his age, he couldn't afford to appear weak or incapable of providing her with the necessities to live and flourish. When he took on jobs with other Huntsman as a way of honing his skills and earning a few extra lien, he'd thrown himself into his tasks, learning everything quickly and efficiently so as to an asset, not a hindrance, to them. He'd held his ground against racists and aggressors, weathering their harsh words and even harsher fists, all to protect Jade from their ire. Even when he'd made his way to Beacon, an orphan with little more than a year's training and the will to succeed, he'd known he was greatly underprepared compared to his fellow initiates, many of whom had the benefit of prep schools prior to joining not to mention some, such as his friend Ruby, having Huntsman parents to mentor them from a young age.
Pity was a sentiment he couldn't afford. Not now, not ever. To be pitied was to be considered weak, incapable of handling the tasks laid out before him. Jaune couldn't allow himself to fail. He had to succeed, for Jade's sake. That's why he threw himself into his duties, into his studies, so that he could guarantee a future worth living where she wouldn't have to worry about having food to eat or a roof over her head. It's why his lack of opportunities to mourn his family's passing, to grieve for the loss of people he'd loved more than life itself, had to be put aside to focus on the task at hand.
"Jade and I mourn in our own way and grieve when appropriate," he replied, keeping his tone and expression neutral. Ozpin, unfortunately, wasn't buying it.
"Jaune, as the Headmaster of this school and a man who cares deeply for the lives of each and every one of his students, I must warn you that the life of a Huntsman is one that will be fraught with danger. Not every person can be saved and the loss of those lives has a tendency to weigh heavily on our conscience. It is important that we take the time to grieve for their loss, to come to terms with the absence left by them, and process those emotions least they weigh heavily upon us in the future. More than a few Huntsman who ignored their emotions, brushing them aside, more often than not turn to other less healthy means of dealing with the pain and emotions involved such as excessive drinking, drug use, or sex. It is not uncommon for them to develop depression as a result, often leading to them being distracted during a mission and becoming compromised as a result."
"So, what, are you saying that I'm broken?" Jaune snapped, surprising himself with how unapologetic he sounded. "I'm sorry professor, I didn't mean to- "
Ozpin held up his hand, offering him a patient smile. "I understand Jaune. Believe it or not I've been in your shoes before. It's not easy to acknowledge these feelings. The unfortunate thing is that society has labeled such actions as making young men and women appear weak as a result, instead advising that you keep them to yourself and ignore them altogether. I, on the other hand, know better than to encourage such behavior and Beacon has taken steps to ensure all our students are afforded the ability to speak with a qualified therapist or councilor in an effort to help you heal."
"I see," Jaune sitting back in his seat and feeling somewhat defeated. "Is this something that I'm free to choose or is it required?" he asked.
"I will require you attend at least one session, to get a feel for it and gain an understanding of what future sessions will entail. It will be up to you whether you continue with the sessions or not. I would, however, ask that you keep an open mind. While you may believe otherwise, these sessions are meant to help not harm you. I'd also like to recommend Jade start attending her own sessions with a qualified child therapist. Considering she's experienced a situation similar to your own, I would feel better if she had someone who can help her to understand the events that transpired and process the emotions associated with it."
"And who exactly would I have to speak with regarding these sessions?" he asked.
"For you, Mr. Arc, you need only inquire with Dr. Oobleck," he said, earning a raised eyebrow from the young man. He chuckled, understanding his reaction completely, "I know, I know, but rest assured Dr. Oobleck is more than qualified and has offered his services to many students both past and present who've walked these halls. As for Jade, well, it'll be a few weeks before she can begin her own sessions."
"Why is that?"
"The woman in question is currently on maternity leave with her twins," he replied.
It took a moment for Jaune to realize, the wording Ozpin used sounding vaguely familiar before he reacted in surprise by saying, "Lizzy?"
"Indeed," Ozpin said, taking a sip from his mug. "As surprising as it may sound, she is the best qualified child therapist in Vale. Having her as our head caregiver at the daycare center was simply a convenient bonus."
"I'll say. With how bubbly she acts, I never would have guessed," Jaune admitted.
"I would have thought quite the opposite," Ozpin replied. "As you may well know, most of the children who attend the day have a parent or two that's a professional Huntsman. Having someone like Lizzy, who's very approachable and quite endearing, as their therapist makes it infinitely easier when helping the children deal with changes in their lives such as a parent's absence due to a mission or, in more unfortunate circumstances, the death of a parent. As I've said before, the Huntsman profession is not without its risks."
"I'll say," Jaune agreed. "Alright, I'll speak with Lizzy as soon as she returns. I'll make sure to tell Jade ahead of time. Wouldn't want to spring this on her."
"Agreed," Ozpin replied.
"As for myself, will I need to speak with Dr. Oobleck about setting up our first session?"
"No need. I'll send Bart a message letting him know. He should contact you shortly."
"I see," Jaune said, cringing a little inside.
"Mr. Arc, I want you to know that this isn't some sort of punishment. These are merely meant to help you, to heal a wound that modern medicine cannot hope to alleviate before it becomes something far worse."
"I understand Professor," he replied. He did but that didn't mean he liked it.
After being dismissed Jaune rode the elevator down to the bottom floor before making his way… well, somewhere. It was difficult for him to really think of anywhere he'd like to be. He'd been excused from his lessons for the day, thanks to his efforts at the docks and the superficial injuries he'd received as a result. Right now he was just having difficulty processing his thoughts. He'd never found himself in this kind of situation before. On the one hand he knew why Professor Ozpin was doing this. In any other situation, for any other student, he might have respected it. Unfortunately, therein lay the problem. He was that student and all he could manage to feel was angry and frustrated. The whole damned situation made him feel weak and helpless, two things he couldn't afford to be, especially considering the profession he was working towards.
Before he realized it his feet had brought him back to his dorm room. He wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten there. To be honest, he wasn't at all eager to go inside. While he hoped that his team was currently at dinner, he also suspected the possibility that one of them might be in the room, possibly waiting for him. Knowing he couldn't stay out in the hall forever, Jaune took a deep breath before swiping his scroll over the keypad, unlocking the door and letting himself inside.
"Oh, Jaune, you're back," the cheerful voice of his partner, Pyrrha Nikos sounded.
Jaune looked over to his partner, the girl having changed out of her school uniform and into some more casual attire. Rather than feel glad to see her, Jaune instead felt a flare of anger surge its way upwards. Pyrrha had been the one to point out his little episode at the docks, the one to inform Ozpin of his problem and require he receive therapy. He quickly stamped down the emotion, feeling guilty for having felt so negatively about his partner. She had only been doing what she felt was best. Had he been in a similar situation he might have done the same.
"Jaune, is something wrong?" his partner asked, the concerned expression on her face showing she hadn't missed him grappling with his emotions.
"I'm fine, Pyr, just a bit tired," he said, his excuse not so much a lie as he did indeed feel a little exhausted from recent events. All things considered he might turn in early after he'd eaten and showered.
"We stopped by the medical wing after classes but found you were already gone. Blake told us you went to see Professor Ozpin."
"Yea, he asked I speak with him about the incident at the docks," he said. "Is Jade still with her?"
"Yes, she hasn't left her side," Pyrrha admitted with a smile.
"That's good. I'm thinking of stopping by team RWBY's room, maybe get her something to read. Gods know she must be losing her mind without a book handy."
"Indeed," Pyrrha agreed with a laugh. As he turned to leave quickly added, "um, Jaune?"
"Yes?"
"I-if you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, I'm always willing to listen," she said.
"I know," he said, putting the best smile he could muster, all the while hoping she didn't notice how fake it was.
Walking across the hall, he took a deep breath, expecting something similar to the awkward situation he'd had with Pyrrha just moments ago. Before he could manage to knock, however, the door swung open and Ruby Rose nearly bowled into him on her way out the door.
"Wha, Jaune!" she said excitedly.
"Ruby, how many times do I have to warn you, don't just rush out the door? You nearly knocked down Jaune," Weiss chided. "Jaune, good to see you're doing alright," the heiress replied.
"Uh, thanks," he said, somewhat surprised to find Weiss using his first name for once and not simply referring to him as "Arc." "I just came by to pick up a book for Blake. She seemed pretty board with nothing to read."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate that," Weiss agreed. "Ruby was just on her way to get her some food from the cafeteria."
"Yea, not sure if she's had anything to eat yet," Ruby said.
"Do you mind if I walk with you?" Weiss asked, taking a book from Blake's collection to bring her teammate. "I need to speak with Blake anyways. More than anything, I believe I owe her an apology for the way I reacted."
"Uh, yea, sure," he said, tacking on yet another peculiar incident to occur today.
They began making their way towards Beacon's medical wing, Jaune slowing his pace to match Weiss' so she wouldn't have to all but run just to keep with his longer strides. He would occasionally glance at the heiress, wondering if he should say something. Not long after their little "conversation" yesterday, Jaune found he felt somewhat guilty about the things he'd said. He'd purposely highlighted details from his own life in an attempt to one up the heiress and, while it had managed to get her on board with helping Blake, the tactic had been a bit underhanded. The problem was what he said. Did he just say "I'm sorry" or should it be something more heartfelt? Ultimately, it was Weiss who made the first move.
"Jaune, I've been thinking about our talk yesterday and I wanted to apologize for how I acted," she said.
"Huh?"
"You were right. The way I had treated Blake, not to mention the fact that I simply focused on my own selfish reasons and projected my own pain onto her, was unfair of me. I acted like a stubborn brat when I should have been more concerned with her safety. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he said, surprising her. "While I'll agree that Blake does deserve an apology, the way I reacted was… less than stellar. I'm just glad Jade wasn't around to see me acting like a colossal jerk."
"Indeed," Weiss agreed, laughing lightly at his expense. "Which reminds me, I need to apologize to Jade as well. I've been decidedly cold to her ever since initiation and she's been nothing but heaven sent since she's been here."
"I know she'll appreciate it," he agreed.
They continued on in relative silence though Jaune now felt a bit lighter after their short conversation. To no one's surprise, once they reached Blake, they found Jade asleep in her arms. Jaune could only laugh and Weiss soon joined him as Blake recounted how the young girl had tried to keep her eyes focused on her, all the while fighting off sleep before finally succumbing to it, snuggling up to her for the warmth she provided. Jaune quickly scooped her into his arms, bidding them farewell so Weiss and Blake would have some privacy to talk and clear the air.
With his sister in his arms, he was unable to ignore the ever present fact that he would have to inform her of the child therapy sessions she would be attending, not to mention his own. While he wasn't at all thrilled by it, he knew it had to be done. Considering they had Oobleck tomorrow afternoon, he would find a time after class to speak with the Doctor, getting the session out of the way and then moving on. He didn't plan on scheduling further sessions nor did he want to. He'd simply make an excuse to his team, get it over with, and move on with his life. He was perfectly fine. He'd managed to go a little over a year caring for Jade with only this recent event to cause any sort of reaction. The odds of that happening again were fairly low in his opinion. If it was going to affect it would have happened sooner not later, that much he was certain of.
/-/
"That's all for today students. Remember, your assignment is due at the end of the week," Dr. Oobleck announced as the bell signaled for the end of class. "Mr. Arc, if I could speak with you for a moment?"
At the mention of his name, Pyrrha gave her partner a quizzical look. Unlike her, Jaune knew exactly what it was about. He gave her a comforting smile, waving her on despite her desire to stick around.
"I'll catch up later," he assured her, waiting until she'd left before meeting the professor at his desk. "You wanted to see me sir," he said, his tone implying it wasn't so much a question as it was an expectation.
"Yes, no doubt you've been informed by Headmaster Ozpin that I am in charge of acting as Beacon's resident therapist and seeing to our student's mental health."
"Yes sir, he did," he replied.
"Before we discuss your appointment, I wanted to let you know that this is not a negative judgment of your abilities or capabilities of being a Huntsman. This merely to ensure you will be in top form to finish school and go out into the world to defend the Kingdoms from Grimm. While it is often overlooked, your mental health is a vital part of your ability to function and for us to ignore it would be negligent on our part, especially being your instructors and mentors."
"I understand sir," he replied, Oobleck's words falling on deaf ears. "When do you wish to see me?"
"We can meet after class at any time. Taking your assignments into consideration, why not this Friday? That way it won't interfere with any homework you might have and free you up for the weekend."
"I'll be sure to remember it," Jaune replied, all too eager to leave the classroom which had somehow started to feel a bit too stuffy for his liking.
As expected his team was waiting for him the moment he returned. Pyrrha, as expected, wore a look of concern on her face as he entered the dorm. He knew that she was only trying to look out for him, doing her duty as his partner, but he couldn't help the fact that it annoyed him. He felt like the expression held some lack of confidence in his skills or his ability to handle himself. He'd managed to raise a four year old for a year while also training to be a Huntsman and making their way to Beacon, thank you very much. However, he quickly reigned in his feelings, knowing Pyrrha didn't mean anything negative by it.
"What did Dr. Oobleck want to speak to you about?" she asked, not at all surprising Jaune who had a perfect excuse lined up.
"He wanted to discuss with me about setting up an appointment for Jade. When I spoke with the Headmaster, we'd discussed having her put through some child therapy sessions due to the events we've been put through."
"That doesn't sound surprising. Given everything Jade's lost, I'm glad to see she's done so well," Ren replied.
Jaune couldn't agree more. After his discussion with the Headmaster, he'd started paying closer attention to his younger sister. While subtle, he did notice certain character traits she exuded that seemed rather foreign for a child her age. She also acted more mature and was always eager to train alongside him. While he'd initially chalked it up to her wanting to follow his example, he couldn't help but question if that behavior was somehow tied to the experience of losing her mother as well as their home. It was a little depressing, knowing that there were somethings he couldn't protect her from despite his best intentions. That said, he knew it would be irresponsible of him not to have her see Lizzy. If it helped Jade to process these feelings before they became a problem then he'd do whatever he could to aid her.
"I see, that's good," Pyrrha said, her expression relaxing a bit.
Admittedly, Jaune did feel a bit guilty. He hadn't exactly lied to his partner but he hadn't been completely forthcoming either. He'd essentially used Jade as a scapegoat to avoid talking about something that revolved around him. He knew it was childish but he didn't want to reveal the Headmaster's request that he seek therapy from Oobleck. He knew it would only worry his team, Pyrrha especially, leading to unnecessary questions and worried expressions whenever he did something that made him appear even remotely depressed. Things would have been easier had she not mentioned the incident at the docks then this whole thing… no, no he couldn't allow himself to think such things. She'd done exactly what she believe was necessary to protect her team and partner. He couldn't be mad at her. He'd just focus on getting through the week, get the session over with, and move on with his life.
/-/
Friday approached quicker than Jaune had anticipated. With the end of classes for the day Jaune gave an excuse to his team about an errand he needed to run that would take about an hour. Satisfied with his answer, none of his teammates questioned him as he made his way to Oobleck's office. While he expected the session to be quick and painless, he was surprised to find how nervous he felt. Standing outside the man's office door he was hesitant to enter but forced his nerves down and pressed forward.
Many of his expectations upon entering had been shattered almost immediately. He'd expected the room to be quite spacious with a long, leather couch upon which he'd recline while Dr. Oobleck sat in a nearby chair, occasionally humming before asking "and how does that make you feel?" Of course, with how the man usually acted during his lectures he couldn't quite picture him sitting patiently at all. Rather, he much more expected the man to vibrate, talking as quickly as he did when speaking to them during his lessons.
Instead Jaune was greeted by an unusual sight. The room set aside for his office was indeed spacious, though surprisingly devoid of clutter as he'd seen piled high on his classroom desk. Half the room was set aside as a sort of office with a large desk surrounded by several tall bookshelves filled to the brim with history books, architecture volumes, and psychology manuals. The desk itself was surprisingly neat which made him wonder how his desk in the classroom had become such a disaster area. In stark contrast the other area had been set out as a sort of lounge with two large couches set opposite from one another and divided down the middle by a long table. Oobleck himself was busy in the kitchenette area just beyond it, tending to a kettle he had heating on the stove.
"Good evening, Mr. Arc, you've made it right on schedule," the man said.
As if on cue the kettle began to whistle loudly, signaling that the water within had reached boiling point. Oobleck picked it up along with two cups and brought them over to the table. Jaune watched him place a couple teabags inside before taking a seat on one of the couches. Next to him he picked up a large pad of paper along with a pen before turning his gaze to him.
"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the other couch.
Jaune did so, his surprise at seeing how clean and clutter free the room was shifting to Oobleck who was, for the first time ever, speaking in a normal tone and pace. It was mindboggling to Jaune, something he figured the rest of his team would find just as surprising before quickly remembering that this was something he was going to keep to himself. As he took a seat Oobleck took the kettle and gently poured some tea into each cup, taking one for himself before sliding its companion over to him.
"I find herbal tea helps me to relax and calm my nerves after a long day," Oobleck replied, obviously thinking Jaune's quizzical look was in regards to the tea.
"You don't say," Jaune replied, silently wondering why then the man drank immense amounts of coffee throughout his lectures but wisely choose not to ask.
"Before we begin, I'd like to make you aware that everything spoken here will be kept between us. No one outside this room will know of what's spoken unless you personally divulged it to them," Oobleck stated.
"Not even the Headmaster?" Jaune asked, rather surprised that the head of the school would be kept in the dark as well.
"Jaune, when I became a licensed therapist, I took an oath to take everything my patients tell me seriously and not to speak of anything they've said unless they choose to relay that information themselves. If I were to go prattling on about every little detail people have confided in me, I'd not only lose their trust but my license as well as the respect of my peers. I can assure you this will all be said in confidence."
"I see," Jaune replied, feeling somewhat relaxed to know that fact.
"Now, I'd like to start from the beginning. Could you tell a little about your family and your life in Ansel?"
Jaune did just that, summarizing his childhood spent in the small village, the son of a fairly well known and respected family of Huntsman. Oobleck listened with surprising patience, never once interrupting Jaune as he spoke and occasionally scribbling something down on his notepad. He talked of his sisters, how he and Jade first meet, their life together in the village and so on. As soon as he reached the point of the fire he stopped, figuring the man would ask about that and bracing himself for the question.
"Now, after you and Jade left Ansel you traveled for a while to other villages. Could you describe your experiences during this time?"
Jaune was surprised and a bit suspicious as to why Oobleck hadn't forged on into the events that took his family but he did as he was asked, recounting their journey and the actions Jaune had taken to ensure their survival. It had been a hard life, sure, but one he didn't regret.
"You mentioned that at one of the villages the matron of the orphanage offered to take Jade for you. You, of course declined. Why is that?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Jaune replied.
"Well, consider it from my point of view. A seventeen-year-old boy traveling from one village to the next with a young child in tow is certainly not the ideal situation. No doubt the matron believed she was doing both of you a service, offering to provide a stable environment for Jade and enabling you to continue on your journey without the need to worry for the life of another. Yet, you declined. Why did you? What prompted you to choose to continue to care for Jade in spite of the offer?"
Jaune took a moment to consider the man's question. Thinking on it now, he realized what he was getting at. Surely anyone else would have eagerly agreed, knowing that both parties would benefit. Still, he'd left the choice up to Jade and had even felt elated when she said she wanted to stay with him.
"I suppose it was because I didn't want her to think I had abandoned her. She'd just lost her mother, the only family she had. Somehow, leaving her at that orphanage seemed somehow heartless, even if it would have been well intentioned."
"I see," Oobleck said, smiling as he scribbled something down. "Do you also suppose it was because you yourself would have felt lonely?"
"I'm sorry?"
"To my knowledge, Jade wasn't the only one who had lost someone important to them. You yourself lost your family during the fire, leaving you orphaned alongside her. Do you suppose part of your reason for taking Jade into your care was to help you cope with what happened by giving yourself some responsibility, something to work towards and focus on?"
Jaune was surprised by the man's logic but strangely couldn't say he thought he was wrong. In fact, looking back on it, most of his thoughts had been focused around ensuring he and Jade survived, had a roof over their head, food to eat, and were generally able to make their way to Vale to attend Beacon. He'd spent so much time focusing on her needs, on building a stable future for her, that he hardly ever found himself dwelling on his family or the loss of them.
He was also made aware of the fact that Oobleck had inadvertently brought the subject around to his family and the fact that they'd perished in the fire as well. It annoyed Jaune that the man could be so sneaky, not tackling the issue head on but instead using some other means as a way of transitioning into it. It was clever, he'd give him that, but he'd much rather the man was upfront with him. The sooner they tackled the issue the sooner this would be over and he could return to his life. He didn't want to spend multiple sessions beating around the bush. He didn't even want to be here now.
"Doctor, may I ask you something?"
"Of course," Oobleck said cheerfully.
"I know that it's no secret you're aware of the events which took our families from us. I also know its part of the reason Professor Ozpin requested I start these sessions. What I don't understand is, if that's what we're here to talk about then why aren't we? Why ask about my life there, my childhood, my time with Jade and beat around the issue? Why not just come out and ask?"
While he hadn't meant to, Jaune's temper and tone had risen as he spoke. His annoyance and frustration with how Oobleck was handling this had barred it fangs and he was honestly embarrassed that he'd reacted in such a fashion. To add to his bewilderment, Oobleck seemed unfazed by his reaction. On the contrary, he seemed almost pleased. Instead of answering him immediately, however, the man set down his pad and pen, revealing several lines of meticulous notes which the man had taken, something which surprised Jaune greatly.
"Jaune, while you might not understand my methods, rest assured every question I've asked you has been for a purpose. My reasoning for not tackling the issue head on is because I do not believe you're ready to open up about it," he admitted, causing Jaune's jaw to go slack.
"The loss of one's family, or anyone close for that matter, can be an extremely difficult subject to broach. Were I to simply dive right in, you'd no doubt react in a defensive matter, viewing my attempts to take a stab at the heart of the issue as threatening. I'd be doing more harm than good. That's why I'm slowly working towards it, tackling other issues that, while minor in comparison, are still quite informative with how they relate to the greater issue plaguing you and will be very enlightening, allowing me to garner information and insight which will be greatly beneficial in the long run once we've made the difficult journey towards closing this wound in your heart.
You see, the thing about therapy is that, while it is a medical practice, the manner in which one administers treatment to their patients is fundamentally different from those practiced by doctors and nurses in clinics and hospitals. While a doctor at a hospital is able to identify symptoms that tell them the root cause of the issue and prescribe the treatment, therapy is a little different.
Often times we don't know the root cause. Most of these sessions are spent conversing with our patients, carefully identifying the symptoms that will eventually lead us to the root cause and thus give us a general idea on how we are to proceed. Other times, like now, we already know the root cause but must be cautious when working our way towards it. Even if our methods are well intentioned, if we act too aggressively in our approach we risk causing more harm than help, making the situation worse. That's why we are taking our time, in order to better help you I'm working to discover the other symptoms so together we can help make you better."
The analogy, while helpful, didn't exactly leave Jaune in shock and awe. He knew that his mental state wasn't something that could be fixed with some over the counter medication. Even so, he didn't see any problems arising from what was going on. He'd had one bad episode caused by a criminal's attempts to leave him as a smear on the pavement. So he'd freaked out a little, hallucinating his family's deaths again, that didn't mean he couldn't still fight or that it was going to occur once more. Still, Ozpin and Oobleck were acting like this was something serious that could possibly blow up in his face one day. Considering that, there was something he needed to know.
"So what's your diagnosis?" he asked.
"Sorry?"
"You already know the root cause. No doubt you already know some of my history. Even the answers to your questions earlier were probably all information you already had at your disposal. I just want to know what your current thoughts on my mental state are," he clarified.
"Mr. Arc, while your general history is indeed known to me, that doesn't mean it's a road map from which I can determine everything about you. The process and these questions are all vitally important in establishing a foundation for us to work from," Oobleck explained.
"I want to know, Doctor. I have a right to know what my mental state is, how fucked up I am," he said.
Silence pervaded the room. It was enough that only the ticking of a nearby clock as the seconds passed could be heard. Oobleck let out a tired sigh, raising his glasses to rub the exhaustion from his eyes before looking back at Jaune. The young man in question remained firm, giving Oobleck a stern glance that showed how serious he was. He needed to know. Just how badly did these people view him?
"While I wouldn't have used such a harsh term to describe your current state, I can say that many would consider it troubling," Oobleck admitted. "The trauma you've been put through by witnessing the deaths of your family, not to mention the increased stress brought about by placing the burden of caring for another individual on your shoulders, not to mention being made the leader of your own team, are sure to have negative effects later down the line. While your experience at the docks could be considered an isolated incident, it could simply be a precursor to other episodes created by increased stress, fatigue, irritability, and even depression.
I would highly recommend further sessions to help you in stemming this tide by learning ways to alleviate stressors from your life as well begin to understand and process the trauma you experienced at your village."
"So in other words I'm broken," Jaune concluded.
"Again, Mr. Arc, that isn't the exact terminology that I would use. To be more precise, you are simply sick and I merely wish to help you return to health."
"But you said that this would have greater effects later down the line, as in there's a greater chance that it'll affect me much later rather than sooner," Jaune pointed out. "Knowing that, considering that the events at the docks was a one-time thing, unless I'm put under a great deal of stress, I shouldn't expect another episode to occur."
"Theoretically, Mr. Arc that is the most preferable outcome. However, life is seldom as predictable as to enable us to know if and when events in our life will result in injury or increased stress and trauma. Just because the event at the docks was an isolated incident, that doesn't mean something similar won't occur at a later date nor that a series of smaller but similar events to the one experienced won't lead to greater stress being placed upon you. It would be more beneficial to you in the long run to continue these sessions to help you start the healing process and, should anything I've described occur in the future, you'll be more capable of overcoming it and processing it mentally than you would without."
"Of course, the decision to continue these sessions is all mine," Jaune pointed out.
"Indeed it is," Oobleck replied.
"I see," Jaune said, glancing at the clock to see how much time had passed. "Looks like our session is done."
"It would appear so," Oobleck said, collecting his things as he rose from the couch. "Just so you know, Jaune, my door is always open should you need to talk."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaune said as he made his way to the door. "Have a good weekend sir."
"You as well."
/-/
"So, how was your errand?" Pyrrha asked the moment he returned to the dorm.
"It went well, no problems," he said.
"Everyone ready for the weekend? I've got big plans in the works," Nor announced earning a groan from her partner Ren who no doubt had some sort of idea of what the energetic girl meant.
After slipping into their sleepwear and seeing to Jade, their team finally settled down for some well-deserved rest. Despite the exhaustion his body felt, Jaune found it difficult to sleep. His conversation with Oobleck was bothering him, the details they'd gone over reverberating in his head. While he was confident that nothing would occur and that he wouldn't need to speak with the Doctor anytime soon, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous that, the moment he closed his eyes, his dreams would be filled with fire and smoke. He tried to push the notion from his mind, instead focusing on letting his mind rest, but all night long the paranoia whispered at him from the back of his mind. When sleep finally did take hold, he was greeted with dreamless sleep but for long?
So, while I realize this update is happening before any of my other stories, I'd pretty much already finished it and really wanted to start this arc for Jaune Arc (I'm puny today) and really start to show more sides to his personality.
Tsune is, of course, not an original character of mine. She's actually the creation of Coeur Al'Aran (stop by and check out his fan fictions. He's actually the one who inspired me to start making improvements to my overall story telling and depth). I actually like her as a character, especially the simple fact that, despite being a practitioner of medicine who's meant to help heal people she often likes to cause them pain instead.
As for the therapy sessions Jaune is currently taking, this will be something that we see more of throughout the story. Not only for Jade but I want to include more moments where Jaune's stress limits are pushed to their breaking point as he struggles to manage it. Also, I'm more or less basing his overall experience with how I used to view therapy until I actually took a couple sessions and found them to be very helpful, especially with simply having someone who you could talk to and get everything that's been bothering most of my life off my chest. I'm not in any way attempting to make fun of anyone who is currently or is considering taking therapy. I'm simply showcasing how I once viewed it and attempting to show how helpful it can be when taken seriously.
As always, thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts and look forward to updates to my other stories soon. Archangel is nearing the end of its current arc before I start on the Mistral portion so that's exciting.