empathicfault | IC Inbox

[ Will's small frown makes it clear he doesn't agree on the 'pushing too hard' thing. He doesn't ask, though, because if Shaw was going to say who it was, she would've done so. And he doesn't want to get blocked on that again.

The rest? Will nods in agreement through her assessment. He even smiles slightly at her talk about Malcolm's achievements at the meeting. So his next question is not accusatory but curious: ]

Did you tell him that?

Yeah. We talked about how full of crap Reid is.

[She notes that frown, though, and pushing off the wall, comes over to bump her hip lightly against Will's chair.]

And as far as the other stuff goes - you can't tell me how important it is not to push Malcolm's limits, but then dismiss other people's concerns about him pushing theirs. I'm-- trying, and I'm gonna try harder. But he needs to work on this, too.

[ Will finally reaches over, grabbing the whiskey and taking a healthy gulp of it. ]

I agree. He has been trying, and he's been hitting a wall. Kind of like you were trying to do with him. That's why I thought I could help between you two. I could catch the bad interpretations before they spiral into something bigger...at least until you both find solid footing.

[ He rubs at his face. ]

And then maybe I can talk to you about what I'm trying to do to help him, and it won't sound so much like I'm....isolating him, or attempting to set up Hannibal 2.0. Or whatever.

I don't think you're trying to do that. I worry about you falling into old patterns, but that doesn't mean I think you want to.

[She does go to get her drinks now, carrying them back to the table, where she sits across from him.]

I do wanna hear about your plans.

[ He looks up at Shaw, openly grateful before vocalizing it. ]

Thank you.

[ Will rubs his chin, thinking of how he wants to put this. ]

Malcolm has managed his conditions related to his trauma, but it's not being actively managed here. Part of that is an arrested emotional development, which I don't think his therapist at home was capable of addressing. Part of it is that he's autistic but hasn't had much help in that area. It's not an 'acceptable' condition for the upper class, probably...and he admittedly had larger issues to work on.

I'm working on getting him to go to therapy here- he respects Kiryu. And I think that brand of fighting it out would work well for him, if he lets himself try it.

You know, I've actually talked to him about that? Trying to get therapy and actual help. He was pretty dismissive of the idea. Is it going better with you?

It's slow, but he's thinking about it. I can't really blame him for being concerned. His therapist at home is a child psychologist and she's the one that got him talking again. He's refused every attempt at her referring him to someone more suited. But when your trust has been betrayed on the level that his father managed....of course you don't trust anyone in an authority position to have your best interest in mind.

Hell, I only folded on the therapy thing because these are not what I consider standard psychiatrists, and they don't force me to undergo standard techniques- techniques that don't work on me at all.

But right now he's not talking his feelings through with anyone other than me...and maybe Neal, I don't know. But I do know I'm not an objective observer, as much as I'd like to be.

Only reason I told you to talk to the guys here was that I knew they wouldn't do that to you.

[She slouches a little in her chair, stretching her legs out.]

It makes me worry less to hear you admit that you're not objective. So, thanks.

[ Will had been staring at the table while they talked. He looks up at Shaw now, his lips curling up into a tired smirk. ]

Objectivity has never been a strength of mine. Took me long enough to even realize what my own opinion was on some things.

Besides, I don't think anyone's objective when it comes to someone they care about. Still- there are far better examples than me.

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