A Study In Anatomy

V. Interview

The first thing Miles noticed about Coach Card's office was how clean it was. Besides being free of clutter, every surface, from the framed degree behind the desk to the window looking out on the locker room, was free of any dust or blemish. Despite its location, the air had a subtle disinfectant smell to it. Even that was minimized by a slim, rectangular deodorizer near the door, a device often used by zetas with sensitive noses or strong scents.

The large zeta closed the office door behind him. He wore a set of loose fitting joggers and a green Seneca East High School t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. Like most zetas, he didn't wear shoes. He gave Miles a quick glance, then stepped around his desk and eased into the wheeled chair on the other side. Though sturdy, the plastic and metal frame creaked under the zeta's weight. A square slot in the back accommodated his tail, which lashed in time to the clicking of fingerpads on the keyboard.

When Miles didn't move or say anything, the zeta adjusted his position to face him. "Sit down, Mr. Hawley."

Miles considered the hard plastic chair on this side of Card's desk. He didn't think he'd be able to sit down in something like that for a few hours. "I'd prefer to stand, if that's OK."

The coach grunted. "That doesn't surprise me," he said, pivoting the thin monitor so that Miles could see the video on screen.

It was a black and white recording of what had just happened in the showers. The memory was still fresh, and the angle of the footage did not allow for much detail; Miles was shocked, however, by the brutality of the act on screen. In the recording, Alec was pinning Miles' wrist against the small of his back, forcing his knot into the much smaller human with determined concentration. Miles couldn't see his own face, but he knew that he had been desperately trying to get Alec to stop in that moment. Despite the poor resolution, his body was visibly shaking, overwhelmed by mixed pain and pleasure.

In the present, Miles felt a familiar warmth in his groin. He forced it away.

He instead focused on what this recording meant or why Card was showing it to him. "Isn't it illegal to record in school locker rooms?"

The coach closed the video and turned the monitor back to its original position. "Under normal circumstances, that would be true. The school board received permission from the state to install hidden cameras after an incident a few years ago. It's in the paperwork parents sign at the beginning of each school year, although I suspect few actually read it." The tiger shrugged. "We've never received complaints."

The human hesitated. There were a few things that could be unpacked there, but one in particular stood out. "What kind of incident?"

The space between the tiger's eyebrows wrinkled. "A human was assaulted by two zeta students." He paused for a moment, eyes quickly sliding over Miles' body. He understood that Card was acting in his professional capacity, but he still felt self-conscious. "Are you hurt?"

The question was surprising, but Miles responded quickly. Alec had pushed him to his absolute limit, but he didn't think he was actually injured. "Um. Just sore. I should be fine in a day or two."

The tiger waited a moment, as if giving Miles a chance to change his mind or say more. When he didn't, the coach nodded. "OK. I'd rather not have to review all this footage, so let's just do this the easy way. If you were both zetas or humans, this wouldn't be as much of an issue, but under the circumstances, I'm legally obligated to ask you a few questions."

He waited for Miles to nod before continuing.

"Was the encounter between you and MacCrossen consensual?"

"MacCrossen— is that Alec?"

"Yes. Alexander MacCrossen. Hawley, I need a yes or no answer."

Miles shrugged after a moment. "I mean, I started it, so... yes."