Lieutenant JG Hana Wright - How not to introduce your boyfriend to your dad
Persephone J
Hana sighed and squirmed in her hospital bed, her hands still making stitches in her latest crochet project even though her mind had long sense wandered.
She was in the sick bay for observation after her recent injury. Apparently they wanted to make extra sure that they had correctly replicated her hybrid blood and strengthen field repairs done on her side. She felt perfectly fine and in all likelihood was perfectly fine, but still she needed to sit here. Really, she had only been persuaded to stay by Stoval pointing out that Hana being admitted meant Teela would be near help if she needed it.
Seeing the little tribble hurt had felt like a piece of her soul had been carved out. Hana had long stopped hating that she needed to rely on her to get through her life and had been thinking of her almost as an extension of her body for as long as she cared to recall. She was fine. They were both fine, really, but the anxiety of it was welling up in her chest to the point where she almost started crying tears of joy when Stoval had started rubbing soothing circles into her back and quietly reciting what was apparently Vulcan love poetry.
She was going to be okay, even if she kept seeing those events playing out every time she closed her eyes.
The real work was what Stoval was planning to help her with, getting her tentative and still weak mental shields back in order after she shattered them while doing…whatever it was she had done to that Romulan whole down on the planet. The Vulcan had insisted on being at her side from the moment she was back on board and apparently had been rather insistent at remaining nearby while she was being treated earlier. She just didn’t remember it because she was fairly out of it, but she had apparently asked for him. Frankly, she was a bit upset at herself for folding but she did guess it indicated that she really did care about him, even though that was insane this early on (she was going to call Is’Kah about that when she got her head on right), but now it was time for a different call.
With her dad.
Stoval had refused to leave when she asked, able to tell that she didn’t really want him to (she really would need to unpack that), but he had agreed to stay out of frame. Her dad was already going to be freaked out enough without learning that his daughter had apparently gotten Vulcan married over a long weekend.
Wright: Are you sure you want to be here for this? He’ll freak if he sees you.
Stoval: I can handle your father being upset about my presence for the sake of keeping you at ease.
And that was that, Hana supposed, as she started the video feed.
((Comms tags not included because the whole scene from this point is over comms))
David Wright: Grease Monkey! So great to hear- are you in the hospital?!
Wright: Hi dad! Yeah…about that. I got injured in the line of duty.
David Wright: ::trying to make light to disguise his panic:: Honey, you’re already more decorated than I ever got in my entire career, you don’t need to add a Purple Heart to the pile.
Wright: ::with a sigh:: I’m fine, dad. Everything is fine. It wasn’t that bad
Hana couldn’t help but glance over at Stoval who was giving her a pointed look at the idea of her injury being minor. She would have glared back but her dad would definitely notice that, so she tried to just…nudge him through their bond. Of course, that only made him “gratified” or whatever Vulcan label he would put on the happiness he felt at her acknowledging the damn thing.
David Wright: If you’re sure sweetie…how did this happen? You’re an engineer! You shouldn’t be doing anything with risks you don’t already know how to handle.
Wright: I’m pretty sure that’s classified, dad.
David Wright: ::misty eyed:: My little girl. All grown up. Promise me you’ll be careful, okay? You’re all I have and I’m so proud of what you’re doing, but I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. Are you sure you don’t want to come back home for a bit?
Hana had so many questions she wanted to ask him. Why hadn’t he told her that her heart was more Vulcan than human? Did he know about Pon Farr? What about the fact that she had been struggling for so long partially because she lacked any healthy mental bonds? But those questions threatened to shatter everything she knew about both him and herself. She just…wasn’t really to voice them.
Wright: I’m good dad, I promise. I’m staying as careful as I can out here.
That’s when it happened.
Teela, from her place in Hana’s lap accidentally knocked her ball of yarn onto the floor and Stoval, seemingly without thinking about it, picked it up and handed it back to her, his arm coming into frame as he did.
David Wright: Hana, sweetie…who’s that?
Hana felt like ice was suddenly dropped on her head. Her eyes darted to Stoval, who at least had the decency to be apologetic, wild and open as she searched for an answer.
Wright: A nurse! He’s a nurse!
Her dad didn’t seem to buy it, furrowing his eyebrows at her.
David Wright: Why is a nurse here when you’re having a private conversation? Do you need to be under observation? How badly were you injured?
Wright: I…uh…it’s fine. He’s just keeping me company? Yeah. That’s it.
Hana felt the same stare that she got when she claimed that she definitely hadn’t snuck chocolate ice cream as a little kid even though her fingers and cheeks were sticky with it. He saw right through her.
oO Well, this was going to happen eventually Oo
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, nodding to Stoval who, like he was seemingly made in a lab to do, understood her meaning.
He reached out and adjusted the camera so that they were both in frame.
David Wright: ::suddenly cold and stern:: Hana. Why is there a Vulcan man in your hospital room?
Wright: I! Dad, he’s…
Stoval: Hello sir. My name is Stoval. I believe the correct human description is that I am your daughter’s boyfriend.
David Wright: I didn’t ask you- wait, WHAT?!
Stoval: I am keeping her company while she is in observation.
David Wright: Hana, honey. Is this true?!
Wright: yeah, more or less.
She really don’t know what else to do but let her eyes flicker between Stoval and her dad. She was relieved beyond measure that Stoval hadn’t opened with “I’m her husband,” because that would have been an even worse disaster.
David Wright: Hana what are you thinking! How long has this been going on for!
Wright: ::looking away:: a couple months.
David Wright: Months! Sweetie, we talked about this! Experimenting is fine, but you shouldn’t get so serious with…with…
Hana knew what he wanted to say was “with a Vulcan.” Frankly she couldn’t belive she was apparently about to have her teen romance “but daddy I love him moment” years behind schedule.
Wright: Dad, it’s not-
David Wright: Honey, I just want what’s best for you. You can’t be brought in by this. He doesn’t love you. He can’t ever love you. He’ll just want to control you! Make you an emotionless robot like him. You’re better than that. I didn’t want this for you. I save- I want you to be happy not shackled to some…some controlling arrogant computer who thinks he knows best because he’s not distracted by the idea of making you happy. What about Katie? I know she never really got over you.
Hana’s heart clenched. Katie, Katie, Katie.
Katie who she had loved but who shattered her heart into pieces when she had pushed her away for peering into her mind without wanting to. Katie who could only think about how weird Hana’s mind was and how much she pitied her for it. Katie who hadn’t spoken to her in years.
Stoval never made her feel like that. Small and broken and wrong. He had seen her at her worst, at her most broken and frail and he had only been in awe of her. Stoval had done nothing but support her even as she had pushed him away out of fear of being hurt again. Stoval felt like he filled up an emptiness she hadn’t even realized was haunting her.
oO Oh god…am I in love with him??? Oo
She really didn’t have time to unpack that right now.
Stoval: That is hardly an appropriate conclusion seeing as you know nothing about me other than my name. I can see that your issue is with me, so I ask that you do not take it out on Hana who is still recovering from an injury far worse that she lets on.
David Wright: Don’t talk to me like that! Stay away from my daughter or you won’t like what happens, I promise you that.
Wright: ::quietly:: …he saved my life.
David Wright: Sweetie, you’re young. You don’t know what love is and you won’t get it with him. Don’t make my mistakes, please, honey?
Stoval: This discussion is not productive. I understand your concerns, Mr. Wright, but you are clearly not in a position to express them properly and you are only causing your daughter undue stress. I propose that we have this discussion at a later time or if you simply must express your anger now, you do so to me in another room while Hana rests.
David Wright: Don’t pretend you understand how either of us feel! If you know what’s good for you you’ll leave and never come back. Hana is better than this, better than you. She’s got nothing to do with you people and your hoity toity repressive cul-
Hana cut the transmission, unable to hear another word. Her dad has always…mistrusted Vulcans, but he had never been this bad, this angry before. She almost didn’t recognize him. It was terrifying.
She didn’t know she was crying until Stoval wiped away the tears streaming down her face, offering her a hug with his arms wide open. She all but dove in and sobbed, breaking under the stress of her recent experience and the weight of decades of confusion.
Lieutenant JG Hana Wright Engineering Officer USS Astraeus A240112HW4