Halisi frowns as she listens, thumbs stroking back and forth across Ilyna's knuckles in an attempt at soothing her. The mention of the footage makes her frown deepen, before a quiet "Oh..." slips out. She looks on the verge of saying something, but instead waits for Ilyna to continue.
#Hospital – April 9, 2025
Ilyna takes a deep breath to keep herself together. "She-.... I tried explaining myself, how I'm doing this responsibly, one small step at a time, but... nothing I said matters," she says. "She wants... us to put and end to this before it leads somewhere terrible." She gets more uncomfortable after spelling it out, averting her eyes as she awaits Halisi's answer.
Halisi 's expression hardens, anger and disappointment flashing through her silver eyes, but it soon gives way to the same soft frown. "I'm so sorry you had to listen to that, Ilyna. Our relationship is none of her business," she says firmly, giving the asari's hands a squeeze.
Ilyna looks back at Halisi, a little relieved that she's angry at Vasquez rather showing half the understanding that Ilyna did. "I...- It shouldn't," she says, some frustration showing up in her voice, "but I don't think I can tell her that if she needed to lock me in the office with her to confront me about it." A tear trickles down her cheek. She adds quiety, "she thinks having to hide it means we know that it's wrong."
Halisi lets out a sigh, turning the situation over in her head as she watches Ilyna. Rather than comment on it immediately, her hands disentangle from the asari's and lift slightly, spreading in a silent offer of a hug a gentle, inviting smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Ilyna does not hesitate when the hug is offered, and she winds her arms around her, but she does not lean fully into it. "If only we didn't kiss on the roof," she says, her low voice trembling as she stops holding back her tears.
Halisi pulls Ilyna into a firm hug, nuzzling her neck as she squeezes her. The doctor smells of antiseptic and medigel, and the fabric of her surgical hat crinkles against the asari's skin. "It'll be alright, Ilyna." The assurance is spoken softly but steadily, and accompanied by a hand running soothingly up and down her back. "I'll talk to Linda, and make it clear that this kind of behavior is not acceptable."
Ilyna does not seem any bothered by any of the smells and the feeling of the surgical hat against her skin, letting herself be pulled in. She then rests her head on Halisi's shoulder and closes her eyes, but she still shakes a bit as she sobs. "Are you sure that's... a good idea?" she asks, a hint of fear in her voice.
Halisi 's embrace tightens a little at the sound of Ilyna's sobbing, showing no intention of letting go until she does. "As long as it's alright with you, of course." There's a question in those words. Is it? "Linda will come to her senses. I'm sure of it."
Ilyna stays put, and she tries to calm down a bit with a deep breath but so far it's not going well. "I... I'm worried she'd... confront me again," she admits. "I won't know... what to say then."
Halisi pulls back enough to rest her hands on Ilyna's shoulders, seeking out her gaze. "Ilyna. Ilyna. She won't. I'll speak with her. Make sure she understands what she said was terrible, and out of line. Linda has been through a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. I believe she'll see that, and if she doesn't, you don't have to defend yourself to her. You've done nothing wrong, Ilyna."
Ilyna shows some surprise when Halisi pulls back the hug, having gotten comfortable. Her own hands ends up on the side of Halisi's shoulders and her eyes meet Halisi's. The asari's face is an unreadable collection of emotions from the sadness that's stained it with tears, to the frustration about this situation. Linda has more reason than anyone to be afraid of where this leads, but Halisi speaks everything Ilyna wants to
hear. Yet Ilyna isn't convinced it'll be that simple. "I know," she says, her voice still trembling. "I just worry,... like I always do."
Halisi flashes a brief, heavy smile. "You can hardly be blamed for that," she says, before pulling her back into the hug. "But it will work out. Trust me, alright?"
Ilyna relaxes a little as she's pulled back into the hug, and her crying has calmed. She gives a slight affirmative sound at her words, but not a clearer response than that.
Halisi spends the remainder of her lunch break with Ilyna, doing her best to make sure the asari is doing as well as she can be before she's inevitable pulled back to work. She leaves her with a promise to talk to Vasquez as soon as her shift is over, and suggests that Ilyna take Li and head home for the day.