They passed the state border into Oklahoma without comment, no longer exceeding the speed limit or in a rush, yet still riding on. Mestral finally stopped when they reached Oklahoma City, again because the bike was out of gas. He paid for a hotel room for the day and following night so that he could see how broken Val was and try to address that. All of this felt like years, but it had only been six hours. It was just now eight in the morning. When he had shown the hotel desk attendant his New Mexico driver's license with his Albuquerque address, he had to force back irritation at her sudden shift in demeanor to pity.
He opened the door to the room and gently led Val in. Mestral tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. He suddenly heard Lily in his mind, echoing from a memory long ago, "Sometimes terrible things happen to innocent people. It's what happens afterward that matters the most."
"Valdena," he addressed his daughter. She set the backback down on the bed and looked up at him. " I need to leave you here alone for a bit. We need clothing, food. Information. Please behave yourself and I will return as quickly as possible. You may order room service or whatever you desire."
When he returned, he found Valdena in a bubble bath emotionlessly eating nachos. She was listening to the radio on the alarm clock, which she had unplugged from the nightstand and set up in the bathroom, balanced on the lid of the toilet seat.
"They are sending drones in because it is too radioactive for human life," she said in a monotone. Mestral set down his shopping bags and came into the bathroom, sitting on the floor next to the tub with his back leaning against the rim.
"School is definitely cancelled today," he raised an eyebrow sardonically. Val almost choked on her nacho chip, laughed loudly, and immediately burst into heart-wrenching sobs. Mestral would have been shocked at this behavior from a Vulcan, but not from his half human daughter. He did something he hadn't done since she was a toddler; Mestral set the plate of nachos on the sink counter and began washing his child's hair while she sobbed freely. Shampoo. Scrub. Conditioner. Scrub. He handed her the body wash, and set a towel next to the tub for her, and left the bathroom so she could compose herself.
He set on the edge of one of the double beds and meditated until she emerged, eyes dry and clean. Without moving, Mestral said, "There are clean clothes in the bag on the left for you, as well as a comb and toothbrush. Your life may have fallen apart but that is no excuse for poor hygiene."
Val snorted and took the bag back into the bathroom. "Dad?"
"Yes my child?" he replied, eyes still closed and body still in meditative stance.
"Thank you."
He paused and opened his eyes. "You are my daughter. The moment I saw you, you were mine to raise. To protect. I am sorry that this is how you are growing up, but sometimes terrible things happen to innocent people. It's what happens afterward that matters the most."
Val paused while brushing her hair. "That is amazing. Who said that?"
"Your mother, before she died." He hesitated, but given the circumstances a little sentiment was forgivable, "I sincerely wish you could have met her."
He stood in the shower for far too long, letting the hot water rain down. Meditation was easier in a shower, he determined. When he emerged from the bathroom later, he found Valdena sitting cross-legged on the bed she had claimed, studying a road map Mestral had picked up while he was out.
"Where are we going to live now?" she asked thoughtfully.