Editing Verona Hayward (section)

====[[Brett Hayward]]====
Verona lives in Kennet with her abusive father [[Brett Hayward]],<ref>“Hi, Brett Hayward.” - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/7-8-spoilers-cwtatg/ excerpt] from Gone Ahead 7.8 Spoilers</ref> who has full custody of Verona.  Their relationship is toxic and awkward.  Verona's dad demands constant emotional support from his daughter, including bouts of crying multiple times per week.  He exhibits signs of depression, and claims to have migraines, as well as "an STD" (unspecified) which he says he received from Verona's mother before their divorce.<ref>In the light of his television, she could see the moisture in his eyes.  The tears started flowing.<br><br>“I’m so alone, Verona.  I’m trying so hard and I have nothing to show for it.  No friends, no wife- your mother gave me an STD from someone she cheated on me with and then left.  I can’t convey how ''alone'' I am.”<br><br>She remained silent, standing in the doorway.<br><br>Her father sat there on his bed, sobbing. - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2020/06/02/lost-for-words-1-8/ excerpt] from [[Lost for Words 1.8]]</ref>

When Verona leaves for summer classes at the [[Blue Heron Institute]], her father ends up in the emergency room for a partial obstruction of the small bowel,<ref>“What happened?” she asked.<br><br>“I nearly passed out from the pain, is what happened.  I got a ride to the emergency room from a coworker I am ''not'' a fan of, and I had to wait ten hours, getting told it shouldn’t be much longer, it shouldn’t be much longer, except people kept coming in, needing to use the machine before me.  And all the while, I’m trying to call you.”<br><br>“What was it?”<br><br>“It’s not fun, wondering, is it?  Imagine how I felt, for those ten hours.  With ''nobody'', not a single soul, to turn to.  Not even my own daughter. ''Especially'' my own daughter, who is ignoring my calls when I ''really'' need the support.  It was a partial obstruction of the small bowel.”<br><br>“You’re constipated?”<br><br>“''No'', Verona! No.  It obstructed and my intestine twisted.  They put a tube down my nose, and they had to give me fluids by IV, because I’ve been throwing up from the pain and everything else.  There’s a very real possibility I’ll have to go into surgery.  They’re saying it’s fifty-fifty, but every hour that passes, the odds of surgery rise, and it’s been a bit.  If I do end up needing surgery, I won’t be able to handle things on my own.  I’m going to need you to put down whatever you’re doing and come home, just in case.  I literally have nobody else who can help handle these things.” - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2020/09/19/leaving-a-mark-4-9/ excerpt] from [[Leaving a Mark 4.9]]</ref> and demands that Verona return home immediately to care for him.

The full extent of her father's 'brokenness' is not known yet, but it is inarguably abusive.<ref>[http://redd.it/jph9hk Verona - a thank you to Wildbow for representation.]</ref>  What is known about him indicates several possibilities:

*[[wikipedia:Major depressive disorder|Depression]]
*[[wikipedia:Codependency#Family_dynamics|Codependent parent]]
*[[wikipedia:Narcissistic parent|Narcissistic parent]]
*[[wikipedia:Parentification|Parentification/spousification]]
*[[wikipedia:Munchausen_syndrome|Munchausen syndrome]]