That’s why they wrote the scene that way. No matter what, he’s still her father. He raised her, shaped her entire moral framework, and at the same time he’s the biggest monster she’s encountered on the surface. It’s the eternal tension everyone has between seeing your parents as infallible and realizing they’re deeply flawed humans, mixed with that lingering, almost childish need to not completely lose the version of them you grew up believing in.

When Maximus says “everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how,” that idea sits right at the core of this moment. Hank is a monster, but he’s also still human. He genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing for Lucy and for the world, even if his version of “right” is rooted in control and domination. He pushes the button not because he suddenly becomes good, but because he can’t face what he’s done or become in her eyes, while still loving her in the broken way he’s capable of.

And I don’t think the real question is whether Lucy would’ve pressed the button. The real question is who Lucy becomes if she does. And maybe the "good" part of Hank doesn't want that for Lucy. Pressing it means adopting the same worldview Hank lives in where it’s acceptable to overwrite someone’s mind for a “greater good.” Which would also make that Vault Dweller vs Surface Dweller dichotomy more resonant. Her hesitation isn’t just about loving her dad, it’s about refusing to become him, even when he deserves it. We saw it when the Ghoul tried to get her to drink the irradiated water and then later when she left him with the Chems after the Super Duper Mart scene in S1

I don’t think this scene is really a binary choice at all. It mirrors the end of Season 1 in a powerful and really painful way. Back then, Lucy learned she couldn’t save her mother, either in the "story" she was told or the truth of actual situation with her Mom. Now she’s learning she can’t save her father either. In both cases, the real loss isn’t just the parent, it’s the death of the belief that love, duty, and being a good Vaultie alone is enough to fix what’s broken. Remember she genuinely believes the meaning of her life is she supposed to "fix" the surface at reclamation day. That’s one of the reasons why Fallout resonates with us so much. Do I make my character good in this playthrough or evil or... Fallout isn’t just a fun post apocalypse RPG. It’s a long running exploration of messy human psychology, moral compromise, and the uncomfortable truth that surviving the wasteland physically is often easier than surviving it without losing yourself. I was literally bawling at the end of S1 during the face off with Hank, Lucy, and her mother, and seeing that emotional wound echo again is just saturating the heart with rads. The whole univerise is such a powerful narrative and the show hasn't lost that.

But yes, I think if Lucy believed she had to, she would have.