Heart

Year: 2186

Setting: United States of America, Jersey City, New Jersey

"Daddy!" little Nova Tremaine started to run to the man who'd just stepped through the front door; her golden curls bounced around her bright face. But she had to stop halfway there. "Daddy –you're – home!" she panted as she made it the rest of the way to her father and clung to his leg.

"Yes, honey." He reached down and picked up his little girl with an "Umph! My you're getting big."

Mr. Tremaine walked the short distance to the big couch in the living room and set Nova down before joining her. He untied his red and yellow tie and draped it over the armrest.

"How was school today?" he asked.

Nova's face instantly dimmed. "Okay, I guess…" she said, her eyes now fixed on the cushions she sat on.

"Just, 'okay'?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

Nova still didn't look at him, "It – the other kids… they make fun of me…" she said quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Why would they do that?" her father asked.

"Because I can't run and play like they can – " her eyes suddenly shot up to her father in distress, "But Daddy, I try, really, I do!" She said, her big, sweet, brown eyes starting to fill with tears.

"I know you do, sweetheart." He gave her a big hug, "Don't worry about the other kids." He smiled, "After all, we're moving in two weeks, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" the girl's eyes lit again and her tears faded, then a question passed over her face, "But Mommy never said why we're going. Did you get another job?"

"No, Nova." Her father's face changed in a way she didn't understand, "That isn't why." He paused for a moment, then took a breath and continued, "There's a good doctor there who can make it so you can play with the other kids – so they'll never make fun of you for not being able to do what they can."

"I have to go to the doctor?" Nova crinkled her nose in distaste. "I don't like doctors."

"It's okay, Nova. You won't have to stay very long, but you may have to see the doctor several times."

"Oh…" Nova was unhappy with this, of course, but she had to realize that it was for her own good.

Nova didn't say anything for a long time. She just sat there, toying with her fingers, eyes down, face blank. Then she looked up and said, "But I'll be able to run?"

"Yes, Nova." Her father nodded, "You will."

"Okay, Daddy." She smiled, "I hope the doctor's nice."

"I'm sure she is," Lucas patted his daughter in the back gently, "We've been looking for a good doctor ever since we learned about your heart a few months ago."

The little girl snuggled up against her father and threw her little arms as far around him as she could. "Thank you, Daddy."

A few weeks later Nova had her first appointment with the cardiology specialist in Houston, Texas. She didn't hate the appointment, though she didn't like the smell of the office at all. But she was delighted to be supplied with ample things to do while her parents talked with Dr. Amy Wilson about the tests she'd taken today.

She didn't remember much else about the visits, and as the weeks and months went by, Nova noticed that things around her were changing. She didn't feel any better after the doctor visits, and her parents always seemed tired and worried about something.

Her father never wore his nice suits anymore. Instead he always had on a pair of old jeans and a work shirt. Instead of the nice job he'd had back in New Jersey, he worked at one of the local manufacturing plants. It was a nice place, but nothing like where he'd once worked. Their Texas life was so different from their life in New Jersey.

One day, during her regular weekly visit Dr. Wilson wanted to talk with Nova about something. The girl was intrigued. The doctor hadn't talked with her much one-on-one. Usually her mother and father were there too.

"Nova." The doctor patted the seat beside her, "Sit down, sweetie. There's something important we need to talk about."

"Okay." The girl obeyed, looking up at the woman with inquisitive eyes. "What are we gonna talk about?"

Dr. Wilson smiled at the girl's refreshing simplicity, then said, "You know there's something wrong with your heart."

Nova nodded, "Uh huh."

"Well, I'm going to fix it." Dr. Wilson replied, "But I'll have to operate on your heart to do that."

"Operate? What's that?" the child asked, the word foreign to her.

"It means that I have to go inside your heart."

"Like Jesus?" Nova asked in wonder, "He's in my heart too. If you go in you might see Him."

The doctor laughed at this, "No, Nova, not like that. I'll have to do surgery – cut open your heart – but only a little bit – just enough to let my surgical equipment get in so I can fix your heart."

"Oh." Nova said, finally understanding, "Is that gonna hurt?"

"No, honey. You'll be asleep while I do that." Dr. Wilson replied.

"Well, okay then." Nova replied, her smile restored. "I think I can do that."

"Very good." Wilson smiled, "I'll see you in a few weeks then."

"Okay." Nova replied, "Can I go see my parents now?"

"Sure, Sweetie." The doctor nodded and let Nova out into the waiting room where her parents sat.

Four weeks later, the surgery was over and Nova was just waking.

"Daddy…?" Nova whispered. "Everything's all blurry."

"It's okay, sweetie." Her father patted her hand, "You'll be able to see better in a minute. The drugs from the surgery are wearing off."

"Where's Mommy?" Nova blinked hard, trying to clear her vision.

"I'm right here, Nova." Her mother appeared next to her father and Nova felt her mother's hand on her arm.

"Is my heart fixed?" Nova asked pointedly.

"Yes, it is." Replied her father, "You'll have to rest for a few months, but after that, you'll be able to run and climb, and hike, just like everyone else."

"Thank you, Daddy." Nova's eyes cleared, only to tear up. "Thank you, Mommy." She pulled her child's hand out from under her father's and laid it over both her father's and mother's hands. "I love you."

"We love you too, Nova." Her father replied, and though Nova couldn't see their faces clearly, she felt their loving eyes and their smiles of joy.

Year: 2199

Setting: Onboard the Argo somewhere near Neptune

Nova fingered the small diamond thoughtfully, remembering that day so many years ago that had changed her life. She was here now because of that day. Everyone she'd met, everything she'd done. She'd become a nurse because of that day.

She put the diamond back and pulled out a hologram of her parents from 2187. Her mother looked so young then. And her biological father looked just as she remembered him.

Nova held the holo close and whispered, "Thank you, Daddy. You gave up everything you knew so that I could be who I am today." She looked at the face of Lucas Tremaine and smiled through tears. "Thanks for being the hero I needed."