Ally sat across from Jonathan in his office waiting for Pilar and Derek to arrive. The head nurse had asked the pair to look at her daughter. Ally, being the only pediatrician on the crew, handled the majority of the children’s cases. It was times like this however she hated her job. Bad news was never easy to give especially when it was dealing with someone else’s child. Children held the hopes and the dreams of a parent all wrapped up in a tiny blanket. Every parent dreamt of a life for their child filled with love, friends, family, a career, and accomplishments showing their child was not only important to them but to society. Holding a baby for the first time the world was again an adventure two people shared knowing they could experience all the things they loved but this time watching it through the eyes of someone new. That was when things went according to plan.

When the future deviated from this idealized dream it was like a death. The death of the dream that could have been. The future was no longer a rosy horizon of possibilities but a narrow path where every turn took you into a set of murky woods you could almost see out of but not quite. It was Ally and Jonathan’s job to show Derek and Pilar the new path their family would be traveling upon. The road would not be easy but Scott and Reez had to impart, before the couple left, that their daughter would always have to be held to a higher standard. The dreams and expectations Derek and Pilar had for Otana could still be met, albeit in different versions at times, as long as their expectations were high. While her future was not the same bright highway the rest of the parents on the Ogawa faced, Otana’s path was almost more special. It was a journey she would take with her parents holding her hands to guide her into the amazing person she would become.

Lt. Ally Scott medical