A smile tugged at his lips as little Lucia skipped into the clinic, her bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, if it isn't my favorite troublemaker," he said with a chuckle. "What's the adventure today, Lucia?"

Lucia grinned up at him, clearly enjoying the attention. "No trouble today, Doctor Nico, I promise!"

"We'll see if you can keep that promise," he teased, playfully narrowing his eyes at her.

"Morning, Dr. Vard," Alma, her mother, said-her voice weary, though there was warmth in her eyes.

"Good morning, Mrs. Durand," Nico replied, turning his attention to the woman, her hands calloused, her face etched with the lines of worry that were common among the miners' families. "How's Mr. Durand and the rest of the gang?"

"The boys are alright," Alma gave him a tired smile. "Elias... well, his back's still acting up, but he won't quit. Says if he slows down, they'll ship him off-world." She shook her head, a tired sigh escaping her lips. "Hard-headed grav-digger."

"Send Elias in, I'll have a look. And I can talk to his supervisor if needed," Nico offered.

"Thank you doctor, I'll try to drag that rock-skulled husband of mine away from the mines, but right now, it's our Luli I'm worried about." Alma said, glancing at her daughter with a tired yet tender gaze.

"Of course." He gestured toward the examination room, his jaw tightening as he remembered the secret hidden within. "Let's see what we're dealing with," he brushed it off, giving Lucia a playful look.

As Alma and Lucia entered the examination room, Nico lingered by the door for a moment, a knot of unease in his gut. He glanced outside through the clinic's outer door, his eyes scanning the empty street. Only the constant sweeping wind disturbed the landscape. No one in sight. He quickly wiped the blood off the keypad, hoping no one had noticed the traces of his uninvited guest.

As he entered the examination room, little Lucia was already perched on the table, her legs swinging back and forth.

"So, honey... tell me what happened?" Nico asked gently as he grabbed his portable scanner. He waved it over her chest and head, the device emitting a faint yellow light.

"When I was playing tag with Aiko and Zahra, I got really tired, and it was so hard to breathe," Lucia said, her voice a little strained. "Then my head started hurting really bad, like it was gonna explode. And then I felt sick and threw up." She wiped her runny nose with the back of her arm.

Nico's heart twinged at the sight of her discomfort. "That must have felt really bad, sweetheart," he said, keeping his tone calm. "But don't worry-Uncle Nico will find a way to make you feel better."

Alma, standing off to the side, stepped closer, her face etched with worry. "She's been getting these fits more often, Doctor. Worse each time, too. We've been giving the meds you gave us but... it don't seem to be helping much."

Nico nodded thoughtfully as the scanner finished its run. He focused on a few patches of red spots along Lucia's arms. "She's even more sensitive than the other children," he explained. "You see these spots on her skin? She's developed an allergy to the dust and toxins, which is why she's reacting more strongly."

Alma's face fell. "What can we do?"

"We'll increase her sessions to three times a week, starting today," Nico said, offering a reassuring smile. "This will help with her breathing and headaches. You can pick her up in about half an hour, and I promise she'll be feeling much better when you get back."

Alma let out a small sigh of relief, though the worry still lingered in her eyes. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Alright, sweetheart, you know the drill," Nico said warmly. "Let's get you hooked up, and maybe you can work on one of those beautiful drawings of yours while you wait."

Nico pulled a table with paper and pencils in front of her as she sat by the biomedical device. He gently attached the slim, translucent leads to Lucia's arms and chest, along with a transparent breathing mask. The device, the size of a small cabinet, hummed softly as it activated, its soft blue lights pulsing rhythmically. The sleek machine emitted a faint glow as it monitored her vitals, filtering the toxins from her bloodstream and cleaning her lungs. It was a routine Lucia had grown accustomed to, a lifeline in a world that seemed determined to suffocate them. She gave him a small smile.

Nico brushed a hand over her head. "I'll be right back, Lucia. I just need to talk to your mom for a bit, okay?"

He glanced at his office door, his jaw tightened for a moment as the memory of his unexpected arrival resurfaced. With a deep breath, he turned back to Alma. "I've got a... problem in my office. Let's talk in the reception," he said, his tone light, masking the tension that coiled within him. He gestured toward the door, leading her out of the examination room.

Once they reached the quiet of the reception, Nico closed the door softly behind them. He took a moment, his eyes meeting Alma's, before speaking.

"Lucia would really benefit from a season away from Gravis," Nico said gently. "You should seriously consider it..."

Alma's shoulders slumped, her lips pressing into a thin line as she looked down, avoiding his gaze. "We got nobody off-world, Doctor... and we couldn't afford the trip, even if we did. Our life's here, our boys... this is all we got." Her voice cracked slightly, her eyes pleading. "Ain't there nothing else we can do?"

Nico took a deep breath, already knowing this would be her answer. Still, he had to offer the option, even though he knew it was out of reach. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he said, "We'll manage it together. With more frequent sessions, she'll feel better, I promise." He gave a small, comforting smile. "Just try to keep her indoors as much as possible, and make sure she wears a mask when she goes outside."

Alma nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor, a silent acceptance of a reality she couldn't escape. "Thank you, Doctor," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're a blessing to us."

"I'm just doing my job, Mrs. Durand," Nico replied, his smile fading as he led her towards the door, his heart heavy with the weight of her burden, a burden he shared, "Go home to your boys now. I'll take good care of Luli."

As he watched Alma walking slowly down the street, her figure receding into the dusty landscape, the weight of responsibility pressed down on him. Nico sighed and walked back towards the examination room.

The sound of Lucia's laughter, bright and innocent, filtered through the closed door as Nico approached. He pushed it open.

"It looks just like him! The messy black hair, blue eyes... it's perfect!" Kira was kneeling by Lucia's drawing table, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the overhead lamp. A genuine smile curved her lips as she admired the girl's sketches. "Who's this? The tall one?" she asked, pointing at a figure on the paper.

"That's Anya. She's ten," Lucia replied, her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth as she drew. Then, in a hushed voice, she added, "She's in love with Doctor Nico!" though Nico could clearly overhear through her mask.

"Is she now?" Kira said, her smile widening with mischief.

"Yes," Lucia whispered, glancing up at Kira with a conspiratorial smirk. "But don't tell anyone I told you."

"That'll be our little secret," Kira promised, her eyes meeting Nico's as she mouthed, 'She's so cute.'

Nico tried to ignore the slight heat rising to his cheeks, but he couldn't help but grin. "I see you two have met already."

Lucia nodded enthusiastically. "Kira is fun. And she's so beautiful! Is she your new girlfriend, Doctor Nico?"

"No!" Nico's smile faltered, his cheeks burning.

"New?" Kira raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickering toward him.

"Aiko said Ms. Hakim and Doctor Nico were dating," Lucia whispered. "Before she went away."

Nico put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. "Aiko's such a little gossip! We were not dating-she was just a good friend."

"If you say so, Doc," Kira said with a wink, shooting a playful look at Lucia. The girl giggled.

"It's done!" Lucia announced, her eyes lighting up as she finished her drawing.

"It's so beautiful!" Kira said, leaning over to admire it. "Now, write your name over here, and I'll give it to him."

Lucia carefully scribbled her name at the bottom of the sheet. Kira gently took the paper, and the girl immediately began working on another drawing.

Kira walked toward Nico, holding the sheet in front of her with a grin. It was a charming drawing of Nico in his medical apron, holding hands with Lucia and several other children.

"This girl worships you, Nico. Look at you with all these kids!" Kira said, her smile playful, but something deeper flickered in her eyes.

Nico chuckled awkwardly, taking the paper, his fingers brushing against hers for a fleeting moment. "I'm just doing what I can," he said, his gaze meeting hers. "Honestly, it's a fraction of what these kids do for me."

A beat of silence passed as Kira looked at him, a different smile tugging at her lips now. But it didn't quite reach her eyes, her mind drifting somewhere else.

She took a breath and glanced back at Lucia. "What's wrong with her?"

Nico sighed, his gaze following hers. "What's wrong with Gravis, you mean? ExoCore digs deeper every day, and they're not careful about what they're spilling into the atmosphere. Out here, in no man's land, they can get away with anything, and no one's going to stop them. They give meds to the miners and their families to keep them working-some temporary immunity. But the kids... they can't take it. These meds aren't suited for developing bodies."

Nico lowered his voice to a hush. "The meds they can take won't prevent long-term damage. And for some, it can become life-threatening, even in the short run. So, I have to come up with... alternative treatments."

Kira glanced at the girl, still engrossed in her drawings. "Is that what this is?" she asked, nodding toward the bio-medical machine.

"Yes," Nico replied. "It filters the toxins from their blood, helps their lungs heal. It wasn't easy to get. It uses biochemicals and nanotech to clean their bodies and regenerate damaged cells. Needs a lot of processing power, though. Someone in the black market owed me a favor."

"The black market? You? Mr. Integrity?" Kira raised an eyebrow, a playful grin spreading across her face. "You've changed, Dr. Nicola Vard."

Nico smiled, looking down. "Too bad you weren't around to give me some pointers." He glanced up, locking eyes with her. Kira's smirk stayed, but there was something softer in her expression. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed those hazel eyes-the way he could get lost in them...

"Why is your shirt all bloody?" Lucia's voice cut through the moment, pulling them both back to reality.

Kira blinked and turned, glancing down at her shirt.

"She fell in the street. Cut herself on a rock," Nico answered quickly, before Kira could respond.

Kira shot him an annoyed look. "Yeah... 'cause I'm clumsy as fu-" She caught herself, her eyebrows shooting up as she quickly corrected, "Fun! I'm clumsy as I'm fun!" She flashed Lucia a bright smile, though her raised brows betrayed her discomfort. Nico rolled his eyes, unable to suppress his grin.

"My mom always puts me in the shower when I get dirty like that. She says she doesn't want me to get our house filthy," Lucia said matter-of-factly.

"Your mom is absolutely right, Lucia." Nico smiled at her, then turned to Kira. "And this is a clinic. We can't have it filthy either. There's a bathroom in my office with a shower. Why don't you go clean yourself up and change out of those filthy clothes?"

Kira crossed her arms. "Change? I'm not walking around in one of your white coats."

"Don't you have a metal box full of clothes?" Nico crossed his arms in response, matching her stance.

Kira's eyes widened slightly, flicking toward the office door. "Dirty clothes," she muttered. "Filthier than these."

Nico sighed, pursing his lips. "In that case, there's a cardboard box in the closet-bottom shelf, next to the toolbox. You'll find some clean clothes inside."

Kira gave a mocking chuckle. "I'm not putting on your clothes, Doc!"

"They're yours," he said softly, holding her gaze.

Her smile dismantled, her lips parting. She blinked, staring at him speechless.

"You can take the whole box with you when you leave, by the way," he added, moving to open his office door. "Now go," he said, his tone quiet but firm. "It might raise suspicion if someone else sees you like this." he whispered.

Kira hesitated. For a moment, her bravado slipped, her gaze losing her usual focus. She gave him a small nod and disappeared into the office.

Nico closed the door softly behind her, turning his attention to Lucia. But his mind still lingered on his visitor and the trouble she always seemed to bring with her.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it.

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Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the story!