“Amelia!”

The woman ran out of the house, heedless of the rain, towards the old oak that backed onto the fields.

“Amelia!” she called.

Les and I followed, already aware of what had happened. Confident too, that we could repair the damage.

“No! Please God, no!”

Amelia’s friend sat on the ground sniffling, beside him Amelia lay, pale in death. Amelia’s mother snatched the child up and held her tight, as if that sheer act of love would rejuvenate her child.

“Ma’am. If I may.”

Shocked, she allowed me to take the child from her arms and I felt that familiar tingle. Millions of microscopic nanobots burst from the nanofactory implanted in my shoulder and flowed down my arm like a lightning flash. Wrapping themselves around the child they melded into her body, repairing the damage and reversing time.

With a hiccup the child began breathing again, smiled at her mother.

“Mommy?”

Les and I left the happy scene.

“The boy?” I asked.

Les pointed. “Got on his bike and rode that way.”