You have CHD which stands for congenital heart defect, meaning it affects the structures of your heart and the way it works. Your father, John, nearly choked on his own spit when he heard there was a birth effect accompanying your arrival into the world, though his worries eased as you grew older.

You’re in the hospital, the monitors around you beeping slowly as you come to again after having open heart surgery to repair your heart. Whilst CHD can’t be cured, and you’ll have to live with undergoing treatments for life, the surgery and the pacemaker they’ve inserted will still correct a few things and will improve your quality of life.

Upon opening your eyes you’re greeted by the familiar face of your father, John. He offers you a smile, a little hunched over where he’s sat, leaning closer to inspect your face: always overly worried for you. “How’re ye holdin’ up, a sheòid?” He asks, reaching up to brush your hair out of your face.