Accidents Happen
Forever Shorties
Jyuni sat peacefully on the floor of her Dada’s home office. She played quietly with a Tonka truck while Jaejoong worked on a manuscript. She pushed the truck across the floor silently, making the little bucket on the front move up and down.
Hours passed and Jyuni grew bored quickly. She pushed her truck to the side and laid down. She normally hated naps, but she was tired and didn’t want to crawl to her room. Or even over to her Dada.
Jaejoong looked up from his editing. The room was deathly quiet. Jaejoong panicked for a moment, looking for Jyuni.
He almost tripped over her running around the room. His face softened as he watched her sleep. She had Yunho’s ability to fall asleep anywhere.
Jaejoong shrugged and sat on the floor next to her. He stifled a yawn as he watched her. He stood, picking her up as he moved. Jyuni whimpered for a moment, then settled herself against Jaejoong.
He paced the room for a few moments before settling on the sofa. He held Jyuni close to his chest. Jaejoong sighed. He laid back slowly, suddenly very tired. He knew it was his meds and he hated it. But he hated the way he felt off the meds more.
Jaejoong couldn’t believe Jyuni was still asleep. He held her tight as he drifted off to sleep himself.
Jaejoong woke up to tiny fingers pinching and pulling on his face. And the sound of laughter, like a tinkling bell.
“Jyuni… I’m awake. I’m awake.” He opened his eyes to see his little girl inches from his face. “You’re just like your Daddy.”
Jaejoong sat up slowly, holding Jyuni tightly so she wouldn’t fall. Jyuni giggled and wiggled. She slid to the floor and smiled.
“I bet you’re hungry. Let’s get some lunch.” Jaejoong lifted Jyuni up and carried her to the kitchen. He got her settled in her highchair. She wasn’t a fussy baby and ate what ever Jaejoong set in front of her.
Jaejoong stood in front of the stove mindlessly stirring the soup. He could feel tears lightly flow down his face. He hated this. He hated the constant crying and the feelings that he was failing as a parent. Jaejoong knew it was time for his second dose of the day. He would take it after he fed Jyuni.
He wiped his face harshly and took the soup off the stove. He carried the steaming bowl to the table. He tied the bid around Jyuni’s neck and smiled sadly. She was such a bubbly baby; happy-go-lucky and all bright smiles. Everyone told him caring for a baby would be hard, but Jyuni was easy to care for.
It was his own mind that couldn’t stop, couldn’t be happy for every thing he had. He had Yunho. He had Jyuni. He had a beautiful home to live in. And he had love and support from a great family.
Jaejoong was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Jyuni screaming and a searing pain on his left hand. Jyuni had been kicking the air and managed to knock the bowl of soup from Jaejoong hand, spilling over her leg and his hand.
He ran to the sink for a washcloth and cool water. He washed the burns as carefully has he could. Jaejoong almost started to panic when he saw the blisters forming on Jyuni’s tiny legs.
“Come on Jyuni. I need to get you to the ER.” Jaejoong was shaking as he buckled his still crying daughter into her car seat.
The triage nurse eyed Jaejoong suspiciously as he explained what happened. Jyuni’s foot blistered more in the short trip to the hospital, despite Jaejoong wrapping it in a cool towel.
The wait for the doctor wasn’t long, but Jaejoong wasn’t allowed in the exam room. A social worker was called down the minute Jyuni was taken back. Jaejoong tried to argue.
“Please, Sir. This is our procedure when we suspect abuse,” a nurse tried to explain. She was the one who called the social worker.
“What? You think I would do that? On purpose? You think I would hurt my baby? I need to call my husband. Please, can I call him?”
“Of course. There’s a payphone in the lobby.”
Jaejoong dialed Yunho’s office number first knowing that Yunho didn’t always pick up his cell.
“Jung Advertising. Who is calling?” Yunho’s secretary asked sweetly.
“This is Jaejoong. I need to speak with Yunho.” Jaejoong tried to keep his voice from shaking.
“He’s in a meeting right now. He doesn’t want to be…”
“It’s an emergency. I really need to speak to him.”
“He told…”
“I don’t care!” Jaejoong shouted into the phone. “This is an emergency. Our baby is in the ER and they won’t let me see her. Now put Yunho on the phone or I will make sure you are fired.”
“I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “I’ll patch you through. Please hold.”
“Jae? What’s wrong?” Yunho sounded panicked. Jaejoong tried to stay calm as he explained what happened.
“I don’t know how it happened. It was an accident, I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Jaejoong’s voice wavered.
“It’s okay, Jaejoongie. I’ll be there in just a few minutes and we’ll get this sorted out.”
“What do I do until you get here?” Jaejoong bit his lip as he spoke.
“Just wait. Answer the doctor’s questions only. Don’t talk to the social worker until I get there.”
“Okay. I’m sorry,” Jaejoong whimpered.
“It’s okay, Baby. I’ll be there soon.”
The air was still as Yunho entered the room the nurse had brought Jaejoong to. He found Jaejoong curled into a chair, staring at a spot on the floor.
“Jae?” Yunho approached slowly. “What happened?”
“I hurt your baby. I didn’t mean to. I made soup for lunch and it spilt on her foot. It’s all blistered and they said I can’t see her.”
Yunho knelt in front of Jaejoong and took his hands. “Jaejoong, have you been looked at?”
“No. Why would I need to be looked at? I spilt it on Jyuni, not me.” Jaejoong stared at Yunho blankly.
“Look at your hand. You spilt it across your hand too.” Yunho pushed the sleeve of Jaejoong’s shirt back and followed the line of tiny blistered that ran up his arm. “You need to have this looked at.”
“It doesn’t hurt. They won’t let me see Jyuni. She’s probably freaking out.”
“I’ll go see to her. I want you to get that hand checked out.” Yunho kissed the top of Jaejoong’s head and left to find the doctor. He tried to control his anger as he stalked down the hall. He could hear his daughter crying in one of the rooms.
“Sir, you can’t go in there,” a nurse tried to stop Yunho.
“To hell I can’t. That’s my daughter, just try to stop me.” Yunho pushed the door open to see his Jyuni, alone, in the bed. He rushed to the bed and lifted her on to his lap. “I’m sorry you were alone, Princess. I’m so sorry.”
Yunho rubbed Jyuni’s back and whispered softly to her. The tears slowed as Jyuni relaxed. She clung tightly to Yunho’s shirt.
“Mr. Jung?” a doctor questioned as he knocked on the door. “I’m Dr. Kang. I treated your daughter.”
“Can you tell me why my husband wasn’t allowed to see her?”
“A nurse suspected child abuse. It’s standard procedure to separate the child from the parent.”
“So you took my 3 year old daughter away from my husband? I see. What made her suspect abuse? Jaejoong said it was an accident.” Yunho pressed Jyuni’s head against his chest.
“We hear that a lot. I’m sure the nurse was only looking out for your daughter,” Dr. Kang tried to explain.
“Right. I’m going to tell you this once, my husband doesn’t hurt our Jyuni. If Jaejoong says it was an accident, it was an accident.”
“She has second degree burns on her leg.”
“And Jae has second degree burns on his hand. Now treat my daughter and husband so we can go home and I can take care of them.”
“I’m sure they will be discharged within the hour.”
Yunho sighed. He hoped someone would bring Jaejoong in shortly; he just didn’t want Jyuni to be alone any more.
“Yunho?”
“I’m here Jaejoongie.” Yunho opened his eyes. He had been dozing slightly as Jyuni slept peacefully on his lap.
“I’m really sorry.” Jaejoong hung his head.
“There’s no reason to be sorry. Accidents happen. Jyuni will be fine. I’m not angry.” Yunho reached out and caressed Jaejoong’s cheek. “Are you okay?”
“My hand hurts a bit. Is Jyuni okay?” Jaejoong was afraid to touch her.
“She’s fine. Hold her for a minute while I go check you two out. It’s been a long day and I just want to get home.” Yunho kissed Jaejoong and gave him a reassuring smile. Yunho knew everything was going to fine. Jaejoong just need time. And love.
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Semi-true story. I was hanging out with my cousin, I was like 10 and she was 8 and we made chicken and stars soup and spilt it on our selves. We both got second degree burns and she now have a tiny scar in the shape of a star where a noodle landed on her pinky finger. We used to joke that it was her witch-sign.
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