***hey guys, anyway just wanna say to you that this fic own mine and my brother's. we worked this story together.

-Hospital; Day 26-

The room is silent. All eyes are on a bag hanging on an IV stand that’s filled with thick red liquid. Jamie lays still as Sheila connects the tubes and needles to his hand. She looks around the room at the people who are putting all their hopes into this one bag of muck, and then she fiddles with Jamie’s hand, allowing the liquid to begin its flow into the body of a little boy who’s barely hanging on.

Taeyeon reaches for Sunny’s hand as the clear tube turns red. She looks at her and can tell Sunny’s waiting for a miracle; that she’s waiting for Jamie to just stand up and start running and playing and laughing. But he doesn’t. Instead, he closes his eyes and lets out a deep breath as his body takes in the essence of a stranger.

The nurse on the other side of his bed prepares a bag of blood for his first transfusion. Taeyeon feels her hand get squeezed and she lays her other hand on top of Sunny’s, patting it reassuringly.

Sheila watches Jamie closely, and constantly monitors his vitals. Taeyeon sees Hyoyeon chewing on her fingernails from the corner of her eye, and Sungmin sitting stoically staring at his son.

Please let this work. God, if you really are up there, please save him. Taeyeon looks up at the ceiling, her black eyes watery, and silently asks for help from whoever might be listening.

…

…

“You are such a brave boy” Sunny tells her son, his arm and smiling at him beneath her mask.

“Am I… better now, Mama?” he asks with his weak little voice.

“You will be, my love. Very soon”

“Yeah, Mum’s right” Sungmin says with a nod, his arms crossed, “pretty soon you and me are gonna be passin the football”

Taeyeon and Hyoyeon watch from the hallway, Dr. Grant giving them strict instructions that only two visitors could be in the room at one time. Taeyeon had reluctantly allowed Sungmin to stay immediately following the transplant; she could tell that he needed to find some peace with the whole thing.

“I’m going to tell her about my dealings with Mr. Gray” Taeyeon says to Hyoyeon as they stare through the window, “I don’t want any secrets between us”

“Are you ing daft!” Hyoyeon looks at her in amazement.

Taeyeon bites her lip and shakes her head. “As a matter of fact, no… I haven’t thought this clearly in years”

“You’re going to bother her with that nonsense now? Now, when she’s going through the hardest time of her life?”

“She needs to know”

“There’s time for that after he’s well”

“The sooner I tell her, the better”

“You’re thinking about yourself, not Sunny”

Taeyeon glances at Sunny’s near double.

“You’re on your own if you say anything; I won’t help you” Hyoyeon warns.

Taeyeon stares back into Jamie’s room at Sunny, “I understand”

“You’re a bloody fool, Taeyeon”

“I’m a fool if I don’t tell her”

…

…

…

…

-Hospital; Day 33-

She passes the waiting room and glances inside. Sees Sungmin sitting near the window. Her stomach drops when she notices the look on his face.

“Sungmin, what’s happened” Taeyeon asks in a panic.

“Nah, nothing, man. He had a bit of a fever today, but the boy’s alright”

Taeyeon collapses into the chair next to him, “Thank god” she sighs. “What’s wrong, then?”

Sungmin sits back in his chair, “Doc came in today. Said the boy has a forty-five percent chance of survival”

Taeyeon slides her hand across his shoulder and squeezes. She never wanted to like Sungmin. She was happy feeling threatened and jealous and envious of him. But as she’s gotten to know him, she can’t help feeling a sort of kinship with him. Thinks maybe she would’ve even been friends with someone like him, back in her school days. She might even understand why Sunny chose him as her donor.

“They always tell you the worst so you don’t get your hopes up” Taeyeon explains, “but we know he’s going to be ok”

Sungmin nods, but Taeyeon can tell he has still has doubts. She pats his shoulder before removing her hand.

“Got a text from Sunny saying he ate on his own today” Taeyeon says, trying to look on the brighter side, “that’s good news. After all, it’s only been a week”

“Yeah, picked up the spoon and everything”

Taeyeon smiles to herself. Has to admit that she felt a huge sense of relief when she got the text from Sunny; has to admit she’s been just as nervous as Sungmin, only she hasn’t shown it. She’s been trying to stay strong and positive for Sunny. It’s only when she leaves the hospital that her true feelings pour out, usually the moment she closes her car door and is finally alone with her thoughts.

“Hyoyeon in with them now?”

“Yeah”

“Did you have enough time with them today?”

“Yeah, they’re all yours”

Someday they will be. Taeyeon stands and touches his shoulder once more, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then”

…

…

-Hospital; Day 34-

“Mm, this is what I look forward to every day” Taeyeon says as she holds Sunny.

“Sweet talker” Sunny pulls back and her eyes smile at Taeyeon.

“It’s all a ploy to get you in my bed” Taeyeon whispers with an arched brow.

Sunny slaps her shoulder. “He’s awake, you ”

Taeyeon laughs and looks at Jamie. “Looking well, James”

“I had pizza and vanilla pudding today, Taeyeon” he tells her, a bit of enthusiasm in his voice, “and I only threw up two times!”

She disentangles from Sunny and takes her usual seat at his bedside. Looks him over carefully and notices his color is even better than the day before. His eyes are opened completely, and there’s even a bit of a sparkle to them. He can speak in full sentences again, without having to stop to take extra breaths.

“Looking very well, James” she repeats.

“Dr. Grant said if he continues to progress this well, in another week he can move back to a regular room” Sunny proudly announces, sliding her hands around Taeyeon’s neck and letting them rest on her chest.

“That’s wonderful, James. Bella and Sophia will be happy to hear it; they’ve been pestering me to bring them to visit you”

“How long is a week?” Jamie asks his mother.

“Seven days, sweetheart”

Jamie proceeds to count to seven on his fingers; the tubes connected to his hands prohibiting him from uncurling his fingers completely. He holds up five and two and shows Taeyeon.

“That’s right, James. Seven”

…

…

Taeyeon’s hand has found its way underneath Sunny’s gown, inside her shirt, and onto one of Sunny’s bra covered s. Her face is buried in Sunny’s neck.

“You need to stop” Sunny whispers.

“I know… but I can’t” Taeyeon whispers back.

“Sheila could walk in at any moment, Taeyeon”

“We’re behind the curtain; no one can see us”

“You really think you can do this with him right on the other side of this very thin curtain?”

Taeyeon groans and removes her hand. “No. Not even a little bit”

Sunny cups Taeyeon’s cheek. “Soon. We’ll have time to ourselves very soon”

Taeyeon is tempted to take off their masks, just for an instant, to feel Sunny’s lips on her own. But she doesn’t. She looks into Sunny’s brown eyes and takes a deep breath. Now’s as good a time as any.

“Listen… there’s something I’ve been meaning to speak with you about…” she starts.

“Oh?”

“Yes… well, you see…”

Taeyeon’s cut off by a heaving sound from the other side of the curtain. They both jump up from their chairs and Taeyeon quickly pulls back the curtain.

Sunny grabs the container off the side table and holds it under Jamie’s chin while Taeyeon helps him lean forward and presses the call button.

“There you are, sweetheart. It’s alright…” Sunny says soothingly as Jamie expels the last of his lunch.

He begins to cry and both women move around the room, finding towels and wipes to help clean him up.

Jamie hiccups through his tears, “I don’t want… pizza and pudding… ever again”

…

…

…

…

-Hospital; Day 41-

“He’s a miracle” Dr. Grant says to the adults in the room, “I’ve never seen a recovery like this”

Sunny beams. “He was meant to live, doctor”

“I think you’re right in saying that, Sunny” he writes some things down in Jamie’s chart, “he’s much stronger than our other patients at the two-week mark”

“That’s our boy” Sungmin claps his hands together loudly, “he’s a fighter”

“Can I go home, Dr. Grant?” Jamie asks, his brown eyes wide and bright.

“Not yet, young man. But another two weeks like this, and I’ll be happy to let you go”

“Yay Mama, no more hospital!”

“That’s wonderful, my love. Nearly there”

“I still want masks worn, but you can say goodbye to the gloves and gowns and booties and caps. Lots of hand-washing, though, and no other visitors. Clear?”

All three heads nod.

“Wait til Taeyeon hears the good news, sweetheart, she’s going to be so proud of you”

“I got better in seven days” he says with a grin, holding up his fingers.

Sunny rips off her gloves and gown and cap and lets them drop to the floor. She immediately reaches for her son’s skin with her bare hands and begins to cry. Hyoyeon picks up her sister’s discarded items and puts them in the waste bin, then stands behind her and rubs her back, as Sunny touches her son for the first time in over a month.

…

…

…

…

-Hospital; Day 48-

“There you go, James, one more step” Taeyeon holds out her hand for him to grab hold of.

“I’m walking!” Jamie says excitedly, grabbing Taeyeon’s hand and falling into her arms.

“You did a wonderful job; I’m proud of you”

“Can we show Mama when she gets back?”

“Dr. Grant said only a few steps everyday until you’re a bit more steady”

Jamie pouts at her.

Taeyeon rolls her eyes. “Well… I guess what Dr. Grant doesn’t know won’t hurt him, eh?”

Jamie’s eyes sparkle with mischief and he nods quickly.

“Let’s get you back into bed and we’ll show your mother later, alright?”

He wraps his frail arms around her neck and she picks him up carefully, mindful of the IV lines that are still pumping antibiotics into him. She holds him in her right arm and pulls his IV stand with her left hand, down the hallway, towards his room.

…

…

“I’ve got wonderful news from Dr. Grant” Sunny sings as she walks into her son’s room.

“Mama, I can walk all by myself!”

Sunny takes off her mask and approaches her son’s bed. She leans down and kisses his bald head once, twice, three times. “I love you, James Lee”

“Yeah, I know, Mama. But I walked!”

Sunny laughs and nods that she understands him, and then goes to Taeyeon and unhooks her mask from behind her ears, throwing it up in the air and kissing Taeyeon once. And once is all it takes for Taeyeon to go weak in the knees as they kiss softly, slowly, like it’s the first time.

“Oh god, can you two, like, keep it in your pants while you’re in my nephew’s presence, please?”

Hyoyeon and Sungmin walk in, and Taeyeon and Sunny pull apart slowly, gazing at one another dreamily. Jamie giggles and goes on to tell his aunt and Sungmin how he can walk by himself.

“He can go home in two days” Sunny whispers to Taeyeon while the conversation carries on behind her.

Taeyeon’s eyebrows shoot up and she wraps Sunny in a tight hug. And even though she knows there could still be complications, and that a relapse is likely, Taeyeon feels a weight being lifted from her body and a sense of peace washing over her.

“Your boy is going to live, Sunny” Taeyeon chokes out, trying not to cry.

Sunny pulls back and cups Taeyeon’s cheeks, smiles, “Our boy is going to live”