***
"What happened to you? You look so terrible." Doojoon said when he saw me.

It has been more than a month since Min Jeong slipped into a coma. My routine daily was to visit her in the morning with Aeri, send Aeri and Pandy to Ahjumma, head to work at the carnival, and then visit Min Jeong again after work. I work alternate days in the cafe at night.

I smiled weakly at Doojoon. He is right. I do look terrible. I have been feeling very terrible too. I vomit at least three times a day. I cannot seem to keep any food down. I could only sip on warm water a little at a time. On good days, I could eat half an apple.

"Hey, come with me." Doojoon said, dragging me.

I had no strength to push him away.

"What's going on? Are you sick?" He asked seriously.

"I honestly have no idea. I keep vomiting. I can't seem to eat." I said.

"When was the last time you had a full meal?" He asked.

"I don't know." I rested my head on the table.

"Do you feel faint too?" He asked.

"All the time." I muttered.

"Body aches?" He asked.

I looked up at him.

"I can't feel pain." I confessed.

"What?" He looked genuinely surprised.

"Since young, I do not have the ability to feel pain." I said.

"That is... so dangerous." He muttered.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"But.. is it possible for someone like me to ever feel pain?" I asked.

"Huh?" He looked at me.

"I've been feeling things I've never felt before. I used to never feel sick even if I'm sick as hell because I can't feel it. But these days, I feel unwell. I feel bad. My body seems to be telling me something. And that day when I saw Min Jeong get knocked down by the car, I was breathless, my chest felt tight. I never felt like this before." I said.

He looked at me, studying my body.

"Tell me more." He said.

I told him everything, from all the strange aches I have been feeling from time to time all over my body to how I actually feel discomfort when Aeri jumps on me.

He listened intentively, taking down notes.

Doojoon, like Junhyung, is so comfortable to talk to. I started telling him everything, including my job at the carnival.

"You deserve a good life." He said.

I shook my head.

"I don't deserve anything." I said.

"There are three types of people in this world. One who thinks they are the best when they are obviously not. One who acknowledge that they are good. And the last one, the one who doesn't see any value in themselves despite being so awesome. You are the best example of the third one." He said.

"I'm definitely not." I said.

"See what I mean?" He laughed.

"Anyway, I honestly have no idea what's wrong with you, but I'll check it out. In the meantime, I'll prescribe you with some supplements. Try to eat when you can, okay?" He said.

"Thanks." I said.

"Get a lot of rest, and Seungho... quit the carnival job, please." He said.

I smiled at him as I took the prescription.

"See you." I said as I headed out.

I went to Min Jeong's ward. By now, the nurse already know who I am.

"Where's the little girl?" She asked.

"At home. Too active." I smiled.

"Active is good." She said.

That is true. Active is good.

"Hi." I greeted Min Jeong as I sat down next to her.

"Wake up already." I said caressing her hair.

"I need you with me." I cried. This is the first time I allowed myself to cry in her presence.

"I'm not angry anymore. I just want you back. That's all. Come back to me. You want to produce that show? I'll do it for you. I'll provide you with all the information. I'll do anything. Just come back to me. Please." I pressed her hand against my cheek and cried.

I had no idea how long I cried for. I only know that I was really worn out after that. I stood up to head out, and that was when my world started spinning. I tried to grab onto something for support, but I could not find anything. I tried going for the door, but it felt as if I stepped into a black hole.

"SEUNGHO!" I heard my name being shouted.

I out before I could even respond.

***
I opened my eyes and groaned at the bright lights.

"You're awake." Doojoon said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You passed out. Don't move. You're going to get hurt." He said, pointing at the IV drip attached to my arm.

"Aeri..." I muttered.

"No worries. Yongie got her." He said.

"Yong...ie?" I asked.

"Junhyung. Sorry. Slip of tongue." He shrugged.

I closed my eyes and massaged my head.

"I checked it out." He said.

"Checked what out?" I asked.

"Your vomiting, lost of appetite, body aches and so on." He said.

"Am I dying?" I asked.

"No. You're just pregnant." He said.

"WHAT!?" I jumped, causing the needle to poke through my skin. Blood squirt out like a mini fountain.

"!" Doojoon cursed as he grabbed a handful of gauze to try stop the bleeding.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my heart beating wildly against my chest.

"Please don't move." He said as he expertly removed the needle from my arm.

He was mumbling to himself about stitches and all but all I was concerned about was what he just said. I am pregnant? How is it even possible?

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have scared you." He apologized after he was done with bandaging my wound and reattaching another IV drip.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"It's called couvade syndrome." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"Couvade syndrome, in another words, it means sympathetic pregnancy. It is rare, but it happens. It is when the husband experience all the similar signs of pregnancy the wife experiences. In this case, I don't know if she's feeling it, but I am sure you are." He said.

"Am I like pregnant on her behalf or something?" I asked.

"Not really on her behalf because she's still the one carrying the baby. But you share the symptoms with her." He said.

"Will it go off or will I experience it full blown?" I asked.

"I can't say on that. Some experience it slightly, some experience it full blown. We just got to wait and see." He said.

"Well, if having all the discomfort come to me will make her feel better, I don't mind even carrying the baby in my belly." I said.

"Don't be surprised if you feel hardness in your belly. But then again, I think you lost your belly." He stared at my stomach.

"Stop it!" I covered my stomach.

"Look at you! Behaving like a self-conscious pregnant woman already!" He laughed.

When I got back home, I researched on couvade syndrome. It seems like a common yet uncommon syndrome. Some say it is in the head, but some say it is not.

But whatever it is, if I could share Min Jeong's discomfort, or take it away from her and put it into myself, I will do it.

Min Jeong ah, let me be pregnant on your behalf.

***
The next few days consisted of endless vomiting and dizziness. I lost count of the amount of times I passed out. Thankfully I wake up quick enough for people to freak out. I lived on the supplements prescribe by Doojoon. I told him to keep my condition a secret because I did not wish for others to be already more burdened then they are. He was reluctant, but he is a doctor, his reputation is at stake.

"Junhyung is going to be so angry with me when he finds out." He says this all the time when he tries to talk me into letting them know.

"Appa~" Aeri called out, shaking my shoulder.

"Hmm?" I turned to her.

I have been asleep since I came home. I could not stay up for long. Even walking is a chore. Plus all the injuries sustained from working at the carnival are taking a toll on me. I don't feel the pain yet, but the discomfort is starting to surface.

"I'm hungry." She pouted.

I glanced at the time. It is 8pm.

"! I'm so sorry!" I jumped up.

"Appa~" She threw herself into my embrace.

"What's wrong?" I asked, caressing her back.

"Are you okay?" She asked, squeezing my cheeks.

I nodded and kissed her on her lips.

"What does my baby want to eat?" I asked, carrying her up.

"APPA!" She said cheekily.

"Aigoo you cheeky girl!" I tickled her.

I cooked her rice and soup with some small fried stuff so she would be interested to eat.

"Appa, are you not eating?" She asked

"Appa is not hungry." I said, feeding her some rice.

"Appa eat too!" She picked up bits of rice using her fingers and stuffed them into my mouth.

"Don't use your fingers." I laughed.

I swallowed the rice and waited for the nauseous feeling to come, but it surprisingly did not.

"Yummy." I smiled.

This is the first bit of rice I had since the accident happened. Aeri does have magic touch after all.