Disclaimer: This story is being rewritten, so this chapter is completely new! I'm sorry for any troubles this causes!

 

Chapter 1

“Jeeze, Taemin-ah, have some patience.” Taesun laughed from his brother’s bedside.

Taemin pouted at his brother. “I’ve been here for 2 weeks now! I’m all out of patience!”

“Well it’s your own fault,” Taesun mused, leaning forward on his hands and grinning at the younger boy. “If you hadn’t gone and gotten yet another chest infection, we wouldn’t be stuck here right now, would we?”

“You say that like I meant to go and get another chest infection.”

“Well if you were careful…”

“Shut up, hyung.”

Taesun laughed again, patting his brother on the top of the head as he stood, stretching his arms above his head. “Well, don’t worry, you should be released soon enough. I suspect they’ll let you go today now that you’re all better, but expect to be given even more pills to take.”

“Brilliant, just what I need, more pills.”

“Well stop getting sick then.”

Taemin rolled his eyes, letting himself fall back into the flat, bounceless pillows behind him.

Taemin had been suffering from a condition called Cystic Fibrosis since birth, and because of this, his lungs were weak and easily picked up infections. Normally, he’d keep it under control with his cocktail of pills and normal physical therapy sessions that kept his lungs free from build up and his airways clear… but since he’d been feeling so well recently, he’d decided to slack off.

He was lucky it was just a chest infection that had put him in the hospital, not something more serious like pneumonia.

Of course, the city he lived in didn’t help. Seoul was great, it was quite clean considering it was a capital city and one of the most toured places in the world… but the dust and the pollution in the air never really helped his condition, sticking to his lungs and making him cough and choke.

They hadn’t always lived in Seoul, however. Until Taemin was 7, they’d lived in a city called Yeoju. It wasn’t too far away from Seoul, easily driven to, but they had moved once Taemin’s condition had worsened and he’d needed specialist doctor after specialist doctor to keep him healthy.

He’d lived in Seoul for 11 years now, though, it was his home, and he didn’t really miss Yeoju. They still visited every now and again, since Taemin still had friends in that area that he hadn’t wanted to lose contact with… but he didn’t really want to go back.

The large, bustling city with public transport wherever he wanted to go, he was right by the SM Building, so close to where all the idols he loved to watch on TV passed through every day, he could find all the food from the world just around the corner from his house… it was an amazing place to live in for someone as adventurous as Taemin. When he was feeling healthy, he loved walking around and discovering new places down the back streets of Seoul, discovering new nooks and crannies he hadn’t known existed.

He was often told off for it, of course. When he disappeared for hours on end to explore, his mother and father would be in tears when he returned, convinced he’d curled up and died in a ditch somewhere.

They had absolutely no confidence in his ability to take care of himself.

“They have no confidence in you because you don’t take care of yourself,” Taesun laughed from beside him, grabbing Taemin’s attention. “And yes, you were thinking out loud again, idiot.”

“I do too take care of myself.”

“Oh, okay, so that is why you were out, with very weak lungs and a terrible immune system, in the rain, in the middle of winter? Alone? Think a little, Minnie.”

“I wasn’t alone!” Taemin told him, sitting up a little. “I was with my friends!”

“And they obviously don’t care for your health either or you wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed. You need to start taking care of yourself better, Taeminnie, before you get yourself killed. It’s only a matter of time before you push yourself that stretch too far.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.”

Taesun sighed at the snappiness of his little brother’s tone, the 21 year old leaning over to look at Taemin in the face. “Look, I know you hate being treated like glass, I get it, okay? I understand. But trying to prove that you’re not glass by pushing yourself just makes matters worse.”

“I’m sick of being treated like I’m going to curl up and die every second of every day. I’m fine, I’ve been fine for 18 years. I’m surviving, aren’t I?”

“Just,” Taesun replied with a frown. “Only just surviving. What if next time you go out and you collapse somewhere? We wouldn’t even know where to look for you.”

“That won’t happen.”

“But you understand why we’re concerned, right, Taemin? You have to think of us too here, we’re just trying to keep you healthy.”

Taemin sighed, rolling his eyes and letting himself slump back into the uncomfortable pillows once more. It wasn’t fair and he hated it. He was never allowed to be like normal people who he hung out with. He was 18 and he wasn’t even allowed to be out for more than an hour with his friends in case he got tired, he wasn’t able to drink because it would mess with his medicine, he wasn’t allowed to do anything and it wasn’t fair!

“Taemin, man up and stop being such a baby.” Taesun glared, apparently getting tired of his brother’s crankiness. “You’ll be out of here before you know it.”

As if on cue, Taemin’s usual doctor, Doctor Park, walked in, looking at the charts in his hand. “Hello there, Taemin,” He greeted politely with a smile. Taemin had been seeing this doctor for as long as he’d been living in Seoul, he’d become sort of like a surrogate father for him considering he saw him so often. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine,” Taemin replied hotly, not bothering to be polite to the older man. “I just want to go home now.”

“Taemin!” Taesun scolded, smacking his brother’s arm lightly. “Be polite to your doctor and respect your elders!”

Taemin just glared at his brother.

“Don’t worry, Taesun, I know he’s not in a very good mood right now, I understand. Now…” He trailed off, looking down at the chart in his hands again. “Your pulse is strong but your oxygen levels are a little low, however, it is around your normal range so it isn’t too much to be concerned about. Your fever has completely broken as well, so I believe we can go ahead with your physical therapy for the day then you’re free to go home and pack when your parents arrive.”

Taemin frowned, noticing his brother trying to silently tell the doctor to “shut up” by signalling slitting his throat. “What do you mean, pack? I’m not going anywhere?”

Taesun sighed, letting his head drop to his hands in exasperation. “No-where, Taemin, it doesn’t matter.”

“No, tell me!”

“Mom and Dad will tell you when they get off work, but for now, sit tight and listen to your doctor.”

“I’m sorry, Taesun, I didn’t realise he hadn’t been told yet. As it is… You’re free to go home whenever, but, you must take it easy for a while. No strenuous activities, no doing anything where you won’t be able to catch your breath, dress warmly, make sure you take your pills and do your therapy. I’ll bring the nurse in soon to do this morning’s therapy for you. Tell me honestly, Taemin, how are you feeling?”

“…A little tight, but I’m fine.” Taemin sighed, refusing to meet Doctor Park’s gaze. He hated admitting weakness, and everyone knew he did, so getting him to admit that he felt ‘a little tight’ was a large stepping stone for the boy.

“Alright, I’ll let her know. Sit tight, Taemin, you’ll be going home soon enough.” Doctor Park gave him a smile before putting a piece of paper on the table beside Taemin’s bed, then he walked out and closed the door to the private room behind him, giving Taesun some privacy with his rebellious younger sibling.

“Where are we going, Taesun.” Taemin asked informally, glaring over at his older brother.

“Taemin, what have I told you about respect? Cut out the attitude, alright?” He sighed slightly, rubbing his face to try and give his hands something to do. “I wanted to tell you, but mom and dad wanted to tell you themselves, that’s all. It’s a little difficult to tell you without them…”

“Tell me.”

Taesun shook his head. “I can’t. Just…trust me for once in your life, okay?”

Taemin glared, but left the conversation at that. In fact, he left conversing with his brother all together. No matter how much the older Lee tried, Taemin wouldn’t respond to him, not even acknowledging that the older had spoken at all. Of course, Taesun was used to getting the silent treatment from his bratty younger brother, it didn’t make it any easier to go through.

After what felt like hours of awkward silence, one of the nurses walked into the room, giving Taemin a large, fake smile.

“Hello there, Mr Lee!” She greeted, unfazed by the hot glare she got in response. “All ready and happy to be heading home?”

“I’d be happier if I wasn’t about to be beaten up.”

She laughed politely as she set up a chair and a stool, motioning for Taemin to sit on the chair with his back towards her. “Now, Taemin, you know it’s for your own good and it makes you feel better. Stop being so childish over it, alright?” She sighed, helping Taemin to sit down on the chair.

He grumbled to himself, leaning forwards over the back of the chair to where a bucket was lying waiting. The woman began to beat on his back rhythmically, dislodging the mucus that had built itself up in his lungs and throat, allowing it to move and be periodically spat out into the bucket below him.

Taemin hated his physical therapy. Sure, he always felt better afterwards, he felt like he could breathe properly for the first time in hours after it was done, but the mucus that expelled from his body was just so…gross. He hated any time someone had to see it be done, especially if it was someone who hadn’t seen it before.

Taesun held Taemin’s hand as the woman beat on his back, rubbing comforting circles into the flesh. The therapy wasn’t meant to bruise, but it often hurt nonetheless, and although Taemin had been horrible to his brother for the past few hours, Taesun knew that he didn’t really mean it, that he was just frustrated and trapped.

And Taesun didn’t really blame his brother for feeling that way. He’d always been in perfect health, able to run around with his friends, go out drinking, stay up late and do whatever he wanted… he would have hated to be controlled and be treated like he was incapable of the simplest of tasks, so he never would hold Taemin’s bad mood against him.

The therapy went on for about 20 minutes before there appeared to be no more mucus for Taemin to expel, before he was so exhausted that he just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep for a month.

Taesun laughed slightly at Taemin’s drooping eyes, helping him off the backwards chair and back onto the bed where he lay down, listless and tired but finally able to breathe clearly, even if it wouldn’t last too long.

Before Taemin could drop off to sleep, the door creaked open, Mr and Mrs Lee making their way into the room. Taemin forced himself up right a little, blinking to try and focus his eyes and wake up a little.

“Doctor Park let it spill about packing, Mom, so we may as well let him know now before he falls asleep.”

Mrs Lee sighed, rubbing at her face, a trait in which seemed to run in their family whenever nerves were involved.

“Taemin…we’re moving house.”

“What? When did you decide this?” Taemin asked, now wide away and he sat up straighter, frowning at his family.

“About two weeks ago, we already have an apartment sorted… now we just have to move there.”

“Move where? Where are you moving us to?”

“Back to Yeoju.”