* thank you, thank you, thank you for being so patient. i was going through a lot of stress this month, so i wasn't really motivated to write. but in the last few days i've gotten back into it.  I know you've been waiting patiently to know what's happening with Kyu. I SWEAR the next part will be up very soon and I'll stop punishing you!

** also please excuse any inaccuracies with the medical procedures. I'm not familiar with exact hospital protocol so if it seems odd to you...just go with it, please.

Teddy pressed one hand against the dash board and the other on the roof of the car, bracing himself as Siwon made another swift lane change, causing the owner of another car to unleash a long chorus of horn blares.

“Si—Siwon—ah, please! Slow down—just a little! Oh G-d help us,” Teddy winced as Siwon pulled incredibly close to the car in from of them only to change lanes once again at the last minute.

Siwon’s eyes were focused tightly on the road ahead. So tight, that Teddy wasn’t even sure he was blinking.

“Think of it this way; if we—if we get a speeding ticket, or worse—die—things will be bad for everyone, including the wife I have yet to meet, so please, just—slow down!” begged Teddy as he closed his eyes.

Siwon shot a quick glance at Teddy and then slightly lessened the pressure his foot had on the accelerator, only now realizing how insanely fast he had been going.  

“Ah, thank you,” Teddy sighed in relief as the muscles in his arms relaxed and he moved his hands to rest on his head now.

The hum of the gears shifting was the only thing interrupting the quiet now. Neither man said anything for a few moments, Siwon was still too lost in his thoughts and Teddy was waiting for his heart rate began to slow.

Once his breathing returned to normal, Teddy looked over again at Siwon and saw the tension that still was raked through his body, making his knuckles whiten and his jaw clench.

“Won please, I get it, I know you’re stressed but—

“I’m not stressed. I’m…” Siwon started his hands tightening and loosening on the wheel. “I’m frustrated…I hate not knowing what’s happening with either of them.”

“I understand that. But working yourself up like this isn’t helping anything. All you can do now is try to stay calm until we get there. You have to try and think positively,” tried Teddy.

“Positively?!” Siwon almost barked back at him. “Where is the positivity in this?!”

“What I mean is, yes this is obviously a bad situation. But you have to be thankful that wherever Kyuhyun is, he’s in good hands.”

Siwon exhaled and went back to pressing his foot down hard again, dodging around another car in order to get to Seoul even faster.

They had been driving for just over a couple hours now and were reaching Daejeon, almost the half way point from Busan to Seoul. Siwon’s intensity had only grown during this time. His thoughts now turned to Daerim and what she was probably thinking and feeling right now. He had asked Teddy to keep trying Kyuhyun’s phone since they had started driving, but the same response still came almost thirty tries later.

Much like what Teddy had just said, he could only hope that wherever she was right now, she was safe and calm.

                                                            ~**~

Daerim sat frozen on a hard plastic chair as she watched doctors, nurses, and patients walk by, no one stopping to say a word to her.

When the paramedics arrived in the apartment, Daerim was sitting on the floor in tears begging and crying for Kyuhyun to wake up. She had stayed back as he instructed, but her face was pink and full of tears. As the attendants assisted Kyuhyun she watched as his non responsive body was lifted onto a stretcher and then wheeled out of their home.

Seeing no one that was around to take care of her, one of the remaining attendees took Daerim’s hand and led her with them to ride in the ambulance. Kyuhyun’s phone lay to the side, left behind as the door to the apartment closed shut.

Upon entering the hospital she had been instructed to sit in a chair near the nurses station and then promptly forgotten about.

A nurse walked over to the quiet station, and placed her bag on the counter as she prepared to begin her shift. As she walked around the counter, making sure that her badge was in place, she stopped suddenly at the sight of Daerim.

Looking around, she realized that none of the few people scattered around the waiting area belonged to this child and she wondered what could possibly be the reason for her sitting here.

“Hello?” she said softly stepping closer to Daerim.

Daerim looked up at her with red rimmed eyes but said nothing.

“What’s your name?” the nurse tried again.

“Choi Daerim,” she croaked out.

The nurse gently smiled as she bent down to Daerim’s level. “That’s a pretty name. My name is Kim Min Joo.”

“Hi,” said Daerim weakly.

“Daerim-ah, why are you sitting here all alone? Where are your parents?” Min Joo asked.

Daerim shrugged.

“You don’t know?” asked Min Joo gently.

“My Kyu appa is back there,” he said pointing to the doors.

The nurse followed her finger and then nodded.

“Where’s your eomma?” asked Min Joo.

Daerim sniffled, “I don’t have an eomma.”

Min Joo slightly winced, not meaning to make Daerim more uncomfortable.

“Did someone tell you to wait here?”

Daerim nodded.

“Hmm, how long have you been sitting here?” asked Min Joo.

Daerim shrugged.

“Are you hungry or thirsty?” asked Min Joo touching her hand.

Daerim shook her head.

“Okay, well let’s see. It’s really lonely out here isn’t it? Is there someone we can call for you?” asked Min Joo.

Daerim nodded.

“Who would you like for me to call?” she asked.

“My Wonnie appa,” she croaked out.

Min Joo slightly paused, a little confused, but she stood and reached for the phone, deciding to just go with it all.

“Okay, do you know his number?” She asked doubtfully.

But to her surprise Daerim nodded.

“Okay, if you give it to me, I’ll call him and see if he can come here for you,” she said lifting up the phone and putting it to her ear.

“But—but he’s in Busan,” she hiccupped.

“Well, I still think it’s best he knows where you are,” the nurse nodded.

Daerim recited the number to her and then the nurse waited as it began to ring.

                                                            ~**~

The inside of the car had grown quiet as both Siwon and Teddy became lost in their thoughts. The sound of Siwon’s ringing phone broke the silence suddenly, making both men jump.

“Who is it?” asked Siwon shooting a glance at the phone and then Teddy.

“Unknown,” said Teddy shaking his head.

“Well go ahead and answer. It’s probably just someone from the show, just…explain what’s happening as quickly as possible please,” said Siwon with a sigh as he focused back on the rode.

With a nod, Teddy answered the phone, already expecting to give the spiel that he and Siwon had agreed upon.

“Yes, hello?”

“Hello? Is this Choi Siwon?” asked a timid voice.

“No this is his manager. How can I help you?” asked Teddy.

“I’m a nurse at St. Mary’s hospital. I have his daughter Daerim here with me. I believe she’s been waiting here for quite a while and I just wanted to check and see if there is anyone that could come and possibly take her home?”

Teddy turned to look at Siwon.

“What? Who is it?” asked Siwon looking over at him.

“It’s a nurse from St. Mary’s. They have Daerim, and I’m assuming Kyuhyun. Daerim’s there alone now—

“Give me the phone please,” said Siwon holding out his hand.

Teddy handed Siwon the phone and he immediately pressed it to his ear, holding it there with his shoulder.

“Yes, hello? You have my daughter Daerim there with you?” asked Siwon.

“Uh, yes Siwon-ssi. She’s here at the nurses station now. Would you like to speak with her?” asked the nurse.

“Yes please,” said Siwon.

“Sweetheart, your Appa wants to speak to you,” said the nurse beckoning Daerim over to her.

Daerim hopping off of the chair and walked over to the nurse who handed her the phone.

“Appa?” she tested.

“Daerim-ah! Oh thank G-d, baby, are you alright?!” asked Siwon.

Daerim said nothing as she listened to Siwon’s voice.

“Aegi-yah? Daerim? Are you there?” he asked pulling the phone away from his ear so that he could make sure the line was still connected.

He heard the beginnings of Daerim’s hiccups until they developed into the low whine and then full on tears.

Siwon leaned his head back against the head rest in sorrow. He could feel his insides crumbling at the sounds of his daughter in distress.

“Baby, please, don’t cry,” he started, though hearing her made him have to choke back his own tears.

“Wonnie appa please come and get me!” she cried.

“I can’t right now baby, Appa’s still not in Seoul,” Siwon tried to explain.

“Where are you?!” she wailed.

“I’m coming baby, right now. I’ll be there soon, I promise,” Siwon said earnestly.

“Wh—where’s Kyu—Kyu appa?!” she hiccupped.

“He’s with the doctors aegi-yah, they're taking care of him, okay? But can Appa talk to the nurse again?” asked Siwon.

“No! Don’t leave!” pleaded Daerim.

“Baby, I wont leave, I just need to ask about your Kyu Appa, okay? Appa needs to know if he’s okay,” said Siwon, trying his hardest to keep calm. “Can you be a big girl for Appa and stay strong for just a little bit longer? I promise I will be there with you really, really soon, but I need you to be brave for me right now, okay?”

“Okay,” said Daerim softly.

She looked up at the nurse and handed her the phone, “My Wonnie appa wants to talk to you.”

The nurse nodded, petting the back of Daerim’s head as she took the phone again.

“Yes?”

“Cho Kyuhyun is my husband, and I believe he was admitted into St. Mary’s a few hours ago. Can you please give me some sort of information about his condition. What has happened? What is happening? And what are the doctors doing for him,” said Siwon seriously.

“I’m really sorry Mr. Choi, I’ve only just arrived for my shift and I haven’t been directly assigned to him, so I wouldn’t be able to give you any information without looking at his charts,” said the nurse apologetically.

Siwon slammed his head back against the seat in frustration.

“But, I can go locate his doctor and have them contact you as soon as possible if you’d like?” she suggested.

“Yes, please, I need to know something, anything, about his condition,” said Siwon.

“And as for your daughter, I apologize that she’s had to sit here for so long unattended. Is there someone I can call to come and look after her until you arrive?” asked the nurse.

“No that’s alright. Now that I know where she is, I can call someone myself. They’ll be there soon,” said Siwon.

“Alright, I’ll be here at the nurses desk waiting with her until then, thank you.”

“Yes thank you,” sighed Siwon before hanging up.

“What did she say?” asked Teddy taking the phone back the moment Siwon handed it to him.

“Nothing,” Siwon said, trying not to sound bitter. “She couldn’t tell me anything about what’s happened to him.”

“And Daerim?”

“Thankfully she’s fine, she’s waiting at the nurses station now. Can you do me a favor?”

“Of course, anything. What?”

“Call Leeteuk hyung for me and ask if it’s possible for him to go there and be with Daerim until I can get there?”

“Sure,” he said opening the contacts folder to search for Leeteuk’s number.

After being contacted by Teddy, Leeteuk immediately left the late lunch he was enjoying and set off in the direction of St. Mary’s.

Once he arrived at the hospital, Leeteuk made his way to the main reception desk and found what part of the hospital Kyuhyun was currently in. After making his way to that wing, he entered the relatively empty but large waiting area. Walking up to the nurses desk, he peered beyond it and saw a small child who looked exhausted and yet terrified sitting with a package of half eaten crackers in her lap.

“Daerim-ah?” he called out gently.

Daerim looked up at him and then leapt off of the chair. She darted around the corner of the nurses’ desk and straight into Leeteuk.

Leeteuk lifted her up and her back as she rested her tired head on his shoulder. She had been so excited to see a face that she knew.

“Are you alright?” Leeteuk asked softly.

“I wanna see Kyu appa but they said no,” said Daerim softly, the crumbs from the now crushed cracker in her hand tickling Leeteuk’s neck as she gripped on to him desperately.

The nurse that had been sitting with Daerim had just left a few short minutes ago to do her rounds leaving Daerim under the watch of a not as friendly nurse, who had proceeded to ignore her.

Looking towards the desk, Leeteuk watched at the nurse hadn’t even looked up from her computer.

“Well, I’m here now sweetheart, so we’ll go see him together,” said Leeteuk as he walked them closer to the counter.

“Hi, yes, can you please tell me what room Cho Kyuhyun is in?” Leeteuk asked as he hoisted Daerim up higher on his hip.

“Are you a family member?” asked the nurse glancing up.

“Wh—no, well this is his daughter and I’m her samchon, and he’s been my dongsaeng for over 15 years. We’re as close as you can get to being family. What’s the problem?” asked Leeteuk shaking his head.

“As of right now, only blood relatives are able to see this patient,” said the nurse shaking her head.

“Well I’m holding a blood relative right here. Can’t I her in?” asked Leeteuk.

“Not without consent from the doctor and as of now, they are only allowing in one person at a time, I’m sorry—

“No, sorry isn’t helping anyone. I need you to listen to me, his other blood relatives are out of the country at the moment, his husband is out of the city. His daughter is the only one here and she would like to see her father, as would I, so I don’t care what you have to do, but I need to see that he is okay with my own eyes!” said Leeteuk, he was starting to get annoyed with the nurse’s unyielding expression.

“Sir, I don’t know what else you’d like for me to say. This isn’t my rule, it’s hospital protocol—

Leeteuk smacked the desk with his palm before stepping away for a moment. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

“Teukkie samchon, I want Kyu appa,” came Daerim’s voice as she tugged on his neck. Leeteuk could tell that she was on the verge of tears.

“I know sweetheart, I know. I’m gonna make sure that you can see him,” said Leeteuk pressing a kiss to her temple.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the nurse had returned to her previous task, clearly thinking that he had finally accepted her answer. Letting out a deep sigh he walked back over to her.

“Look, who’s gonna say anything, really? Just… please, she saw him when he was at his worst, no child should see something like that. She just wants to see her father to know he’s okay,” asked Leeteuk trying to appeal now to her sympathy.

The nurse sighed, looking at Leeteuk and then Daerim.

“Wait here, please. I’ll see if I can talk to his doctor…maybe we can work something out,” she said softly.

Leeteuk gave a soft smile, “Thank you.”

The nurse nodded and then walked from behind the desk and towards the double doors separating the waiting room from the rest of the hospital.

Not knowing how long it would take the nurse to return, of if she even would, Leeteuk reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Hello? Yeobo?” he asked when he heard someone answer the call he had just made.

“Teuk-ah—yes Jin-ah, it’s your Teukkie appa—you know, it’s a little insulting how much he’s been asking for you,” chuckled Kangin. “So how are you enjoying your day of freedom?

“Not so well,” said Leeteuk walking over to the seats, with Daerim still in his arms.

“Why? What’s wrong?” asked Kangin, his voice turning serious.

“I’m at the hospital—

“What?! What happened?! Are you alright?!—

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. It’s Kyu,” said Leeteuk, cutting Kangin off before he could go off on a tangent.

“What’s happened with Kyu?” he asked, his voice still laced with concern.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Leeteuk said, lowering his voice. “All I know is that Siwon called me and asked me to come and get Daerim because she has been here since he was admitted. When I got here, the nurse refused to give me any information or let me back to see him because I’m not a blood relative. Can you believe that?! We are his family too!”

“Teuk, listen. I know you're frustrated, but she’s just doing her job. She has no idea what all of us have been through together—otherwise there’d be no reason for her to deny you entry. You just have to wait until Siwon gets there—by the way, where is he? Why did he have to call you?” asked Kangin.

“He was in Busan for some car expo, remember?”

“Oh right.”

“But he’s on his way here now. But someone needed to stay with Daerim. Poor baby was here all alone in the nurse’s station for god knows how long,” said Leeteuk kissing Daerim’s forehead.

“Well, Haejin and I can come and keep you both company,” suggested Kangin.

“No, he shouldn’t be here. But actually, I was gonna ask you to come and take Daerim out, she shouldn’t be here either,” said Leeteuk.

“Okay, I can do that. We’re actually not too far away from St. Mary’s,” said Kangin.

“Okay, we’ll see you soon then,” said Leeteuk.

It was only twenty minutes later before Leeteuk saw Kangin walking hand in hand with Haejin through the sliding glass doors of the waiting room.

He didn’t have to speak up since Kangin found him almost immediately after scanning the room.

“Teukkie appa!” yelled Haejin as he ran happily up to Leeteuk. “Guess what?! Me and Appa went to the park and we played soccer and I scored three times! I beat Appa!”

“Hello sweetheart,” said Leeteuk softly, as he the back of Haejin’s hair. “That’s wonderful, but you have to be quiet, Daerim’s sleeping.”

“Sorry,” Haejin said softly, slightly embarrassed

Haejin looked at Daerim, fast asleep, her cheek smushed against Leeteuk’s chest as her arms hang limply at her sides, his hand supporting her back.

“Is Daerim sick?” asked Haejin with a frown.

“No, she’s alright,” said Leeteuk with a small smile.

“Then why are you at the hospital?” asked Haejin shaking his head.

“Your Kyu samchon is sick, so we’re waiting to see him and make sure that he’s okay,” said Leeteuk Haejin’s back as he moved to sit in the chair next to him.

“Did anything change? Are they going to let you see him?” asked Kangin.

Leeteuk shook his head bitterly. “But I spoke with Siwon again, he said he’ll be here very soon.”

“That’s good then,” said Kangin Daerim’s hair. “How is she doing?”

“Good and bad. She was really moody and quiet in the beginning. Which is understandable, but I finally convinced her to go to sleep after I finished talking with you. Maybe you can just take them home for a bit and then out for something to eat once she’s woken up? I don’t know if she’s even had breakfast.”

“Okay,” Kangin nodded and he reached down to pick Daerim up from Leeteuk’s arms.

As she was being transferred, Daerim’s eyes blinked open lazily.

“Wonnie appa?” she asked sleepily, not entirely focusing on Kangin.

“No baby, it’s me, Kanginnie samchon,” said Kangin gently.

“Where are my Wonnie appa and Kyu appa?” she asked rubbing her eyes.

“Just go back to sleep sweetheart. You’ll be able to see them once you’ve woken up,” said Leeteuk standing as well.

“I want to see Kyu appa,” she said, becoming more awake now.

“Daerim-ah how about you, me, and Haejin go home for a little while and I’ll make you your favorite breakfast and then we’ll go anywhere you want to go; the zoo, the aquarium—

“I wanna go to the aquarium!” smiled Haejin. “Daerim don’t you want to see the fishes and the dolphins and the sharks?”

“No! I want to see Kyu appa!” she snapped.

Kangin looked at Leeteuk, both surprised by her outburst.

“Where’s Kyu appa?!” she yelled.

“Okay, we just have to wait a little bit longer Daerim-ah and then you can see him, I promise. But aren’t you hungry? Wouldn’t you like something to eat?” tried Kangin.

“No!” Daerim started kicking her legs trying to get down from Kangin’s arms.

All of the frustration of having to wait for so long was finally getting  to her and she was becoming agitated.

“Kyu Appa!” she shrieked reaching out towards the doors. “I want Kyu Appa!”

“Shh! Shh! Daerim-ah, I know you do. But we just have to wait a little bit longer while the doctors check to make sure he’s okay—

“KYU APPA!” Daerim wailed, squeezing her eyes shut as her face turned red.

She was wriggling and grunting in Kangin’s arms, trying to get free.

“Should I just take her somewhere now or do you think it’s better to stay here until she can see him?” asked Kangin shifting her around in his arms.

“I don’t know,” said Leeteuk, yelling slightly over her screams.

“Daerim,  you have to calm down or I’ll have to take you outside—

“NO! KYU APPA! I WANT KYU APPA!” She screamed, her little fists beating into Kangin as she still tried to free herself from his arms.

Both men sighed as they watched her shrieks turn into tears that poured down her  red face, mixed with snot and saliva. Neither of them had ever seen her like this.

“Okay, Daerim, you don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to, I’m so sorry,” said Leeteuk. “But I need you to listen to me, can you listen to me?”

Daerim said nothing as she continued crying.

“We have to wait for your Wonnie appa. Me and your Kanginnie samchon can’t go inside right now, so we all have to wait just a little bit longer. Your Wonnie appa has to drive from Busan, so it’s taken a really long time, but he’ll be here soon, okay? So you just have to wait a little while longer.”

Even though Daerim had heard every one of Leeteuk’s words, she still wanted nothing more than to see Kyuhyun. So while her shrieking soon ceased, her tears continued on.

Still in Kangin’s arms, he walked her around the waiting room, through the aisles of chairs until her whines exhausted her and she eventually feel asleep. With each lap that he made passing Leeteuk, he’d glance at the clock on the wall and then at him, to which Leeteuk could only shrug.

Haejin had taken to laying his head on Leeteuk’s lap, almost lulled to sleep by the soft against his scalp as he gazed lazily up at the TV on the wall.

Another 30 minutes passed before Siwon rushed breathlessly into the waiting room.

“Siwon-ah!” Leeteuk called out when he saw him heading towards the desk, looking as though he might stumble into a wall or drop to his knees at any moment.

Siwon’s head whipped around in their direction, making eye contact with Leeteuk before walking over in a hurry.

“Hyung, w-what have they told you? Have you been able to see him? What’s gong on?” asked Siwon, he sounded almost delirious.

“They're only letting blood relatives or spouses back to see him, so we’ve been waiting for you to get here. She won’t tell us anything, I feel like I’ve been loosing my mind,” said Leeteuk.

“Where’s Daerim?” asked Siwon noticing that only Leeteuk and a sleeping Haejin were here.

“Kangin took her for some air. She just about had a nervous breakdown about an hour ago. It was awful. She just kept crying out for Kyu and you. We didn’t know what to do,” said Leeteuk putting a hand to his head.

“I’m sorry to have put you through all of this Hyung, really. But thank you so much for being here to take care of her.”

“Of course, you know we always would.”

“I’m gonna go back and see him and figure out what the hell is going on,” said Siwon looking back over to the desk.

“All right,” said Leeteuk with a nod.

Just Siwon was walking back over to the desk the sliding doors to the waiting room opened and Kangin and Daerim walked back in.

“Daerim-ah, look who it is,” said Kangin, spotting Siwon leaning on the nurses desk, waiting for a nurse to find the information that he’d asked for.

Daerim followed Kangin’s pointing finger until she saw him.

“Wonnie appa!” she squealed, taking off running towards him.

By the time Siwon turned to look over and then down, Daerim was upon him.

“Oh aegi-yah,” he sighed bending down to pick her up, relieved to be holding a piece of Kyuhyun in his arms.

“Where were you?!” whined Daerim, burying her face in his neck.

“I got here as fast as I could baby, I’m so, so sorry you had to wait so long,” said Siwon hugging her tightly.

“I was really scared!” she said, her voice muffled.

“But I’m here with you now and it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here,” said Siwon the back of her head.

“Where’s Kyu Appa?” she asked sadly.

“I’m trying to find that out right now baby,” said Siwon turning back towards the nurses’ desk. “Ganhosanim? Have you found out anything yet?”

“Yes, I’ve notified his doctor and she said that you're able to come back now,” said the nurse.

“Okay thank you,” said Siwon and he turned to look at Leeteuk and Kangin who were still sitting.

Leeteuk nodded in understanding as Siwon began following after the nurse towards the heavy double doors that would finally lead them to Kyuhyun.