Chapter 5

            Jonghyun led Key down the hospital hallway, one hand held the blonde’s in his own firm grip, whilst the other toted Key’s satchel and a bag of food. Key  only held a bouquet of bright daffodils as he stuck close to his husband. When they stopped in front of Taemin’s hospital room, a doctor and a nurse, slid the door open, stepping outside with quiet sighs.

            Bowing low, Jonghyun and Key looked at the pair and inquired, “How is he?” Jonghyun’s tone of voice was concerned and the look in Key’s eyes made the nurse wonder if these were the child’s parents.

            “Good afternoon, Agent Kim. He’s doing… alright I suppose. Physically, he’s doing a lot better than he was yesterday. All his wounds are healing nicely.”

            “But?” Key asked.

            “He’s….” the young doctor twiddled with the pen he held in his hand and hesitated, trying to find the proper words to phrase what had been bothering him about his patient, “I cannot asses his mental or emotional state. He’s been silent doesn’t respond to any questions. A child his age should have a basic comprehension of language but he hasn’t made a sound. Perhaps you and your spouse will be able to coax an answer out of him,” he quirked his lips up in a tiny smile and bowed.

            The couple were silent at his revelation and the doctor and nurse excused themselves, walking back towards the center of the children’s ward. Jonghyun glanced at Key’s worried face and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

            The taller male smiled at him and took a deep breath before slowly sliding the door open.

            The first thing he saw was the lone figure sitting on the bed. He was stock still and his legs were pulled up to his chest. Now that he had been showered and cleaned, it was clear to anyone that he would grow up to become a great beauty. Long brown hair that appeared bronze in the sunlight lay down his small back in natural waves. His pale skin now held a slightly pinkish hue, he didn’t look completely healthy but he looked well on his way there. His eyes were alert and they followed Key and Jonghyun’s progress into the room. They darted down to look at the bright yellow flowers in Key’s hand before returning to stare at the bed sheet he fiddled with.

            “Hey there,” Jonghyun said softly, walking closer to the bed until he stood right next to it. Taemin looked up and a flash of recognition shown in his eyes. Without warning or preemptive thought, he reached out to grip a corner of Jonghyun’s shirt.

            Key smiled when he saw the small hand that gripped Jonghyun’s shirt; walking slowly towards Taemin’s bed, he stretched held out the daffodils and smiled at the boy who had turned to look at him. Key could see the suspicion in his guarded expression but he continued to walk to him.

            Smiling brightly, he said, “Hello! I’m Key, his wife,” Key added, pointing to Jonghyun with his free hand, “I brought you some flowers. They’re called daffodils, do you like them?”

            Taemin opened his mouth, apparently surprised that anyone would buy flowers for him. He’d seen them once on the jacket of a girl his dad had brought in.

            His dad.

            Immediately his mouth clamped shut and even though he tried to remain calm, the grip on Jonghyun’s shirt grew tighter.

            The brunette noticed and gently, so he wouldn’t startle him, he touched his hand. Taemin flinched at the touch and pulled his hand away quickly, coiling inwards and squeezing his eyes shut as he shivered a little. He feared that he had done something wrong and after all the abuse he’d received he only knew that touches meant he was going to be punished.

            Key looked at him worriedly and shuffled to the other side of the bed, seating himself slowly on the corner of the bed. Jonghyun on the other hand, looked determined and gently pulled Taemin’s hand close to him. The little boy resisted and tried pulling his hand back but Jonghyun’s grip was unrelenting. He awaited the burn of a cigarette or the sting of a cane but his eyes flickered open in shock when all he felt was the thin stem of a daffodil.

            The agent had taken a daffodil from the bouquet, ignoring his wife’s questioning glance and pressed it into Taemin’s palm.

            “It’s okay, see? It’s just a flower,” Jonghyun smiled down at the little boy who was staring in wonder at the yellow flower and he let Taemin pull his hand back so he could explore the little piece of nature in his hands. He dragged his thumbs over the little petals and wondered about how soft it was. It was even softer than the ‘pillow’ things he had been lying on.

            Key’s face lit up with happiness when he saw the little boy turning the flower over in his hands, “They smell good too,” Key said, “see?” Lifting up the bouquet of flowers, he held them close to his face and breathed in the delicate fragrance. “Do you want to try?” he said, holding them out to Taemin with a smile.

            Taemin reached out with a slightly trembling hand and cupped the bouquet, pulling it just a little closer. He glanced at Key, still suspicious and scared, but the blonde merely smiled and said, “It’s okay, go on.”

            Taking a small sniff, his eyes widened when he smelt the scent. Sniffing them again, he subconsciously pulled them closer, even reaching out with his other hand to pull the bouquet closer. Key let go of the daffodils and let them rest on the bed as Taemin continuously sniffed them, eyes wide and full of curiosity.

            Suddenly, with a tiny heave of his thin shoulders, Taemin let out a giant sneeze, startling the couple who looked at him in surprise. Taemin himself, looked surprised at the loud sound he had emitted. Nervously dropping the flowers on the bed, he looked at the two people on either side of him. His hands retreated into the hollow space between his body and his legs and he became scared again.

            Just as he had begun to think that he had made a huge mistake, Key’s tinkling laughter filled the room and the sound of Jonghyun’s full laughter joined in. Making a harmony of joy Taemin wondered for the hundredth time since the couple had walked in, how something could sound so…. so…. beautiful. He’d never heard anyone laugh before and this was so new to him. The sound of their happy laughter made him feel a little tickling feeling that was altogether new and foreign to him. The little feeling grew and grew, spreading a warmth throughout his frail body and filling him with the need to open his mouth.

            Dr. Zhang stopped outside the door of his latest child patient and stared through the little window of the door in awe. The child who had avoided all attempts at comfort or friendship. The child who had stayed silent. The child who had stayed still.

            He and the nurse next to him, gaped at the sight before them. Agent Kim stood on one side of the bed, laughing a halting laughter that was both full and loud, his wife stood on the other side of the bed, mouth open in mirth as sounds of sharp and spritely laughter filled the room and harmonized with his husband’s.

            What really made the two medical attendents stand there still, and in awe, was the sight of the little boy who sat on the bed between them. Eyes closed in little crescents, plush lips set apart and mouth opened in a slightly hoarse but nonetheless ethereal light laughter.

            The three were bathed in the last glows of sunlight as the sun set and it only served to make the scene that lay before them all the more beautiful.

            A three part harmony.

            A promise of joy.

            It made Dr. Zhang feel warm.

            Smiling, he tugged his nurse’s shirtsleeve and walked away. He could always give the boy his check up later.

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Heyy guys and gals! Oh my gosh I'm so sorry this didn't come out sooner. I was so pumped up and I wrote it all out and then I went and forgot to post it == Aren't I forgetful?

Ahem, anyways, many apologies for the late update and I hope you'll enjoy this one until I post the next chapter. I know the story's going a bit slowly but I plan on doing a time skip after a few more chapters so ummm... be prepared? hahhahaa still, I hope you'll like this chapter. I tried to make it as descriptive as possible without making it too drab because I think this is kinda really important. It's a turning point and I hope it'll touch you and make you feel just that liiiiiiitttleeee bit fluffy! :)

Comment replies <3 :

@animaeholic : heeyyy youuu! awwww.... it's so sweet that you teared reading the last chappie :') I wasn't quite sure how to go about writing from his point of view since I have neither the experience nor the mental temerity to but I tried and I'm glad to see that you liked it! Thanks for commenting reader-nim!

@Casandra : Casandraaaaaaa! helloooooo, hahaha don't worry, the pampering and jealousy will come soon ;) hold on tight dearie!

@BoredOutOfHerMind : (I really like your username hahaha) heyy there! weeellllll, I wouldn't be a very good authornim if I told you how the story ends but I will tell you that I happen to often have mood swings of the highest degree sometimes so if I accidentally let slip an angsty ending, ummmm..... hehehhehehehehe lol naaahhh I'm just kidding (or am i? heehee)

@jjongluvbummie : heellooooooo! The love is here, and there's quite a lot of it actually  hahaha... I hope you enjoy this chapter reader nim! Thanks for the comment :)

@yurashawol : anyeoonngg, yeaaahh it's sad, but I think that his story is something that a lot of young children go through today. It's sad and it's heart breaking but nobody knows and most people don't care to find out. Taeminnie's a strong little boy in this story but there're kids out there in the world who aren't as strong and aren't as lucky. I came up with the story's plot with the idea in mind that if we truly take the time and effort to, we could brighten up someone elses life and whether we know it or not, a simple smile for a stranger could go a long way :) anyways, thanks for the comment reader nim!!

Thank you for all the comments and I see a few new subscribers here :) Hello to you tooooooo, go ahead and comment dearies! I don't bite hahhaha

Have a nice week readernims! <3