Kyungsoo didn’t feel better on the next day; she called Chanyeol last night and told him about her current condition. Chanyeol said she should have just hospitalised to get a better treatment. She refused; she didn’t want to make a big deal of her health. It made her uncomfortable to make everybody worry for her. She decided to act like her usual self and go to work. She couldn’t concentrate on her work at all, because her body felt weak and her mind was occupied with her thoughts of her baby. She wanted to go home and rest, but she still had some works to do.

Baekhyun was a very caring girl; she couldn’t see her friend troubled or being in trouble. She wanted to help Kyungsoo, but didn’t exactly know how since she didn’t know what Kyungsoo’s concern was. Jongdae and Baekhyun decided to give Kyungsoo more rests by took half of her job. Kyungsoo didn’t complain like she always did and let her friends did whatever they wanted.

“Jongdae-yah, has Kyungsoo told you anything? She looked gloomy but I don’t know what her problem is,” she finally said to Jongdae.

“She has told me nothing, Baek. I kind of noticed her weird behaviour since this morning. But if she doesn’t want to talk about it, then we shouldn’t push her,” Jongdae said quietly as she watched her pregnant friend from afar. “We should help her in any way we could, treat her like usual, and take care of her. She doesn’t look healthy for these past few days.”

Sehun came to see her friends who were busy training the new trainees. She came to see Kyungsoo in particular. She worked on the same company but different department so she rarely caught up with her friends.

“Eonni-yah! How’s your baby? He kicked already?” Sehun said, rubbing Kyungsoo’s belly.

A glimpse of sadness shown on Kyungsoo’s face at the mention of her baby. “He’s fine. He’s actively moving and kicking me multiple times a day. He kicks harder whenever he wants to eat,” Kyungsoo smiled to Sehun.

“Woooah.. I feel it. Was he just kicking you?” Sehun caressed her baby bump lightly.

“Maybe he doesn’t want you to touch him, that’s why he kicked,” Kyungsoo said in amusement.

“Not funny, Kyungsoo Eonni.”

Kyungsoo chuckled at her favourite younger friend’s antics. But suddenly she moaned quietly as she felt an unbearable pain on her tummy. Sehun, who was by her side startled and started to rub her back, trying to make Kyungsoo feel better. Baekhyun and Jongdae noticed that Kyungsoo was in pain, they rushed to her side.

“Kyungsoo-yah! Are you okay?” Baekhyun nearly screamed in panic.

Kyungsoo didn’t answer, her face scrunched and kept caressing her baby bump looked so much in pain. Her friends are started to worry. The entire room attention was drawn to them.

“Sehun-ah, can you take her to hospital?” Jongdae asked.

“Yes, Jongdae Eonni. I don’t have any schedule right now. I’ll drive her there.”

Jongdae asked some of the boys in the room to carry Kyungsoo to Sehun’s car. She doubted Kyungsoo can walk properly right now.

“Drive safely, Sehun-ah. Find Doctor Irene, she knows Kyungsoo’s condition from the very start of her pregnancy,” Baekhyun said with worried clearly visible on her face.

“Yes, Baekhyun Eonni,” Sehun started her car engine and ready to go.

Kyungsoo lied on the backseat, she was sweating so much, and her face scrunched as if she was trying to supress her pain. She wasn’t making any sound and relaxed a bit after quite some time. Her pain was seemingly subsided, but it didn’t stop Sehun to drive even faster.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Kyungsoo was actually getting better, she asked Sehun to drive her home instead. Sehun insisted her to see the doctor. Kyungsoo was too weak to argue so she did whatever the younger told her.

Kyungsoo’s mobile rang with her husband’s name on the screen. She reluctantly picked up the call.

“Babe, are you okay? What happened? Where are you now? Sehun’s still there right? What was the doctor said?” Chanyeol bombarded her wife with a series of questions with a clear super worried tone on his voice.

“I don’t know, Chanyeol-ah,” her voice started to crack. She hated showing unnecessary emotion in front of her friends. She always pretending to be strong, but this time she couldn’t handle it.

Sehun eyed Kyungsoo while rubbing her back in soothing manner.

“I’m still at the hospital with Sehun. After I met Doctor Irene, I’ll call you back. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“It is okay, Babe. Yours and our baby’s health come first. I love you, Kyungsoo-yah,” with that, Chanyeol ended the call.

“Sehun-ah, please wait here. I think it’ll be better if I go inside alone,” Kyungsoo said. Sehun obeyed her, and waited for her patiently.

Inside the examine room, Kyungsoo told Doctor Irene everything happened to her. The doctor strongly recommended her to hospitalised, but she still refused. In the end, the doctor said she should stop her daily activity for at least a week and take a total rest at her home. She agreed with that and called Baekhyun to tell their boss that she needed rest for a whole week.

--     

Kyungsoo was staying at her in-laws house since few days ago. Chanyeol’s family were always been good to her. Kyungsoo had told them about her current condition, they were sad as well, but never stopped to give her moral support that she needed. She hadn’t told her own parents, they lived far away from Seoul; she couldn’t bear to hear her parents sad because of her. 

She felt better after told her in-laws about her condition. She told Baekhyun briefly about it as well.  They discussed it, and suggested Kyungsoo to had second opinion from another doctor. She agreed right away. She asked Baekhyun to accompany her to see Doctor Choi, a famous obstetrician in Seoul.

Doctor Choi was sure famous, there are so many people waiting to see her. The waiting room was filled with pregnant women who were accompanied by their husbands. Kyungsoo envied them; she also wanted Chanyeol by her side. It was not she didn’t feel grateful towards Baekhyun, but at the time like this, she really needed her husband.

They waited long enough before Kyungsoo finally called by the nurse. Baekhyun was waiting for her outside. She told her concern about her condition to Doctor Choi and let the doctor examined her.

“Your baby is healthy, his muscular and skeletal developments are pretty normal. Unfortunately, his weight is not getting any better, I’m afraid his organs, like lungs or kidneys, might not develop well,” Doctor Choi said after examined her with ultrasound.

Kyungsoo’s chest tightened, she wanted to cry but she tried her best to hold her tears.

“Is he still moving from time to time?”

“Yeah. He moves every once in a while. He moves a lot at night.”

“You have to come to check your pregnancy once a week for the next 4 weeks. If this condition continues or become worse, please consider delivering this baby early. And I should say that his chance of living is low,” She said boldly without concerning Kyungsoo’s feeling at that moment.

Kyungsoo said nothing and kept her head low for a very long time after her session with Doctor Choi. She couldn’t describe her feelings. She was sad, feeling guilty and sorry for her unborn baby. She was afraid her baby wouldn’t be healthy. It hurt Kyungsoo even more to think that her baby might be in pain for all this time.

Kyungsoo couldn’t hold it anymore and began to sob.

“Kyungsoo-yah, why are you crying?” Baekhyun startled as she rarely see her petite friend crying in front of her.

“Doctor Choi said that my baby’s chance for living is low,” she said in between her sobs. “I’ve read so much journals and literature regarding my current condition, I knew it’s bad, but.. but..” She couldn’t manage to complete her words as she cried harder with her palms covered her small face.

“Sshh.. there, there,” Baekhyun hugged Kyungsoo tightly and felt like crying herself. It pained her to see her friend like this. 

After Kyungsoo calmed down a little, Baekhyun asked her to accompany her eating ramen at their favourite place. Kyungsoo didn’t mind and let her friend drag her to wherever she wanted.

“Can I call Jongdae and Sehun to join us?” Baekhyun asked.

“Sure, but please do not tell them about my condition. I’m not ready to tell them.”

“I won’t, sweetheart.” Baekhyun reassured. “When will Chanyeol come?”

“Tonight or tomorrow, I’m not sure about his flight schedule,” Kyungsoo replied.

“Don’t worry, Kyungsoo-yah. Your spare husband is always ready for you,” she said tried to lightened up the mood. “And don’t worry too much about your baby. The doctor said he’s still has a chance to live even though it’s low. Just try our best and never lose hope.”

Kyungsoo stayed silent for a moment and then said “I will be prepared for the worst as well.”

--

The first thing that Chanyeol did when he came home was crying with his small wife on his arms. He hugged her tightly, felt sorry for her wife and for not being around when she needed him the most. Kyungsoo felt herself crumbling but she decided to be strong for her husband and her baby. She rubbed Chanyeol’s back in a soothing manner and whispered encouraging words to her husband ear.

“I’m sorry, Kyungsoo-yah. I’m a stupid husband; I don’t even know that you were in pain for all this time,” he said, still crying.

“No, Chanyeol. You’re always been good to me. You’re a great husband; no one treats me better than you always do. I wouldn’t want to trade you for anything,” Kyungsoo said with teary eyes and kissed Chanyeol’s lips softly.

“I don’t deserve you, Kyungsoo. You and our baby are the best things that have happened in my life.”

The couple continued to sob while comforting themselves in each other’s arms for that whole night.

--

Chanyeol accompanied his wife to see Doctor Irene on her 21 weeks of pregnancy. His wife said she felt so much more comfortable with Doctor Irene than Doctor Choi so they decided to continue to have sessions with Doctor Irene.

“I’m sorry to say that your baby’s weight is still low.”

Everything that the doctor said had no longer shocked the couple. They held hands during the talk with Doctor Irene.

“What caused it, Doc?” Chanyeol asked curiously.

“There are a lot of things that can cause it, Mr. Park. It could be a hereditary, lack of nutrition, diabetic or hypertensive mother, or maybe the development of the foetus itself.”

“I think my wife had been took a very good care of herself during the pregnancy. She ate healthy food, take every vitamin you prescribed, had enough rest, and hydrate her more than she needed.”

“Mrs. Doh doesn’t have any health problem before and during pregnancy. It could be idiopathic as well,” she said.

“Is there anything we can do to make his chance of living higher?” Chanyeol said with hope.

“We had done everything we could, just rest some more, eat more, and drink more water. Never lose hope, but please prepared for the worst. Let’s hope for a miracle to happen,” Doctor Irene said sympathetically.

“Thank you for your advice,” the couple said in unison.

--

Chanyeol gained a new habit at night, he kept caressing and kissing Kyungsoo’s tummy while whispering quietly to his baby. Sometimes he sobbed silently in order to not waking his sleeping wife. He felt really sorry towards his wife and his unborn baby. He disappointed at himself for not being a good husband for Kyungsoo.

“Hang in there, son. I know that you’re strong, we can through it together. Appa and Eomma will always be strong for you as well,” Chanyeol said quietly. Kyungsoo was aware of what he did every night, but decided to pretend she was asleep, holding back her tears.

--

TBC

A/N:

I think it's the longest chapter I've written so far. I'm not sure if this story make sense at all, but thank you for everyone who upvoted, subscribed, commented, and read this story until now. kamsahamnida :)