CHAPTER 33

HOPE

Doyoung forgot when was the last time he felt like dying. When he met Taeil, he felt secure. He totally forgot the feeling of being worried when he pulled him into his arms.

It hadn’t been three days since their reunion, and there he was again, Kun reminding him about the feeling he dreaded the most. His twisting insides and heart beating non-stop were all too familiar with him and yet, the fear always seemed new every single time. There he was again, having the all too familiar feeling with Kun in his arms, unconscious. 

They were on their way to the hospital in Yuta’s car. The guy was driving beyond the speed limit and breaking every traffic rules just to get into the hospital in time. Winwin was in the passenger’s seat saying encouraging words and telling him that everything was going to be alright. 

Everyone inside that car was worried, and Doyoung knew that even the couple who were left at home felt the same way. Taeyong went pale when he saw Kun bleeding in the arms of his husband who went stiff and wasn’t able to move. Yuta was the only one who was quick enough to tell them to move as he got his car.

It was a total blur for Doyoung when he even got into the car. All he remembered was Winwin dragging him and telling him to hurry. His feet and his body went on automatic. It was crazy.

They arrived at the hospital, and another all too familiar scene welcomed Doyoung. A stretcher surrounded by nurses was pulled even before the car stopped. In a matter of seconds, Kun was taken out of his arms and immediately wheeled to the emergency room. 

When the door to the ER closed, that was the time his legs gave out and he almost fell to the floor if Yuta and Winwin were not on his side to hold him. No tears came out. It was always that way. Years of emergency trips to the hospitals made his eyes dry up. Even his insides were in a storm and the fear was always new, his eyes never shed a single tea, especially in front of his son.

He was guided to the nearest bench, and he heard Yuta called someone, maybe it was Jaehyun to tell him they made it to the hospital safely or maybe Taeil. The thought made Doyoung jumped from his seat. Winwin who was holding his hand stood with him and asked what was wrong. He looked for his phone and he found nothing, he must have left it at Jaehyun’s house.

“Doyoung, sit down. The doctors are attending to him now.”

“Please call Taeil,” Doyoung told Winwin. Yuta was the one who reacted.

“Taeil hyung? Why do we need to call him?” Yuta asked, obviously clueless about the connection between the man in front of him and Taeil.

“He’s Kun’s father.”

“I'm sorry, what?” Yuta was stunned with the answer so he wasn’t able to dial the number of the said person. “Your son’s father is Taeil hyung?”

Doyoung nodded when he saw the two guys in front of him were both shocked by the new information he shared. He forgot that they’ve been away, so they had no idea of what happened while they were away.

“Jaehyun’s brother is Kun’s father? He’s your husband?” Winwin seconded.

Husband.

Doyoung didn’t react to the word. They weren’t married yet, but there was a certain warmth it brought to him that made him calm down. 

Taeil was their savior, emotionally and financially. Doyoung was just too prideful to admit that he was not going to last long with the growing list of hospital bills and bad medical results. But above all the material things Taeil could provide for them, he loved the person and losing him again would mean another heartbreak for Doyoung and this time, he wasn’t sure if he was going to survive.

The father of his child made him feel safe and on solid grounds, but still that moment, Doyoung wasn’t sure on how Taeil was going to react to their son’s condition.

In no less than 30 minutes, Taeil arrived. He was still in his office suit because he left in the middle of a meeting. He left his work to Johnny and immediately flew the office the moment he received the call from the most unlikely bearer of the news, Yuta.

“Youngie,” Taeil hugged his lover the moment he saw him. 
The warmth and the sudden feeling of safety made Doyoung cried for the first time. Taeil took the burden he was carrying for a long time away from him, and he felt a lot better.

“What happened?” Taeil asked as he kissed his head, trying to calm him down from his sobs.

Doyoung didn’t answer so Winwin took the liberty to answer the question but leaving out the important details to Doyoung.

“Kun had a nosebleed. We’re still waiting for the doctor to come out. He’s Kun’s pediatrician, so he’ll know right away what is wrong.”

Of course, the doctor knew what was happening to Kun. She was the one who discovered his disease, and she’s been Kun’s doctor ever since. 

Everyone knew what was going on. The scene was also not new to Winwin and his brothers and even to Ten. They knew exactly what was happening to Kun. It was one of those times that the kid needs their blood to extend his life. 

So when the doctor came out from the E.R. Winwin and even Doyoung were already anticipating the words that would come from . It was the same thing happening over and over again. But even it was all too familiar for them, the nervousness didn’t quite grow on them. It was always nerve-wracking.

“It’s time again.” Dr. Son Seung Wan announced when she came out of the E.R., “Is there available among the donors?”
Doyoung looked at Winwin who sadly shook his head and said, “I can’t I just came from overseas.”

For the second time, Doyoung wanted to cry. Since when did he become a crybaby? It was obvious that Taeyong couldn’t donate as of the moment because of his condition, and Haechan was still so young to give his blood, so his last resort was Ten. It’s been almost 4 months since he last donated, so he was the only qualified one. 

Winwin, despite hating the idea of talking to the Thai, called him thru his phone. It was just a short conversation, and the guy agreed without thinking twice.

Doyoung was glad.

“Inform me if our donor arrives,” the doctor said and was about to leave when Taeil left Doyoung’s side to ask the question that was bugging him.

“Excuse me, what is wrong with Kun?”

Dr. Son looked at Doyoung, her eyes asking who was the man who just asked her a question. Doyoung was about to answer when Taeil beat him to it, understanding the look the doctor gave his lover.

“I’m Jung Taeil, I’m Jung Kun’s father.”

Dr. Son was stunned with the new information she just heard. Her patient’s records on her were still Kim Kun, and Doyoung didn’t inform her that he changed his last name. 

Nevertheless, although intrigued, the doctor didn’t ask any more question and told the couple to follow her to his office so she could explain everything to Taeil.

The newlywed couple was left in the lobby to wait for Ten.

“Can we go home when Ten-sshi comes?” Yuta suggested. They just arrived from their honeymoon, and they both badly needed rest. Both were still jetlagged, and Yuta was really dizzy. The adrenaline he felt when he was driving suddenly left his body. All he wanted to do was to lay on his bed with Winwin, but the said husband wasn’t having any of it.  He was also tired and jetlagged and yet he still wanted to stay in the hospital and wait for Kun.

“Go home yourself. I’ll stay here and wait for Kun,” Winwin answered.

Yuta almost shivered at the coldness of the answer, but he chose to stay at his husband side and do whatever the younger wanted. The last thing Yuta needed was a misunderstanding just right after their honeymoon. So exhausted, dizzy and all, he opted to lay his head on Winwin’s shoulder as they waited for Ten to come. He decided to stay there with his husband rather than sleep alone.

It took Ten an hour before he reached the hospital. Winwin wasn’t happy about it.

“What took you so long?” He said with much annoyance as he suddenly stood up, waking Yuta in the process.

“Oh, welcome back,” Ten answered. He matched Winwin’s annoyance with sarcasm. “I needed to close my shop because I’m short with staff since Doyoung needs to take care of your brother.” Ten gave emphasis to every word and Winwin was hit, bull's eye.

Winwin glared at him, but he was too annoyed to think of a comeback. “The doctor is waiting for you. Tell Doyoung hyung we went home already,” he said as he pulled Yuta who was still very sleepy out of the hospital.

Ten smirked at his victory. Winwin never won against him, and he promised it will stay that way.

***

Taeil was lost for words after he heard what the doctor told him about his son and the disease that he was carrying. 
Never in his wildest imagination that his son was carrying that life-threatening disease and Kun was just too young to suffer. He even disregarded the bruises on his small body thinking that they were just from getting bumped anywhere. The information was hard to process, and his mind kept on rejecting the reality that his son was really sick.

“Is there any way to save him? I know there is, right?” Taeil tried to think positively, and the doctor’s reaction made his heavy heart a little lighter.

Dr. Son smiled, “Of course. I’m actually happy that we have you here right now. You are Kun’s dad, and there is a high chance that your bone marrow match so you can donate, and Kun will be better.”

Tears fell from Doyoung’s eyes as he kept on listening to the doctor talked to Taeil. He just stayed there quietly and let the doctor tell his lover everything he needed to know about their son’s condition. He was glad the doctor saved him from explaining to Taeil. Doyoung wasn’t really sure if he could do it by himself.

“I also have brothers that can donate.”

“That’s good to hear. We can test all of you for compatibility as soon as possible.”

Suddenly, Doyoung saw hope and this time, it was real hope. There was hope that Kun could survive and there was a high chance for it. The news made him smile despite his tears. It felt like all the burden was lifted off his shoulder, and he felt lighter than ever.

“Dr. Son, I’m here.” Ten finally arrived. Son wasted time to prepare him for the transfusion. The newcomer didn’t even get the chance to greet the couple because the doctor literally dragged him to the E.R.

The couple was left alone in the doctor’s office. Taeil was eating in front of his lover so he took his hands and made him sit beside him. He then gave him a warm hug that Doyoung missed so much. Again, the gesture made him cry. He really turned into a crybaby that day.

“Shhh, Youngie. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry that you had to go through this alone.”

Taeil felt Doyoung shook his head from his chest. “You’re here now. It’s going to be okay.”

For the first time, Doyoung believed that it was really going to be okay.

***

“How is Kun? Did your brother call you already?” Taeyong asked as his husband tucked him to bed.

“Shhh,” Jaehyun gently hushed him and made him lay his head on the pillow. It was a tough day and getting Taeyong more stressed was the last thing on Jaehyun’s list. “He’s going to be okay. Taeil Hyung said that Ten gave blood because you and Winwin cannot.”

The news made Taeyong relax a bit and he allowed Jaehyun to cover him with a thick duvet. It was one of those nights that he felt extra cold. He didn’t want to turn off the AC as his husband wanted because it was going to be too hot for Jaehyun, so they opted for the thick covering.

Once both of them were settled and ready to sleep, Jaehyun opened a topic to talk about. 

“Taeil hyung asked to have our bone marrow tested.”
That made Taeyong face his husband and stare at his face with interest.

“Really?”

“Yes, I think even Yuta and Johnny agreed to do it.”

“That’s great. At least Kun doesn’t need to wait for long.”

“Is it really that serious?”

Taeyong nodded as a reply and added, “That’s the only way for him to recover and to live normally like kids his age.”

“I wish our son won’t suffer the same thing.”

Taeyong looked at his husband like he said the most ridiculous thing ever. There was a dreamy smile on his face that made Taeyong shook his head in amusement. He never answered to those hints given by his husband. He never indulged himself into dreaming about having kids, especially a son. His husband was so sure having one.

 He knew that was his duty, it was the main reason why he took the P2, but he didn’t want to think about it just yet.

“Why are you shaking your head?”

The question gave Taeyong no choice but to answer.

“You are so sure about having a son.”

Jaehyun smiled, and made Taeyong lay his head on his arm and hugged his body with his free one. Taeyong enjoyed the warmth Jaehyun’s body gave to him. The duvet was forgotten.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a son or a daughter. I just imagine having a son. I think it would be nice to have a son.”

“That’s too early to think about.”

Jaehyun sighed, and gently ran his hand to his husband’s cold and skinny arm.

“I know. We’ll have him when you’re ready and when you feel like having one.”

Taeyong was thankful. At least he wasn’t being forced to have a child even he took the drug already.

Jaehyun even added, “I don’t think I can handle you going into this kind of pain again once you get pregnant. It’s unfair that you suffer alone and I don’t get to share your pain.”

“I don’t think pregnancy won’t make anyone as sick as someone who takes the P2.”

“It’s still going to make you feel worse.”

Taeyong chose not to comment because the warmth of his husband’s body was seriously making him sleepy. 

Soft snores made Jaehyun smiled in contentment. Finally, Taeyong was able to sleep early and without any pain. It seemed like the rest he got earlier that day wasn’t enough because he was also lulled to sleep. For the first time since Taeyong took the drug, the couple had a peaceful sleep.

***

“Where have you been?” That was Johnny’s welcome the moment Ten entered his apartment.

“Somewhere,”Ten tiredly answered. He was tired and dizzy from giving some of his blood to Kun, and all he wanted to do was to take a bath and sleep. He was about to enter the bathroom when Johnny started bombarding him with questions.

“At least have the respect to tell me that you’re going somewhere.”

Ten stopped from entering the bathroom and faced the furious Johnny who was following him.

“You don’t even want me here, and now you’re suddenly  concerned? There was no hint of amusement n his voice. He was too tired to even argue, but Johnny was looking for it. 

“I’m not concerned, you left the house open. I came and it’s opened for anyone to enter. What if a burglar decided to choose my apartment to pick whatever he wants to?”

Ten hissed at the sudden pain he felt. Johnny wasn’t concern about him. He was concern about his apartment. Ouch.

“As if someone will try to do that. You live in a freaking high-security apartment. No one will even try to attempt to step into this building.” Ten was becoming so good at hiding his pain.

“You did.”

That was it. Ten was pissed beyond his limit and yet, surprisingly, he didn’t talk back like he used to whenever Johnny did something stupid. He knew that no matter how and what he was going to say, he was on the losing side and that would mean being kicked out of the apartment with one wrong move.

“I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t know that I’m considered as a bulgur now. I was in a hurry when I left so I forgot to close the front door. It’s my fault. I’m sorry. Can I take a bath peacefully now?” he said, his voice was still laced with harshness but the apology covered up for it and it made Johnny speechless. 

Ten entered the bathroom and closed the door in a hurry, locking himself in. He opened the shower and turned it to the hottest, almost scalding his skin in the process, turning it red. Tears fell as he let the hot water washed his skin. 

Steam covered the whole bathroom as his sobs became louder, loud enough to be heard by the guy who was still standing at the door of the bathroom.

Another pain was inflicted once again. Another set of revenge was successfully executed. Johnny should be happy. He wanted Ten out of his apartment in the first place, but hearing his painful sobs was breaking his heart.

aejae22

***********************************************************************

Jung is the last name that the three brothers were using. I find it very powerful and I don't know why.

I decided not to include more Yuwin here. The couple deserves a chapter of their own and that will be soon.     
                                   
More about Yuwin, Markchan and the brothers taking the test next. 

Please tell me what you think about it and please vote for it if it passed your taste.

I love reading your comments.

Thank you.