Pairing: Woogyu

Scenario/AU: Sunggyu and Woohyun got divorced and they have an adopted son who keeps seeking medical treatment and his parents must find strength in each other again.

Angst alert!

Corresponding twitter link here.

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Sunggyu walked quickly through the hospital corridors, nodding at the nurses in greeting. He then stopped outside Room 2A, before opening the door carefully.

Woohyun’s face was drawn and weary when he looked up at Sunggyu. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Sunggyu walked over as quietly as he could and pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, across from Woohyun. “How long has he been sleeping?”

“He fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago. They’ll check him again in a few hours, and we should get the test results back tomorrow morning.”

Sunggyu sat down and leaned over to brush his thumb across Seojun’s cheek, sighing.

It had already been more than a year since the divorce was finalised. The proceedings had been as amicable as they could manage, but there was no hiding the awkwardness each time they met each other. Direct contact was kept to a minimum whenever they sent Seojun over to the other’s house, and their interactions had mostly been limited to polite exchanges over text messages about logistical arrangements, and updates about Seojun.

This became increasingly difficult though, as Seojun’s condition flared up with increasing regularity.

Woohyun remembered when Sunggyu had stormed into the hospital a few months back, after another one of the Seojun’s attacks. “What happened this time? Weren’t you watching him?”

Woohyun’s eyes had flashed. “Sunggyu, there’s nothing that I could have done about it, it came on suddenly.”

“You could have paid more attention to him, I’m sure there must have been signs before it happened!”

In that moment, the only thing that had stopped Woohyun from screaming or throwing a punch at Sunggyu out of sheer frustration was the fact that Seojun was there, watching them with fearful eyes.

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They sat in silence, watching Seojun’s chest rising up and down as he slept.

“He’s grown so much, hasn’t he.”

“He has.”

“Remember when we met him for the first time at the orphanage? He was so small.”

“Yeah, and he cried so much when I tried to hold him.” They both smiled at the memory. Seojun had just been a baby. He had snuggled into Woohyun’s chest, a comfortable lump in his arms, but to Sunggyu’s consternation, he started fussing and crying when Woohyun tried to pass him over.

“You’ve never been good with kids.” The words spilled out of Woohyun before he could catch himself, and Sunggyu’s face stiffened a little.

“Woohyun…”

“Sorry. I know you love him, Sunggyu,” Woohyun sighed. You just don’t love me anymore.

They fell into silence again, lost in their own thoughts.

Sunggyu rubbed Seojun’s hand softly as he watched him sleep. He seemed so peaceful, but he knew it would have been a very different picture just a few hours ago.

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"Why does he keep having these attacks? Isn’t there anything that could have been done to stop it?”

“Mr. Kim, the attacks can occur spontaneously without warning. You just have to be ready when it happens.” The doctor paused, before saying pointedly. “Mr. Nam did everything he was supposed to. He knows how to handle this.”

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“He’s such a good kid, Sunggyu. He doesn’t deserve any of this.” Woohyun said softly.

Sunggyu nodded. He doesn’t deserve this illness, or this broken family. He should have never had to leave a broken home, only to end up in another one.

He looked at Woohyun. The shadows under Woohyun’s eyes had grown darker over time, and he had gotten even thinner since they last saw each other, his face all angles where there had been once been some softness. But more than anything, he could see the sheer exhaustion that weighed on Woohyun.

Sunggyu did look after Seojun, of course, whenever he stayed over. And he rushed down every time Seojun ended up at the doctor’s or the hospital, and worried endlessly even when Seojun was not with him. But ultimately, it was Woohyun who looked after Seojun most days, who made all the arrangements for his care, who attended to everything from his medicines to school matters, while juggling his own work. And for the first time, Sunggyu really saw the toll it was taking on him.

Sunggyu reached over and placed his hand on Woohyun’s arm. He flinched a little in surprise.

“I should have said this before, but… thank you. For looking after Seojun. For doing everything.”

Woohyun said nothing, looking away.

“You’re taking really good care of him. It’s been hard on you.”

“I don’t know what else I can do, Sunggyu.” Woohyun said, his voice trembling.

“Let me help you. I can help.” Sunggyu swallowed a little, before continuing. “Seojun is my child too.”

Woohyun blinked rapidly, but the tears in his eyes fell anyway. Sunggyu got up to stand behind him, and then, tentatively, he wrapped his arms around Woohyun.

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

“He’s our child, right?” Woohyun’s body shook as he tried to stifle his sobs so as not to wake Seojun.

“He is.” Sunggyu whispered, as they held onto each other.