Soft snowflakes are falling from the dark sky as the hospital opens its doors to the annual staff Christmas party. The big conference room on the ground floor has been decorated for the occasion and a large Christmas tree in the corner is laden with baubles and wreaths. Carols are playing over the speaker system, and the hospital staff gather together to wish each other a merry Christmas.

Chanyeol walks in with a pretty woman on his arm. They match each other, not only in their outfits of red velvet tuxedo and red silk dress, but also in their long, lanky builds, huge sparkling eyes and goofy ears. Chanyeol always brings his big sister to the annual Christmas party. It’s the best way to avoid questions about relationships, and to forget that he can't walk in here with Yeonseok on his arm the way he secretly wishes he could.

He quickly spots Jongdae and his wife near the Christmas tree. It looks like Jongdae is trying to get their eldest daughter to keep her hair bow in. She shakes her head wildly and Jongdae winces, but the temper tantrum he seems to expect doesn't manifest. Chanyeol leads his sister towards his friend. As they get close, Jongdae and Ahreum light up in welcoming smiles. Chorong knows him too, as he's babysat for Jongdae's kids several times. She bounces on the balls of her feet excitedly as she waves at him.

Chanyeol hasn’t spoken to Jongdae about Yeonseok yet. His boyfriend told him about confirming to Jongdae what Chanyeol had unwittingly blurted out in his fever-addled state. Chanyeol still feels faintly horrified when he thinks of it, though he's more horrified at his own feverish self than at Yeonseok for not denying everything. Outing himself in such a way really wasn't in his plans for the near future. He’s grateful Jongdae hasn’t brought the subject up. His friend treats him just the same as he ever did, and it's a huge relief. Chanyeol supposes he wasn’t being fair to Jongdae, who has always been a wonderful friend, to fear otherwise, but then, fear isn’t always rational.

“Chanyeol! Merry Christmas!” Ahreum hugs him. She's a good friend as well; Jongdae and Ahreum have been together since before Chanyeol met him in their first year of university. “Are you feeling better?”

"I'm pretty much recovered now, thanks," he tells her. "Never get measles though, seriously. It really ."

Ahreum laughs. "It doesn't sound like a lot of fun, by all accounts," she agrees. Chanyeol nods fervently, then turns to Chorong and sends her a big smile.

“Look at this beautiful princess!” he exclaims. Chorong beams and spins around to make her skirt fan out, and Chanyeol claps delightedly. Chorong's happiness soon turns to a pout as her hand goes back to tug at her hair bow.

"Mommy, I hate it," she whines. "It pulls."

"Okay," Ahreum sighs. "Hold still." She takes it out and passes it to Jongdae, who puts it in his pocket. Chorong's hair falls loose onto her shoulders, but she looks a lot happier.

“Who’s the pretty lady?” Chorong turns her wide eyes towards Yoora next.

“I’m Chanyeol’s big sister,” she tells Chorong before any of the others can answer.

Chorong's mouth drops open as she stares from Yoora to Chanyeol and back again, like the idea of him having a big sister is mind-blowing.

"Chanyeol is bigger than you, though," she points out. Chanyeol snickers and pokes Yoora in the side.

"Yeah, I'm bigger," he repeats.

Yoora shoots him a look, then crouches down to whisper something in Chorong’s ear. Chorong's eyes go round as she looks back up at Chanyeol, and then they both start giggling.

"What?" Chanyeol pouts, but the girls ignore him. Big sisters , Chanyeol decides for at least the ten-thousandth time as he turns back to Jongdae and Ahreum.

❆❆❆

In the opposite corner, Mikyung tugs at Sehun’s sleeve. He turns from making small talk with a colleague as she points towards a laughing group of people near the Christmas tree. Sehun looks at them too, but can’t figure out what it is she wants him to look at.

“What?”

Mikyung keeps her gaze locked on the group. “That’s Park Yoora, right?”

Sehun looks again. Park Yoora? Is that a name he should know?

“Um...who?”

Mikyung sighs. “You know, Park Yoora, the news anchor!”

No, Sehun does not know Park Yoora, the news anchor. He rarely watches the news. When he finally gets home, he doesn’t want to be bombarded with the terrors of the real world or the latest gossip; he just wants to relax with a couple of manhwas and forget the world exists. He gives her a sheepish smile and a shrug.

“Come on," Mikyung grabs his hand and starts to pull. "If it's really her, I have to go say hello!”

Sehun hurriedly says goodbye to his colleague as she drags him across the room. He doesn’t mind. He’s just happy she’s here with him. Tomorrow they'll leave for Busan and celebrate Christmas at her house there, just the two of them.

As they get closer, Sehun recognises the people standing with the woman who might be Park Yoora, the news anchor. He knows Jongdae through work and Chanyeol through Baekhyun. Mikyung drags him up to the group and shamelessly asks the woman if she’s the news anchor. When Yoora smiles and says that she is, Mikyung lights up as bright as the Christmas tree beside them and says passionately how much she loves Yoora's work, then launches into her own job description.

Sehun feels himself going shy. Mikyung doesn’t get embarrassed no matter who she’s talking to, but Sehun never knows what to say when he meets new people outside of the controlled doctor/patient setting, famous or not. Luckily Mikyung is talking enough for both of them. He curls his toes inside his shoes and glances suspiciously from Yoora to Chanyeol and back again. A couple of moments later Chanyeol notices him doing it and laughs at him.

"What you're thinking is right. She's my sister," he says. "We're not twins, though. I know we look like we could be."

Sehun grins, trying to hide his embarrassment at being caught. Jongdae smiles at him understandingly and introduces him to his wife and daughter.

“Greet Dr. Oh politely,” he reminds the little girl. Chorong complies, bowing from the waist, then straightening up and staring fixedly up at him. Sehun gives her an awkward smile. "Uh, hi," he says, trying not to panic. Why is she staring at him like that? Is that normal for kids? Is he supposed to talk to her or something? What on earth can he talk to a six-year-old about? Children are definitely not his strong point.

Jongdae's wife comes to his rescue, putting her hand on Chorong's shoulder so that the girl breaks her stare and looks up at her mom instead. “How do you know my husband?” she asks.

“We’ve been to a few seminars together,” Sehun explains. “I’m a dermatologist and our specialties sometimes overlap. We consult for each other occasionally too.”

Jongdae agrees and supplies stories of a couple of cases they’ve worked on together, and Mikyung breaks her conversation with Yoora to express her disgust at being at the receiving end of all the interesting skin lesion photographs Sehun sends her. "I haven't managed to teach him yet that there is such a thing as over-sharing," she says, elbowing Sehun.

Ahreum laughs at that, but her smile fades as she looks back at her husband. She looks strangely wistful, but Sehun has no idea why. Surely she doesn't want close-up photographs of Jongdae's cases.

"It could be worse, you know," he says reasonably. "I could have been a gynaecologist."

Ahreum and Jongdae both snort with laughter at the look of sheer horror that dawns on Mikyung's face.

❆❆❆

Ahreum has fallen deep into discussion with Mikyung and Yoora, something to do with misogyny in politics, and Jongdae, Chanyeol and Sehun find themselves discussing the new e-referral system. They spend an enjoyable ten minutes whining bitterly and commiserating with each other about how horrible it is to use, and then Chanyeol asks Sehun about a colleague Jongdae doesn't know. He detaches a little from the thread of conversation and sweeps his gaze around the room. He's been keeping an eye out for Baekhyun, but has still seen no sign of his other best friend. It's strange. Baekhyun is usually the life of any party, always easily located by his clowning around and contagious laughter.

Jongdae looks back at Chanyeol and Sehun. “Have either of you seen Baekhyun yet?”

Chanyeol shakes his head, and Sehun shrugs. Jongdae hesitates, wondering whether it's appropriate to ask the other two if they've noticed something different with Baekhyun, but Chanyeol gets in before he has to make the decision.

"Don't you guys think Baekhyun's been acting a bit weird lately?" he asks, in what is probably meant to be a quiet voice, but it's not easy for Chanyeol's deep voice to achieve what most people would call quiet.

"Yeah, actually," Jongdae says. "I was wondering whether to ask you. I feel like he hasn't been quite right since that day he was feeling unwell at lunch, but he brushes me off every time I try to ask. Did you ever find out what was bothering him?"

Chanyeol frowns. "When was he...ah." Memory dawns on his face. "Right. That was the day I came down with measles. Geez, I forgot about that. No, he never said anything."

"It's weird for him not to be here," Jongdae says. He looks at Sehun for his input.

Sehun just shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe he's on call? I mean, some of us have to keep the hospital running."

"True," Jongdae says, a little doubtfully.

Their discussion is interrupted by a girl who looks about ten years old running up to them, her full attention on Chorong. Jongdae has been sensing Chorong getting increasingly restless listening to the adults talk, and as soon as she sees the older girl approaching her eyes go big and interested.

“Excuse me,” the girl says, looking hopefully around at the gathered adults. “Can I play with her?” She points at Chorong, and Chorong’s face lights up.

“Oh yes yes mommy, say yes,” she begs, turning wide eyes up to her mother. Jongdae would have given her permission instantly with those eyes. He’s simply too weak to say no to that expression. Ahreum, however, isn't quite such a pushover. She smiles at the girl but keeps her hand on Chorong’s shoulder.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” she asks. "Are you here with your parents?"

The girl widens her eyes, obviously realising she has forgotten her manners. She bows politely.

“My name is Kim Nayoung.” She straightens up and points back across the room. “That’s my dad over there, with my little sister. She was too shy to come ask.”

Jongdae follows her pointing finger to where a small-statured man is talking to another staff member. A younger girl is clinging to his arm and watching them shyly across the room. Understanding lights up in Jongdae and he turns back to nod at Ahreum, noting surprise on both Chanyeol and Sehun's faces as they realise who Nayoung's father is.

“Her father is Dr. Kim Minseok," he says. "He's the chief of the emergency department. I’m sure Chorong will be safe." He smiles down at his daughter. "You can play with Nayoung and her sister if you want to."

Chorong wrestles out of her mother’s grasp and slams her body into his legs, arms wrapping around his waist. Chanyeol grabs Jongdae's shoulder steadyingly as he staggers. She is really getting strong enough to topple him when she does this, Jongdae thinks ruefully as Chorong lets go again.

"Thanks, daddy!" she squeals. She takes the hand Nayoung stretches out towards her and is towed across the room to Minseok and his younger daughter.

“I had no idea Dr. Kim had children.” Chanyeol sounds astonished.

“He’s divorced," Jongdae says. "I think his daughters live with their mom." He doesn’t mention the third child Kyungsoo told him about, the son who died. That’s not his story to share.

❆❆❆

Minseok watches his daughters nervously to make sure they aren’t destroying the decorations or tipping over the large tree. This is the first time he's brought them to a work event and he’s not certain how they’ll behave. Jangmi hadn’t been happy when he’d asked to have them to stay with him for a few days during the Christmas holidays, but she’d given in when he’d told her he’d done as she asked and seen a therapist, giving her Wu Yifan’s business card to prove it. He'd kept judiciously quiet about the fact that the session was disastrous and that he hasn’t been able to face making a second appointment, so Jangmi had reluctantly handed the girls over, along with a list of their rules and boundaries. The list is all things like bedtimes, limited screen time, tidying up after themselves, 45 minutes of cello practice daily for Eunbi. Minseok has been blithely ignoring all the rules, despite knowing that it’ll come back to bite him when Jangmi doubtlessly finds out. He finally has the girls to himself for a few days. He doesn’t want to waste it by being strict.

He’s breaking the bedtime rule into smithereens by bringing them to the party tonight. The girls had been ecstatic about getting to see where their dad works and dress up in their party dresses, but it's an event Minseok usually uses for networking, and trying to monitor two overexcited little girls while he does so is more stressful than he'd anticipated. He'd even bought a game of Uno specially for them to play if they got bored, but when he told them in the car on the way here, he’d gotten exasperated sighs and rolled eyes. According to them, they’re too old for Uno. Minseok hadn't known it was possible to be too old to play Uno, but he didn’t bother arguing. He can't win an argument with his daughters any more than he can with his wife. It must come from being brought up by a lawyer.

He’s distracted from watching them play with Jongdae’s daughter when Kim Songmi approaches him, pulling her husband along by the hand.

“Merry Christmas, Dr. Kim!” Songmi says joyfully. Yixing just gives him a dreamy smile, looking like his mind is a million miles away. Minseok can't help smiling to see it. It's so typical of Yixing to be spacing out in the middle of a bustling social event.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Songmi," he returns her greeting. It's odd for him to see her in a pretty dress instead of nursing scrubs, her hair loose over her shoulders instead of tied back. "Just call me Minseok," he says. "We're not at work, even if this is still the hospital."

Songmi looks utterly delighted. “Oh, you're going to wish you never said that. You’re never getting out of being Minseok now,” she laughs.

Minseok smiles, slightly taken aback, but not displeased. “If you think you can handle the informality back in the ED, go right ahead," he says. He doesn't mind being addressed informally as long as people are still respectful, but the nurses always give him his full title as a matter of course, even when he's known some of them for over ten years.

Yixing reaches out and links his fingers with Songmi's, still appearing more than half-zoned out. Songmi gazes at her husband, eyes soft with love and understanding, and Minseok suddenly feels very alone.

He blinks himself hurriedly out of the feeling, then staggers as someone launches full-tilt onto his back and latches long slim arms around his neck. Minseok barely keeps his balance as Eunbi's excited face pokes over his shoulder.

“Dad, can we have the Uno game?”

Minseok grins. “I thought you were too old to play Uno.”

Eunbi gets that stubborn look in her eyes. It's a carbon copy of Jangmi’s, and Minseok recognizes it instantly. He has been on the receiving end of the look many times, in situations both good and bad.

“We're going to teach Chorong how to play. She’s only six, you know.”

Minseok only just manages not to laugh. He can tell Eunbi wants to play the game too, but her stubbornness won’t let her admit it. He fishes the game out of his pocket and hands it to her. She drops off his back and flies back towards Nayoung and Chorong, waving the game in the air triumphantly.

“You have a daughter?” Songmi's surprise is evident in her voice.

Minseok turns back to face her, a conflicted feeling tangling in his chest. He's never actively hidden the existence of his children, but it's certainly not common knowledge among his staff. He just avoids talking about his personal life at work. That way he never has to satisfy curiosity or answer questions that cut a little too deep. Bringing the girls here was bound to attract attention, of course. He doesn't regret it, but he does wish he could somehow avoid conversations like this without being rude.

“Two daughters, actually,” he says, nodding over at the three little girls who are now sitting cross-legged in a circle in front of the Christmas tree, setting out the card game on the floor. “The older two over there.”

Songmi has a hundred questions in her eyes, and Minseok's heart sinks. This is exactly why he doesn't talk about his personal life. He braces himself for the obvious question that comes next - who or where their mother is - but to his relief, a commotion nearby steals her attention. They turn towards a cluster of nurses cooing and talking loudly. Songmi pulls her fingers out of Yixing's and goes to investigate. Minseok glances at his friend, and finds that Yixing seems to have returned from whatever planet he's been on for the entire conversation. He looks at Minseok with quiet understanding.

“She’ll have forgotten all about it by tomorrow,” he says gently.

Or perhaps, Minseok thinks, Yixing has been paying more attention than anyone all along.

❆❆❆

Joonmyun tries not to hover too obviously over his wife and three-week-old son, but he can tell he's not doing a great job at being discreet. They're surrounded by a cluster of nurses who have noticed the adorable baby and come to coo at him. Yejin doesn’t seem to mind the fussing around her and proudly shows Yejoon off to all and sundry. Joonmyun is proud of his baby son as well, but he just gets so nervous when people come close. Yejin had wanted to come and support him at the Christmas event like she's done all the years prior, and she'd been adamant that it would be fine to bring Yejoon, but Joonmyun is starting to wish he'd just blown the whole function off and stayed at home, where he can keep them safe.

The nurses are full of praise. Yejoon has such a healthy complexion; he’s so curious; his eyes are so intelligent. Yejin beams with pride, while Joonmyun has to force back panic when yet another nurse hurries up to join the growing group. Too many, there's too many people surrounding them, he can't keep track of them all.

“Do you want to hold him?” Yejin asks one of the scrub nurses on Joonmyun’s team. Joonmyun bites back a cry of protest. His anxiety spikes as his wife hands Yejoon over, pulse speeding up and fingers twitchy. It's not that he doesn't trust the nurse. She assists him capably on the most complicated heart surgeries, and her hands are always sure and steady. It's just that whenever he looks at his son, all the things that could possibly go wrong go racing through his mind without rhyme or reason, and he can't seem to figure out how to make them stop.

Yejin slips her hand into his and a finger gently over his knuckles. She's noticed his anxiety. Joonmyun tries to calm down. He's aware that he's being ridiculous, but he can't help it. There are so many people here, and Yejoon is in someone else's arms, and everything is scary.

“Oh, he’s gorgeous.” Yet another new voice joins the crowd. Joonmyun twitches around to scrutinize the newcomer. It's Yixing's wife, Songmi. He glances around and soon finds Yixing a few paces away, in the act of leaving Minseok and following his wife over.

Yejin smiles at Songmi's praise. “He is, isn’t he?”

She takes Yejoon back from the scrub nurse and steps up to Songmi so she can get a closer look. Songmi looks Yejoon with stars in her eyes. She catches Yixing’s hand as he arrives and squeezes so hard Joonmyun sees the oncologist wince.

“We could have one of our own soon,” she says softly. Yixing nods as he hurriedly pulls his hand out of hers and massages his fingers.

“Are you pregnant?” Yejin asks Songmi. Songmi shakes her head and starts to tell Yejin about their pl