Chapter 12
Can you protect Everyone?
Jonghyun POV
Just as she tried to run through the doors, I caught from behind embracing her small body. I heard her laugh happily as she leaned into me. It was nice, for once having her depend on me instead of the other way around. I began to pull away, but she wrapped her arms around mine and gave me a soft barely noticeable peck on the cheek before she pulled away. I stood there frozen with my hand on the place where she had kissed me.
“Come on, oppa, Taemin’s ice cream is starting to melt,” she said while pulling me along with her. She called me oppa. (grins stupidly) As we walked into Taemin’s room holding hands, Taemin stared at us suspiciously.
“Noona, are you and hyung-“ Before Taemin could say anymore, Sica gave him the ice cream and he forgot about everything he was going to say.
“ICE CREAM!” Sica was grinning at Taemin’s childishness and I….well, I was just plain happy, that is until the doctor came in. His face was serious and I knew it wasn’t a good sign. I looked towards Sica, who had the same panicked and worried face that I had.
“Jonghyun-shi, may I speak with you alone please?” Damn it. Please don’t let it be true. Please.
“What’s going to happen to Taemin Doctor Kim?” He sighed and shook his head.
“Well, the good news is that Taemin is only in stage 2. However, it is progressing far more rapidly than I thought. If we do not start on treatment immediately, it won’t be long before he reaches stage 3 and even stage 4,” he said seriously.
“Would the treatments help at all? What about the side effects?” I managed to say through clenched teeth.
“In this case, I am not sure how effective the treatments will be. Because his disease is progressing faster than normal cases, it might not have that great of an impact. However, anything is possible. The side effects vary from child to child. The most common one is fatigue, and he might have flu-like symptoms. He might also experience muscle pains or headaches after receiving the treatments.”
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t even know if the treatments will help at all, yet you still say that you would do it? I thought you doctors were about ‘improving the quality of time’ he has left, not torturing him! Do you know how old he is?! He’s only 10!” At this point of I was yelling at the Doctor, while tears of anger rolling down my cheeks.
“I apologize Jonghyun-shi. But some people are just unlucky.” Did he just say unlucky? I raised my fist to punch him, but Sica stopped me.
“My apologies Doctor. He is just a little overwhelmed I’m sure,” she said sincerely. Was she really apologizing? The doctor straightened his jacket.
“I’m sure anyone who has received news like that for the first time would be overwhelmed.”
“IT’S NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME! STOP TALKING AS IF YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME!” The doctor backed away with a look of pity in his eyes. Meanwhile, Sica was trying to calm me down.
“Jonghyun-ah, Jong? Please look at me?” she coaxed softly. I was trembling with anger as I tried to stop the tears that threatened to spill over. Sica placed her hands on my face.
“Jonghyun-ah, it’s going to be okay alright. You have me and I’ll always be there for you.” I couldn’t do it anymore. The tears that I tried so hard to hold back finally spilled over.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I cried over and over again.
“Shh…It’s alright Jong.” She wrapped her arms around me. I buried my face in her shoulder and began to cry. She rubbed her hand in circles on my back trying to calm me down, but I wouldn’t stop.
Jessica POV
I grabbed Jonghyun into a hug, as he cried on my shoulder. I had never seen Jonghyun cry this much in my entire life. I sighed, the diagnosis must not have been good. I gently rocked Jonghyun back and forth, trying to calm him down. After awhile, his body stopped trembling and I took that he had finally calmed down.
“Jonghyun-ah, are you okay?” I asked softly. He shook his head.
“It’s going to be okay Jonghyun-ah.”
“How can you say that so confidently?”
“I’m not confident, but I know that we both would do everything we possibly can to help Taemin. That’s how I know that it’ll be okay,” I said firmly. I could feel that Jonghyun was extremely vulnerable right now. I know because I felt that before.
I pulled away, gently wiped his remaining tears away with my fingers, and gave him another kiss on the cheek. He leaned in willingly and looked at me gratefully. Having experience feeling vulnerable, I knew that he best thing that would help weren’t words, but actions that give some type of security.
“I’ll go and talk to Taemin first, alright?” Jonghyun’s filled with panic at the thought of me leaving him, even if it was just for a second.
“Don’t worry about it okay, I’ll be right back.” He hesitantly let me go and I quickly made my way into Taemin’s room.
“Noona, why was hyung yelling outside? It’s not good is it?” he whimpered. I wanted to cry with Taemin, but I knew it would cause more trouble.
“Taemin-ah, what are you talking about? Hyung’s just really worried about you. You’re going to get better, the doctor said so.” I smiled at him, but I could hear my own voice shaking with emotion.
“Don’t lie to him Sooyeon-ah.” Jonghyun entered the room with a cold distant look on his face. This was not good.
“Jonghyun-ah, don’t-” I started to say, but he wouldn’t listen.
“Hyung?”
“Doctor says that he’s not even sure if the treatments will help probably meaning that Taemin’s going to die sooner or later. So much for giving us hope right?” he said rashly. Taemin was close to having a mental breakdown, but I could see that Jonghyun was already past the point of mental breakdown. But even knowing all this, I became frustrated.
“YAH! Kim Jonghyun! Shut the hell up! Can’t you see what you’re doing to Taemin?” I screamed. Jonghyun’s face changed from one of confusion to one of complete regret and hurt.
“Taemin-ah, Taemin-ah,” Jonghyun said, his voice full of sorrow, while walking over to Taemin. He reached out to hug him, but Taemin flinched in response. Jonghyun reeled back, his face hurt.
“Taemin-ah?” He tearfully called out to him, but Taemin wouldn’t look at him. I knew that it wouldn’t do any good for now. I pulled Jonghyun away from Taemin’s bedside. I expected him to resist, but surprisingly he didn’t.
“Jonghyun?” I asked suspiciously. Jonghyun muttered something incoherent before becoming limp in my arms.
“Jonghyun? KIM JONGHYUN!”
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