Kyuhyun woke up this morning feeling quite ill. He is not having a fever but his whole body seems to be shivering badly. Getting out of bed told him how faint he really felt and after washing up, he wasn’t spared the usual morning nausea episode either.

Making his way to the kitchen, he ran through his mind the combination of food he wants for breakfast but nothing appeals to him so in the end, he settled for a cup of hot water before changing for work.

“Good morning, mom.” He greeted respectfully while wrestling with his tie.

Mrs Choi had taken up the task of calling her son in law in Siwon’s absence to check on the frail man. And this morning she could hear his unwell broadcasted loud and clear over the phone line.

“I can’t afford to take the day off, mom. But I will knock off work early to go to the airport. I’ll leave the office earlier and swing by the clinic.” He promised the anxious lady.

“You're really sure, honey? You don’t sound like you are fit to go to work.” She persists.

“I’m sure, mom. I promise to be careful.” Kyuhyun assures again. “I have to go, mom or I’ll be late.”

When he reached his office, his phone rang again. This time it is a call he is actually looking forward to. “Wonnie!”

“Hey babe, how are you feeling today?”

“Is that a standard Choi question?’ Kyuhyun pouts.

Siwon laughed, his mom had already made her call. “Can’t help it if the whole Choi family is in chaos because a certain Cho wouldn’t go to the doctor despite being ill.”

Kyuhyun hummpfffed in mock annoyance and Siwon laughed again. “Can’t wait to see you, baby.” He said as a truce offering.

“I can’t wait to see you too, Wonnie.” The trace of longing in Kyuhyun is almost too much for Siwon to bear.

“Six more hours, babe, and I’ll be back.”

“You are at the airport now?” Kyuhyun asks his heart soaring at the prospect of having his husband back by his side again.

“Just checked  in.” Siwon smiled. “Is there anything you want from the duty free shops?”

“Just a certain Choi Siwon.” Kyuhyun chuckles.

“Oh, you mean the action figure?” Siwon teased.

“No, the blow up doll.” Kyuhyun is laughing now. The tinkling sound of his laughter gladdens Siwon’s mood.

“Oh, I heard they have a new version now. It is automated.” Siwon teased further. “Why don’t I get you one and we’ll see how he performs in bed tonight?”

Kyuhyun blushed. “Baby? You still there?”

“I-I don’t have time for naughty talk! I have a meeting in 5 minutes.” Kyuhyun spluttered and Siwon laughed knowingly.

“Love you, baby. See you in a while.”

Ending the call, Siwon sat with his mind faraway for the next 10 minutes. Without Kyuhyun by his side is a torture he can no longer take. He will have to find some way to wriggle out of his next overseas assignment.

Coming back to the present, he looked around and something caught his attention. He turned to the elderly man in the seat next to him. He is reading the newspapers and an advertisement caught Siwon’s eye.

It’s the Polynesian styled bracelet that Kyuhyun wanted to buy at Mauritius Airport but it was sold out then. According to the ad, it is available for sale in a store located a few blocks from the airport. Looking at his watch and doing a quick calculation in his head, he decides that he will have just enough time to rush to the store and get the bracelet before his flight leaves. And with that he dashed towards the taxi stand.

@

Kyuhyun wasn’t even aware that he has missed lunch. By the time he did realise that, he was almost tripping over his feet from light-headedness as he gets up to retrieve a file. Grabbing wildly at the side table to prevent himself from falling, his hand swept the glass clock sitting on it. It was beyond him to save the falling clock so he clenched his teeth and waited for the crash.

He fell anyway, his knees too weak to support him. Reaching out to brace himself with his hands to avoid falling face flat on the floor, he invertedly landed both palms on the glass shards scattered on the carpet.

“Oww…” He yelped in surprise and pain, turning his palms up and grimacing at the bloody cuts on it. “Goodness…” He exclaimed out loud, struggling to his feet to get his wounds cleaned, ignoring the feeling of ominous suddenly nagging at him.

“Hi Chullie.” Kyuhyun answered, juggling his ringing phone while trying to wipe at the cuts on his palm.

“Kyuhyun!”

The sheer horror in Heechul’s voice scared him and he stopped what he’s doing involuntarily.

“The plane Siwon’s on crashed!” Heechul cried.

And that’s the last thing Kyuhyun heard. His world out and he slumped senseless onto the carpeted floor.

His phone fell a distance away. “Hello? Kyuhyun?! Did you hear me? Kyuhyun?!” Heechul continued to shriek.

@

Regaining consciousness felt too painful for Kyuhyun. He wants to continue floating in oblivion and darkness but something is summoning him back. What that something is, he can’t seem to recall.

He peeled open his eyes with a soft groan. The pain is still there bugging his whole being. The blurry figures gradually sharpened and he saw Siwon’s mother crying silently in her husband’s arms. Heechul and Hyukjae are standing at the foot of his bed looking truly miserable.

“Won ~” He calls out instinctively. Everyone flinched and Mrs Choi burst into more tears.

Kyuhyun frowned. Something’s not right.

“Won ~” He tried again feeling a sense of dread creeping into his heart for no apparent reason. He eyed Hyukjae as the man approached, face drawn and eyes red.

“Kyuhyun, you have to stay calm.” He said trying to stay calm himself in the face of Kyuhyun’s beseeching eyes. “The doctor said you are 10 weeks’ pregnant.”

“Won ~” Tears began falling down Kyuhyun’s cheeks. He is sure something very bad has happened to Siwon. “Won.”

“He-he……”Hyukjae began crying too. “His plane crashed.”

In the background, Mrs Choi began wailing. Everything else seems to have stopped moving for Kyuhyun, even his breathing. He stared but saw nothing, everything’s frozen as he tries to convince himself of what he just heard.

Then very quickly a switch was flipped within him and everything began to move fluidly. Kyuhyun sat up and struggles to push the covers off him. Heechul and Hyukjae were grabbing at his arms to stop him.

“Won….I need to go….I need to…..”Kyuhyun is crying and breathing hard as he struggles with hysteria. “I must……Won….I ~”

Heechul caught him as he crumpled lifelessly back onto the bed. “Go get the doctor.” He said to Hyukjae as he lowers the unresponsive body back onto the bed as gently as he could manage.

“Light sedation is probably advisable. He is too worked up right now and it will harm the foetus.” The emergency room doctor said before leaving the room. Everyone turned to look at the fragile figure lying in bed. Kyuhyun has already regained consciousness but the sedative is effectively making him too drowsy to work up any emotions or move any part of his body. All he could do right now is to train his lethargic eyes on them.

He couldn’t even find the strength to cry.

“I think we should inform his brothers.” Heechul said.

“I’ll call them.” Hyukjae agrees.

@

When Kangin and Ryeowook hurried into the hospital room, the sight of their maknae lying alone on the high bed is enough to break their hearts. It is like seeing him after his traffic accident all over again.

Each brother reached for one hand; they could not understand why he is lying there inert as a doll. To all of their concerned questions, he could only blink in response. The only effort they finally saw him make was to untangle his hand from Ryeowook’s grasp and placing it protectively over his stomach.

“We need to speak to the doctor.” Ryeowook said firmly after getting over the shock of being ‘rejected’ by his maknae.

For the first time in Kangin’s life, he felt as if he might lose his mind. The doctor has just informed them that his maknae is carrying a baby!

“How could things happen this way!” Kangin cried angrily.

To lose his husband and find out that he is carrying a child all at the same time, both Kangin and Ryeowook aren’t sure how Kyuhyun is going to withstand any of it.

“He’s very emotional right now, we have to sedate him to protect the foetus.” The doctor explains.

“I’ll fly back.” Jungsu decides immediately when he got the phonecall from his brothers. “Kyu needs us all by his side now.”

@

Heechul and Hyukjae worried the cuticles of their fingers. Under Kyuhyun’s exhausted scrutiny, they are having a very tough time saying the things they wanted to tell to him.

“The search is still ongoing.” Heechul finally said. Looking at Kyuhyun’s lack of emotional response, he couldn’t help feeling that it is so wrong to suppress him like that. Heaven knows whatever is raging within him could be forcing him into madness.

“The airline did confirm that he checked in.” Hyukjae sobbed and Heechul elbowed him in a flash to stop. “They couldn’t confirm yet that he boarded the plane.”

Kangin felt a light squeeze on his hand from Kyuhyun’s cold clammy one he is holding. He squeezed gently back and raised his head. “Thank you for coming.” He said to Heechul and Hyukjae.

The two men felt as awkward as an outsider; and in truth they are presently. After a nod and a last worried look at the man on the bed, they trooped out of the room. Kangin trailed them out of the room with his eyes before turning his attention to his maknae again but Kyuhyun’s eyes are closed and he seems to be asleep now.