Ch. [31]
Blue Tomorrow
The surgery lasted at least seven hours, which Kyuhyun felt like an eternity. He was told there had been complications, more than they expected to be and he would only run his fingers through his hair while trembling in fear of what could happen to Hyukjae and his baby.
Jihyun walked into the hall Kyuhyun by then knew so well and when she saw her son, she went to hug him gently. “Mother…,” Kyuhyun cried and his mother’s embrace.
Jihyun closed her eyes, trying to not cry as well. “They’ll be fine Kyuhyun,” she assured even when everyone said they wouldn’t. She herself didn’t believe her own words completely.
Kyuhyun hugged her tightly, just the way he used to hug her when he was scared of something when he was just a child. He cried against her shoulder and Jihyun ended up sitting in the bench with Kyuhyun crying by her side. She her son’s back silently.
“Kyuhyun… you should eat something and sleep for a while,” Jihyun said carefully, because Kyuhyun was now paler than usual, his eyes were surrounded by dark circles and they reflected tiredness.
“I’m not tired, nor hungry,” Kyuhyun said only looking at the door he waited for the doctor to come out from.
Jihyun didn’t insist. She knew Kyuhyun wouldn’t give in until he was told Hyukjae was fine and so was his baby. “I hired personal to take care of Chaerin while we’re here,” she informed and Kyuhyun looked at her with those eyes that told her how thankful he was.
“Thank you,” Kyuhyun said even when he didn’t need to and Jihyun only nodded in return.
When finally the doctor came out, looking as tired as Kyuhyun, the latter ran towards him with expecting eyes, full of fear and hope. “We’ve got to save them both,” the doctor said and a smile quickly appeared in Kyuhyun’s lips.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Kyuhyun said hugging the doctor and not minding how the coat was stained with blood because the man had saved Hyukjae and his baby and he will forever be god to his eyes. “Thank you so much…”
Jihyun could only sigh in relief as she was behind, letting out some tears because she hadn’t noticed how much weight she felt on her shoulders until that moment it was gone.
“But they’re both in critical condition,” the doctor continued and Kyuhyun frowned again, still scared but feeling that lingering sensation of hope and positivism invading his body. “The baby looks to be doing better, the medication seemed to work wonders on his vital organs,” the doctor continued a Kyuhyun looked at him intently. “Technology nowadays allows us to take care of a premature baby and avoiding future long term complications in its life,” he continued with a soft and gentle smile. “But the mother’s body is weak and he needs a kidney transplant with urgency. We could save his liver from collapsing completely but not his kidneys. He’s now with medication and some drugs to keep him sleeping since, if he wakes up, the pain itself will make him go insane.”
Kyuhyun nodded slowly. “Can I see them?”
The doctor hesitated for a second before nodding slowly. “After the surgery procedure is finished, we’ll take him once again to the intensive care unit, in the mean time, you can see the baby,” he smiled gently. “It’s a beautiful boy.”
Kyuhyun’s smile was inevitable, and so were his tears of happiness. “A boy…,” he mumbled and turned to his mother. “It’s a boy mother,” he said gently. “Hyukjae just gave me a baby boy.”
Jihyun smiled gently, nodding because she didn’t trust her voice when Kyuhyun hugged her tightly in ecstasy.
“I’m a father! I have a boy! I have a baby boy!” Kyuhyun yelled in happiness. “Hyukjae just gave me a baby boy!”
They were quickly taken to the neonatal intensive care unit in which they had Kyuhyun’s baby and Kyuhyun could only smile. After so much suffering, his baby was there, as small as his hands together. It had a tube that helped him breath and another one that provided him nutrients. “He’s lucky,” the nurse by Kyuhyun’s side said gently. “His lungs are mature enough and he doesn’t have any other complication,” she informed as she allowed Kyuhyun to touch his baby even if he had to wear the gloves to prevent infections. “He’s a fighter.”
Kyuhyun smiled, caressing his small’s baby’s skin. He couldn’t believe it. It was a new human being, it grew from Hyukjae until it developed that. His small hands and feet, his tiny fingers that wrapped around his bigger one.
Kyuhyun let out tears of happiness. How much they had fought for that, for the baby to be healthy. “He’s still at risk, but it’s controllable now, he’s going to be fine,” the nurse promised.
The baby moved slightly, as if feeling his father’s presence and he tightened his small grip around Kyuhyun’s pinky finger. Kyuhyun felt a huge connection. He was a father, it was half his and half Hyukjae’s. His own baby knew his father was with him. Kyuhyun smiled, his baby was there, fighting with all his might while Hyukjae was in another room, also fighting for himself.
“It’s beautiful,” Kyuhyun whispered and cried silently. “So beautiful…”
He leaned closer and looked at his baby through the glass of the incubator because only his hands could reach his baby. He smiled and smiled at the tiny creature. “You’re going to be fine,” he whispered. “After you’re bigger and stronger I’ll take you to meet your mom,” he said gently, tears rolling down his eyes. “He’s as beautiful as you,” he continued talking, smiling because the baby’s lips curved up slightly into what Kyuhyun wanted to believe, a smile. “You’re going to love him as soon as you see him,” he said smiling faintly. “He’s also strong, you got that from him.”
The baby moved slightly but his fingers were still wrapped around Kyuhyun’s.
“And after we go home…,” Kyuhyun continued. “We’ll celebrate and I’ll introduce you to Chaerin,” he said. “Your older sister,” he smiled. “She’s also beautiful. She’s anxious to meet you and she will be very happy when she sees you.”
The nurse by Kyuhyun’s side smiled gently. Kyuhyun was talking to his baby and it was receptive, absorbing Kyuhyun’s voice and reacting to it. She smiled wider as Kyuhyun started telling stories to entertain his baby, smiling gently and caressing his fragile skin.
The baby’s heart was healthy but his lungs were still immature. All the medication it received while still on Hyukjae’s womb had helped him but it was never enough so he still was receiving treatment. His reflects and brain activity were normal and the doctors hoped to be kept that way.
But then, watching Kyuhyun talking to his baby, made it seem as if it was listening carefully. It was as if the baby recognized his father’s voice and enjoyed to hear the stories he was telling.
Jihyun looked through the wall of glass and dried her own tears. He looked at how Kyuhyun was smiling gently, caressing his baby softly as he whispered sweet words that she couldn’t hear.
•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
As soon as Kyuhyun was told he could see Hyukjae. He was also informed that his baby’s liver was failing and that they needed to put him under special lights to help its small body to get rid of the excess of bilirubin that its immature liver couldn’t do.
He was also told that his baby needed blood transfusions and he wasn’t allowed to see him until he was stable again.
Kyuhyun cried and prayed silently, now finally being by Hyukjae’s side in that hospital room that felt so cold.
He took Hyukjae’s hand and caressed it lovingly, kissing his forehead and hating how pale and cold he was.
Hyukjae wasn’t doing fine either. He was still waiting for a kidney and it was until a day after that they finally got one for him. But he was strong, doctors said he was fighting and Kyuhyun was praying for him to be well. He could do nothing much. “He’s beautiful Hyukjae,” he whispered. “It’s the most beautiful baby I have ever seen,” he said kissing Hyukjae’s hand. “He’s also a fighter, like you, and he’s doing well.”
Hyukjae was respondless for days but Kyuhyun kept being with him all the time, taking his hand and praying slowly, kissing his pale face and dry lips, sleeping by his side of the bed without letting him go because Kyuhyun was afraid of losing him any second.
Hyukjae had to go through surgery for two more times. One to take care of an internal hemorrhage and the other to finally get his kidney.
Kyuhyun would go to his baby’s side and talk to him every day, telling him how good Hyukjae was doing and how he should also fight so they could go to their home soon.
Jihyun was in charge of making Kyuhyun eat at least once a day, and when he was particularly difficult, she would bring Chaerin with her and the little girl convinced him to always eat and sleep for a while.
Chaerin wasn’t allowed to meet her brother because she was still a kid, but she liked to go with Kyuhyun and hear how he was from Kyuhyun’s lips that would smile just remembering.
When Kyuhyun was told that Hyukjae and his baby were finally stable, he bought expensive gifts for the entire hospital’s personal.
•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
Kyuhyun was in the neonatal intensive care unit, whispering to his son how much he wished to go home already and how happy he was that he was growing quickly, when a nurse with a wide smile came to his side and told him the words he has been craving for since almost three weeks. “He’s conscious.”
Kyuhyun ran through the halls, opening the door of Hyukjae’s room only to find doctors and nurses checking on him. “He’s sleeping right now but the transplant showed to be a success and his liver has been regenerating just fine,” the doctor announced and Kyuhyun simply nodded absent minded, locking his gaze on Hyukjae who was sleeping peacefully in the white bed, with less tubes and IVs than before.
He walked to the other and took his hand, kissing his lips gently and caressing his hair lovingly. “Oh Hyukjae…,” he exclaimed with tears of happiness running down his eyes. “Thank you so much…,” he whispered. “Thank you for staying with me…”
Hyukjae had finally a peaceful expression that calmed Kyuhyun deeply. He didn’t sleep that night because he couldn’t stop looking at Hyukjae, waiting for him to open his eyes again and look at him now. He couldn’t wait to tell Hyukjae about their son and how he was doing and how beautiful he was.
It was until long hours later that Hyukjae opened his eyes, slowly and tiredly. “Hyukjae,” Kyuhyun called with a knot in his throat, feeling his tears running down again and not being able to stop himself and squeezing Hyukjae’s hand tightly.
And Hyukjae looked at him after a few seconds of feeling dizzy, he parted his dry lips and try to talk but words didn’t come out from his throat so he gave up and simply smiled faintly, trying hard to squeeze Kyuhyun’s hand back but being unable to do so.
Kyuhyun felt happy just with that, just to know how Hyukjae was smiling at him again, to see his eyes once more. “Hyukjae,” he called kissing the other’s now warm forehead. “Thanks god…,” he whispered and Hyukjae smiled slightly wider. “I’m so happy you’re awake…”
Hyukjae looked into Kyuhyun’s eyes and he opened his mouth again, trying to ask something but being unable to because he felt so tired as to just keep being away.
Kyuhyun smiled and kissed his hand, drying his tears with the blue coat he was wearing. “He’s fine Hyukkie,” he whispered. “He’s beautiful…”
Hyukjae’s lips curved up into a soft smile and warm tears slid down his silent eyes. He closed his eyes and smiled gently, not stopping his tears because there was happiness running all through his exhausted body.
Kyuhyun smiled and kissed Hyukjae’s tears away. “He’s small,” he said. “And he has your lips… his eyes barely open because he’s not awake all the time but they’re beautiful, like yours. He’s growing fine and nurses say he can come and visit you from time to time…,” he informed because how much he has been craving to do so.
Hyukjae opened his eyes full of tears and looked at Kyuhyun, smiling gently and opening his mouth again. “…hyun…,” he whispered almost inaudibly, his voice hoarse and shaky.
Kyuhyun leaned closer and kissed Hyukjae’s lips. “Don’t force yourself,” he said smiling gently and squeezing Hyukjae’s hand. “You did it Hyukjae…,” he said with his most honest smile. “You did it…,” he repeated and cried silently while looking into Hyukjae’s tired eyes. “We have a baby… you have no idea how happy I am right now…”
Hyukjae smiled weakly and closed his eyes even when he didn’t want to. He was tired and his body screamed to be asleep. The last thing he felt before losing consciousness was Kyuhyun’s lips on his temple and the sweet tone of an ‘I love you’ whispered to him.
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