He fidgeted in his seat slightly, the restlessness building in the pit of his stomach. His thumbs fiddled with each other endlessly as he swallowed down his own excitement. He didn’t want to make a bad impression, after all. He was a junior detective now. Junior detective! Just thinking of his new title made the fireworks explode in his stomach all over again. He was so ecstatic when he received the news about the promotion, it had felt like Christmas had come twice last year. After he had been requested to transfer, he made sure to do so as soon as possible. While it had been hectic to move during the holidays on short notice, he was positive that showing up sooner rather than later would show his new superiors how eager he was to work on this case. Granted, he would have to complete a bunch of paperwork and do some extremely repetitive training before he could get briefed on the situation, but it would all be worth it. He had made it this far - some papers would surely not get in his way.

A man entered the room, heading in his direction and in response Myungsoo stood up. The man exuded a certain confidence as he strode towards him with firm steps. With the way he held himself, there was no doubt that he was the man in charge. His smile gleamed with a certain charm as he offered his hand. “You must be my new detective.”

Grasping the hand firmly, he gave it a single shake. “Kim Myungsoo, at your service sir.”

“Nice to meet you, Kim Myungsoo. I’m Chief Kim Sunggyu. I’ll be the person you will be reporting to directly from here on out.”

Myungsoo slightly bowed his head. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

Sunggyu smiled at him, patting his shoulder warmly. “We’re very excited to have you became a part of our unit, Myungsoo. With this drug ring getting bigger, we need all the help we can get. We’re very glad you could join us so quickly.”

Myungsoo beamed at his new chief, happy to be assisting their unit. “I’m very excited to start working, sir. I can assure you that this case will be my top priority.” he said.

“You were just promoted to junior detective, right?” Sunggyu asked, a friendly smile stretched across his face. “Congratulations on that. But before you start working you’ll have to follow procedure, of course.”

Myungsoo nodded. “Of course, sir.”

“Good. I expect to see you in my office once you’re finished.” He began walking back in the direction he came. “You’re obviously here for the case, Myungsoo, but enjoy yourself a little bit. I’m glad to see how dedicated you are to the job, but have a some fun while you’re here too, okay? San Jose is a nice place, I’m sure with time you’ll grow to love it.”

Myungsoo nodded back happily. “Yes, sir,” he responded. Sunggyu bid him a final farewell, and with a light heart, Myungsoo headed away to go get his training.

The desk clerk escorted him to the human resources department where Tiffany, his HR representative, was already ready for him. He didn’t understand why she seemed to be so excited to talk about such unexciting things, but by the sound of her perky voice this was going to be an exhausting morning. She motioned him over to her desk, where a large stack of paperwork was waiting for him, and he resigned to his fate. He listened to Tiffany drone on for hours about information that he already knew - if anything outside of protocol happens always report it to your supervisor, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty, do not forgot to recite the Miranda rights when making an arrest, if injured on the job please file a claim immediately! - and almost jumped for joy when he was rewarded with his new badge and access card.

When the packet of paperwork was completed and signed with his signature, she stood up and extended her hand. Myungsoo thanked her for the inspiring lecture, and she didn’t seem to notice that he was being a bit sarcastic. He practically ran out of her office, eager to escape before she started talking about insurance policies or parking procedures again. After another pit stop at the front desk for directions - which were so complicated that all Myungsoo could do in response was blink - the clerk took pity on him. He stood up from his post, placing a small Be right back! placard on his desk before walking around it to join Myungsoo.

Myungsoo didn’t realize how large the man was until he was standing next to him, despite being the same height the other was clearly heavier, the obvious muscles barely hidden by his outfit. He wondered randomly what he was doing as a desk clerk instead of being an officer. But the guy smiled warmly at him, and his deep voice was very soothing.

“This place can be kind of confusing, especially on your first day. I’m Yongguk, if you need help or anything I’m always around.” He stuck out his hand and Myungsoo shook it.

“Thanks for the offer. Any chance you can start with showing me how to get to the Chief’s office?” Myungsoo asked nervously.

Yongguk smiled brightly at him. “Sure. And don’t let him scare you too much, he’s actually pretty sweet.”

Myungsoo rose an eyebrow in disbelief. “Sweet? I don’t think I’ll be using that adjective anytime soon in his presence, no offense. And what is a guy like you doing behind a desk? You seem like the type to be out in the field.”

He laughed lightly, lifting up his ID to activate the elevator. “I get that a lot, but I’m actually more of a pacifist. Guns and fighting really aren’t my style. I’d rather talk something out than fight about it.”

“It makes sense, although your biceps say otherwise,” Myungsoo joked.

Yongguk guided him through a somewhat winding path after they exited the elevator. “I never said I wasn’t able to settle an argument if the need arose. You seem pretty active yourself though. I organize a few events for charity throughout the year, usually try to get as many people from the stationed involved. We’re doing a 5K for cancer research in honor of the new year actually. No pressure or anything, but if you want to get involved you can grab a flyer at my desk on your way out today.”

“I’ll definitely check it out, I’m new to the area so I’m kind of looking for ways to get acquainted with San Jose.” They came to a stop in front of the door labeled Chief Kim Sunggyu and Myungsoo offered his hand again. “Thanks for the help again Yongguk. I’ll see you around.”

“Sure thing. Oh, and good luck.” Yongguk said politely before turning away.

Myungsoo took a deep breath in, gathering his wits to go meet with his boss. He wanted to prove to Sunggyu that he had made the right choice accepting him into his unit. Now was when the pleasantries would end, and the real detective work would begin.

Dongwoo made his way into the building, his steps somewhat dragging as he prolonged the inevitable.

“Hey, what are you doing here? Isn’t today supposed to be your day off?” Yongguk called out to him, and Dongwoo let out an audible sigh.

“If you wouldn’t mind relaying that message to the Chief, I would be eternally grateful,” he complained.

Yongguk laughed at him. “I think it would be too little too late. You’re already here anyways.”

Dongwoo stopped at the front desk, resting his forearms on top of it while he pouted. “I know, but I’m still in denial. Any idea why I’m here?” Dongwoo asked him expectantly. Yongguk was known to be the eyes and ears of the station, always aware of little things going on inside each of the departments.

But this time he shook was head. “Sorry man, I don’t know about anything big enough that would require you to come in on your day off. But Sunggyu is more secretive than the other department heads, so that’s really no surprise.”

Dongwoo tsked. “Yeah, I know. Figured I’d ask anyway though. I better head up there before he sends out a search party.” He pushed away from the front desk to walk over to the elevators. “Can you believe he actually told me I had to be here within the hour?” He could hear Yongguk’s resounding laughter and the hell yes as the elevator doors shut closed.

When they opened again on his floor, he immediately headed to Sunggyu’s office. Despite his annoyance that he had to come in on his day off, a big part of him was also intrigued to hear what his Chief had to say. He knocked twice before walking in, finding Sunggyu propped up behind his desk.

“Took you long enough.”

Dongwoo sent him a not so subtle glare. “I am so glad I rushed in here right after you called, seeing that the department is so busy.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes at him. “I am aware that the department isn’t busy, but I have a task that only you could do.”

He got comfortable in his seat. “I am all ears.”

“We got a new transfer here from San Francisco. I want you to show him around and get him acquainted with everything because you’re going to be working with him very closely from now on.”

Dongwoo raised an eyebrow. “A new detective? You called me on my day off to show a new detective around?”

“And I expect you to,” Sunggyu replied, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. “His name’s Kim Myungsoo and he was recently promoted to a junior detective. He’s going to be your partner.”

“Partners?” Dongwoo repeated. “With a rookie?” He let out an audible groan, a hand tangling in his hair. “Chief, is that the best idea?”

“Dongwoo, it’s not the end of the world,” Sunggyu said, that infuriating smirk of his playing at the corner of his mouth.

“Make me partners with another senior detective, fine - but a rookie? Chief, are you positive that it’s going to help?” Dongwoo asked suspiciously.

Sunggyu folded his hands together, leaning back in his chair to regard Dongwoo. “Of course I do - that’s why I requested him from San Francisco.”

Dongwoo shifted in his chair, surprised that his boss had felt the need to search for back up on his case. Sunggyu had never shown any particular distaste at the way he was handling his investigation, and normally his chief trusted him to figure things out on his own. “Chief, you know I work alone.”

Sunggyu shook his head. “Sorry Dongwoo, I know how much effort you have put into building your case, but I don’t think you can handle this one on your own any longer.”

“Chief, I’ve been working on this drug case for months, tracking all their movements-” Dongwoo tried to explain himself.

“With too little progress,” Sunggyu interrupted, a fierce bite in his words.

Dongwoo sat up straighter in his chair. “But Chief, I’m sure I can take down the man behind all of this, if I just had a bit more time-”

“You do not have any more time, Detective Jang,” Sunggyu said coldly, and Dongwoo shut his mouth after hearing the use of his official title. “Please do not think this is a slight on your performance, the amount of evidence you have collected singlehandedly is remarkable.The reality is that this drug ring is growing, but the only way we are going to stay on top of this and ultimately put these guys behind bars is if we are proactive. Would you rather let it get out of control, then report to me with excuses?”

“Of course not, sir,” Dongwoo admitted, his gaze settled on the ground.

“You need the back up and a fresh pair of eyes to give you some perspective on this case, Dongwoo. And if that means a rookie, then it means a rookie.” There was a defiant tone in the way Sunggyu finished, signalling that the argument was over.

Dongwoo slumped back in his seat, knowing that he had been defeated. He sighed and looked to Sunggyu. “Okay, fine. Maybe I could use the help. Where is the rookie anyways?”

“HR training,” Sunggyu said simply and Dongwoo shuddered at the memory. “He’s been in there all morning, but he should be finished soon though. He’s a nice guy, Dongwoo - and he’s got a passion for this job; I could tell that right away after meeting him. So be nice to the rookie.”

Dongwoo let himself smile, chuckling slightly. “It’s not like I have a choice with you as my boss, do I?” He grinned. “Don’t worry about it, okay? I’ll be nice to the kid.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. “He’s not that young, Dongwoo. He’s only a few years younger than you. You’ll like him, I promise.”

“It’s not him I don’t like - it’s the fact that I have to work with a partner.” Dongwoo sulked.

“Somehow I think this is less about the partner, and more about the fact that you will have to organize that mess of paperwork in that sad excuse of a work room,” Sunggyu .

“Hey, there is a method to my madness Chief. You know how difficult it is to make someone else understand the way this brain works?” Dongwoo laughed, knowing his own explanation was weak at best.

“I can imagine Dongwoo. Then his first task can be to sort out your data while he catches up on the case. Or I could assign the project to you?” Sunggyu threatened lightly, and Dongwoo shook his hands.

“No way Chief, I think paper crunching sounds like the perfect job for a rookie. Maybe this partner thing can have a silver lining,” Dongwoo admitted.

“Well, this probably won’t be the last time I assign you one, so you’ll need to get used to it,” Sunggyu smirked. “And Dongwoo?”

“Yes Chief?”

“Even if I am giving you a partner, I’m still expecting you to lead on this one. You’ll report to me with the progress like usual, and I do expect progress with the second set of hands on the case,” Sunggyu told him bluntly, and Dongwoo nodded in understanding.

“Of course Chief.”

There came a knock on the door, both Dongwoo and Sunggyu turning their heads to it. “Come in,” Sunggyu called out. The door opened and someone who Dongwoo assumed to be the rookie poked their head in. “Oh,” Sunggyu said, “we were just talking about you.”

“Good things I hope.” Myungsoo said nervously, shutting the door closed behind him.

Dongwoo nodded at him from his seat and Myungsoo nodded back in response.  “You must be Myungsoo,” Dongwoo said, regarding him from his seat.

“Yes, that’s me.” Myungsoo acknowledged him with a single bow.

“I assume you’ve finished your HR training?” Sunggyu asked him, gesturing him to take a seat next to Dongwoo. Myungsoo did as he was silently ordered. “How did that go?”

“It was fine,” Myungsoo replied. “It was nothing I hadn’t heard before. Although the lady lecturing me was a bit… shrill for my tastes.”

Almost immediately, Dongwoo burst into laughter. Sunggyu raised an amused eyebrow as the blonde continued laughing, obviously finding whatever Myungsoo said to be hilarious. “See!” he said, looking towards Sunggyu. “I told you that Tiffany was annoying!”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, okay, whatever.” He turned back to Myungsoo. “But you have finished all the paperwork and are cleared for active duty, correct?”

Myungsoo nodded. “Yes, sir. I have.”

He gestured to his badge and Sunggyu smiled. “Good, good. We’re going to get you working right away. The man next to you is Jang Dongwoo, he’s a senior detective and you’ll be working with him exclusively on his case.”

Myungsoo looked at Dongwoo, giving him a smile and offering his hand for a shake. “Nice to meet you, Detective Jang! I’m Myungsoo.” Dongwoo shook his hand and Myungsoo gave him a bright smile. “I’ll try my hardest to help you out. I won’t let you down!”

Dongwoo smiled back at him lightly, taking in his determined face. There was a certain glint in his eyes that intrigued Dongwoo. Myungsoo looked eager to prove himself and he almost looked hungry for it. Dongwoo was expecting someone who was cocky despite their lack of experience, and instead this Myungsoo seemed to be quite humble and excited to be working on the case. “I’m sure you won’t,” Dongwoo said, smiling. “Congratulations on your promotion, and you can drop the formalities. Call me Dongwoo.”

“Thank you,” Myungsoo replied, nodding politely.

“The case you’ll be working on,” Sunggyu said, “is a drug case. Dongwoo has been tracking a drug ring for the past few months. We’re trying to take the operation down by figuring out who is the man calling the shots at the top of the pyramid. Needless to say, the reason you’re here is because he hasn’t found any leads.”

“I had a lead!” Dongwoo exclaimed.

“It was a dead-end,” Sunggyu said. “You can’t deny that.” Dongwoo sniffed, muttering at how Sunggyu always came to conclusions too quickly. “Anyways,” Sunggyu continued, “you’ll be partners with Dongwoo from now on.”

Myungsoo’s ears perked up in shock. “Partners? Really? We get to be partners?”

“Is that a problem, Myungsoo?” Dongwoo asked, raising an eyebrow as if he hadn’t questioned Sunggyu the exact same way prior to Myungsoo’s arrival.

Myungsoo shook his head immediately. “No! Not at all! It’s an honor to be working with a senior detective!”

Dongwoo smiled at him. Myungsoo was a nice person and he seemed genuinely enthusiastic to be a part of the case. “It’s a pleasure to be working with you as well,” Dongwoo said. He stood up, beckoning for Myungsoo to follow. “I’ll show you around the station and around town a little bit.”

Myungsoo stood up and followed him to the door. “Thank you,” he said. He turned to Sunggyu. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity!” he said.

“Come with me and I’ll give you the tour,” Dongwoo said, already heading out the door.

Myungsoo followed him out of Sunggyu’s office - but not before bowing and thanking the Chief again for everything - politely listening as he was given a tour of the entire building. He gave Yongguk a smile as he was shown the front desk area. He toured the station with earnest interest as he trailed behind Dongwoo. He was happy to greet the cyber detective squad and the weapon specialists and made sure to remember important places like the evidence room and the bathroom. The station was made familiar very quickly as he and Dongwoo ended back from where they started.

“Now that we’ve seen the station,” Dongwoo said with a smile, “let’s take a walk around the area, okay? I can show you a few great spots where a lot of the officers break for lunch.” He headed towards the door with Myungsoo following him. He opened the glass doors for him. “All of them are from walking distance from here, so that’s always a bonus.”

Myungsoo nodded as he stepped outside, breathing in the fresh San Jose air. “The weather here is great,” he said offhandedly. “It’s so nice and mild.”

Dongwoo nodded as the two began walking down the sidewalk. “Yeah, the weather here is beautiful. It’s never too cold or too hot. Although, we haven’t seen rain in a little while.”

Myungsoo took a deep breath through his nose. “It’s still great. It’s warmer here than where I’m from, anyways.”

Dongwoo gave him a smile as they continued down the pavement and kept up some small chatter. They talked about tiny random things that crossed their minds and although it was regretful that he had to come in on his day off, it wasn’t too awful. Along the walk he pointed out popular food places that lots of people at the station went to. There were burger joints, some classy lunch diners and more. But as always, he saved the best for last.

After about a block, he stopped in front of a familiar cafe. “And this,” he said, “is Sarang’s Cafe.”

“Korean?” Myungsoo asked, eyebrows raised. “So it means Love’s Cafe?”

Dongwoo hesitated, but nodded quickly afterwards. “One way or another.”

“Is the place good?” Myungsoo asked, staring up at the closed sign.

“Yeah, it’s great. I love this place.” Dongwoo laughed. “But that may also be because I’m sort of friends with the owner.”

The other turned to him, mildly impressed. “Really? You know the owner?”

Dongwoo nodded. “A lot of the people down at the station know him also, but I'm close to him outside of work. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and have been practically inseparable since,” he said, laughing. He touched the door fondly, as if waiting for it to open any second. “The owner obviously isn’t here right now, but once he is you should definitely check the place out.”

Myungsoo nodded, already feeling a sense of affection towards the place just by looking at the warm decor and inviting exterior. He gave the cafe one last glance before he turned away to follow Dongwoo to the next place. “Sarang’s… yeah, I think I will definitely drop by.”

Hoya clipped on his badge to his white coat, putting away his personal belongings and closing his locker shut. He stopped in front of the mirror, making sure his dark hair looked presentable before heading off to the ER. It didn’t matter how tired he was or what he was doing before he got called in, he always wanted to present himself in a professional manner to his patients.

When he got to the emergency room, he immediately headed to the nurses’ station. He was relieved to see his favorite nurse sitting behind the desk.

“A very slim silver lining to getting called in on New Years,” Hoya admitted, grabbing the seat next to him with a tired smile. Donghae was a bit older than him but he had a lot of experience. He had been working in the ER for years now, and his impeccable bedside manner coupled with his sweet disposition made him a hit with most patients.

Donghae smiled back at him. “Well it’s nice to see you too Dr. Jang. And I apologize in advance if I ruin your good mood.” He grabbed the chart off the desk in front of him, handing it to Hoya with a sad look.

Hoya was immediately put on alert; Donghae had seen a lot of patients over the years and experienced many sad stories, but he was usually able to keep his poker face. The fact that he was clearly affected by the patient troubled Hoya. “Talk to me, start from the top.”

“Lee Areum. Nineteen year old female that presented to the ER an hour ago with what she describes as severe abdominal pain. History of substance abuse since she was sixteen.”

Hoya nodded, flipping through the chart to her labs. “What’s her poison?”

Donghae sighed. “From what we could get out of her, alcohol and narcotics. But the marks on her arms indicate that IV drug use is a strong possibility.”

Hoya shook his head, it was sad but true that drugs had started to affect the younger generation in such a negative way. But a teenage drug addict wouldn’t be enough to make Donghae squirm. “What are you not telling me?”

The nurse turned back to his computer, clicking a couple times before scooting out of the way to let the doctor get a closer look. “We were concerned about the drugs, so we did a tox screen first. I just now got the results of her blood test.”

Hoya chewed on the end of his pen, his eyes flying across the screen. “She tested negative for HIV, which is a huge relief if she actually has been using any IV drugs.”

“I know, I thought we were in the clear. But then I looked at her hCG levels. She’s in the hundred thousandths.” Donghae grimaced as he pointed out the lab value to the doctor.

“Damn it,” Hoya bit out, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Yeah. She’s pregnant.”

Hoya allowed himself a moment before he walked into her room to calm himself. It was one thing to abuse your body, but it was a completely different matter to expose an innocent, unborn child to such a devastating substance. He couldn’t believe the results of her lab work, she had to have known that she was pregnant, and yet she continued to taint her system with drugs. But she still was a patient, and it was his job as a doctor to find a way to help her. Donghae had offered to accompany him, but Hoya thought it would be better if he examined her alone. The nurses had warned him that she was agitated and jumpy - probably coming down from her last high - and he wanted, no needed her to be as open with him as possible. Despite his personal feelings about her life choices, he forced that plastic smile onto his face and slid open the curtain.

“Miss Lee, I’m your physician-”

“Are you the doctor? About damn time, I’ve been waiting in this hellhole for almost an hour and I’m still in pain,” she said angrily, shifting around in her bed.

“Miss Lee, I apologize-”

“Don’t call me that. Do I look like an old lady to you? My name is Areum, did you even bother to look at the damn chart before you came in here?” Hoya closed his eyes and maintained his composure. She was being rude and he was only trying to help her.

“I assure you that I did Areum. I was just trying to be polite.” He tried to explain, and for the first time she actually really looked at him. Their eyes meet and Hoya hoped that she would be too drugged out to see the way he felt about her. But a curious smile came over her face, lighting up her features and Hoya realized that if she weren’t so worn down by the drugs and her pregnancy, she could have actually been a very beautiful girl.

“You’re really a doctor? You’re handsome, and you look kind of young,” she questioned him, but her voice didn’t have the same harshness that it did before. It wasn’t the first time Hoya had gotten these kind of remarks, and if her thinking he was handsome meant that she would cooperate, he was all for it. But he also knew that her mood could change in an instant, so he didn’t waste anymore time.

“I really am. And not just any doctor, I’m your doctor.” He charmed her, moving closer to her bed with a warm smile. He stuck out his hand, “Dr. Jang, at your service.” She shook it, smiling at him in return. Hoya could only hope that her compliance would continue, because there were some questions he needed answered. “Again, I apologize that it took me a little while for me to arrive, but now that I am here I’d like to help you. I’ve been told that you are experiencing some pain? Can you tell me more about that?”

A dark look came over her face. “It’s been horrible. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. Each time I get even close to getting comfortable, there’s this sharp jabbing down here.” She lifted her gown and gestured to her lower abdomen, where a clear bump was protruding. She was a tiny girl, it wasn’t too noticeable and Hoya knew that was because her baby was too small due to the circumstances.

He placed a hand on top of Areum’s in a comforting gesture. “I think I might know what is causing you that pain Areum.”

“Really?” She reached over with her other hand to cover his, and Hoya didn’t let himself stare at the scars near her veins.

He nodded at her. “Really. But first, I’d like to run a couple tests, just to be sure. I want to give you the best possible care, and the only way for me to do that is to be sure. But a few tests shouldn’t be a problem for a strong girl like you, right Areum?”

“Right. I can handle a few tests Dr. Jang.” She squeezed his hand in a show of strength.

“I’m very happy to hear that. Now my friend Victoria is going to be here in a few minutes, so try to be still for her, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll try.” Hoya patted her hand before pulling it away.

“I’ll be back as soon as I get the results from that test. I know that you are in pain Areum. Thank you for being such a model patient.” He gave her a little wink and she giggled. Hoya smiled one last time before leaving her room pulling the curtain shut behind him. He walked back to the nurses’ station, where Donghae was waiting for him.

“So?” Donghae prompted him and Hoya rested his arms on the counter.

“So, apparently she’s a lot more cooperative around charming doctors than pushy nurses.” Hoya tried to tease but Donghae scoffed.

“Clearly there might be something wrong with her vision if she thinks that you are cuter than me. Did you get any details about the pregnancy?”

Hoya shook his head. “Considering her hCG levels and the area of her pain, I’m pretty sure I got an idea of what’s going on. I think the test should confirm it.”

“What do you need me to do?” Donghae asked him.

“Call Victoria in Ultrasound. We need a OB complete to establish the size and dates of this pregnancy.”

Hoya read over the report from the radiologist, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He had honestly been expecting the worst, but the ultrasound had been clear. No obvious signs of abnormalities and normal fetal heart tones. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the conversation with Areum. He knew that for this next part, no amount of charm or friendliness would be able to keep her calm.

She was staring up at the ceiling, but when she saw him enter she immediately perked up. She sat up in her bed, smoothing down her hair as he got closer. “I was a good patient Dr. Jang.” She sounded so young when she spoke.

“I know. Victoria told me personally how well you handled the test.” He pulled up a chair, sitting close to her bed to be at her eye level. “But Areum, in order to give you the best care that I can, I need you to be honest with me.”

“But I have been honest!” she argued, but Hoya shook his head.

“Areum, we both know that isn’t true.” She looked down at her lap guiltily. “When you came into the ER you said you were having abdominal pain. But you didn’t mention something else, something that is really important for me to know about as your doctor.” She crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at Hoya. “Areum, I need you to talk to me. About your baby.”

“So you know,” she said angrily, bunching up her blanket to further hide her belly.

“Areum, you must have known that if you came into the hospital, that eventually we would discover the fact that you are pregnant.” Hoya stopped, trying to understand where she was coming from. “Did you not tell us because you don’t want to be pregnant?”

“I didn’t ask for this, okay?” She shook her head angrily. “I didn’t ask for this.” She teared up, bunching up her fists in the sheets. “I just thought- that maybe if I didn’t talk about it or if I pretended that it didn’t happen, that eventually it would all go away.”

Hoya sighed. “Areum, I’m sorry but ignoring this pregnancy won’t make it disappear. The only thing that can make it end is when you go into labor. But you know that, don’t you?” She didn’t respond, her hands still twitching nervously. “Have you had any prenatal care with this pregnancy?”

Her silence was practically an answer in itself. “Victoria told me that you didn’t look at the monitor while she was doing your test. Have you ever seen your baby before Areum?”

“No,” she grunted out, wiping an angry tear off of her face. Hoya reached down, pulling out a picture from the sonogram. He placed it on her blanket, sliding it over to her slowly. She looked down at it with bleary eyes, picking it up to hold it in front of her face.

“This is what we call the profile, the side view of the baby’s face. I’m pleased to tell you that your baby’s scan came back clean, with no signs of deformities at this juncture.” She nodded slightly, her fingertips brushing over the photo. “That’s very good Areum, considering your history with drugs and alcohol.”

“I’m not an addict,” she said fiercely. “I just… like to have a good time. And I don’t even do half of the stuff I normally would. I haven’t gotten drunk in months.” A weak smile came over her face. “I just don’t have the energy anymore.”

“Areum, I need you to understand that by using those kind of things, you are putting not only yourself, but your baby boy at risk.”

“W-what?”

Hoya tried to explain it simpler. “Everything you put into your body, can also affect the baby.”

“No, I didn’t mean that. You’re saying that it’s a boy?”

He smiled, nodding his head. “Yes, the sonogram confirmed it. You’re having a boy.”

“A boy.” She repeated as she stared at the picture. “It’s fitting; I never got along with girls much.”

“After looking at your blood work and the sonogram, it looks like you are just about 36 weeks into your pregnancy. But based on our calculations, your baby is weighing just barely over 5 pounds, which means that he’s underweight for his age. So we really need to work hard together throughout this last month to make your baby as healthy as possible.”

“I’m not good with hard work.” She admitted honestly. “Pregnancy and babies and just everything… I’m not good with responsibility. I like to have fun, I want to be free.”

“I understand Areum, and you’re almost there. Just a little longer, and then we can discuss your options once the baby is born.”

“I don’t want it.” She said suddenly, tossing the picture at Hoya with malice.

“Areum-”

“No. I don’t want this baby. I don’t even want to be pregnant. It’s painful and it’s so exhausting-”

Hoya stood up, grabbing her hands to try to calm her down. “Hey, hey look at me. Look at my eyes.” Her eyes were clenched shut, refusing to make eye contact with him. “Areum, please. Look at me.” She finally opened her eyes, clearly still upset. “I need you to calm down Areum. Just breathe, one breath at a time. Stay calm.” He made a show of breathing loudly so she could follow his example, doing his best to try to keep her from getting over excited in her current state.

“I told you that I’d try to help you, didn’t I? That I would find out what was causing your pain?” he reminded her, and she nodded quickly. “Your body is sore and oversensitive from the pregnancy. This is your first time being pregnant?” She whispered out a yes, still clutching his hands tightly. “Your baby is just kicking Areum. Sometimes, when you get excited or emotional, the baby responds to that. And sometimes babies just like to stretch and move their muscles. It’s just your baby kicking Areum. It’s natural.”

“But sometimes it hurts,” she complained, her voice cracking with emotion.

“I know it does. Pregnancy is difficult, and you are really strong for handling it this well. And you’re almost done, just a little bit more.” Hoya tried to encourage her, but he could see that she was breaking.

“I’m just tired of all this. I never wanted to go through this,” she reiterated, her chest heaving.

“I know, I know. Just stay calm, just breathe. I want to keep an eye on you, admit you to the hospital so I can watch you for a couple days-”

“No! I have needs and-”

“Areum, please stay calm. We will talk about it in the morning okay? Right now it’s very late, and you said you are very tired, right? I think you need to get some sleep more than anything. You’ve been through so much and you’ve been working very hard, haven’t you? You deserve to rest.” He tried to coax her, urging her to lie back down.

She stared at him suspiciously, but let him guide her back anyway. He straightened out her bunched up covers, tucking her in with care. “For now, just relax and sleep Areum. I promise we will talk in the morning. Okay?” She nodded, but turned away from him just the same. Hoya stepped away, turning off the light before leaving the room entirely. He practically collapsed into the nearest chair, his nerves on edge after the conversation with her.

“I take that it didn’t go well?”

Hoya set her chart on the desk, massaging his throbbing temples. “There was good and bad. Which do you want first?”

Donghae shrugged. “Hit me with the good.”

“Well, her ultrasound showed a lot of promise, all things considering. The only real concern was that the baby was a little underweight. If she gets her act together for this last month, then there’s no reason that she couldn’t have a healthy baby despite the odds,” Hoya explained.

“And the bad?”

“She has no intention of getting her act together,” Hoya said sadly.

Donghae sat down next to him, a sigh leaving his lips. “Maybe she will come around?”

“I doubt it. She hasn’t had any prenatal care this entire pregnancy, and it's obvious that the father isn't even in the picture. She didn’t even seem to know how far along she was, and she never expressed any interest in being a mother. In fact, she did nothing but emphasize the fact that she did not want this pregnancy,” Hoya groaned, running his hands through his hair. “She’s in pain, I understand that. Carrying a child is no easy task for anyone. But she’s a teenager, she’s still young and she has no concept of responsibility. She doesn’t want to be a mother, and nothing I say will be able to change that. When I even mentioned the possibility of her being admitted for observation she completely lost it. She sees this baby as a hindrance, not a gift.”

“I see. So were you able to diagnose the source of her pain?” Donghae asked.

“The baby. After looking at the sonogram and visualizing the lack of bruises or contusions on the outside area of her skin, I’m pretty sure it’s just the baby kicking.”

Donghae laughed lightly, a look of surprise on his face. “Wow. With the way she was screaming when she came in, I was afraid it would be something much more serious.”

“I, for one, am thankful that it wasn’t a more serious complication. Hopefully she can get some solid hours of sleep and feel a little more rested and rational in the morning. The fluids we are putting in her should make her more hydrated and energetic; I can tell just by looking at her that she isn’t feeding herself, let alone the baby, properly. She’s thin - almost too thin.” Hoya finished worriedly.

“Well then it looks like we have a game plan. I’m on the graveyard so I’ll be here until 7. I’ll keep an eye on her room in the event that she wakes up. We’ll keep her on the fluids, I’ll let nutrition know to modify her diet to account for the malnutrition in both mom and baby, I've already scanned in your prescription for the prenatal vitamins for pharmacy, and when she wakes up, we’ll go from there.” Donghae made the notes in her chart as he spoke.

“Thanks Donghae. Can you also fax over the progress notes and patient history from Areum’s chart to Chaerin from OB?”

“You mean Dr. Lee?”

“Yes. She’s a little tougher than most OB docs, and she might be able to keep her in check. Her schedule should be a little lighter over the next month since she just returned from vacation. I think she could be a good match for Areum." Hoya thought aloud.

“If the patient bothers to show up to her appointment.” Donghae reminded him realistically.

“She might be free for a consult tomorrow morning, so I want her to have access to the highlights from Areum's chart.”

Donghae nodded, sliding Areum’s chart into the designated spot. “Sure thing. I can actually run by the second floor and drop them off in person on my way out after my shift. You going to head home now? There’s still enough time for a couple decent hours before you have to do rounds.”

“No, I’m going to stay close, especially after dealing with that patient. Something about her eyes… I just feel uneasy,” Hoya admitted.

The nurse gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. “Try not to let it get to you that much. I know you just started taking call for the ER, but the reality is that most of the time it’s like this. So if you want to go home, do so. Trust me when I say we can always page you right back in.”

Hoya laughed, knowing that there really was no escape from the hospital. “Believe me, I know that. But I’ve already gotten permission to stay out all night from the husband so-”

“On New Years? Man, your husband is a saint,” Donghae said, impressed.

“He’s practically an angel, but he understands the crazy hours. Plus, it was his idea to remodel the house with the fancy french doors which were insanely overpriced, so we compromised,” Hoya joked.

“Yeah, somehow I don’t think that line of reasoning would work with Hyukjae.”

Hoya shrugged his shoulders. “To each his own. I’m going to try to get some sleep, page me if anything happens.” Donghae promised he would and Hoya finally set off to get a bit of rest. He made a quick pit stop in the locker room, grabbing his phone before heading to his on call room of choice.

He pressed the lock button on his phone, checking the time. It was a little past five, which gave him a bit of time to get some rest. He sat down on the hard bed, his eyes still staring at the picture of his husband on his home screen. It was a candid one he had taken of Dongwoo, a profile view where he was smiling and his blonde hair was blowing in the wind.

He missed Dongwoo.

It was silly, he had only been apart from him for a couple of hours, but he still longed for his husband. Things between them had gotten cut off rather abruptly, and he felt bad for having to run out on him on the holiday; especially when he know how important and romantic Dongwoo had wanted the night to be for them.

He slid his finger over the phone, unlocking it to send Dongwoo a quick message. I love you, I already miss you and I’ll see you when I get home.

He sent the text with a smile, then set an alarm for the morning. Even if he wanted a bit of extra sleep, he needed more time to shower and get ready in the locker room before his real shift in the morning. Wincing slightly at the knowledge of a working a full day with only an hour and a half of sleep, Hoya laid his body down to rest.

No sooner had he closed his eyes the door had burst open. The light flicked on and he shot up in bed. “Donghae, what-”

“Come, now. Areum did... something,” he gasped out, and Hoya was out of the bed in seconds. They rushed to the ER, the confusion running through Hoya’s head at the sudden change in her body’s condition.

He practically ripped open the curtain to her room, where nurses were shouting and bustling about, helping her back into her bed. He immediately gloved up, rushing to Areum’s bedside. He looked at her, her face contorted in pain. “Areum, what happened?”

She was shaking her head furiously, the tear marks obvious on her cheeks. “I’m sorry Dr. Jang, I told you I couldn’t do it,” she panted out. His eyes flew around the room, taking in the trail of blood leading to the bathroom. He looked to Donghae, whose eyes were bright with anger.

“She told us that she needed to use the bathroom so we unplugged her IVs. She lied.”

“Dr. Jang, I had to-” She tried to reason but he cut her off.

“What did you do?” he asked her sternly, and she looked at him boldly.

“I used the needle to make my water break.”

Hoya lifted up the sheet, looking at the blood pooling between her legs. He heard the gasps around him and he immediately went into leadership mood to get his team back on track. He turned to Donghae, shouting out orders. “Get an OR ready stat, and page the surgeon on call. She needs an emergency caesarean now if we want to save mom and baby.” He kicked the lock on the bed, wheeling her stretcher out of the emergency room. He could only hope that once they reached the operating room, it wouldn't be too late.

A/N: yay Myungsoo has arrived :D You guys have been super patient, but now he has finally made his appearance. We just think the idea of Junior Detective Kim is so adorable! And don’t worry about Dongwoo, he was just a little caught off guard by the idea of a partner, but he’ll end up adoring Myungsoo in no time. And now that Myungsoo knows about Sarang’s, we wonder when he might run into a certain cafe owner with a pretty smile… :D Things took a rather unexpected turn! Here’s a glimpse of what Hoya has been up to lately as well as his bedside manner! So Areum isn’t going to be the mother of the year (like ever) but we feel much more concerned about her baby boy! Here’s hoping that everything will turn out okay for the two of them (and that the final scene hasn’t scared you too much)! Also ninja Eunhae for Suju fans! Comment and let us know what you think might happen! Thanks for reading!

♥rayquin×