Work Text:
Mingi fixed his pink scrubs over his rounded belly before he sat down at the stool behind the secretary's counter. His feet appreciated the chance to rest after he had been on them for four hours already. He was halfway through his shift in the emergency room and while it hadn't been the busiest day, he had spent a lot of time with the patients that had come in because they had mostly been children. It was the beginning of summer and school was out, and with children having more time to play outside in the heat, they were more prone to injury, heatstroke, and dehydration. He had already treated two kids this morning, a seven-year-old and a four-year-old that had spent a bit too long in the sun and hadn't drank enough water. Luckily they had been brought in before things got too serious and they were able to get proper treatment including IVs and ways to lower body temperature. Children were his vice and considering he had his own four-year-old son, he felt a connection with these children and a sympathy he hadn't had before having children was ever-present. Being pregnant with his second son increased that sentiment tenfold. He loved children immensely and he was blessed enough to work with them all day.
He had just finished up with one patient, another toddler that had come in with cramping muscles and cold sweats, early signs of heatstroke. Mingi had done everything he could and in the end, he had gotten the little girl comfortable enough to leave the emergency room with specific instructions on recovery for her parents. The whole visit he had asked her to call him Nurse Mingi and it had taken until she was being carried out with a sugar-free sucker (courtesy of Mingi) for her to say a very weak and gentle, "Thank you, Nurse Mingi." It was a moment that Mingi felt satisfied with his job, hoping she was going to be okay and wouldn't need to come in again for any further complications. He was happy.
Mingi was looking over patient charts so he was doing something with his time. He flexed his toes in the comfort of his shoes to stretch, one hand held behind his back and rubbing at his muscles to help ease the strain he felt and the other cupped under his baby bump, feeling his son kick and move around. He had made it hard to stick his patients earlier with how much he had been moving. Mingi jolted with every movement his son gave and he had eventually needed one of the on-hand phlebotomists to assist in the IVs. It had been humiliating at first since Mingi was handling other parents' children, but he had played it off professionally in the end. While he wasn't busy at the moment, he reveled in feeling his son kick and move in hopes that he would tire himself out so later patients would receive a better experience with him. This baby wasn't nearly as active as Jeongyu had been, but he was still a little fighter and could kick Mingi awake at the worst of times in the night but Mingi couldn't even be mad at him.
He was twenty-five weeks and one day along and Yunho and Jeongyu never let him forget it. Not with Yunho announcing every week how far along he was and then having Jeongyu recite the same number in hopes that he would say it all day. Four-year-olds were like parrots and would repeat something they heard once several times throughout the day. Last week, he had remembered every day to say 'twenty-four' and it had thrown him for a loop when he was corrected to say 'twenty-five' yesterday. Still, it had not stopped him from saying 'twenty-five' once prompted by Yunho as they said goodbye to Mingi. Rolled eyes ensued and Mingi had left the house with a smile on his lips. His boys were silly, but he loved them immensely.
Imagining his son now, four years old and 110 centimeters tall, he was perfect. His height had been inherited from his parents and he was proud of it when it came to his preschool class. He was the tallest in his class and it had been an exciting revelation for him when they had all been measured by his teacher for a learning activity. Mingi remembered coming home one day for him to run right up to him and yell about how tall he is. Jeongyu had been so cute and ecstatic and it had lit Mingi's heart ablaze with adoration for his son. His loud voice and huge smile, perfectly exact to Yunho's. It was almost like he could hear his voice now among the sterile sounds of the hospital emergency room.
But why was he hearing his cries? When he thought of his son, he thought of his joyful laugh and his inquisitive voice asking how and why things worked the way they did. Crying was never something he liked to hear in general, nor was it something he heard often, so why was he imagining it when he was at work on a good day? It was getting louder too, and closer, as though it was in the room with him. Curiosity and confusion inspiring his movements, Mingi glanced up towards the entrance of the emergency room lobby where he was hearing the cries of his son and it was like he was having an out of body experience. What he faced was a nurse that was on duty and outside the entrance to help those who needed it upon arrival. Then his husband. Then lowering his glance, his son in a wheelchair. Crying, red faced, and wet cheeked. The cries he had been hearing now made sense and they were much louder when he could see his son, and much more painful.
His body worked on autopilot as he bolted from his chair, nearly losing balance with a baby in his belly throwing off his balance. This was his first instinct anyway when it came to emergencies (since he was in the emergency room) but this was his son and his maternal drive to care for him was almost animalistic, wanting nothing more than to rip him from that chair and hold him close to his chest and kiss whatever was hurting better. But the nurse side of him knew to give Jeongyu his space and find out what was really wrong before acting on impulse. There was another on-duty nurse who was rushing to attend to Jeongyu but Mingi waved her off, almost claiming him as his. He reached his side in record speed and was immediately asking questions.
"What happened?" Mingi asked as he walked along the wheelchair his son was sitting in. He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular and was rather searching for any answer explaining why his baby boy was crying hysterically. He didn't expect a response from Jeongyu himself, but he was depending on Yunho or the nurse. The nurse could deliver details on the vitals and possible injury based on years of study but Yunho could deliver the story that leads up to Jeongyu’s apparent injury.
Eventually, Yunho came to his senses and collected his thoughts for clear delivery. Yunho was nothing but apologetic even though it wasn't his fault and it took just about one thousand apologies before he finally answered his husband, "I didn't actually see it and I didn't hear it from Jeongyu himself, but Jongho told me he fell out of a tree," his voice was a little shaky, obvious that the events had an effect on him to some extent, "Wooyoung and San came over and the kids were playing outside and climbing the tree in the front yard," he paused, watching as Mingi and the other nurse gingerly lifted Jeongyu onto a stretcher, careful not to jostle him too much. His brows then furrowed and his voice dropped in anger, "I'm sure Jongho pushed him from the branches, the lower ones still, but I'm sure of it," his tone was adamant, entirely sure of himself. Jongho isn't the most gentle kid, that was fact, but Mingi doubted he would actually go far enough to push his best friend from the tree, "Next time I looked out the window, Jeongyu was on the ground and crying, holding his leg while Jongho was still in the tree."
That caught Mingi's attention the most, "Baby, does your leg hurt?" he asked his son who was still crying, immediately going to check Jeongyu's feet with care. He was a bit distressed to find that his son wasn't wearing shoes and instead his soles were covered in a thin layer of dirt, obvious that he had been outside without his proper footwear on. It was a rule in their house to wear shoes when they go outside and to find that his son hadn't had him frowning, but there were bigger things to worry about. And if it did happen to be his foot that was hurt then it was a good thing that his shoes were already off, “Jeongyu, I need you to tell me what hurts, okay? So I can help you and make it better," he was on his knees by the stretcher and face level with Jeongyu, hoping it would encourage him to speak up.
“Mommy,” Jeongyu cried, absolutely shattering Mingi’s anxious heart. He reached out and clung to Mingi's neck, nearly clobbering him and knocking him over. It was enough to knock Mingi's pink scrubs cap back and nearly off his head and while it was part of his dress code, he couldn't care less. All he wanted to do was hold his baby, "It hurts," he hiccupped as he cried into Mingi's neck.
"What hurts, Gyugyu? Tell Mommy so I can make it better," he was reluctant to hold him back due to the fear that he could hurt his son more. All Mingi can do is calm his baby boy and try to make him feel better with words of affirmation and attempt to keep his distance.
"My foot."
"Where, love? Point and show me."
Jeongyu was slow to move but he did eventually point where he was feeling the most pain. It was the upper half of his left foot where the toes were and when his finger made contact with his skin, he reeled back and let out a wail that was earsplitting and painful for Mingi too. Looking at the area now, he wondered how he hadn't noticed before. Jeongyu was wearing a pair of shorts luckily and they exposed his legs which were covered in bruises, typical. His foot was bruised and swollen already, concentrated in one spot. He had obviously broken his foot, but it was a start and now he could take his next course of action and order an x-ray to see what was going on. He told the other nurse as much and she was quick to help Mingi situate Jeongyu back into the wheelchair, "Thank you, Jeongyu. I'll give you a sucker for being such a good boy and listening to Mommy," he pulled a sucker (sugar-free of course) out of the pocket of his pink scrubs and unwrapped it for his son who ceased crying enough to grab the sucker and stick it in his mouth. He was still hiccuping and trying to catch his breath, but he was distracted enough to dull the pain and enjoy his sucker. Candy was one of his favorite things and being given a sucker was a real treat for him since they tried to limit his sugar intake. Even sugar free, it was still candy and Jeongyu enjoyed it just the same. He was currently having a field day despite the fact that he had a broken foot.
"Yunho, please come with me," he ordered. They were going to follow Jeongyu to the x-ray, they weren't going to leave him alone. He placed his hand on his bump, feeling as their unborn son kicked up a storm. Mingi was sure he could feel how stressed his mother was and was reacting in the best way he could. With his free hand, he grabbed Yunho's hand in his, holding tight with anxiety. Yunho held back with the same vigor, hating seeing their child in so much pain and crying so hysterically. He could feel a slight tremor in Mingi's grasp, something he's never felt before on his husband. It was no good for his career either so to find it now was concerning for lack of a better word, "He's hurting," Mingi stated as he hurried behind Jeongyu, voice low as he tried not to call Jeongyu's attention to him, "Our baby is hurting," he was staying strong as he had to do so in his field of work. Emotions did not play well in a professional hospital setting.
"But look whose hands he's in," Yunho reminded, rubbing his thumb over Mingi's as they neared the radiology room, "He's in your hands as his nurse. You're making the calls so he can get a doctor who will make everything better, alright? You're doing the most you can and it is really helping our boy. Don't you see that?" Yunho asked, following Mingi into the observation room, "You're his hero right now."
Mingi knew that but it was still incredibly difficult to watch his son in so much pain. He wanted to hold his son's hand and tell him to be calm and move as little as possible, but he wasn't even allowed to stay in the room with him. Radiation was harmful to his unborn baby and the repercussions could be harsh later on in his baby's life. Even though unhappy with the decision, he was willing to stand behind the safe wall made up of glass and the monitors that would display digital copies of his x-rays and print them for the doctor to look at. There was a radiographer on duty and directing Jeongyu where he would need to lay for a high-quality shot of his left foot. He made sure to lay a lead apron on his little chest for protection and was speaking as kindly and as gentle as possible to not stir more fear that was surely already there.
Mingi watched as Jeongyu started to shift and whine, stranger danger and general confusion at the forefront of his mind and wanting the comfort of his parents. Mingi hadn't even needed to say anything before Yunho was speaking up instead, his own paternal instincts taking control, "I'm going to go out there and hold his hand if I need to. He looks kind of scared and I think he might start crying again."
"Please," Mingi nodded, reluctantly letting go of Yunho's hand. He wanted his comfort but he knew Jeongyu needed it more. Mingi watched intently as Yunho exited the current room and entered the radiologist lab, quickly kneeling down next to his son and holding his hand, explaining to the radiologist what he was doing. The radiologist had Yunho slip on a heavy lead apron to protect his body from possible radiation and explained a bit more to Yunho what was happening before he left the room. The x-rays were going to happen soon with Yunho there for Jeongyu.
"You got this, buddy. You don't have to be scared, you can be a brave boy," Yunho assured as he ran his fingers through Jeongyu's soft hair, letting the silky strands tangle through his fingers. Yunho's own hair was coarse and thick, it was obvious that Jeongyu had inherited Mingi's hair, and just about every other feature he could after his mother. He was a mini Mingi in all of his entirety, "I'm right here to make it better."
His father's presence was helping and it was also giving Jeongyu some confidence when it came to processing the situation. As the x-ray sat above his foot and took pictures, Jeongyu's curiosity was enough to distract him further. He lifted a little hand and pointed at the x-ray generator positioned above his toes, "What's that, Daddy?" he sniffled, using that same hand to rub at his nose that was itching and running.
Yunho spared a short glance to where Jeongyu was pointing. He chuckled and turned back with a wide smile, endeared to no end, "That's the part that takes pictures of your bones. It's like a really strong camera that can see through your skin and muscle," he was trying to find the words to describe an x-ray and that was the best he could come up with for his four-year-old son, "It's so we can see what really hurts in your foot."
"Wow," Jeongyu mused as he looked back to the x-ray that was placed above his hurt foot, “Like Superman?” he asked next, childlike innocence enough to melt Yunho's heart to a puddle of mess.
Yunho chuckled, “Yes, just like Superman. If he were here maybe he could tell you what was happening in your foot, right?”
“He could!” Jeongyu shouted excitedly, wiggling his body a little but then wincing at the pain shooting from his leg. He wasn’t supposed to be moving anyway, and Yunho was quick to remind him, placing a steadying hand on his thigh of the leg that didn't have a broken foot, “Sorry, Daddy. It hurts,” he whined with a deep pout and watering eyes. The pain was again at the forefront of his mind and he was focused on how he was injured again.
“I know, but just a little longer and we’ll be able to fix it. Try not to move anymore.”
Mingi watched in utter fascination in the safety of the observation room as Yunho spoke to their son with such ease and enthusiasm, even when he couldn’t hear what he was saying. The perk of being a stay at home dad was being able to spend the entire day with their son and knowing him like the back of his hand. Yunho knew the exact words to say to calm Jeongyu down enough to distract him from the pain he was for sure feeling. Mingi wished he had that level of intimacy with their little boy, but alas, someone had to make the money in the house and it was him. Giving up his life as a nurse had not been an option. He loved it too much. He knew that Jeongyu loved him anyway, but situations like these were the ones that made him want to stay home and protect his son from anything that could go wrong. Show him how much he truly loved him. It will only be the same with his next son and his mood dropped, baby kicking in his belly at a furious intensity. He was upset too, of course he was.
Once done, Mingi rushed into the radiology room and was with his son and husband, asking how the whole experience was and if Jeongyu was still feeling okay. Finding out what Yunho had told Jeongyu to calm him down had him smiling and gently hugging his son close to his chest with kisses being pressed to his delightfully chubby cheek. He loved every inch of this little boy and every thought process he went through even in such a serious situation. Innocence and the drive to be brave were admirable and that was exactly what Jeongyu was. Admirable and brave. Absolutely lovable.
Jeongyu was soon transported to a private section of the emergency rooms where he was to wait for a doctor to show up and take a look at his foot. He needed an orthopedic surgeon and Mingi was good friends with the one currently on duty. Sending him a message with his pager, he was able to get him there in an impressive amount of time and his entrance into the small room with the small family inside was met with large and fond smiles.
"Uncle Yeosang!" Jeongyu shouted in excitement, clapping his hands as said uncle walked closer to his bed. He would have liked to get up from the bed and run to him, but that wasn't an option given the circumstances. His foot was splinted to prevent any pain even when he was now on some strong pain killers. The goal was to prevent any further injury and to keep his foot stable until Yeosang could work his magic. Their next goal was setting the bone and then wrapping it in a cast.
"Jeongyu, I heard you had quite the fall today," he greeted, reaching past Yunho who was sitting on a chair as close to the bed as possible, hugging the young boy in a friendly way and still being careful of his injured foot. It was easy to identify the injury by the splint that was holding his bones in place until they were set back correctly. Mingi sat opposite Yunho, sitting on the edge of the bed and trying his hardest to calm the baby in his belly. All this excitement really had him awake and wanting attention, "How are you doing, little man?"
"I'm sleepy," he stated, letting his head fall back onto the flimsy pillow placed on the bed he was resting on, "My foot hurted earlier."
"Did it?" Yeosang asked as he pulled the x-rays out of the file Mingi handed to him, quickly studying what was handed to him. It took a few seconds for him to identify the issue while it took Mingi a little longer to see what the problem was. In the most composed voice he could muster, Yeosang cleared his throat and spoke, "You fractured two metatarsals, mister," he ascertained, placing the print on a lightbox on the counter so he could the purest details. He turned back to Jeongyu and smiled, "Those are the bones in your feet. Right? You put your cleats on them so you don't get hurt playing soccer," Jeongyu played his first season of soccer this spring and he had loved it, telling all of Mingi's coworkers all about it when he visited the hospital. He had been so excited to do so, making sure everyone in the pediatrics wing had heard about the medal he had won and how he made a goal every game. While also visiting the hospital, Jeongyu made sure to ask every question he had about the body and how things worked. Yeosang explaining where things were on his body helped in the long run when it came to general curiosity. Jeongyu was an inquisitive little boy and he liked to learn. This was a positive experience for him.
"Fractured?" he asked in a stumble, still not understanding entirely.
"It's the same as broken," Mingi explained sweetly, worried for what was to come, "But doctors use a fancy word and say fractured instead."
Jeongyu's eyes widened in concern and his next question was all too adorable, "Can I play soccer still?" the worry in his eyes had Mingi wanting to kiss his pout away.
"Of course, Gyugyu. We'll just have to wait until your foot heals before you can play. You'll be able to do it again when you're all better, okay?" Jeongyu looked a little less worried but there was still a glint in his unusually round eyes. His eyes were very slanted and small like Mingi's but in times of fear, they grew round like Yunho's, "I can promise you okay?" Jeongyu nodded, a deep pout still on his plump lips.
"The break is pretty clean and I won't need to go in and do any surgeries to fix his foot," Yeosang assured and it was Yunho that sighed in relief, turning to place a kiss on his son's forehead, thankful that it wasn't that serious. He wasn't sure if he could properly deal with that knowing his son was going to be operated on, "Mingi," Yeosang addressed next, earning him a look, "I will need to reset the bone and I'll need you to distract Jeongyu while I do it," Yeosang explained as he pulled on a pair of gloves and started to arrange plaster to encase Jeongyu's foot and lower leg. His face lost its familiar warmth as he transitioned from smiley and warm 'Uncle Yeosang' to the renowned and handsome 'Doctor Kang Yeosang'. He glanced back down to Jeongyu with a large smile and placed his hands around the boy's left foot while explaining what he was doing, moving it slightly and earning a hiss and a whine from Jeongyu.
This part was going to be hard.
And as if reminding Mingi that he was there, his unborn son gave a harsh kick to his bellybutton, which was surprisingly painful and always caught him off guard even when it was a feeling he had felt many times before. Jeongyu had never failed to find that exact spot when Mingi had been pregnant with him. And then he had a thought that could help Jeongyu out with what was to come. He turned more towards his son, still sitting on the bed, and gently guided his small hand to the round crest of his belly where he felt his baby's feet now. Jeongyu loved to feel his little brother kick, always asked if he was kicking and always asked to feel even if he wasn't kicking. He was endlessly fascinated with the idea of his little brother being inside of his mother and growing, a whole person inside of his mother! How did he fit?! Jeongyu was funny and wonderful and was already such a good big brother, and he was about to experience a world of hurt as his bones were about to be reset. Distraction was going to be the best option with the addition of the pain killers that could only do so much still.
A well-placed kick thumped into Jeongyu's palm, jolting the little boy into awareness. He watched and stared down at his hand in anticipation for the next movement and it wasn't long before there was another one right at the tips of his short fingers. Jeongyu giggled, almost ignoring how Yeosang was handling his foot and ankle. He was still coming up with a plan on how he was going to readjust the slight shift in bones. He would immediately follow with casting his foot, a souvenir lasting six to eight weeks for Jeongyu to remember. He knew that resetting the bones was going to help Jeongyu, but the pain it was going to bring was too much for his honorary nephew.
"Your brother is saying 'Hello'," Mingi cooed, guiding his son's hand where the baby was kicking. He was moving significantly less than he was before but that was because Mingi's heart wasn't racing as fast as it had been when Jeongyu first arrived, "I think he's scared for you," Mingi noted, watching as Jeongyu pressed closer to his mother, both hands now on the swell of his abdomen in a delicate touch, "He doesn't like that you're crying. It makes him sad."
"No!" Jeongyu shouted with sad, puppy-dog eyes, "Baby can't be sad!" he pressed his nose into Mingi's belly and pouted, "He can't cry. No crying," he told Mingi's belly as though their baby could understand what he was saying, "No crying," he reiterated, placing a very sweet and gentle kiss to his mother's bump.
"You have to be brave for your baby brother, he has to see how to handle what life throws at him," Mingi spoke, feeling the kicks on his own hand and reveling in the warmth his eldest son's hands provided on his skin, "Can you be brave for your brother? And me, too?"
"Yes! I can!" the boy bounced in confidence. Jeongyu was truly distracted and it was almost like he had forgotten about his broken foot entirely. He wouldn't be so fleeting and care-free in a few seconds as Yeosang stirred further and figured how he was going to shift his honorary nephew's bones into place. He glanced a look at both Yunho and Mingi and nodded, both knowing what was coming. Yunho scooted closer to his son and Mingi started running his hand that had been on his bump through his son's hair. Jeongyu had no clue what was going to happen and he prayed that the break was close enough that he didn't have to make a major change in his son's body.
And with a swift movement of Yeosang's professional hands, he shifted Jeongyu's foot into a better position and almost immediately grabbed the soft material that was going to wrap around his foot and lower leg to keep it all in place. It had been so quick and such a swift set, but it still had its reaction from Jeongyu and it hurt both Yunho and Mingi to watch.
Jeongyu's first reaction had been a large gasp, then his features contorting into pain, and then a face torn into tears and shock. Mingi made sure to place several kisses to Jeongyu's cheeks as he buried his face into his mother's belly. Yunho was rubbing his back in a sore attempt at comfort. This was hard to watch when all the parents wanted to do was hold him in their arms and kiss it all better.
But Yeosang was quick to pacify and praise Jeongyu, "You did so well, little man! So brave and so strong and look!" he waited a few seconds for Jeongyu to peak past Mingi's belly and face his uncle Yeosang, "Your foot is in place and it will get better soon," Jeongyu sniffled, the pain slowly passing due to pain killers and the fact that his state had improved. It still ached and it was no fun to feel so hurt, "Now I need to know what color you want your cast to be. Pink, green, purple, or blue?" he named patiently. Picking out the color of your cast was the only fun part of this whole process.
And Jeongyu perked up a bit, using his fists to rub at his eyes and get the tears out. Yeosang had named his favorite color and it was obvious what he was going to pick, "Purple. Please," he croaked, hiccuping and wiping the tears from his nose. The shirt he was wearing was purple, so he felt it necessary to add, "Just like my shirt."
"Sounds like a plan," Yeosang smiled and chirped, grabbing the top layer of purple-colored plaster and began the careful process of wrapping his leg. Every little movement had Jeongyu wincing and he was close to tears once again, but his little brother's movements against his hand were still keeping him at bay and he was doing alright for now. He was sniffling, but he wasn't outright crying.
"You're doing so well. You're pretty amazing," Yunho spoke to Jeongyu, placing a kiss on the cheek closest to him, "My brave, little boy. You're just as strong as Superman, you know that?" Yunho asked, smiling at the wide eyes Jeongyu sported when hearing that.
"I am," Jeongyu agreed with a hint of a smile. It could be bigger but he was still in a fog of pain and confusion. Then he thought about it, "But Daddy, I can't fly like Superman. I'm not Superman," he frowned, looking disconcertingly like Mingi. There was barely a hint of Yunho in him but he wasn't even upset. Mingi was adorable and that manifested perfectly in his son, "Don't tell Baby," he referred, turning to pat Mingi's bump affectionately.
"Why not?" Mingi asked in curiosity, throwing a glance Yeosang's way to see how he was doing with the cast. He was almost done, now at the ankle.
"Cause we don't tell lies," he simply stated. Lying was bad, that was known, and Jeongyu took that to heart, "No lying to Baby."
"Oh, you're right. I'm so sorry," Yunho apologized willingly. His smile was endeared, infatuated with his eldest son. His ridiculousness was humoring and so endearing, making Yunho's heart sing in love for his son, "I won't lie. You're like your own kind of superhero then. What should your name be?" Yunho asked next, Mingi giggling to the side as he watched his family interact so sweetly and naturally.
"Just Jeongyu," Jeongyu pouted. Adorable and cute and so innocent, "Super Jeongyu!" he corrected himself, "But my cape is at home!" he pouted again, "When can we go home? I need my cape."
"Considering I'm done with your foot, you can go home very soon!" Yeosang smiled, patting the knee of Jeongyu's right leg. The one that wasn't hurt, "I just need to talk to your parents and you can go home and put on your cape and play carefully all day, okay?"
"Okay!" Jeongyu was bouncing in his spot, careful not to jostle his newly casted leg and smiling at Yunho who was smiling right back at him.
Mingi was the one who stood up and talked to Yeosang since he had their information on file. Yunho hadn't thought to grab his insurance card due to panic and the need to get his son to the hospital, but Mingi had everything ready and he was going to relay everything with whoever he needed in order for their health insurance to go through correctly. When speaking to the sign-in desk, he was bummed to discover that he still had so much of his shift left until he was allowed to go home. All he wanted to do was go home with his family and be there for his little boy. But both Yunho and Jeongyu would be leaving soon and he was going to be left at the hospital to fend with his emotions and wait for the next few hours to hopefully fly by.
Telling Yunho this when he returned, the older was understanding and was keeping a straight face. That's what life was like when you were a nurse, and he couldn't be mad. He wasn't mad. His husband had done what he had needed and he was doing his part to provide for the family and he was proud of what he had done with his career, "It's okay, when we get home I'm supposed to give him some pain killers for the aches and he'll most likely sleep. He's not going to be doing much. When you get home I'm betting he'll still be asleep."
Looking to where his son was sitting now close by, Jeongyu already looked a little groggy, fiddling with Yunho's phone to keep himself occupied, "But I still want to be there for him. I'm worried still and Baby is kicking like crazy," he stated, hand resting on top of his bump. Yunho was quick to reach out and feel for himself how hard their youngest son was kicking. He was putting up a fight in there, "He can feel how anxious I am. Won't stop kicking."
Yunho nodded and removed his hand from the bump and instead grabbed Mingi's hand, gently feeling along his knuckles in a sense of comfort, "I'll make sure he's okay and eating when he needs to. You can even call me when you get worried," while the offer was the most Yunho could negotiate, Mingi didn't have time to nod before Yunho was looking past his shoulder and nodding a 'hello' to someone behind him, "Hey, hyung!"
Mingi turned to see who had shown up and he was greeted with the sight of the chief of surgery, Kim Hongjoong himself. Wearing his pink scrubs underneath a knee-length, white coat and a matching cap over his blonde hair. The smile he was wearing was infectious and Mingi couldn't help but smile back despite the inner turmoil he was experiencing. Hongjoong was another one of his close friends at the hospital and it just so happens that he's one of Jeongyu's favorite uncles as well. So when Jeongyu caught sight of him, his loud voice boomed through the hallway they were standing in. Well, Jeongyu was sitting. In his wheelchair, "Uncle Hongjoong!"
"Hello to you, too!" Hongjoong greeted, standing in the circle of the family of soon to be four, "Hello, my favorite family. I heard what happened, Jeongyu. Are you feeling alright now?" as chief of surgery, he heard every part of the day and when another nurse mentioned that Nurse Mingi's son had come into the emergency room, well that had gotten his attention. When he had the time, he made it a plan to come down when he could and it just so happened that it was when the family was about to leave. He caught them just in time.
"I'm good," he responded, "I'm hungry, too! What did you pack for lunch today?" the question wasn't as strange as it sounded. Whenever Jeongyu visited the hospital he always made sure to make a stop at Hongjoong's office, and that was typically during his lunch break. And being the sweetheart that Hongjoong is, he always shared what he had packed with Jeongyu even if the boy had already eaten. Every time he made those puppy dog eyes at him when he pulled out his bit of dessert, Hongjoong could never resist. And lunch was much better shared.
But seeing his son's intentions, Yunho turned that down gently yet with a firm tone, "You're not eating Uncle Hongjoong's lunch today. We're going home soon so you can eat lunch there. And you won't have to take your hard-working uncle's food."
Jeongyu pouted but Hongjoong made sure to add on a cheerful, "Next time you visit okay? I'll make sure I have extra dessert for you then," Mingi glared, Hongjoong knowing that Jeongyu wasn't allowed much sugar. Hongjoong smirked knowingly but it wasn't hostile. It was friendly. Jeongyu gave a large smile in anticipation at his uncle's promise. Hongjoong was never one to go back on his word.
"We should say goodbye to Mommy, shouldn't we?" Yunho asked his son, walking and bending over to place a kiss on top of Jeongyu's head, fluffy hair tickling his nose. He was in no rush to leave but Mingi did have priorities like his job and now that Hongjoong was here, he felt obligated to let his husband work like he was supposed to.
"Bye, Mommy," Jeongyu wished with a sad frown. He didn't want to leave, he missed his Mommy. He had been gone all day and he preferred having both his parents in the house instead of just one. Mingi could see that in his son's eyes and was quick to reach to give him a hug and a kiss. But he was interrupted.
"Wait, when is your shift over?" Hongjoong asked Mingi. Schedules weren't something he memorized entirely for nurses, he mostly knew his surgeon's schedules since that was the area he was mostly in charge of. There were many nurses to keep track of, or not keep track of without a schedule right in front of his face. He felt as though he should know Mingi's schedule, but he didn't.
"I'm here for another two hours," Mingi stated, not sporting the frown he wanted to deliver. Doing so in front of his boss would be problematic and he didn't need to get on Hongjoong's bad side, "I'll be done by three," it wasn't that far away, but it sure felt like it when his child was injured and would be at home without him. Mingi turned to face Yunho and Jeongyu with a painfully fake smile, "I'll be home in time to help with dinner prep and then cooking."
It sounded convincing enough if you didn't know Mingi, but Hongjoong knew Mingi very well and hearing his tone of voice, he figured he could do something about it. Taking a look around, he noticed the abundance of nurses walking around. There was a slew of surgeries happening today and even with most of the surgeons being busy, there were more than enough nurses walking around. And with only two hours left on the job and the fact that Mingi was rocking back and forth on his for sure swollen feet, and the fact that he was five months pregnant, Hongjoong figured it would be okay to send him home. Playing nepotism in the workplace was not the way he rolled but since Mingi was dealing with a lot, including a family emergency, there was no reason Hongjoong wasn't allowed to send him home. He took that chance and spoke up, "You can go home if you'd like, Mingi," he offered happily, hoping his friend would take that offer.
Mingi's small eyes widened comically and Hongjoong could immediately tell that he was going to take that offer, but not without being contrary first, "But what if the emergency room needs help? I can't just leave when I could be needed. I could get in trouble."
"Get in trouble with who? Me?" Hongjoong asked with a quirk of his eyebrows, pretty smile flashing, "I think they're plenty fine. I'll stay down here if I need to. Someone will come when your shift is over, don't worry," Hongjoong's smile was plenty warm and insistent and there was a reason he was the chief of surgery. He was good at his job but was also compassionate and kind with everyone he met. There was never a better fit for this job before, "Your little boy needs you home."
"Mommy can go home?" Jeongyu asked with stars in his eyes. Mingi turned over his shoulder to look back at his son and the smile he bore was devastating. The excitement of having his mother home was all too appealing and seeing his little face made Mingi indeed want to go home with him, but the mentality of the priority of his job was what he had been dealing with longer than Jeongyu had been alive.
"Yes he can, but that's up to him," Hongjoong nodded, facing Mingi again after addressing the little boy.
Mingi frowned but all in all, he couldn't deny that he did want to go home. He wished he'd been home when the accident had happened and now that his family was leaving in a fragile state, he wished he was going home. Now being given that opportunity, he might as well take it. So with a huff and a sigh, he nodded, adjusting the scrubs over his belly again since they'd shifted just about every few minutes. He would need to grab new ones sized up. Something that had already happened when he really started showing, "Guess I'm going home then."
"Yay!" Yunho cheered, Jeongyu following in tow. Hearing such a deep voice followed by a high pitched one was comical and it was the sound to Mingi's heart. He loved his boys and being able to spend half of the day with them was overwhelming in a good way. He was used to long days and typically wasn't home for most of the day. He had gotten lucky with this shift and was even luckier now that he was going home early. Hearing more of those happy 'yay's was exhilarating and made his stomach flip flop, "Mommy can have lunch with us!" Yunho added, flashing a smile at Hongjoong, "Thank you so much, Hongjoongie hyung!"
"Stop," Hongjoong giggled, the attention too much, "Now go before he changes his mind."
"Let me grab my stuff first," Mingi assured, slipping off his cap and name badge that would be dropped off at the desk. All of his belongings were in the locker room shared with every other nurse and surgeon in this hospital, "Then we should go out for lunch."
"Yes!" Jeongyu agreed, "I want chicken nuggets! And french fries!"
"I could go for that, too. This one is making me hungry," Mingi pouted, hand holding underneath his bump. His unborn son's kicks told a lot about his personality already and the kicks he was delivering now were telling him that he needed to be fed. Mingi wasn't one to disappoint, he was starving as well.
"Then we should go and then Gyugyu will have something in his stomach before he has to take his meds," Yunho agreed, looking down with an overexaggerated smile on his face, making Jeongyu laugh. His smile was just like Yunho's, painfully like Yunho's. It was too beautiful for words, "So he won't get a tummy ache," to put it in simple words. Jeongyu wasn't going to understand otherwise.
"Very good idea. I'll be back in a few minutes," Mingi assured as he headed towards the locker room as fast as he could without running. He left with a smile on his face as the next step was leaving to have lunch with his family. He loved them dearly and getting to spend so much time with them today was a dream come true. He couldn't help the pep in his step.
"Hurry back, Mommy!" Mingi heard Jeongyu shout enthusiastically and his son's voice was enough to make him go just a little bit faster. His need for food was also a driving force, along with Yunho and Jeongyu. A day of relaxation and time with his family was the perfect end to his day and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'll be back soon! Don't miss me too much!"