Chapter Text
Taeil frowned slightly, answering the phone call. “Yuta?” Taeil was out of town at a conference and his first thoughts at getting a call when his partner and kids should already be at school made his chest clench in worry. “What’s wrong?”
“ Appa , it’s late and Otousan is still asleep.”
The sound of their oldest son’s voice made the worry grow, and his words made it even worse. “Xuxi, have you called your Bàba ? I’m on a trip so I can’t be there right now.” He tried to keep his voice calm, not wanting to possibly cause his son to panic. “Where’s Junnie?”
“Junnie is in bed with Otousan . He tried to wake him up. Bàba ’s phone didn’t answer.” Taeil could hear the slight quiver in Xuxi’s voice. “ Appa , is Otousan dying?”
Taeil paced back and forth across the hotel room floor, trying to mentally sort out what to do while not upsetting his kids even more. “Hey, baby, no. Otousan promised he would coach your soccer team next year, didn’t he?” There was a small hum of agreement from the other end of the call and Taeil continued. “Has Otousan ever broken a promise to you?”
“No.” There was a pause and Taeil heard a shuffling noise. “I’m scared. I am trying to be big for Junnie. He was crying.”
Taeil took a shaky breath, wishing he was there for his boys. “And I’m so proud of you. It’s okay to be scared. You’re such a good big brother.” He put the call on speakerphone and pulled up his text conversations, trying to ignore how his hands had started to shake. “I’m going to try and get your Uncle Ten or Uncle Johnny to come help, okay? And I’m going to try and get your Bàba too.”
“Don’t hang up! Please, Appa .” The fear in Xuxi’s voice made Taeil’s eyes water.
“I’m not, baby. I’m going to stay on the phone with you. Did you call the emergency number?” Taeil knew that he probably hadn’t as he was sure the dispatchers would likely stay on the phone with him until the ambulances arrived.
“I’m sorry, Appa . I forgot. Can you come home?” Xuxi’s voice was soft and smaller than normal and Taeil took another shaky breath. “I messed up, didn’t I?”
“No baby, it’s okay.” Just then he got a reply from Ten saying that both Johnny and him were on the way over to their house and that Johnny had called for emergency help, although it was difficult as they weren’t there yet to explain what was going on. “Your Uncle Ten and Uncle Johnny are on the way. They called emergency for Otousan . Are you and Junnie dressed in outside clothes?”
“Uh huh.”
Taeil could hear the tears in Xuxi’s voice and his heart hurt as he moved to grab his suitcase and start packing his things again. Even if the conference had just started and he hadn’t presented yet, there was no way he was staying here. “Good job, baby. I’m coming home as soon as I can, but for now until I can get your Bàba , you two are going to stay with Uncle Ten and Uncle Johnny, okay?” He opened his laptop, quickly typing out an email and sending it to the conference staff as well as the chair of his department at the university explaining that he had an emergency and was leaving. “Do you know how to put the phone call on speakerphone?” There was a hum of acknowledgement and Taeil shut down his computer and continued tossing the rest of his things into his suitcase. “Can you do that for me and go back into the room with Junnie and your Otousan ?”
There was some more shuffling and the sound of Xuxi running through the house, which he would overlook despite having been warned against it countless times. “Junnie, Appa is coming home. Uncle Ten and Uncle Johnny are coming. Here.”
There was more shuffling before he heard the sound of his youngest’s voice. “ Appa , why is Otousan not waking up?” The tears were evident in his voice and Taeil had to stop for a moment to breathe, blinking back tears of his own. “Xuxi said it's okay, but I’m scared. I tried to wake up Otousan but he won’t.”
“It’s okay, baby. Your Uncle Johnny called the emergency number, so the doctors can help Otousan -”
There was a sharp gasp and Renjun’s voice cracked as he shouted. “ Otousan can’t die!”
“Shh, he’s not dying, baby.” Taeil bit his lip for a moment, hoping he wasn’t lying to his sons, a few tears starting to slide down his cheeks at the sound of Renjun starting to sob. “They’re going to make him better.”
Taeil heard the sound of a door opening through the phone just as he got another text from Ten saying they were at the house and had used the spare key. There were hurried footsteps and he heard Johnny’s voice saying that he was at the house, likely on the phone with dispatch. There was another text from Ten saying that Yuta was breathing and Taeil felt his legs give out from beneath him, dropping to the bed.
“Hey boys, come on, let’s go down to the kitchen. I’ll get you some cereal while we wait on the doctors.” Ten’s voice came over the phone and Taeil took another breath before standing and grabbing his suitcase and hurrying to close it.
“NO! I CAN’T LEAVE OTOUSAN! ” Renjun’s voice was loud and shrill and Taeil felt his chest tighten.
“It’s okay, baby. Your Uncle Johnny is going to stay with him. You need to eat. I’m on my way home and Uncle Ten will take care of you.” Taeil tried to sound as calm as he could, wishing he was there. “I’m going to stay on the phone as long as I can, okay? Go eat something with your Uncle Ten.”
“I’m not hungry! I’m not going!”
“C’mon Junnie. We’ll be right back. I’ll show Uncle Ten your favorites.” Taeil felt more tears at the sound of Xuxi trying to help calm his brother down. “Uncle Johnny is here with Otousan . He’s talking to the doctors. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
Taeil glanced around the room, quickly trying to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything. “Go downstairs and try to eat something, aegi . Otousan is safe with your Uncle Johnny for a few minutes. The doctors should be there really soon.” Taeil grabbed his suitcase, throwing his work bag over his shoulder and hurrying out of the room and heading for the elevator. “I’m on my way home. I’m trying to get your Bàba too. It will be okay.”
There was a shuffling again and Ten’s voice was clearer, but softer as if whispering. “You’re off speaker for a moment. I’ll keep the kids, don’t worry about it. I texted Sicheng and told him to call me, since you’re on the phone with the boys with Yuta’s phone. I don’t know what’s wrong with Yuta, but he’s breathing at least. Johnny was fighting with the dispatcher until we got here, but hopefully now that he can explain it will be faster. Xuxi is pulling Renjun away, so hopefully we can get him to calm down a bit. I’ll follow the ambulance to the hospital with the boys, Johnny can ride with them. I texted the others to let them know as well. Try not to worry too much and just focus on driving.”
Taeil felt like the elevator was taking forever as he nodded to himself at Ten’s words. “Thank you. I’m about to check out of the hotel now. I don’t know what would have happened if-”
“Hey, don’t. Just be safe driving home. I’ve got the boys downstairs, I’m going to put you back on speakerphone, okay?”
“Give me a few more minutes to check out, okay? I don’t want them to panic, and I don’t know if I trust myself not to while trying to explain and such.” Taeil rushed up to the reception desk, frowning to himself that there was nobody there, quickly ringing the service bell.
A man in the hotel uniform walked out from the door behind the counter, a smile on his face. “I’m sorry, sir. How can I help you?”
Taeil took a shaky breath and put the room key on the desk. “I need to check out early. I’ve had an emergency. I’m with the conference that’s booked here.” He watched as the man took the key with a nod and started typing on the computer. “The room is under the last name Moon. Also, I know it may be strange, but if I’ve left anything could it be held for me to return and pick it up? Or shipped to me? Or something? I just-”
“Yes sir, no problem. We have your information through the conference. I’ll inform housekeeping to do an extra check of the room and we’ll let you know if there’s anything.” The man nodded, taking a paper from the printer below the counter. “If you would check to be sure everything is correct and sign on the line at the bottom.”
Quickly scanning the paper for his address, email, and phone number, Taeil scribbled some form of a signature, trying to keep calm. He heard Ten talking to the boys over the phone, Renjun still sounding like he was arguing.
He slid the paper back across the counter and the man nodded. “Thank you. Drive safely, sir.”
Taeil rushed out the door, almost running into another worker who was coming in. He called a quick apology before almost running to the garage, mentally cursing that he would have to either use another elevator or climb three flights of stairs to get to his car. He cursed under his breath before running over to the elevator and pressing the button, his leg bouncing nervously.
Just as he got inside the elevator to go up to his car he heard the sounds of the paramedics arriving through the phone. “I’m almost back at my car, put me back on speaker Ten. Try to keep Junnie from running. Don’t let him see them taking Yuta out.”
There was a small hum of acknowledgement before he heard shuffling around and Ten’s voice again. “Jun, hey, come here, talk to your Appa . He’s on his way home, okay?”
“Junnie, aegi , hey, it’s okay. Are you eating? Uncle Ten is going to take care of you for now, okay? You have to listen to what he says though.” Taeil sighed and rushed out of the elevator, heading for his car. “I’m on my way home. I’ll be there soon, okay?” He quickly pulled his keys from his pocket, trying not to drop them, and opened the back of his car, tossing his suitcase in before slamming the door and hurrying to the driver’s door and sliding in, absently shoving his work bag in the seat beside him.
There was the sound of the doorbell from the phone and Taeil heard Renjun start to struggle against Ten. “Xuxi, open the door then come back here. Renjun, it’s okay, the doctors are here for Otousan . Let them take care of him.”
“LET ME GO!” Renjun’s voice was loud and Taeil could hear more shuffling on the other end of the phone and he felt tears running down his cheeks again. “NO! LET ME GO!”
“Junnie, baby, let the doctors take care of Otousan . They need the space to help him. He’ll be okay. Stay with your Uncle Ten for now.”
“It’s okay, Junnie. I’m here too. Appa is coming home. Bàba will too.” Taeil heard Xuxi’s voice trying to calm Renjun and he covered his mouth to muffle more crying at how mature Xuxi was, when he was surely upset and worried as well. “Stop hitting Uncle Ten, he’s helping.”
Taeil took a breath to try and calm down enough to not upset the boys even more. “It’s going to be okay. I have to drive now. Uncle Ten can call me again in a little while when I’m almost home.”
“No, don’t-” Xuxi’s voice cracked and he heard sounds in the background that seemed to be the paramedics going back out.
“ OTOUSAN ! NO! LET ME GO! STOP!”
Taeil heard Renjun’s screams again and he dropped his face to his hands. There was the sound of more shuffling and the phone dropping to the floor. He heard Renjun shouting again, his voice choking with tears. Taeil felt his chest tighten. His baby was hurting and there was nothing he could do. He wasn’t there for him when he needed him.
There was some more shuffling before he heard Xuxi’s voice, the tears evident in his as well. “ Appa . The doctors took Otousan . Uncle Johnny went with them. When are you going to be here? Why isn’t Bàba here?” There was a hiccup in Xuxi’s voice. “I’m scared.”
The sounds of Renjun’s shouting had changed to sobs with angry words thrown in, and Taeil could hear Ten trying to calm him down in the background. He took a shaky breath before wiping his face and trying to calm down enough to be able to answer Xuxi and try to calm him down. “It’s okay. I’m on my way and we’ve called your Bàba and he should be there soon too, okay? Just listen to your Uncle Ten for now.” He took another breath to try and calm down, pulling on his seat belt and starting the car, switching the call to bluetooth. “I’m still here, baby. I’ll stay on the phone, okay?”
Xuxi’s voice was small and Taeil tried not to think about everything as he drove to the exit of the garage. “Okay.”
“I love you two. I’ll be back soon, okay?” Taeil mentally cursed as he was stopped at another red light. As soon as he could leave the city he could go faster and try to make the trip shorter. “I’m on my way. Just listen to your Uncle Ten for now. It will be okay.” He hoped he wasn’t lying to them and that nothing was seriously wrong. But for now all he could do was wait in traffic until he made it back home.