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Hospital. It’s a place where you can either find sadness or happiness. Sadness is when somebody you love, care, cherish were hurt, hospitalised or diagnosed with some terminal illness that somehow isn’t treatable or basically you’re already on a stage where they can’t do anything anymore and just wait. Either you live or you don’t. It’s a place where you were sent in when you got sick although it’s nothing severe but you needed urgent treatment, the ED (Emergency Department) would be your place.
Happiness, joyful is when the newborns are born into this world, making everyone tear up in happiness after carrying them for 9 months in their belly. Also you can find happiness when the doctors tell you that you can be discharged after everything has gone smoothly.
It’s not a bad place per se, just different people have different opinions on hospitals.
Wonwoo being a paediatric nurse has both feelings. Sometimes he loves being in the hospital, sometimes he doesn’t. Today is one of those day that he particularly hates being there since his 2 years old daughter was admitted in his own ward, being diagnosed with AGE, which he received a call from her daughter’s nursery saying Minhae is throwing up all over the place and request for him to pick her up urgent and take her to the hospital for check up.
He was in the middle of his shift when the call came. He had to excuse himself for an hour or two just to pick her up. Thankfully all her colleagues were understandable of his situation, being a single dad and all.
When he brought Minhae in, all of her colleagues were swooning. They love Minhae to the core that they always pampers her whenever Wonwoo had to bring her along since the babysitter was sick or on leave. He doesn’t really ask for his parents to babysit Minhae since they live far away from Seoul so it’s a hassle, unless he has no other choice so he had to send Minhae away for a week or two to live with her grandparents.
Wonwoo let them all pamper her as he went to find one of the paediatricians on call that day. He really hopes it’s nothing serious but even he himself knows exactly what his daughter has just by how pale she looks and being very clingy to him, making it even harder for him to peel her off himself when he arrives back at the hospital. Tears threaten to flow down but he manages to reassure her everything will be fine and dandy, he just needs to get the doctor to check her up. He promises some ice cream if she doesn’t cry while he goes off for a couple of minutes, to which she nodded understandingly.
Seungkwan and Seokmin who both were his best friends that work on the same shift as him that day told him not to worry that they’ll look after her while he went off. They adored her so much, as all of his colleagues adore her like he said earlier.
“Run along hyung. The faster you find the doctor, the faster Minhae can get treatment.” Seungkwan said as he smiles widely at Minhae who giggles when she watches Seokmin peekaboo-ing her.
“Yeah, thanks guys. I owe you one.” Wonwoo replied, turning away but not before he heard Seokmin teasing tone calls out to him saying, “Go find your baby daddy. Surely he’ll run over here ASAP after you just said her name.” Seokmin cackles with the rest of them giggling knowingly. Wonwoo flushes, grabbing some random piece of paper he somehow found, crumpling it and throws it directly at Seokmin. The younger one turns to glare at him. Wonwoo gave him a warning glare as he ran to find the doctor.
🩺🥼🩺🥼
Wonwoo knocks on the door of the paediatrician on call, waiting outside until he hears a soft come in, gently he opens the door.
“Dr. Kim.” He calls out, making the person inside the room face him. He watches how the man’s face breaks into the widest grin ever upon seeing Wonwoo.
“Baby!” Dr. Kim or Mingyu bound towards him like a lovesick dog, almost knocking Wonwoo down when he tackles and pulls him into his arms like he hasn’t seen him for a long time. Mingyu nuzzles his face on top of Wonwoo’s head, squeezing him tightly in the hug, making Wonwoo groans and puffing out air as he tries to pull himself out of the bone crushing hug but Mingyu being Mingyu he tightens his arms more rather than releasing Wonwoo so the latter could only sighs.
“Dr. Kim–“
“Mingyu.”
“What?”
Mingyu pulls away and has a pout on his face when he looks down on Wonwoo. “It’s Mingyu or baby or love or honey or jagi not Dr. Kim. Haven’t I told you that before?”
Wonwoo gave him a nod but he can’t just call Mingyu that when they’re in the hospital. “You don’t expect me to call you by your pet name don’t you? Especially here at the hospital while we’re on our shift? We should maintain our professionalism while we’re here Gyu.”
“I know, but it’s not like everybody doesn't know you and I are dating. Like the whole building knows about us, so I don’t see why it’s a problem though.”
“Tell that to the director then. Your father would behead me or you if he found out. Anyway enough chit chatting, Gyu I need you to come check on Minhae for me. She’s been vomiting for many times now at the nursery and I just brought her here to get her checked up. Can you do it?”
The bright smiles on Mingyu’s face quickly dropped when he heard about Minhae. He took three strides back to his desk and grabbed his lab coat and put it on. “Lead the way baby.” Mingyu stood next to Wonwoo, before they exited the room he wrapped around Wonwoo’s shoulder and left a kiss on top of Wonwoo’s head, an indication that everything will be fine. Wonwoo could only lean in and sigh before they both walked out and headed back towards the nurses counter where he left Minhae.
🥼🩺🥼🩺
Minhae sobs loudly once she sees her father walking back towards her. Wonwoo fastens his pace when she sees her already making grabby hands for him. Seokmin and Seungkwan try to calm her down but nothing seems to work.
“She actually has been crying nonstop since you left hyung. She wanted to run after you after you round the corner but we stopped her, almost giving herself a boo boo though.” Seokmin said, standing up from his crouching position after Wonwoo took Minhae into his arms and shushing her softly trying to calm her down.
“Yes oppa, we brought all kinds of toys we had here but nothing seems to work.” One of the female nurses said the same thing. Wonwoo bounces his daughter up and down, walking around trying his best to pacify her until Mingyu comes into view, stopping Wonwoo.
Wonwoo looks at his boyfriend questioningly. Mingyu can only smile and open his arms, like he’s telling Wonwoo to pass Minhae to him. Wonwoo knows there is nothing to worry about considering Minhae loves Mingyu as much as she loves Wonwoo. Sometimes Wonwoo thinks that Minhae sees Mingyu as another of her fathers after her mother left for another man a month after Minhae was born. It’s like all the life Wonwoo and his previous wife (ex) have shared means nothing to the woman at all. She only stays with Wonwoo actually for the money. Yeah, it sucks once he found out the truth about it though.
Wonwoo almost thought that his ex would be the person. The one that he would be with till they grew old since she agrees to marry him and even sharing those vows like it was actually real when in reality it was fake. Whatever she vows to Wonwoo means nothing to her. She gets to him for the money, for the fame for which Wonwoo’s family have quite the name. Both his parents are basically lawyers and a doctor herself. Both being well known for their work, personality and such but they never were one to show off or being hypocrites or egotistic. They remain genuinely kind and never let money blind them.
They accepted that Wonwoo wanted to become a nurse to which they were okay with it since it’s also in the medical line that he is pursuing. Jeon was famous for their generations being all doctorates or lawyers or attorneys so you would know who you’re talking to. So when they found out that Wonwoo’s ex only wants him so she could get the money, they see red.
Nobody messed with a Jeon.
They fought for Wonwoo, presenting evidence after evidence on his ex and basically stomped her to a pulp once they found out most of the money that Wonwoo wired to her were used for prostitution and drug dealer. Wonwoo was appalled about what his ex has been doing without him knowing. Thankfully when she was pregnant she didn’t go to all those places or take any drugs, and thankfully Minhae was born healthy.
Wonwoo stared at Minhae and Mingyu interactions. He watches how Mingyu easily calms Minhae down with a single booping on her nose that makes her all smiley all of a sudden. Of course she is still pale and has the symptoms of nausea and Wonwoo needs Mingyu to check her up.
“Come my pretty girl, let appa check you up yeah.” Mingyu nonchalantly calls himself appa, smiling brightly at her to which Minhae nods. Wonwoo was shocked.
What did Mingyu just say? Appa?
The rest of them were glancing between the two. They all know about Wonwoo and Mingyu’s relationship but hearing their doctor just called himself appa to Wonwoo’s daughter was new to them. Mingyu carries her to the treatment room, singing to some nursery rhymes and Wonwoo just came out of his stupor and started following the pair.
🩺🥼🩺🥼
After Mingyu checked up on her, persuading her with candy and toys that they had lying around the treatment room, he managed to insert the IV line on her left hand, with some struggle of course. Minhae jerks her hand away from Mingyu but with a firm grip from Wonwoo she isn't able to pull them away that far.
Her loud cries once again surrounded the floor, she hid her face in Wonwoo’s chest as Mingyu steadily inserted the line and properly secured them so that it wouldn’t fall.
“Now she needs to be admitted and we need to get some of the fluids in her. She’s completely dehydrated with how much she’s been throwing up like you told me earlier and also surely she would have been having stomach flu too. I’ll prescribe her some meds and how many pints of drips she needs. Let’s get her to her room.”
Wonwoo felt his stomach drop. Minhae has to be admitted, and now he thinks was it his fault that she became like this? Is it something he cooked yesterday that she wasn’t able to tolerate? But she ate almost everything without any problem so why so sudden.
The soft sniffles slowly subsided as Minhae started to doze off, Mingyu took the liberty to carry her in his arms. A fond smile plastered on his face with a tinge of worry swimming in his eyes. Wonwoo startled when he felt Mingyu’s hand on his shoulder, he looked up at the man.
“Baby let’s go. There’s nothing to worry about, yeah. You know this hospital has the best care for the kids and of course the adults too. I’ll be her attending consultant so there’s nothing to worry about, okay?”
Wonwoo could simply nod and follow Mingyu out of the room. He didn’t even realise that Mingyu had one of his colleagues arrange one of the single rooms for his daughter and another bed? For him?
Wait they never have another single bed in any other rooms except for sleeping couches for the parents or family to stay overnight. “Oh, that’s actually for me, you’ll stay in bed with Minhae and I’ll be on the other one or if you want to share the bed with me is fine too.” Mingyu playfully wiggles his eyebrows. Wonwoo was speechless.
Why would Mingyu stay with him and Minhae? Why would he go to such lengths for someone else's daughter that is not his own and yes he knows it’s because he is Mingyu’s boyfriend and he knows Mingyu loves Minhae like his own but he didn’t think that Mingyu would stay at the hospital with him.
“I-I’ll take the bed with Minhae.” He stutters, turning away as he could and he feels his cheeks burn. Minhae is asleep on the hospital bed now, the drips attached to her hand, running slowly through the infusion pump as its guide.
Wonwoo stood there staring at his daughter, minds going everywhere and the guilt came back when he tried to remember what is actually making his Minhae like this. His thoughts were interrupted and he jolted a little as he felt arms snake around his waist from behind, a light tugged to the back from his boyfriend making his back hit Mingyu’s chest. The arms tighten around him then he feels Mingyu lean his head down, resting them on Wonwoo’s shoulder.
Wonwoo sighs, closing his eyes and shivers a little bit when he feels Mingyu’s lips start leaving kisses on the side of his neck before the younger nuzzles them and inhaling the scent that is so Wonwoo deeply.
“Min..”
“If you’re gonna ask me why I want to stay it’s because I love Minhae too. She is basically like my own daughter to me too. I know you had a rough divorce a couple of months ago but baby I think it’s time for us to step further no?”
Wonwoo turns around, looking confusedly at him. “What do you mean?”
Mingyu sighs but he doesn't let Wonwoo go. “Marriage hyung. Let’s get married.”
“W-What? Gyu, what-I..” Wonwoo stammers. Did Mingyu just propose to him?
“Baby, I love you so much and have been for as long as I know you. It breaks my heart when you said you’re getting married to that witch years ago when I struggled to confess to you. I know I can’t when you introduce her to me as your girlfriend and then a year later you said you and her are getting married. I’m devastated but as a friend I could only congratulate you. Although when I found out you’re going for a divorce, you coming to me everyday to share your thoughts makes me realise that I have a chance with you so I confessed and never thought you would agree that easily. Sometimes I wonder if you took pity on my feelings.”
“Of course not! I–I never think of that, love.” Wonwoo argues, cupping his boyfriend’s cheeks in his hands.
“I know you don’t since you said you actually have feelings for me too but you think that you never have the chance right? So that’s why you chose to date your ex even when you strongly feel attracted to me.” Mingyu chuckles teasingly when he watches how the pink blooms on his boyfriend’s cheeks quickly. He smooches his lips.
“So yeah, let’s get married. I think we’ve waited long enough for each other. Both of us were young and stupid since we both actually love each other but never have the balls to confess. And I love Minhae. Thank god she looks exactly like you and not that witch. I want her to be able to call me appa.”
Wonwoo feels his eyes start to water, smiling at the man in front of him who is his best friend and now lover. Gosh he loves this man so much. Why didn’t he confess years ago when they became friends and when he knows he has feelings for Mingyu.
🥼🩺🥼🩺
The two stood in the middle of the room hugging each other for a couple of minutes. They pull away when Minhae starts to let out small soft whimpers. Minhae’s lips start to wobble when she sees the drip hanging beside her and her father nowhere around until she turns and sees him. Minhae makes grabby hands towards Wonwoo and Mingyu, tears flowing down slowly.
Wetly she calls out towards them. “A-appa.” Both of them were surprised. Wonwoo is sure that she’s not calling for him since Minhae calls him papa. They established that since she first spoke her first word. And she never ever calls Mingyu appa whenever the doctor is around. Minhae only mumbled or baby talks or tried to say Mingyu but it always sounded like Min or Minu or Gyu. It never appa.
Wonwoo turns to his boyfriend and sees that Mingyu is tearing up, but he is smiling. The doctor feels the stare so he looks at Wonwoo, to which he beams at him before he bounds toward Minhae when the little girl starts to (almost) wail. He sat beside her on the bed, hugging Minhae as she tried to wrap herself around Mingyu. He smiles fondly down at Minhae, a hint of grin forming when she nuzzles her snotty face on his lab coat.
“Mingyu.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you do the honour and marry me in order for you to be Minhae’s second dad? With me?”
Mingyu slightly bewildered but he composed himself quickly as the broadest smiles appeared on his face. He has been waiting for this moment for a long time. Honestly ever since he laid his eyes on baby Minhae, the girl has already had him wrapped around her little fingers. He swears that he’ll protect this precious girl and her dad from anyone or anything that can harm them. Even from Wonwoo’s ex wife.
He beckons for Wonwoo to come and join him and Minhae, to which the older man complies. Minhae turns towards her father and asks for a hug, practically crawling into Wonwoo’s lap to snuggle into him. It’s slightly difficult since the IV fluids were on her left where Mingyu is sitting so the tube was pulled to the left, almost tensing the whole tube till Mingyu shifted the pole and brought it to the right where Minhae is currently facing, sitting in Wonwoo’s lap sleeping.
Mingyu caresses her chubby cheeks along his knuckles. He had discarded his lab coat a few minutes ago and was just enjoying the moment. “If we get married, does that mean I can live with you and Minhae?”
“Yeah. You’re gonna be her dad too so why do you wanna stay away from your daughter?”
Mingyu smirks, “So she’s already my daughter now?” Wonwoo shoves him away, making the latter laugh, “Sorry baby. But I prefer you both move in with me. Leave that god forsaken house you’ve shared with your ex before and start anew.”
Wonwoo protested, “But that house was my dream house. I bought it.” “Yeah your dream house but you have few dream houses right? Mine may not be one of your dream houses but we can always look for one in the future. So please, move in with me?” He begged, he just wants Wonwoo to forget and throw away all the memories he had in that house that consist of his ex.
Wonwoo gave a second to think but it didn’t take that long for him to agree to Mingyu. His boyfriend is right, he needs to leave and get a fresh start. “Alright, I’ll move in with you.”
Mingyu beams, pecking his nose then his cheek. They both look down at sleeping Minhae, both having loving and fond smiles on their faces.
🩺🥼🩺🥼
Director Kim or Mingyu’s father found out about Wonwoo’s daughter and admitted he went down to visit. At first the couple and also the whole paediatric team thought they did something wrong but when they watched how the elderly man went to Minhae’s assigned room.
Everybody was holding their breaths but it shocks them when they see the director walks out with Minhae in his arms. He carries her around while he pulls the pole of drip together with him. Turns out, Director Kim also loves Minhae. Ever since Mingyu introduced Wonwoo and Minhae to him and his wife, the elder couple melts when they see Minhae. She was so precious and loveable, like Mingyu, the elder couple got their hearts wrapped around her little fingers as well. Although he never shows compassion or affection, Director Kim extremely loves Minhae, as if she is his own granddaughter.
Thankfully the elder Kims supported their son’s relationship. Finding out that Wonwoo is actually his friend’s son who works in his hospital despite Wonwoo’s father having his own hospital. Or perhaps it’s because Wonwoo interns there and loves the environment that he chose to stay and work there, without his father being angry at him. Maybe because the elder Jeon knows that his friend is the director.
Mingyu told his father of him marrying Wonwoo and wanted Minhae to be his step daughter and them moving in with him to which Director Kim said that is a good idea. Since he too knows of Wonwoo’s ex, he sympathises with him for having such a person in life who lies behind his back. Director Kim also paid for Minhae hospital bills, much to Wonwoo dismay.
‘No need to pay me back but if you still want to, then pay back by making sure my son is happy for life once you both get married.’
He promised that he will make sure to make Mingyu the happiest man alive, in which the younger was over the moon at his boyfriend.
Minhae got discharged a couple of days later. No more vomiting or diarrhoea. Her appetite came back and she ate a lot after recovering but Wonwoo makes sure he avoids spicy food or anything seafood. Turns out his daughter can’t eat seafood just like him and that was the cause of her being sick.
“Like father, like daughter.” Mingyu says, smiling at his boyfriend. The older grins.
🥼🩺🥼🩺
It has been two months since Minhae last called Mingyu, appa. The doctor pouted now that she stopped calling him when Wonwoo brought her to the ward when the babysitter was not available. He tries to get her to call him appa but Minhae would always hide away or just giggles at him. Everyone was teasing the doctor, saying he's basically a man baby who tries his best to get Minhae to call him appa.
Wonwoo even told him to just leave her alone but Mingyu insisted on trying. Truth be told and only Wonwoo knows about it, his daughter have been calling him appa, just not directly at Mingyu but when they’re at home, everytime Mingyu would face timed Wonwoo then after they hung up, Minhae would asked, “Appa called?” It melts Wonwoo’s heart. He said yes, he thought she might ask if he could call him back so she can talk to him but Minhae just left to play with her toys.
He knows for a fact that his daughter already thinks of Mingyu as her father. Wonwoo asked her once after she was discharged if she remembers her calling him appa, Minhae nodded although she’s still so young, she remembers. Perhaps because Mingyu has been in their life for all those two years, watching her grow up and be with them everytime Wonwoo or Minhae needs him.
“Minhae-ah, why won’t you call me appa.” Mingyu whined towards the little girl who was nibbling her sandwich that Wonwoo prepared for her during lunch break. The three of them were in Mingyu’s office, the latter demanded for Wonwoo and Minhae to have lunch with him to which the older agreed to.
Wonwoo watches from the side, munching on his kimchi fried rice slowly. He has a small, soft smile on his face. Thinking how cute his boyfriend is trying his hardest to get Minhae to call him appa. The younger man is very giddy and agrees that Mingyu is a man baby. A big baby in an adult, muscular, hot body. He glances at the doctor’s left hand and slightly blushes at the silver ring on his finger. Okay, he supposed he shouldn’t be calling Mingyu his boyfriend now since a week after Minhae got discharged, the doctor proposed to him, right in the middle of the nurses counter. Right in front of everyone they know.
What makes it slightly more embarrassing (for Wonwoo of course) is that even other parents of their admitted children were there, stunned and also happy for them. Wonwoo was in the middle of writing his reports after he had just finished doing his procedures when Mingyu suddenly tapped his shoulder and was kneeling down on one knee facing him. It wasn’t romantic at all per se, since Wonwoo thinks he probably smells like antiseptics and looks tired as hell but Mingyu didn’t want to wait.
The older agreed immediately and quickly pulled him up because he couldn't control how red his face was as he heard all their colleagues (especially from Seungkwan and Seokmin which is the loudest among them all) wolf whistle the two of them.
Now back to where they are now, Wonwoo starts packing up the containers while Mingyu keeps on trying to get Minhae to say the word he’s been wanting to hear for a long time now. Not that long just he misses how she calls him that. While Wonwoo is busy packing, Minhae accidentally chokes on small bits of chicken from her sandwich, and she makes grabby hand towards Mingyu, a sign of asking for water but before Mingyu could grab the water bottle, he hears it.
“A-Appa, mul. Mul.” she repeats. Mingyu widens his eyes and Wonwoo turns his head at her.
“You finally said it! Appa is so happy!” Mingyu exclaimed loudly, he bounces on the couch while he giddily helps Minhae drink her water. Mingyu lifted his face to look at Wonwoo, grinning widely before he focused back on Minhae. Wonwoo chuckles, he is sure he could see an imaginary tail wagging wildly behind his fiance’s back.
“Appa loves you. Keep calling me appa okay sweetheart.” Mingyu pulls Minhae into his lap as he smothers her with kisses all over her face, making the girl giggles and burst out laughing. “Tickles appa. Stawp kissy, Minhae tickles,” but she didn’t pull away anyway even though she protested. Wonwoo’s heart swells at the two. Seriously, he thought he couldn’t ask for a better man than Mingyu. His fiance is perfect.
“Papa! Papa come, kissy time with Appa!” Minhae calls out to Wonwoo to which Wonwoo could only chuckle and make his way towards the two on the couch. He sat next to Minhae before he kissed her chubby cheeks too. The little girl giggles and leaves kisses on Wonwoo’s face too then to Mingyu. She likes to sit on Wonwoo’s lap but at that moment she sits in Mingyu’s and just cuddles with him.
Mingyu shifted closer towards Wonwoo, throwing an arm over his shoulder as the three cuddled on the couch. They have around 10 more minutes to spare before their lunch ends. Wonwoo sighs, leaning closer into Mingyu. The father daughter duo loves cuddle times.
“See, I told you I’ll get her to call me Appa.”
“Hmm, I know. She has been calling you Appa ever since she was admitted that one time.”
“Wait, she did? How come I didn’t know this? When? Where? I didn’t hear call me appa at all when she’s here.”
“At home, love. She always calls you appa or asks me if it was appa that calls me or texted me or video calls me. So yeah, I know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this? I looked like a fool trying to get her to call me appa.” Mingyu whines.
Wonwoo chuckles, leaning up to peck his pouty fiance’s lips, “I was enjoying the show. It was funny to watch.” He giggles and Mingyu keeps whining.
“Well, at least I get to hear her call me appa again and perhaps forever.”
“I’m sure she will. She already sees you as her appa so there’s nothing to worry about. For now, we need to think about our wedding.” Wonwoo wraps an arm around Mingyu’s waist. Head resting on the doctor’s shoulder.
“We’re getting married after New Year, baby. A month to go and you’re gonna legally and lawfully be my husband, and I get to giddily, happily call you hubby at work after our wedding.” Mingyu pecks the top of Wonwoo’s head, squeezing his shoulder.
“Fine, you’ve never followed the rules anyway. Always calling me baby when I was attending the patients.”
“Hey, I can’t help it, okay. Dad didn’t say anything so I’m gonna keep doing that for the next many many years to come. You’re stuck with me forever, jagiya.”
“You’re gonna be the death of me.” Wonwoo huffs.
°.•☆•.°
Wonwoo and Mingyu got married two days after New Year with Minhae being their flower girl, walking down the aisle throwing flower petals everywhere. All their friends from work attended their wedding. All their friends and family were there, congratulating them and were very happy for them. The Jeons all said Wonwoo just bagged the greatest man ever as his husband.
Wonwoo found out that some of his cousins, uncles and aunties who were attorneys and lawyers actually do a background check on Mingyu. The younger scolded them all for not respecting his husband’s private life at all. They all argued that it’s to protect him and to make sure that Mingyu is a good man and not like his ex wife.
Director Jeon a.k.a Wonwoo’s father joins his son in scolding them. It’s easy to say that they all cowered away and apologised to Mingyu straight away after Director Jeon gave them a warning. Wonwoo guessed maybe because his father is very influential and intimidating.
Mingyu just smiles and says it's fine. He thinks if he were Wonwoo’s family too he would do the same thing.
“Papa! Appa!” Minhae jumps into her two fathers. Wide smiles and giggles as they both swing her around in their group hug.
Looks like Wonwoo finally found his happiness and love he craves for and Minhae obtained another father that loves and cherishes her like her papa did.