"Get me some more coffee too, I'll pay you back." Namjoon smiled at Jackson and patted his shoulder, letting him walk off before taking Jin's hand and strolling along the hallway. It was a stressful night, he was glad they had no plans tomorrow. Namjoon was looking forward to a lazy Friday off, more than anything.
"I'll sit with Suga while you check in on Jiminie and then we can try to see what our odds are. We shouldn't talk down to him but we can spare the worst details." God, he wanted the boy to pull through so badly. He didn't want to tell these kids their friend died.
He knew how close they were, he knew they'd blame themselves.
"He already asked me if he's dying." Which was saddening on so many levels, but also kind of a relief. At least one of the boys was prepared for that reality, Jin supposed the others might be expecting it too. But he would do what he could to prevent that. "We will see. The antibiotics should have kicked in by now. Honestly, I'm surprised they aren't all sick. We will keep them a couple of days, just in case."
"That's what I was worried about. Judging by the state of the boy, I would assume he's been sick like this for a while. It must just have gotten worse instead of better." He remembered having the flu as a kid, it was a horrific experience. He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for the boys watching him suffer. "He'll be fine, he's a little fighter. And as soon as he wakes up, come tell me. I can't wait to hear."
Because he just had to be positive. He smiled at Jin and looked ahead, seeing Suga by the door still. "Work your magic, bae. You got this."
"I'll see what I can do. Hello, Suga. I brought someone to keep you company." Jin smiled and Yoongi decidedly did not, but he did bow his head and closed his notebook, shoving it under his jacket. Jin let go of Namjoon and headed into the room, causing Yoongi to turn his head and try to peer inside.
He hoped Jimin was at least sleeping properly. He hoped he wasn't in too much pain or afraid anymore.
"He's going to be fine, he's a fighter, isn't he? I've seen sicker kids." He hadn't but whatever. He dropped down and took a seat beside Yoongi, wondering what he'd been writing but he wouldn't pry. He remembered doing that when he was Suga's age and nothing annoyed him more than when people tried to pry. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Kim Namjoon. It's nice to meet you."
He held his hand out for Suga to shake, just trying to treat him like the adult he clearly wanted to be. "You're the boy's guardian, aren't you? Well. Trying to be."
"I take care of him." Yoongi wasn't sure what exactly would make him a guardian and he didn't want to say anything that wasn't true, so he just took Namjoon's hand and shook it. "I'm Suga."
It wasn't exactly nice to meet him, but he supposed it wasn't all bad. At least if the doctor could help Jiminie. If the doctor could help Jiminie, it was all worth it. He'd find a way to keep them safe and together again, as long as Jiminie would still be alive. He just wished there was something more he could do.
"My husband is a good doctor, he's still in training but he's determined. Top of his class already, he studies very hard. Then whines to me about it and sleeps for a month when exams are over." Namjoon laughed as he watched the door, smiling softly and knowing that Jin was in there, doing everything he can. "They gave Jiminie some antibiotics, that's what he needed. It became a secondary infection and you can't cure those with pain meds, unfortunately."
What they'd stolen would have maybe helped his fever and pains but it wouldn't have done anything long term. The boy would have died if Namjoon hadn't of come. "As soon as he reacts to the antibiotics and wakes up, he'll be on the mend. He'll have to be here for a week or two, it can be tricky not to relapse with the flu."
"Then I'll be here." Simple as that. He had promised Jiminie he'd be with him and so he'd be with him. At least it was warm in here and he knew that the others had beds they were sleeping in, they were eating and drinking and no one was hurting them, so it wasn't too bad. As long as they could be together. If only it could stay like that, but it never worked out that way. He already knew.
Maybe Jimin would be fine. Hopefully. "Jiminie's sensitive." So he got sick.
"Is he? He's so small, I worried so much about him when I saw him. He's not very old, is he? None of them are. Not even you." Namjoon smiled kindly at the boy and leaned in next to him, gently nudging him with his elbow. "You and Hobi aren't that big but you're taking care of all these kids? Dunno how you do it. I can barely take care of myself. You must be a very good hyung."
Clearly or they'd all be dead or worse by now. "Tell me about Jiminie. You don't have to give me a full name or an age, I just want to know more about such a brave boy."
"He didn't want me to know he's sick, so he hid it and then he passed out." And since then he hadn't really been normal and awake again. "TaeTae had to bring him home. With Kookie." Who, Yoongi was sure, had been well behaved, but probably hadn't been much help. "Jiminie's a little boy. He just wanted to play."
It seemed very unfair that this sickness punished him for that. Yoongi stared at the ground, wishing that he'd somehow seen it sooner. Maybe then he could have helped. "He likes hugs. He always wants hugs."
"Does he? Well, I'm sure he's going to get lots for being so brave. People get sick sometimes, it's no one's fault. I had flu once when I was little, it was not fun at all. I had to go to a hospital like this... of course, when I got better, I wanted to stay forever." The nurses, the doctors, everyone was so nice, so soft to him. He felt loved for the first time. So much so that he tried to make himself sick again, just get away from his father.
"He'll have a great time when he feels better. He'll have jello, hugs and there's even colouring books." All very excited for small boys. "Maybe Tae and Kookie can play too. They're both great boys too. Tell me about TaeTae? I know what a good boy he is. He has my badge right now, keeping it safe for me."
"Tae doesn't like real life, so he makes up his own in his head. It's better these days." When they'd first met Tae, he had constantly been making up fantasies and sharing them with anyone who'd ask and a few who didn't ask or he'd just sit around or whatever else, clearly in his own world. These days, he shared the world with them. Seemed healthier to Yoongi.
He shrugged, thinking about Tae and, more importantly, thinking what would be worth sharing. Nothing, he'd say. "I wouldn't count on getting that badge back."
"I think the best way to do it is if I get him his very own special badge. He likes aliens, huh? Maybe I'll get him a badge for the alien police force." Namjoon laughed, unable to not be endeared by these boys. They were sweet and they needed some nice things in life, some treats. He would get them all something tomorrow, he knew they'd be staying over night. And then...
"They want to try and get you back into somewhere safe. There's a few care homes nearby and there's the option of fostering, if we can find someone. Five together is tricky though, you get that?" It was hard to find someone willing to watch five kids.
"Yep." Yoongi was familiar with the system and how much it sucked. He didn't want Jungkook to have to go through it, or Tae and Jimin, who were both so quickly to get attached to people. Even people that mistreated them, if only they got some positive attention as well. He'd just have to gather them back together. Make sure they still had him and Hobi. "It's always the same."
"I can probably keep you in pairs, you and Hobi could stay together and Tae and Jiminie... I'm not sure what will happen with Kookie. He's young, he needs someone to watch him full time." He was non verbal, under weight and flinched when anyone but Hobi and Tae touched him so clearly he needed a proper care giver. "I'll look into what I can do for you, yeah? Even if you get split up, I'll make sure you can visit each other."
"Sure." Always the same. Talking about them being divided up as if they didn't really matter. Why couldn't they just stay together? They didn't need adults. Jiminie... If only adults didn't always meddle, he could have just taken him to the hospital sooner, without risking exactly this. Yoongi would be surprised if they'd allow them to visit each other.
His chest hurt, but he would sort this out. He always did. He just had to make sure he'd know where everyone was. "I watch Kookie. He only wants me watching him."
"Well, maybe we can keep Kookie with you then. Would that be okay? Look. I get it. You're mad at me, I came in and I meddled, you think you're better off together but you're not. You're a kid on the streets, you live in a place with no indoor plumbing. How do you get the boys to the toilet?" And how did they shower? Judging by how the youngest kids looked, they just didn't. Well. Kids that age hated washing at the best of times, it was probably worse washing in a public bathroom with cold water.
"We want to help and sometimes to help, it hurts. And I get it, losing independence sucks. You're free out there. In here, you risk losing your brothers." He could see the pain on Yoongi's face. "But it's not good alone, is it?"
"No. It's not good alone." Only he was thinking about being alone without them. Them being alone without him. Adults never did much good, but they knew how to do so much bad. "There's a gas station ten minutes away. They got toilets there." Simple enough. Yoongi could live on the streets just fine, him and Hobi had done it on and off for a long time now. The children complicated matters.
But adults couldn't be trusted. They had so many ways to hurt them and the kids didn't know better. "The system sucks."
"It does, I know. I didn't like it either. It's better to be alone, to do your own thing but unfortunately, it's not always the best. Look at what happened? Your little brother nearly died." And that was serious, it couldn't just be ignored. They needed adults to take care of them. "You're a child, Yoongi. You're not an adult."
"Yeah? That's not my fault. Go find my mother and tell her she should have had me sooner, then I'd be grown up." If only he was an adult already. Then he could figure everything out for them. Then he could have taken Jimin to hospital, then no one would threaten to break them all up. It was stupid rules that adults made and that ensured that he was always stuck fighting this system. He couldn't even get a job!
There was nothing he could do for Jimin right now either. He was just glad he had made sure Min Teddy was with the boy.
"I am sorry, kid. Hey, look, tonight and tomorrow, you'll be together and we'll keep an eye on you. Soon, I'll try to get you your own room somewhere. All five of you. Maybe four." Maybe less. Kookie needed a parent for proper care and Jimin was too sick to go anywhere soon. It was a tricky one, he couldn't promise too much.
"I'm fine. The doctor gave me food. Wouldn't give me coffee though." Yoongi was pouting over that, but apparently that still didn't get him any coffee. Adults and their weird rules. He never even wanted to understand them. "Is he even a real doctor?" Honestly, he had his doubts. He looked young and like he was from television. "He's too good-looking."
"I know, right? He is! He's studying but he used to model so I get the confusion. I can't believe I got a guy like that. I'm an ugly bastard." Namjoon laughed, unable to help himself, grinning at Yoongi. "I met him when I was eighteen, I had to give a speech cause his family gave me a scholarship. Like they sponsor kids in tough positions and all. And man, it was surreal. I gave a speech and he came up, hugged me and I just -- yeah, I was in love like that."
He clicked his fingers. "I'm still madly in love. A day hasn't passed where I'm not just crazy in love."
"Of course you are. I'd be in love with someone who looks like that too." Well, he was just saying. People didn't really look that was outside of television and he didn't think Namjoon was bad-looking, but, for one thing, his hair was a mess right now. Doctor's hair seemed perfect.
Still did when he walked out of the room smiling at them both just a little. He closed the door behind him, shrugging his shoulders. "He's sweating a lot now. That's a good sign, at least." It was not exactly as if he could rejoice yet, but one tiny step in the right direction. "Do you want to sit inside, Suga? As long as you don't disturb him."
Yoongi nodded and got up immediately, bowing and then just walking right through the door, not wasting time.
Namjoon came inside to make sure a chair was there and everything was set up. "If anything happens, there's this alarm here. See it? You press it and someone will come." Namjoon turned his head and looked at Jimin, the boy was sweating and fidgeting in his sleep but there was no awareness, no consciousness. It was unsettling but he had to hope for the boy.
He looked over the busted teddy bear sitting next to him... got, it was rancid. It was muddy, ripped and the eye was loose. "You know, we could fix his teddy bear for when he wakes up."
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"I'll sit with Suga while you check in on Jiminie and then we can try to see what our odds are. We shouldn't talk down to him but we can spare the worst details." God, he wanted the boy to pull through so badly. He didn't want to tell these kids their friend died.
He knew how close they were, he knew they'd blame themselves.
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Because he just had to be positive. He smiled at Jin and looked ahead, seeing Suga by the door still. "Work your magic, bae. You got this."
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He hoped Jimin was at least sleeping properly. He hoped he wasn't in too much pain or afraid anymore.
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He held his hand out for Suga to shake, just trying to treat him like the adult he clearly wanted to be. "You're the boy's guardian, aren't you? Well. Trying to be."
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It wasn't exactly nice to meet him, but he supposed it wasn't all bad. At least if the doctor could help Jiminie. If the doctor could help Jiminie, it was all worth it. He'd find a way to keep them safe and together again, as long as Jiminie would still be alive. He just wished there was something more he could do.
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What they'd stolen would have maybe helped his fever and pains but it wouldn't have done anything long term. The boy would have died if Namjoon hadn't of come. "As soon as he reacts to the antibiotics and wakes up, he'll be on the mend. He'll have to be here for a week or two, it can be tricky not to relapse with the flu."
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Maybe Jimin would be fine. Hopefully. "Jiminie's sensitive." So he got sick.
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Clearly or they'd all be dead or worse by now. "Tell me about Jiminie. You don't have to give me a full name or an age, I just want to know more about such a brave boy."
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It seemed very unfair that this sickness punished him for that. Yoongi stared at the ground, wishing that he'd somehow seen it sooner. Maybe then he could have helped. "He likes hugs. He always wants hugs."
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"He'll have a great time when he feels better. He'll have jello, hugs and there's even colouring books." All very excited for small boys. "Maybe Tae and Kookie can play too. They're both great boys too. Tell me about TaeTae? I know what a good boy he is. He has my badge right now, keeping it safe for me."
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He shrugged, thinking about Tae and, more importantly, thinking what would be worth sharing. Nothing, he'd say. "I wouldn't count on getting that badge back."
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"They want to try and get you back into somewhere safe. There's a few care homes nearby and there's the option of fostering, if we can find someone. Five together is tricky though, you get that?" It was hard to find someone willing to watch five kids.
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His chest hurt, but he would sort this out. He always did. He just had to make sure he'd know where everyone was. "I watch Kookie. He only wants me watching him."
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"We want to help and sometimes to help, it hurts. And I get it, losing independence sucks. You're free out there. In here, you risk losing your brothers." He could see the pain on Yoongi's face. "But it's not good alone, is it?"
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But adults couldn't be trusted. They had so many ways to hurt them and the kids didn't know better. "The system sucks."
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And what could he do for them? Sadly, not a lot.
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There was nothing he could do for Jimin right now either. He was just glad he had made sure Min Teddy was with the boy.
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"Do you want a drink? Something to eat?"
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He clicked his fingers. "I'm still madly in love. A day hasn't passed where I'm not just crazy in love."
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Still did when he walked out of the room smiling at them both just a little. He closed the door behind him, shrugging his shoulders. "He's sweating a lot now. That's a good sign, at least." It was not exactly as if he could rejoice yet, but one tiny step in the right direction. "Do you want to sit inside, Suga? As long as you don't disturb him."
Yoongi nodded and got up immediately, bowing and then just walking right through the door, not wasting time.
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He looked over the busted teddy bear sitting next to him... got, it was rancid. It was muddy, ripped and the eye was loose. "You know, we could fix his teddy bear for when he wakes up."
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