Happier Days

Chapter 12 - I Love You So Much

Youngjae woke up to a cold bed, a cramping stomach, and the smell of waffles floating through the air.

After sleeping for a few minutes, he fiinally rolled over and groaned.

Youngjae stood up from the bed and groggily walked over to the closet, choosing a shirt at random and throwing on a pair of shorts before deeming himself presentable enough.

The pain in his stomach had already subsided, and Youngjae just shoved it into the back of his mind, deeming it as pain from sleeping on his stomach or rolling over or something.

Youngjae headed down the stairs, trailing his hand along the railing.

He mentally counted off the weeks in his head.

It was week 39 already, and Youngjae knew labor would be coming soon.

He was honestly scared of giving birth, scared of the pain and the wreck he would look like and all the doctors poking at him.....

....and he was scared that the baby would die before he ever got to hold her.

When he reached the ground floor, he paused for a second before walking on to the living room.

Youngjae didn't feel much like eating today.

As he was going to sit down, another cramp, stronger this time, made its appearance and then faded away.

Youngjae frowned.

He made himself comfortable and stared playing a game on his phone.

And after a little while, there was another cramp.

He checked the time.

Nine minutes had passed.

A sudden wave of fear came over him.

Youngjae took a deep breath.

And then..

-pop-

Youngjae stiffened as he felt something trickle into his boxers.

He sat paralyzed for a minute before boltong off the couch as fast as he dared.

"Jaebum!!!" He called. "Jaeebuummmm!!!"

JB popped his head out from the kitchen. "Yes?"

Youngjae shifted uncomfortably. "I-um, my water just broke I think."

Jaebum's face went from normal-stressed-grandpa to very-stressed-father in a matter of seconds.

"We've got to get you to the clinic."

Youngjae nodded meekly and followed behind JB as he grabbed his keys from the hook they were hanging on and charged to his car, Youngjae walking slower than him.

The clinic was an easy hour from their house, but it was the nearest one around that specialized in male pregnancies.

Youngjae sat in the backseat, tense, each contraction slowly beginning to get closer together.

When Jaebum pulled up to the small clinic, Youngjae swallowed thickly.

But it was only until Youngjae was lying on a metal bed with a mattess like all hospital beds did he realize that yes this is happening and it's happening now.

Through the waves of pain thag were slowly getting worse, Youngjae could hear the doctor puttering around. Out if the corner of his eyes, he could see a nurse standing at attention, ready to help, and someone who looked like a college student stood on the side, examing everything happening in the small room and jotting down notes.