Highway

14

"MOMMY! MOMMY! I see daddy!" Ben points to the t.v. He's been doing that for the past 30 minutes. 

"I know honey, weren't you happy to see aunt Eunji win?" We're watching the MMA and Ben came home two weeks ago. Baekhyun and Chen with Xiumin did a subunit but sadly they didn't win. 

"Is daddy coming home after that?" Not again. "Ben, daddy doesn't live here."

Ben huffs, "Daddy says we're going to live in a small house with him one day." I don't think that will happen. Baekhyun cares about his job way too much for us.

"Ben it's past you bedtime. You need to go sleep, we have a doctor appointment tomorrow." I turn off the T.v and put in my sandals. "Does twat mean Auntie E is comwing ova?" 

"Sorry sport. We're going to see another doctor." I ruffle his hair and carry him to his small room below mine. "Ok, I love you." I kiss his forehead.

"I love you too mommy" He yawns and closes his eyes. I stare at my precious son, I'm so nervous about the checkup tomorrow. 

-0-

"You must be miss Bomi?" The old man, probably in his late 60s ask.

"Nae." I bow my head to him and he crouches down to Ben. "Hi, Benjamin!"  Ben looks at him,  "Are you, my grandpa?"

"Uh... Nae!" The poor man must be confused by Ben's English. "What a smart boy you have here." I bow my head to him, respect the elders right. "Gomawo." 

He flips through the pages on Ben, on his clipboard. "So everything is going on fine. He's on a good track of recovery. Less check up will be needed. Any questions." Ya! Emily said that he is recovering but still need the attention. "But I heard we need to come every month?"

"Every month? No. No. Every 5 month, your son is healthy." The doctor gives Ben a sticker for being a good patient I guess. I mean, we've just been here for 4 minutes talking to doctor Go. "Are you sure? I mean-"

"I know what I'm doing here, mam." Rude. He glares at me and took back the sticker from Ben. Hey!

"Mianhae." He left the doors and I change Ben's outfit. I'm glad he left, yet I feel like he did such a bad job at this checkup.

We're in the car and I'm driving home. "Mommy?" I look in the rear mirror, "Yes Ben?" He leans his head on the car seat. "I don't feel good?" What? We just came from the doctors not less than 10 minutes ago.

"Do you want to throw up?" From the corner of my eye, I see him shake his head. "Mommy, my head hurt." 

Oh, gosh! 

"Honey we're almost home, I'll give you soup, shower you and put you to bed. Alright?" I step on the peddle to accelerate faster. 

"Ok." 

His eyes close and I panic. Mr. Go said he's doing well. Then why is Ben complaining? Did I get him sick?

 "Mommy?" I look at him from the mirror, "Yes?" Does he need a drink? "Why do good people die?" NO! Why is he talking like that? "Ben, you can't talk like that!"

"I've been sick foreva. And people always say I won't go far. Is that true?" I gasp at him! "Ben they are lying to you!"

"I believe you." I park the car and carry him to our level. "Drink this warm soup grandma made."

"I'm not hungry." "Ben you need to drink it." I put the spoon down, "But I'm not hungry."

"Let's give you your shower." I wash him and put soap on him. He doesn't want to play with his toys. He always plays with it. I dry him off and put his PJ on. I put him under his blanket and I felt his head and it's hot. "Ben, sleep."

-- 

I wake up  at 3am and I felt his forehead and notice it's higher than yesterday. I call Baekhyun. "Hello?" His voice groggy. I shake my phone as I hold it, "Baekhyun get over here! Ben isn't feeling well."

"Huh?"

"Come here!" I yelled, looking at Ben pale. I hang up and get a towel and wet it and put it on his forehead. 

"My head hurts mommy! It hurt!" He cries, during the whole thing in New York he never cry about pain. Why now? Is it impassable?

Baekhyun barges in the room and I stand up. "He's sick. We went to the hospital and we're driving back and he doesn't feel well." Baekhyun touches Ben and flinches when he felt him hot. "We need to go back then." 

"Ben get up, honey. We're going back to the doctors." Ben snuggles in my arms and we hurry out of the studio. "This is our first time here with this doctor and... I don't know what's wrong. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!" Baekhyun rubs my back as we slowly descend in levels in the elevator.

All these bad thoughts run through me. Hats! Uh? It shouldn't be a problem, it's at night and no one knows that I live here. So it's ok, right? The elevator's door open and we run to his car and Baekhyun speeds off, without seat belting.

"First time seeing the doctor here?" Baekhyun quickly put the seatbelt on. "Ya." Maybe going here was not a good idea. I should have stayed in New York, things would be easier. 

"Whoever who check Ben up needs glasses because he's not doing well at the moment," Baekhyun grumbled, clenching onto the steering wheel. 

"I ask the doctor saying I was told Ben wouldn't heal that quick. I mean yes, he's better but my friend said his condition needs extra look into. With checks, every month but the doctor said every 5 months." I hit my head on the window, upset. I should call her!

I dailed Emily's number, "Hello?" her voice very groggy.

"Ems! I-I, Ben he's very sick all of a sudden! After our checkup too!" I fumble with my fingers on the car handle.

"Ben! Oh no!" That got her up, dang I love her. I look at Ben who's really pale, "I don't know what to do, so I and Baekhyun are driving to the hospital."

"I'm catching a flight to South Korea right now" I hear loud noises coming from her, "I'm booking a ticket as we speak." Ben's forehead is burning up, and I'm scared. What if... No, they said he's getting better, he can't get sick all over again in the terrible conditions.

I whispered, "Ok." I hear honks in the background, "Hey! I'll be there as fast as I can, so keep your hopes up! Love you!" And she hangs up on me. The quickest phone chat ever, we usually talk for hours . It should be the other way around, in bad times talking should be longer. 

I remember the hats, so I throw Baekhyun a white hat and a mask. I put a gray beanie with a pom pom and a mask to cover my mouth. I don't bother putting it on Ben, putting extra layers on him, will make him hotter.

Baekhyun parks the car, really sloppy but he unbuckles Ben and we run inside. "Hi, what's the problem today?" ask the tight bun lady at the front desk. 

"My son is really sick, he's pale and sweaty. We need doctor Go!" She widens her eyes after seeing me take off my mask and calls him after 4 minutes of them talking, "Go to the same room as your appointment today. He'll be there when you get there."

"What bad help around here." mumble Baekhyun and I couldn't agree anymore. We go in the room and we put Ben on the bed. My baby! Why now, why! I'm going to sue that bastard of a doctor, for wrong information on my child.

Mr. Go barges in the room and rush to Ben and felt his forehead. He shakes his head, oh gosh. He looks at his file and widens his eyes.

"HELP MY SON!" I yell at him, ready to hit him. He gulps and quivers his voice, "Mianhae! I read off the wrong file. Mianhae!" His eyes, no longer looking at me, but to his white sneakers.

Did I just hear correctly, he mess up?! Oh, he's going down! But before, I can tackle him, Baekhyun beats me. "You're a doctor, you're not supposed to mess up. My son's life is on the freaking line! Save him, or you'll be behind bars!" Baekhyun lets go of Mr. Go and he falls down. 

I fall to the ground, crying. Baekhyun continued to threaten the doctor. No. This can't be happening. It can't be. By then, I knew it was too late, but I just didn't want to admit it. Because I'm too foolish, to know someone I love was leaving me.