"YONGIE!" Sungchan shouts awake startling Taeyong awake as the toddler starts to sob into his chest as he thrashes around.
"Shh... Sungchan its okay." Taeyong says as he pets Sungchan's hair softly trying to calm him down.
"Papa no! Big... Monster..." He cries as Taeyong holds him softly. Ever since Taeyong had a nightmare when Jaehyun spent the night Sungchan had been getting them too. They have become more frequent which is why they've been more antsy about getting him in therapy.
"Is he alright?" Ms. Kim asks as she comes in and sits on the corner of the bed, rubbing Sungchan's back gently as the toddler continues to cry. Taeyong nods as he sits up.
Sungchan crawls into his lap and wraps his arms and legs around his brother as he lays his head on Taeyong's shoulder, sniffling softly.
"They're getting worse..." Mrs. Kim says as she hands Sungchan a sippy cup full of warm milk and he takes it softly.
"I know. But I don't know what to do about it, everytime I ask him about it he freaks out." Taeyong says as he looks at the toddler in his arms with a sigh.
"I'll mention it to Dr. Park, maybe she can get to the bottom of it." Ms. Kim says and Taeyong nods as he takes the sippy cup from the sleeping Sungchan.
"Try to get some rest." Ms. Kim says as she pats Taeyong's head and he nods as he tucks the younger into bed.
"What's going on in that little head of yours Sungchan?" Taeyong whispers as he plays with the toddlers hair and places a kiss on top of his head before going back to sleep.
"Yongie, where go?" Sungchan asks as he sits in his car seat with Taeyong next to him and Mrs. Kim and Baekhyun in the front.
"We're gonna meet with someone very nice." Taeyong says and Sungchan nods.
"Who?"
"Someone named Dr. Park." Mrs. Kim chimes in and Sungchan nods as he continues to play with his toys. Taeyong sighs softly as he tries to just focus on the music he's listening to instead of worrying about Sungchan, but his foot continues to tap uncontrollably as he looks out the window.
"Taeyong, are you okay?" Baekhyun asks as he looks back at the younger through the drive through mirror.
"Yeah I'm fine." Taeyong says softly as he tries to relax.
"Lee Sungchan?" Dr. Park calls as she she comes out from behind a door. They all look up and Taeyong slowly walks Sungchan over to her.
"Hello Sungchan! I'm Jihyo!" She says with a bright smile as she bends down to match the toddlers height.
"Oh? I think there's something behind your ear." She says as she exams him and he starts to panic as he touches his ear.
"Here I got it for you." She says as she reaches behind his ear and magically pulls out a lollipop making the toddler gasp in aw.
"Here, for you." She says and Sungchan takes it hesitantly. He looks up at his brother and offers it to him making Taeyong smile as he shakes his head no. He unwraps it for Sungchan who happily takes it.
"Is this your big brother?" She asks and Sungchan nods as he clings to Taeyong while squeezing the life out of his deer plushie.
"Well big brother is it okay if I borrow Sungchan for a little bit?" She asks and Taeyong nods.
"Its okay Sungchan, go." The said toddler looks at his big brother and nods as he takes Jihyo's hand and follows her into the back. Taeyong sighs as he walks back to Mrs. Kim and Baekhyun.
"Lee Taeyong?" Taeyong hears behind him and his brows furrow as he turns around.
"This is him." Ms. Kim says as she gets up and pushes Taeyong to the man.
"Ms. Kim what is this?" Taeyong asks.
"You're getting therapy too." She says nonchalantly as she greets the man with a small smile and a hand shake.
"But I'm fi-"
"Shut up Taeyong, you're going." She says catching the teen off guard as he stands there in silence.
"Nice to see you Dr. Kim, how have you been?"
"I've been good! Looks like you brought someone else to see me." He says with a small smile as he reaches his hand out for Taeyong to take.
"Hello Taeyong, I'm Dr. Kim but please call me Kibum. Nice to meet you." He says and Taeyong gives him a shy smile as he shakes his hand.
"Now if you wouldn't mind, will you follow me to my office?" Kibum asks and Taeyong nods softly as he looks up at him before looking back at Mrs. Kim who pats his back softly, signaling for him to follow the therapist.
"Alrighty then, follow me." Kibum says with a small smile as he leads Taeyong to the back and into a not-so-small room with the walls lined with book shelves and a desk and a small couch in the center of the room.
"Please have a seat." Kibum says as he sits behind his desk and Taeyong sits on the couch anxiously.
"So Taeyong, tell me a little about yourself."
"Well... I'm sixteen, turning seventeen this month. And I'm a rising senior." Taeyong says and Kibum nods as he writes something down.
"And what about home life? If you're willing to share, of course." He says and Taeyong nods as he thinks.
"My parents died in a plane crash... almost a year ago now. And I have a younger brother named Sungchan." He says and Kibum nods.
"How did you end up in Ms. Kim's care?"
"I'm not sure myself, after the memorial I got an invitation to go to her school, and now we're here." Taeyong says with a chuckle.
"Do you like living here?" He asks and Taeyong thinks for a second, caught off guard by the question.
"...Yeah- Yeah I do. I like it a lot. Sungchan and I have made many friends and we're pretty happy." Taeyong says with a small smile as he thinks about his friends.
"Do you... miss your old life?" Kibum asks and Taeyong tilts his head in confusion.
"My old life?"
"Before the accident?" He asks and Taeyong inhales shakily.
"Y-Yes, definitely. I miss my parents... a lot. When stress gets bad, sometimes I just wish I could go back, where I didn't have to worry about anything." Taeyong sighs as he feels the tears pooling in his eyes.
"B-but it really wasn't that different. I was still taking care of Sungchan as much as my parents needed from me. Hell, even the day of the accident I was supposed to babysit Sungchan while they were gone." Taeyong says with a shrug.
"You've always taken care of Sungchan?" Kibum asked and Taeyong nods.
"So would you say you've practically raised him?" He asks and Taeyong tilts his head in thought.
"I mean... theoretically speaking, I am raising him. But it doesn't really feel like it you know? I just feel like an older brother taking care of his younger brother." He says and Kibum nods as he writes something down.
"Do you ever feel burdened with taking care of him?" Kibum says and Taeyong scoffs.
"Why does everybody ask me this? No, I don't feel burdened. I love Sungchan like my own son, I'm perfectly content with taking care of him!" Taeyong sighs as he looks up at his therapist.
"Sorry for raising my voice..." Taeyong says making Kibum chuckles softly.
"It's alright Taeyong, it's good to show your emotions sometimes! It's perfectly healthy." Kibum reassures.
"But I do have a few questions." Kibum says as he gets up from his chair and takes a seat next to Taeyong.
"For starters, what do you mean by your own son?" He asks and Taeyong freezes once he realizes what he said.
"I mean... as I said, I am practically raising him. So of course I feel that way..." Taeyong says as he starts to play with his fingers.
"And I have the feeling Sungchan is starting to feel like that too..." And Kibum raises his brows in shock.
"How so?"
"Well I guess he just sees the parents that his friends have, and it makes him question why he doesn't have that either." Taeyong sighs as he runs his hands through his hair.
"I think he still has a few memories of them, he always stares at the picture of all of us and he could spend hours scrolling through all the old photos on my phone. But- I think he's starting to forget them as he gets older... and there have been sometimes when he's slipped up and called me papa..."
"Are you sure he wasn't calling for his father?"
"No, he never called our dad papa. It was always dada; I think he got it from the twins that I take care of because that's what they call their dad." Taeyong says and Kibum nods.
"How does that make you feel? Does it upset you?" Kibum asks and Taeyong shrugs.
"I'm not sure... I know he's confused right now and I want to be there for him, but it's so hard." Taeyong sniffles as he feels the tears pool in his eyes.
"He's the only thing that I have of them, whenever I look at his face, all I can see is them... and I don't want him to forget where he came from." Taeyong says as he wipes his tears away.
"Would you like me to bring this up with Dr. Park? Maybe she can talk to him about it?" Kibum asks and Taeyong sighs before nodding.
"I just want him to be okay..." Taeyong says and Kibum pats his back.
"And he will be, because you're an amazing older brother that's doing everything he can for him." Kibum says making Taeyong smile sadly.
"I hope so."
🗓