One Step Forward....

[andersenmom]

Title: One Step Forward…
Prompt: 38 - front, DongHyun/KwangMin
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG
Summary: Something that might help.
Notes: Part six
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true
See Table here!
Series: Rescue, Safe (for Now), Much Needed Naps, Life Goes On, Revelations


"I think I found something that will help," JungMin said one afternoon. KwangMin had gone steadily downhill after he'd seemed to get better. YoungMin had deteriorated with him, sinking back into the worried mess he'd been when he'd first showed up with KwangMin.

DongHyun looked up from making dinner. "What?"

"I think I have something that will help," JungMin repeated. "It can't hurt, I don't think."

"Check with YoungMin," DongHyun said. "I don't know if KwangMin is even coherent enough to respond."

JungMin froze. "He's that bad?"

"Yeah," Minwoo said, stepping out of the bedroom. "He is that bad."

"Worse now?" DongHyun asked.

"Almost comatose," Minwoo said. "If you have something, better do it now."

JungMin nodded and started to pull things out of his bag. "I need hot water, and tea if we have any. If not… I'll manage." He continued to lay out things.

"What about broth?" DongHyun said. "Will that work?"

"Possibly better," JungMin said. "Hurry, okay?"

"On my way," DongHyun said, and came to the table with a mug of the broth he'd promised. JungMin began putting powders and other things into the mug, stirred them, and then, with a hopeful look at DongHyun, took it into the bedroom.

Minwoo hadn't lied. KwangMin lay still on the bed he and YoungMin shared, staring at the ceiling. YoungMin sat next to him, looking like he wanted to cry but wouldn't, not yet. "I've got something that might help," JungMin said.

YoungMin brightened, sort of. "I'll take even a might right now," he said, unshed tears in his voice. "What do you want me to do?"

"Sit him up. I'll help him drink."

It didn't take long to get KwangMin sitting up, but he fought it, without saying anything, struggling against YoungMin. Minwoo came to help, pinning him down, and JungMin got as much of the broth into him as he could.

He didn't stop fighting them, but relaxed again when they let him lay back down. YoungMin looked at JungMin. "Will it help? How long until we know?"

JungMin shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Let him sleep, and you get some sleep, and we'll see how it goes in the morning."

YoungMin gave a short laugh. "He doesn't sleep," he said.

"If we're lucky, he will tonight," JungMin said. "You try to get some sleep. The rest of us will help keep an eye on him."

YoungMin smiled. "Maybe," he said. Minwoo patted his shoulder.

JungMin took the mug back out and leaned against the counter in the kitchen, watching DongHyun cook. "How's it going?"

"Depends on what you mean," DongHyun said. "Dinner is going fine. It'll be a little thin, but it'll be done soon."

JungMin looked at him a moment. "Are we running low?"

"Starting to, yeah," DongHyun said. "We'll make do. We don't have a choice."

"Would it help if I left?"

"Where would you go?" DongHyun said. "You're fine here." He sighed and turned away from the stove. "KwangMin hasn't been eating, you know."

JungMin frowned. "Why?"

"I think he wants to… let everyone else have more."

JungMin sighed. "I was afraid of that. I don't think he gets what would happen to YoungMin."

"Maybe," DongHyun said. "I don't think he's actually thinking about much of anything."

"That's uncomfortably close to the truth," JungMin said. "Are any of us thinking much?"

"I suspect YoungMin is thinking way too much, and if I knew how to do it, I'd drug him at night so he'd sleep."

"He'd never forgive you," HyunSung said, sitting down with them."

"He'd be alive," DongHyun said. "As long as he didn't do something stupid, the rest I could deal with."

JungMin laughed. "Define stupid."

"Jumping off the roof. Running off. Stop eating all together."

HyunSung barked a laugh. "Don't give him ideas."

"I try very hard not to even think about such things," DongHyun admitted.

"How is that going?"

"Pretty well. I'm more worried about keeping you all alive and free."

"Yes," JungMin said. "I'd rather worry about that, too."

YoungMin came in and sat down. "Worry about what?"

"Your twin, and keeping his body and soul together," DongHyun said. "Is he sleeping?"

"I think so," YoungMin said. "He's… quiet. Not getting up to wander."

DongHyun let out a sigh. "That's good. It also means you can sleep, too."

YoungMin shook his head. "I can't. I'm too nervous."

DongHyun shot a look at JungMin. "If you don't sleep, you won't be able to keep up with him in the morning," he said gently. "I think we've got some tea left, do you think it'll help?"

YoungMin sighed. "Probably, but you can't-"

"Yes, I can," DongHyun said, and got to his feet. He went into the kitchen and put the water on to heat.

He had no idea how he was going to keep them together, keep them sane, keep them free. Keep them fed.

"Stop thinking about it," JungMin said softly from the doorway. "Don't. It'll all be okay."

"How?" DongHyun asked, and then shook his head. "Never mind. It will, or it won't. It will just be." He reached up to get a cup and the last of the tea.

"It'll be okay," JungMin repeated.

DongHyun lifted an eyebrow. "I know better than to ask if you promise that."

JungMin laughed. "I know better than to say I will," he said.

DongHyun grinned and poured the boiling water into the mug with the last of the tea. "I hope this works," he said. "It's about all the ideas I have."

"It'll be fine," JungMin said. "It will."

DongHyun sobered and looked at him. "I hope so," he said.

JungMin sighed. "I want something to go right, just once. Something people do against him actually works. If I get to be involved, all the better."

DongHyun smiled and checked the tea. "If it is in my power, I'll make sure you are involved."

JungMin smiled. "Thanks," he said.

DongHyun strained the tea and took the cup out to YoungMin, who quietly took it and sipped. "What are you so against this… ruler for?" he asked, looking up at JungMin.

JungMin chuckled. "You don't think what he's done to all the children is enough?"

YoungMin regarded him over his mug. "You have a younger brother?"

"I don't need one," JungMin said. "I only had to watch you, and your worry over your twin, even if I didn't realize what it was until you brought him back. I can imagine well enough what it might be like if I did have one."

YoungMin sipped his tea again. "So… it's not personal?"

"It's… at least partially personal," JungMin said. "I've lost friends and family too."

YoungMin nodded and drank again. "This is good," he said to DongHyun. "Thank you."

DongHyun smiled. "I'm glad it's helped. Will you be able to sleep?"

"Yes," YoungMin said, and set the mug down. "I will."

"Go, then," DongHyun said, and squeezed his shoulder. "Both of you. I'll clean up."

He watched them go into bed, then sat down at the table, in front of the mug, and sipped it. Still warm, it calmed his nerves brought about my YoungMin's questions. When he'd finished it, certain that the other two had fallen to sleep, he washed it out and then shut out the lights and went to bed.

Movement woke him as the sun rose, and he looked over to see KwangMin rubbing his eyes. He watched KwangMin get out of bed, and got up to follow when KwangMin left the room. It surprised him to find him sitting at the table. Well, no, it didn't surprise him. It made him sad not to find him scrounging in the kitchen. "Up for company?"

KwangMin started, then shrugged. "Sure," he said.

DongHyun said down. "Would you like something for breakfast?"

"I'll wait for the others to get up," he said. "What were you talking about?"

"When?"

"Last night."

"How we wanted to help you," DongHyun said. "How to keep us alive and free."

"Why are you worried about that?"

"Because I really like this little family," DongHyun said, with a casualness he didn't really feel.

KwangMin looked at him under too-long bangs. "Is that really all?"

"For me," DongHyun said. "I don't need any other kind of a reason."

"What about everyone else?"

"Well," DongHyun said, "YoungMin's reason is obvious. Minwoo and YoungMin have become good friends, although they came in together, so they may have been good friends before, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

DongHyun shrugged. "I didn't ask," he said. "And they never said. JungMin and HyunSung just offered to help out, and I took that help."

"What if they'd turned you in?"

DongHyun shook his head. "I'd rather take that risk than turn people away." He shrugged. "And since I've taken them in, I have to do my best to keep them alive. Keep you all alive."

KwangMin shook his head. "I couldn't imagine doing that."

DongHyun nodded. "Your experience is different," he said. "That's okay. You don't have to worry about it right now."

"Do you know what they did to us?" KwangMin asked.

"Drugs, of some kind, from what YoungMin described. Nothing else makes sense."

"What was in the drink you guys gave me?"

DongHyun shook his head. "I don't know. Something that JungMin thought would help."

KwangMin nodded, then his eyes landed on his hands clasped in front of him. "He looks… familiar," he said softly. "You trust him?"

"Yes," DongHyun said without hesitation. "I do."

"Then I guess I can." KwangMin looked at him. "Can't I?"

DongHyun reached over and patted his arm. "You have to decide that for yourself," he said. "But yes, I think you can trust him."

KwangMin blinked up at him, and smiled. "I guess I will, then," he said.