【 ⚬━━━♔━━ 。 。━━♚━━━。】

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Sol has been pregnant three times before, this was her fourth pregnancy. And what made this fourth time so different was that Sol was no longer afraid. Instead of feeling disturbed, pitiful, and anxious, Sol felt happiness and excitement when learning of the pregnancy. For the first time, Sol was felt joy in hearing that she was pregnant and was ready to go through the journey.

Along with her dedicated team, Sol carefully planned for changes to be made so she would be able to navigate the pregnancy while still on tour and attending schedules.

Previously, Sol hated that she couldn't grow her stomach during pregnancy, but now she appreciated this more than ever as it allowed for further secrecy. When she was six to eight months pregnant, fans and netizens praised her body for looking so good. When her breasts grew, some accused her of getting surgery.

Sol was at her highest, but what goes up must come down, and for her, it came crashing.

D-DAY After proposing to Sol at the end of 2022, Godfrey wanted to surprise Sol with his engagement gift: Their dream home. For the day she would come back home, Godfrey invited immediate family to celebrate the new family home and Sol's return by having a cookout. Even Taehyung was there who despite his position, had grown a healthy relationship with the couple.

However, nor Sol or the people invited would be spending the day at the new house. Instead, they would all be at the hospital where Sol was rushed to.

Sol had gone into labor three weeks before her due date but this is what happened with Taesoo and Myah so they almost expected it. However, Sol wasn't able to deliver the baby healthily.

The whole East wing of the hospital was closed and under extreme security. In one of the rooms in that wing, Sol was screaming and crying in pain while lying flat on the patient bed. Moving even a single inch caused Sol immense pain. The room was filled with doctors and nurses rushing to Sol's needs.

Sol's grandma was very traditional and disliked the use of painkillers or other similar drugs, but seeing her granddaughter pleading in tears for the doctors to give her anything to ease the pain made her disregard her values. So instead she screamed at the medical attendants, "Don't you hear her? She said she's in pain, you need to help her!"

The doctors gave Sol the highest dose they were allowed to use of a drug that was safe enough for both her and the baby. But nevertheless, it wasn't enough. The pain made Sol want to move in some type of way in an attempt to alleviate it, but moving a muscle would only result in further pain. Doctors weren't completely sure what was going on and why these symptoms were so extreme, but they knew Sol would not be able to give birth. They scheduled an emergency c-section and quickly prepped to take Sol into surgery.

All of a sudden, Sol fell unconscious. It was unclear whether she passed out because of the pain or further underlying reasons, but the medical staff knew this was a dangerous indication.

The people who were expecting to spend a fun and relaxing day with Sol were all in the waiting room and were soon joined by Godfrey and Sol's grandmother. The entire time, they were able to hear Sol's crying screams echo through the halls. Some of them paced around in circles, others had left for the bathroom because they could not bear to listen to Sol's screaming, and others consoled themselves.

45 minutes into the emergency surgery, a nurse returns to the family with updates. Even though they preferred for Sol to give birth naturally, it proved impossible and they were preparing for a c-section. When she passed out, extreme measures needed to be taken and Sol went into surgery for more than a c-section. Sol was now a high-risk patient and the nurse warned everyone to expect the worst.

Godfrey looked puzzled and panicked. "What's the worst?" He asked. The nurse gave him a sympathetic look and proved his suspicion. He knew it, but he didn't want to be right.

The nurse had come back to tell them that they needed to prepare themselves because there was a high chance Sol wouldn't make it.

Godfrey looked at everyone around, lost. The complications went beyond being about to deliver naturally like previously with Taesoo and Myah. Sol was facing the risk of not only losing her baby but also losing her own life.

During three hours, Sol's heart stopped beating for 13 minutes while the doctors delivered a baby girl. The baby had suffered complications in the middle of the c-section and as soon as she was out of the womb, doctors rushed to attempt to save both her life and her mother's. 

After the surgery, the lead surgeon came back to the family and delivered the news. Sol's heart stopped beating but after extensive CPR and a lengthy surgery, she survived but was now in a coma for an unknown amount of time. As for the baby, she was very weak and could not breathe by herself so they placed her in the NICU. He didn't want to discourage the family but he had to admit there was not much hope for Sol and especially the premature infant.

Every single word felt like a stab straight to the heart.

And just to make things harder, they had to wait 72 hours to visit her because even being in the same room as she put Sol at risk.

Godfrey wanted to stay the night at the hospital but he didn't want his two kids at home to be alone. They have no idea what's going on and they're not old enough to understand the situation. When he went back home. He could only think about what would happen if Sol never woke up or if she died. If that happened, how would he explain to Taesoo and Myah that their mom wouldn't be coming home? How would he live his life as a single parent in a foreign country? How would he ever be able to live with himself after his soulmate and the woman he loves might die? He doesn't know how he would be able to go home and put on a smile on his face for his daughter and his son.

1 WEEK Godfrey visited Sol every day. When visitors were finally allowed to enter her room, he stayed with her as much as possible. He talked to her as if she was still awake and cried on her bedside all the time. He contemplated whether he should bring Taesoo and Myah along on these visits. He didn't want them to see their mother in this state, being hooked up to multiple machines that were keeping her alive. However, he feared that if they didn't see her now while she was still alive, they would only be able to see her at her funeral because that is how close to death Sol was.

Godfrey decided to ask Taehyung if he should bring the kids with him. Their relationship was cordial minimal, but Godfrey still respected him as a man and as a father. Taehyung encouraged Godfrey to take the kids to see Sol.

Reluctantly, he did. He walked into the hospital while holding both of the kids' hands. He knew they were too young to understand the complexity of the situation but Godfrey explained to his son and daughter, "Mommy was really tired so she's just sleeping right now and resting. But she'll wake up soon."

"So we have to whisper?" Taesoo crouched.

"No, you don't have to whisper," Godfrey chuckled. "Last time, I talked to her. I think she listens but she doesn't respond."

When they walked into Sol's room, the kids cheered happily while shouting out for their mother whom they hadn't seen in weeks. Taesoo and Myah ran up to the hospital bed, but Godfrey stopped them.

"Be careful," he told them.

"Mama! Mama sleep?" Myah looked up at her father. He nodded his head.

Taesoo looked over at the chair beside Sol's bed and decided to get on it so he could see Sol better. "She looks so tired," Taesoo noticed. His tone sounded worrying. Myah also wanted to get on top of the chair but was unsuccessful, so Godfrey picked her up and helped her so she could also see Sol better. Myah kept reaching for Sol and whining for her. Witnessing her mother just lay there unresponsive while not being able to go to her made Myah cry. She tried pushing herself away for Godfrey so she could go to her mom instead. Taesoo turned to his sister and tried to console her. "It's okay baby sister, don't cry."

Godfrey could feel his soul shattering piece by piece seeing this.
As his sister cried out he worried for her and his mother. She isn't waking up even with the screams of Myah.

Myah's tears were contagious and soon enough, Taesoo also shed tears for his mother.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Taesoo asked while snot ran down his nose. "Is she ignoring us?"

It was easy to say that the visit was hard for all of them. No one can ever be prepared to have their young kids see their sickly mother. Trying to answer their millions of questions while trying to simplify the problem was exhausting. There wasn't a perfect answer to give and Godfrey can only prevent so much sadness for his kids. 

Doctors had no idea when Sol would wake up. They said it could be in a few hours to months or even years. They really had no idea. During that timeslot of waiting for Sol, he had so much on his mind. They had the rest of their lives planned together and it couldn't end now before they even started.

On one of the many visits made by Godfrey, Sol woke up. His heart jumped out of his chest and he chased down medical attendees. However, Sol was still weak. The most she could do was move her fingers and toes. She slurred her words because she could barely talk. She didn't have the strength to even lift up her head by herself. But slowly with each day, Sol began to recover. 

"I estimate that won't be for another month until she can be discharged, but it all depends on the recovery," the doctor told them.

2 WEEKS To help recover more efficiently, there were a few exercises Sol could do. One of them was walking and Godfrey was there to help during every step. He would continuously encourage her and distract her from the pain by making her laugh. One day, Godfrey visited Sol in the morning hours. Usually, she would either be sleeping or eating breakfast, but when Godfrey entered her room, her body faced away from the door and towards the window. He quietly comes closer to check if she's sleeping. To his surprise, she isn't. Sol was wide awake just staring at the window.

Godfrey went to warmly greet her but was surprised to see Sol's face expressionless but her eyes swollen and teary. When she looked at him, she looked like she was about to start crying. When he asked her what was wrong, she wouldn't reply. Godfrey watched her body shake while struggling to sit up and hurriedly supported her.

"Are you in pain? Are you hurt? Do you need anything? Tell me, what's wrong?" he pleaded. "My heart...it hurts too much."

After an hour where Sol cried in his arms and they talked, Godfrey advised, "Let's go for that walk." "I don't want to," she told him.

"Why not? We can just go down the hall," he said. Sol still wouldn't go. Unsure of what to do, an idea popped into his mind. He knew what could get her up right now and it would be to see her kids. Unfortunately, Godfrey didn't bring Taesoo and Myah this time around, but there was one baby there with them.

"How about we go see our daughter? We'll walk there." 

With a nod from a nurse, the couple walked through the hospital halls together. Sol held onto Godfrey as she walked with a cane. She took small steps so they were walking at a very slow pace. Godfrey knew that if they talked and she was distracted, it'd be easier for Sol to do this. She once told him that she was embarrassed by how awkwardly and slow she walked.

"Taesoo has been spending more time with his father since he's going to enlist in the military," Godfrey said. "Oh, yes. I forgot about that. When does he go into the military?" Sol asked.

"I think it's next week."

"You also enlisted in the military back in Taiwan right? I remember you mentioned it once," Sol recounted.

"I did, but it was only for a few months. I still remember when I found out I could've been exempted because I had dual citizenship, but that's how I started my career anyway. My time in the military was a blur, if I'm being honest."

"It's going to be the first time that Taesoo will stay with us for a while. He'll miss his father, but I think it'll be less trouble having to travel between houses so often," Sol said.

"That means we'll get to spend more time together. There are a lot of exciting things that await us. That's why you need to improve your health quickly. This hospital is stealing your joy from you."

"It's not stealing my joy, I just feel sad all the time and a little depressed after I almost died."

Godfrey sighed, "I guess that's fair."

"Remember the time we went hiking in the mountains?" Godfrey said softly, glancing down at Sol with a gentle smile. "You were so eager to reach the top, and we ended up getting lost for hours."

Sol chuckled, though it came out as a soft breath. "Yes, and you were convinced we were going to have to live off berries and wildflowers forever."

"I still think we made the best out of that situation," Godfrey replied. "You kept your spirits up the whole time. Just like now."

Sol's grip tightened on his arm, drawing strength from his words. "I don't feel very strong right now," she admitted.

"That's okay," Godfrey assured her. "You've been through so much. It's alright to take it one step at a time."

They continued down the corridor, their footsteps echoing softly. The sterile scent of the hospital lingered in the air, mixed with the faint hum of machinery. Nurses and doctors passed by, offering encouraging smiles and nods.

Finally, they reached the NICU. The door to the unit stood before them, a barrier to the fragile world inside. Sol paused, her breath hitching slightly."We're almost there," Godfrey whispered, pressing a reassuring kiss to her temple. "Just a few more steps."

Sol nodded, her eyes fixed on the door. With Godfrey's support, she pushed forward. They entered the NICU, the room filled with the soft beeps and whirs of medical equipment.

A nurse approached them, her expression kind. "She's doing better today," she informed them. "Would you like to see her?"

"Yes, please," Sol replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse led them to an incubator where their tiny daughter lay, surrounded by tubes and monitors. Sol's eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the fragile life they had created.

In a quiet corner of the hospital, two nurses stood by the nurses' station, their voices hushed but filled with a mixture of awe and reflection. Nurse Minji, a seasoned member of the staff, was sharing her thoughts with a younger colleague, Nurse Jihye.

"You know, when I first found out Sol was pregnant, I couldn't believe it," Minji admitted, shaking her head slightly. "I mean, she's this perfect idol, always so composed and flawless in the public eye. I never imagined she'd have such a complicated personal life."

Jihye nodded, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

Minji sighed, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "When I learned she had other kids and had kept it all a secret from her fans, I thought she was shameless. In my mind, I called her all sorts of mean names—'slut,' 'two-faced.' I couldn't believe she would hide something so significant."

Jihye's eyes widened. "Really? I never would have guessed."

"Neither did I," Minji continued. "I even judged her for keeping such a huge secret. But everything changed when I attended to her after she woke up from her coma. I had to interact with her and Godfrey quite a bit. It was... eye-opening."

"What happened?" Jihye asked, leaning in closer.

Minji's expression softened. "Sol was so vulnerable, yet so strong. Despite everything she had been through, she remained incredibly kind and humble. She was always worried about her children, especially their little baby girl. And seeing her relationship with Godfrey—it was something else. They were so in love, so supportive of each other. I couldn't hate her. I realized she was just human, dealing with her own battles."

Jihye smiled, touched by the story. "It sounds like you really came to admire her."

"I did," Minji admitted. "Seeing them together made me envious of their love. They faced so many challenges, but their bond never wavered. Sol isn't perfect, but she's real. And that's what makes her so admirable. I retracted all those horrible thoughts I had about her. She's anything but a 'slut' or 'two-faced.' She's just a woman trying to navigate a difficult life while protecting her family and career."

Jihye nodded thoughtfully. "It's easy to judge people from the outside, but we never really know what they're going through."

"Exactly," Minji agreed.

The two nurses shared a moment of silence, reflecting on the lesson learned from their unexpected encounter with the famous idol. Minji glanced down the hall towards the NICU, where Sol and Godfrey were spending precious moments with their newborn daughter.

"She's a remarkable woman," Minji said softly. "And I'm glad I got to see the real her."

【 ⚬━━━♔━━ 。 。━━♚━━━。】