Serendipity

Chapter 16

After talking with my Mother for a while after takeoff, I must've slept most of the flight because I wake feeling well rested. I don't see others stirring yet, so I get up to make my way to the bathroom, needing to relieve myself. I pause as I reach Ha-eun on my way, noticing how white she looks in her sleep, sweat dotting her forehead. My brother and the twins are still passed out in the seats in front of her. I frown as I watch her breathing. When I settle my hand on her shoulder, I can feel it trembling. I squat down in the aisle next to her, placing the back of my hand to her hot forehead.

"Ha-eun..." I quietly say, trying not to disturb others. There's no response. "Ha-eun, wake up," I say a little louder. Her eyelids flutter briefly. I move my hand back to her shoulder, shaking a bit. I watch as her eyes slowly open, and my heart drops when I see how they looked glazed with fever. I take the couple steps back to the row where my brother is still sleeping with the girls, shaking his shoulder as I continue watching her.

"JiYeong. Wake up JiYeong." I shake a little harder.

"What is it, NaeYeong?" he grunts. I look down at him. His eyes are barely open and still unfocused from sleep. But he's looking up at me.

"It's Ha-eun...I think she has a fever." I see his eyes snap wide open and he's suddenly very aware of his surroundings. He has his seatbelt off in a flash, moving past me to get to Ha-eun.

"Go find out from the flight attendant how long we have left. Then can you get a cold washcloth please?" He asks, barely looking at me, his focus completely on his wife.

I move toward the front to look. Not seeing anyone, I head to the back but my hand is caught in a warm embrace, and I stop.

"What's going on, Nae?" I look down at Jimin, and I know he can see the worry on my face. I lean down to tell him as I hear the girls start to cry softly a few rows behind us.

"It looks like Ha-eun has a fever. I'm looking for the flight attendant to find out how long before we land and get a cold compress to help bring the fever down, if possible."

He looks behind us to where the girls are leaning over their seats, watching their parents. He nods and squeezes my hand before he lets go. I move quickly to the back of the plane, finding the flight attendant in the galley. As I explain the situation, she hands me a cold compress after she informs me we have approximately 30 minutes left.

When I head back to JiYeong, I see Jimin has moved to the row with the girls, and he has them both focused on him as he speaks softly to each, one sitting on his lap and the other leaning into him as he cradles them both.

I hand the compress to JiYeong, and he places it on her forehead as he talks to her. We work together to lean her seat back so she can lay down more and hopefully be more comfortable. She appears a bit more aware as the minutes pass by. I listen to the low murmurs of my brother and sister-in-law and my husband with the twins. Since things are in hand at the moment, I move in the direction of the bathroom, intent on finishing what I originally got up to do.

As I wash my hands, I look at myself in the mirror, wondering how I can look so refreshed when my sister-in-law is not doing well. My reflection blurs and swims as tears fill my eyes when I visualize how she looked. I hear a light knock on the door. I wipe my hands on a paper towel then dab quickly at my eyes, opening it to see Jimin standing there. I quirk an eyebrow at him, and he smirks, moving into the small space with me, his finger to his lips telling me to stay quiet. He closes the door and locks it. Turning back to me, he puts his hand on my cheek, caressing it with his thumb before pressing his lips to mine in a soft kiss.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asks quietly before placing another quick kiss on the tip of my nose.

"I think I'm physically fine, but I'm worried about Ha-eun. I'm just trying to hold it together. If they lose the babies, or if anything happens to Ha-eun..." I reply just as quietly, a catch in my throat making me need to clear it as I lean my head on his chest. He pulls me in closer, and I snake my arms around his waist as he holds me in the circle of his. "Thank you for keeping HaYoon and SeoYeon calm while JiYeong took care of Ha-eun. How are they doing right now?"