Epilogue
The Blood Brother CodeSehun looked shell-shocked.
“They’re absolutely certain?” he demanded, refusing to start the car engine and get them out of the hospital carpark.
“Yes.” Semi was unable to control her voice as she slumped back in the passenger seat. “I don’t know what to do. I’m scared.”
“Seven and a half months is too soon,” Sehun agreed. He glanced over at his sister’s exhausted features. “But I guess it makes sense. You’ve been a little unwell recently.”
“I’m not supposed to be this unwell at this stage, though.” Semi swallowed.
“Does that mean—?”
“Just drive, Sehun.”
“—there are serious complications?” he finished, finally starting the car up.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, try not to worry about it. Stress is just going to cause problems.” He glanced over his shoulder and began to reverse out of the parking space. Semi automatically reached out to hold his hand. “And you should tell Minseok,” he added, as though the gesture had reminded him of that. “I think he’d be very upset if you didn’t.”
“How?” Semi asked.
“You know, just… when you’re next visiting him, open your mouth and use your vocal chords to put sounds together and hopefully he’ll understand.” Sehun shrugged. “How else?”
Semi withdrew her hand with a scowl. “You’re hopeless, you know?”
He laughed and pulled out onto the main road, at which point Semi grabbed his hand again.
Just as her brother had done a few days before forcing her along to the hospital, Minseok noticed something was up when Semi next went to visit him two weeks later, even though he initially pretended that he hadn’t. To begin with, as they sat in the private room for family visits, Minseok on the opposite side of the table in his orange prison overalls with his wrists cuffed, he chatted to her about the prison gossip and asked her how her brother and friends were doing, but after it became clear that Semi’s mind was elsewhere, he dropped pretences and leant forward across the table.
“Have you been sleeping?” he asked, getting straight to the point. “You… you look really unwell.”
The words came out in a rush, and he suddenly seemed uncertain. Semi knew he had to be very concerned if he’d actually commented outright on her appearance, and that meant that her lack of sleep was clearly pronounced.
“You should go stay with Sehun,” he added, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Semi was about to tell him that Sehun had also told her exactly that, but he got in first. “Please. I don’t want you unwell. And sleep—”
“Minseok,” she choked out, trying to breathe around the lump in . “I’m pregnant.”
It was like somebody had smashed him over the head with a hammer. His jaw dropped, and for several moments, he was so stunned he couldn’t even blink.
“What?” The word was barely a whisper.
Unable to so much as swallow, Semi nodded. She felt like she was going to break down at any moment. “Sehun made me get a check-up a week or two back when I got worried after missing my period.” She was unable to control her voice to something more level than a croak.
“You’re really pregnant?” Minseok’s voice sounded weak with emotion, and Semi was scared to try to work out what kind of emotion it was. What if he didn’t want—?
But he reached across the table, almost as if he could hear the panicked thoughts going through her mind, and grasped her hands in his, gently loosening her fingers from the fists that they’d curled into. Tentatively, Semi let her eyes travel up to meet his face. His eyes were swimming with tears.
For sev
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