A/N Some of this chapter is more of Celrock's suggestions. Some is inspired by an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
"I'm so sorry I'm late." Mi Sun apologized walking into the daycare to find her daughter visibly upset with one of the teachers holding her.
"It's fine." The blond woman replied handing Ji Yeon to Mi Sun."It's been a busy day for all of us."
"I think I should quit my job." Mi Sun said later on that night while relaxing on the couch with Jin and JI Yeon.
"Why?" Jin asked."You just started a few months ago, and you love your job."
"I used to love my job." Mi Sun corrected pulling Ji Yeon into her lap."Maybe I should switch to nights full time instead of every other week."
"Where is this coming from?" Jin asked turning the tv off. He had a pretty good idea, but wanted to hear what his wife had to say.
"Ji Yeon is having a hard time when I drop her off." Mi Sun explained.
"I thought she was over that?" Jin commented.
"I thought she was too." Mi Sun sighed leaning back against the pillows on the couch."I don't know what to do."
"Maybe talk to Didi. She watches alot of kids. Maybe she can give you some advice." Jin suggested.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow when I pick Min Jun up." Mi Sun said standing up."For now, I'm going to try and get Ji Yeon to sleep."
MI Sun got up and got herself and Ji Yeon dressed. Like most days they were the first ones up.
MI Sun got dressed leaving Ji Yeon to enjoy her morning bottle in bed. She came back a few minutes later dressed and ready for work. She picked out Ji Yeon's outfit, which consisted of pink pants and a white shirt with Minnie Mouse on it.
Mi Sun proceeded to get Ji Yeon dressed, but found it difficult as Ji Yeon began crying and fighting.
"What's wrong with her?' Jin asked sitting up in bed.
"She apparently doesn't want to get dressed." Mi Sun said as Ji Yeon crawled over to Jin with her pants halfway on.
Jin held Ji Yeon in his arms hoping to make it easier for Mi Sun to get her dressed.
As Mi Sun got closer to her, Ji Yeon began to fight once again. Jin held her against him while Mi Sun got her pants on. That was as far as they got before Ji Yeon bit Jin's hand and headbutted him before escaping off the bed.
Ji Yeon fell on her back as she slid down from the bed. She didn't care and rolled over and crawled off to find a hiding place.
"Now she hates us, or at least me for leaving her in a strange place for so long everyday." Mi Sun sighed slumping on the bed.
"I think she hates me a little more right now." Jin said wiping his nose and heading to the bathroom.
"Are you ok?" Mi Sun asked following him into the bathroom.
"Yeah. I've been worse." Jin told her as he got a wash rag wet and began wiping the blood from under his nose and then went to work cleaning the bite on his hand."You should probably go find our daughter."
It didn't take Mi Sun long to find Ji Yeon. She followed the sound of crying into the kitchen and found Ji Yeon sitting on the floor in nothing but a diaper, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"What happened?" Mi Sun asked Min Hee as she picked Ji Yeon up.
"She smashed her hand in the cabinet." Min Hee responded taking her bowl of cereal to the table.
"Will you go wake the boys up so I can get Ji Yeon dressed and fed? We're running late." Mi Sun sighed laying Ji Yeon down on the bed quickly forcing her into a pink onsie with Minnie Mouse on it.
After getting Ji Yeon dressed Mi Sun put her in her high chair and gave her a food pouch filled with apples and pears for a quick breakfast.
"Why are you doing this?" Mi Sun groaned as she turned around from making a cup of coffee to see Ji Yeon covered in the baby food.
Mi Sun got her undressed and gave her a quick bath in the sink.
"She really doesn't want to go to daycare." Jin remarked as he came into the kitchen with the boys, all of whom were dressed and ready to leave for the day.
"I wish she didn't have to, but she does." Mi Sun said lifting Ji Yeon out of the water and carrying her to her room to get her dressed for the third time that morning.
Mi Sun closed the door to Ji Yeon's room so she couldn't escape this time and put her a diaper on her. While her back was turned, Ji Yeon ripped the diaper off and peed on the carpet.
MI Sun sighed once more and put another diaper onto Ji Yeon as she had tried to hide the pee with the one she had taken off.
She got Ji Yeon dressed in a white Hello Kitty onsie and light pink pants and was about to walk out of the room when Ji Yeon needed another diaper change.
She placed Ji Yeon on the changing table and proceded to change her diaper.
"Stop moving or you're going to fall." Mi Sun said grabbing Ji Yeon by the waist as she moved all around. Normally she didn't move much when having her diaper changed, but she was determined not to go to daycare today.
"You're going to have to take Min Jun to school. I'm already late." Mi Sun told Jin as she grabbed her coffee and made her way to the car.
"Can this day get any worse?" Mi Sun asked herself as she opened the front door to a torrential downpoor.
She ran to her car and put Ji Yeon into the car seat. Ji Yeon began to fight, making Mi Sun drop her keys and starter button in the car seat. Ji Yeon stopped struggling and leaned over as she was being buckled in and dropped the keys right into a puddle.
Mi Sun picked up the keys and tried to start the car, only for it to not come on. She took Ji Yeon's car seat out of the car, leaving her in it so she wouldn't have to fight with her again and ran inside.
"I need a ride to work." Mi Sun said looking as if she might cry."Ji Yeon dropped my keys in a puddle."
Ji Yeon started crying as they were nearing the pre school. She was tired, wet, hungry, and mad all at the same time.
"Min Jun will you please give her her binky?" Mi Sun asked massaging her temples as she felt a headache coming on.
"I don't see it anywhere." Min Jun told her.
"Hand me the diaper bag." Mi Sun said.
"It's not in here." Min Jun informed her.
"What happened to you?' Miju asked coming up to the nurses station and grabbing a chart as Mi Sun sat in the chair rubbing her forehead.
"Ji Yeon is waging war on daycare and I don't know what to do about it." MI Sun answered."And I forgot the diaper bag."
"She probably hates the new teacher." Miju commented closing the chart and grabbing a new one."I don't blame her though. i don't like her either."
"What new teacher?" MI Sun asked as the phone rang.
"The one that got fired from OB and tranferred to the daycare. She's blond, skinny, and not to mention racist." Miju told her.
Mi Sun failed to hear her sister's explanation and groaned as she hung up the phone.
"I gotta go deal with the sick kid, who's parents can't be bothered to spend time with her because they think they can find a cure somewhere else, even though we've told them there's nothing anyone can do." Mi Sun said standing up and walking to the elevator.
"I'm glad you're here." Dr Robbins said when Mi Sun came out of the elevator."She's been asking for you all morning, and refusing dialisis until you can do it."
"Sorry I'm late." Mi Sun apalogized as she followed the blond doctor into the room."I have a one year old who doesn't want to go to daycare."
"It's ok. I have a daughter too." Arizona said in understanding.
"Mi Sun, you're here." A small three year old Chinese girl cried with as much effort as she could from the hospital bed.
"I am." Mi Sun shrugged with a sad smile. This case was hitting her hard. The girl had a kidney condition that was to far gone to cure. She wasn't going to make it much longer.
"I'm ready." Mia said lifting up her shirt a little so Mi Sun could insert the needle.
Mi Sun did her job and Mia didn't even flinch.
"Will you stay with me? Please." Mia begged grabbing Mi Sun as she was about to walk away.
"I have other kids that I have to see, but I'll come back as soon as I'm done." Mi Sun promised.
"You should sit with her." Arizona said following Mi Sun out of the room."She needs someone with her."
"Why aren't her parents here?" Mi Sun asked.
"They're insistant on finding a cure." Arizona explained."I'm going to go call them now. She doesn't have much time left. I'll get someone to cover your shift. Please sit with her until I can convince her parents to come up here. She likes you."
Mi Sun relented. She couldn't exactly say no. She walked back into the room and sat on the bed.
"Did you finish work already?" Mia asked.
"My boss said I could spend the whole day with you instead of working." Mi Sun told her.
"Want to watch MIckey Mouse with me?" Mia asked.
"I'd love to." Mi Sun said making herself comfortable on the bed."My daughter loves this show."
"You have a kid?" Mia asked looking up from the tablet where she had pressed play on an episode.
Mi Sun nodded."Want to see some pictures of her?"
Mia nodded dropping the tablet in her lap as Mi Sun pulled out her phone.
"Aw. She's so cute." Mia said as she looked at a picture of Ji Yeon holding her baby shark.
They spent the day looking at pictures and watching movies. By the evening Mia's condition had declined significantly.
"Her parents are on their way." Arizona announced as she came into the room.
"Good." Mi Sun whispered looking down at the sleeping girl at her side."I don't think she has much time left."
A few minutes later Mia's parents arrived. Mi Sun left the room just as the monitors were beginning to go off. She quickly wiped away her tears as Dr Robbins appeared in front of her.
"You did good work today." She said.
"Why did you put me on this case?" Mi Sun asked.
"Because you're good at what you do."Arizona told her.
"I didn't do anything medical all day. All I did was hold a child. If I wanted to do that all day, I would've stayed home and held my own daughter.
"I put you on this case because you are the only one who understands what those parents went through. The only differance is, your daughter has access to the best medical care whenever she needs it. Most parents, like those in that room behind us have to work hard just to scrape up enough money and beg and argue with insurance companies just for a simple treatment. Your daughter is lucky to have you as a mom." Arizona said.
"Sometimes I don't feel like she is." Mi Sun stated.
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Arizona told her. She barely cries during her treatments, neither do any of the other kids I've seen you work with. I think she helped you. You care a few days off. Spend some time with your daughter."
Mi Sun left the hallway and made her way up to the daycare still feeling a bit sad at the loss of her young patient. She entered the daycare to find Ji Yeon sleeping in one of the cribs. She picked her up, hoping that she would stay asleep, but instead Ji Yeon lifted her head from MI Sun's shoulder and smiled before laying her head back down again.
MI Sun picked up some food and drove to Didi's to pick up Min Jun.
"I'm sorry I'm late." Mi Sun apologized when Didi answered the door.
"That's alright." Didi said as Min Jun ran out to meet his mom.
"I was going to ask you for some advice, but it's getting late, so could we meet for coffee tomorrow after picking the kids up?" Mi Sun asked.
"Of course." Didi told her.
Mi Sun drove through a drive through and picked up some dinner for the three of them, even though Min Jun had probably already eaten seeing as it was nearing nine in the evening.
Mi Sun wanted to relax, but upon arriving home she found Ji Yeon's diaper soaking wet like she hadn't been changed all day. After changing Ji Yeon's diaper they sat down on the couch to eat.
Ji Yeon stood at the coffee table grabbing fistfulls of chicken and shoving them in her mouth. She brgan coughing as a piece got stuck in her throat.
Mi Sun reacted quickly and gave her a drink to dislodge the food. Ji Yeon swallowed the food and screamed as Mi Sun took her food away.
"You can't eat that fast." She told Ji Yeon a she handed her a small piece of a french fry.
Once they finished dinner and the older kids were in bed, Mi Sun brought Ji Yeon into the bathroom and ran a warm bubble bath for the both of them. It was there that she noticed the redness on Ji Yeon's bottom.
Ji Yeon cried as Mi Sun washed her. She wondered if the new teacher at daycare had something to do with Ji Yeon's diaper rash. She had only had it one other time, and not since starting daycare a few weeks a month ago.
"I'm sorry." Mi Sun said holding Ji Yeon close as the days events began to catch up with her. She let the tears fall freely into the water.
Mi Sun cried until she had no more tears. She got out of the tub and wrapped herself and Ji Yeon in a towel. She put some cream on Ji Yeon's bottom and put her into a sleeper before getting herself ready for bed.
Ji Yeon layed on the bed next to her mother listening to her cry once again. She wondered if it had something to do with her tantrum earlier that day. She turned over onto her stomach and inched her way closer to her mother. She layed her head on MI Sun's and wiped away a tear with her small hand.
"I love you." Mi Sun said through her tears giving Ji Yeon a hug. She picked her and placed her beside her, holding her close, juse greatful that her baby was alive and healthy.
Ji Yeon woke up to see that it was lighter outside then it normally was when she had to go to daycare. She hoped she wouldn't have to go today as she looked over to see her mother still sleeping.
Mi Sun began to stir and looked at the clock. She got up and changed Ji Yeon's diaper. She brought her in the kitchen and set her in her high chair. She poured some cereal onto the tray and went to wake up the older kids. Ji Yeon happily ate her cereal, even throwing some to Cleo. She figured since she was still in a diaper that she wasn't going to daycare after all.
Her hopes were dashed after breakfast though when she brought into her room to get dressed. She tried to fight it, but having a dress thrown over yor head was harder to fight off then pants and a shirt.
"Calm down. We're just going to drop your brother off at pre school and run some errands." Mi Sun as she got one of Ji Yeon's arms through the arm hole of the white dress.
After dropping the older kids off at pre school, Mi Sun and Didi went to the Java Lava to talk.
"What did you need advice about?" Didi asked once they sat down with their coffee.
"Ji Yeon is unhappy about going to daycare, and I don't know what to do about it." Mi Sun explained.
"I have a book that can help with that." Didi said pulling a blue book out of her bag and handing it to Mi Sun."Everything you need to know about children is on these pages. I consult dr Lipchitz for everthything."
Didi didn't really have much experiance with this subject seeing as she only sent Tommy to daycare once and everything had gone fine, and she didn't have any problems with any of the kids not wanting to come to her house. Dr Lipchitz was the best advice she could give.
"Thanks. I'll be picking Min Jun up from pre school today." Mi Sun said.
They finished their coffees and parted ways. Dil was a little upset that Ji Yeon had been sleeping during the meeting. He wanted to know what had happened at daycare and why she didn't want to go there.
Mi Sun took Ji Yeon to the local pizza place since they hadn't had it in awhile. Ji Yeon woke up just as the food arrived. Mi Sun took Ji Yeon out of her stroller and put her in the high chair. Ji Yeon smiled as her favorite lemon pasta was placed in front of her.
After lunch Mi Sun took Ji Yeon home and began reading the book that Didi had leant her.
The next morning Ji Yeon was woken up when it was still dark out. She knew what that meant and began crying.
"I'll get her dressed." Jin offered taking Ji Yeon from his wife.
"Thanks. I'll get breakfast started." Mi Sun said walking to the kitchen.
Mi Sun began to cook as Ji Yeon screamed in her room."Dresses are easier." Mi Sun called while cracking some eggs.
Jin came into the kitchen a few minutes later with Ji Yeon dressed in a pink short sleeved dress with Hello Kitty on it.
Despite not wanting to go to daycare, Ji Yeon decided to eat her breakfast since she didn't know if she would get food that day. She remembered the last time she had been at daycare she had had no snack and mostly sat in a wet diaper all day.
Before leaving the house Mi Sun remembered to grab the diaper bag, packing Ji Yeon's favorite snack as of late, which happened to be watermellon and put it in the car before coming back inside to get her daughter. She also remembered something that the book had mentioned. She handed Ji Yeon her baby shark to take with her and put her in her car seat.
Ji Yeon was more calm since she knew that there was no way of getting out of going to daycare and she didn't want to upset her mommy like the day before.
They reached the daycare and Mi Sun was surprised, but happy when Ji Yeon smiled and reached for the dark haired Asian woman, whom she had thrown up on the first day.
"i missed you too." The woman said taking Ji Yeon from Mi Sun.
"Have you been gone all week?" Mi Sun asked handing the woman the diaper bag.
"Yeah. I had a bad cold, but I'm better now. I'm Anna by the way." The woman introduced herself. They didn't really get a chance before since Ji Yeon was throwing a fit.
"I'm Mi Sun." Mi Sun introduced herself.
Later that afternoon Mi Sun walked into the daycare to pick Ji Yeon up for her treatment. Ji Yeon smiled up at her mother when she saw her and held her arms up wanting to be picked up.
Mi Sun hated that she was about to ruin her daughter's good mood, but it was for the best. She would do anything she had to in order to keep her healthy.