Six of a Kind

십팔: The Last Photo of Her

Jimin pulled himself up with the sofa cushion, and turned himself around on his wobbly little feet. Taehyung stood behind him, with his arms outstretched. Although Taehyung was the tallest sextuplet with his uneven leg, Jimin still only came to his chest. He managed to let go of the sofa, and take a few wobbly steps towards his brother, before his bendy little knees gave out. He managed to fall into Taehyung, knocking him off of his feet, too.

Taehyung lay on the floor, Jimin on top of him, giggling. Jimin giggled back, clinging onto Taehyung's shirt and drooling. He wheezed a little as his chest crackled, but he didn't seem to be in pain.

Namjoon lifted Jimin up, and sat him properly on the floor, so that Taehyung could get himself back up. Jimin clapped his little fists in excitement, looking around excitedly as both Namjoon and Taehyung praised him for walking. Over the past week, he had been attempting to walk much more.

"Wow, well done Jiminie!" Namjoon cooed, patting his back gently so Jimin could flail his arms freely. "Did you walk all by yourself? Aren't you clever!"

"Daddy, Jiminie walked!" Taehyung yelled, jumping up and down on the spot. "He walked again, daddy! Does dat mean his legs work now?"

Namjoon smiled softly, and stood Jimin up onto his feet. He kept a close hold on his arms so he wouldn't fall back over, and directed Jimin to walk another couple of steps before he responded. "They don't work properly, Taehyugine," he explained gently. "You see how his legs are a little bendy and his feet are all curled up like a birdie? That means he can't walk very well. When he's a little older, he'll get special bars on his legs to make them straight."

Taehyung didn't really understand much. He looked at Jimin's bowed legs in confusion. "But he walking, daddy! Dat means he's all better!"

Namjoon wished for that to be true, but Jimin's doctor had already pointed out the bowing of Jimin's legs, and his clubbed feet. "I know he's walking, honey, and he might be able to walk even more when he's older! But his legs are still poorly."

"All of Jimin is poorly!" Taehyung whined, sitting down heavily.

Namjoon pulled Jimin up into his lap, and cuddled him close. Jimin wriggled, still wanting to walk, but then he melted into the cuddle, and flopped back. "I know, honey. Jimin is very poorly in general. That's why he needs lots of love, to help him feel better."

"When will he not be poorly?" Taehyung asked that question a lot. So did Hoseok and Yoongi. They never understood the same response that Namjoon always had to give.

"I'm afraid he'll never be well, honey. His legs can get better, and his chest can get a little better, but his brain is just too poorly to get better. He's very poorly in his brain, Taehyungie, I need you to understand that."

Taehyung sighed. "You always say that..."

"Well ... Like I said, Taehyung, it's never going to get better, but you keep asking. I'm afraid that's the only answer you're going to get."

"Daddy!" Hoseok yelled from his bedroom. He was with Jungkook, Yoongi, and Seokjin. Namjoon could hear them playing whilst talking to Taehyung, but now they had all gone silent. "Daddy, come here, we made sumfing for you!"

Namjoon got back up with a small groan, and placed Jimin down on the floor. "Taehyung, can you be a very good boy and look after Jiminie for me? You'll call me if he's unwell, won't you?"

"Yes, daddy," Taehyung responded, but he didn't sound all that happy. He picked up his favourite board game - though he never remembered how to play it - and set it down in front of his brother. Namjoon left to go and see what the others wanted.