Healing (KTH, featuring KNJ)

Chapter 49

Clara had perked up significantly by morning, although it still required a bit of effort to get her to eat her entire breakfast and finish a high calorie protein shake. Seeing she was working hard at eating well, Taehyung agreed that she didn't have to finish the shake immediately. He put a straw in it to make it easier for her to sip and brought it to the bedroom with them so they could talk in private.

He knew she loved to straddle his lap and collapse her weight against him, snuggled tight in his arms. So he quickly sat against the headboard and patted his legs to invite her to join him.

They took the first few moments to just enjoy the other company. He rubbed her back as she pressed her head against him to listen to his heartbeat. While Taehyung would have been happy to stay like that for the next several days, over breakfast they had both agreed it was best for him to go back and finish his filming so it wouldn't be hanging over him. With Clara more stable now, the immediate concern had passed.

With time running out until he had to leave again, Taehyung knew they had several things to discuss before his departure. He hoped she was up for those conversations now, while she seemed comfortably awake and alert.

"Clara, I'm glad you seem to be doing so much better. I had a chance to talk to both the doctor and Namjoon about what happened and it sounds like it was pretty scary. Are you feeling ok about it?"

Clara nodded, her head still buried in his chest.

"Good. I think it is going to take some adjusting to, but I'm glad to see that at least you aren't as sick anymore. It feels like the medication is working well. The doctor told me you wouldn't be this tired forever. Right now your body is using all of its energy to rebuild from the incident. But the medication he gave you for your nausea is likely to continue to make you more tired than usual. It's his guess that you'll probably be taking multiple naps a day, at least until it gets well enough under control that you can cut back."

"The doctor thinks it will actually be really good for you to rest a bit more anyway, so in some respects the side effects won't pose any real hardship. The thing I'm concerned about is how you are going to manage your schedule if you have less energy. And most specifically your job Clara."

Clara didn't respond, but continued listening.

"Clara, the doctor thinks maybe you should take a leave of absence. You're not really in any condition to return to work right now, and it may be a few months before you're really fully feeling better. He knows your job is complex and stressful, and the hours you spend working are busy and taxing. He worries that it won't be good for you or the baby."

Clara still didn't respond, but he knew she was listening because she periodically would rub her cheek against his chest.

"What do you think about that sweetheart? I want to be honest with you. I think if you want to take a leave of absence and have them keep your job, you probably need to tell them that you are pregnant and have a medical condition. That will give you extra protection under the law. But if you don't feel like you're ready to have that conversation, then you may need to accept that your job might not be there for you when you want to go back."

"I've already told you this, but I would be more than glad to financially support both of us permanently. So that's not the issue. I know you didn't want that, but I'm afraid that option may be slipping away, at least for the short term."

Clara had been so quiet it was starting to make Taehyung a little nervous. Whispering, he asked again, "Do you understand what I'm saying? What do you think?"

Clara knew this was coming, she'd heard Namjoon and Jin discussing it in the hallway the first day she was here. She was feeling a bit frustrated about the whole situation, but practically she knew taking a leave of absence was required. She was struggling to imagine how she could possibly return to work, and eventually she'd have to explain her pregnancy which had her at a total loss for ideas.

"Ok" was all Clara said.

Taehyung wasn't sure what to do. He asked her a few times if she was sure, but she simply kept confirming that it was ok without offering anything else. Clearly she wasn't going to talk anymore on the subject, so Taehyung just kept rubbing her back and while gently rocking side to side. "Ok" he whispered in return.