Chapter Text
The first time it happened it scared the shit out of Michael.
"Dude I'm telling you it's a computer permanently lodged inside of your brain! Last time I checked the brain is an important place there is no way there aren't any side effects!"
Like scared Michael shitless, he can still see it vividly, he can still feel the way his heart dropped.
"And I'm telling you that the SQUIP stuff is all over with. Look at Rich, guys had it way longer then me and he's doing ok." Jeremy shut his locker with a roll of his eyes, turning to face his worried friend.
"So everything is just back to normal? Just like that?" Michael crossed his arms, disbelief written all over his face. He tapped his finger against his elbow over and over again, Jeremy knew that meant he'd eventually lose this fight.
Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, leaning his back against the locker with an unhealthy slouch, "I mean- I've gotten some nasty headaches but that's really it..."
Michael raised an eyebrow, lips pursed.
"I'm serious! Come on man don't you trust me!"
"Oh I trust you. Just not when it comes to your own sake. You're sorta bad with those kind of decisions in case you haven't noticed."
Jeremy's mouth twitched at the memory of him chugging down the SQUIP. Ok. Maybe Michael had a point. But he didnt want the guy to worry anymore then necessary. He's already been worried sick from watching Jeremy pass out at the play and stay unconscious for three entire days. He also has Christine constantly babying him with her worries, she keeps saying she can't imagine what it was like having the SQUIP for more than the few minutes she had hers.
Whatever. Aside from the weird feeling under his skin and the lingering headaches he was fine. Absolutely.
He just wished that was true before he tramutized his best friend.
"Whatever Michael. I'm fine ok. And I'm gonna stay fine this time. So let's go, we got two more classes to go through."
Michael had to run to catch up with Jeremy's fast paced walk, "Oh come on dude!"
Ask Michael how it happened and he could give you an insane amount of details. If it hadn't happened, he'd have forgotten it the next day. But the human brain was insane. He could remember everything from the way Jeremy stumbled to the way there was a broken light in the hallway. It happened on their way to drama. Jeremy would always say he only joined for Christine, but he really did enjoy acting. He'd just never be anything but a side character.
The school was empty. The other clubs were up on the third floor and drama started half an hour after school ended to ensure no one would bother them. It could have happened inside the auditorium, if Michael didn't trip over his feet and spill his bag everywhere.
Michael groaned at all the papers on the floor, "Seriously?" He bent down and started to messily clump them together.
Jeremy laughed, only grabbing a binder and gameboy from the floor, "I keep telling you not to leave your bag open like that"
"Whatever dude" he shoved and crumpled the papers into his bag, "Good enough. Let's go- woah Jeremy you ok?"
Jeremy was staring off with this distant stare and he nodded absently, "Yeah, yeah just. Do you smell that?"
Michael slowly stood to his feet, concerned by Jeremy's strange behavior. The boy was blinking weirdly, hard and uneven. Michael sniffed and raised an eyebrow at Jeremy, "Smell what?"
"It's like..." Jeremy held his head at the sudden dizziness, the sudden weight against his heart, "like burning rubber."
Now that was a distinct smell. No way Michael would have missed that. "What? Jeremy what are you talking about-"
He was cut off when Jeremy let out a strange groan and fell to the ground with a gross thud. As if that wasn't enough to give Michael a heart attack he started convulsing. His arms, his leg, his head. Oh god his head, his eyes rolled back and head hitting the ground over and over and-
Michael screamed. Michael fucking screamed.
"Oh god oh god oh god-! Jeremy!" He dropped to his knees, breath already fast and catching in his throat as his hands hovered, unsure of what to do. But Jeremy didn't respond, he just kept twitching and convulsing.
"Seizure- fuck he's having a seizure!" Even though he put a name to it, Michael was still at a loss. He should have taken first aid. He could feel tears in his eyes, blurring his vision of Jeremy. Distantly he could hear fast footsteps running towards them.
"Jeremy- Jeremy please!" He put his hands on Jeremy's arms, trying to stop him from-
"Don't hold him!!" Michael instantly let go, like touching a hot stove.
Michael let out a relieved sob when he saw Christine running towards them, untying her scarf, "Christine! Jeremy he's-"
"I know. It's ok Michael, he'll be fine." She rolled Jeremy onto his side and placed the scarf under his head, "Can you call an ambulance?"
He nodded again, his mind numb as he watched his friend twitch, albeit slower now, on top of the scarf. He didn't move at all.
"Michael!"
His head snapped up, eyes wide.
"Call an ambulance? Please?" She was tugging off her jacket now. With his attention caught Michael realized there was a small crowd around them, mumbling in worry. He could hear Jake whispering "Oh shit" somewhere behind him.
Michael nodded "Yeah...yeah I can do that." He pulled his flip phone out of his pocket, eyes going back to Jeremy as he dialed the number he hoped to god he'd never need to call.
"Wait. What's the jacket for?"
Christine gave him an awkward, forced smile. Instead of responding she draped the jacket over Jeremy's waist. Why was..-
"Oh." Michael mumbled, curling up around his phone so he could focus on talking to the dispatcher. Without realizing it, he tugged his hoodie up above his head.
Jeremy had stopped his spasms, and Christine was whispering soothing words as she ran her fingers through his hair. Jake stayed by Michael's side, which he appreciated since he could lean against his wheelchair for balance. But who he really appreciated was Rich, who was yelling at everyone to "fuck off and give him space."
Everything was in a numb daze after that. With the adrenaline rush gone Michael felt more exhausted than ever. Jeremy had woken up not too long after he stopped seizing, but he was confused and lost. He kept asking Christine questions like "What's going on?" "Why is everyone standing around like that" and "What was I just doing?" Michael had no idea if that was good or not.
When bringing Jeremy into the ambulance Brooke promised him that he didn't have to worry about their stuff, she'd drop it off at Jeremy's for him. When the doors were closed and they were driving off he was already getting texts from the SQUIP crew asking him to keep them updated, but what he really wanted was to focus on Jeremy. He turned to the boy, who was laying down while getting checked.
After a while Jeremy rolled his head to look at Michael and raised an eyebrow, "...Is the stretcher really necessary?"
Michael nodded, almost not wanting to talk but he had to be here for Jeremy, "Absoluetly. You scared me shitless dude."
"Well I...I feel fine now. Well," he blushed a little, glancing down where Christine's jacket was laid over his waist, "a little...uncomfortable is all."
"That doesn't matter Jeremy, you do realize you had a seizure right? That's crazy man!"
"Come on man, I feel a little weird but I'm ok! I swear!"
Michael didn't look convinced, but He sent out a group message saying Jeremy was "claiming" to be ok, "Listen dude. I'm gonna call your dad ok? I still can't believe this happened I mean-"
He froze when a paramedic was suddenly in front of him. He looked up from his phone confused, another paramedic who was facing him lifted up her hands and gave a calming smile, "Everything is going to be ok, son. This is completely normal."
"Normal..? What-" he looked around the guy standing in his way, only to see Jeremy was seizing on his side again. His breath was catching in his throat, he was moving like a fish gaping for water. Pale skin and his eyes rolling up, it was enough to turn Michael's blood to ice. He didn't move at all until Jeremy stopped. A paramedic mentioned something about it lasting only 30 seconds.
Michael messaged the group chat again: "Another seizure. I don't think he's ok."
It was touching really, how far Jeremy had gone. Last time Jeremy ended up in the hospital it was just his dad and Michael. Now he had his dad, Michael, Christine, Chloe, Brooke, Jenna, Jake, and Rich. It was good to know he wasn't the only one who had Jer's back. Mr. Heere was talking to Jeremy inside the room while the others waited outside. They suggested they do a brain scan since they couldn't figure out why Jeremy had seized, and wanted to make sure it wasn't something serious. But Jeremy instantly refused. Everyone but the doctor and Mr. Heere knew why.
But they were trying to avoid that conversation. Not here anyway, not now.
Jake looked up at Michael, and caught his eye. In that moment Jake's eyes looked at Rich, who was talking with Chloe, then back to Michael with a more determined look. It was hard to read Jake though. Michael came closer and knelt down slightly.
"...Is this gonna affect Rich too?"
Michael flinched in surprise, and followed Jake's eyes to Rich again. Rich was laughing as easy as can be. The guy had also come really far after everything. He still had to work out his anger issues, but he was doing an amazing job so far and everyone wanted to be there for him.
Michael wanted to lie but...Jake needed honesty, "...In all honesty, probably."
Jake had his hands leaning against one of his arm rests, full weight against it, "Ever since it deactivated, he's been complaining about these like massive headheads, but I feel like there's more too it yknow?"
Michael nodded, "It was the same with Jeremy and..." they looked at the closed doors, they could Mr. Heere's shadow gesturing wildly.
Christine made a low whining noise, like a kid whose been waiting for the bathroom for too long. She was wobbling up and down on her knees, hugging her arms close to her chest and chewing down on her nails. Little chips of light green fell ocer her lips. She turned to them all, "This is just a fluke right? It won't happen again?"
No one answered her.
Instead Brooke grabbed her arms and pulled them away from her mouth. She smiled at her sadly and hugged her, "You look like you need this..."
Christine hugged back eagerly.
"Hey how...how did you know what to do?" Michael mumbled, thinking back to the events that transpired. It'd only been a few hours but it already felt like it'd been years.
Christine poked her head up from over Brooke's shoulder, refusing to leave the hug, "My godsister is epileptic...with something like that you just gotta learn what to do, yknow?"
Michael nodded. Chloe pipped up then, "Shame you won't be getting that jacket back soon though."
She looked confused at all the annoyed and angry looks, "...Too soon?"
When Mr. Heere finished talking to Jeremy the crew decided to let Michael talk to him first. Michael ran over instantly to Jeremy who was sitting up in bed and smiling, and hugged him.
"I'm so glad you're ok dude. Everyone's here by the way because you know we like love you or whatever."
Jeremy patted Michael on the head and laughed, "Oh? Uh...wow"
Jeremy's thin fingers ran up and ghosted over his neck, before grasping onto his hoodie. He paused then, contemplating what to do. He raises his other hand to grab the other side of the hoodie. Dragging Michael close the boys could see every detail of each other that they'd been seeing since elementary school.
"I must have really scared you huh"
"Of course you did." Michael didn't yell this time, he leaned awkwardly over the bed, his back and knees hurt but he stayed stop for Jeremy, "it was a scary thing."
"Scary enough for your hood..." Michael looked away almost in shame, "hey hey nothing wrong with that just- I'm sorry man."
"I mean you didn't want to seize out."
"I know, but you're face looks stupid when you're worried"
"You're face always looks stupid Jeremiah."
Jeremy smiled, his grip letting go of the hoodie. Michael smiled back, "You ready to see the others?"
When Jeremy nodded, Michael signaled for the crew to come in. When Rich barged in, pushing Jake's wheelchair and yelling about some hot nurses ass, Michael let his hood fall over shoulders.