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9:12am
Something is wrong.
Hoseok and Yoongi were sitting on one side of the booth while Namjoon sat alone on the other side. Yoongi and Namjoon too engrossed in the English menu while Hoseok stared idly at the table.
They were halfway home from their disastrous writer’s retreat at the cabin last night. Yoongi ended up getting the stomach flu and losing power was just another clusterfuck to add to the equation. So, as a reward for surviving last night, they all decided to go eat at the American breakfast place near the cabin.
It was a great idea before they started driving, but now Hoseok just wants to go home.
He feels weird.
Feels wrong.
His body doesn’t feel right and he rather have things turn left at home.
“I think I want to eat Chicken and Waffles” Namjoon announces, mouth salivating as the words escaped his lips, eyes glued at the photo display.
“I will get a plate of French Toast.” Yoongi asked in English, pointing at his food choice in case the waitress didn’t understand him.
Why is everyone speaking in English right now?
Didn’t they just sit down at the restaurant?
“Hoseok, what do you want to order?” Namjoon asked, Yoongi nudging his shoulder to get his attention. Right. Eating. That’s a thing. Ordering, I know how to do that.
“I will just have toast and fruits.” Hoseok ordered, voice barely audible to hear but luckily the waitress heard him, avoiding the embarrassment of Namjoon coming to rescue his ass. Maybe putting a little bit in his system will alleviate the wrongness that is sending a shiver down his spine.
The waitress left with a smile on her face after grabbing the menus and placing down extra napkins and straws. Yoongi and Namjoon staring dead at Hoseok.
“I know you have to be hungrier to eat more than toast and fruits Seokie.” Yoongi hums, voice still raspy from last night’s episode of the stomach flu. His eyes were barely open as he stares at Hoseok.
He is hungrier. Or so he thought when they left the cabin and headed for the road. During the drive there Hoseok felt a bit off, shaking it as possibly motion sickness from staring at the road too hard. But, when the rap trio entered the food establishment, the strong smells of breakfast is starting to make Hoseok a bit nauseous.
Something is very wrong. Sitting at the booth with a rumbling stomach and an emerging cramp is all but too much for Hoseok to stay still. All he did since they have entered the restaurant was stare at the outlines of the wood table to distract himself from the cramps that were getting more and more intense at squeezing his insides.
“You with us Hoseok?” Namjoon asks, snapping his fingers in his face to gain his attention. No. I rather be at home than to be with you all in bumblefuck nowhere in an American pancake house.
“I don’t feel well.” Hoseok mumbles, swallowing the nausea that’s building up in his throat as their meals were being placed on the table. “I feel sick.” He whispers.
Yoongi can sense the anxiety Hoseok was waving off, feeling the bumpy movements of Hoseok’s shaking legs as Namjoon asks the waiter for their meal to go. Everything was happening way too fast for him to comprehend.
“Do you want to go to the bathroom?” Yoongi asks quietly, measuring Hoseok on the scale of holy shit to holy fucking shit. Hoseok didn’t trust his body, his eyes shaking in Yoongi’s direction in hopes that he was up for a game of charades.
“Go.” Namjoon nods. “I’ll be waiting by the car.”
Shit.
Hoseok was the designated driver since Yoongi is still recovering from last night’s traumatic episode.
Hoseok could feel the weight being added on his shoulders. He flashbacks to when Jimin projectile vomited on him and then remembers Yoongi doing the very same last night. They both had the stomach flu.
Of course, he gets the stomach flu. It’s about damn time to be honest.
Yoongi and Hoseok carried each other to the men’s restroom and parking themselves on the grimy floor of the handicap stall.
“I don’t want to throw up.” Hoseok whines, feeling his chest constrict and his cramps getting more unbearable.
“You will feel better once you do.” Yoongi knows he is lying. He still feels like he’s been hit by a truck and was hoping to eat since it has been over 24 hours since his last meal.
Hoseok just whimpered in response, fighting back the tears that keep threatening to spill down his face.
“Want me to do it first?” Yoongi jokes, hoping to alleviate some of the anxiety Hoseok is going through. Instead, he crawled into Yoongi, gently resting his head on Yoongi’s shoulder as he silently cries.
“I’m sorry Seokie that you got the bug too. It seems like it has been a domino effect since Taehyung started having it.” Yoongi cooed. I’m surprised you got it now. It was a bet that you would get it before I would. Guess I owe Jungkook $50 bucks.”
Okay fuck you. Hoseok wanted to spat, but a gag escaped his throat as he tosses himself at the porcelain.
Nothing happens excepts queasy burps and painful retches before Yoongi tries to pry Hoseok away from the toilet.
It would have been too easy. Of course, his stomach wanted to play games.
“Let’s go home and you can be miserable in private. Right now, it’s already a sight that we’re both haphazardly holding each other up while walking out of the same stall.”
10:13am
Namjoon stares at the duo carrying themselves out of the restaurant. Yoongi stopping their movements, standing still in the parking lot as Hoseok was inching towards the pavement.
He doesn’t know what to do. He wants to leave the food and go get them, but he also doesn’t know if he should go towards two sick, contagious men.
Fuck.
“I-I’m gonna be sic-“ was all Hoseok said before he lurches forward, yellow bile pouring out of his mouth as if it was a competition to be the biggest waterfall. Yoongi falls backwards, a dizzy spell and a sudden queasy stomach was too much of a feeling to feel all at once, so his first instinct was to move far away as possible.
“Shit!” Namjoon curses, placing their breakfasts on top of the car before running to Hoseok’s side, patting his back as Hoseok cries while the thick streams of vomit continue to paint the parking lot.
In the corner of his eye, he could see Yoongi’s head deep in a bush, bobbling from side to side from his dizzy spell and trying not to fall into the bush at the same time.
The real question is who is going to drive everyone home if Namjoon is the only one without a license?
12:00pm
From the outside, everyone in the car seems to be normal. Hoseok was in the backseat asleep, curled into a ball as much as the space allows while holding on to Yoongi’s sweater as a blanket. Yoongi was in the passenger seat, a grocery bag ready in one hand while the other is used as a pillow to lean his head against the window.
Who’s driving you may ask?
The maknae of the rap duo, and the leader of BTS himself, Namjoon.
It took some coercion from Yoongi, complaining how everyone else is busy and neither of the sick men can drive consciously without any foolery happening. Namjoon rebuttals with his argument that it is illegal and too risky. To which, Hoseok replies that it is only illegal if they were to get caught, and Namjoon just needs to act like it is like driving a go-kart.
Except it’s not at all near driving a go-kart. It is rather like driving a stolen vehicle on Grand Theft Auto with five stars and too many police cars chasing you.
His arms were locked in place, eyes dared to move to glance at Yoongi for approval as he continues to listen to the G.P.S. instructing him where to go with Yoongi sleepily repeating it for him.
Even when Namjoon missed the exit, biting his lips from screaming and hoping his heart can jump out of his mouth at the same time, Yoongi calmly tells Namjoon that the navigation will reroute itself and everything will be fine.
Even when Namjoon ran a stop sign, Yoongi calmly tells Namjoon with his eyes closed that it is going to be fine and keep following the navigation.
Every now and then Namjoon’s breathing hitch when he feels Yoongi rubbing his thighs in comfort.
He dared to glance at the sleeping elder, watching the oldest out of the three slumped in slumber while idly comforting Namjoon through his outward panic.
“Keep your eyes on the road Joonie.” It was magic how Yoongi knew Namjoon was glancing at him while he was sleeping.
It was also magic how the next turn lead them to the driveway where he managed to pull up and almost left the vehicle in neutral if it wasn’t for Yoongi’s reflexes.
“How is everyone feeling?” Namjoon anxiously asks aloud, fighting with the key in the ignition before elbowing Yoongi in the shoulder when he got it to release.
“Fucking peachy.” Yoongi grumbles, holding his shoulder in grimace at Namjoon before slamming the car door right after.
2:18pm
Namjoon stares at his phone, not surprised that he has yet to receive any notifications from the vocal line after expressing in the group chat that he has no fucking clue how to deal with sick people. Let alone two sick people.
Is he in Hell?
He was all but very excited to receive a text from Jimin, almost dropping his phone on the floor as he swipes to open it.
His excitement washes away once he sees only a frowny face in response to his autocorrect yet still misspelled text of him panic storytelling of his past day with the duo.
After they managed to get inside, Hoseok retired to his room while Yoongi ate his breakfast in the kitchen before following suit with going to bed in his room. Namjoon had purchased a seat on the sofa and hasn’t moved since they entered their place of residence.
Namjoon held his breath, hearing small footsteps coming closer to him. He turns, revealing a sleepy Hoseok who plants himself next to the leader while resting his head in his lap.
“Can you pet me?” Hoseok asks softly, his breath hitched as his face screwed in pain.
Namjoon can feel his heart break, shaky hands hovering over Hoseok’s greasy, sweaty hair as he glides his fingers idly. He continues to do so, scrolling on his phone as he feels Hoseok falling asleep on his lap, as well as his own legs falling asleep as well.
2:39pm
Hoseok wakes up in a sweat, breath imprisoned in his lungs as he fights to catch a breath. Everything was on fire, and his head was winning the battle of making him dive headfirst towards the floor.
The room was spinning, blinking his eyes several times in hope to clear his vision.
His heart beating in his ears, tongue feeling thick and tasting like the aftertaste of bile.
He couldn’t trust himself to walk, so he allows himself to crawl onto the floor and blindly search for the nearest bathroom.
He doesn’t know what is going on, but he doesn’t feel like painting anything else with his body fluids anymore.
There was a burp that berated his throat, a rush of liquid racing up his throat as he expels it just in time in front of the toilet. The curtains have opened in his stomach, giving it the main role of tossing and chucking all of his body fluids out of him.
Hoseok grabbed the toilet bowl, trying to steady himself as he feels himself getting light. His stomach gurgled angrily, and he’s sure that he needs to relieve himself from the other end as well eventually.
As soon as he was able to catch a break, he switches to sitting on the toilet and grabbing the nearest wastebasket in sight.
He’s glad he locked the door. He doesn’t need anyone to see him like this.
3:09pm
Namjoon awakes alone, stretching his neck from awkward placement as he retrieves his phone. He sees a slew of texts from the vocal line, expressing that they will be home tonight to help take care of Hoseok and Yoongi.
That’s great.
He just must manage both Yoongi and Hoseok and not cause any hiccups until 8pm.
Namjoon stretches the rest of his body as he yawns, getting up to retrieve his breakfast. He stops halfway, turning around to realize that he was petting Hoseok before falling asleep.
“Where’s Hoseok?” He asks only himself.
“In the bathroom doing all the above.” Yoongi answers, leaning his body against the wall behind Namjoon as he watches him leave his plate close to the edge of the counter to go retrieve Hoseok.
“Seokie? How are you doing?” Namjoon knocks, unsure of what to expect if he opens the door.
There was no answer.
“Hoseok? Is everything alright?”
Still no answer. Namjoon jiggles at the locked door.
“Hoseok? Can you hear me-“ Hoseok opens the door, using it to hold himself upright as he tries to stare at Namjoon.
“You okay?” Yoongi questions, eyeballing the pale man suspiciously as Namjoon flinches.
“No, no, no, I am fine.” Hoseok swallows painfully. “Just peachy.”
“Really?” Namjoon counters. “You are pale as hell and three seconds from falling over.”
“You might want to catch me.” Hoseok said suddenly, eyes rolling back as Namjoon struggles to catch him before he hits his head against the tub.
Yoongi only sighs in response.
4:21pm
Yoongi just wants to sleep.
Everything is too much effort to do and he has no energy to utilize any of his muscles.
But here he was, holding the bucket steady as Hoseok yet again expels bile from his mouth and nose.
Jesus be a fence.
They all need to consider reconsidering doing anything for the next few days. They all just need to stay still and do jack shit. Maybe then the bug can leave the group and stop tonguing them down in their throat repeatedly.
The fact that there is still Namjoon and Jin left who has yet to get the bug is irritating. Either they are immune, or they are all going to go to hell in a handbasket once the bug finally ends the agony and reaches them.
“Shit. He still has something left in his system?! He barely ate yesterday?” Namjoon comments, coming in with a cool washcloth for Hoseok’s fever and a bottle of water. Yoongi only shakes his head, removing the bucket away from Hoseok and replacing it with the bottle of water and a straw.
After the fainting spell, Namjoon took Hoseok’s temperature to reveal that he has a very high fever that they need to break before “Seokjin come beat my ass and sends me to hell as a personal gift.”
Hoseok has been sleeping on and off, groaning and moaning before waking up in tears from his nightmares of him vomiting to death and ends up working himself up and eventually almost puking on Yoongi before he could grab the bucket to prohibit that.
Namjoon and Yoongi both look at each other before sharing at look at Hoseok, who was falling asleep siting up with the straw still in his mouth.
The moment didn’t last long.
Namjoon broke the moment first, carefully taking the bottled water from Hoseok’s limp grasp as Yoongi lays down with Hoseok. Namjoon covers Hoseok in heavy comforters and Yoongi with a blanket before turning off the lights and leaving them be.
6:48pm
Yoongi was awoken by a kick and a hard fall to the ground before hearing frazzled footsteps leaving the room. As he tries to get himself up, wincing at the growing bruise from his tailbone he sees a frazzled Namjoon following suit in the bathroom.
Yoongi creeps slowly into the dark bathroom, loud retches filled the space as the silhouette of Namjoon rubbing Hoseok’s back and whispering sweet nothings in response.
“I’m calling the manager. Hoseok needs to go to the hospital.” As much as he doesn’t want to put Hoseok through it, Yoongi knows that Namjoon and him can only do so much for Hoseok.
“We can ride it out. His bile looks clear now.” Namjoon points out, hoping Yoongi gets the hint.
He doesn’t want to get the hint.
There was silence in the bathroom, the only noise engulfing them was Hoseok’s hyperventilation intersperse with sobs and wheezing. Then it was completely silent when Hoseok fell limp in Namjoon’s arms.
“On second thought, maybe we should go to the hospital.”
12:04am
Yoongi opens the door to a worried Seokjin waiting on the couch. Namjoon almost dropping a sleeping Hoseok as he toes his shoes off.
“How is he?” Seokjin’s voice laced with worry and sleep as he creeps towards Hoseok.
“What about me?” Yoongi whines, deflating with a long exhale as he places himself in the spot Seokjin was once at.
“I’ll massage you before you go to sleep.” Seokjin smiles. Yoongi couldn’t help but reveal a grin before standing up and getting ready for bed.
“He got some medication for his bug and an IV for his dehydration.” Namjoon sighs. “I thought we could ride it out like Yoongi’s.”
Seokjin follows Namjoon as he places Hoseok on his bed. Hoping to give some snuggles and cuddles to make up for the long two days.
“Remember Jungkook’s stomach bug? He had to go to the hospital too. You did a good thing and took care of both Yoongi and Seokie.”
“But Yoongi had helped me even when he was sick.” Namjoon whines while trying to undress Hoseok of his outerwear. Seokjin crept closer, massaging the tension out of Namjoon’s unconscious raised shoulders.
“Give yourself more credit. I heard you drove home without a license. If you didn’t drive, you guys would have been sick and stranded until one of us were free from our schedules to come get you all.” Namjoon chuckles in response, completely forgetting how scared he was driving home on the winded turns and anxiety inducing highways.
“Now that would have been a funny story.”