Work Text:
As a group, SEVENTEEN weren’t renowned for working through illnesses and injuries.
Usually, whenever someone was injured or sick, they would take a brief break until the sickness had passed.
Minghao was one member who was pretty bad at following this rule.
Minghao had woken up feeling pretty awful only a few days into their tour, Be The Sun.
He quickly shook himself awake before rushing to the bathroom with a wave of nausea, throwing up his dinner into the toilet bowl. After ten minutes, he was no longer throwing up and felt a little better, so he left the bathroom and started to get changed. He was relieved to have not woken Junhui, but he shook the elder awake, telling him to get ready so they could get to their sound check.
All the members had slept in, and it was almost four in the afternoon by the time they left the dorm to get to their sound check.
Minghao got through the sound check by rushing to the bathroom to throw up every time they were given a break.
By the time they were forced into their performance outfits and got their makeup done, Minghao had no clue do he was holding up.
He was no longer just nauseous, but he was starting to get dizzy and his arms and legs were aching much more than usual.
Minghao barely felt that he got through the first few songs, and he must’ve been looking pretty awful as the moment he stepped off stage he was met with an oxygen mask being placed over his mouth. Minghao shook his head and ripped off the mask, heading to the bathroom to throw up again, limbs shaking with exhaustion until he was finished and quickly got through his costume change.
Minghao got through the next two breaks by throwing up each time he came off stage and drinking lots of water until his body finally decided it had been through enough.
They were performing the encore stage when Seokmin came over, smiling widely as he took out Minghao’s in-ear monitors to let him hear the fans singing along. The moment the protection was removed from Minghao’s already sensitive ears, it all got too much.
The nausea and dizziness he had been experiencing got worse tenfold, and the moment Seokmin walked away, Minghao’s vision faded and he fell to the stage, sounds fading to pure, uninterrupted silence.
———————
Vernon watched from a distance as Seokmin removed Minghao’s monitors with a wide smile.
The American had been keeping a close eye on Minghao since they ate. Minghao had emerged from his room looking much too pale for someone healthy, and he hadn’t eaten anything. Vernon had noticed Minghao rushing off at every break, and he knew mere seconds before it happened that this was where Minghao’s body gave in.
Just moments after Seokmin skipped away, Minghao’s eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped onto the stage.
Vernon and Junhui had both seen it happen, and they were the two who sprinted forward, kneeling down beside Minghao and shaking his shoulder to try and get him to his feet.
When Minghao didn’t stir, Junhui hoisted him up over his shoulder and ran backstage, dropping Minghao off before heading back on stage.
Once Junhui left, the staff members surrounded Minghao, who had been left unconscious on a couch. The medical staff were quick to get a pulse oximeter on Minghao’s finger to make sure his vitals were stable and they placed an oxygen mask over his face.
It took a good few minutes for Minghao to wake up, and as soon as he opened his eyes he started sobbing, sitting up and covering his mouth as he cried.
The staff quickly brought over an empty bin and Minghao threw up again, only bile coming from his mouth. He’s thrown up so much that he no longer had any food left in him.
Minghao’s limbs trembled as he threw up, and when he was finished he lay down again, his whole body shaking with the force of his sobs.
“We need someone to take him to the ER.” The medical staff announced, pointing at the performance team manager.
The manager nodded and helped Minghao to his feet, making him take a new bin in the car in case he threw up again.
Minghao didn’t throw up in the car, but it was much worse. They were just pulling into the car park when Minghao fell limp in the slightly reclined seat.
The manager quickly parked the car before grabbing him and carrying him into the ER.
Minghao was admitted as a high priority, an admittance band quickly being looped around his wrist as he was placed on a bed and taken upstairs to a private room for some doctors to treat him.
The manager sat down in the waiting room, updating the other staff members before turning his phone off and sitting in silence, waiting to hear an update on the idol's condition.
———————
When Minghao was discharged the next day on some medication, Junhui came with their manager to pick him up.
Minghao was still weak and exhausted from the long night, but he managed to get downstairs and into the car with minimal help.
He had been issued strict orders from the doctor to drink lots of water, as it had been severe dehydration from all the throwing up that caused him to faint twice.
Junhui had been so relieved to see Minghao again, wrapping him in a warm hug the moment he saw his boyfriend.
It didn’t take long before they were back in the dorms, Minghao and Junhui curled up in bed together.
Minghao had been feeling much better than the previous day, especially while Junhui had his warm hands pressed gently against his sore stomach.
Minghao fell asleep that night to a soft kiss pressed against his neck and quiet humming from Junhui.
Minghao was forever thankful for Junhui, both for helping him and being there for him.