Chapter Text
Felix groaned as he turned off the blaring alarm. It was 6 AM, which meant he had just 30 minutes to get ready for the day ahead. With a sigh, he dragged himself out of bed, grabbing the clothes he had laid out the night before, and headed for the bathroom. As he passed the older members, he mumbled a few tired “good mornings, hyungs” the others barely responded as they scrambled to get ready as well. The Schedule was pretty packed today with After a quick shower and change, Felix headed downstairs. He grabbed a piece of toast from Minho, who had prepared a few grab-and-go snacks for breakfast, muttering a quick "thank you hyung."
“You don’t look so good. You okay?” Chan asked, concerned, as Felix slid his shoes on by the door.
“Yeah, I’m just tired,” Felix replied, trying to brush it off, though he couldn’t help but notice the worried look Chan sent his way.
The members split into two cars, with Hyunjin, Chan, Jeongin, and Felix climbing into the first vehicle. “I hate early schedules,” Hyunjin complained, leaning his head against the window as the van began to move. “Yeah, it’s not ideal, but it has to be done, Jinnie,” Chan responded with a teasing ruffle of Hyunjin's already messy hair, laughing as the younger swatted at his hand.
In the second car, Lee Know, Han, Sungmin, and Changbin were quieter, each in their own thoughts. When they arrived at the JYP building, the group quickly filed out of the vans and entered the building, scanning their cards to gain access. They made their way up to their assigned practice room for a dance rehearsal to fine-tune some of their performances before recording the final parts for S-Class.
"Alright, boys, let’s start with stretching, then we can go over Hall of Fame first," their choreographer, Seong Myung, instructed as the members quickly set down their belongings. Felix felt a slight sense of unease creeping in, but he pushed it aside as they began their warm-up. As the practice continued, however, Felix’s uneasiness grew worse, and his focus seemed to waver. A dull ache in his head seemed to accompany him through the practice. It felt as if his brain couldn't process the movements in the way it usually did.
“Felix, please pay attention,” Seong Myung said, a bit frustrated, as he demonstrated the necessary adjustments to the choreography. Felix nodded but struggled to keep his concentration, something that was unusual for him. Normally, he was quick to catch onto new routines, especially considering he was a member of Danceracha.
By the end of the practice, they had run over their scheduled time, and the members were clearly frustrated. Felix had struggled more than usual with the new dance changes, making mistakes he usually wouldn’t. His discomfort only deepened, but he forced a smile. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s happening to me,” he muttered, bowing at his choreographer and his members.
“It’s alright, mate. Just take it easy today, yeah?” Chan said gently, offering some reassurance in his thick Australian accent. Felix simply nodded, still feeling off as he moved to the corner quickly grabbing his phone.
Chan looked back at the group with dance practice being finished the next thing would be recording lines. "Hannie, Binnie, want to join me in the studio to help set up for recording?" he asked. The others nodded eagerly, and they all parted ways, some heading to the canteen for food, others to warm up their voices. Felix, however, chose to stay behind and work on his dancing. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t bring himself to rest. He was stuck more in his mind today than most. Wanting to get the choreo down so he didn't drag his fellow members behind.
“Don’t work too hard,” Lee Know warned as he passed by, though Felix barely acknowledged it. He felt the pressure of the day weighing on him, his head pounding with each movement. He only had an hour before he was due in the studio for his recording session, so he decided to focus on a specific part of the ITEM choreography that he had been struggling with. The chorus was simple enough, but it felt as though his arms weren’t moving as they should. After half an hour of trying and failing, Felix gave up and decided to head to the studio early.
Stopping by a vending machine on his way, he grabbed a bottle of water. His own water bottle sat conveniently on the kitchen table at the dorm,not doing him much good here. When he entered the studio, Hyunjin was in the recording booth recording his part for their new song. Han waved Felix over to the couch where he was sitting, smiling as Felix plopped down beside him. Felix leaned back, hoping to relieve some of the pressure from his headache. He closed his eyes for a moment, only to be jolted back to reality when Han whispered, “Lixxie, it’s your turn.”
Felix got up, but he felt dizzy, his body swaying slightly. Changbin immediately noticed. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked, eyeing Felix carefully. “You don’t look so good. We can record your part later if you need.”
“I’m fine,” Felix muttered, though it seemed more to himself than to changbin. Changbin didn’t push further but placed a hand on his shoulder, letting him walk toward the recording booth. Felix felt strangely disoriented, but he didn’t want to admit it.
Inside the booth, Felix tried to follow the guide track, but his mind wasn’t processing the lyrics as quickly as it should. His voice sounded breathy and strained. "Can I listen to it again?" he asked, realizing something wasn’t right.
Both Chan and Changbin exchanged a look, worry clearly etched on their faces. Felix followed along with the guide again, nodding when he felt like he could start recording. He was doing well even if he was noticing how pitchy he sounded, but as he reached the word spotlight, everything seemed to blur. His thoughts scattered, and the words jumbled in his head. Panic surged when he felt a sudden numbness in his left arm. His breath became short and frantic.
Before he could react, his vision blurred and his body collapsed. Chan, Changbin, and Han rushed into the booth just as Felix began to seize.
“Oh my god…” Han whispered, his voice trembling with fear as he watched his best friend’s body twitch and convulse uncontrollably. Felix’s legs kicked out, slamming against the wall with a painful thud.
“Han, go get the managers! Changbin, call an ambulance!” Chan screamed, kneeling beside Felix, his hands shaking as he desperately tried to support Felix’s head.
Felix's body continued to jerk violently. Chan whispered desperately in English, though it felt like his words were going unheard. “It’s going to be okay, Felix. Just hold on.”
Changbin, frantic, called for an ambulance, his voice shaking as he spoke. "It’s going to be okay, Felix. Please hang in there," he muttered under his breath, glancing between Chan and Han, both equally terrified.
Han bolted for the door, calling for the managers. Every second felt like an eternity. As Felix’s breathing grew erratic, Han’s heart pounded with panic.
Felix's body continued to twitch violently, his skin pale and drenched in sweat. Chan, holding back tears, whispered through gritted teeth, “Please, Felix, please come on…”
Finally, the sound of hurried footsteps rang in the hallway, and the managers burst in. One of them quickly grabbed a nearby towel to cushion Felix’s head as it jerked around, their voice sharp and urgent. “We need to get him to the hospital now. Han run down to the lobby to meet the paramedics so you can show them the way up here”
Han nodded quickly running out of the room, his breathing a bit erratic. He knew something was wrong with Felix during dance practice however he just thought it was exhaustion or undereating. Not this.
Chan nodded, barely holding it together, his eyes filled with fear. “The ambulance is on its way, Felix. Just a little longer, okay?”
The waiting felt endless, but finally, the sound of sirens blared in the distance. Paramedics rushed in and Han swiftly entered the room but stayed out of the way of the professionals who swiftly took control of the situation. They worked quickly, but Felix’s body continued to convulse, and his breathing was shallow and ragged. It felt like a lifetime before the seizure ended and they managed to stabilize him, lifting him onto a stretcher.
“Did anyone time it?” one of the paramedics asked, his voice calm but stern. Han had tears rolling down his eyes as he tried to gasp out “It happened so fast… we didn’t.”
A groan escaped Felix as he lay on the stretcher, his eyes fluttering open. “Hey, you're okay. We’re taking you to the hospital to get checked out,” the paramedic reassured him, speaking in Korean. Felix’s mind was too foggy to process the words in the unfamiliar language. Panic struck as he reached out desperately, looking for something familiar.
“Shh, hey mate, it’s okay” Chan said gently, holding Felix’s hand. “You just had a seizure, okay? We’re going to the hospital.”
Felix’s eyes widened in realization. He had a seizure. It couldn’t be. He had been seizure-free for years. He thought he had outgrown it. Although now that he thought about it all the old warning signs were there.
“You can ride in the ambulance, but we really need to go,” the paramedic said to Chan, who nodded without hesitation.
“Changbin, gather the others and tell them what happened. We’ll figure everything out at the hospital for now, have everyone stay at the dorm.,” Chan said, his voice stern, though filled with worry. He never let go of Felix’s hand as he followed the paramedics out of the room, his heart racing.