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Rumi had been experiencing a pretty rough GERD flare-up but, afraid of seeming like a burden, she didn't say anything about it.
Besides, the band had a lot of work to do for their upcoming Comeback tour. It'd just be a poor use of time to derail that due to something as silly as a little reflux, really.
And anyway, it wasn't that hard to hide. She'd hidden a far bigger secret her whole life, after all.
Bobby could tell something was off, though. He could hear the edge in her voice and noticed the way she'd clear her throat in between run-throughs. He noticed her higher water intake, and the slight shudder in her chest after dances.
Of course, he knew about her condition, just as he knew about Zoey's Autism and Mira's chronic migraines. These were just basic things to keep an eye on when managing them, as he cared about their well-being above all else.
He knew the signs, and he could tell she was trying to hide it. He decided he would pull her aside after that day's rehearsal to talk to her and see if there was anything he could do.
He wouldn't end up having that opportunity, though.
It was the end of a Golden run when she suddenly doubled over, coughing. Before either of the other girls could even say anything or check on her, she suddenly puked stomach acid all over the stage, her body shuddering as the painful liquid burned her throat and tongue.
"Okay" Bobby said, gesturing to one of the workers on-site to clean up the mess. "We're stopping for today"
"Rumi, are you okay?" Mira asked, concerned. Rumi was crying now, embarrassed and in pain.
"You should've said you weren't feeling well" Zoey said softly, holding back Rumi's braid as more bile came up her throat.
"I didn't want to be a bother" Rumi shuddered, leaning into the other girls, exhausted. Bobby came up onto the stage and handed her a bottle of water, a soft expression on his face. "I deal with this all the time. I should be used to it"
"You have a disease" Bobby said patiently. "Some days are gonna be worse than others"
"I know..." Rumi muttered, her tears drying up. She felt like an idiot for letting it get to this point instead of just taking a rest day. Mira pat her shoulder patiently.
"Come on" the tallest of the three said a calm voice. "Let's get you some Couch"
Rumi wasn't about to complain with that idea.