Stay Strong Seventeen

Wonwoo

Sleep paralysis
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He was frozen still facing the ceiling
Couldn't move
Couldn't take a single breath

Soon, tears filled his eyes and they fell to his cheeks uncontrollably. He gasped and covered his mouth trying not to make noises but apparently he failed because a while later, Mingyu stumbled into his room with a worried look all over his face

"Wonwoo what's wrong?" Mingyu climbed on Wonwoo's bed trying to see what was happening. He woke up the second he heard him suddenly screaming in the middle of the night, he jolted out of his bed and heard the muffled noises coming from the room next door.

Mingyu tried to uncover Wonwoo's face, the boy had his hand on his moth muffling his own sobs "Won, it's okay look at me" he gently stroke his cheeks and held his hand removing it from his face

He couldn't understand what was happening and kept scanning his face "Won are you hurt? Are you in pain? What is it please, you're scaring me"
Mingyu was terrified, he stared down at Wonwoo with desperate eyes. Wonwoo simply clutched into him and tried to sit up, Mingyu immediately helped him and couldn't help it when Wonwoo pulled him in a tight hug

"Wonwoo please"... "You're shaking" Mingyu held him tighter "Tell me what's wrong?"

Wonwoo tried to control his own breaths, the sobbing soon subsided and he sniffed softly into Mingyu's shoulder. The younger engulfing him completely in a warm embrace, rocking him softly on both sides.

It took him some time but Wonwoo calmed down a little. He was still holding into Mingyu tightly and he didn't even know for how long they've been in this position

"Won?" Mingyu whispered the nickname when Wonwoo seemed to be doing better "Are you okay?" His voice soft and concerned about the older

Wonwoo swallowed hard and simply nodded "Humm" he hummed "Min, I'm so tired" he tried to keep his eyes open but couldn't, he's been crying for a long time and his head gave him all kinds of headaches.
It was throbbing and he felt dizzy "Do you want to tell me what happened?" Mingyu still didn't know what gotten into him

Wonwoo sighed, he didn't know where to even begin "I was trapped in a bad dream"

Mingyu frowned "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't move for over twenty minutes or so Min" ... "I had no control over my body, images just passing through my brain and my body hurt so much ... and I couldn't move"

Mingyu tried to break their hug for a second to get a look at Wonwoo's face. He lovingly stroke the back of his hair and wiped his tears away "Like a sleep paralysis?"

"My mom was hovering on top of me" Wonwoo almost broke down in tears again, "She was just smiling at me and I ... couldn't" ... "Do anything ... say anything"

Mingyu's frown deepened "Hey, it's okay it's just a dream" he tried to sooth him but can he really?

Wonwoo's tears fell almost immediately and Mingyu hugged him back "It's just a dream Won, just a dream" he tried to sooth him back to sleep but Wonwoo wasn't having it.

They simply laid there for a while, Mingyu covering both of them with the blanket and simply talked for a long while. Wonwoo was too tired and couldn't get any rest, Mingyu saw him doze off a few times but immediately his eyes were shot open. It was soon morning and they had to get started with their day.

Wonwoo slowly got ready with Mingyu following his every step helping him whenever he could. In the car, Mingyu managed to catch up on some sleep but Wonwoo couldn't even get to close his eyes. He was afraid that the second he did, all those images will come back to hunt him.
He glanced over at Mingyu sleeping and felt so bad for keeping him up all night, the younger must be so tired. He sighed letting his head fall against the car window trying to get as much rest as he possibly could get before their day started.

The day went on a little slower than usual. Mingyu was by his side most of the time, asking him all different kinds of questions whenever he could. His exhaustion started to get obvious at the end of the day when he was approached by Jeonghan and Scoups and later on by Minghao
"Are you okay?" They asked and he couldn't lie when he was about to fall on his knees
"I'm tired" he simply answered

"You look pale are You okay? Do you want to lay down for a bit?" Minghao asked, he looked worried and Wonwoo looked worse that he was earlier. He nodded "Yeah ... I think I need to lay down for a bit"

Minghao dragged him to the waiting room where everyone was getting ready for a last interview before they go home.
Wonwoo laid on the sofa and Minghao helped him take his shoes off seeing just how unusually pale and tried his friend was.

Wonwoo simply closed his eyes trying to get some rest.

"What's wrong?" Mingyu rushed to their side asking the second his eyes fell on Wonwoo laying on the sofa

"He doesn't look so good, he wanted to lay down" Minghao explained getting Wonwoo a small blanket to cover him up.

"He couldn't sleep last night and been very tired all day" Mingyu pointed out and soon, Jeonghan joined them scanning Wonwoo's face for a second

"Wonwoo?" He softly called, Wonwoo stirred a bit and opened his eyes to look up at Jeonghan "What's wrong? Do you want to see a doctor?"
"No" ... "I'll be okay in a bit" Wonwoo wished his voice sounded better but it didn't. He closed his eyes to get some rest and he felt as Jeonghan pressed his palm against his forehead and gently stroke his hair away from his face.

Wonwoo tried to sleep, but the second he started to doze off, he got sucked into a black whole of his own nightmares again. He whined loudly and jolted upwards only to fall right into someone. He opened his eyes a little to find Joshua holding him close.

Mingyu told them what happened last night and they've been trying to be careful around him ever since, giving him the little space he needed to get some rest.

"I'm fine" Wonwoo said for the second time, he was putting on his shoes for their final interview. Mingyu was sitting by his side asking him if he was okay doing this interview.

"We'll go home after that, I'll be okay by then I promise"

Mingyu sighed, everyone was a bit worried but they did their best to cover up for him during the interview and Wonwoo did his best not to show anything but by the end, DK was helping him walk a straight line to their van as Wonwoo was slightly shaking and too tired to pick himself up.

He sat by Mingyu's side and let his head drop to his shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to rest his throbbing head and tired body. Mingyu wrapped a hand around his shoulders reassuring him that they'll be home soon, and he can get to rest soon.

"I really think we should take you to a doctor Won" Mingyu mumbled to Wonwoo's side, he knew that the older wasn't sleeping

"Min I just need to get home" Wonwoo sounded really tired

"I know but, he might be able to give you something and help you get some rest?"

Wonwoo was silent for a bit "I don't know" he mumbled simply wanting to cut the conversation short. Mingyu looked up at Jeonghan who heard the entire thing and the older gave him a reassuring look "I'll ask the manager to call the doctor and tell him to meet us at your place"

It sounded like a good idea, Wonwoo's face was paler than ever, his eyes closed too tired but unable to sleep. He couldn't wait until finally they got him home and the doctor was waiting for them by the entrance.
They slowly walked him to his room, Mingyu helped him take off his jacket and shoes and immediately got him under the covers.
The doctor did a quick checkup, hooked him on a saline bag and something else to help him sleep better.

Soon, Wonwoo was drifting to sleep and no matter how whiny and uncomfortable it was at first, the doctor told them it was better not to wake him up, the medicine was kicking in and soon, Wonwoo was in deep sleep.

He needed all the rest he could get and he'll be better in the morning.