Stay Strong Seventeen

Joshua

The last thing he remembers is going back home.

The rest of the Vocal unit were surrounding him, they finished a late recording and decided to take a walk home.

His throbbing head only intensified since that morning and for a second, all he heard was a high pitched ringing in his ears.
He tried to shake off the black spots that formed in front of his eyes but he couldn't. His breaths were stuck in his throat and all he managed to do was exhale with difficulty.

He stumbled and bumped into someone. He didn't even see who it was and he leaned forward. He was a second away from falling head first and hitting the cold hard pavement ... oh wait, no he didn't hit the cold hard pavement.

The pavement wasn't warm nor comfortable like this

He didn't know that he fell right into Jeonghan's embrace because all sounds were distant and nothing made any sense and everything was blurry and soon, everything went dark.

Joshua just fell limp on their way home.
On the streets.
It was so sudden and scary.
They tried to call his name a few times to no vail, and it was too deep in the night and they were right in the middle of the road.
It was scary and unexpected, Joshua just collapsed out of nowhere and they needed to act fast. He was breathing steadily but motionless nonetheless and no matter how harshly Jeonghan shook him, he didn't budge.

In the end, Dokyeom simply picked him up and they run home. Jeonghan wasn't sure what just happened, Seungkwan was already freaking out and Woozi was simply frozen the entire time.
Jeonghan stopped a couple of times on their way to open the few first buttons of Joshua's shirt and make sure he was getting enough air.

Putting him down on his bed, Jeonghan patted Joshua's cheeks and called his name countless times but the boy reminded unbothered. Woozi, finally awakened from his daze, was already on the phone calling their doctor.

Jeonghan and Seungkwan helped taking Joshua's coat and shoes off and tucked him in lightly. They simply sat by his side hoping that this was nothing but a dizzy spell, that he was just tired and needed some time to rest.
Jeonghan sighed, his heart restless and worried out of his mind. He asked Woozi to call Seungcheol and Hoshi the other two unit leader and inform them what happened, he also wanted them to ask around the other members anyone knew anything about Joshua's condition.

"Shua?" He softly called for the hundredth time "Shua what's wrong?" He asked, looking down at Joshua's still and sleeping like face "You can't just faint on us in the middle of the street like that" he softly scolded but Joshua didn't even flinch.

They had no idea what just happened or what caused Joshua to collapse just like that and they only hoped that it was nothing serious.
It's been about fifteen minutes, everyone was going in and about the room. All too worried and concerned, Seungkwan was holding his tears from falling down his cheeks, silently panicking in the living room while DK reassured him over and over that all will be just fine.

Their thoughts were finally broken by the sudden buzz of their doorbell to which Woozi run to answer.

The doctor was finally here.

He followed Woozi inside the house and immediately towards Joshua. They basically had nothing to say other than he just collapsed out of nowhere on their way home. No one knew if Joshua was going through something and it broke their hearts to pieces not knowing anything.

The checkup took a while, the doctor himself wasn't sure what he was looking at. Joshua just seemed tired and overworked but nothing looked serious.

"Have you guys been doing any extreme workouts?" He asked but not really no, it's the usual for them, dance practice and choreography but nothing too intense

"Has he been eating well? Sleeping well?"

"I guess?" Jeonghan replied not really sure what to say. As far as everybody knew, Joshua was doing fine and nothing was unusual ... nothing that they knew of anyways.

"He's dehydrated" The doctor announced "His breaths are shallow" he continued "No fever but definitely exhausted and tired"

Jeonghan had no explanations to offer, words were stuck in his throat unable to utter a thing. Dokyeom put a reassuring hand over his shoulder "We don't know anything doctor, we didn't notice that he's been going through anything of the sort and it breaks our hearts to admit it" Dokyeom said, his voice low and tone full with sadness and disappointment. The doctor nodded and continued the check up

"I'll keep an eye on him for a while, I'll give him some fluids and vitamins ... once he wakes up, we can assess him more and if needed, I will admit him to the clinic"

Jeonghan sighed deeply and Dokyeom nodded, he seemed to be the only one who had his emotions under control right now, unlike Seungkwan who was freaking out in the living room and Woozi who couldn't get off his phone calling everyone else.

It was already deep in the night and everyone was tired. The doctor told them to get some rest as he kept an eye on Joshua.
Jeonghan and Dokyeom couldn't leave the room. Jeonghan ended up sleeping while sitting on the floor with his back to the bed and Dokyeom was dozing off on the desk chair.
Seungkwan was leaning against Woozi's shoulder in the living room. His panic attack calmed down a while ago and he just wanted to rest his exhausted mind for a bit and Woozi more than happy to offer him his shoulder.

It was almost dawn, Joshua stirred a little before he cracked his eyes open and was immediately greeted by the doctor.

He seemed to be in shock, frantically looking around ... he was in his room but everything felt strange.
He doesn't remember anything and definitely doesn't remember coming back home at all.

"You fainted on your way home, your friends brought you back and called me"
The doctor explained in a calmer tone pointing at the sleeping figures of Jeonghan and Dokyeom near them.

Joshua sighed, closing his eyes for a bit "I don't remember" he mumbled weakly, a strain was definitely taking over his body

"You were dehydrated and overall exhausted" ... "Is there anything else I need to know?" ... "Are you sick or hurt anywhere?"

Joshua shook his head slightly
"I've been feeling a bit tired today, I had a headache almost all day ... that's all really"
He sounded weak, talking slowly while taking a short break from time to time to calm himself down.

The doctor noticed
"Your breaths are not steady ... wait" he did a small check up where he pressed down on a few spots on his chest "Does it hurt when I do this?"

"Humm no" Joshua contemplated but ended up saying no
"Are you sure?" The doctor asked for confirmation and Joshua nodded
"Okay that's good at least" ... "Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy?"

"Just the headache"

"Anything else Joshua? You have to let me know or else I'll have to admit you for more tests"

Joshua was silent for a while "I ... don't know really"

"You sound weak though, rest for now, but I recommend we go to the clinic for more tests"

Joshua was trying to get some shut eye when Jeonghan was awakened by the hushed voices of the two. He jolted up from where was laying and immediately got to their sides

"Hi" ... "HI" he kneeled down near Joshua "How are you feeling?" He asked scanning Joshua's face
"I'm tired" he replied honestly blinking slowly.

Jeonghan exchanged a worried look with the doctor

"I can't see anything wrong, other than being exhausted, but I'll take him down to the clinic for a check up just to be sure"

Jeonghan nodded not knowing exactly what was happening and apparently, neither did Joshua himself. For now, he decided not to worry too much, it will be okay ... everything's going to be okay.