Hypoglycemic Minghao

Sugar

Summary:
Minghao has chronic hypoglycemia and a late-night dance practice leaves him fighting the symptoms
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Minghao knew something was wrong around twenty minutes after everyone else left.
He'd insisted on staying behind to perfect his routine, and he also insisted everyone was alright to leave him.
Seungcheol was the most hesitant. He was one of two members who knew about Minghao's hypoglycemia, him and Junhui.
Minghao promised he'd be fine, but he'd forgotten that his snacks and emergency medication were in Seungcheol's bag.

Minghao first noticed that he was sweaty and slightly dizzy, but he put that down as being a result of prolonged dancing. Soon after that, his lips started tingling, like a thousand needles pricking them over and over again.
Once again, he ignored the symptoms and kept dancing. Five minutes later his hands started trembling.
After another five minutes of trembling, he couldn't dance anymore. He was just shaking too much.

He needed Seungcheol to pick him up again. He needed his snacks.
Minghao's mind finally caught up and he looked across the room to his bag. His phone was there. He could call Seungcheol.
As he was stumbling across the room, his legs gave out and he fell to the floor with a dull thud and a groan.
The last thing he heard was yelling before everything faded into the distance.

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Jihoon opened the door to the practice room to be shocked by the sight before him.
Minghao was lying on the floor, limbs jerking and body tense. His back was arched painfully and his jaw was completely tense. As Jihoon walked around him, he saw that Minghao's eyes were barely open and rolled back, so only the whites were visible, and drool trickled from his mouth.
Jihoon's first instinct was to grab his phone and call Seungcheol.

The leader picked up on the third ring.
"Do you know what time it is?" Seungcheol groaned sleepily.

"Hyung, I'm sorry but Minghao's having a seizure,"
Seungcheol sounded a lot more awake the next time he spoke. "He's what?"
"He's having a seizure. He's all tense and shaky." Jihoon mumbled, turning Minghao onto his side from his front and stuffing his discarded hoodie under his head. "He's really pale and sweaty. I don't think it's exhaustion. He isn't epileptic so..."

Seungcheol hung up the phone and Jihoon could only assume that he was on the way over.
He felt so hopeless, keeping a hand on the side of Minghao's face as he jerked around on the floor. All he could do until Seungcheol arrived was wait and hope Minghao would be okay.

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Seungcheol sprinted up the stairs at top speed, soon reaching the medical room and grabbing a first aid kit, knowing they contained glucagon shots.
The raced down the corridors until he reached their practise room.
Jihoon was on the floor beside Minghao, the younger still jerking and shaking. It had been at least seven minutes since he ended the call with Jihoon, and Minghao could have been seizing for a while before Jihoon found him.

Seungcheol could only class the situation as dire until he knew better.
Seungcheol was immediately by their side, kneeling and opening the medical kit.
He grabbed the glucagon shot, removed the protective case and rolled up Minghao's sleeve.

"Jihoon, hold his arm still for me."
Jihoon obeyed and when Minghao's arm was still enough, Seungcheol inserted the needle and administered the shot.
It took two minutes for him to start coming down from the seizure, and the convulsions slowly got weaker and slower until two minutes later, he was lying limp against the hard floor.

Once he was still, Seungcheol took the chance to check over Minghao. He could already feel a bump on the side of Minghao's head from hitting it on the floor, and his wrist was beginning to swell up.
Seungcheol pulled him up against his chest, almost crying at how he felt like a rag doll, completely limp in his arms.
It took five minutes for Minghao to wake up, and when he did, he was still pale and in serious need of sugar.

"Mmh... Where... Wha-" His words were slurred and his voice weak.
"Welcome back, HaoHao. Jihoon, go grab some snacks for him. Anything sugary." Seungcheol ordered, pulling Minghao up slightly. "We're going to get some sugar in you and then you can rest at home. You'll be pretty tired after that seizure."
"S-Seizure?" He slurred, head rolling back to rest on Seungcheol shoulders instead of hanging heavy from his neck.

"Yes, Hao. Your blood sugar must be really low. I left the gel at home so I had to give you a glucagon shot. Your arm might hurt for a bit."
Minghao just groaned and closed his eyes, although not falling asleep.
He was startled when Jihoon came back, the door slamming shut behind him.
"Okay, I have Fruit Pastels and a juice carton," Jihoon announced, kneeling beside Minghao and placing two of the sweets in his mouth.

Minghao chewed slowly before swallowing, and Jihoon was quick to make him drink some of the juice.
They were on the floor for about ten minutes, slowly feeding Minghao more and more sugary snacks until his hands stopped shaking and he could somewhat support his own weight.

When Seungcheol was sure Minghao wouldn't collapse, he and Jihoon got the younger to his feet, Seungcheol supporting him. Seungcheol carried Minghao's bag, one arm looped around Minghao's small waist as they walked back down to the car.
Jihoon was staying behind to finish a song for recording.
Minghao lay down across the back seats while Seungcheol drove.

"Hao, why didn't you call me?" Seungcheol asked, voice soft as he knew Minghao's mind was fuzzy from the seizure.
"I-I couldn't get my phone in time." His voice was still slurred, but it was more his Chinese accent and sleepiness.
"And why didn't you have snacks?"
"They were in your bag."

That realization hit Seungcheol like a truck. If only he'd left Minghao a pack of sweets, he wouldn't have fallen ill so quickly. He wouldn't have been found in such a bad state by Jihoon.
"I'm so sorry, Hao." Seungcheol breathed, blinking back tears. "I'll be more careful."
Minghao's voice was much heavier with sleep the next time he spoke. "It's alright... I should've reminded you..." His voice drifted off at the end as he began to fall asleep.

"HaoHao, just stay awake until we get to the dorms. Please."
There was no answer, but Minghao's breathing was softer than before. Seungcheol sighed and let out a quiet laugh.
At least Minghao was safe with him.