Hypoglycaemic Minghao

Mistaken

As SEVENTEEN were often on diets before comebacks, Minghao had never put too much thought into what he ate. Usually, Minghao's doctor would plan out a diet which would allow him to maintain his low weight and receive the additional sugar and salt he needed. Minghao would simply eat the food given to him to their manager.

SEVENTEEN had just finished promotions when they were taken off their diet, which was an unusual occurrence.

They still had to attend rehearsal, but they were only to keep everyone's memory fresh.

Minghao always thought it was weird to get to pick his own food. Normally they were given chicken breasts and sweet potatoes.

The group decided to have a selection of kimchi, seafood and some beans for lunch.

The whole group was thankful for the chance to eat whatever they wanted before heading to practice, so everyone ate well.

Once the meal was finished and their alarm told them it was time to leave, the group packed up and headed out to the cars.

———————

The practice was quite difficult despite the group being well-fed and on more than five hours of sleep. Minghao suspected it was so that they didn't gain too much weight while they were off their diet.

They were only two hours into practice when Minghao's vision started blurring. Minghao passed it off as dehydration, taking a long swig from his water bottle.

He couldn't already be exhausted from nothing. Minghao had been able to go up to twelve hours of non-stop practise with nothing but a short food break and occasional water breaks in between songs. He had to, they would've dropped him from the group if he couldn't.

It was as they reached three hours that Minghao's body finally gave in, dropping to the floor halfway through a song with a loud thud that echoed around the room.

Mingyu, who was right next to Minghao as it happened, knelt beside Minghao and gave his shoulder a gentle shake. Everyone was hoping that Minghao had only fallen and was too tired to get back to his feet, but Junhui knew better as he grabbed Minghao's bag and took out the glucagon injection kit.

Wonwoo grabbed Minghao by the shoulders, raising his upper body so the rapper could sit behind him and prop him up for Junhui.

"We had a good meal. He ate more than he usually does. Why is he having a hypo?" Junhui muttered, raising the glucagon shot and sticking the needle into Minghao's thigh.

The members all sat around, anxiously waiting for Minghao to open his eyes. Junhui and Wonwoo were the closest to Minghao, checking over his body in case he was having an adrenal crisis. Seungcheol was right beside Junhui, timing how long it took Minghao to wake up.

Minghao came around only seven minutes later, which was shorter than usual.

He let out a long whine, turning his head and screwing his eyes tight.

"Can you dim the lights?" Junhui called over to Seungkwan, who was sitting right under the switch.

Seungkwan twisted the small dial until the lights were nearly off.

Minghao let his head fall onto Junhui's shoulder when the elder moved closer, a loud sob escaping his lips.

"'M so tired," Minghao whined, Junhui taking his weight off of Wonwoo by pulling Minghao forward to lean against his chest.

Minghao let himself be moved, body too weak to do much anyway.

Junhui placed his hands under Minghao's arms, pulling him up a little higher so Minghao's temple was pressed against Junhui's collarbone.

"I know, honey. I know. Let's just get you back to the dorms and into bed." Junhui whispered, voice slightly muffled in Minghao's soft hair.

Minghao hummed, letting Wonwoo pick him up bridal-style. Junhui grabbed his bag, threw away the empty emergency injection kit and walked next to Minghao and Wonwoo.

The ride back to the dorm was quiet, Minghao, Wonwoo, Junhui, Jeonghan and Seungcheol were in one of the cars, and the rest of the members were divided between the other two. Minghao was resting in Wonwoo's lap, back against the door and legs tucked up on the seat beside Wonwoo. Wonwoo kept using his deep voice, the one Minghao found so much comfort in while he wasn't feeling well, whispering gentle reassurances and proud compliments in Minghao's ear.

Minghao decided he was up to walking when they got back to the dorms, slowly walking out of the car, movements a little too sluggish for Seungcheol and Junhui's liking. Wonwoo stayed right next to Minghao, an arm wrapped loosely against his small waist in case he fell.

Minghao managed to make it to the elevator before he climbed onto Seungcheol's back with an exhausted sigh.

Seungcheol wished that Minghao's episodes didn't cause him so much pain and exhaustion. They all wished that Minghao would stop working so hard and find a way to balance his work life and his health.

Minghao fell asleep before the elevator had even stopped on the eighth floor, soft breath brushing against the shell of Seungcheol's ear.

Seungcheol smiled, carrying Minghao through to the China Line bedroom and getting him settled under the fluffy blankets they used as a duvet and rearranging one of Minghao's pillows so his head was raised a bit more.

"You're so strong, HaoHao. So, so strong. Please stay like this for us." Seungcheol whispered, placing a gentle kiss to Minghao's forehead. "Look after him for me. Get him some food when he wakes up. I'm going to call his doctor." Seungcheol whispered to Junhui, brushing Minghao's hair back before leaving the room.

———————

Seungcheol made a quick call to Minghao's doctor, Dr Lee to tell him what had happened.

Seungcheol told Dr Lee exactly what Minghao had eaten for lunch, how long they'd been practising and what happened when he fainted.

Dr Lee went through everything before coming to a conclusion.

"You say he had seafood, kimchi and a selection of beans for lunch. I'm not surprised he had a hypoglycaemic episode. All of those foods are low sugar foods. Diabetics often have them to avoid high blood sugar. Considering his blood sugar often doesn't get above 90-100 mg/dL, having a low sugar meal would definitely force him into a hypo."

Seungcheol sighed, "Okay, what can we do to avoid this again?"

"I suggest making him follow his diet plan even when he isn't on a diet, but with a few added snacks and treats. I think you should keep more snacks in his bag, as, if I am correct, he only carries around dextrose gel and tablets. I'm aware that Minghao has an opposition to relying on medication, but you must make sure he knows that it is necessary for him to live a healthy life. You must remind him when he takes his medication that if he didn't take them, he would always be in the hospital. He's a strong guy, he just wants to feel independent again, but until he gets control of his medication, you can't let him. If that doesn't work or you need more advice, talk to me. If necessary, I can get a psychologist involved to see if there is any specific cause for his behaviour or if he is just stubborn. I hope you can find a way to make him help himself."

"Thank you, Dr Lee. Thank you so much." Seungcheol ended the call shortly after that, turning off his phone and heading back to Minghao and Junhui's bedroom, standing in the doorway to watch them for a moment, both fast asleep and curled close.

Seungcheol just wanted Minghao to live healthily. He would find a way to make it happen.