Here it is! I hope you all like it. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. <3
Namjoon blows out a slow, deep breath as he puts his mic around his ear. He’s had a long day of feeling nauseous and feverish. “Joon?” Hoseok says, putting his hand on Namjoon’s back. “You feeling alright? You look pale…”
Namjoon nods. “I feel a little sick to my stomach…but I should be fine.” He starts to stand up and Hoseok puts a hand over his forehead.
“You feel so d*mn warm Joonie, maybe you should sit this one out?” Hoseok says. Jungkook walks into the room.
“Everything ok?” he asks, looking at Joon’s sweaty face. “Hyung?”
“He’s sick,” Hoseok says. “Poor thing has a fever.”
Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow. “I can do it,” he says.
“There’s no shame if you can’t–”
“--I can, though.” Namjoon uses his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his forehead.
“Well, we’re coming out now, okay?” Namjoon nods at Jungkook’s words and walks up the stairs to the main area behind the curtain. Suddenly, he feels a pain in his stomach and winces, Hoseok watching.
“Joon…”
“Hyung, it’s o-ok…” Namjoon stutters, putting his hair behind his ear. But it wasn’t ok, he felt like he could puke at any moment.
“Now, hyung~!” Jungkook said, grabbing Namjoon’s hand and pulling him out. The bright lights make Namjoon’s nausea double, and he puts a hand on Hoseok for support. He walks slowly to the front of the stage and listens to Yoongi’s speech before hearing the music start. “D*mn…” he mumbles as he tries to find his place.
When Taehyung starts singing, Namjoon’s body goes into autopilot and he does all the choreography he’s worked so hard on for months. His chest feels tight and he can’t breathe properly. When his verse comes on, he mumbles the lyrics enough to make the backtrack sound fuller, but the backtrack does most of the work for him. At the end of the take, he all but collapses onto the floor in front of the whole audience, facing his back to them with his head on his knees. He’s trying to catch his breath when he feels Jin’s warm hand on his back.
“Joonie, baby, what’s wrong?” Jin asks in a hushed tone. Namjoon feels a tear pricking at the corner of his eye.
“I…” he gasps for air. “I can’t…”
“Joonie, calm down.” All the members are gathered around the leader now.
Namjoon suddenly feels the urge to vomit and springs up to rush to the nearest toilet. His legs are shaky but they carry him to the bathroom. He’s too slow to shut the door before Seokjin is inside with him, and he barely manages to get the toilet lid up before he’s gagging and coughing up the little he could eat for breakfast. Seokjin rubs his back and tells him not to cry, but Namjoon is already sobbing from the embarrassment and pain of it all. He finally finishes and flushes the toilet, then shuts the lid and rests his face on it.
“Oh, Joonie, come on, that’s not sanitary. Let’s get you home…” Namjoon has started shivering from the fever. “Someone get him a blanket!” Seokjin calls, and a few moments later Hoseok returns with a blanket that Seokjin wraps Namjoon in.
“You poor thing,” Hoseok mutters, hugging Namjoon and letting him warm up a bit. “We should get him home,” Hoseok says.
“Bad news,” Jungkook says. “Since we’re on the left side of the stage and the door is on the right, the only way to get him across is to walk him across the stage in front of the fans…”
Namjoon’s breathing picks up with a panic, but Seokjin soothes him. “It’s okay Joonie. We’ll just be honest and tell the fans you weren’t feeling well. It’s ok. Just breathe…” Seokjin rubs circles into Namjoon’s back and uses his thumb to wipe the tears from Namjoon’s eyes.
“Taehyung is already on it,” Jungkook says. “He’s telling the fans that Namjoon has to go home. Can you walk, Joonie? A company car is waiting…”
Namjoon nods. “I need help, though…” Jungkook instantly links arms with Namjoon and Seokjin takes his other arm. They start walking up to the stage when Namjoon hears the crowd chanting,
“Kim Namjoon! It’s okay!” over and over again. When he walks into their sight, applause deafens him and he winces at the sound. Taehyung shushes the crowd. Namjoon can’t bring himself to show his face to the audience, so he turns away slightly so they can only see his hair and cheek. He walks slowly with everyone else as the crowd continues to chant his name, a bit quieter. He feels completely surrounded with love. The members help him into a company car, and Seokjin gets in with him.
“You five keep performing. I have the least lines and the most love for Joonie so I’ll go with him.”
“Most love for Joonie?” Jungkook’s jaw drops. “How could you say that when I’m right here and he’s my idol?”
“How can either of you say that when I’m here and he’s my soulmate?” Hoseok asks playfully. Namjoon smiles a little bit.
“We can discuss this later,” laughs Seokjin. “We’ll see you all in a few hours.”
All the members wave goodbye to Seokjin and Namjoon as the car pulls away. Only five minutes into the ride, Namjoon is sleeping on Seokjin’s lap.
Seokjin pets his hair. “You’re so cute like this Joonie…” Sometimes he wished his Joon would get sick more often so he could cuddle him like this. But he wouldn’t say that when Namjoon was feeling so bad.
Seokjin rubbed Namjoon’s back. It was an hour-long drive. He had plenty of time to go to sleep…but first..
Seokjin snapped a picture of Namjoon resting peacefully and sent it to the group chat before dozing off with his arm protecting Namjoon.
@kaisah09 this is your request...sorry i couldn't finish it my brain just stops
Namjoon groaned as he woke up. His head was pounding. He drew in a shaky breath and put his hand to his head. Not only was his head in agony, but he was freezing cold. He sat up and groaned again.
“Namjoon?” Yoongi turned his head from his phone and towards his dongsaeng. “Something wrong?”
“Yeah..” Namjoon mumbled. “My head,...and….I’m freezing.” Yoongi set down his phone and walked over to Namjoon.
“Want water?” He put his hand on Namjoon’s back and gasped. “You’re burning. Let me grab the thermometer first. Yoongi flipped on the light switch, and Namjoon gasped in pain.
“Sorry, Joon, I have to find the thermometer. Just keep your eyes shut for now,” Yoongi said, fumbling around in the drawers until he found it. He walked back over to Namjoon.
“Let me just run this over your forehead,” Yoongi whispered. He winced when he pulled the thermometer away. “102.3,...we need to get that down, Joonie.”
Namjoon nodded slightly.
“Why don’t you take a cold bath? That could help?” Yoongi suggested.
Namjoon didn’t respond. His arms were suddenly crossed around his stomach, his Adam’s apple moving down slowly as he swallowed. “Namjoon?” Yoongi asked.
Namjoon suddenly made a coughing-gagging sound, and Yoongi started to help him towards the bathroom. It was tough, but they got there.
Yoongi closed the door behind them just as Namjoon started vomiting on his hands and knees into the toilet. Yoongi put his hand under Namjoon’s shirt and patted his back, holding his grown out hair with his other hand. Namjoon coughed and gagged for what felt like hours. Yoongi could feel his muscles contract under his hand as he vomited. He hated the feeling, but he didn’t move away.
When Namjoon was done, he made a thumbs up at his side and Yoongi wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet. “Better?” Yoongi asked. Namjoon shook his head.
“Worse.”
Yoongi sighed. He didn’t know what to do. “I’m gonna go get Jin-hyung. You stay here, alright? Don’t move.”
Namjoon put the lid of the toilet seat down and rested one hand on his arm while the other arm wrapped around his stomach. Everything hurt, and he was out of breath.
He opened his eyes when he felt Seokjin’s hand on his back. “Did you give him anything?”
“No. We can try, but he’ll need to eat something. He’s empty now,” Yoongi replied.
“Poor thing,” Seokjin muttered. “Joonie, how are you feeling?”
“Bad,” Namjoon whimpered.
“You should eat a little. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
—-
Namjoon had barely finished eating before he was throwing up again, this time in the kitchen sink. Seokjin was rubbing his back this time, Yoongi grabbing the maknaes so they could watch Namjoon while the hyungs went to the grocery store for medicine and some more bland food. Seokjin helped Namjoon to sit down on the couch and tried to help him rest, but Namjoon was too uncomfortable. Within a few minutes, all the hyungs were gone and all the maknaes were in the living room with Namjoon. Namjoon’s head rested on Jungkook’s lap while Jimin sat next to him and Taehyung made tea. When Taehyung brought the tea back, Namjoon was refusing to drink it.
“Come on, Joonie-hyung, it’ll help your stomach,” Taehyung said, but Namjoon shook his head.
Taehyung looked at Jimin. “Just one sip, hyung,” Jimin said, “Please.”
Namjoon frowned, but nodded and took the cup in his hand. He took a small sip, but before he could even get it down, he gagged. Jungkook clamped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry. Just need to keep it down for a minute.” Namjoon whined and pulled Jungkook’s hand off his mouth.
He started to pull himself into a sitting position before hiccuping. “I feel so sick,” he mumbled. Jungkook put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it.
“Just try to keep it down, ok? Then we can try to feed you a little,” Jimin said. Namjoon swallowed.
“I can’t,” he said, standing up and stumbling towards the kitchen sink. It only took one weak gag to bring up the tea, and a few more to bring up whatever was left in his stomach. Taehyung rushed over to pat his back. Namjoon coughed and leaned over further, nearly falling over, but Taehyung held him up by his waist. Namjoon panted, squeezing his eyes shut. He was shaking harshly. Taehyung turned on the tap water and started to guide Namjoon back to the couch, but Namjoon could barely get halfway there before he stopped.
“Joonah?” Taehyung asked. Namjoon didn’t respond. He just collapsed onto the floor, hitting his head before anyone could move. Instantly, all the maknaes rushed over to Namjoon, shaking him. He was completely unconscious.
“Call Jin-hyung–”
“--call an ambulance–”
“Taehyung rushed to get his phone from the kitchen countertop and dialed for Seokjin.
here's part two of the namjoon sickfic requested by @kaisah09 !
hope you enjoy. part one is my most recent post!
tw: emeto, sickness, yelling
Namjoon was sleeping for almost all of the ride to the interview. No one had expected it – they assumed he’d just get horribly carsick. But he was able to sleep, and Jungkook was able to put enough foundation on him so that he looked normal. No one wanted to wake him up when they arrived, but they had to. Again, they helped him out of the car and into their seats in the interview room. The interviewer was already there.
“Are we ready to get started, then?” he asked in Japanese, and Namjoon translated for the rest of the members, who nodded. All of Namjoon’s dongsaengs watched in awe as Namjoon gave the approval for the livestream to start. He was so sick, but he was incredible at hiding it and acting like a leader when he needed to.
Namjoon answered the questions smoothly, translating back and forth. He badly wanted to put a hand over his aching stomach, but he couldn’t. Aching wasn’t even the right word, though. HIs stomach was trying to kill him. The pain was so overwhelming that his vision was blurry. But he pushed on.
Until the interviewer asked a question, and Namjoon wasn’t able to respond. He couldn’t process it. The only thing he could think about was the pain.
“Kim-san,” the interviewer said. “Are you going to answer the question? You’re the leader after all, right?” Namjoon squeezed his eyes shut.
“Sorry, what was the question?”
The interviewer laughed. “You know, for a leader, you can be kind of absentminded at times. Pay more attention for your members.” Namjoon swallowed and translated for his members. He watched as Yoongi’s face grew to fury.
“Sorry. Can you just repeat the question?” Namjoon asked.
The interviewer nodded and repeated it, but halfway through it, Namjoon moaned and doubled over in pain. “Kim-san, focus,” the interviewer said, this time in Korean.
Yoongi stood up. “We’re going home.” He didn’t care if it was a livestream. This interviewer was making Namjoon’s life so much worse, embarrassing him on livestream, and Yoongi wouldn’t have it. Namjoon put his head in his hands, trying not to cry.
“Wait–” the interviewer said in Korean.
“I said, we’re going home. Don’t talk to me,” Yoongi snarled at the interviewer, and everyone stood up with him besides Namjoon. Jin approached Namjoon and helped him up, bringing his head out of his hands and wrapping his arms around himself and Jungkook.
Namjoon tried to walk, but he was so shaky and dizzy that he couldn’t. The world was spinning. The nausea was rising fast. “B-bathroom,” he mumbled.
The interviewer pointed down at the hall. Yoongi shot him one last glare, and Jimin mouthed a “thank you”. Everyone followed Namjoon, Jungkook, and Seokjin down the hall and to the bathroom. They placed Namjoon in front of the toilet, and he started vomiting instantly. Somehow, there was more left. He was coughing, sputtering, and crying in between gags, and Seokjin winced every time. His face turned white, even showing through the foundation, and he vomited more every time with each gag. Everyone but Seokjin was too shocked and frozen to comfort Namjoon. Jin patted his back and whispered words of comfort to him. It went on for what felt like forever. Every time Namjoon could catch a two minute break, he’d come back gagging harder. At least 20 minutes had passed before Seokjin decided it needed to end.
“Ok, Namjoonie. We’re done. You’re gonna hurt yourself if you keep doing this.” He flushed the toilet, and Namjoon sobbed. “Sh, it’s ok Nam. We’re gonna go home now.” Namjoon nodded and Seokjin wiped his mouth with a tissue before helping him up again.
They were only three steps out of the building before the cameras started flashing and the paparazzi were crowding their leader. “Aish,” Yoongi muttered. “Just don’t look. Keep your eyes forward. Don’t answer any questions.”
Namjoon tried not to sob. How much more embarrassing could this get? He was barely able to walk, completely leaning on Seokjin and Jungkook, until his stomach cramped the worst yet and he started to collapse. Seokjin and Jungkook were able to keep him on his feet, but Namjoon was sobbing again in pain. “Taehyung, put him on your back,” Seokjin instructed, and Taehyung did so. He could feel Namjoon shaking with sobs against his back, and he tried his best not to cry with him. He could already see the articles: BTS’s leader storms out of interview after an emotional breakdown, Kim Namjoon was carried to the car by his members after a fit of injury or sickness, BTS member breaks down in tears outside of interview… he couldn’t stand to think about it. The car was already waiting for them, and Taehyung opened the door. There was no time to think or debate seating arrangements. He placed Namjoon in the middle row of the limo with him. Everyone else followed, climbing into the car.
“To the dorms?” the driver said.
“Yes,” Seokjin said. It was only a twenty minute drive, but it felt longer with everyone’s eyes on Namjoon. He was shaking and pale, and if he wasn’t sitting, they’d be scared he’d collapse at any moment and seriously injure himself. Namjoon’s eyes were open, staring at nothing in particular, and an arm was crossed over his stomach. He didn’t look bloated or nauseous anymore, just uncomfortable and in pain. Which was a huge improvement. But what confidence and order he’d had during the interview had disappeared completely, leaving an empty and exhausted Namjoon.
Yoongi was still seething with anger over the interviewer. No one should talk to Namjoon like that, when he worked so hard, even through such bad sickness – it wasn’t fair. He knew Namjoon probably wasn’t mad, but he was. He’d be giving the managers a piece of his mind for hiring someone like that.
But for now, he needed to take care of Namjoon. He rubbed Namjoon’s shoulder gently. “How are you feeling?”
Namjoon inhaled. “It hurts.” Yoongi frowned.
“I know, Joon. We’ll give you some more painkillers back at the dorms.”
“Yeah, hyung,” Jimin chimed in. “We’ll get you some more medicine too.” Namjoon nodded slowly, exhaustedly.
“I’m tired.”
“You can sleep.”
Namjoon shook his head. “It hurts too much.” Jimin sighed.
“You can just rest your head on Taehyung’s shoulder for the ride, right, Tae?” Taehyung nodded, and Namjoon rested his head, sighing softly. Taehyung patted his head. The car was still so tense with worry in the maknae line and anger in the hyung line. Namjoon was in the middle of it all, and he felt guilty for both sides.
When the car pulled up, Namjoon surprisingly seemed to be more at peace. But it went away as soon as he stood up again. Tears poked at his eyes. He couldn’t get over the pain, it was the worst he’d ever had. This was the worst part about food poisoning. He was lifted onto Taehyung’s back again and carried all the way to his bed as Jin grabbed him painkillers. He gently put them in his dongsaeng’s mouth and Namjoon chewed and swallowed.
“I’ll go get some plain broth,” Jimin said, and Taehyung and Jungkook followed.
“Seokjin-hyung, I need to talk to you outside quickly,” Yoongi said. Namjoon glanced with worry, but Hoseok smiled at him.
“It’s ok, they’ll be back.” The two oldest walked out of the room, but Namjoon could still hear them whisper-shouting. Yoongi was insisting that the company should find a way for the interviewer to get fired, but Jin didn’t want revenge. He wanted to keep everything as quiet as possible. Hoseok rubbed Namjoon’s shoulder.
“Do you feel any better? Not nauseous anymore?” he asked, and Namjoon nodded.
“Just hurts,” he said softly.
Hoseok looked at his watch. “The painkillers should work soon. Then you can sleep.” The 94-liners sat in silence for a few seconds until they heard shouting. Namjoon squeezed his eyes shut.
“Hyung, I TOLD you this already, and you didn’t listen to me. You’re just like that interviewer, you know? You won’t even stand up for Nam–”
“Do NOT talk to me like that. You’re being dramatic and protective. It was just a mistake–”
“It WASN’T a mistake. He embarrassed Namjoon! He embarrassed my best friend when he was vulnerable! He needs to be fired–”
“YOU need to calm down.” Jin lowered his voice. “This will all work out in the end. If you don’t calm down right now, I’m kicking you out of the dorm. Namjoon does not need this stress-”
“Kick me out of the dorm?! Are you–”
Namjoon put his head down. “It’s ok, Joon. They’re not mad at you,” Hoseok said.
“It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not.”
Hoseok was interrupted by a loud shout.
“I will kick you out of this dorm whenever the hell I want, I am your SUPERIOR–”
“Oh, so you’re right because you’re older? I’ve known Namjoon longer than you have, and I know that–” “I know that you better watch your damn mouth Yoongi before I make sure that you don’t get to speak to Namjoon until he’s better.”
“You can’t do that–”
“YES I CAN!” There was a long pause. “You will not talk to me this way. Ever again. You will go inside, you will help Namjoon get changed into his pajamas, and you will NOT speak to me until you’re ready to respect your hyung.”
They heard the slam of a door and a loud sigh before footsteps walked away. Namjoon was still looking down. What had he done? That was the angriest he’d ever heard Jin before. And it was his fault.
When Jin walked back in, he had a smile on his face. “How are we feeling?” Namjoon felt awkward talking to him after that crazy argument that Seokjin had no idea he heard.
Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook walked in with the bowl of broth and a spoon. “Where’s Yoongi?” Jimin asked.
“He’s in his room. He’s just resting for a bit, he’ll be back,” Jin lied.
“Oh. Alright.” Jimin handed the bowl to Namjoon, and Namjoon took a sip. “Good?” Namjoon nodded. For the first time today, eating didn’t make him feel nauseous.
Yoongi walked back in while Namjoon was still sipping the bowl, and he came back with a smile. “You should change when you’re done with that, Namjoon.”
Namjoon got about halfway through the bowl, nodding, but that was when Seokjin gently took it from him. “You can’t drink all that, you might be sick again. Just get some rest for now, ok?”
This is already nearly 3000 words, so stay tuned for part two!
Tw: sickness, food poisoning, forced vomiting (NOT ED RELATED)
When Namjoon woke up the first time, he wasn’t sure why. Jungkook was next to him in bed, snoring peacefully. He looked over at his clock. 3am. Groggily, he tried to work out what had happened, until a sharp pain in his stomach told him. He inhaled sharply and unwillingly. Jungkook stirred in his sleep, but didn’t wake up. Namjoon let out a small moan. It hurt so bad. He didn’t know why. Suddenly, he felt his stomach contract and a feeling of nausea washed over him. He bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom, not caring if Jungkook woke up now. He needed to be sick. He all but collapsed in front of the toilet and started gagging. Nothing came up. He tried again, but nothing. He lifted up his shirt. His stomach was bloated and felt warm. “Aish..” he muttered. Suddenly, another gag took him, but nothing came up. He tried to force another gag. His stomach was churning, as if everything was fighting to come out. But it couldn’t. The nausea was overwhelming, and his stomach hurt horribly. He wanted it to be over, so he pressed on his stomach, but again, nothing came out. Defeated, he slumped against the cold wall and shut his eyes.
When Namjoon woke up the second time, he knew why. The nausea was unbearable, and he couldn’t suppress a moan and a small whimper. He gagged once again, but nothing came up. He could feel himself tearing up and he whimpered again. He heard a knock at the bathroom door. “C-come in..” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. It was Jungkook.
“What happened, hyung?” Jungkook asked, kneeling down next to Namjoon.
Namjoon hiccuped. “I feel s-so sick, Jungkook..” Jungkook cooed in sympathy and wrapped his arm around Namjoon.
“Have you thrown up yet?” Namjoon shook his head.
“I keep trying…” he hissed in a breath as his stomach cramped, and finished his sentence. “Nothing will come up.”
Jungkook petted Namjoon’s hair. “How can I help you?”
Namjoon groaned as the cramp released. “I don’t know…”
“Can I try something?” Jungkook asked, and Namjoon nodded. “Can you open your mouth for me?” Jungkook asked, and Namjoon nodded. “I’m just gonna put my finger down your throat really quickly. I promise it won’t hurt.” Namjoon nodded slightly, and Jungkook eased his fingers down to Namjoon’s gag reflex, pushing it gently. Namjoon heaved loudly, enough to empty his entire stomach, but nothing came up. He whined and shook with a quiet sob. “Sh..it’s ok hyung. Why don’t you try to drink some water?” Namjoon nodded, and Jungkook filled a glass with water. Namjoon put his lips and started drinking slowly. Jungkook frowned. He needed to catch Namjoon by surprise, but he felt terrible. Quietly, he reached over and tilted the glass so all the water went down Namjoon’s throat in a huge gulp. This time, it worked, and Namjoon started gagging so violently that he was shaking. And so much came up this time. Jungkook grimaced. It sounded so painful. He stroked Namjoon’s back gently. “Shh, it’s ok hyung, you’re doing great.” At least a minute had passed, and Namjoon was still gagging. Jungkook felt that there wasn’t possibly anything more to come up. Namjoon was reduced to dry heaving again. Jungkook rubbed Namjoon’s back comfortingly. “There’s nothing more to come up, hyung.”
“N-n-no, there’s more,” Namjoon rasped out. Jungkook looked down at Namjoon’s stomach. Sure enough, it was still horribly bloated. There was more. Jungkook sighed.
“Namjoon..I’m really sorry if I scared you with that water.”
“It’s f-fine. I needed it.”
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep now? We have an interview tomorrow at noon. I’m sure you can feel better by then, right? But you need to sleep.” Namjoon nodded silently. “Let’s go back to bed, then.” Namjoon nodded again. He was sweating, and the color started to return to his face. Jungkook sighed. Maybe this was going to get better. Maybe Namjoon’s stomach would be less upset in the morning.
It was 6 am when Namjoon woke up again, this time gagging again. Jungkook sat up as fast as he could and tried to scramble for the trash can, but Namjoon had already thrown up on the bed. Namjoon gagged again, pushing on his stomach, and another vomit came up. It landed on the bed sheets. “Damn it, Namjoonie,” Jungkook said. Namjoon was breathing heavily, almost panicking. “It’s ok. You’re ok. Do you need to move to the bathroom?”
Namjoon shook his head. “I’m done.”
Jungkook sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Good, then. Why don’t we move to..” Jungkook thought for a moment. “Why don’t we move to Jinnie-hyung’s room?” Namjoon nodded in agreement. “I’ll help you there, and while you’re in there, I’ll clean this up. Ok?” Namjoon nodded again. Jungkook got out of bed and walked to the other side, putting his hand in his hyung’s and gently pulling him up. They walked slowly, hand in hand, to Jin’s room and Jungkook knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Jin said. The lights were on in his room. Jin liked to wake up early a lot. Jungkook and Namjoon walked into the room, and Jin looked away from his laptop and stood up. “What’s wrong? Namjoonie? You look…”
“He’s sick, hyung. He threw up on the bed. Can he rest here with you until everyone wakes up?” Jin looked at his pale dongsaeng.
“Yeah, of course. Namjoonie, do you want to lay down?” Namjoon nodded, and Jungkook guided him to the bed and helped him lay on his side. Namjoon whined as another cramp hit him, And Jin rushed over. “What’s wrong?”
“My stomach hurts..s-so bad..” Namjoon breathed out, curling in on himself and wrapping an arm around it. Jin sat on the bed, and Jungkook left the room.
“Can I rub it for you?” Jin asked, and Namjoon nodded, taking his hand off his stomach. Jin reached down and placed his hand over it, it was bloated and rock hard from cramps. He massaged as best he could, feeling the muscles relax just a bit, but only for them to contract again, ten times harder than before. Namjoon would moan whenever it cramped, and Jin could do nothing but shush him gently. “Aigoo, Joonie, you’re really sick,” he said sympathetically. “Do you want some painkillers?” Namjoon nodded.
Jin reached over to his side table and grabbed the bottle, pouring out two. He always kept chewable tablets in his side table specifically for Namjoon, when his migraines were so bad that swallowing pills could make him puke. He handed them to Namjoon, who started chewing. “Those should work in 20 minutes. I’ll just rub your belly until then, ok?” Jin asked, and Namjoon nodded. The next 20 minutes went the same, Namjoon making sounds of discomfort as Jin felt his stomach cramp up, and sounds of relief when it got slightly softer. Namjoon’s stomach was so hard that Jin felt helpless in providing comfort, but eventually the painkillers kicked in and Namjoon fell asleep.
When he woke up again, it was 8 am and everyone was awake. This time, Namjoon didn’t feel all that much pain. It was just the nausea again. He groaned, and Jin, still in bed, turned to look at him. “Cramps?”
“No, nausea,” Namjoon whimpered helplessly. Jin sighed in sympathy.
“Should we move to the bathroom?” he asked. Namjoon shook his head.
“Not now. It’s just bad, b-but I don’t need to throw up right now,” Namjoon said.
“Maybe some food would help, then?” Jin offered, and Namjoon nodded. “I’ll help you to the kitchen.” Just as Jungkook did, Jin moved around to the other side of the bed and took Namjoon’s hands in his. Namjoon was shaking, almost violently now, but Jin convinced himself it was just the hunger. Namjoon doubled over suddenly as he felt his stomach churn harshly, and Jin helped him straighten back up. “It’s ok, Joon-ah, just a few steps.” Namjoon nodded. It felt like his stomach was a volcano, brewing and ready to erupt. But he bravely walked to the kitchen, holding hands with his hyung until he could sit down on the barstools at the counter. Jimin, Hoseok, and Taehyung were already in the kitchen, and all their eyes turned to Namjoon.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hoseok asked.
“He’s sick. We’re going to try and feed him,” Jin said, and Hoseok nodded.
“We’ve just made some plain rice. Is that good?”
Namjoon nodded. “That’s okay.” Jimin scooped up a bowl of rice, and brought it to Namjoon with some chopsticks. Reluctantly, Namjoon grabbed the chopsticks and took a bite. It tasted good, but it landed in his stomach harshly, making it churn and gurgle loudly. All eyes in the kitchen were watching him as he grimaced.
Taehyung approached him. “That didn’t sound so good, hyung, are you ok?”
Namjoon shook his head. “F-feel so sick…” he whined, but he took another bite. Again, his stomach grumbled loudly, and he was so embarrassed that he looked down.
“Hey, it’s ok, hyung. You don’t need to be embarrassed. You’re just sick. It’s ok,” Jimin approached Namjoon and rubbed his back. “Take another bite.”
Namjoon nodded, not seeing as Yoongi walked in, and gingerly took another bite. This time, his stomach let out such an uncomfortable and gutteral sound that he pushed the rice away and his cheeks turned red. “What happened?” Yoongi asked. “He’s sick,” Taehyung explained. “We’re trying to get him to eat some rice, but…” Namjoon’s stomach grumbled again, and he put his head in his hands. “He’s embarrassed.”
Yoongi frowned and walked over to Namjoon. “It’s ok, Namjoonie. Eat a little more.” Namjoon shook his head.
“Not hungry.” Yoongi grabbed a bit of rice and tried to put it in Namjoon’s mouth, but he pushed it away. “Not hungry,” he said again. Namjoon wrapped his arm around his middle.
“How about some water, then?” Yoongi offered, and Namjoon just shook his head. “Not even a little bit?” Namjoon shook his head.
“Not thirsty either.”
Yoongi sighed, putting his hand on Namjoon’s back. Suddenly, he felt Namjoon jolt with a violent hiccup, and he knew what was coming. “Grab a bowl,” he instructed, and Hoseok grabbed a large bowl from the cabinet. Taehyung held it steady as Namjoon started to vomit up the tiny three bites of rice he’d been able to eat, and even more of whatever was left in his stomach. There was a collective sigh in the kitchen. Their leader was so, so sick. Jungkook walked in, grimacing at the sight. Yoongi tucked Namjoon’s hair behind his ear, whispering, “It’s ok, Namjoon, just let it out.” Namjoon did let it out, vomiting harshly, and then just dry heaves came up. Nothing more.”
“There’s nothing left, Namjoonie,” Hoseok said. Namjoon shook his head.
“I feel bloated…there’s more…” he mumbled, just like when Jungkook had told him the same thing.
“How many times has he thrown up?” Yoongi asked.
“Twice. And one time, he was dry heaving for about ten minutes. I heard him from the room.”
“And you didn’t help him?” Yoongi snarled. Jin raised his eyebrows.
“No..” Jungkook said shamefully.
“It’s fine, Jungkook. He’s feeling better now, right Namjoonie?” Jin’s desperate attempt to make Jungkook feel better was met with a quiet sob from his leader.
“Aish,” Hoseok said, putting his hand on Namjoon’s chest and rubbing it gently. “Do you think you can get some more sleep?” Namjoon shook his head. Hoseok looked up at Jin and Jungkook. “Do we know why he’s so sick?”
“I don’t think he has a fever. It seems like food poisoning,” Jungkook said, and Hoseok looked around.
“Does anyone know what he ate last night?”
Taehyung raised his hand. “We went to dinner together. A sushi restaurant.”
“But you’re not sick?”
“No. We didn’t order the same thing. Namjoon had sashimi, and I had tempura.”
“But…Namjoon doesn’t like seafood,” Hoseok said, one eyebrow raised.
“I-I know,” Taehyung said in shame, “But I thought he might like this. It’s my fault.”
Yoongi shook his head angrily. “Damn right it’s your fault,” he said. “You should–”
“Stop talking,” Jin said. “It’s not your fault, Taehyung. You couldn’t have known. Yoongi, stop being so protective. It’s nobody’s fault. It was just bad luck.”
“But–” Yoong started.
“No buts. Don’t blame this on everyone. I’m your hyung, and I’m telling you to stop.” For a second, there was tense silence. But Namjoon started sobbing loudly, and everyone looked at him.
“P-please, Yoongi-hyung, it’s my fault, it’s not theirs. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m–”
“Stop it,” Hoseok said, rubbing Namjoon’s back. “It’s nobody’s fault.” Yoongi hung his head in shame, as did Taehyung.
“I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time.”
“It’s fine, guys. Just…don’t stress our leader out anymore than you need to.” Yoongi and Taehyung nodded. “We have our interview in…” Jin checked his watch. “Three and a half hours.” Why don’t we just put on a movie and sit with Namjoon?” Everyone in the room nodded. Namjoon’s sobs started to cease. “That’s ok, Namjoon?”
“Th-that’s fine.”
—--
Namjoon was able to rest for a full three hours. But when he woke up, he was already crying. The painkillers had worn off. The pain was so bad that by itself, it made him feel nauseous again. Jimin, whose lap Namjoon was resting his head in, instantly looked down. “What’s wrong?”
“Hurts…hurts..” Namjoon cried, and Jin ran over to him.
“Where, Joon?” he asked. Namjoon pointed to the center of his stomach. Jin placed his hand there and grimaced. It almost felt more bloated and even harder than before. “I’m sorry…I wish I could give you more painkillers,” he said softly, stroking Namjoon’s hair. Namjoon just cried in pain. Jungkook teared up a little.
“I need–” Namjoon coughed loudly.
Jin was already reaching for the newly cleaned bowl on the table and pulling Namjoon up so he was sitting. Namjoon gagged so loudly that everyone in the room grimaced. It sounded so much more than painful. He barely brought up anything. There was barely anything left, but his stomach was still pushing out more. Teardrops joined vomit in the bowl, and Namjoon shook with sobs. Jimin tucked the hair out of Namjoon’s face and behind his ear, and Jin rubbed his shoulder. The whole room was silent, save for Namjoon’s gagging and sobbing. Everyone was thinking the same thing: how could this interview be possible?
Namjoon was finished within a few minutes, and when Yoongi looked at his watch, it told him it was time to go. He felt terrible, but he had to do it. “Namjoon, we need to get you dressed. And we need a little makeup on you. You’re so pale.”
Jimin shook his head. “He’s sick, hyung. He can’t do it.” Yoongi sighed and nodded.
“I know. But we need to. This is really important. It’s a livestream. We can’t reschedule it. And it’s in Japanese..”
“...and Namjoon is the only one who’s fluent, I know.” Jimin finished Yoongi’s sentence. “Shit.”
Namjoon pulled himself up. “I can do it,” he rasped out. “My foundation’s in my bathroom.” No one else in the group was tan enough for their foundation to fit Namjoon, and even though Namjoon hated foundation, he knew he needed it today.
Taehyung and Jungkook nodded and ran to Namjoon’s bathroom. “Namjoonie-hyung, why don’t we move you to the dining table? Is that ok?” Jimin asked, and Namjoon nodded. Jin took the bowl off his lap and walked to the bathroom to rinse it out.
