Work Text:
1 - Fainting/Hypoglycaemia
Elijah hadn't eaten since the previous morning. Nor had he properly slept more than 3 hours in the past 2 days. He was just so, so busy with his work, looking after his siblings, making sure they were okay by frequently checking on them, helping them with their tasks. He was bone-tired, exhausted, felt like a soggy pile of shit - however you want to put it. He had abandoned and neglected his health and just soldiered on, because that's all he was good for. A protector, a leader, he wasn't actually important anywhere else.
He felt dizzy and nauseous all the time, so he stayed in his room, avoiding everyone. He had so much tasks to do, so much paperwork to fill, so many things to organise. His life felt like a checklist of things that would never be checked.
His siblings were clearly worried about him, missing several mealtimes and barely coming out of his room. They always tried to approach him but he waved them off with simple replies like : "Oh I'm fine! Just been sleeping, tired y'know?" or "No I have been eating just not with you guys, just needed some personal space, nothing personal". They would believe him, or at least that's what he thought, but he should have known that his stubborn sister Shiloh would always come through. She was not someone to mess with, by the way, keep that in mind.
"Elijah, can you just please come out? Have something to eat, get some fresh air, please! It can't be good for you-" Shiloh begged. Her tone was full of worry and slight frustration. Waves of guilt flooded into him, he didn't want his baby sister to feel bad because he was being a lazy asshole! But at the same time, he didn't want to face their scrutinising looks of concern and fear when they saw him looking even whiter than those skeletons from their Clash Royale battle.
"Okay, okay, I'll come out," Elijah agreed, tone heavy and exhausted. Clearly, she noticed because she whispered something like, "Judah, Josiah, Micah..."
He opened the door, shakily stepping out and greeting with the worried expressions of his siblings, Shiloh, Micah, Josiah and Judah. They all froze in shock when their eyes scanned across his appearance, making him look down in shame. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly, the world felt like it was dissolving around him. He felt shaky, dizzy, hot, but shivering, he felt like his body was fighting itself. Distant voices buzzed around him, muffled and quiet, he felt someone tapping him frantically, before he shut down.
His knees buckled under him, sending his heavy, aching body to the ground. Before he could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around him and stopped his head from hitting the ground. The last thing his mind could comprehend was someone speaking.
"Shit...help...really sick..."
2 - Migraine/Concussion
Elijah was leading his siblings through the maze, the very maze that they had been knocked out in and were trying to escape. They had come across that man, who had betrayed them and thus, was killed by that gorilla monster, thank god. He was dragged across the maze by that very traitor, who used him to unlock the gate and threw him to the ground. He had hit his head, but refused to tell anyone. Luckily, no bleeding had occurred just bruising that his bandana could hide.
He was struggling to even walk, trying his best to hide it, and also feeling lightheaded and nauseous. Those were probably not good signs, but he didn't matter anyway. He had to get everyone out of here safely, especially Shiloh with her injured ankle. When he felt the familiar pounding in his head, he nearly screamed. A migraine attack was coming, and it would be the worst yet.
It had stabbed through his head, making him cry out and collapse to the ground. Clutching his head in his hands, while tears were pouring out of his aching eyes. Shouts behind him sounded distant, but he felt the grounding sensation of someone's hand on his arm.
"Hey, hey, Elijah, what's wrong?" they asked softly, tone worried and soft. "Can you hear me?".
He couldn't speak if he tried. His head was spinning and throbbing, he felt sick. But he had to get up and move on, he had people to protect, siblings he would not neglect.
He sobbed as his knees quivered while he tried to stand. Cries of alarm resounded the air but he ignored them.
"Elijah! Woah, you need to sit down-"
He tried to form a response but all that came out was a garbled mix of a groan and a sob. His knees buckled under him and he fainted, limp body falling until someone caught him and held him close. He heard distant, muffled voices but was so exhausted and pained to even register what was happening around him.
"Oh my god!" Mary.
"...going on?" Judah.
"Elijah? Elijah!" Micah.
"...his head..." Shiloh.
"Elijah!?" Josiah.
Everything faded to black.
3 - Seizure Comfort
Elijah's limbs grew heavy and his semi-functioning brain turned to mush, as the squad trudged through the giant maze. He had hit his head earlier when Mysterious Maze Man had dropped him onto the floor without second thought. He tried to ignore the pain, but as it was getting worse, a new feeling floated in him.
He felt disorientated, weak, numb, as if he wasn't actually there but just a ghost in his own body. He collapsed to the ground, eyes dazed and body limp. Everything blurred around him as his siblings were calling his name and touching him. His world faded to black as his body started to shake and quiver.
"Oh my god!" Josiah yelled. "He's having a seizure!". Everyone frantically gasped and tried to move him and touch him until Mary shouted, "STOP!". She moved everyone away and told them, "Give him space. Try be quiet and not scare him. I'm a trained medic so I know how to help. Someone pass me a jacket or something soft to put under his head." Judah threw her his spare coat and she gently placed it under his head.
"You have to turn him to the side," she informed them. "Make sure he doesn't choke on his spit or vomit. Now all we can do is wait, hopefully this isn't too bad."
Everyone gaped at her in awe. Her professionalism had calmed them and kept them quiet. But their worried faces were all she could see, and feel.
She knelt by his side, not touching him but whispering comforting words. "You're alright, Elijah, we're all here. Just let it happen, you got this."
After 2 minutes of eerie silence and tension had passed. He stopped seizing and his body went limp. Everyone gasped, as she felt for his pulse.
"He's breathing. Just let him wake up and don't scare him."
True to her word, Elijah slowly blinked and turned his head, gazing at them tiredly. "Mmm?" he croaked. "Mary? What- what's going on...?"
She smiled at him fondly and informed him that he just had a seizure and he was stable now.
Everyone else was staring at him in fear, concern and shock. He tried to get up but Mary pushed him down. The others came over and reassured him with kind words and tender touches. He reluctantly told them about his injury. The outbursts from the others was by his own fault.
"WHAT?!?"
"You HIT your HEAD and didn't tell us??"
"Elijah!!"
He apologised over and over, but the group also felt bad, knowing that it wasn't fully his fault. They all hugged him individually, reminding him of his importance and worth.
Shiloh, his amazing little sister, was probably the sweetest of them all.
"We love you Elijah. You should have told us you were hurt, you are not a burden to us at all. We need you, you are a strong leader and we care about you just as much as each other. You are stronger than you know, and you are so caring and kind. Remember that time you jumped through the portal to protect us when we were summoned to a chess challenge? You are always there for us, now it's time for us to do the same for you. So please, take a break and rest."
Elijah smiled, tears escaping his eyes, but his heart melted in pure adoration for his sister, and the rest of his family.