Modernizing php/ mqsqli functions: db_query and db_fetch and how to properly use $stmt->free_result(), $stmt->close(), $stmt->store_result(), etc

Question

Here are two functions I've used for years but after upgrading to the newer version of LAMP I've been getting an error "Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now" points to the line in the db_fetch function where $stmt->store_result();

function db_query($q) {

    $num_args = func_num_args();
    $arg_list = func_get_args();
    $r = null;

    global $db_obj;

    if($num_args > 1) {
        $stmt = $db_obj->stmt_init();
        if($stmt->prepare($q)) {
            $types = "";
            $refArr = array("");
            for($i = 1; $i < $num_args; $i++) {
                $type = gettype($arg_list[$i]) === "integer" ? "i" : "s";
                $refArr[] = &$arg_list[$i];
                $types .= $type;
            }
            $refArr[0] = $types;
            $ref = new ReflectionClass('mysqli_stmt');
            $method = $ref->getMethod("bind_param");
            $method->invokeArgs($stmt, $refArr);
            $stmt->execute();
            $stmt->store_result();
            $r = $stmt;
        } else {
            db_maybe_handle_error(null, $q);
        }
    } else {
        $r = @$db_obj->query($q);
    }
    db_maybe_handle_error(null, $q);
    return $r;
}

function db_fetch($res, $use_numerical_indices = null) {
    global $db_obj;

    $use_numerical_indices = $use_numerical_indices === true ||
        ($use_numerical_indices === null && DB_DEFAULT_USE_NUMERICAL_INDEXES);

    if(is_array($res)) {
        return array_shift($res);
    }

    if($res instanceof mysqli_stmt) {
        $res->store_result();
        $variables = array();
        $data = array();
        $meta = $res->result_metadata();

        while($field = $meta->fetch_field()) {
            $variables[] = &$data[$field->name];
        }

        call_user_func_array(array($res, 'bind_result'), $variables);

        if(!$res->fetch()) {
            $res->close();
            return null;
        }
        $array = array();
        $i = 0;
        foreach($data as $k => $v) {
            $array[$k] = $v;
            if($use_numerical_indices) {
                $array[$i] = $v;
            }
            $i++;
        }
        db_maybe_handle_error($array);
    }
    $result_type = $use_numerical_indices ? $db_obj->BOTH : $db_obj->ASSOC;
    $r = @$db_obj->fetch_array($res, $result_type);
    return db_maybe_handle_error($r);
}

Happy to share more information on functions referenced in these two functions if you need them to get a better sense of how they work just lmk. My question is: how can these two functions be rewritten to so that they run without error and still use the existing concept that uses: stmt_init, prepare($q), execute and store_result. It's important that flow is mostly preserved how they are for other code segments in the code base.

Here are some of the various SE I've studied that are similar but have missed the mark for my questions:

Lot of up votes and shares good information about the error but doesn't exactly tell me where the free_result or close methods should be placed Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now

Another good one but no solid answers MySQL Error: Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now

Not good answers and don't want to use multiquery I get: Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now?

Not good answers, but this person's flow is similar Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: Commands out of sync error