"I'm really sorry, but I don't think he should see anyone right now," the nurse said apologetically. "You see, your friend is under some medication right now, so he's not, well, he's not himself."
"But ma'am, you don't understand, Kenny's my best friend in the whole world. I have to see him!"
"I know, dear, I just don't want you to..upset yourself."
"I won't, I swear I won't. Please, can you just give me five minutes?" Come on, you stupid bitch.
The nurse hesitated, then sighed. "All right. Five minutes."
Cartman's shoulders sagged with relief. "Oh thank you, ma'am, thank you!" Bitch. I can see my best friend whenever I fucking want. Never mind that though. He hurried past her and down the ward, and hesitated just as he reached Kenny's bed. He suddenly felt a little apprehensive. Under medication? Not himself? Well, whatever. He shook his head to clear it and forced himself to go on.
"Kenny? Kenny, it's me. Are you awake?"
No answer. Cartman treaded a little further, and saw his eyes were wide open from the depths of his hood. Bright and burning blue, staring into space. "Kenny?" He said uncertainly.
"Stars faded. Tonight's over now."
"What?"
Kenny made no sign of hearing him. He fingered the strings on his parka hood, clutching at them restlessly.
"Kenny," Cartman said, louder, and tried to get into his line of sight.
"I'm not taking thatone. Everyone'll laugh at me."
He stared at Kenny. As if things weren't bad enough, and now this, now this..
He remained in a stupor for several moments, so much so that he didn't he the approaching footsteps behind him. "Cartman?"
Startled, he jerked around and found Kyle before him. He must have got past the nurse, somehow. Maybe she was on a coffee break. Kyle studied him and felt dread bolt through his stomach. "What's happened?"
"N-nothing," he said shakily. "It's just, they've got him on medication and it's made him..funny in the head or something. He's.." He shook his head and took Kyle's wrist, pulling him up beside him.
As if to prove Cartman's voice, Kenny resumed his conversation with the ceiling. "I only wanted to see the statues. The scary ones. Kevin said he'd take me. He promised." His weak fingers flexed agitatedly over his parka strings.
Cartman watched the bewilderment grow on Kyle's face.
"Kenny?" he said, a little frantically. "Kenny, look at me. It's Kyle, and Cartman's here too. We're- "
"Mom, can we go to the movies now?" Kenny went on, oblivious to his surroundings, to the red eyed boys at his side.
Kyle snatched up Kenny's hand and clung to it. "He'll be fine," he said uncertainly, his eyes pleading with Cartman's desperately for confirmation.
"He has to be," Cartman said.
Kyle swallowed. "Is he supposed to be..like this?"
Cartman shrugged wearily. "I guess so. The nurse said he's under medication or something."
Kenny's hand twitched repeatedly in Kyle's, as if he was constantly attempting to grip his hand back. "Well, dad said we could, so there!"
All of a sudden, after this small outburst, a change seemed to come over Kenny. His hand stopped twitching. He rolled his eyes slowly towards his friends. They weren't focused. He didn't seem to know who hewas, let alone them. Never the less, Kyle held his breath. He could feel Cartman beside him doing the same.
Kenny spoke clearly, confidently, through his daze. "The first time I died was in the snow."
Kyle dropped his hand. There were tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I - " He stumbled away and ran from the room.
Cartman's eyes also filled with tears. He grabbed blindly at the hand Kyle had just dropped. "Forget him. Forget that stupid jew, Kenny. I'm still here. I'm your best friend, Kenny. You don't need any of those stupid douches, I'm still here.."
Whatever clarity Kenny had momentarily regained slipped away again. He stared at the ceiling blankly and held Cartman's hand, responding the way a baby would squeeze fingers. After a moment he pronounced clearly, "It was the best parka they had."
He squeezed Kenny's hand. "Was it?"
To his surprise, Kenny nodded. So he could hear him. "It's orange."
"I know."
Kenny went quiet for a bit, and Cartman began to talk to him, slowly at first but then more fluently, about all the good things in Kenny's life he could think of, all the fun times they'd had, the old jokes, fights, games, and all they could do in the future if, no, when, not if, when he got better. The nurse who'd given him five minutes had given him at least twenty five. Damn straight, bitch.
Cartman went quiet for a minute, reflecting, when he felt Kenny squeeze his hand feebly. He raised his head off the pillow slightly.
"It's okay, Kenny, I'm here. What is it?"
Kenny struggled. His parka had loosened slightly and Cartman could see him much clearer than usual. Even when he was ill, he was such a sweet looking little thing. He whispered, and he even managed a little smile to go with it. "I get to stay this time." He didn't wait for Cartman to respond to this. He sank back into the pillow and shut his eyes, as if the phrase had exhausted him.
Cartman waited. Then he slipped his hand free and went to find Kyle.
Just because I wish Cartman would show a little compassion =(