AN: I wrote this one LONG before SSwTE's was even thought of, but I had only written the first three chapters before I was cursed with the writers block from HELL. Two and a half years later it's almost done. It's serious, and a slice of life, I suppose. I wrote this when I was in my crazed Stan/Kenny phase. Because really, we need more of that pairing. Did 'Kenny Dies' teach you all nothing about the love between those two? XD
Disclaimer: I do not, and will (probably) never own South Park. Matt and Trey have yet to hand it over to me. (:
Warnings: Rated T for some swearing, drug reference and some slight sexual content. Also there's boys loving other boys, so if you're not a fan of the 21st century you might want to move on.

It Only Hurts When I Laugh
1

Stan paused the DVD player when Sparky started barking from a knock on his apartment door. He looked over to Kyle, "can you get that?" He asked his best friend.

"Dude, it's your place, you get the door," Kyle responded lazily, his legs still resting on the small coffee table.

"But you're closer," Stan countered just as lazily.

It was a Sunday night and both were tired from a long day at work and an overload of college homework cramming. Freshman year was taking their toll on them, and they were more than ready for it to be over and done with.

The knocker persisted, and Sparky let out louder and longer howls as he raced to the door.

"Jesus Christ Stan," Kyle muttered as he swung his legs off the table to answer the door. Kicking Sparky slightly out of the way, he opened the door.

"It's about goddamn time!" Cartman greeted him with a snarl as Kyle stared at him. Not letting himself get riled up he leaned to the side and folded his arms.

"What do you want Cartman? What are you even doing here?"

"I didn't come here to talk you; last I heard this was Stan's place not yours." Cartman shoved past him and walked into the tiny living room, ignoring the dog that was jumping at his ankles. Cartman looked at the paused movie then Stan, his fat features growing angry. "What the fuck Stan, have you been here all damn night!?"

"Yeah," he responded.

"Well what the hell, I called you like five fucking times!"

"I know. I have caller ID," Stan said simply as Kyle smirked behind Cartman as he closed the front door.

Cartman looked as if he was ready to have a verbal fight with Stan, but to his surprise and Kyle's he said nothing. He clenched his jaw and balled his fists to his side, his face turning red but they watched in amazement as he forced himself to calm down.

"Forget it," he said. "Aren't you at all curious as to why I'd drag my ass all the way out here to Denver on a Sunday night?"

"You missed me?" Stan wondered.

"Like hell. Follow me," he said and turned on his heel, opening the door and leaving.

"Fat ass, you let out Sparky!" Stan hollered at him with a sigh.

Kyle was watching the opened door with curiosity, "why do you think he came all the way out here?"

Stan sighed, and stood, "I don't know, but he'd better get my damn dog back in the apartment." He muttered walking outside and down the apartment stairs with Kyle behind him.

They stood close together in the bitter night air, looking around for Cartman's figure. When they heard a whistle, they turned their heads and saw him giving them an exasperated look as he leaned on his open car door.

Walking over they rubbed their arms to keep themselves warm as a chilly draft blew by. "Okay, what the fuck is it? It's cold as hell out here." Kyle stated.

"Should have grabbed a jacket," Cartman said lightly as he moved his large frame away from the door of his car.

Both Kyle and Stan looked at him curiously before peering into the car. Kyle let out a gasp and Stan looked instantly away, trying to keep his throw up reflexes from doing what they tended to do best.

"K-Kenny?" Stan heard Kyle whisper.

Stan slowly turned his head back to the car and saw slumped in the back seat, unconscious or asleep, Kenny lying beaten up. His arm was bent at on odd angle and his face and visible skin was a colorful array of blue, purple, black, reds and yellows.

Putting a hand over his mouth as he stared, Stan turned to Cartman, "what the fuck happened to him?"

"I don't know," Cartman shrugged. "He's been unconscious since I picked him up at the corner of that seedy gas station at the edge of town. But my guess is it has something to do with those people he hangs out with."

"Jesus fuck…" Kyle muttered. "Why haven't you taken him to a hospital dumb ass?!"

"Excuse me for being a little panicked Jew! I called you assholes and no one picked up the phone remember?!"

"Its common sense you fat fuck!" Kyle yelled at Cartman. "What if he's internally bleeding and you drove all the way out here to Denver! He could have died you son of a whore!"

"Aye! Don't call my mom a whore you bastard!"

"Would you both shut the fuck up?" Stan said just barely above a whisper at the both of them. "Are you two seriously going to get into a fight when Kenny is lying in Cartman's car like this? Jesus Christ, you two are impossible. Kyle, get in the back seat beside Kenny. I'll sit in the front to give Cartman directions to the hospital."

Kyle and Cartman glared at each other but said nothing as they followed Stan's orders. The ride to the hospital was in silence, except for Stan's occasion "turn left at the light," directions. When they arrived at the emergency room parking lot, Stan hopped out. "I'm going to get someone, we probably shouldn't move him," he told them closing his door shut.

Cartman and Kyle watched as Stan jogged through the emergency room doors. When they lost sight of him Kyle turned his attention back to the blonde boy beside him who through the entire ride, never stirred.

"Damn it Kenny, what did you get yourself into this time?" Kyle muttered to himself, but Cartman heard him perfectly. Cartman still hated the Jew, but Kenny was his BFF…of sorts, and he was wondering the same thing.

When Stan came back a nurse was with him. "Where is he?" She asked peering in the dark car.

"He's inside, in the back." Stan knocked on the car door, "Cartman, turn on the car light."

Once light flooded the vehicle with the dim illumination the nurse let out a slight gasp, "Goodness…" she muttered, and turned on her heel running back inside the car. "Don't touch him!" She yelled toward them as she disappeared through the double doors of the hospital.

Saying nothing to each other they waited until the nurse returned with two other males, pushing a stretcher toward them.

"You three! Inside while they take care of your friend." The nurse ordered. Kyle, Cartman and Stan obliged without a word, and watched as the two men hoisted Kenny carefully onto the stretcher as they walked inside the hospital.

When all three were gathered inside the waiting room of the hospital the nurse looked back and forth at each one, her hands on her hips as she stared the twenty year olds down.

"What happened to him?" She finally asked.

"He got the shit kicked out of him," Cartman answered with annoyance. "What does it look like?"

The nursed glared at him, "I can see that. By who or what?"

Stan looked to Cartman who shifted his eyes, "we don't know. He," he said nodding his head toward Cartman, "found him at a street corner the way you see him now."

She nodded thoughtfully and looked closely at the three of them. "Do you boys need to file a police report?"

Stan saw that Kyle's mouth was beginning to from a yes and he quickly spoke up, "no. No we don't." He told her avoiding Kyle's burning eyes.

"Okay, well, I'll need his name and some other personal information; can any of you provide that for me?"

"Yeah I can do it," Cartman spoke up. "I am the BFF."

The nurse looked him up and down as if she didn't believe him, "hmm, right… come on then. You two can stay here," she added addressing Stan and Kyle. While the nurse and Cartman walked off Kyle and Stan took a seat in the hard uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

There was no one else in their particular waiting area, but there were a few more empty seats and a small television set was hoisted on the wall turned to the nightly news. Stan sighed and buried his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes as he did so.

"Why aren't we filing a police report?" Kyle asked staring at Stan's hidden face.

"Because we don't know what happened. What could we possibly say? And chances are Kenny doesn't want the cops involved, he never does." Stan responded before pausing momentarily, "I haven't even talked to Kenny in months," he finally said to his red haired friend.

"Me either," Kyle responded. "I called his house a few times, but I always got his dad and I wasn't going to leave a message with him. He wouldn't tell his son I called anyway."

"Yeah," Stan shifted in his seat and looked at the ground.

Kyle studied his best friend a moment before saying anything, "whatever happened with you two? You never told me the details of why you two split ways. All I know is that one day you two were all over each other and then the next you're packing off to move to Denver as soon as you can to get away from South Park and Kenny. Conveniently about the time college started, but still. You never told me, and I've been polite enough not to pry, but… after tonight… I want to know what happened."

Stan glanced up with an odd look at Kyle, "come on Kyle, you can guess what happened. Everyone did."

"I have my ideas…"

"He chose his delinquent friends and the drugs over me. That's what happened."

Kyle shook his head, "that I can't believe."

"Well that's what happened. He probably has shit in his system right now."

"Maybe, but I can't believe that he chose all that crap over you. He really cared about you. He told me more than once that you were the best thing that ever happened to him, that he couldn't believe that you picked him and-"

"Kyle could we not talk about this right now?" Stan interrupted. "Kenny's a liar, and that's all there is to it. Now drop it."

Kyle nodded and sat quietly watching his best friend. He knew Stan still wasn't over Kenny. His running away and avoiding the subject of the guy proved it. But Stan pushed on and insisted he was over him. If anything he was trying to convince himself of that more than anyone else.

After awhile Cartman returned and joined the two on the chairs. A few hours later a doctor came out from behind a few doors heading right toward them. Upon seeing her they all sat up a little straighter and looked at her expectantly.

"How is he?" Kyle asked the second she was within earshot.

"Your friends doing fine, nothing we couldn't handle. Quite a few cuts and we had to put in stitches to left side of his head. As you might have seen his arm was broken, but it was also dislocated. He has a few cracked ribs, but nothing is broken in that area. He'll be fine eventually. All he really needs is time for his body to heal."

"That's all?" Stan asked.

The doctor looked toward him and nodded with a grim smile, "yes, your friend just got in a bad fight…on the losing end I'm sure."

Stan shook his head, "no I mean there was nothing in is blood? He's clean?"

The doctor's eyes narrowed slightly, "yes. It was fine… should there have been something?"

"No, of course not." Cartman stated as he glared at Stan. "Well then if you're done with him, we can take him home?"

"Yes, he's free to go."

"Is he awake?" Kyle asked.

"He is and a nurse will wheel him out in a few moments, good night to the three of you. Oh, and here," she handed Cartman a small white bag. "He'll probably be in some pain for awhile as everything heals. Those are pain relievers. He can take up to four a day but no more, no matter how much he hurts, got it?"

Cartman nodded and the doctor left. "Alright," he tossed the bag to Stan who caught it. "There you go Stan, watch him good."

"Wait, you aren't taking Kenny?"

"Why the hell would I do that? I live at home Stan, with my mom. Kyle's in a dorm with two other guys. You have your own place, why shouldn't you watch Kenny?"

"Because unlike you, I have classes, work and baseball practice. I won't have time to watch him!"

"So take a few days off."

"Cartman you lazy ass, didn't you just claim that he's your BFF to that nurse?!"

"Yeah and I put your name and address down in all the paperwork, so he stays with you. Besides, what if whoever beat him up comes back for him huh? Then what? He'll be safer here with you and Kyle in Denver, far from South Park."

"Don't act like you care about his well being Cartman, you just don't want to deal with the responsibilities!" Kyle told him angrily.

"Yeah and so what? I picked him up, drove all the way out here. So you assholes can deal with the rest, I'm going home." Kyle and Stan stood and stared at Cartman in anger as he left the hospital.

"Fuck!" Kyle suddenly swore.

"What?" Stan looked to him.

"He drove us here remember?"

Stan sighed loudly and pulled out his cell phone, "I'll call a cab."

As Stan did that Kyle watched as a nurse, a different one from before did indeed wheel Kenny out from the back of the hospital. He was fully awake and looking straight at the ground.

"There you are sir," the nurse said cheerfully. "I'll just leave you here with your friends, now do be careful and take care of yourself."

Kenny stood carefully from the wheelchair, almost knocking his arm that had the cast against the arm rest of the chair. "Right, thanks." He told her

She nodded with a wide grin and walked off, leaving him with Kyle and Stan who was still on his cell.

"Where's Cartman?" Kenny asked, looking around the waiting room.

"He left," Kyle told him.

Kenny snorted, "Figures."

Kyle smiled softly, "are you feeling better?"

"I feel like someone beat the shit out of me. Hard," Kenny responded, but he was smiling too.

Kyle gave him a slight hug, being careful to avoid his broken arm, "we're glad you're okay. You scared the fucking shit out of all of us."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kenny looked toward Stan who was looking back at them, but turned away when Kenny met his eyes. "Stan doesn't seem too thrilled to see me."

"Trust me dude, he about fainted when he saw your condition."

They both saw as Stan shut his phone and turn to them, "the cab is here."

"Did you order two, so I could take one home? Wouldn't that be easier?" Kyle asked.

"I was actually hoping you'd stay the night. I can drive you to class tomorrow, or you can just take my car since apparently," Stan glanced at Kenny, "I'm taking a few days off."

"Yeah…" Kyle looked at Kenny. "That's fine, as long as I can borrow some of your clothes?"

Stan nodded silently.

Kyle looked to Kenny, "do you need help walking or something?"

The blond shook his head, "I mean I hurt like hell, but I can walk on my own… but maybe stick by my side in case I can't?"

"Yeah of course," Kyle responded as he glanced at Stan who ignored them both completely as he walked out of the hospital doors.

Kyle walked slowly alongside Kenny who limped slightly and bit his lip to keep in the suppressed moans of pain. When they exited the hospital they saw Stan leaning over the side of a taxi cab talking with the driver. He looked up when they approached and opened the back door for Kenny who gave him an appreciative glance but Stan acted as if he hadn't seen it, and sat in the front seat next to the driver.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

Stan gave him the direction of his student apartment that was owned by the college, and in doing so noticed the driver glancing in the rear view mirror to look at Kenny.

"Good God son, what the hell happened to you?" He asked.

Stan looked straight ahead at the night road as he spoke up, "good question. What did happen to you?"

Kenny winched at Stan's impassive voice, "now you want to talk to me?"

"Fine, don't tell me," was the automatic response.

"Stan," Kyle said, stressing his name. "Don't be like this right now okay?"

The cab driver glanced at all three of them, his eyes falling back on Kenny.

"I tripped," Kenny said when he noticed the driver's eyes were still on him.

The driver shook his head and focused his eyes back on the road, "of course you did son. That was one mighty fall."

"You've got no fucking idea…" Kenny muttered, Kyle being the only one to hear him. Kyle glanced at Kenny and gave him a slight pat on the shoulder. Kenny looked at his red haired friend and gave him a grateful smile.

"I probably owe you guys one," he whispered to him.

Kyle simply shook his head and the rest of the car ride was in silence. As the driver approached the parking lot, Stan got out and paid the driver. He opened Kenny's door without thinking, and stepping out Kenny met his eyes.

"Thanks," he said to Stan.

Stan grunted in an inaudible response before closing the car door.

Together the three of them made their way to the base of the stairs as the cab driver took off. Kenny stopped at the bottom step.

"Do you need help?" Kyle asked eyeing the stairs.

Kenny said nothing and nodded while Kyle motioned to Stan, "brace him on his other side." He demanded, making sure Stan realized it wasn't a choice.

Without a word, Stan wrapped an arm slightly around Kenny's waist while Kyle did the same. Once comfortable with how they supported the boy in the middle, they began to make the slow ascend up to Stan's tiny third story apartment.

End of Chapter 1
-FG