As Stan approached the bus stop Kenny, Cartman, and Kyle were already there waiting.

"Hey Stan!" Kyle greeted first.

"Hey."

"Stan, did you check out that awesome video I e-mailed you last night? It's super funny," Cartman inquired.

"What video?" Kyle questioned.

"Nothing you need to know about, Jew!" Cartman sneered.

"Shut up, Cartman!"

"You shut up, Kahl!"

"Guys!" Stan interjected as his pounding headache worsened from the yelling. "Please… Not today."

Both Kyle and Cartman looked at each other curiously.

"Wonder what's wrong with him." Cartman nudged Kenny, who shrugged.

Kyle surveyed his friend, suspicious of his unusually short tolerance threshold. The prominent bags under his sagging eyes caught his attention.

"Dude, you look beat."

"Yeah, I didn't sleep hardly at all last night," Stan sighed.

"Why not? Did something happen?" Kyle asked genuinely concerned.

"I got sick last night."

"Sick? Kyle asked, taking a closer look at his friend. He noticed Stan was shivering and had a rather pained look on his slightly pale face.

"Yeah, Stan. You look pretty sick," Kenny observed.

Oh great… It looks like I'm doing a fantastic job downplaying this… Stan criticized himself.

"I feel terrible," he admitted. "My head hurts, my stomach hurts, every muscle in my body aches, I'm tired, and freezing…"

"And your mom wouldn't let you stay home?!" Kyle asked in alarmed disbelief.

"No, I didn't ask her…," he conceded.

"What?!"

"I don't want her to know I'm sick because then I wouldn't be able to go to Denver tomorrow to see the Broncos on Sunday," Stan said, almost crying.

"It's okay dude, it's not like this is the last Broncos game ever," Kyle said comfortingly. "You can always go to a different game."

"Yeah right…You know how long I've wanted to go to a game and how long it took before the finally gave in. Plus they already bought the tickets and would probably never buy any more if these were wasted," Stan said as a few tears streamed down his face.

"I'm sure your parents would understand. It's not your fault you got sick. I know they would buy tickets for another game sometime."

Stan chortled at the validity of that statement. His laughing was followed up by a coughing fit.

"Dude, let me walk you back home. Please. You are in no condition to even be outside, let alone go to school today," Kyle implored.

"I took some medicine before I left. I'm going to make it through today and hopefully it is a little better tomorrow," Stan stood his ground stubbornly.

"Stan…," he attempted one last time.

"Time's up! The bus is here already," Cartman interrupted as it turned the corner.

The boys boarded the bus and it took off in the direction of the school.

I'll be amazed if he makes it to lunch, Kyle thought, looking at his best friend who was sleeping with his head against the bus window beside him.