Chapter 7: Oh My God They Killed Kenny!
It was devastating. The air was so thick, I couldn't speak. I was worried about choking if I so much as whispered. The walls were familiar from Eric's time in the hospital, and that was a feeling I was afraid of. Kyle and Stan tried to comfort me and get me to sit down, but I was furious. Who could do that to little Butters? What did he do to deserve that kind of punishment? I was going to kill who ever did this. I promised to Butters while he was sleeping that I was going to avenge him. I was going to get this sick son of the bitch if it was the last thing I do. "Ken?" I turned around to see Butters with his eye lids half way open, needles and I.V.'s pumping pain killers into my precious Buttercup. I paced over to the bed where I sat on a hospital chair and held Butters' hand. "I'm here, I'm here Butters," "Wh-where am I?" "You're at the hospital" Kyle answered for me knowing I was having a hard time talking. "Wh-why," before we could answer him his eyes grew wide, his hands began to shake, and he started to cry. He clenched his eyes shut before jumping out of the bed and tearing out the needles. "Butters!" "No!" "Butters!" "Don't touch me! I'll be good, I swear," he was terrified of us, why? He ripped out his I.V. and he began to bleed all over the floor. Kyle and I ran over trying to stop Butters from hurting himself and putting pressure where he was bleeding. Stan went to call for help in the hallway, we could hear him screaming, "Help! We need a doctor! Help!" Two doctors in white lab coats and a few nurses rushed in the room to sedate Butters and lay him down to rest for awhile. The nurse bandaged his arm, while the doctor tried to explain us the situation. "It appears that your friend Butters is showing signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," I didn't want to hear anymore I ran out the door, through the hall, passed Mr. and Mrs. Stotch, and out of that hell. I went all the way home, I didn't stop. I didn't want to see the love of my life afraid. I didn't want to see him afraid of me.
Cartman's Point Of View:
I couldn't sleep. After we rushed Butters to the hospital and admitted him, I drove Wendy home and went home to my mother who was sitting on the couch waiting for me. "Eric?" "Mom?" "Honey, I'm sorry," She began to tear up and sniffle before making her way towards me with open arms. I hugged her and she held me tighter then ever before. "I'm sorry about your friend," I usually never tried to appear weak in front of my mother. I always had to be the grown up of the house, until now. I had a mother I could cry with, but I couldn't let the tears out. No matter how hard I tried to let myself cry, I couldn't cry with my own mother. Instead I began to laugh, my mother pulled away and looked at me worried. When I saw her eyes that hit a trigger and soon my laughter rapidly evolved to tears. We cried in eachother's arms on the couch as mother and son.
Butters was such an innocent soul, I have no clue who would hurt him. It kept me up all night. The thought of Butters being touched that way, it was making me sick. I was throwing up food I had eaten hours ago, the toilet was my best friend. My head rested against the wall behind me while my arms laid on top of the toilet seat. I wasn't leaving that spot, because I was afraid I would get sick in bed and wouldn't be able to make it to the bathroom. After my mother went to bed I started to come to the realization of what had happened. It seemed so unreal, so vague that it just couldn't be real. Atleast it shouldn't be real. Why Butters? Out of all the people this man could take, he took one of the most innocent ones. Why?
The next morning I was a mess, I had fallen asleep on the bathroom floor in my own vomit. My head was pounding and my eyes were tired from crying. I lifted myself up off the floor to get a shower and get dressed. I was going to skip school that day, I wanted to see Butters. After getting a hot shower, I put on my gray jeans, skinny puppy shirt, and converse before heading downstairs for something to eat, it must've been later in the morning because, my mom had left for work and I was alone. Ding dong! Huh? I walked over to the door and answered to see two police officers in uniform standing with a man who appeared to have been drinking. "Can I help you officers?" "Son, do you know this man?" I looked at the man again and recognized him as Kenny's dad. "Yea, he's my friend's dad, what's going on?" "Why! I didn't see him! He ran out in front of me!" the man started screaming and fell to the floor sobbing into my carpet. "I'm sorry about this," The officers lifted him up. "Wait wait, what is he talking about?" "Was your friend by any chance Kenny McCormick?" "Yea, why?" "I'm sorry, but last night he was hit by a drunk driver," The officer leaned his head toward the man signing that Kenny's dad had killed Kenny by accident. "I'm sorry son! I'm sorry!" The man started to sob again, before the officers took the man away.
I slammed the door and ran to the bathroom. No, this can't be real. This is a nightmare I can't get out of. I just want to leave, go somewhere where pain is non-existent. I just want to run away. I cried out his name and sobbed into my knees, I was curled up in a little ball next to the sink. This can't be happening, this can't be real. I need to tell Butters.
Butters Point Of View:
Why me? What did I do? I probably deserve it. I'm always getting in trouble. This is probably my punishment for all the times I've been grounded. Oh my god, what if he come back for me? Aww hamburgers! I started to sweat and shake. I looked to Kyle sitting on the chair, then he changed it was the man. Oh god, oh no! "No! Leave me alone!" "Butters! Butters, wake up!" "Leave me alone! I'll be good I swear!" He started shaking me and I opened my eyes to see Kyle and Stan hovering over me with worried eyes. "Fe-fellas?" "Butters, oh my god, are you ok?" "I-I, whe-where's Kenny?" The two boys in front of me lowered their heads and looked to me with sincerity in their eyes. "Fe-fellas, where's Kenny?" Stan walked to the window, while Kyle sat on the bed beside and took my hand. "Butters, Kenny, he, we can't find him." My eyes grew wide and I started to shake again. "Now, now Butters calm down," "Bu-but whe-where could he, he , he be!" "That's what we're trying to find out Butters!" "No, we need to, we need to," "You need to rest, we will find him," I started to cry as I laid back down on the bed. "Butters, I promise you we will find Kenny," "Yea, we all will help," Stan stood up and walked over to the bed when the door opened to reveal a large figure. "Butters?" "E-Eric?" "Yea, yea it's me," Eric walked over beside the bed and looked to the boys with worry in his eyes. "Guys, can I talk to Butters alone please?" "Sure" Stan and Kyle both nodded their head befores heading out the door leaving a silence that was unbearable. "Eric? What's the matter?" Eric sits where Kyle had just been sitting and took my hand, just as Kyle did. "Er-Eric I know Kenny's mi-missing but, we'll find him," "No Butters we won't."
Stan's Point Of View:
Kyle and I were sitting on a wooden bench next to Butter's room in silence. What was there to say? We still couldn't believe what was happening. We all felt unease about the whole situation. I mean this is Butters we're talking about how can a person do that. You hear about rape and murder on the news all the time and you think it will never happen in your town, but it did. An innocent boy was taken advantage of. A boy we grew up with since preschool, a kid that we have known for years. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my two fingers trying to make sense of it all when Kyle patted my shoulder for reassurance that it will be ok. "You alright Stan?" "Yea, I-I just can't believe it dude," "Yea, I know what you mean," "What do you think is going to happen?" "I honestly don't-" "No!" We whipped our heads up to see Butters running out of the room and down the hall with blood running from his elbow. "Oh my god! Butters!" Kyle and I ran as fast as we can to catch Butters, soon nurses and doctors were chasing him through the hallways. We thought he was going to to run out the front door until, a tall man caught him and pinned him down long enough for the nurses and doctors to patch him up and wheel him back to his room. The tall man smiled as he was wheeled away and looked to Kyle and I. "Your friend?" he pointed to Butters now being wheeled down the hall sedated. We nodded our head in unison. "Better keep a close eye on him, I would if I were you," with that the man left the building laughing. I didn't know what to say, I looked over to Kyle who had the same shocked expression. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" "I have no idea," "Stan maybe, maybe he's the guy," What!" "Come on," We left the hospital and decided to follow the man. We would come back and check on Butters after we had figured out who he was and what he was doing.
We followed him for an hour into Denver, he was driving a black SUV with a blank license plate. We were surprised he wasn't pulled over yet. He had stopped at a beaten down house where he came out with a brown package in his hands. As he was getting into the car we realized that he had seen us so we sped off back towards South Park. What was in that package? "What do you think he was doing?" "I don't know dude, but whatever it is, it doesn't look good," we both went silent and drove home with nothing to say.
Eric's Point Of View:
I can't believe it. Any of this, I won't believe it. After I had told Butters what had happened he freakd out. He ripped the I.V. out of his arm and ran out the door. I was going to chase after him but, I saw Stan and Kyle go after him so I sat there and waited. When Butters was wheeled back into his room and placed on his bed all I could do was sit and wait. There was nothing I could do that would ease his pain. He had been violated, traumatized, and now the love of his life had passed away. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through. I held on to a little stuffed frog with a hole on his arm close to my chest, wishing that time would go backwards, and he could save Butters before, the incident. I didn't know what to do or say. I was worthless, I was unecessary.
Kenny's Point Of View:
It happened sudden. I was on my way home when bright lights blinded me then I woke up in hell...again. I was getting tired of dieing I just wanted to live and if I died, I died. I said my goodbyes to Damien and Satan before leaving to return to Earth. When I did return I appeared a block away from Cartman's house, where I saw two police officers and my dad talking to Cartman. I knew what they were saying to him, that I was dead and that they were sorry, yeah whatever. They didn't care. When they left with my dad I ran over and jumped Cartman's fence and neared the back door when I overheard Cartman in the bathroom. He was crying, and screaming my name. I felt terrible. How could I just walk in the door and act like nothing happened? I decided to stay hidden from the guys and see Butters when no visitors were there. That way Butters would be at ease about me. When I was walking to the hospital covered head to toe, I saw Stan and Kyle speed off from the parking lot behind a black car, it was odd but I didn't think anything of it. I walked into the hospital and went to the front desk to ask for Butters. "I'm sorry he's sleeping right now," "Look ma'am this is important," "I understand but," "No you don't!" I calmed myself down to avoid anymore eyes staring at me. "Look he thinks I'm dead, and I'm not. I really, really need to see him," she looked at me questioningly before giving me permission to see him. "Thank you," I ran to his room with all my strength. I opened the door quietly trying to avoid waking up Butters. I closed it quietly and crept over to his bed and sat beside him when a hand covered my mouth while the other held my torso and pulled me into the bathroom. "Who are you?" it was Cartman. He was smothering me. I couldn't move or speak to tell him who I was. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" I wiggled out and covered Cartman's mouth before unzipping my hood and revealing my face. Cartman's eyes grew wide as I put a finger to my lips signaling him to be quiet.
We sat in the bathroom for awhile just talking. I told him what had happened and Cartman started to remember again. He seemed to be the only one who would remember after I had died. He was also the only one who always cried everytime I had died. Butters remembered and cried after a few deaths. But, I usually would show up and no one remembers that I was gone besides these two. I don't know why. But after the trauma that Butters recently endured, and being told that I was dead. Will he remember? I was afraid for Butters. "Cartman?" "Yea?' He looked up at me with sorrowful eyes and a smirk that tried to cover up the devastation he felt. He didn't like being reminded that I couldn't die, it made him feel like he cried for nothing. "I-Is Butters alright? I mean like," "Like is he ok enough to see you?" "I don't want to see him," "What? Why?" I'm afraid I'll-I'll scare him," "What do you mean?" I looked to him with concern. He was sitting on the toilet with his arms on his knees, I was in the same position but I was sitting on a little stool that was next to the sink. We were sitting there for a good hour, we were surprised no nurses or doctors came to check up on Butters yet. "When he first woke up I held his hand to comfort him and he seemed ok but," "But he freaked out," "Yea," I relaxed my neck and allowed my head to fall into my hands with my elbows leaning on my knees. I was about to cry when Cartman interupted me. "Dude, I know it's hard but, I think you'd want to hear this," "What?" I looked up at him with determination in his expression now. "Butters freaked out again today, but it wasn't because of what happened," "Why did he freak out?" "He freaked out because, he thought you were dead," I let my head fall back down when I started to realize everything. I must've overreacted and ran out of the hospital and got hit by my own drunk dad and not realize that it would hurt Butters even more. I was such a jackass. "I think you should stay here and talk to Butters," "But what if-" "No, no what ifs, no buts, you need to stay here with him," "You know you've really matured Cartman?" "Psht, please don't give me that shit, I'm still me just not me," "You matured," "Yea whatever, I'm going to go down stairs and order me some lunch, you want anything?" "No, I'm good," "Alright" with that Cartman stood up and left the bathroom quietly and whispered to Butters to feel better.
I guess he didn't want me to hear or see because he tried to close the door and have his back facing towards me, but I could hear him still. He left the room with a small thud from the door before I got up and sat beside Butters watching him sleep. Even when he was going through such a terrible time he seemed at peace when he slept. His lips pursed out just a little, a pink tint that always ran across his face, and that messy poofball of hair covering his face. His eyes seemed tired but, content with the sleep. He was exhausted from the way he was curled up in his little fetal position with the blanket wrapped around him. I slowly crept my hand over on to his bed before lightly holding his hand in mine. I unconsciously squeezed his hand causing Butters to twitch and slowly open up his eyes. He looked at me with fear at first, and I started to pull away when he widened his eyes, jumped up and leaped into me. I wasn't ready for him to jump on me so we fell back on to the floor with a hard hit to my head...again. "Ken-Kenny? Is it re-really you?" "Yea, Butters it's really me," He wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed me as tight as he could and started to cry into my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his back and hug him just as tight. "It's alright Butters, I'm here" "I love you," And just like that it hit me, we had said it to each other over and over again but this time it hurt, because of how hard my heart started to beat just from hearin ghim say those three words again. "I wi-will love yo-you until the en-end Ke-ken!" He pulled from the hug and realized that he was straddling me on the ground. He started to blush before getting up and pulling me up with him. I was going to lead him to lie back down when he grabbed my collar and forced me up against the wall kissing me deeply. It was so sudden, so exotic, so new. When he pulled away I looked at him to make sure that he wasn't losing his mind. "Ke-ken I'm not t-too good with this kind of st-stuff but, I-I," You what?" "I want to sh-show you how mu-much I love y-you," "Butters, you don't have to show me how much you love me with sex, you've shown me already," "Re-really?" I laughed a little, "Yes, why else would I propose to you?" Butters stopped for a minute and looked me over and smiled. "I almost fo-forgot, we're eng-gaged!" he started to do a little giddy dance before giving me another deep kiss. This time when he pulled away he led me over to the bed where he snuggled up in the blankets and I behind him wrappin gmy arms around his waist and his hands wrapped around mine. "Ke-ken?" "Mhm?" "I-I," "What?" I started to grow concern when he stopped me. "Ken I'm gl-glad you were my fi-first," I smiled at the thought before I realized what he meant by that. And before I could start thinking about the situation I felt a little trickle. "Butters?" I lifted my head up just enough to see him crying. "Butters what's the matter?" he sniffled and cried a little more before starting to weep. He rolled over so that his face was against my chest and I could feel his tears running down my collar bone. "K-k-ken I can't st-stop seeing hi-him," It hit me. The person I loved the most was hurt by someone else. Some one had raped the love of my life, and they were not going to get away with it. "Butters I promise you, I'm going to catch this guy, even if it's the last thing I do," he sniffled again before whispering. "I-I'm afraid of hi-him coming ba-back for me," "That's not going to happen, I won't allow it, I don't care if that means having to glue my hip to yours and walking with you everywhere, you will not get hurt again I promise" he continued to cry in my arms before falling asleep from exhaustion. "Goodnight Butters," I watched him breath in his sleep and heard Cartman come in quietly and sit in the chair behind me."Kenny you asleep?" "No, what is it?" "I know who did it," I raised my eyebrow from confusion. "What?" "I know who did it," he said it with more emphasis and I knew that meant that he knew who did this to my buttercup. "Where does he live?" "Don't you even want to know what he is?" "No, I have something planned and you're going to help me," "Help you do what exactly?" "We're going to kill him," "Right just kick the shit out of him right?" "No, I mean kill him," "Kenny, that's a bit extre-" "He hurt Butters. He doesn't deserve to live after doing that to him," "Alright," "We'll talk about it tomorrow," "Alright I'll try to get more information on him."
