We back, nothing else to sayyyyy.

NoseBridgePinch: Glad you can join! Also happy you're already enjoying it, because there's definitely more to come. Yeah, I feel like I have to do my research on the disease so I'm not too inaccurate nor disrespectful. Btw, just read your recent Stendy fic, love it so much.

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Some kids had that advantage when they were born, given just a smidge of a head start above others. At least Kenny thought so as he never did feel like he was one of them. It never did bother him, he just thought by the way you entered the world things were as they were. You couldn't flip your lid about things out of your control. Kenny had always been one of the most humble kids in school.

Those older boys hadn't bothered him since he got out of the hospital up until movie night. The sixth graders had a different lunch period anyway, with the third, fourth, and fifth graders being in the second lunch hour, and kindergarten to second grade being the first. Maybe Kenny's hopes for those boys to piss off were just a little too good to be true in the end.

Seated at a table with a few additional fourth-grade boys, Kenny attempted to listen to the conversation amongst the cafeteria's buzz. Munching slowly on his baloney sandwich from home as he just got over a surprise cough that morning before taking his meds.

"No way, dude."

"Yes way," Cartman insisted to a doubtful Clyde across the table.

"If you motorized your skateboard to ramp off your roof," Stan unfolded, skepticism in his brow. "Turtles could fly."

"Heya, I wouldn't mind that!" Butters enthused.

"All I'd need were the right rocket fuel-"

"Where're you gonna afford anything close to that?" Kyle also doubted.

"Yeah," Kenny agreed.

With Cartman's latest craze of wanting to jump the entire width of his street, it took up at least a third of every lunch talk lately. While the idea manifested Kenny's mind, he couldn't say it was really possible. Things came and went with him and his friends but frankly a skateboard with enough power fuel to carry large pounds of asshole was a little hard to believe. Kenny chuckled to himself on that one.

"I still don't get Mr. Mackey's morning announcement," Stan added on.

"Yeah, what was that even about?" Kyle agreed, mixing a fry in ketchup. "Any bikes resting in the hallways will not only be moved, but parked outta school property?"

"What d'you think," Craig mentioned. "It's those sixth graders thinkin' they could park their crap wherever." He exchanged a mutual eye roll with Kenny, being the closest across from him, as the orange hood nodded in agreement. He heard that alright.

"When are they gonna learn." Cartman hissed quietly.

"Learn what?" Token questioned.

"That fourth graders rule the school, and no amount of wheelies make you the kings." Cartman said, a little more pissed than properly needed. "For god's sakes, who has given them the right?"

"Hey, yeah." Kyle mutually agreed. "It's not like older makes you the boss."

"They are taller though," Stan said, focused on his pudding cup. "And scarier."

The moment of authority gone, the boys reconciled that the older kids were scary and forgot about it. Indulging back in his sandwich, Kenny coughed gently against his chest. Swallowing down the bite and taking a water sip to soothe his throat's troubles.

"Basketball after school?"

"Sure."

"I dunno, dude. I haven't started on math." Clyde itched.

"Oh, it's easy just one page of like ten questions." Kyle rubbed off. "We really need to have another Magic: The Gathering session soon."

"Yeah!" Kenny admired. He could use some time spent in a game he knew better than the back of his hand. Another slight rumble of a minor cough made earthquakes in his chest. It was an off-putting day for his body and he was just trynna get through eating right now. He tended to have better days than others and while this wasn't necessarily a bad one, symptoms could be more than annoying sometimes.

"Does it ever hurt?"

Kenny swallowed his sandwich bite as he continued tuning into the conversation. No one actually gave a response to Craig's question and it was only until Kenny looked up that he realized he was the one asked by the waiting eyes.

"What?"

"Your thingy."

Cartman ate a fry with an eye roll. "No, Craig. His wiener does not ache because of his disease."

Kenny shrugged off Cartman's unnecessary input. "Sometimes." He swallowed the chunk of baloney sandwich he'd bitten, noting how it was a rough day for him by a few notable signs. A fun new one was the excess saliva that made swallowing food a little rougher due to his pharynx muscles.

"Like a lot?" Token added in.

He took a sip of water, wondering if they were mistaking him for the doctor and not the patient. Kenny wasn't sure he even understood it a whole lot. "It could."

"Well gee, Kenny. You sure are good at fighting it!" Butters admired.

The kid in the hood wasn't sure how complimentary to take it. With the attention of this nightmare already on him, he'd been breathing less air while continuing to eat. Along with the slowly swallowed sandwich bite he again took down a constricting throat, he hitched a choke and coughed into a fist with a sudden drop of his sandwich. The cough became more struggled as the other boys remained attentive. He reached for a napkin to which he spat into and looked down at the sloppy residue with a dry mouth before staring at the waiting others.

"You have no idea."

In the first grade classroom of pigmented drawings and plastic school chairs divided by four per table, Karen McCormick listened hesitantly to one of her classmates go on in their turn of Show and Tell. She decided to bring her favorite dolly with the bubblegum hair and princess crown to present as she waited patiently.

Out of the three siblings, Kevin was probably the most fearlessly inclined. He tended to be able to talk first to others more than being approached. Kenny was more a detached and quiet boy, and while not as loud as his brother, he still had a mouth through to stand up for what was right.

A small finger poked her shoulder, and she turned a girl from her class. "Why is your bother sick..?"

Due to a younger age or not, Karen was a little more reserved in bravery. At the age of six, it wasn't identified easily though she did tend to crack a little more when things got a little too intimidating. Maybe it was younger child syndrome. While nothing conflicting had arisen, it was easy to say she was already a little nervous. A few poking questions from some of her classmates about her brother came through and it bothered her more than wanting it to. With Kenny being back for a good while, South Park parents asking their children not to bother the McCormick children about questions they 'weren't ready to answer' perhaps faded.

Scared of answering what she didn't like to talk about, she clutched her dolly closer. The other curious little girl still staring at her with no hardships intended yet waiting on an answer. Karen looked to her coloring supplies on her table's corner and tried to listen.

"An' that's why...I brought my soccer ball." A six-year-old boy finished off, said ball clutched in his proud hands.

"Thank you for sharing, Scott." Mrs. Streibel encouraged. "Does anyone have anything they'd like to ask about Scott's soccer ball?"

A few hands went up and Karen fiddled with her doll's cotton legs.

"Do you only play soccer with that ball?"

"No."

"Do you lose..it?"

"No."

Knowing it was only gonna be short answers by Scott's nature, Mrs. Streibel gently ushered him along. "Alright, thank you. You may take a seat."

The boy hurried along, and lucky Karen, the teacher looked right her way.

"Karen, would you like to go next?"

She shifted out of her seat knowing that wasn't really an option. With her doll still clutched close she scooted her way to the front of the class nearing the chalkboard as Mrs. Streibel took a seat at her desk to the left of it. She hushed the students that were quick to engage in conversation whenever there was a pause.

"Whenever you're ready," her teacher said.

She held her doll out by its torso. "This is Penelope," the most pip-squeak voice spoke. "She's my favorite doll because my mommy gave her to me. I like bringing her everywhere and telling her secrets 'cuz she won' tell any person."

Karen looked to the teacher for confirmation, who nodded that she continue so these kids learned how to time-manage their presentations.

"She also smells nice and is the best-est to hug. She's really pretty an' is always on my pillow. I play with her all the time and take her outside. But then' my mommy gets upset because I get her dirty. An' I named her Penelope 'cuz her hair is pink and she's a princess. She is the ruler of the sugar monsters and let's me stay in the kingdom. And yeah."

"Thank you very much for sharing," Mrs. Streibel said. "Does anyone have any questions for Karen?"

There was some consideration before Scott raised his hand.

"Yes, Scott."

The first graders looked to the boy. "Why is your brother sick?"

Karen could feel her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. "Um.."

"That is not the kinda question were are asking is it, Scott?" Mrs. Streibel warned, shutting down anything before it could start. "Would someone else like to ask?"

Karen clutched her doll like a life preserver as she anticipated anything else. Just when it seemed like the coast was clear, Susan shot in with; "Does he live in the hospital an' you live in the house?"

"Susan-!"

"My mommy says that you can be sick, too."

"..no-"

"Can I get sick like him?"

She nearly wanted to break down, right before another boy spat out;

"Is he gonna die?"

Karen brimmed tears, and Mrs. Streibel shot up. "That is enough! if anyone else asks a question that is not about Show and Tell, they will not get to present! Would anyone like that?"

The silence was loud in the classroom.

"Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, Mrs. Streibel," came the echo of the students.

She came to the little girl's level in the front. "It's okay, Karen. You can go sit down."

The young girl sniffed up the moistness in her eyes, wiping them against Penelope as she went back to her place amongst the sea of first graders.

Nearing the tracks not far off from his home, Kenny entertained himself on his walk back by kicking a pebble he found three blocks prior. He lived the furthest and given there was no school bus after a few games with the dudes, he tried to find some hidden gems to keep him entertained whenever walking back. He usually walked back with the others until they broke off onto their streets and it was eventually stripped down to just the one. Last he was with was Stan and they talked about their next Magic: The Gathering session the whole way. He also liked to make a stop at a neighbor's front yard where their dog usual was during the late afternoon, y'know, for some necessary belly rubs. Kenny always wanted a golden retriever just like him.

He passed the tracks and neared his home's pathway. Giving a brief wave to his next-door neighbor, the older man waved back. Usually drunk, but a nice guy nonetheless to everyone. There was something delicate about his part of town that was easy to overlook from the rest of it.

Crossing the lawn, Kenny kicked the pebble along the property's path until it hit the stair-step based at his front door, bouncing back in a skip to land at his feet. He bent down and picked it up, carrying it with him as he walked through the front door to Kevin situated on the couch and his parents presumably in the kitchen across the way. Kenny shut the door behind, intending to go see them on account of a doctor's appointment they had him promise they'd discuss before dinner.

"You're not supposed to walk home." Kevin pointed out.

Kenny tossed the pebble at the know-it-all, who launched it back to which Kenny jumped away from. Yeah, he was technically supposed to carpool with Mrs. Tucker who was already picking up Karen, but he wanted to be with his friends. The carpools were mostly for precaution and kinda a drag to Kenny's attempts to just keep everything as it should be.

Turning to the kitchen's opening, he didn't edge too closely upon his parents' discussion catching his ear.

"Will our insurance even cover that?"

"Shit, beats me." He heard his father grumble lowly. "Guess is as good as mine.."

"Wish they had some better benefit..." Carol groaned. "They're a freakin' hospital."

He edged back to the living area to avoid what he wasn't supposed to hear. Or maybe was supposed to hear for all he knew. While his parents never expected anything from him to do with money, being a kid anyway, it's not like they hid that they were frustrated when they needed it the most. Now revolving around his medical bills, maybe Kenny should have something to do with it. His body was the cause of this, wasn't it?

He shook off the detriment. There was no need to be a poor sport, right now. He felt a little drained and lightheaded so maybe some shut-eye before dinner would do him some good. He walked down the hallway until he reached the third door on his left that was his room. Walking in and shutting it tight as he dropped his bag to the floor and carried his brick feet to his temptingly waiting mattress. Once met, he fell forward and his face cushioned into his pillow.

Taking in a few breaths, he turned his head his nightstand's way at an old frame holding a picture last taken of him and his family at Jefferson Lake for vacation that strung a new train of thought. There weren't a lot of far places they could go to, but in closer range, Jefferson Lake had always been a favorite. Sure, for an outsider Jefferson town may look no different than a little community like South Park. But, every small town occupant knew the distinct hidden gems one place could hold that differed it from everything else. Take his corner of South Park.

He chose to let his eyelids become heavy, hoping a slumber could take him and rid him of a sicker day he was having. His bed made it so tempting to pass out. His limbs started to feel fuzzy and his body weight sunk into the bed. He cuddled the pillow with an arm rested under it and pressed his cheek to its cool surface, breathing softly as the sound of the late afternoon wind whistled at his window.

Kenny nearly snorted out of fright when his door busted open. Dizzily sitting up, he was met with a distraught Karen in his entryway. Alarm bells went off in his head at her distress, and he rubbed his eyes awake. "What's wrong?"

She held her limp doll by an arm, eyes sunken that made Kenny worry more. He didn't have to worry about getting up though, because Karen launched herself over to him. Quickly crawling up and ringing her arms around his torso, grateful for the arrival home of her brother.

Kenny held her in return. "Karen?"

She shook her head in refusal as tears dampened Kenny's jacket.

"What is it?"

His soft demand made her drop her doll and hold on tighter. "Don't leave, a-again..."

"Leave where?"

"Don't go.."

He pondered before realizing. Oh, great. He really didn't need this bothering her. But, with everything moving at a steady pace lately, maybe he neglected a bit to see how his baby sister was holding up. Pulling away but holding her hand as to assure his stay, he sat back on his bottom atop the bed, Karen mirroring him. He took her fallen dolly and handed it to her which she cuddled it with a free arm while her hand still desperately held Kenny's.

"What happened?" Her brother started.

She sniffed into Penelope's cotton head. "School..."

"What, school?"

"They said their parents said I'm sick like you and...and.." she hiccuped, "and wanna, wanna-" the preschooler couldn't keep her words up with her uneven breathing and Kenny let her stop to catch her breath, waiting patiently. "They wanna know if you would be dying.."

Confusion curled Kenny's lip. "Who?"

"School-!" She was exasperated, and Kenny tried to relax her from the breakdown. She rubbed a tired and sad hand to her eye.

"The other kids?" Kenny guessed.

She nodded against her fist. Her brother said bye-bye to his nap and pulled her in for another hug. Letting the preschooler hitch and tear up her sorrow against him. He rubbed one hand against her back and sent soothing waves through her as she calmed by the passing minutes in her big brother's arms. After a few minutes of quiet, Kenny assured her;

"It's okay, Kare." He said. "They don't know me." Really, this whole town was suddenly acting like they really knew Kenny...

"...are you gonna leave, again..?"

His hold on her stiffened and she could sense his energy as she cried. He tried to think of a distraction as he eyed her abandoned doll but there wasn't much of a diversion for this one. If only he didn't have such a pitiful answer.

Could he? Could he, not? After surviving once, he thought maybe there was a future. The doctors had it better under control and yet he was fighting symptoms that kept popping up in a bumpy road. Sure, he was said either way he'd face them, but how much could he be saved after practically shaking death's hand?

All he knew right now was that his disease gave him a lot to be scared over, but a few first graders definitely weren't one of them.

"Remember when I was in the hospital?" Kenny suggested, though he knew that scared Karen by her jitters against him. "How mom said I was still with all of us even if I was sleeping in a different room?"

"But, you're not.."

He pushed her back by her shoulders. "Yeah I am, 'cuz family is always together. You didn't know that?"

Big eyes stared back, and she shook her frowning face.

"Well, you should."

She wiped her tears. "Promise..?"

He couldn't deny her anything. Not Karen. "I promise."

She rested a little easier and Kenny felt accomplished in doing his job. When caught in the pits, he had to find a way to make it better for Karen. That wasn't a choice for him. So long as she was his little sister. Albeit his sibling, which meant occasional annoyance and irritation, she counted on him to be looked out for. He did that however he could. One method may have been running around in a dark mask and hood on occasion...

Taking her doll back, he gradually lifted it to her face until she noticed. Booping her cheek with it made her widen a smiling giggle and Kenny bit back his own.

Mission, twice accomplished.

To be continued...