Does this answer your question, Cat Omalley? xDDD YES, I AM BACK!

Disclaimer: I do not own South Park.

Chapter Three
Injuries, Secrets and Lies

Kenny ran through the re-birth process back in Hell, waving a hurried 'hello' to Satan as he skipped the large line of people already waiting. Holy fucking Christ, what had happened to his friends? They hadn't come with him, so they must still be alive, but what if they were hurt and needed help?

He woke up in an awkward position on the crumpled hood of the van, and he groaned, snapping his neck back into place. There we go; that was much better. Jumping off of the hood, he gazed around anxiously, his eyes catching Tweek and Craig pulling a moaning Stan out of the vehicle.

"Hey, you guys alright?" He called out. Craig turned to him as they lay Stan down.

"Oh hey, Kenny, you're back. Yeah, most of the bags fell on us when we were back there; guess they must have protected us or something."

Tweek whimpered. "Sweet Jesus, th-that was -ngh- th-the scariest moment in my l-life!"

Craig patted his hair soothingly, then looked down worriedly at Stan, who was letting out pained half-cries. "He's been doing that for a while, I don't know what's wrong with him."

Kenny quickly approached them, and quickly spotted the problem. "Look, his shoulder's dislocated. Come on, hold him down, will you? It's probably already starting to heal wrong." Craig gripped him tightly as Kenny grabbed Stan's arm, giving it a hard pull. Stan screamed as it popped back into place, then passed out. Kenny winced.

"Damn, that's gotta hurt."

A sudden groan caught their attention, and they turned to see Kyle tumble out of the van, falling flat on his face. Tweek ran to help him while Craig and Kenny went back to the other still inside. Clyde and Token were taken out, Token sporting a large burn on one side of his face from the airbag. Cartman took both of them to tug out, and but he had managed to put up his arm in time, protecting his face from similar injuries. Tweek's yell brought their attention back to him.

"Guys! Ngh, gah! I th-think Kyle needs s-some -augh- h-help!"

Craig and Kenny ran to him, and saw Tweek fidgeting anxiously over a very pale Kyle, who was bleeding from a large gash on his head. Kenny kneeled by him.

"Kyle! Hey, Kyle, come on buddy, talk to me, stay awake alright?"

Kyle slowly opened his eyes, the green irises cloudy and glazed. "K...Kenny?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here."

"...w-where's...Stan?"

Kenny chuckled at the obvious question. "He's fine, he's over there. Please tell me your genius brain remembered to bring a first-aid kit or something."

Kyle smiled wanly. "In...in my...bag..."

Kenny shot over to the van, searching for Kyle's bright green bag, from where he pulled out a classically colored red first-aid kit. As he pulled it out, his mind nagged at him to remember something. Ignoring it, he rushed back to Kyle, where Craig took the kit from his hands and proceeded to clean and dress Kyle's wounds. Kenny stared. Damn, that looked almost professional; where did Craig learn to do that? Craig caught his gaze, shrugging.

"Tweek gets hurt sometimes. I have to fix him up."

Kenny nodded knowingly. Tweek was lucky he had Craig to watch over him, the little blonde would probably get hurt a lot more if he wasn't there. Kenny frowned as a different flash of blonde colored his mind, and he froze in realization. Oh shit, Butters!

He ran back to the van, cursing himself. The kid had already been through so much, but dammit, how could he be forgotten like that? Tossing bags out of the way, he found Butters, slumped forward. The guy had been the only one wearing a seatbelt, and he looked relatively unscathed. Sighing in relief, Kenny unbuckled him, bringing him out carefully. Craig glanced over to him, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

"Damn, I forgot all about him."

"Yeah, me too." Kenny admitted. "Shit, I feel bad." Butters moaned softly, and the other two crowded close. Sky blue eyes fluttered and opened, and he tried to sit up. However, the little blonde froze, gasping and holding his chest.

"Owww!"

"Butters? What's wrong?" Kenny asked. Butters only whimpered, so Craig lifted his shirt. A giant bruise stretched diagonally across his chest, dark and purple. Kenny winced. Ouch, that had to hurt.

"Well, that's one drawback to using a seatbelt." He half-joked, helping Craig lay Butters lie down on the dirty ground again. Craig went back to Tweek as the twitchy blonde started screaming about there being no coffee, and Kenny was left to sit with Butters. The bruised boy looked up at him.

"I'ah'm...I'ah'm sorry you had t'die." He panted out. Kenny looked at him, startled. Seriously? He was...sorry?

"Why?"

Butters almost glared at him. "'Cuz you were nice t'me yest'rday. And it's horrible y'have to die all th' time."

"Oh." Kenny was saying that a lot lately. But, damn, Butters made it seem as if that was the only possible reason a sane person would say. He made it seem so obvious. But it wasn't! He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, no one really cares about that, y'know? Just kinda...caught me off guard or whatever."

Butters' expression melted, a strange one replacing it. Kenny didn't know what it was, only that it reminded him extremely of pity. He flushed, protesting almost defiantly. "It's not like I'm complaining! Hell, I probably wouldn't care either if it wasn't me! I always come back, right?" He hesitated. "I ain't lookin' for pity or anything." Kenny finished lamely.

Butters looked at him a little more, then smiled again, this time a clear understanding. Kenny supposed that, in a way, Butters did understand. His parents were crap, he was always left out, but he wasn't looking for pity either. Kenny found himself smiling back. Yeah, Butters really was an alright guy.

It was a long hour before everyone was awake and aware, and Cartman was fuming when he saw his van. He stood near the hood, examining it with a twisted expression of anger and depression. Kyle, when he managed to get up and shake off a worried Stan, limped back into the woods from where they had come from, and Stan took over.

"Alright guys, it's great we're all alive and breathing, but we need to do something now." He started, holding his arm gingerly.

"What can we do?" Clyde whined, exposing the front tooth he had badly chipped in the crash. Kenny had to stop himself from laughing irrationally as he saw it again. "We're stranded here! Forever!"

"GAH! Oh God, f-forever?" Tweek shrieked. "I can't -ngh- d-do forever! Sweet Jesus, we're a-all gonna die!"

"Shut up! No one's gonna die." Craig snapped. He looked at Stan. "So what's the plan?"

Stan pointed backwards. "Kyle's gone off to find the road. Someone can follow it back to the highway and get help, right? The rest of us will stay put until help comes." He looked at Tweek pointedly. "No one is going to die, alright?"

Tweek nodded. Token spoke up. "What about food? Whoever's gonna go on the road is probably gonna be gone for an entire day, and even longer to get the police and everything here. We're gonna get pretty hungry."

Cartman called from the van. "I already got that covered, you ungrateful dickfucks!"

Everyone went over to him—Kenny helping up Butters, who was still aching from his bruise—watching as Cartman pulled cases and bottles of booze out, laying them down carefully on the ground. Once the back was empty, he felt around the floor, hooking his fingers under something. He pulled it away, revealing a large hidden compartment stuffed with chips, beef jerky, candy, any and every type of junk food you could possibly think of.

"Holy crap!" Kenny exclaimed. Cartman looked smug. Token frowned.

"Okay, so we won't starve, but what about water? We can't just drink beer and shit, we'd all die of alcohol poisoning."

Tweek shrieked at the thought, but Cartman waved it away. "Still got it covered. Got a couple of water gallons under the seats, and some bottles in the glove compartment."

Stan laughed. "Damn, Cartman, you thought of everything, didn't you?"

Cartman puffed up smugly. "Can't get in the way of me and my food, bitches." He chuckled. "Hell, I feel sorry for the person going."

"Why?" Clyde asked.

"'Cuz we can drink and smoke and party all we want while we wait, but the dumbass who's going can't do that." The fatass said. "They have to remain completely sober if they want to find the highway."

Token laughed. "Shit, hell if I'm going now. Someone else can go, but counts me out!"

There was a snap of twigs, and everyone turned to see Kyle appear from the trees. He looked slightly better now. He gestured behind him. "I found the road! It's about five minutes that way. Fatass was right. He did miss a curve back there. It was pretty sharp, too." He shook his head. "We're pretty lucky, actually."

"What d'ya mean?" Stan asked.

"I mean, we were damn lucky. There's a cliff like, freaking close to the road; if we had swerved in another direction, we would have gone off it."

"Holy shit, you serious?" Craig asked incredulously. Kyle nodded.

"It goes on for a long while. We're pretty close to it now,actually." Kyle pointed in a direction perpendicular to here the road had been. "It's over there."

Stan whistled. "Damn." He turned to the others. "Okay, we need to pick who's gonna go back on the road for help."

Everyone was silent. Kenny rolled his eyes. Of course no one was just gonna volunteer! Cartman cleared his throat.

"Well, I think the choice is obvious...Tweek should go."

Tweek shrieked again. "What?"

"Yeah, you were bitching about staying here 'forever', so now you don't have to. You can just go an wander back on that dark, scary road, all by yourself."

The blonde made a strangled screaming noise, latching onto Craig, who angrily flipped off Cartman. "I don't w-wanna go! Ngh! Sweet Jesus, I'll g-get murdered!"

"Weeeell..." Cartman drawled. "You can just stay here then, forever. With no coffee."

Tweek's eyes darted around, clearly torn. Craig growled. "Fuck off, fatass."

"Maybe he would feel better if someone went with 'im?" Butters offered. Everyone looked at him, as if surprised he was there. He flushed, continuing, "Well, I'ah know that I'ah'd sure be scared, goin' all alone in there. What if someone went with 'im?"

Tweek calmed down slightly at the suggestion, and Kyle looked thoughtful. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Safety in numbers, you know."

Cartman scanned the group, and Kenny saw a hopeful look cross Butters' face. Obviously, he didn't want to be here, and would rather go on the road than stay.

"Hmmm, alright then. Craig can go."

Butters' face fell, and Stan nodded. "Okay, that's good. He can keep him calm. Craig, you up for it?"

Craig shrugged. "S'long as I don't have to stay around fatass here."

"Ay!"

Crag flipped him off again, looking down at Tweek. "You wanna go?"

"Ngh...o-okay."

Twenty minutes passed as Kyle packed them a bag of food and water, along with a couple of blankets in case they got stuck out at night, then pointed then in the right direction, telling them how long they should travel, and what everything should look like. They left, and Stan looked at the group again.

"Alright. We should probably make a fire or something. I don't want to be left blind or cold when night hits, so we better get started now. Can anyone make a fire?"

Everyone looked at each other, and Butters spoke up again. "I'ah can."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "You can?"

The blonde nodded. "I'ah used t'be a Squirrel Scout when I'ah was younger."

Cartman snorted. "Fag."

Stan glared at him. "Shut up, fatass. You may have brought the food, but it won't count for anything if we all freeze to death." He turned to Butters. "Can you show us?"

Butters brightened up. "Sure! Well, first, we gotta find some dry wood."

Eventually they got a good fire blazing, because Butters was extremely good at finding dry wood in a near-soaked forest. They had dug a firepit, lined it with stones, shredded bark to create tinder, lit it with Kenny's lighter, and fed small twigs to it until the flames were licking hungrily at the wood. More damp wood lay around it, because Butters said it could dry off, and then they'd have more to burn.

Butters looked so proud of himself, it almost made Kenny laugh. After they were done, Clyde looked suggestively at the booze, and the party had started once more.

They all sat around the fire, laughing and passing bottles and joints around. Butters refused the beer but accepted the weed. It was all good, and would have stayed that way, if Butters hadn't dropped the drug into the fire.

"Oh, hamburgers." he frowned, eyes slightly confused as he tried to comprehend what had happened.

"What the fuck, Butters?" Cartman yelled. The fat boy always got very volatile when he was high, and he'd never had a good disposition toward Butters anyway.

"Dude, calm down." Stan said dismissively. "We have more, man. Just roll another one."

"Fuck that! That damn pussy can't even hold the fucking shit, why the fuck is he even smoking with us?" Cartman raged, standing up. He snorted like a mad bull, pointing a finger at the startled blonde. "He shouldn't be here! He should be n a fucking corner by himself, alone, like the faggot he is! Nobody wants him here!"

"Hey!" Kyle stood up. "How about you shut the hell up, fatass? What did Butters ever do to you, huh?"

The little bitch is fucking annoying! All the damn time, tryin to 'fit in' or whatever, when nobody likes him anyway!" Cartman turned his fury on Kyle. "Did you want him here? Did you think of inviting his pathetic ass?" He looked toward the others. "Did any of you?"

"Come on, man." Token frowned. "You're being a jackass. Just get another joint if you want one so badly."

Cartman ignored him, continuing. "No! None of you guys did. Why the fuck is he here?"

"Because you made me come here." Butters said lowly. Everyone turned toward him, and Cartman paused in his rant. He seemed to swell up as Butters continued. "I'ah jus' wanted to sleep in t'day, but for some reason, you made my parents kick me out t'come on your stupid trip! I'ah'm just' tryin' to have fun if I'ah can, alright? I'ah don't see why you're complainin' so much, when you made me come here!"

"You think I invited you?" Cartman's voice was soft and dangerous. Kenny felt a sense of foreboding in his gut. This was going to get ugly. "You think I invited you?" Cartman howled. "I wouldn't have brought your ass if my life depended on it! The only reason I had to take you—"

"Cartman!" Kenny stood up, tone warning. This was bad. Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it...

"—is because your parents are paying me five hundred buck to do it!" Cartman finished triumphantly. "Even your parents hate you enough to dump you on us!"

There was dead silence, and you could almost hear the sound of Butters' heart breaking. Everyone looked at him as Cartman's yell echoed around them, and Kenny saw little tears well up in those sky blue eyes. Oh shit, man... Amazingly, Cartman still wasn't done.

"See, that's how much you parents hate your fucking pathetic self! A measly five hundred; you weren't even worth spending anything else!"

"SHUT UP!" Stan stood up, furious. "That's enough, Cartman! If you wanna talk shit about somebody, do it on your own fucking time! I came here to enjoy myself, and you're fucking ruining it! How about you go off and sit alone somewhere like the bastard you are?" He took a step forward in rage and Cartman took a hurried one back, almost tripping over the log he sat on. "Because the only one who give's a rat's ass about what you're saying is you!"

The fat boy was silent, and he sat down reluctantly, muttering under his breath. Stan was red from fury, and he sat down too, prompting Kyle and Kenny to do the same. Clyde looked down guiltily, and Token sighed irritably. There was a tense silence, then suddenly Butters got, walking toward the shadowy trees. Kyle cursed.

"Aw, dammit." He got up to follow him, but Kenny stopped him.

"I'll go." He stepped past the redhead, Cartman's contemptuous snort loud in his ears. He caught up to Butters quickly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Butters..." He began hesitantly.

"Did you know?"

Kenny flinched at the dead tone of the blonde's voice, pausing. What could he say? He sighed. "Yeah, I did."

Butters pushed his hand away, turning around to face him. Kenny was surprised to see dry eyes staring back at him. Not a single tear was there. It was...frightening.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Butters asked. "I'ah pretty much asked you while we were drivin'. Why didn't y'tell me?"

"Man, nobody needs to know about that kinda shit. It's not right. Your parents are fucking jackasses, and so is fatass. I just..." he shrugged sadly. "It seemed too cruel to tell you your parents pulled that shit on you."

The other was silent. "Did everyone else know?"

"I...I guess, I dunno." Kenny admitted. "I mean, Craig and Tweek might not've, cuz they were getting picked up, but...I guess so." Again, Butters was silent, then he turned to walk deeper into the trees. "Hey, where're you going?" Kenny called.

"Jus' thought I'ah'd take a walk. Y'know, t'clear my head."

Kenny looked around. The sun was going to set soon, and that just seemed a bit dangerous. "Do you want me t'come with you? Y'know, to talk, maybe?"

Butters looked back at him sadly. "Nah, that's okay." And with that, he turned to leave, fading into the trees and leaving Kenny to walk back alone into a subdued group.

Butters never came back that night.

A/N:!