Hey guys, it's been awhile. I've been quite busy with school, since I am graduating in two weeks, so I apologize. Thanks for being patient. if you liked, please leave a review. it helps me continue the story. And as always, you guys are awesome.

Ch 12

Monday rolled around and Stan was dreading going to school. His hands shook as he placed his books in his bag and swung it over his shoulder.

Cartman, Kenny and Kyle were already at the bus stop. Stan hesitated before casually strolling up to them.

"Hey guys."

The boys responded with a quick "hey" and went back to chatting about the upcoming football game.

Kyle walked up to Stan.

"Hey dude."

"Hey."

"You doing alright?"

"Honestly, no."

Kyle frowned.

"I'm afraid to go to school, to board the bus."

Cartman was tossing looks at Stan.

"And of… him." Stan motioned to Cartman with his shoulder.

Stan entered the school. The bus ride was calm, few kids on than usual. Kyle walked beside him. Stan was shaking slightly.

"Stan, it's alright. Nothing has happened yet, has it?"

"No."

"Please stop worrying."

Cartman wasn't in his seat when the two entered the classroom. Stan shrugged off the annoyed feelings he had. Kyle sat next to his friend and motioned to Stan to look at his phone. A text showed up on the home screen.

"Your forehead's looking a lot better."

"Oh, you're on that again, are you?"

"Sorry. I just noticed. The bruise is going away."

"It's fine. But thanks."

There was a click over the intercom and Mr. Mackey spoke.

"Students, mkaay, we have a special announcement by Eric Cartman this morning. Not sure what it's about but apparently it's very important. Please listen up."

There was another click and shuffling as Cartman took the mic from Mr. Mackey.

"Students of South Park Elementary. I have some shocking news," Cartman began, clearing his throat. "I think there is something you should know about one of the students in the fourth grade class."

"You see, my good friend Stan Marsh told me to tell everyone about a certain someone. And that certain someone is his good friend, Kyle."

Stan's heart dropped.

What the fuck is he up to now?

Music started playing over the intercom. It was some lovey-dovey song that Stan didn't recognize.

"Stan loves Kyle. Isn't that sweet, you guys?"

Stan's face felt hot with anger and embarrassment. He felt the eyes of his fellow students glued to him. The students began to laugh. Stan wanted to run. He wanted to kill Cartman first, but most of all, he wanted to run. The laughing continued. Stan felt something being thrown at him. It was a wadded up paper ball.

Stan bolted from his chair as the torrent of laughter continued.

This has to be all just a bad dream.

Stan huffed as he burst into the school office, Cartman standing at the mic.

"CARTMAN!"

Kyle heard Stan shout over the intercom.

"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"Whoa, dude… j-just calm down, Stan. I thought you wanted everyone to know." Cartman's eyes flashed with worry.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU THINK THAT, YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIT?!"

Students gasped.

"B-because… I dunno, you just seemed like…"

"Well, spit it out!"

"That everyone should know, like I said."

Stan sat alone in his room. Snow drifted from the sky, light and fluffy. The sky was gray, the moon slightly peeking out from beyond the clouds.

Stan's shadow quivered as he sat sobbing into his hands.

Kyle called every five minutes to check if everything was alright. Stan didn't bother answering the phone. He didn't want Kyle to know that he had been sobbing for the past twenty minutes.

"Stan, please answer…" Kyle mumbled to himself absent-mindedly. He tapped his fingers on his chin.

Kyle had a sinking feeling in his chest, like something was not right. Something was about to go wrong.

"Stan!"

I have to get over there. Now.

Kyle threw on his jacket, slipped on his shoes, and bolted out the door.

"Just a few pills… just to help me sleep." Stan contemplated aloud. He shuffled a few pills out of the bottle, his mother's sleeping meds. His parents were still not home, and it was almost 9:00 PM. He didn't care. He'd rather them be gone than to find him sprawled on the bedroom floor, completely passed out. Stan unscrewed the top to the Jameson, hesitating for a moment, and took the ten pills that were in his hand, then swallowing them with a few gulps of the liquor.

After five minutes of taking them, Stan began to feel the effects. His head was spinning, the room spinning along with it. He stumbled slightly unable to make it to the bed, slumping down next to it. Oh how he wished Kyle was there. But at the same time, he didn't want him to see him like this.

The doorbell rang.

Shit.

Must be Kyle.

Kyle tried to turn the doorknob, but with no luck. The door was surprisingly locked. It was a quiet little mountain town, so many people didn't even bother to lock their doors.

"I have to get in there!" Kyle cursed, running to the back of the house. The sliding glass door was the only door unlocked, Kyle rushing inside the house and up the stairs, only to find Stan half-conscious.

"Stay with me, Stan!" Kyle said, shaking Stan, grabbing him by the shoulders, Stan's eyes half open as he groaned.

"I just wanted to sleep." Stan replied, combatively trying to shove Kyle away from him. "Just leave me alone."

"No! I knew I shouldn't have left you alone! What did you do?!"

"I just took some pills, Kyle."

"How many?!"

"Five," Stan lied. "I took five pills."

"Don't lie to me!"

"Alright, I took ten."

"Jesus Christ, Stan! I'm calling an ambulance!"

"No, Kyle!"

Kyle fished out his phone from his jacket pocket. He dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" Stan could hear from the receiver.

"My friend just took ten sleeping pills and I think he's been drinking too. Please… send help! I'm not sure he will make it at the state he's in!"

"Alright, just calm down. We'll send someone right away. What's the address?"

Kyle gave the address.

Stan had passed out. The ambulance rushed him to Hell's Pass Hospital, the closest one in town. Kyle rode in the back with Stan, tears welling in his eyes. He finally broke down when they arrived at the hospital.

"Come on in, Kyle." A nurse tried to console the troubled nine year old. She beckoned him into the hospital as tears streamed down his face. Kyle reluctantly obliged.

He sat in the waiting room, waiting to hear the news. Kyle shook with anxiety.

What's going to happen to him? Is he going to be alright?

A nurse approached Kyle. She had a worried look on her face.

"Are you Kyle Broflovski?"

"Yes."

"Come on back, please. Stan has been saying your name the entire time."

Kyle followed the nurse down the hallways, bustling with nurses and doctors in blue scrubs. The halls were sterile and white, too plain for Kyle's eyes. They turned down the hall to the ICU, and into a room guarded by a security guard. The guard made sure the patients in the room would stay in their rooms. Kyle entered the room.

It was a small room, a few chairs placed in the corner, an uncomfortable looking bed on one side of the wall. The walls were painted a dark purple. Stan was lying in the bed.

"He's still a little delirious, so be careful. He just got his stomach pumped to get rid of all of the medication he took." The nurse turned to Kyle and beckoned him to go see his friend. Kyle reluctantly approached Stan.

"Stan?"

No answer. He was still unconscious.

After about a minute, the nurse left the two alone, however, leaving the door open.

"Stan…" Kyle grabbed Stan's hand and squeezed it slightly, his own shaking.

Stan had been moved to a different room now, still guarded by the security guard. It was now midnight and still no word from Stan's parents. No reply on their end when Kyle tried to call.

The door had been closed to leave Stan and Kyle alone in privacy.

"Stan, I wish you'd wake up…" Kyle said softly, still holding on to his friend's hand. He yawned tiredly, slumping over, almost falling asleep himself. He jolted awake after a few seconds. "No…. I can't fall asleep. I want to wait until Stan wakes up."

An hour had passed. Kyle yawned every few minutes, shaking himself to keep himself awake. He would never drink coffee, but he knew he had to have some. He didn't want to let go of Stan's hand.

After a minute of hesitation, Kyle moved out of the room and into the main hall, asking where the cafeteria was.

"I just need some coffee." He asked the security guard.

"I can get you some. Go on and stay with your friend."

"Thank you so much."

The security guard nodded and smiled slightly. "No problem, young man."

Kyle returned to the room only to find Stan had sat up in his bed. He looked down when Kyle approached.

"Kyle…?"

"Yes, Stan, It's me."

"Oh…"

Kyle sat in the chair next to his bed.

"What happened…?" Stan asked, his speech slurred slightly.

"You…" Kyle hesitated. "Took sleeping meds. You told me you just wanted to sleep. Is that true, Stan? Did you just want to sleep? You weren't trying to… to kill yourself?"

"Kill myself?"

Kyle frowned.

"I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep for a few days."

"Is that the truth, Stan?"

"I… I don't know."

"You know, you could have died…"

"I just wanted to sleep."

"I don't believe you."

Kyle grabbed Stan's hand again, squeezing it slightly.

"Is this about… what Cartman said over the intercom?"

"What? What did he say?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. I can't remember anything that happened today."

"Well, yesterday. It's," Kyle peered at a clock on the wall, ticking away. "two o'clock. In the morning."

"Oh."

"Never mind that." Kyle said. He didn't want Stan to have to relive that experience if he began to recover his memory.

"You're lucky that you just have retrograde amnesia and not brain damage from what you did…" Kyle began to feel slightly angry at Stan. "I am so worried about you, Stan. I am so goddamn worried."

Kyle began to cry.

"Kyle…"

"What…" Kyle answered between sniffs.

"Please don't cry."

"What else am I supposed to do? Do you want me to smile and laugh like everything is okay? Is that what you want, Stan?"

Stan looked down. He felt ashamed.

Kyle had his hands in his face now.

"You're making me worry about you more and more every day. I don't even want to leave you alone anymore!"

The security officer came in with Kyle's coffee. He frowned when he saw the boy crying. "I'll just sit this here." And with that he left.

Kyle squeezed Stan's hand tighter. "I just want everything to be okay again! I miss you, Stan!"