(A/N: My computer is still acting up, so I decided to be nice and go to the school library and put up the next chapter. Plus I feel like I've made you guys squirm enough :) Anyway I hope you like this chapter. Please review.)
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine
Affliction
Chapter 9
Kenny
"Will the defendant please rise?" Butters and I watch as Shelley and her lawyer stand. Butters and I hold our breath. "On the sole count, assault in the first degree, how do you find?"
The representative for the jury looks at the judge importantly. "Guilty."
"On the second count, attempted murder in the first degree, how do you find?"
"Guilty."
Butters and I sigh in relief. Sitting next to us and our parents are Mr. and Mrs. Marsh. At first they defended Shelley, but as the evidence stated to pile up against her, they finally realized the truth. Mrs. Marsh is sobbing hard, while Mr. Marsh holds her close. "Oh Randy. Stanley tried to tell us what was happening, but we didn't listen. It's all our fault!"
"I know Sharon. I know."
"Members of the jury you are excused and I thank you for your service." The jury leaves. The judge turns back to Shelley. Tears are on her face. "Shelley Lynn Marsh, I sentence you to 10 years in prison. We are adjourned."
"But I didn't do it!" Shelley screams in anguish. "I swear I'm innocent! You guys are all framing me!"
The court policemen grab Shelley and drag her out of the courtroom, as she struggle and continues to scream. My eyes are wide in horror. She's really messed up. At least she's getting what she deserves.
We file out of the courthouse. "Come on," I say grabbing Butter's hand. "Let's go to the hospital and give Kyle the good news."
As we pile in Mr. and Mrs. Stotch's car, I think about everything that's been going on. To the surprise of everyone, it's been almost a month and Stan is still hanging on. There has been no change in his condition, which is both good and bad. The longer Stan hangs on, the worse Kyle gets. He only left the hospital once since Stan was brought in. That was only to testify in court against Shelley. Then he went straight back to the hospital. His parents tried to get him to come home, but he caused such a ruckus that the doctor said he could stay. He barely eats or sleeps anymore. Every day after school, Butters and I go to the hospital to support our friends.
The Stotches drop us off at the hospital. Butters and I enter the elevator to the hospital. The elevator won't go fast enough. Butters and I can't wait to give Kyle the news. I'm sure this would give him some sort of relief.
We reach the door to the ICU. I pick up the phone on the wall and dial Stan's ICU number. A nurse from the other end answers. "Hello?"
"We're here to see Stan Marsh in room 304," I say as clearly as I can.
"One moment."
I hang up the phone. A beeping noise is heard and the huge doors swing open. I wrap my arm around Butters' waist. He's holding Kyle's assignments. We've been collecting them so Kyle won't fall behind. I highly doubt he's cracked a book open though.
"Oh dear," Butters says softly.
I look in the direction that he's pointing. I see what he means. Kyle's eyes are barely open, dark bags under his eyes. His skin is pale and he looks like he's lost at least ten pounds. If he doesn't watch it he'll be in the hospital too.
I swallow back my fear. "Hey Kyle."
Kyle's head snaps up. He forces a grin on his face. "Oh, hey guys."
"How is he?" I ask carefully.
Kyle sighs miserable, his hand caressing Stan's. "The same. Not worse, not better."
"And how are you, Kyle?" Butters asks nervously.
He shrugs his shoulders mechanically, his eyes back on the motionless Stan. "I'm okay."
I forget all about telling Kyle the good news about Shelley. I'm more concerned about his health. "When was the last time you ate?" I ask.
Kyle ponders. "This morning, I think."
"Come on, dude," I urge, like I have been the past couple of weeks. "Let us buy you some dinner. You really need to eat something."
Kyle raises an eyebrow. "With what money?" I choose not to retort since I'm finally seeing a small smirk creep on his face.
I roll my eyes. "You need to get out of this hospital room. Staying cooped up in here isn't good for your health."
A long pause. "No. No, I can't leave."
"Well, what if Kenny and I brought you something to eat?" Butters asks quietly.
Kyle smiles softly. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not hungry." He turns his attention back to his unconscious best friend.
The atmosphere in the room is almost too much for me to bear. I squeeze Kyle's shoulder in support. "Take care, dude."
Kyle doesn't respond. I take Butters by the hand. "Come on," I say quietly, leading him away.
We enter back into the elevator. I watch as tears run down Butters' face. "I'm so worried about them, Kenny."
I hug him tightly. "I know, babe. I am too."
BKB
The next afternoon, Butters and I were sitting in the hospital cafeteria. We weren't eating the full trays on the table. We were both nervous and depressed. Stan's condition had gone from bad to worse. As Stan's health deteriorated, so did Kyle's emotional state. In the last 24 hours, Kyle started to look frail and weak. We knew it was because of the lack of food and will to live. No matter how hard anybody tried, he refused to leave Stan's side.
"Kenny?" Butters asked quietly, breaking me from my thoughts. "D-do you think Stan will get better?"
I sighed heavily."I don't know," I answered honestly.
Butters pushed his tray aside. I did the same. Like him I didn't have an appetite, which was unusual for me. I glanced at my boyfriend. His normally sparkling blue eyes dull. His usually sunny face was gone and instead full of worry. I imagined that I looked the same to him. Stan's attack had affected us all. Kyle the most. "I can't eat anymore," Butters said sadly. I didn't even bother to mention that he didn't eat anything. I didn't either.
I nodded, then pulled out a paper bag from my pocket. I placed the food in the bag to save for later. "Come on. Let's check on them."
We took the elevator back up to the third floor. We walked in silence to the ICU room. I was startled to see all the adults surrounding a sobbing Mrs. Marsh. Mr. Marsh had his arms around her, tears running down his face. We ran up to them. "What the hell happened?" I demanded frantically, though I could guess.
The adults looked up at us, sorrow on their faces. "Stanley has joined God in Heaven," Randy said softly, hugging Sharon tightly.
"Oh no!" Butters gasped.
I lowered my head, tears rolling down my face. I hugged Butters tightly against me. I looked at all the adults. All of them were comforting each other. As I glanced at the grieving adults, I realized who was missing. Kyle. My heart thudded in my chest. I looked at the Broflovskis. Gerald was holding Sheila in his arms. Ike had his head buried in his hands, sitting on the floor, by his parent's feet. "Where's Kyle?" I asked suddenly.
Gerald shrugged his shoulders. "He ran off after Stan...passed. He needs to cope with this. Maybe you should go comfort him. He needs a friend right now."
"Sorry Butters," I said softly, pushing him away slightly.
Then I bolted down the stairs and out the hospital. As I ran, I tried to think where he would go. All I knew was I had to find Kyle and fast! As I ran, I tried to think about where he would go. An idea popped in my head. The clubhouse! It was where Stan and Kyle hung out most of the time. In five minutes I arrived at Stan's house, but it felt like hours. I pulled the latch on the fence and entered Stan's backyard.
"Kyle!" I called frantically, running as fast as I could. God, I hoped I wasn't too late. I climbed up the clubhouse. My heart dropped to my stomach because of what I saw.
Kyle was sitting in the clubhouse. His face was pale and tear stained. In his lap was Stan's blue hat. He was pressing a gun against his chest, over his heart. "Kyle!" I cried again.
Kyle opened his green eyes. From a distance, his eyes looked different. "Kenny," he said in a dull, broken voice.
"Kyle, don't do this!" I begged him. "Stan wouldn't want that!"
Kyle didn't even look at me. I couldn't move a muscle. Kyle's broken voice kept me rooted to the spot. "Stan is dead. I couldn't save him. Should've listened."
"Kyle," I said gently, taking a small step toward him. My heart clenched in my chest as Kyle pressed the gun harder against his chest. "You did what you thought was best to save Stan. It's not your fault. You didn't kill him. Shelley did. I know how much you love him. I know how much he loved you. Don't do this!"
Tears started flowing down his face, twisting my heart. "H-he loved me?" I nodded, taking another step towards my unstable friend. "H-he loved me and I c-couldn't save him. Goodbye Kenny."
BANG!
I shrieked as the sounds of the gunshot startled me. I ran over and dropped to Kyle's bleeding form. My hand covered his wound, desperate to stop the blood flow. No heartbeat. He was dead. GeezeI thought to myself in anguish. The tears were flowing down my face faster than I could handle. My worst nightmare had come true. I had lost two of my three friends. I was too late to save both of them.
My eyes caught sight of a white bottle next to his pale hand. Tylenol. It was empty. I realized what must have happened: Kyle took all the pills to lessen the pain of the gunshot. I curled up in a ball and started sobbing. The pain in me was unbearable. I wish Butters was here with me right now. He could lessen the pain. I just didn't understand how life could go from great to downright hell. I wish I could die too.
KBK
I feel myself being shaken. What the hell? I open my eyes. Butters is shaking me. I rub my eyes. "Where am I?" I ask groggily.
"At the hospital, remember. You wanted to stay longer tonight just in case there's news," Butters says.
My heart pounding, I realize that I was just having a horrible nightmare. I'm leaning against the waiting room wall. That means Stan and Kyle are both still alive. I hope so anyway. I yawn and stretch. "Well is there news?" I ask sleepily.
Butters smiles at me. "Yes. Stan is awake!"
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