Author's Note: All I can say is :).

Oh, and gracias. Merci. Grazie. Danke. Obrigado. Kiitos. Go raibh maith agaibh. Thank you.

And this one goes out to the girl sitting in front of me reading this story in our terrible history class. You are awesome!

Chapter Twelve: The Chasm Isn't Fixed Yet

It was fifteen minutes before the very last final that led to winter break. Butters and Stan were talking, Kyle was studying, and Kenny was trying to get rid of the sinus headache causing near blindness and that felt too similar to a hangover. He probably failed the other finals but he didn't care because his head was swimming in a fog and he couldn't read the tiny print anyway.

He felt an arm on his shoulder and looked up to find Kyle standing over him.

"You okay dude?" Kenny grimaced slightly, "well you look like shit." He glared at Kyle, who put his hands up in defense. "I wish you could just tell me what's up." Kenny just stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "I told you, Stan and I are working things out. You haven't told me about you and Butters." Kyle whispered, Kenny looked away and rolled his eyes. "Okay, seriously, what's wrong?"

Kenny held his head, made a gun with his fingers, shot himself in the head, and pointed to his eyes. Then he coughed and sneezed at the same time, which scared him because he always thought if that happened your eyes would pop out, and everyone around them turned to look at him. The pressure from the sneeze caused his head to throb and his vision to swirl; he slammed his head on the table. He relaxed as a cold hand squeezed and massaged his neck gently.

"Dude, you're burning up," Kenny made a garbled noise, similar to a strangled moan, and he jerked up in shock. He, Kenny, hadn't been able to make any sound other than a sigh for a year. Kyle looked at him, expecting him to speak, yet shook his head when Kenny said nothing. "You probably have that flu going around. I got it last week, I couldn't eat for three days." Kenny sent him a wary expression Kyle understood as, "welcome to my life." "Don't give me that look, you know my mom cooks to feed an entire bar mitzvah and you're always welcome to join us." Kenny huffed and laid his head back on the table. "Why are your eyes bothering you?" Kenny shrugged and glanced to the side over at Butters who was laughing as Stan impersonated Cartman, who flipped him off and started yammering.

"I could talk to my parents about helping with an appointment," Kyle suggested, Kenny shook his head and pulled out his phone. He quickly typed something and set it back down on the table.

Kyle, had found Butters and Kenny texting so he was now aware of Kenny's form of "talking". He immediately unlocked his phone's screen and opened up his messaging app. The text from Kenny appeared almost instantly.

From: Kenny

Received: 2:27 P.M.

its ok ive dealt with it for years thanks though.

"Well what's wrong then?" Kenny quickly typed back.

From: Kenny

Received: 2:28 P.M.

everything goes all wonky when i look at stuff idk why im just blind i guess.

"How did you pass all the exams we had in elementary school?" Kenny shrugged; he conveniently died those days. Kyle shook his head and chuckled, "I can call my eye doctor, he-"

Kenny's phone buzzed lowly on the table. Curious, he flipped it open and gasped. All color vanished form his skin and he practically threw the phone at Kyle. The redhead read the caller ID; Hell's Pass Hospital. With a shaky hand, Kyle answered the phone and cleared his throat. Hoping he could change his voice enough, he spoke.

"Hello?" A pause, "yes, this is Kenny McCormick." Stan and Butters, as well as Token, Clyde, Tweek, Craig, and Cartman looked over to see if the mute had actually spoken. Butters stood up when noticing the terrified state Kenny was in, and walked over with Stan following a step after. "Yeah?" another pause, "she what?!" Kyle cried into the phone. Kenny lunged at the shorter boy who nearly lost his balance. His eyes and body were filled with an animalistic desperation as he silently begged to know what was happening. His stupid fucking vocal chords. "Thanks so much, I'll be there after school."

Kyle shut the phone and Butters had managed to pull Kenny off of him and calm him down slightly. He was saying, no screaming something, through the fabric of the bandana, with tears glistening in his eyes that only his three best friends saw. There was no voice behind his words yet Butters could almost hear his voice loud and clear in his head.

"Tell him, Kyle," Butters spoke for him, "W-what's going on with Karen?" He wasn't sure he wanted to hear; both for his and Kenny's sake.

"She said something, dude. They don't want you to get your hopes up, it happens in comas all the time but it's a good- Kenny, wait!"

Stan ran after the boy who had dashed out of the classroom with superhuman speed. Butters saw he left his phone and pocketed it; he'd see Kenny tonight. Stan returned a couple of minutes later, red-faced and panting. Regarding Kyle and Butters' questioning eyes, he shook his head and pulled out his inhaler.

"He's gone, I couldn't even find him..." Stan trailed off and took a puff of the medicine before he slumped forward in his chair.

Kenny didn't even stop for breath as he sped through the streets. He passed neighborhoods and streets and buildings and was nearly hit by a truck but fate dealt him a winning card today, apparently. All that went through his mind was that he needed to get to the hospital, get to Karen, as fast as he could. His body screamed, his head ached, and his lungs gasped for air yet he just kept running through the snow with lightning speed.

As he finally approached the hospital that he was much too familiar with, he practically flew up the sidewalk and stairs. He zipped passed the alarmed receptionist and up the two flights of stairs. In a miraculous moment he was in Karen's room, perched at her side with her hand in his.

The cards and flowers had slowly lessened. Butters always brought fresh yellow roses and Kyle decorated her room for the holidays. Right now there was a tiny Christmas tree and a Star of David above it. Kenny's present pile had grown significantly throughout the year. Their dad hadn't gone to visit her once, he blamed her for their mom's death as well as Kenny; Karen was on the way home from a dance recital in Fairplay.

Kenny bowed his head and kissed her small hand and squeezed it tightly. He opened his mouth and strained to speak yet his vocal chords seemed cut. The fifteen year old sighed heavily and resigned himself to brushing her long wavy brown hair.

"Karen, wake up..." he mouthed, as he pulled her hair away from her heart-shaped face. "Please, Kar-bear?" He begged voicelessly.

Silence consumed the room and he rested his head on the mattress. He knew it was incredibly stupid to be in a hospital while sick but he didn't care. The hospital bed felt nice under his head. Nice enough to close his eyes and drift off to sleep. He hadn't slept for days.

He heard his mother's voice. Calling to him, telling him everything he needed and wanted to hear and he wished he could see her. Perhaps it was fever or hallucination or perhaps it was real, he wasn't sure. When he died the past few times he never saw her, he always went to hell so it made him happy she was in heaven. But now he could feel her presence all around him, hugging him, kissing him, telling him she was proud. Telling him to come back and be strong because that's all Karen has.

Karen. His little sister. The little girl who played with dolls when she was twelve. The girl who saw the beauty in their life and made herself better with all of the shit hands she was dealt. The girl who wanted to be someone, who could dance like a dream and make him laugh until he cried. The girl who saw fairies in fireflies and gold in his heart. His little sister who he had to, and failed to, protect. The girl who loved him unconditionally and idolized him and all he did when he was the worst person in the world.

He remembered holding her for the first time and how scared he was. But once he held her he knew his life would be devoted to protecting her. She was his flesh and blood, he was her provider. Kenny saw little movies play in his dreams, haunting and tormenting his mind as he saw her first steps, her first lost tooth, the excitement on Christmas when he gave her that rag doll he spent two months working on in his home-ec class that she slept with every night. He saw the happiness when Kenny finally learned how to braid her hair, the nights holding her while she slept to make sure she didn't cry in the middle of the night, the nightmares, the laughter in her sleep, the honor roll grades, her first dance recital, her first crush... all to be destroyed because he couldn't save her in time. His mind reeled.

"Kenny... Kenny wake up," a distant voice echoed in the deepest crag in his mind. Slowly gripping him and dragging him from the memories and hopeful visions of the future, like a wormhole from what should be to what was. "Kenny?"

The blonde boy opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital bed. Wait. What? His bleary eyes focused slightly on the three figures in his room and he sighed heavily; blonde hair, red hair, and black hair. Their faces were still blurry and had been since as long as he could remember.

"Oh thank God," Kyle murmured and ran a hand through his hair. Kenny looked at Butters and tilted his head slightly.

"You were in Karen's room and the nurse found you passed out on the floor and you had a real h-high temperature, so... they wanted to give you proper medical t-treatment and make sure you were okay," Butters told him. Kenny's mind swirled in what must be a medical-induced fog and he yawned.

That meant Karen was in a different room; he needed to be there for her, not in his own hospital room. Kenny looked at his friends and tried to bolt out of the bed. Stan must have been prepared for this as he grabbed Kenny by his bony shoulders and forced him to lay back down. As strong as he was, Stan was stronger.

"You need to rest," he warned Kenny, who could have spit in his face in response. Yet he remained silent and looked around the room. A tiny Christmas tree met his vision, as well as a Star of David, with small presents surrounding the two decorations. The bed next to him had a bouquet of roses.

His heart dropped as his mind put two and two together. He was in Karen's room; only she wasn't there. He looked around frantically and reached to pull out the IV in his hand yet Kyle stopped him this time.

"Kenny, there's something you need to know... but you have to stay calm, okay?" Kyle told him. Kenny shook his head. No, she was getting better. She was waking up, he felt it, he knew it. The look in the eyes of one of his dearest friends told him everything he didn't want to hear. That once again he had failed and had tarnished the already black McCormick name.

"No," he mouthed and shook his head. Butters sat down on the bed and reached over to the side. Kenny followed his gaze and saw a bouquet of red roses and a balloon. He always liked roses on his caskets, they smelled much better than lilies. But daffodils were his favorite; he mostly liked them because of the name.

"Kenny, Karen is... ahh Butters, you tell him." Kyle said, passing the invisible talking torch to Butters, who stammered incoherently. Kenny's eyebrows furrowed.

"O-okay... Karen isn't in here b-because she... well she's g-going through s-some brain tests and vitals a-and stuff..."

Kenny's heart skipped as he heard Butters speak. So Karen was alive; he could kiss Butters for telling him that. But they had checked her vitals yesterday; all of her brain activity was normal and she seemed just fine... as always.

"K-Kenny, Karen woke up," Butters murmured as a smile grew on his face.

Silence filled the room. Kyle, Stan, and Butters hovered in the quiet waiting for any reaction from Kenny. Much like he appeared at the funeral, he was ashen and completely frozen. His hands trembled slightly and they watched his eyes slowly shift to her bed, back to his, and to the door.

Karen was awake. She was blinking and talking and moving. Kenny hadn't completely failed her and he'd never let himself get that close to doing so again. He couldn't lose her, ever. He was given a second chance; he could do something right with his life. He could make amends for what he had cost his family.

Kenny buried his face in his hands and sniffled. He felt his eyes prickle and he let a couple of tears fall yet he quickly wiped them away as he kept his head lowered. In and out his breaths went as he fought to keep composure. He had to see her, he had to tell her he was sorry, he had to hold her and laugh with her and tell her he was going to make sure she'd never come so close to death again. He'd make a deal, he'd sell his soul, he'd do anything to stop that from happening.

His stomach knotted with nervousness. Would she understand what he tried and failed to do? She would hate him for letting their mom die. She'd resent him for letting a year of her life go by when he could have done something to stop it. He was her guardian angel, he could have done something more. Something better. It's what Mysterion would have done.

But Kenny wasn't Mysterion. Mysterion was someone else entirely and although he "was" the superhero, everything was forgotten. He was a completely different person under that mask. He was what Karen needed, not Kenny. Kenny fucked up her life... but Mysterion picked up the fragments in Kenny's wake.

"Now her... her head's gonna be all f-fuzzy from bein' in a coma for so long a-and the doctor said not to stress her out and she's gonna wonder why you aren't talking." Kenny nodded slowly.

"So if you actually can talk, now would be a great time to start," Stan commented, causing Kenny to roll his eyes and flip him off. He wished he could turn into Mysterion right now but he knew that was impossible. Unless... he looked at Butters, who was staring at Kenny and sighed heavily.

"You can't get out of bed." Butters denied him, Kenny sat up and smirked at Butters, whose cheeks heated profusely. "She needs her brother," he added. Kenny grimaced; he had a point, a really valid point.

The door squeaked open and all eyes focused on the small teenaged girl in the wheelchair being pushed by a nurse. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a braid and her eyes were unfocused as she slowly stood up to lay back down with the help of the nurse.

"You've got some visitors, dear. And a roommate now." Her nurse spoke, Karen tilted her head curiously.

"I-I do?" Tears burned Kenny's eyes as he heard that quiet, high pitched voice. He never thought he'd hear her speak again. He almost forgot how her voice sounded. But it was different; slow and slightly slurred rather than quick and sharp.

"Yeah, they've been here to see you almost every day. And I'm sure they're excited to talk to you. But only for a little bit, you need your rest. Your doctor will be in soon to share your results and your father has been notified." Karen nodded and smiled weakly as the nurse walked out of the room.

Kyle pulled the curtain back separating Kenny and Karen's beds. Kenny, against his friends' wishes, stood up and clutched his head. He remained unmoving as he stared into his sister's bright hazel eyes and her confused face. That curious McCormick look, her features were quizzical rather than passive, peaceful. She looked bewildered, disoriented. He couldn't believe it; Karen was awake, Karen was looking at him, and... smiling.

"Kenny, why... are you here?" She asked, with that slur in her voice. Kenny looked behind at Butters as he sat down next to Karen and trembled on the spot. Slowly, shakily, he took her hand, and squeezed gently. For the first time in a year, she squeezed back.

He couldn't help it. The tears came pouring from his eyes and his shoulders wracked with sobs as he pulled her in to a tight hug. He kissed her head, her forehead, her cheek, and held her close to him. Karen was awake, hugging him, laughing, and telling him he was embarrassing her.

This was the happiest day of his life. His sister was there with him. She had missed a year of her life but he would make it up to her, somehow. For now he couldn't explain the horrible accident of last year but she would know, all in good time. Her health was his main concern, as well as her happiness.

"Kenny?" She asked, "are you okay?" he nodded and smiled, truly smiled, and laughed silently through his tears, as he nodded again. "Why are you here? Why am I here? What happened? ...why aren't you talking?"

Kenny opened his mouth to speak yet no words or voice came through. He bowed his head low.

"Karen, you need your rest, Kenny will talk to you about it tomorrow." Kyle said, Karen scoffed.

"I was in a coma. I know it was a long time because you all look different. Older. And something happened and I deserve to know what." She murmured slowly, her words were slightly mushed together.

"Kenny?" Stan asked his best friend, who shook his head slowly. He looked up with glittering eyes as if to say, "I can't."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Butters asked, sitting down next to Kenny.

"I... was at my recital. Mom picked me up after her shift at the Olive Garden and we were gonna pick up Ken from work 'cause it was too cold for him to walk. And... it started snowing real bad..." Kenny couldn't believe how much she sounded like their mom. Tired, worried, a pretty yet wavering voice. "And there was a semi truck... and we hit... a patch of ice. And then everything went black. But then I heard a voice, and God sent an angel to save me, 'cause I saw these wings and a halo and I remember mom telling me everything was okay... then I'm here." Karen looked at Kenny now, who was trying not to cry, "Kenny, where's mommy?"

He lowered his head again and shook his head. He felt Karen's grip tighten on his hand and he allowed two tears to fall. For happiness and sadness.

"Karen," he mouthed, praying to God or someone out there that he could just make some form of noise to show her he wasn't fucked up even more than before. A tiny whisper filled the air, loud enough for Karen, Stan, Butters, Kenny, and Kyle to hear. His friends stared at him and he placed a hand to his throat. He felt it; that was him. "I'm so sorry..."

"Why are you sorry? Why are you all looking like you just saw a ghost?" Karen asked weakly, laying her head back on the pillow.

"Kenny hasn't spoken much... since you went in a coma." Kyle corrected himself, Karen looked at her brother oddly.

"And how long was that?"

"A year." Stan finally answered one of her most important questions. Butters and Kyle shot the raven-haired boy a look. The shock settled on her face well, and she nodded.

"So I'm thirteen... and you're all fifteen. No wonder you look funny," she said, making the boys chuckle quietly, except Kenny, who simply blinked. "Ken, why isn't mommy here? Or Kevin?" Funny, she didn't ask about their father.

He coughed and clutched his head as dizziness consumed him. "Kevin..." he managed to whisper quietly, "was busy." Busy as in getting high in Denver with his friends since he practically lived there now. "And mom..." his voice hitched and he furrowed his eyebrows, "mom... I couldn't save both of you. I was... I couldn't... You were closer to me... and... it's my fault... it's all my fault... I'm so sorry..."

Stan, Kyle, and Butters were still trying to come to terms with the fact that Kenny was speaking. Although his voice was only a whisper, it was more than they had heard in a year. It was incredible.

"What's your fault?" Kenny shook his head and he rubbed furiously at his stinging eyes. "What... what happened? What's his fault? K-Kenny..." she whimpered, clutching his shirt with shaking, weak fingers. "K-Kenny... tell me. P-please?"

The blonde pressed a kiss to her forehead and she coughed a sob as she felt his tears fall onto her skin.

"Mama... mama didn't make it, Kar-bear."

Karen's face scrunched as she tried to absorb this news. Her breathing labored and she looked ready to get sick, but she kept her cool. Instead of crying, she took Kenny's other hand.

"She... she's... dead?" He nodded slowly. "But... but I saw her, Ken," she told him, he looked up, "She's been here all the time. I saw her in my dreams. She told me she was proud and that she loved me and you and Kevin and papa. I talked to her, we talked about everything. Except... this, I guess. She also says you've gotta stop blaming yourself for everything, you did it when you were four and you're doing it now."

Kenny's eyes held a curious look. He had heard people had dreams of loved ones while in a coma. But... had she actually seen their mom?

"Were you... were you the one who saved me?" Karen asked, Kenny's eyes lowered, "my guardian angel wasn't there. I know it wasn't him. He has a question mark on his head." Stan and Kyle glanced at each other, then down to Kenny who kept a stoic expression, "but my angel sounded like you. Was it you?" Kenny slowly nodded. "You had wings and a halo."

"You were... seeing things..."

Butters considered this. He had a feeling Karen and Kenny were both telling the truth. He remembered when Kenny told him he couldn't die... that he'd been to heaven and to hell and everywhere in between. Perhaps he was an angel. Perhaps he was a demon, perhaps he was some weird being in between. But he was Kenny, and he was something else.

"A year..." Karen whispered as the reality began to hit. Her slightly hazy eyes filled with tears and she looked at Kenny for more understanding. "And mom...?"

Kenny reached out to her and she fell in his arms, crying and sobbing. He rested his head on hers and rubbed her back soothingly. His friends backed away, allowing the siblings to have their moment, and Kenny silently thanked them. Yet every breath, every heart beat, and every tear she shed Kenny cherished, because for the first time in his life, he hadn't completely failed.

And Karen may be hurting now, and confused, and have to go through treatment to get back to her prodigal mind, yet he was going to be there and help her every step of the way. Mysterion was her guardian angel... yet he was her angel... she looked up to him. She looked to him to save her. He had... and he always will.