Chapter Three:

The questions startled him as they only gave him a fresh ache and a quiet emptiness in his head as the answers. "No." It was a quiet statement, but the doctor nodded all the same.

He didn't know anything.

The doctors ran a few tests, checking his head and temperature. He was silent through it all, thoughts haywire as his head pounded in retaliation from the questioning. He was so tired. He was supported as he sat up now, taking breaths as something cold was placed against his back. It was uncomfortable. He inhaled, breath hitching before the doctor told him to release it.

Everything just felt so wrong. He inhaled once more, back straight as he could make it with the doctor's help. He was prodded again by the metallic plate. The redhead and black-haired teens had left the room as per the doctor's request. He felt lost without them, already liking the reassuring presence of the redhead. His hug had helped…

He watched the doorway, eyes lingering there as he was left alone finally. The shut door offered no comfort. The man in front of him wrote things down as Kenny leaned back, and he wondered just what he was writing. Then, he spoke. "Alright, Kenny, your signs are looking good, but we're still unclear on just what we should tell you. Forcing information on you might make everything worse, you see…"

Kenny nodded as the man continued, prattling on with words too big to comprehend. All he was allowed to know was that he was here because of a fall, and that it was unsure just when he'd fully heal or recover memory. He wasn't supposed to have come back at all, from his understanding of it. Thinking back made him wince.

It was so surreal. He knew things, like that the machine beside him showed his heart-rate, but nothing about who his family was. He was supposed to know those things though. He was supposed to know something, anything about himself. But he didn't. He didn't even know his full name.

His chest hurt, constricting with the reminder. The beeps got quicker and he turned his head toward the machine. He had had a life, but he couldn't even remember his favorite parts of it. His inhale was sharp and quick, chest squeezing against his heart. The beeps practically met each other. The doctor tried to calm him, but all he could think of was how much he was missing of himself.

-0-

Kyle was pushed from the room, feeling unsure about everything. Stan had pulled him by the arm out of the small room, and his legs had moved automatically to the pulls from the other. He had quickly lost sight of Kenny as doctors controlled the room, gathering around the other. He sighed as he was let go, "Stan, we should've stayed-"

"Kyle, they need us gone so they can work. Something might be wrong, dude."

Something was wrong, that was the entire reason he'd almost refused to leave. "He doesn't recognize us." he stated, voice nearly a whisper. He confirmed his fear with the sentence.

"I know," Stan answered, scratching at the back of his neck. He was conflicted, and Kyle could see it on his face. Stan frowned at him, and all he could do was blink back with a frown of his own.

"Did you-did you tell Karen yet?" Stan had left him shortly, and he could only guess it was to talk to Kenny's family.

Stan nodded, still distracted. His eyes swayed to the right as he thought, "I called her first." he confirmed.

The redhead breathed a long exhale in response. Then, "Did you tell her about-well about him? His condition?"

Stan's voice broke, "It's not something you can really just say on the phone like that. I just told her he was still in recovery-that this was the beginning of it."

Kyle lowered his eyes at the sound. He didn't know what to say, how to comfort right now. So, he said nothing.

-0-

Karen came not soon after, a tepid smile on her face. It wasn't long before it left however, Kyle and Stan's frowns transferring to her own. "What is it?" she asked. "Kenny's okay right? Is he-is it bad?"

"He's going to make it, but…" Kyle paused, eyes lowering before he looked to Stan.

Stan exhaled heftily, "He doesn't remember anything."

"About what happened?" she looked confused, eyeing them both with furrowed brows.

"About anything," Kyle finished.

She only looked more confused before it looked like it hit her physically, her body looking crushed on impact. She crumpled, "He-he doesn't remember me?"

"He doesn't remember anyone," Stan said quietly.

A silence washed over them until Karen let out a sob, Kyle looking up to see the absolute defeat etched on her face. "I have to-to see him," she stated, voice cracking mid-sentence.

Kyle nodded, gesturing to the closed door. "Only family can come in right now, so I won't be able to join you." he explained gently.

She nodded, body trembling as she pulled the door open. She waited for a second, staring inside before she walked inside fully, letting the door shut behind her by itself. Kyle watched her go, feeling entirely too useless.

-0-

Kenny looked to the door when he heard it close, watching a small girl enter the room. Her expression reminded him easily of the redhead's, in that it looked at a total loss. He quirked an eyebrow, feeling the beginnings of anxiousness in the pit of his stomach.

She looked directly into his eyes, and without a hint of recognition to the doctor, she ran to him. She collapsed directly in front of him, falling to her knees without so much as a flinch at the action. Instead, she reached for him, hugging him tightly. Her head buried itself onto his shoulder, and she nuzzled into it. It was comforting in an odd way, like the redhead's, but it still made his stomach clench unsurely. He knew he was missing something, and it hurt.

He felt his shoulder get colder as it was wetted. "Kenny," she croaked. Then, as if startled by her own voice, she shook her head. When she pulled back, it was to look him in the eyes. Her own glistened, tears pooling there and falling with every blink one by one.

"Who are you?" he asked, voice low, almost afraid to ask.

She visibly started, turning away before her shoulders squared. His heart felt like it was constricting. "Karen," she answered after a moment. "We're… I'm your sister."

His eyes widened, he had a sister. His heart pounded, "Sister?" It was an affirmation to himself, but she nodded all the same.

"Do you-do you remember anything at all?" The question lingered, her hope teetering. It crashed with the shake of his head-he could see it on her face.

"Nothing."

-0-

Kyle's face felt hot, the cold of the glass of his bottle only helping so much. He sat at the table, watching Stan as he and Wendy fought over whether he thought Bebe was hot or not. A double-edged sword in his opinion, given Bebe was her best friend. It wasn't like he could proclaim her ugly, or pretty for that matter.

He exhaled, wondering if anyone was feeling as drunk as he was. He was dizzy with how many shots he'd taken with Craig and Stan. He wasn't used to drinking as much as they were, hence how Stan was now having a full-on argument at the moment. Then again, drinking only made his and Wendy's arguments worse. Wendy wasn't as delightful a drunk as she thought she was after the fact. But then, he was the first to admit, he was a bit biased when it came to his best friend's own deposition. Years of living with it instilled a decisive protectiveness over Stan. Even if he constantly wished Stan would stop drinking altogether.

He wondered if the other ever went through a day without alcohol. He closed his eyes, pressing the bottle to the side of his neck as he hunched into his arms. They lay spread on the table, and he pressed into their sides. His head was on fire.

A chair scratched against the floor next to him, a person falling into it. Blurred eyes looked up at the newcomer, widening when they saw familiar blues. "Kenny, I thought you weren't coming?" he half-asked half-stated to the other. Unknown to himself, he was slurring every other word with a tilted ending.

Kenny looked down to him before he stole his bottle, opening it with one swift movement. He took a long drink, grimacing as he sat it down, "Party's just started and you're already drunk," he admired. "Let me have a minute to catch up." He tilted the bottle up once more, taking a large swig once more.

Kyle's eyes swayed to the blond's face as it scrunched when the bottle was placed back on the table. "It's pure vodka." he commented.

Kenny nodded, coughing, "My favorite," he said. His voice was strained though, and Kyle knew it was from the alcohol content.

He could feel it burning in his throat just watching the other gulping it down in one sitting. He laughed as it hit, Kenny's cheeks turning red, eyes glazing.

"What made you come by?" Kyle asked, mind too numb to think through the possible reasons himself.

"Broke up tonight," he stated easily in reply.

"I thought you and Red would've worked out," Kyle commented with a hum. "Why?" he added.

Kenny gave him a long look at that in silence before taking another drink. When he sat the bottle back down, he wiped his mouth.

Kyle turned away when he heard Clyde yelling something about shoes, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes turned back to Kenny as the blond stood.

"Let's go outside." Kenny said suddenly.

Kyle hummed again, unsure about leaving his comfortable spot laying out on the table. But then again, he wanted to hear what Kenny had to say. Grunting, he stood. He registered a hand gripping his elbow helping to lead him, and followed it dutifully.

He wiped at his eyes as the kitchen swayed back and forth. Maybe he was drunker than he thought… The world opened the moment he stepped outside, Kenny following behind as he pushed him out the sliding doors. He took a deep breath of the air, exhaling gently. He looked back as he was pushed forward-into the yard.

"We can sit here," Kenny's voice came from behind, hand gesturing him to sit in the grass.

He did, only once he sat he found he couldn't sit properly and ended up on his back instead. "Jesus, Broflovski, how much did you drink?" Kenny commented with a laugh.

Kyle shrugged, "I don't know," he explained. "We had a contest and I won, I can't remember anything but the ending though." His eyebrows scrunched in thought. What was he trying to remember? He didn't know.

Kyle's eyes were half-lidded as he took in the sky. Bright stars stared back, made even brighter by the deep darkness settling beside each dot that made them.

"How many stars are there?" he wondered aloud.

"What?" Kenny asked from beside him.

He repeated the question slower, unknowingly slipping more slurring into his speech. Kenny shook his head, and Kyle looked to him for an answer.

"It's weird seeing you like this," Kenny said instead of a reply. "What happened to trying to stay away from alcohol?" Kenny said this aloud, but it was more directed at the world and himself than it was to Kyle.

"Stan." he said.

"What about him?"

"He drinks it and he's not a downer anymore." Kyle said lowly, "Maybe I won't be either."

"If anything you're more of a downer now. I can barely understand you, and I don't even know if you know what you're saying." Kenny supplied. The blond chose to lie next to him then, watching the stars with wide eyes. "Will you remember?" The words were nearly whispered, and Kyle barely caught them.

The redhead chose not to reply. Instead, his head tilted toward Kenny to lie flat on the ground. Kenny kept his eyes on the sky before continuing, "Kye," he addressed the other. "What would happen if I died?"

Kyle felt dizzy with the question. His hand found Kenny's shirt, fingers playing with the edge. "You won't die." he said assuredly.

Kenny laughed, but there was something in it that made Kyle's chest hurt. His opposite hand rubbed against the dull ache there. He looked back to Kenny, their eyes meeting. They stayed that way for a moment before Kenny spoke again, "You wouldn't notice." he said. "You think you would," he continued before Kyle could protest against the words. Kenny looked back up to the sky, "But you wouldn't. Nobody would." He was so certain, Kyle felt. So sure. "I don't blame you, I doubt I'd care either if I was you."

The words hurt more than the humorless laughter prior to them. He blinked as his eyes stung at them. "Kenny…" he began, unsure how to make sure the other knew he was serious despite his inebriation.

"Don't." Kenny interrupted, sitting back up before looking back down at Kyle. He sighed then, a hand running through his blond hair smoothly. He gripped the hair at the edges, eyes watching the world around them.

"If you died," Kyle began, ignoring Kenny's earlier protest determinedly, "I wouldn't know what to do." he admitted. "I'd be scared," His elbows propped him up some, world turning to the side at the movement. He took a moment to collect himself, blinking at the tipped earth in his sight. Even outside the world was too hot, his cheeks inflamed. He sighed out the hot air, eyes focusing as much as they could on the blond.

"I think I'd be lost without you. Nothing would be fun anymore, it'd just be sad, because you wouldn't be there to make fun of it." Without Kenny's smile, the world appeared darker. "It'd hurt, I think, to do anything without you." It'd be like a piece of him was missing everywhere he went. His chest panged again, but he ignored it this time. A world without Kenny would be lacking in everything that made the world beautiful.

"I'd hate it." He paused, exhaling again, eyes closing as the cool wind moved over the heat, "I couldn't think of anything worse."

Kenny hummed in response, seeming to scrunch into himself. Knees against his chest, his arms wrapped around them, chin resting on kneecaps. "Red wanted more than a 'fling,' as she called it." he said after awhile of silence.

Confused and a bit dazed at the sudden switch in conversation, Kyle allowed himself to move onto the next subject. "Isn't that what you want?"

"I thought it was, but I was wrong." he said then, "A relationship is the exact opposite of everything I want."

"Why's that?" Kyle asked.

Kenny didn't answer, letting the question linger over them. Then, he said, "Maybe it's better if nobody cares if I die."

Kyle tried to understand the words, but the world swayed again. This time it blurred, and when he blinked at it, he found himself in a dream instead.