"Butters, it's time to wake up." An unfamiliar voice whispers.

"What time is it?" I groan, opening my eyes and sitting up.

"Half past one in the afternoon," the nurse who looks an awful lot like Stan's mom replies, "you arrived here at twenty two minuets past four in the morning and slept all night. I was advised to wake you up because the police would like to question you after you see your visitors."

I blink against the bright light, my eyes stinging at its sudden harshness.
I look around the room, unsure of where I am.

I seem to be in a hospital, however I don't remember arriving and I don't know why I'm here either. I feel fine and I appear to be fine.

"Where am I?" I ask the nurse.

"You're at hells pass hospital, dear," she replies with a smile, "Are you hungry?"

I shake my head. She shrugs and walks out of the room, leaving me alone.

I pat my throbbing head gingerly, discovering it's bandaged up. It must have been because of the blood I discovered a few nights ago, although surely they wouldn't bandage that up? It would've healed by now.

The door opens and a balding man walks in, followed by Mr Slave who's wearing a black collar with a leash which Mr Garrison is holding.

"Hello... student," he sits at the edge of my bed, as far away from me as you can possibly get, "I um... was asked to visit you."

"Oh." Is all I can manage to say.

"I was meant to pretend to have wanted to visit you, but honestly I don't give a crap about you kids. I'm not getting paid so I'm not gonna pretend to care," he passes me an opened packet of grape sweets, "Real grapes were two dollars but these were one dollar so I got these."

"Umm thanks," I place them on the little table beside me, "Why am I here?"

"You passed out and hit your head on the road really bad, sweetie," Mr Slave replies, sitting beside Mr. Garrison on the bed, "and it looks like you haven't eaten or slept in days so they're keeping you in here until you're healthy enough to go home."

"How's Kenny?" I ask, "the police aren't being too hard on him are they?"

Mr Garrison and Mr Slave exchange a worried glance.

"Butters... Kenny died," Mr Slave says slowly, "he was crushed by a truck."

"No.. he can't be dead!" I feel tears in my eyes, but I try my hardest not to cry in front of the two men, "he's a messed up kid but h-he can't be dead."

Mr Slave rubs my arm sympathetically.
Mr Garrison puts his head in his hands and sighs loudly, mumbling something about how he doesn't get paid enough for this.

"We should probably go. You have more visitors waiting for you," Mr Slave pats my head gently before standing up and heading towards the door, "Jesus Christ, Mr Garrison, hurry up! Big Gay Al is waiting for me at home."

Mr Garrison wraps the leash around his hand and leaves the room with Mr Slave.
The moment they leave, the door opens again and Kyle and Craig enter the room.

Kyle is wearing a hospital gown and a pair of Terrence and Philip slippers as well as his green hat,but Craig is wearing a black coat ,black pants and he's not not wearing his hat.

"Hey, Butters," Craig greets me, "How you feeling?"

"Shitty."

"Aren't we all?" Kyle says as he sits on the bed. "Kenny's dead, did you hear?"

I nod, "I can't believe it. When did he die?"

"Did you lose your memory when you passed out or something?" Kyle frowns.

"He got hit by Stan's uncle's truck. The ambulance practically had to peel him off the road!" Craig laughs, "That's why we're wearing black. Our moms said that we have to 'mourn our dead friend', like we're sad about it or something."

"I'm a little sad about him dying," I admit, "it's not his fault his family are cannibals, but I guess he could've done something about it. He really cared about me and I cared about him too, before I found out he ate people."

"I should probably get going," Craig says, checking his watch, "mom says I've gotta take Tricia to see some movie."

"I thought your sister was called Ruby." Kyle frowns.

"So did I, but according to the Fractured But Whole she's called Tricia." Craig shrugs.

The door opens before Craig can leave, slamming against the wall. Everyone looks up to see a man dressed in a slightly dirty green shirt, brown pants and badly scuffed shoes, his hair long and badly in need of brushing, his beard messy and full of leaves.

"Butters!" He exclaims, running towards the bed and throwing his arms around me.

Three women run into the room, my mom and two nurses.
I try to push the stranger off me, but he's too heavy for my weak arms.

"Get off me!" I squeak, breathless from the tight hug.

The man releases me and crouches beside the bed.

"Butters, don't you recognise me?" He asks, his eyes full of sadness, possibly tears.

"Mom, tell him to go away!" I shuffle as far away from him as I can without falling out of the bed.

"It's me, your father!" The man cries, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

"Butters wake up!"

I sit up slowly, rubbing my pounding head. I open my eyes and look around confused.

"Why aren't I at the hospital?" I ask myself, "Dad?"

"He's awake, call an ambulance," an echoey voice orders, "call a fucking ambulance!"

"Dad?" I repeat, looking around me. "Dad where are you? Mom?"

A person comes into my view. It's not my mother or my father, it's Officer Andreea.
She picks me up and carries me to the back of the police van, sits me on the hard seat and wraps me in two blankets.

"Listen to me, you passed out. Your father isn't here, what's his phone number? I'll call him." She says, pulling out her phone.

"Dad died a few months ago," I frown, "a drug addict stabbed him... I saw him though, I'm sure I did."

"You passed out," Andreea repeats herself, "you need to go to the hospital immediately. Has someone called an ambulance?"

"It's on its way. I don't know how long it'll be." Someone answers.

"Useless pricks," Andreea mutters, "So Butters, how're you feeling?"

"My head hurts." I complain.

Andreea gets up and starts barking orders at people.
Someone grabs my arm, causing me to jump.

"Butters, you totally freaked us out," Kyle says, "when that bastard killed Kenny you just dropped to the ground like a rag doll."

"I thought you died!" Sally adds, reaching over to rub my arm. "I don't know what I'd do if you did."

Luckily, I soon hear the loud wail of an ambulance siren approaching us, as well as a few extra police cars.
They pull up at the side of the road. Paramedics jump out of the ambulance and police officers hurry out of the police cars, blocking off scene of the accident with police tape and large cones.

Officer Jap, one of the officers who arrived a second ago, sits beside me in the van and takes out a notepad and pen.

"Hello again," she sighs, "could you tell me your address and a parent's phone number?"

"Umm..." I frown, trying to remember the address.

Before I can answer, I spot my mom running across the street, wobbling slightly in her untrustworthy heels.

"Butters!" She cries, "I'm here, baby, I'm here!"

She stops upon reaching the van and throws her arms around me. Her hug is tight, a little too tight, but I've missed her so much during the few days I was held captive so I don't say anything. I do my best to return the hug, my arms weak and hurting.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid you can't be here." Jap bites her lip, probably not wanting to start a fight with an upset mother.

"Don't ma'am me!" Mom snaps, "This is my son who was taken away from me by some psychopaths! You hear me? psychopaths!"

She flips off the McCormick family as they're shoved into the back of a police van after being successfully handcuffed and almost knocked out by brutal police officers during an attempt to get away.

"Screw you too!" Stuart tries to return the gesture, but the police man escorting him to the car has a tight grip on his hands. Instead he spits on the floor and glares at my mom.

"I want my mom!" Sally wails, tears falling down her pale face.

Kyle's lower lip wobbles before he too bursts into tears.

"Me too! I want my mommy!" He cries before sobbing into Wendy's shoulder.

Half an hour later and we were all taken to the hospital to quickly get checked over before being taken to the police station for questioning.
They have enough evidence to charge the family from the meat in the freezer alone, but there's no harm in having even more proof.

"He's just in there waiting for you." A kind lady in a fluffy jumper tells me, opening the door to a small closet sized room.

I go inside and sit in the empty chair, facing the chief of police.

"This feels familiar, huh?" He tries to joke, but this really isn't the time.

I simply shrug and wait for him to start the questions.

He opens his notepad and flicks to an empty page. He looks up at me, tapping his pen on the page.

"So, you met Kenny when?"

"Uhh.. I remember i went outside my house one day, it was before I joined school but I can't remember the exact date, and he was sat on his doorstep. We talked for a few minuets, had a cigarette and then I had to go home."

"And when was the first time you went into his home?"

"That was the first time you questioned me, sir."

"You say Kenny was your boyfriend?"

"Yes, sir. But not anymore."

"You must be sad about that?"

"No offence sir but you must be smoking some quality drugs to even think that I would miss that asshole."

The chief bites his lip as he tries not to laugh, but fails and bursts out laughing.

"Okay okay," he wipes his eyes, "on with the questions. Why did you move to South Park?"

"What does that have to do with Kenny?" I frown.

"I didnt make up this list, kid." He shrugs.

"We moved because my father died and my mom didn't think the area was safe," I reply after a second of thinking it over, "stabbed to death."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea," The chief places the note pad on the small table. "I think we're done, for today anyway."

I leave the room and return back to the reception area where the lady in the fluffy jumper is talking to my mom about knitting patterns. My mom obviously isn't listening, but she keeps talking nonetheless.

"Hi." I say awkwardly, sitting beside her on the hard chair.

"Butters, you're finished already?" Mom asks, stroking my dirty hair.

I nod. Mom gives me a quick hug, stands up and walks over to the chatty receptionist's desk.

"Can we go? My son needs to go straight to bed." She asks the receptionist.

"Of course," she replies, "would you like to borrow this magazine about knitting patterns?"

"I don't knit," Mom rolls her eyes. She takes my hand in her own and we walk out of the building together. "I'm so glad this is over. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too mom." I squeeze her hand and smile at her.

Since the police station is in the middle of town it doesn't take long to walk home. Even though I'm tired, I quite enjoyed the walk since I've been sat in a basement for a while without getting any sunlight or fresh air.

When we reach the street, I see that there are still police cars parked on the street, police tape and cones blocking off where the accident happened, the van still in the middle of the road surrounded by blood, Kenny's front door is still wide open.

"Home sweet home." Mom mutters, unlocking the front door.

We go inside the house and lock the front door the second we step inside.
I flop onto the sofa and shut my eyes, trying to get some sleep.

The sofa is hard and not made for sleeping on, but right now I'm much too tired to walk all the way upstairs and get into my own bed.

"Sweetie, I'm just going to make a phone call in the kitchen, okay?" Mom strokes my hair quickly before walking off into the kitchen, shutting the door behind her.

I wake up a while later in my own bed. Although I'd love to stay in bed for even longer, I know that I should get up.
I can hear voices downstairs, even though judging from the darkness outside I'd say it's way past ten at night.

I make my way to the door, my head pounding and legs screaming at me to go back to bed and sleep, but I ignore it.

I manage to get to the bottom of the stairs without falling, but I stumble off the last step and have to cling onto the handrail to stop myself falling onto the floor.

A pair of hands hold onto my arms until I'm properly on my feet.

"You okay?" Cartman asks. "You almost fell."

"I think so," I use him to balance myself before making my way to the sofa and flipping down, "where's mom?"

Before anyone can answer my question, the front door opens and three people walk in.
My mom, Sheila and my aunt Nellie.

"Butters!" Aunt Nellie gasps, rushing over to the sofa and giving me a quick hug, "how're you doing kiddo? Oops, stupid question, right?"

"Butters.. I was thinking it would be a good idea for you to stay at Aunt Nellie's for a while," Mom says, sitting beside me, "until I've found a house for us to live in, somewhere far far away from here."

"All of your stuff is in the car," Sheila says, "we're ready when you are."

"Do you want a few minuets alone with your friends?" Mom asks, gesturing to Stan, Kyle and Cartman.

I nod and the three women leave the room.

"So..." Stan says, awkwardly shuffling over to me. "You're moving away already, huh?"

I shrug.

"Oh, Butters, I never finished telling you," Cartman shakes his head at his own stupidity, "I'm not in love with Heidi. I uh.. like Kyle."

"There is no way in hell I'd date you fat boy!" Kyle punches his arm, "I hate the shit outta you."

Stan silently glares at the fat boy and shuffled over to Kyle to hold his hand.

Cartman sighs, rubbing his punched arm.

Stan pulls a slip of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. It's a code or something, a friend code maybe?

"Here, that's my 3DS friend code. I saw you had a 2DS and thought it'd be cool if we could Pokemon battle or something."

"Oh.. I prefer Hello Kitty Island Adventure, but maybe one day." I smile, pocketing the slip of paper.

My mom returns into the room and hands me my blue jacket.

"I think it's time to go. Sorry boys."

She unlocks the door and walks me over to Aunt Nellie's car which is parked in the driveway.

I sit in the back and buckle up.
I wave to Stan, Kyle and Cartman before the car starts and we drive down the street.

As we begin approaching the highway which leaves South Park, I swear I spot a flash of orange out of the corner of my eye, but I pass it off as my imagination and try to get some more sleep.