Kenny Is Not Okay

2. At the hospital

"Dinner is ready, Kenny!" his mom, Carol, yelled downstairs.

No response. Still no response after trying to yell twice more. Carol decided to go check on Kenny.

"I've told you to come for dinner three times already! Do you want food or -"

She slammed the door open to see something she'll never unsee. Her own son with a rope around his neck. She hurried to loosen the noose and took Kenny in her arms.

"Kenny? Kenny, wake up!"

She couldn't get Kenny to wake up no matter how hard she tried. Shaking him, gently slapping his cheeks. No response.

"Stuart! Kenny killed himself!" Carol yelled to Kenny's dad in panic.

In seconds they got into the car. Kenny's dad broke almost every speed limit, as they drove to the hospital as fast as they could. Kenny got help right away. They got to know that Kenny was just unconscious, but had been close to death. A few more minutes of hanging could've been the end of his life.

"We'll let you know when you can see him." the doctor said to Kenny's parents.

Kenny was still unconscious, but they felt his pulse again. Once they took his jacket off, they could see the fresh cuts on his arm. Stitches weren't needed, the cuts weren't that deep, but Kenny did get a bandage on his arm. There also was a red mark on his neck from the rope, you could see where it had been.
Once they had made sure that Kenny was alright they changed his clothes into a hospital gown and took him into the room he would be staying at with a nurse looking after him, waiting for him to wake up.

The doctor returned to the waiting room.

"I'm sorry, you can't see him yet. Kenny's still unconscious, but in a stable condition." the doctor said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Carol asked, her eyes were red and wet from all the crying.

"Yes, he sure is. Don't worry, you can see him real soon. But I do have something else I need to tell you." the doctor proceeded to tell them about Kenny's cuts.

It had been a few hours since Kenny got taken to the hospital, when he finally started to wake up. He opened his eyes slowly.

"Where am I?" Kenny mumbled, with a quiet, husky voice.

"You're in the hospital."

"W-what am I doing here?" Kenny couldn't remember straight away.

"You attempted.." the nurse started.

Suddenly Kenny felt the headache and all his memories were back.

Friends, home, knife, rope... hospital.

"I...tried to kill myself.." Kenny muttered.

"So you do remember. How do you feel?"

"I'm dizzy... and tired.. and my head hurts.." Kenny said.

"Feel free to sleep more. The doctor will check on you after."

Kenny fell asleep almost immediately. Soon after he woke up again, as the doctor walked in.

"Hey, Kenny. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

"I'm okay, I guess..." Kenny said, "..I've still got a headache. And I'm dizzy."

Kenny got some painkillers before the nurse came to look after Kenny again, at this point it wouldn't have been safe leaving him alone for a long time.

"Can I see my... parents?" Kenny asked.

"Sure. I'll tell them that they can come in." the nurse said.

She left Kenny alone, just for a few minutes. He was actually scared of facing them, scared of their reactions. How sad did he make them, how much did he mentally scar them? He didn't have much time to think about it though, because his parents walked in.

"Kenny!" Carol cried.

"Mom.. I'm.. I'm fine. Don't cry." Kenny said.

Kenny's attempts of comforting his parents didn't work too well, as it was him and his actions that got them worried sick in the first place. A part of him had regrets about the suicide attempt, but a bigger part of him thought...

If I had died I wouldn't have to be here to watch this.