Kenny Is Not Okay

No more hospital?

Kenny had to stay at the hospital nearly a week more. Even though he seemed fine, they wanted to keep him there just to make sure he was actually able to go home. During that time the nurses and the doctors even learned to call him Kenny instead of his full first name Kenneth. Craig had been visiting him everyday, not going to school. He would've stayed by Kenny's side all day and all night, if he wouldn't have had to leave.
The other boys visited him too, after school. Kenny was seeming better, too. He still didn't talk much, but was getting better with his depression and suicidal thoughts.

Craig was on his way to the hospital, once again. His parents had given up on forcing him to school, he wouldn't go, no matter how hard they tried.

He finally arrived and went inside. Kenny's room was easy to find. Craig knocked, no response. He knocked again, still no response. Well, maybe Kenny was just sleeping. Craig tried to push the door, and it opened. But, inside was nothing. Just an empty bed. No nurse. No Kenny. No Kenny's clothes on the table. Nothing. Could've he ran away? Or...

"Craig?"

Kenny's nurse was behind him.

"Where is he? Where is Kenny?" Craig asked.

"Don't worry. He's home. We were able to let him go. We believe that he will survive at home." the nurse said.

"H-home?" Craig was surprised.

"Yeah. Why don't you go visit him, I'm sure he'd love it." the nurse suggested.

"I will!" Craig said.

He started walking away, until he turned around.

"Thanks for helping Kenny." Craig smiled.

"We couldn't have done it without you." the nurse smiled back.

Craig called his dad to come pick him up. Luckily he even drove Craig to Kenny's house. Craig ran to his door and knocked. His mom opened the door.

"Hey. Is Kenny home?" Craig asked.

"Yeah, he just got home an hour ago. Come in." Kenny's mom, Carol, said.

She let Craig in. He walked to the door of Kenny's room and knocked.

"No need to worry! I'm fine!" Kenny muffled. He thought it was his mom.

How good it felt hearing Kenny's muffled voice once again. At hospital he wasn't able to wear his own clothes, he had to wear short sleeves.

"It's me." Craig said.

As soon as Kenny heard Craig's voice, he opened the door and let him in.

"Hi Craig!" Kenny said happily.

"Hi, Kenny. How are you?" Craig asked.

"Fine, I guess." Kenny said.

Craig noticed a bottle full of pills on Kenny's table.

"Are you on medication?" Craig asked.

"Yeah... those are my antidepressants." Kenny said, looking down.

"What's wrong?" Craig asked.

"Nothing, I just... I didn't want you to know that I take meds. Yeah, I did get them at the hospital too. But they let me take them when I was alone. I didn't... want you to know how weak I am." Kenny said.

"Kenny. It's okay. Taking meds doesn't make you weak. I won't judge you for it. Now, have you taken them today?" Craig smiled.

Kenny paused for a moment.

"N-no..." Kenny admitted.

Craig didn't say anything, he just stared at Kenny, giving him a hint.

"I... I didn't want to." Kenny said quietly, as he poured a few pills on his palm.

Kenny forced himself to swallow the pills.

"That's better." Craig said and hugged Kenny.

Even though Kenny didn't want to take his medication, he decided to even try. He wanted to make Craig proud, after all this he had done to him.

Craig tried grabbing Kenny's hand. Kenny looked a bit scared, he still didn't feel comfortable even though Craig knew about his wrists already. He let Craig roll his sleeves up and see the bandages.

"Y-you can take them off." Kenny said.

Craig gently took the bandages off, just to see Kenny's scarred wrists. The scars didn't look fresh and new, so Craig could believe that Kenny hadn't been cutting lately.

"Proud of you. Keep going like this." Craig said, as he rolled the bandages on, being careful so he wouldn't hurt Kenny.

Kenny really hoped he could do it. He had gone this far, he could do even better. He didn't want to disappoint Craig. He had already made him cry and ditch school for a week. Yeah, Kenny kind of wanted to cut. He could do it, but he didn't. For Craig.