The Evermore Dissociate(Creek)

0061

The light above Kenny's bed flickered for the fifteenth time since they'd been there. Stan was counting, focusing soulfully on the unpredictability, and felt slightly infatuated the more it happened. He guessed they'd only been visiting for twenty minutes or less, but with neither of them talking, it felt entirely longer. He'd been listening to Tweek's muffled sniffling, listening until it eventually died down to fill the air between them with nothing but the ringing in his ears.

There was a strange sense of comfort bringing Tweek here. He didn't know why, perhaps it was because all three of them experienced the same trauma, and having someone else who knows what it felt like made Stan feel less alone. It was crazy to think, growing up Tweek had meant so little to him. He was just another classmate who Stan thought nothing other than him being a little weird, but now they'd involuntarily bonded over such a horrific event that neither of them were sure they'd get over completely.

Neither were the type for hard exteriors, but neither of them were about to confess how much they'd needed this get together. They weren't about to admit how they needed this time to heal both mentally and emotionally, and they certainly weren't going to be relying on the other for support.

They just quietly basked in the moment, gathering their thoughts about the events that caused such a devastating blow to their lives, and for now, that was enough. That was until the nurse poked her head through the door as she gave them five more minutes before visiting time was over.

Tweek thought back to the moment he'd stood anxiously outside this exact room not long ago. He thought about all of the concerns and worry's he'd had, and now thinking back he found it crazy to have considered turning around, because now he didn't want to leave.

He flinched when Stan patted his back but quickly recovered, forcing the air into his lungs before turning around. "Mind if I have a second alone?" He asked unsurely, not knowing whether it was a weird thing to request, but after a short pause, Stan nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'll wait outside, just don't be too long."

"I won't."

Only once Tweek heard the door close behind him did he breathe again. He closed his eyes, desperate to remember something, anything, but of course he couldn't. He soon found himself staring at the crinkled covers that Kenny laid beneath, and imagined each one being formed as Kenny moved about in bed. There was always that reminder in the back of his head that it wasn't the real reason, more likely from the doctors prodding at him, or family members weeping by his side.

Inhaling a shaky breath, Tweek looked to his wrist, the one that wasn't wrapped up in layers of protection. He glanced to the dark, material bracelet with the elastic inside warn out from when he'd twang it against his skin the nights he stayed awake at three in the morning. He failed to see the meaning behind the object, but as he pulled it from his wrist, he decided it would have a new meaning. There was a knock on the door behind him as Stan became impatient, and as Tweek bestowed the bracelet in Kenny's possession, he smiled with content.

He regrouped with Stan outside, and after a quick glance at the noirette, he once again found himself wondering if there was any relation between him and Craig. There was no time to ask about it though, because as soon as Kenny's door was completely closed, Stan was walking away, talking over his shoulder to Tweek.

"You good?"

Tweek had to speed walk to catch up, but once he had, he hummed affirmatively. "I'm good, are you?"

"Yep. Hey um, I was just going to head back home after this and sit around doing nothing, but if you want, we can hang out for a bit?"

"S-sure, where'd you have in mind?"

"I don't know, a couple of the guys are hanging out at Jimmy's later on. We could go down there now and get a head start on the snacks he's bought."

'Jimmy' Tweek thought. He vaguely remembered Craig mentioning it, and he supposed it wasn't the worst idea. Still, he wasn't too keen on crowds, but he also couldn't deny he'd been wanting to hang out with Craig again. At least this way, he could do it without it being a big deal. "Lead the way."

"Alright." Stan grinned. Being cooped up alone in his room hadn't been doing him any favours. He knew that, but he also knew he had a moral duty to help Tweek reconnect with his social circle, the fact there would be alcohol was just a bonus. "Just to warn you, Jimmy has a habit of repeating old jokes, so you have to pretend to laugh or else he'll get offended. Oh and you might want to avoid Eric, he'll try manipulating you into committing murder or something"

"Jesus, okay." Tweek swallowed. The road they walked was uneven, and loose pebbles were somehow catching inside his shoes. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Kevin might seem a little harsh, but thats just him messing around. I guess he's kinda like Craig in that way, except Kevin's not so much an asshole."

"Craig doesn't seem that bad." Tweek objected. "Sure he can be a little annoying, but I think that's also his way of playing."

The amused laugh from Stan slightly grated Tweek's nerves, though he remained as neutral as possible. "I guess that side of him just goes straight over my head. Either that or he's the master at manipulation, or maybe you're too soft on him."

"Pshh." Tweek frowned at the road ahead. "I'm not soft on him. I think he's a bit of a dick too, but I'm probably just more tolerant than you are."

"Yeah, maybe." Stan chuckled. "That's Jimmy's house right there."

Looking to where Stan was pointing, Tweek took in the sight of a relatively small house at the end of the road. The sun light was directed in his eyes, and even squinting behind his hand failed to do much to block it. He noticed Stan's pace pick up as he walked faster towards the house, with snow flicking back with every step he took. Tweek found it hard to keep up, and every now and then he had to balance himself out to avoid slipping on some hidden ice.

"What if he doesn't let us in yet? That would be so awkward."

"He'll let us in." Stan rolled his eyes. "He's not like that."

"You're not really going to eat all of the snacks, are you?"

"Might do."

"Please don't. I don't want to be an accomplice to your crimes, I'll probably be blamed too."

"We'll see." Stan shrugged before knocking on Jimmy's door. A few seconds passed with the howling wind messing Tweek's hair up even more than it already was, before the door finally creaked open, and Jimmy balanced on one of his crutches as he invited them inside.

"Good t-to see you T-Tweek."

"Oh um... yeah, you too." He smiled nervously.

"W-wow, that's a shiner." Jimmy indicated to Tweek's bruised eye, and in that moment, Tweek felt entirely insecure.

"Where's the dips at, Jimmy?" Stan called from the kitchen, his muffled voice caught the attention and thankfully took it away from Tweek.

"In t-the cupboard!"

"There's only a salsa one. Please tell me you didn't just get salsa dip."

Jimmy glanced at Tweek to share a deflated sigh before he made his way into the kitchen. There was back and forth arguing about the missing hot dip, and as Tweek quietly observed from the side of the room, for once he was hoping others would arrive soon.