One More Star To Join The Rest | Craig x Tweek

Chapter 1

Tweek didn't know many things right now. He didn't know where he was or what this thing in his throat was. He didn't know why he felt so tired. He didn't know why his mouth was dry.

But he did know something: Craig was tired. The heavy bags and slurred speech was a dead giveaway. And yet, the boy was still there, his cheek resting on his hand, the other occupied with rubbing Tweek's palm.

He was there before Tweek woke up, and hasn't moved. Craig talked to him, keeping him company.

He told Tweek that his parents were arrested and he was admitted to a hospital for chronic methamphetamine overdose.

Tweek barely paid attention, focused on Craig's face. He couldn't speak around the thing in his throat, so he just watched.

"Clyde was worried," Craig said. He was gently fidgeting with Tweek's fingers. "He'll come after school with Token."

Tweek tried to smile, but it was hard around the tube. He couldn't quite put names to faces, but he knew those were his friends.

Wait. If Clyde was going to come after school, shouldn't Craig be in school, too?

Tweek tried to voice this, but it only came out broken and muffled.

"No, I'm not gonna leave," Craig said. "I don't give a fuck about school when your life is in danger."

A coil of anxiety tightened around Tweek's spine. His life was in danger? How? By who? Why?

A nurse stepped into the room. He said something to Craig, which the teen made a small fight against, but soon shuffled out of the room. Before he left, he kissed Tweek's hand.

"Can you hear me, Tweek?"

Tweek looked up and nodded.

"Okay," the nurse said, flipping through papers on a clipboard. "I need you to get as much sleep as possible. You're going to feel anxious and paranoid, but that's normal. Drink lots of water and eat regularly. Don't be scared to ask any of us for help."

Tweek nodded again, his eyes slipping shut.

When Tweek woke up next, it was dark outside. He stared out the windows for a while, looking at the stars Craig loved so much. Maybe Craig was looking out of his window, up at the same stars Tweek is. Maybe Craig was wishing that the stars kept Tweek alive.

Who was he kidding, Craig wasn't that sappy.

Tweek, quietly, so no one would ever know, wished the stars kept Craig safe before letting himself fall asleep again.

Even though Tweek was sleeping for (apparently) twenty hours, he still felt tired. His hands still wouldn't move properly and his brain was still stuffed with cotton. His mouth felt awfully dry and he didn't feel hungry.

Craig left him notes that the nightshift nurses read to Tweek. It was updates about school, Eric and the others, Kyle and Stan being literally a couple, and Kenny totally having a crush on Butters.

Tweek felt like he was on a cloud, so the aeroplanes of information sometimes graced his consciousness. The other parts were lost to the stars.

Apparently, Tweek has been in the hospital for a week. The tube was finally removed; he could do a good impression of an old U-Stor-It door opening when he talked.

Soon after that, he could walk. He and Craig walked around the hospital sometimes, hand-in-hand. Tweek would drag his I.V. bags along with him, the wheels squeaking.

One night, Tweek felt a very, very strong need for coffee. The cafeteria coffee wasn't right.
So, he slipped out of bed. He plucked the I.V. needle out, wincing slightly. Tweek shuffled out of his room, making sure no one was watching (people were always watching).