Medicine( A South Park fanfic)

Chapter3

[[Chapter Specific TW: Substance abuse, mental health]]

                               ========*Three years ago*========

It was a crisp Autumn day in South Park. Halloween was just around the corner, but Stan couldn't bring himself to get excited. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to pull himself out of this slump. It had gotten so bad that his friends didn't want to hang out with him as much anymore. At least, that's what he thought, so he stopped making the effort to make plans. He stopped reaching out, even stopped responding to messages from them. Isolation became the new normal for him these days, so how could he possibly be excited for a holiday?

The world felt dull, and Stan knew this wasn't normal for a thirteen year old boy, but he couldn't help it. What was he supposed to do, change his entire view of the world overnight? That seemed way too hard, so he continued to sink lower and lower, almost finding peace in the pain. Though, it wasn't really pain, per se. He was uncomfortable, that was for sure, but he really didn't feel much else. For a while there he could pull himself out of it long enough to see friends, but as time continued it got harder and harder.

Stan did have two things going for him, at least. He was dating Wendy Testaburger, his crush since fourth grade, and he had his special 'serum'. Starting in fourth grade Stan had begun taking a shot of Jameson just to get through the day, but soon one shot turned to two, which turned to three.. Luckily for him it wasn't hard to get a reup, especially since he had Kenny's older brother's cell number. Add ten bucks on to the price and he'll get you anything you want from the liquor store with his fake ID. Say what you will, but Stan thinks Kevin's a good guy. 

After laying in bed for longer than he should, Stan pulled himself into a sitting position and reached for the bottle under the bed. Holding it up, he swirled the small amount of liquid left, maybe a sip-sip and a half left. He unscrewed the lid, taking a deep breath, before finishing off the bottle. The whiskey no longer stung his throat, but it did give him that extra pep he needed to get out of bed. 

Looking through his usual hiding spots, Stan realized he was out of serum. Muttering some curses under his breath, he picked up his phone and sent Kevin a text. 

[Hey dude, im fresh out :(]

Setting his phone down, Stan got up and began getting ready for the day. He grabbed his clothes and walked to the bathroom, only to find that Shelly had beat him there just a moment before. He knocked anyways. "How long are you going to be?" 

"Gonna be a while, turd." She spat back at him as he heard the sound of the shower turn on. Muttering to himself, he walked back to his room. Deciding to skip the shower today, he got changed in to the clothes he picked out for school. 

There was a BEEP as his phone screen lit up. A text back from Kevin. 

[Aye lil man I gotchu! Hw mny u nd?]

[3, plz n ty] 

Stan responded to the text, then went rummaging through his underwear drawer. He found the envelope he kept birthday money in and counted out enough for three bottles of Jameson, plus Kevin's cut. Stuffing the money in his wallet, he saw the phone screen light up again. 

[a-ok, 4pm my place b there r b sqr] 

Stan rolled his eyes at the response, but was happy to know he'd be able to restock after school. Now he just needed to survive the day. Taking a deep breath to gather himself, he got his backpack and walked downstairs.

Randy was sitting on the couch, watching the news with a beer in his hand. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he looked over. "Oh, good morning Stanley. Heading off already?" He smiled at his son, taking a swig of his drink.