On Edge

Chapter 2

It took the strength of both Stan and Kenny to hold Craig back from jumping over the bridge himself after seeing his boyfriend go over.

Kyle anxiously waved the parade of emergency vehicles over to their location. After explaining the situation to the officers, several firefighters raced down the hill towards the river's edge. Craig broke out of the tight grip on his arms from his two friends and ran after the men.

"The bridge wasn't that high up, he may have survived the fall." Stated one of the officers.

Craig watched in horror as several firefighters went knee-deep into the water searching for the blonde-haired boy.

"I think I see something!" One of them shouted. The men trudged deeper into the freezing water towards a lump figure, face-down in the darkness. The body was slumped against a tree branch which was the only thing stopping it from going further down the river. Three firefighters grabbed the pale boy and carried it to shore. Craig watched the action unfold, praying that his boyfriend- his Tweek- would be okay.

Craig sighed in relief as the men finally managed to get Tweek onto dry ground. They found him. It's going to be okay. But his relief was swiped from him when he heard the words "He's not breathing!"

Several paramedics surrounded Tweek's lifeless body and began to perform CPR.

Craig felt a hand on his left shoulder and turned around to see Kyle.

"It's going to be okay." Said the red-headed boy, but his voice sounded unsure. Craig saw that two police officers were talking to Stan and Kenny, gathering statements on what had happened.

Though it was only minutes that passed when Craig stood there, sobbing as he watched paramedics desperately try to bring life back to Tweek, it felt like hours before he finally heard someone shout "We have a pulse!" Quickly, not wanting to lose any unnecessary time, the medics strapped Tweek to a gurney and sped off in the ambulance, wanting to get the boy there before his heart stopped again.

Craig was so overwhelmed with everything that had just happened; he hadn't even realized how unwell he felt. The shock of the situation began to set in and a wave of dizziness overcame the black-haired teen.

"Craig, are you okay?" Kyle asked.

But he couldn't answer. He just couldn't fathom what had happened. Tweek just tried to kill himself... He attempted suicide. Why? What could've happened to his lover to make him feel as if the only answer to his suffering was to end it all?

Craig fell to his knees, hyperventilating at the thought of losing his boyfriend. Kyle kneeled in front of him, asking him questions that weren't quite coherent. His world was a blur, and in only a matter of seconds his world faded to black.

***

Craig awoke to the sound of a hospital monitor, beeping slowly to the sound of his own heartbeat. He sluggishly opened his eyes to a dimly lit room painted a pale shade of green that smelt of cleaning products. He looked down and saw an IV tube inserted into his arm, allowing medication to flow through his blood stream. He tried not to think about it, the thought of blood making him feel queasy.

He rolled his head to the side to see Kyle sitting in the chair next to his bed, a magazine in his hand. Craig let out a light cough to alert the Jewish boy that he had woke up. Kyle looked up, startled at the sudden sound.

"Craig! You're awake!" Craig nodded.

"How do you feel? We called your parents; they're on their way- just stuck in traffic."

Craig sat up in bed, trying to release the stiffness in his back. "I feel... Confused. What happened?"

"You passed out, dude. Probably due to shock... I don't blame you, I mean after what happened and everything..."

After what happened... And it was at those words that escaped from Kyle Broflovski's mouth that Craig felt like he was hit by a truck filled with the memories of the events of that evening.

Tweek's texts, Tweek standing on the bridge, Tweek saying his goodbyes, Tweek jumping off the ledge...

Craig threw the blankets off of himself and jumped out of the bed, ripping the IV out of his arm in the process and allowing a stream of blood to come oozing out of his pale skin.

"Tweek! I have to go see Tweek! Where is he? Is he okay?" Words poured out his mouth as Kyle stood up from his seat and stopped Craig from leaving the room.

"Craig, you have to lie back down, you're not well."

Craig slapped Kyle's hand away from the grip on his arm.

"Where is he, Kyle? I need to see him."

"Craig-"

"NOW KYLE!"

Kyle sighed and gently instructed Craig to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. "Craig, just sit down a moment so I can update you on his condition." Craig obliged and sat, impatiently waiting for the news.

"Tweek had no major injuries to his body; thankfully the fall from the bridge was not that high. However, the water was very cold and he does seem to be suffering from hypothermia, which he is being treated for right now, but there is nothing life-threatening that the doctors are worried about."

Craig sighed in relief at the news. Tweek was okay. He was going to live.

"Thank God." Craig couldn't help but smile.

"But-" Kyle pursed his lips, unsure how to deliver the next bit of news.

"But what, Kyle? When can I see him?"

"Craig, you can't go see him... At least not yet. Tweek is being held under 72 hour observation. They're placing him under suicide watch. He's not allowed to have visitors right now."

Craig felt his smile fade and tears well up in his eyes. "I-I can't see him?"

"Not right now, Craig. I'm sorry."

Craig felt the tears that had formed escape his eyes and pour down his cheeks. "B-but I have to see him, Kyle. You don't understand... He needs me... I need him..."

Kyle sat beside his friend and put his arm around his shoulder, comforting the sobbing boy. They sat like that for about an hour before his parents showed up to take him home.

He walked out of the hospital, his parents on either side of him, while Stan, Kenny, and Kyle walked in silence behind the Tucker family. He heard them talking, but he didn't listen to anything but his own thoughts and all he could think in that moment was:

"I'm going to save you, Tweek."

'@