If only there were some way for cartoonists who do a daily comic as their primary job, to do more than one at a time, and having them stored to buffer against sudden illness or unexpected events.
Here's how I see this story arc going:
They get Skull treated, and he stops being a "spaz"... but without that, Skull loses his "innocent charm" and starts being judgemental of the bad habits of the main cast. Everyone agrees they prefer the old Skull, and pull shenanigans to get him back. Skull lectures them on only wanting him around when they can feel superior to him, and says that if they're not willing to accept the new him, they weren't really ever his true friends. Then as he leaves, the rest of the PVP team reflecting on what he said, Scratch drops a safe or piano on him, and the brain injury returns us to happy spaz Skull.