Till The End

Chapter 02

Betty and I spend pretty much all of our time together and usually, we turned to her sleeping in my room. Somehow it had gotten unnoticed by everyone. Given, she slipped in some time after 10pm and left at 6am, so during both shift changes when no one paid that much attention to us.
I felt the effects of us being so close, of course I did. I simply didn't care. It felt so good around her.

I woke up, seeing her asleep half on me. I smiled and then rocked a bit to the side, to try and make her more comfortable while playing with her hair. At some point, she woke up and just smiled at me.
"Morning"
"Morning"
"How was meeting Veronica yesterday?"
"Good"
"I'm glad"
"I want to tell you something" She said, sitting up. I nodded, gesturing her to continue.
"Something good or bad?"
"I don't know, with you being so honest with me, I don't want to keep any secrets from you anymore..."
Now would be the time to tell her that bacteria — meaning contact — with or from other people was making things so much worse for me. I didn't though. I was glad that Betty didn't know about it. She shouldn't be worried about me. Luckily, they stopped trying to force me to do the real stuff — wearing gloves and a mask at all time and so on. I know that it would improve my health or make me last longer but it doesn't mean that it isn't annoying.
"I don't know much, though my mom had told me some stuff. She said that I was always such a complicated child because- I don't know, I wouldn't sleep and was crying the whole time or something like that. It was pretty messed up at home, I guess. I mean, nothing compared to yours but still..."
"That sounds... I'm sorry, Betts"
"You don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong" I rocked closer to her in order to wrap my arms around her.
"Everything will be okay, Betts"
"You don't know that"
"I do. We have us"
"But it won't bring you back, once you're..." She trailed off, looking at me. I sighed and pulled away to make her look at me.
"I'm here now and I'm with you. We're living in the now and not in the future. I don't care for how long, as long as it's with you, okay?" She nodded, kissing me. Since the nasal cannula was getting on my nerves, I pulled it off. It made breathing harder but I didn't care right now. I just wanted to kiss her.

At least until I really couldn't inhale anymore. I pulled away from her in order cough in my armpit, though I couldn't stop anymore. Starting to cough more, I started to feel dizzy and my vision began swimming. Betty looked at me worried and helped me to put on my nasal cannula again, so that I could breathe better again.
She waited until I calmed down again, just squeezing my hand softly. I leaned back in order to relax my upper body muscles and focus on my breathing.
"Here, drink something" She said, reaching me my water bottle. I thanked her before taking a few sips to soothe my throat.
"You're getting worse, aren't you...?" She whispered and I shrugged.
"You know that I get worse and then better"
"But you've literally been like this for weeks by now. Jughead, you know that this thing between us won't last for ever"
"But isn't it enough to have the now?"
"I'm only saying the truth, Jughead. If we start this, we will only hurt the both of us. You will die. CCP is destroying you and you will just die, okay? And once you do, I'm alone again and it will hurt"
"I know, Betts, but-"
"But what? We are sick and just two kids in the hospital. We aren't made for infinity!"
"But I don't want infinity, I want now, with you"
"You don't have to deal with that in the end anyways! Just open your damn eyes, Jug! If we start this, you will die. I'll be alone and it's going to hurt. I can't do this again. All the people I've loved are gone now"
"Not all people, Betty"
I'm here for you...
"Don't tell lies, Jughead!"
"I'm not lying, Betty"
"Then name one person, who loves me"
I do, or I do maybe but I could. I don't know what love is but I know that I feel better with her and that's what it is supposed to mean, right?
"I... I..."
I couldn't bring myself to say something.
"Yeah thought so"
She sighed and then stood up from the bed. Though not only three seconds later, she suddenly fell to the ground and started seizing.
I pushed the red help button on my bed while trying to get down there and help her, though I didn't know how.

I think that I passed out too.
The next time that I woke up, I wasn't in my normal room anymore. I was in another one. It looked similar to those that I woke up in after having a surgery.
I felt dizzy and I couldn't get my vision to focus but at least, it didn't hurt to breathe so much anymore.
When I remembered what happened, I groaned, rolling to my side to go back to sleep. Betty and I fought. She started yelling and was about to take off when she went to the ground and started seizing.
And I couldn't help her.

I found myself at Pops.
Betty and I were sitting in a booth.
"Why, Jug? Why did you do this to me?" Her voice sounded faded.
"Do what, Betty?" My voice sounded faded too.
"Why did you let me go?"
"What are you talking about? I never let you go..."
"Why haven't you searched for me? Why would you leave me alone with my problems? Why didn't you stop me?"
"But I-I didn't leave you. I don't understand what you're talking about"
"Don't play dumb with me, you know what I'm talking about"
"I don't know, okay??"
"I thought you had feelings for me!"
"But I do, Betts! I don't understand what you're talking about..."
"No, you don't... You. left. me"
"No..."

"Betty-" I jolted up and looked around, just before realizing how weak I was and flopping back down on the bed. I was still breathing heavy while just staring at the ceiling and thinking about the dream. Though I decided that I could see if Betty is alright... tomorrow morning... right after waking up...
Yeah that was a good plan...
I fell asleep again, only waking up around lunch time. One of the nurses walked in to give me some of those funny infusions again. They've increased the amount of the stupid things to two times a day but two runs. I slept through most of the morning ones and only lasted the first run in the evening before falling asleep too.

"How are you feeling today?" My doctor asked.
"Better. When can I go back in my room?"
"When you're better" I sighed.
"Where's Betty?"
"In her room, sleeping"
"I have to see her, please"
"Jughead, I can't let you go to another patient right now. We need to keep you safe until you're stable again. For some reason, your lung function has dropped rapidly within the last weeks. We need to figure out what the issue is"
There was no issue. I was just happy because I got to hang out with Betty — these side effects of not being able to breathe are just... things I take for that.
"You just have to stay in here until you're stable again"
"No, you don't understand, I have to go and see her" I protested, trying to get out of bed but she only had to slightly push me down and I had no chance.
"You don't understand, I have to go and see her. Please... I just... have to..." I sighed, giving up on trying to fight her, it was probably no use anyways.
"No, Jughead, you just need to stay safe and rest now. Betty is okay, don't worry" She said softly while I drifted off to sleep.