drunken nights//bughead

and

Jughead had given up on making it back anywhere, his body was tired, sunrise was probably creeping closer, and no one had found him. He knew this was his fault, he should've listened

he could've listened 

he would've listened

There was no excuse. The pain was so excruciating that currently he'd rather be dead than alive it hadn't helped that whatever drug they had given him was taking place, making him froth at the mouth and his mind spin, Jughead screamed, 

but nothing was coming to save him now.

the last thing he heard was the thud of his own body hitting the riverside

--

Betty had almost reached the door when a hand grabbed hers, "wait" 

They all stopped in their tracks and spun to face the fading voice, a boy with piercing dark eyes and blonde hair stood behind them.

He looked around 18 years old and was almost a foot taller than Betty

--

they found themselves sitting at a table with the boy, who was anxiously fiddling with is thumbs. "Jughead, he was here a few hours ago, came in with a bunch of guys" Veronica gave the boy a nod to go on. "I was here when it happened" 

"but what exactly happened?!" Archie curled his fists into the table in slight anger.

"He picked a fight with Jesse over there" He pointed to the man standing in the corner, 2 cigars hanging limply out of his mouth, he was clearly bigger than Jughead, and had a stronger build to.

"But he wouldn't do that" Betty whispered under her breath, 

"He was drunk and high, someone had spiked his drink with a dangerous drug they use round here" the boy added, producing a fluorescent blue powder from his own pocket. 

"It can kill" He added, tossing it to Kevin, who failed hopelessly at catching it. Betty was clearly panicked, she shuddered, he brain lingered on the words

it.can.kill

"They beat him up really bad, then they- um, took him"

"WHAT" a very agitated Archie slammed his hand onto the table even harder, causing a commotion through the bar.

"I don't know, someplace called sweetwater" 

"Sweetwater river" Veronica chimed in with Kevin, 

"Thanks, um?" Veronica stated rather blankly

"Nolan" The boy pushed the fringe into his hat, smiling slightly

"I hope you can find him"

--

Once again, they found themselves in the comfortable leather of Reggies jeep, screaming down the off-road track to sweetwater, "shit, this is ruining my tires" Reggie yelled over the gravel bouncing up off the floor. 

The jeep slammed the brakes, Betty jumped out before it stopped moving, her heart was racing- she wanted to burst into tears, to scream into the floor and throw a tantrum into how stupid she was for letting him even step foot into that place. But right now she had other problems

She sprinted down the rivers edge, her feet slowly sinking into the mud below her, her jaw clenching at the fact that Jugehad was hurt, and possibly worse. 
"Betty, wait up! Ugh" Veronica sighed, Betty hadn't bothered to grab a torch, Kevin, Veronica and Archie sat and stared as her figure disappeared into the night.

--

Oh God, she hadn't brought a torch, she whipped her head around to see if the others had followed her, but there was no one, guess she'd have to fix this on her own

He was a mess, but he was her mess.

Betty tramped along, her eyes were alert, looking at every glimmer of light bouncing off the river beside her, but something stood out in the darkness, a shape curled on the rivers edge 20 feet in front of her, it couldn't be, 

"Jug?" Betty whispered hoarsely, her heart racing as she ran up the river bank, practically collapsing in front of the person.

It was, 

"Hey, Jug" Betty cupped his head in her shaking hands, he was unconscious. "No, please" Betty ignored the tears flooding down her face, Jughead was frothing from the mouth, his face was scratched and taunt, not to mention the deep cut stringing from his temple to his chin.

"HELP!" she screamed, clutching his soaked through body to her chest, "someone, please!" She tried holding the tears but this, this was all too much.

"BETTY! BETTY!" Archie yelled from the top of his lungs, racing towards them sitting at the rivers edge, "shit! Betty help me, help me- lift" Archie threw Jugheads arm around his shoulder and Betty's swung round the other, his weight was all in their hands and he wasn't the lightest person on earth.

"Oh my God" Veronica clutched Kevin's shoulder, breathless, "Archie, how do you run so fast?" Kevin yelped, 

"shut up and help, please! we gotta get him help" 

and from then on it was just 4 kids, dragging an unconscious body a few miles to a car.

--

"Fuck no, there is no way, that is coming into my car" Reggie fake gagged at the pungent smell of Blood and salt water mixed all over Jugheads weary body, "Move Reggie" Archie slapped him on the back playfully, "shit, your paying for it Andrews" 

Betty pulled Jughead's head onto her lap in the backseat of the car, his mouth was foaming, there were bruises on every inch of his body, worst of all his body was shaking recklessly from severe hypothermia.

"God, Reggie, faster" Betty kicked the back of the drivers seat

as if on command, Reggie sped down the road, stopping in front of the emergency centre, 
"Kevin, Reggie, Veronica- please go home, its 4 am, Arch and I will handle it" 

Once again Betty and Archie found themselves carrying Jughead's limp body through the emergency doors.

Only to have him swept away by a score of nurses and doctors in a flash, to leave Archie and Betty outside in the waiting room feeling

lost

and

alone