Life and its Challenges

~3~

Cheryl takes Forsythe as I talk to the doctor.
"Can I see him?" I ask. The doctor nods.
"Of course. He's right here." She points at a sterile room. Inside there is a bed and a sheet covering what I assume is Jughead's stiff body. I take deep breaths as I enter. "I'll leave you alone." I look at the white sheet and I can see exactly where Jughead's nose is as well as his legs and feet. I gently take the sheet away. He is so perfect. Completely naked except for a pair of boxers on him. His skin is pale, almost grey, and his lips, usually pink and soft, looks bloodless. Where the glass shard once was placed there is about fifteen stitches. They must have cleaned him up because there is no blood on him at all. His perfect hair is messy and I can't help but fix it the way he always wanted it to be. I remember when we fought and he said he was weird. He asked me if I have ever seen him without his stupid beanie. Now I have, dozens of time. And I loved every moment of him without his beanie. That is how he shows vulnerability. By taking his beanie off. I lay a hand on his unshaved chest even though I've told him countless times to shave, that I didn't like feeling it on my bare skin every time we woke up. Now that's all I want to feel. The bed looks so uncomfortable and sterile yet I lay down besides Jughead. Resting my head once again on his chest. His body, that usually warmed me in cold nights, makes me shiver.
"I love you." I whisper. And then I start to think about his funeral. What do I wear? How should he look? "I know you loved your beanie but I'm going to keep it. I told you so many times to have more than one. Before I said it because it started to smell, but now I just want you to have two of them so you can wear one on the funeral and I can keep one. But you never did what I wanted you to." I giggle. "So I'm going to keep it. I'm keeping your beanie." I close my eyes and allow myself to fall asleep on his chest.

"Betty?" He whisper. "Betty, where am I?" As my eyes adjust to the light surrounding us I realize I'm lying on Jughead.
"You're okay?" I smile.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I kiss him gently on his soft lips.
"We were in an accident Juggie." I say and he starts to laugh.
"Oh yeah. You were showing me that stupid tree. Do you want to get rid of me?" He laughs and I can't help but feel offended.
"No, why would I want that?" I say and he laughs even louder.
"Because you want to marry Archie Andrews." He say the name with a childish voice that even cracks me up.
"Very funny." I laugh.
"I know." I shake my head.
"You stupid shit." When the words leave my mouth his hospital gown becomes red around his stomach. I look at him and realize that his wound must've started to bleed. I push my hands on his wound in an attempt to make the bleeding stop. "It's okay." I tell him. "You're going to be fine. J...just press...press the button." He tries to reach over and press it but he's too far away. "We need som help in here!" I shout. A nurse steps inside, takes a surgical knife out of her pocket and walks closer. "Thank you." She smiles a huge smile that feels so unreal. There is something wrong with her hand, she has six fingers on each one. Her deformed hand grabs Jughead's wound and slices it open. "Stop!" I tell her. "You're making it worse." I try to pull her off of Jugead but she won't move. "Stop it!" I scream. "Stop!" Now she has cut him from the stomach up to his chest. "Stop!" I yell as loud as I can. I can see Jughead's heart beating.

"Stop!" I shout again.
"Betty!" I fight the person behind me saying my name. "Betty, it's okay. It was just a nightmare." I hit the person as hard as I can. "Betty! STOP!" Archie screams. His strong arms takes me in a tight grip and I stop fighting. How did he get here? "Sch, it's okay." He says softly in my ear.
"He is gone Archie." I tell him.
"I know." He says and someone with high heels enters the room. Probably Veronica. Archie lets me go and turn around straight in to the arms of Veronica.
"I'm so sorry Betty." Her small body gives me more comfort than I've felt the past 24 hours.
"It's okay V." I tell her but I'm sure she knows that it isn't. When she lets me go I see that Archie holds Jughead's hand. They have the closest realtionship I've ever seen. I think they, in some weird way, loved each other. Not like I loved him but not far from.
"Arch..." Veronica says and Archie turns around. "Can you leave the room for a few mintues?" Archie looks at me then Veronica and then back at me. He nods shortly and walks outside.

"What happened?" She asks and I take a deep breath, feeling ready, for the first time, to tell someone about this nightmare.
"We were just going home to Forsythe, and I pointed out the tree that we planted when we were kids, and the truck appeared out of nowhere." She doesn't take her eyes off me for even a second. Studying every inch of my face as she tries to interpret every little word I say. "Then....then I woke up. His motorcycle ruined and a hurting body. I was sure he was okay V, but when I saw him he was covered in blood and he had passed out." I stop talking since I need to focus on not crying. The lump in my throat grows bigger and my eyes tear up. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. "He woke up and I tried to help him and call 9-1-1 but he told me not to bother. That he...would..." I look at the wall behind her fighting the urge to cry. "die either way." I say quickly. "He told me to never forget..." And then I stop talking just like he did.
"Never to forget what?" She asks...like it is a book or something and she just wants to turn to the next page. "What happened then?" She asks when I don't respond.
"Then...then he died." I say. She looks at the floor and then back to Jughead.
"Oh Betty." She says almost crying. "I'm so sorry. You deserved so much better." I nod.
"It was my fault. I killed him." I tell her and she shakes her head.
"No you didn't." I keep nodding, slowly and as if I'm trying to figure out what to do. "You didn't kill him, this wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself."
"But I do." She stands up and hugs me tightly. "I killed the love of my life by showing him the tree we planted as kids."