Blind Love

Dead or Alive

'Let me die, for I have nothing to live for.'

Veronica had no idea where she was. All she knew was that every single part of her hurt. There was an awful feeling in her throat choking her, it was like someone had shoved something down it. With every breath, her ribcage felt like it was on fire. She had an excruciatingly painful headache, and there was a sharp, throbbing pain in her wrists. The worst part of it all was that she could not move.

The moment she gained consciousness, she had tried opening her eyes to find Jughead. But after a few tries, she found she either could not open her eyes, or she was blind. Veronica figured she was blind. The men had blinded one of her eye during the first attack anyway, they had probably done the same to the other. Then she tried opening and closing her lips, but they were forced open around something, which might be the same thing down her throat as well.

She tried moving a finger. But it was as if she had no control over her body at all. Her finger did not move an inch.

At this point, Veronica was extremely confused and frustrated. She no longer had the strength to try controlling her body anymore. She was physically and mentally exhausted.

She did not know whether Jughead was dead or alive.

She did not know whether her mother was safe from that pathetic excuse of a man.

She did not know why she was so stupid to ever believe in Hiram Lodge's manipulative lies.

Fight together, make it out alive or die together... the thought resounded in her head. Was Jughead dead or alive? Was she dead or alive? She had no answer to both questions.

'Am I alive?' Veronica pondered for a while. 'Is this what the afterlife is? Being awake by myself in a dead body for eternity?'

If that was the case, she must be dead. But being dead was so painful! Veronica wanted to cry but her tear ducts most likely did not work.

She kept this up a bit longer before emotionally exhausting herself and drifted to sleep, where she dreamt of her life before the kidnap.

————————————————————————

"I'M HER BOYFRIEND!"

"Sir, we understand you are very anxious for your Miss Lodge, but as we have kindly informed you, Miss Lodge is currently in the ICU. We assure you that we are doing everything we can to save her," the nurse forced a smile to remain professional despite her thinning patience for the persistent redhead.

"Archie, let's get you home, perhaps you'll get to see her tomorrow," Cheryl, with her mascara streaked all over her face, tugged on his arm.

"Thank you for your understanding, madam. However, it is also my duty to inform you that we do not know when you can see Miss. Lodge, but you may be able to see Mr. Jones soon. Have a good day," the nurse added before disappearing behind the counter.

"I'm not going home until I see Veronica," Archie insisted stubbornly, taking a seat on the hospital bench.

"Archie, please! At least set a good example for Betty," Cheryl, near tears, whispered to Archie. "She's a wreck and she needs to go home."

Indeed, Betty looked as dead as perhaps Jughead and Veronica. She was not even crying as she stared at nothing, and responded to nothing. Her hair was uncombed and in a mess, out of her signature ponytail. She looked like she had not slept for a week.

"What about me? My girlfriend and bestfriend are in the hospital, dead or alive, and you're telling me to think of others before myself? I'm sorry, I can't!" Archie Andrews stormed out of the hospital room in a tantrum.

Cheryl gazed after Archie's retreating back in despair, then turned to Betty.

"Cousin dearest, you need to go home," she tried in a soft tone, wiping the mascara stains on Betty's cheeks. "Come back tomorrow and you'll get to see Jughead."

At the mention of Jughead's name, Betty's eyes snapped back into focus. "Jughead," she whispered.

A stray tear began flowing down her cheek.

"He promised. He promised not to scare me like this again," her hoarse voice was barely a whisper.

"I know, cousin, but he'll fulfil the promise tomorrow, I promise," Cheryl Blossom choked back a sob. "Let's go home, shall we?"

A distraught and broken Betty half nodded and let herself be lead by Toni and Cheryl to her home to rest.

————————————————————————

"Mrs. Lodge, Veronica's in the hospital," Cheryl anxiously told the news to the shaken Hermione.

FP had sent Sheriff Keller and some of the older Serpents to the Pembrooke to get Hermione out of there safely, away from her venomous husband. They had then escorted her to the Andrews' house, where Mary and Fred Andrews took care of her. Now, it was decided that she would be staying at Thistlehouse for the time being, or until she could find a way to divorce Hiram and get her belongings back.

Hermione shot right up once she heard Cheryl. "I need to go see her!" She blindly grasped for her car keys on table, but then realised she was not in the Pembrooke anymore.

"I'm calling a cab!" She reached for her phone.

Toni Topaz stopped Hermione by placing her hand on hers. "We can't see her yet, Mrs. Lodge, she's still in the ICU, nobody's allowed to see her."

Grief-stricken, Hermione sank back into her seat in a heap. She was not doing any better than the kids of Riverdale.

"I'll wait forever for her," Hermione declared softly but firmly as she retired to her guest room.