Blind Love

I Don't Follow Rules

Jughead stood in the corridor, waiting for his turn to visit the now conscious Veronica. After twelve hours of checking and operating on Veronica, she was finally fit enough to be allowed visitors.

Currently, Hermione Lodge was the first visitor in Veronica's new room. The hospital had called her once Veronica was open to visitors. Jughead had never seen Mrs. Lodge so happy in his whole life.

It had been an hour since Hermione went in, but Jughead would gladly stand outside for Veronica for a long time, as he knew the mother and daughter needed to reunite and he had already waited for her for two months. What was a few hours more?

"Jughead," Hermione Lodge finally stepped out of the room after the doctor had informed her that visit hours were over. "I haven't seen you in...I'm so glad you're okay."

To his surprise, the older Lodge wrapped him in an embrace. He sure was getting a lot of hugs lately. First Cheryl, then Hermione.

"Thank you Jughead, for taking care of my daughter."

When she let go, Jughead could see her red rimmed eyes and eyebags. She looked like she had not gotten any sleep in months, but then again, who had? Her daughter's current incidents had certainly taken a toll on her.

"Have you seen Veronica yet?" Hermione Lodge came to a realisation and pursed her lips in guilt. "Oh. I was taking too long, wasn't I?"

Jughead smiled and shook his head. "No, Mrs Lodge, you weren't taking too long. You must miss Veronica very much."

Hermione stared at Jughead and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You're just like your father."

As she turned to leave, she looked back and added. "By the way, call me Hermione. Hiram and I are divorced."

Jughead thought that was for the best. They were in a toxic relationship where Hiram never treated her right. Veronica would also be free from her father's grasps.

He then snuck into Veronica's room. The doctors could do nothing about it, because they were used to him doing so, and they did not want to deal with his protests when they throw him out.

"Jughead," Veronica's voice was a soft whisper, probably a result of not speaking for two months.

The breathing tube was finally removed from her mouth and throat, but all the other tubes were still attached to her.

"Veronica," Jughead suddenly stood shyly at the door, contrary to what he wanted to do: to run over to her immediately.

It was Veronica crying that finally gave him a wake up call, to run over to her and give her a gentle hug. Veronica slung her arms onto Jughead's back softly as well, sobbing into his shoulder.

"What's wrong, V, I'm here, I'll always be here," Jughead held back his own tears as for the first time in a long time, he was finally having a two-sides conversation with Veronica.

"I'm just really happy to be awake and see all of you," she choked through her sobs.

She started laughing a bit through her tears. "I feel like I was tuned into Jughead's Biographical Channel the whole time I was comatose."

Jughead grinned embarassedly, propping himself up on her bed above her face. "Oh come on, it's not like you were going to respond. Besides, who else would keep you informed about everyone else?"

"I thought I wasn't allowed any visits, my mom cried for an hour when she saw me for the first time just now," Veronica asked curiously.

"Oh, psh. I don't follow rules. I make them, and when necessary, I break them," Jughead mocked the amused Veronica.

"You've got to stop stealing my lines, Forsythe," she replied. "One day, I'm suing you for copyright."

"What's wrong?" Veronica asked when Jughead suddenly feel solemn and silent.

"How did it feel during these two months?" He enquired softly.

She thought for a moment before telling him one of the worst experiences of her life.
"I thought I was dead. I honestly did. Everything hurt all over, but I was awake and couldn't move anything. I couldn't even hear much at first, only the whirring of the machines. It was really really scary and annoying. I kept wondering whether you were dead or alive and that scared me to death, Torombolo. I had no way of knowing whether you were alive. And then one day, I heard your voice. I think that cleared my mind a bit more and...I could only make out a few words at first, but then my hearing and movement started improving. But I was never sure whether it was really you there or me imagining things."

"Last night, I felt I was being moved around, and I think the breathing tube or something got loose because I couldn't breathe. And then I thought. That's it, I'm going to die. Then I actually felt you. I was so shocked to actually feel you, and I was sure you were real. I could feel your body lightly on mine and I could feel your lips on my cheek. I knew it was you and I wanted to see for myself. The next thing, I knew, I had finally succeeded in opening my eyes. It's like you saved me, Jughead. Thank you."

Jughead was holding his breath, afraid that he was dreaming and the girl in front of him would disappear.

But he was not dreaming as Veronica gently reached her face up to kiss Jughead's cheek as a thank you.

She was like an angel smiling up at him. He was awestruck, unsure how to react. He stared down at her lips. There was a sudden urge from within him to lean down and kiss her on the lips, but that moment was broken when Archie Andrews ran into the room.

"Ronnie!" Archie exclaimed as he slid in the seat on the other side of Veronica's bed.

Veronica's lips were immediately captured in Archie Andrews'.

Jughead could not deny the feeling of jealousy and bitterness as he left to give them some alone time.