JUGHEAD POV(12-years later)
I packed up my things from my house and put my stuff back in the back of the trunk. There were rules to live by when I was at home.
-No touching or sharing anything
-no going into each other's rooms
-make sure to clean everything Jughead touches
-Jughead must wear gloves and a hospital mask around the house
This was normal and honestly, it was better at the hospital. I didn't risk anything with my family. As a 17-year old boy, you'd never think I'd like it at the hospital. I had hardly any friends and I wasn't allowed to go to school.
"Alright, Jughead. We will take you to the hospital and then help you carry up your things then we will go." Dad said. I gave a thumbs up and we went to the hospital. Jellybean stayed home and I watched her wave goodbye. I sat in the passenger seat of that old truck of my dad's and I looked out the window. I saw all the people and trees as we were passing by. It was a warm day after all.
We pulled up to the hospital and I got out of the car. My parents helped me move stuff into the hospital. I was taken into the ICU and that's where my permanent room was. My parents set down the boxes in there and I looked around the room. A couch, a bed, a nightstand, and a TV. There was a heart monitor and a stand to hold the IV bags.
"Are you good in here, Jughead?" Dad asked.
"Yeah, I'm good. I'll probably go home in a month or two. I love you guys." I said. My parents smiled and nodded and then left the room. I sighed and walked over to my boxes and began to unpack. I put pillows and my blanket on my bed. I then put pictures around the room. I put my books on my nightstand and put my pens inside the drawer. I took out my electronics and chargers and set them also on the nightstand. I took off my gloves and hospital mask and set them on nightstand as well.
I was pretty much all unpacked at this point and I walked over to my med-cart. I looked at the list of medicines I was taking and my treatments.
MEDICATIONS: For the heart
Metoprolol-5 pills a day
Carvedilol-6 pills a day
Bumetanide-3 pills a day
Chlorothiazide-2 pills a day
Hydralazine dinitrate-4 pills a day
Nitroglycerin-2 pills a day
MEDICATIONS: For the lungs
Corticosteroids-2 pills a day
Azathioprine-3 pills a day
Nintedanib-4 pills a day
Pirfenidone-2 pills a day
MEDICATIONS: For the kidneys
Cinacalcet-5 pills a day
Darbepoetin alfa-3 pills a day
Furosemide-4 pills a day
MEDICATIONS: For the liver
Lactulose-6 pills a day
I sighed at the amount of medications and I took off my oxygen tube. I went over to my heart monitor and connected the IV into my arm. The heartbeat was on the screen and the fluids were getting into my system. I sat on my bed and got out a book. I laid back and began to read the book. I read a few chapters before I got bored and put it away.
I put my oxygen tube back on and I grabbed my inhaler and took a few breaths off of that. Inhaler was good for opening airways. I put the inhaler away and I saw my doctor come in. He had his hazmat suit on.
"Hi Doctor Cooper." I said.
"Hi Jughead. I was just coming into see how you were doing. How are you?"
"Never better." I lied. Doctor Cooper chuckled and he put his stethoscope on my back. I took a few deep breaths in before I started coughing a lot. I calmed myself down and Doctor Cooper handed me my nebulizer. It was time for my breathing treatment.
"Alright, Jughead. I have to tell you something. We're conducting an experiment, a new drug trial. This is supposed to try and cure the part where you're contagious. Your heart is at 40% function and your lungs are at 28% function. We have some theories about a cure."
"Ok. What is it?" I asked.
"Transplant for your heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Hopefully, the drug trial will work. We're gonna start the trial tomorrow and see how it goes. Do your afflo-vest later but right now, do your nebulizer."
"Yes, sir." I said. Doctor Cooper left my room and I started doing my breathing treatment. 5-minutes later, the breathing treatment is done. I turn on the TV and I watch "Friends" which was one of my favorite shows. Then the nurse brought me in soup and she never bothered to greet me. She was terrified of me.
I grabbed my afflo-vest and put it on. I pressed the button and it started to shake. This was a good way to force my lungs to function better. I had to wear it 45-minutes before I could take it off. But this was my life. Medications, treatments, the hospital, online school, my family, and my few friends.
After 45-minutes, I was able to take off my vest. I turned the lights and TV off and got ready for bed. I got shorts and a t-shirt on and took off my beanie. I got cuddled up in the blanket and look over at my heart monitor.
Pulse: 63 BPM
I sighed and turned over and went to bed. The day was going to be the exact same tomorrow.
YOU ARE READING
Just Some Distance
Romance17-year old, Jughead Jones, has an unknown disease that makes it to where he can't touch people. It risks them getting the disease. However, it doesn't go well when Betty Cooper comes into his life.
