Just Some Distance

Active Day

JUGHEAD POV

"Are you almost done?!" I heard Betty yell. I groaned and put my shirt on. I put on my shoes and then quickly took my medications. I put on my gloves and hospital mask. I put my oxygen concentrator in my bag, along with Lysol and hand sanitizer. I walked out the door and Betty took a lot of steps away from me.

"What are we currently doing?" Betty asked.

"We're going to the Cafeteria to get food and then going to my doctors appointment. Get that camera out of my face!" I shouted and covered my face and covered my face with my arm. Betty giggled and put the camera closer to my face. She extended her arm to get the camera closer. I didn't want to touch her stepped farther away. She put the camera on her face instead.

"This is gonna be really interesting. This guy has some weird things that go on with his body. This guy literally hates everyone-"

"Ok! That's enough!" I yelled and clicked the camera off. She laughed and then hesitated for a second. We were at least 3-feet apart. She stepped 2-feet away from me and then put hand sanitizer on. She put a hospital mask on and gloves as well. She rubbed hand sanitizer on her arms and took another few inches away from me.

"I might as well go over there and spit on your arm." I said.

"Do that and I'll die...literally." Betty said. I smirked and shook my head we made it to the elevator and then exchanged looks.

"I'll take the stairs." I said.

"No! I'll take the stairs. You use the elevator and I'll see you when we get down there." Betty nodded and then walked off. I went into the elevator and pressed the button to the first floor. I went down to the first floor and Betty was standing there already.

"Did you teleport or something?" I asked.

"I'm a cheerleader and I used to do ballet and ice skating. I'm also in track right now too." Betty said continued walking. I went after her and we continued walking.

"I like to write." I said.

"What?"

"I like to write stories and read about unsolved mysteries."

"Me too." Betty nodded. We came to the doors of the Cafeteria and I opened it for her. She went inside and I went in next. We went to the counter and I got tomato soup and garlic bread. Betty got a salad with a slice of blueberry bread. She sat down and I sat down at the table next to her.

"Let me guess, you also like to sing?" I said. Betty smiled and glared at the same time.

"How would you know that?"

"You seem like a girl who would sing. I'm guessing you also have straight A's and have siblings."

"You are crazy or something like that." Betty scoffed.

"No, I'm just really good at reading people. Your dad is my doctor and I'm guessing your mom is a Journalist?" I asked. Betty's eyes widened and she laughed.

"You definitely know how to make a girl blush! Too bad you can't touch them."

"That's true!" I exclaimed. We laughed and then finished our food. We left the Cafeteria and I went to the doctor. Doctor Cooper made me sit down on his chair and he took my blood and then Betty pulled out the camera.

"Hey Guys! Jughead is getting his blood taken. It's good to see where he stands with his disease-"

"Betty! I swear!" I yelled. She laughed and showed her dad in it.

"This is the wonder, Doctor Cooper! He specializes in many things. Such as a surgeon but also helps out the nurses sometimes." Betty said. Doctor Cooper shook his head and chuckled. He took out the needle for my blood and then inject another needle in me and it was hooked up to a bag of green fluid.

"What's that?" Betty asked. I glared and shook my head.

"Well, if you must know, this is a new drug trial I'm doing. It's to try and not make me contagious anymore. Hopefully, it works."

"Yeah, then you can go and travel as many places as you want!" Doctor Cooper said. Betty turned off the camera and smirked.

"You didn't tell me you wanted to travel." Betty said.

"You didn't ask." I shrugged.

"Where to?"

"I wanna go to Italy or France. But I don't have the money so I can't. I'm also not in the best shape to go. When I'm not sick anymore, I'll go. Where do you wanna go?" I asked.

"I wanna go to England or Australia. But I have plans to go to college and then settle down. That's what I'm gonna do."

"What about traveling? What about finding a job first?"

"Traveling is just a dream, Jughead. I have to go, Veronica's texting me. Bye Jughead, bye dad." Betty said and walked out the door. I watched her walk away and her dad coughed.

"So...I'm gonna have to set boundaries." Doctor Cooper said.

"Ok?" I questioned.

"Number one, don't get within 8-feet without being in a hazmat suit. Number two, no touching of any sort for any reason at all. Number three, no falling in love with my daughter."

"I'm not falling in love with h-"

"Jughead, I know you're not. But Betty has always had a dream of running off with a prince and being happy. She falls on her knees when a boy calls her pretty. She's dated a lot of boys who just end up breaking her heart. The problem is that, I know you're a good kid. I just-"

"You don't want Betty to fall in love with me only for her to be broken again because...I'm gonna die."

"Yes."

"Doctor Cooper, don't worry. I have no interest in her. We're just friends."