now tell me, how did all my dreams turn to nightmares?

Chapter 24

Cheryl blinked her eyes open. There was a dim light in the room, and her vision struggled to focus. The first thing she saw was Jughead. The boy was leaning up against the wall opposite where she laid.

"Jug?" her voice was dry and scratchy. She cleared her throat. "Where am I?"

"Uh," the boy paused, unsure of what to say.

"What happened? Where's Toni? Is she okay?"

Jughead scratched his head through his beanie and looked out of the door to his right just in time for the pink haired girl to make her appearance.

"Useless doctors. You'd think they'd know something."

"Toni," he interrupted before nodding to the bed.

"Baby?" Toni's face lit up upon seeing Cheryl was awake. She rushed to her side and collapsed into the redhead's arms, taking her breath away. "I'm so glad you're awake. Oh my God."

"What happened? I remember falling asleep in the trailer," Cheryl's brow furrowed, trying to put the pieces together. "Where are we?"

"What are you talking about?" Toni asked.

"Finally found some coffee," Betty said as she entered the room, two cups in her hand. "Cheryl, you're awake."

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" the redhead pleaded.

Betty sat the cups down and leaned into Jughead, the boy wrapping his arms around her. Cheryl's eyes grew wide at the sight, knowing instantly what it meant.

She turned to Toni, "Am I rich?"

"What?" Toni asked, confusion in her voice.

"Do I control Blossom Maple Syrup? Yes or no."

"Y-yes," the pinkette answered before turning to Jughead and Betty. The boy shrugged in response, as lost as Toni was.

Cheryl smiled before asking, "Did you grow up on the Southside?"

Toni nodded, "Yes, wha—"

The redhead turned to Betty, "Was my brother captain of the Bulldogs?"

"We might need to get her head scanned," the blonde grimaced, looking at Toni apologetically.

"Answer me!" Cheryl barked.

"Yes," Jughead answered. "Jason was the captain of the football team."

Cheryl sighed in relief, throwing her head back against the pillow and looking to the ceiling. "I'm back!"

"I'll let the others know she's awake," Jughead said, excusing himself from the room only to return a short time later with Archie, Veronica, and Josie.

"Cheryl, girl," Josie said, "you gave us quite a scare."

"What are you all doing here?" Cheryl asked.

"Our friend was in a coma for three days," Archie explained. "What did you think we were going to do?"

The redhead's eyes widened. "Three days?" She looked to her girlfriend, "It was only a few days?"

"Yeah, babe," Toni rasped out. "How long did you think it was?"

Tears formed in Cheryl's eyes, "A lot longer than that."

Toni squeezed her hand tightly, "You can't scare me like that again. Okay?"

"I'll try," Cheryl nodded.

"Maybe don't have her play competitive sports anymore," Betty scoffed. "I don't want to lose anymore of the limited family I have left."

While the delivery could have been better, the words warmed Cheryl's heart. It was one of the few times Betty even acknowledged they were related, let alone that she cared.