Lost (in Your Emerald Eyes)

T H I R T Y - S I X

Jughead sat beside Betty's bed, eyes directed to the girl. It had been an hour since she fell asleep, and yet, he couldn't look away. She was so peaceful while asleep and didn't seem like the broken girl she was on the inside. Her chest moved up and down in a steady rhythm, but as his thumb brushed over the skin of her hand, he could feel the bruises from making herself vomit on her knuckles.

He made sure to be extra careful while he caressed them and the wounds on her palm.

The door opened, causing Jughead to finally look away, only to reveal the girl's father. He sat up straight on his chair, facing the man, but didn't let go of Betty's hand, their fingers still loosely laced together.

Jughead cleared his throat inaudibly before speaking up. "Hello." He managed to keep his glare and frown away, hoping that maybe her father would accept him a bit more than her mother had.

"Hi," Hal said and swiftly closed the door behind himself.

Jughead gulped and gazed at Betty for a moment before looking back at the man in front of him. There was a frown on his face.

"Can I stay?" the boy immediately asked, looking up at him expectantly.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Hal nodded. "Sure. I'm Hal. Betty's dad."

"Yeah, I know," Jughead quietly said before he could stop himself. Normally he would've gotten up for this type of introduction, but there was no way he was going to let go of her hand just yet. "I'm Jughead."

He stuck his free hand out though, and Hal shook it. "Jones?"

The boy shut up for a moment before giving him a singular nod.

"What does your dad think about this?"

"He doesn't know."

Hal didn't say anything at that and went to the other side of Betty's bed, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead before sitting down on a chair with a sigh. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before the man looked at Jughead again. "Do you know what happened to her?" he asked in the same hushed tone.

"She was in cheer practice and had a seizure, after which she passed out from the lack of nutrients. The doctor said she probably hadn't eaten for a few days, and that usually when people did that, it didn't end up this bad, but since she never eats enough anyway, her body started protesting."

Hal didn't say anything at that, a frown on his face as he looked at his daughter. Jughead, though, continued.

"Betty's scared, but she wants to get healthy again. So, she's going to have a team of three doctors—a medical one, a nutritionist, and a therapist—and they're gonna help her. They'll be here in an hour or so to talk to her and measure her and all that."

The man stared silently for a moment before nodding. "Alright." He looked up at Jughead. "Are you going to stay here?"

The boy nodded at which the man gave him a simple nod as well and stood from his chair. "I need to get back to work."

With a huge frown, mouth a bit agape, Jughead glared at the man. "Are you serious?" he hissed at him in a whisper. "She would really need your support."

"I don't see why she would need that if you're here."

"Because she needs her parents," the boy said. "She needs a support system and someone who could make sure she actually starts following the plans she's going to get."

The man shook his head. "She does eat less than normal. And, yes, it started because of her mother, but it's her choice now."

"No, it is not!" he groaned. "Your wife is a fucking demon who made her think that way, and she's constantly taking her down. Whenever Betty's happy, she ruins it! It's her fault, and since you haven't put a stop to it, it is yours as well."