Lost (in Your Emerald Eyes)

F O R T Y - F O U R

Betty and Jughead had to spend one more night at the hospital. Fred stayed with them during the day, but the two teenagers made him go home for the night and try to get some sleep. Obviously, all three of them knew he wouldn't get much of it, but he would at least be comfortable in his bed (or Archie's that Betty had suspicions he had been staying in), and a backache wouldn't be added to his problems because of the uncomfortable hospital chairs.

The next morning, the man came to tell them he'd be picking them up in the afternoon when the doctors agreed on letting them out. Betty and Jughead nodded, and once Fred left, shared a look.

"He hasn't been sleeping," the girl whispered while cuddling further into her source of safety.

"I know," Jughead murmured, nuzzling his nose into her blond locks. "Let's hope he'll be okay today with whatever he's forced to do..."

"Yeah," Betty sighed and closed her eyes as the tears started flooding again.

Later that morning, Reggie came by, looking drained, and left just half an hour later when he no longer could contain himself. "I need to go you guys," he said and received two nods from the teenagers.

"Take care of yourself," Betty quietly spoke.

The dark-haired boy turned around on the door and gave her a brief nod before disappearing.

Veronica was the next one to show up. Out of all the people, she looked the worst when she burst into tears the moment she entered the hospital room.

"I'm so sorry," she cried when Betty wrapped her up in her arms. "I'm sorry." She kept repeating the phrase, and only calmed down a bit when the blonde let go and Jughead gave the girl a hug as well.

"It's okay," the boy murmured when they all took their seats, the two in the hospital robes on their bed, Veronica on the common chair next to it.

"It's not," the raven-haired girl said and sniffled while shaking her head. "I love both of you so much. I didn't know my mom..." she trailed off, turning her head away. Her eyes were squeezed shut while the couple shared another sad glance.

"What your mom did and has been doing is none of your fault," Betty quietly spoke. "We're not our parents, Ronnie."

The older girl shook her head. "No," she cried. "I don't even want to be her daughter."

"Welcome to the club," Jughead emotionlessly chuckled. "My dad's trying to kill me."

They sat there for a while, Betty visibly shaking as she cried and Veronica's head down while sniffling back her tears and trying not to break down. Neither of them wanted to address Archie. And neither did Jughead who kept quietly wiping away his tears while rubbing his girlfriend's back gently.

"Have you talked to Reggie?" the blonde asked instead, quietly.

"No," Veronica quietly said. "He doesn't wanna talk to me."

"He'll get over it," Jughead immediately said, gaining both of the girls' attention. "I promise you, Veronica. Right now, he's mourning the loss of his best friend. And probably remembering everything about his father. But sooner or later he'll realize why he died."

"Archie?" Betty asked in a hushed tone, her voice quivering as she mentioned his name.

"No, his dad," the boy said and shot the blonde a miserable smile. "Once in a gang, always in a gang," he said. "I left, they're trying to kill me. Reggie's dad left, the Ghoulies killed him."

A momentary silence took over the room before the brunette girl slowly nodded and exhaled. "I just want to get through this week with no new enemies."