Though painfully aware of the stiffness in his muscles and the dull throbbing at the base of his skull, Kevin unshouldered his Adidas backpack and set it down by his locker. The brief movement brought a spell of dizziness to wash over him, and he needed to lean up against the bank of other lockers just for support.
Keeping his eyes closed, Kevin tried to concentrate on maintaining even breathing, hoping the steady oxygen would help defeat the sudden lightheadedness. He'd been feeling off the whole time he was getting ready earlier that morning, but ever since walking into school, his sickness seemed to grow exponentially worse.
Still, though, he told himself as he forced his eyes open and began working to spin the combination to open his locker, he couldn't simply take a day off. Wrestling practice was after school, and he'd been working with some of the other team members to improve their holds; he couldn't let them down. Besides, he'd also agreed to help out Sweet Pea and Archie with their math homework by tutoring them during lunch, and he didn't want to go back on a promise.
Moving to open his locker, he found that the metal door was stuck in its frame—a frequent occurrence at Riverdale High due to years of rushed, sloppy paint jobs plastered over one another. Several sharp yanks jostled it free, but in his weakened state, he found himself leaning against the lockers just to stand once more, left breathing heavily from minor exertion that he typically wouldn't even notice.
Pressing a hand against his eyes for some relief against the harsh fluorescent lights, Kevin once again attempted to regain his bearings. He was still soldiering through the effort when Betty came up and joined him at his locker.
"Morning!" she said brightly.
Lowering his hand and cracking open his eyes, Kevin did his best to return her sunny greeting. "Hey," he rasped, wincing at how his voice grated out of his throat.
A concerned frown instantly formed on Betty's features. "Kev, you sound terrible! And you don't look much better." Instinctively, she pressed her palm against Kevin's forehead. "Oh, you're hot!"
"Et tu, Betty?" Jughead quipped, strolling up to join them.
Betty lightly thumped Jughead on the chest. "C'mon, this is serious!" She turned back to Kevin. "You're sick. You shouldn't be at school."
"I have to be here," Kevin informed her wearily. "Sweet Pea and Arch are counting on my help, and I've got to make it to wrestling practice today."
Betty heaved an exasperated sigh. "You're not going to be of any good to either Sweet Pea, Archie, or the wrestling team if you collapse when you're trying to get to first period!"
"Yeah, Kevin, she's right," Jughead agreed. "If you want to go home now, I can explain it to the two of them no problem and also get Archie to let the wrestling coach know."
Kevin shook his head, determinedly pulling books out of his locker and stowing his backpack away. "It's just one day. I can make it."
Betty hesitated, her expression dubious, but she eventually let it drop, albeit very reluctantly. "All right," she agreed, doubt evident in her voice. "But if you change your mind, just say the word, okay?"
Kevin shook his head. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary."
"Whatever you say." Betty sighed as the bell rang, signalling them to go on to their homerooms. She gave Jughead a kiss goodbye and gave Kevin a wave before all three of them split up to go their separate ways.
Not even halfway into his first class, social studies, Kevin already severely regretted his decision to pass on Betty's offer of going home. The throbbing in his head had only worsened, and when the classroom lights were dimmed for a movie, he found it too painful to focus his eyes on a single point of light and had to resort to keeping them squeezed shut. It was a relief when class finally ended and he could move on to precalculus. To his immense gratitude, fate had seemingly allowed him a small bit of mercy; the usual teacher was out, leaving the class with a substitute. As such, the students were just expected to quietly practice the material they'd learned the day before, and Kevin didn't have to deal being called upon for any answers or listening to the idle chatter of his classmates.
Biology was more of a struggle—they had a guest speaker to supplement their unit on evolution, and Kevin was so overcome by weariness that he had to resort to literally pinching himself to stay awake. When he finally stumbled off to English, he barely remembered that their class was supposed to meet in the library to work on their semester research projects. By the time he trudged into the library, his head was swimming and spots were dancing in front of his eyes. He managed to check in with his teacher, wave to some of his friends, and make his way to a table secluded behind several rows of bookshelves before his legs began wobbling beneath him, forcing him to collapse bodily into one of the chairs.
Trying to steady himself, Kevin folded his arms across the table to make a pillow and then rested his head on top of them, closing his eyes. All he needed to do was just rest for a few minutes, he tried to convince himself. If he could take a few minutes to relax, he would be as good as new.
Trying to push all thoughts out of his mind in order to fully rest, drowsiness began to overtake him. And then, without intending to, he dropped off to sleep.
Through the fog of sleep, Kevin became dimly aware of someone calling his name and shaking his shoulder.
"Kevin? Hey, Kevin? You all right?"
The voice was familiar, and Kevin had the urge to respond, but it felt like far too much effort. He just wished the hand jostling his shoulder would stop so he could go back to sleep.
But then a second voice joined the first, and it was one that Kevin recognized right away: Betty.
"Kev, can you talk to me? Kev? Come on, say something." There was a frantic note to Betty's voice, and that was what compelled Kevin to finally open his eyes.
With a low groan, he forced himself to open his eyes, blinking rapidly when his vision was instantly assaulted by stinging rays of light. He had to continued blinking for several moments before he could hold his eyes open, and each time he closed his eyes, he was struck by the temptation to go back to sleep. Still, he managed to half-heartedly resist.
He hazily registered someone standing beside him with their hand on his shoulder, and when his gaze focused, he realized that it was Betty. Sweet Pea was there, too, he noticed vaguely.
A smile of relief appeared on Betty's face, but Kevin could see the creases that remained in her forehead, and it slowly occurred him that she looked worried.
Cupping his cheek with one hand, she pressed her other palm to his temple. Her touches were cool relief to his skin, which he just then realized felt uncomfortably warm.
"How are you feeling?" Betty asked.
While Kevin heard the words, he struggled to comprehend them, and when he finally did, he could barely form a response.
"Dunno," he said slowly, feeling as if he was speaking around a mouthful of molasses. "Just . . . awful."
"Hmph." Sweet Pea's face was set in his usual scowl, but there was an uncommon softness in his voice when he turned to Betty. "You should do what you said and bring him home. C'mon, I'll help him out to your car." With swift but surprisingly gentle movements, he pulled Kevin up out of his chair and helped him stand, wrapping one of his arms around his waist and bringing one of Kevin's own arms around his shoulders and holding it there. Without hesitation, Betty positioned herself to support Kevin's other side.
The walk from the library to the back doors and then out into the parking lot seemed agonizingly long to Kevin, not helped by the pounding in his head or the dizziness that washed over him with each step. But Betty and Sweet Pea made sure he reached Betty's station wagon all right, and Sweet Pea helped him lean against the car as Betty rooted through her purse for her keys, and then eased him into the passenger seat once Betty unlocked the door.
"Thanks," Kevin said to Sweet Pea as he settled in, temporarily overcoming the jumble of half-formed thoughts in his head to remember to be gracious.
"It's no problem," Sweet Pea replied as Betty got behind the wheel. He gave Kevin a small smile, and even in spite of his illness, Kevin realized how rare it was to see him with that expression.
A thought in the back of Kevin's mind was nagging at him, and he had to concentrate to convince it to float into full consciousness. "I was supposed to help you," he recalled, feeling a surge of guilt. "You and Archie needed some tutoring in math, and I had planned to . . ." he looked at Sweet Pea in dismay. "I missed it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, that's how we knew to go looking for you." Sweet Pea jammed his hands into his pockets. "Listen, don't worry. You can make up for it by helping me with some English papers when you get back. In the meantime, Red and I will just shanghai Jughead into helping us."
Kevin tried to offer him a smile. "Thanks for understanding."
"Don't mention it. Just feel better, okay?" Sweet Pea gave him another smile and shut the door as Betty started the engine, and then waved as they drove off.
Despite her worry, Betty sent a playful smile Kevin's way. "He sure seemed concerned for you," she remarked, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Do I perhaps sense an eagerness from him to play your white knight?" she teased.
A heat flared in Kevin's cheeks that had nothing to do with his fever. "I don't know," he said, with a shrug he hoped was casual, but he felt happiness stirring within him even in spite of his illness. "Maybe."
Glancing out the window and noting the sunny sky, Tom Keller gave a slight smile as he settled down with a pile of folders at the desk in his home office. After testifying at a trial over in Greendale for the entire morning, he was spending the afternoon on call but at home in order to concentrate on some of his ongoing files. Usually he found himself staying at the police station until past seven in the evening, but with the day being as beautiful as it was, he couldn't stand the idea of shutting himself away in his windowless station office for the afternoon. Instead, unless he was needed, he would remain at the house to work, where he could at least feel the warmth of the sun on his back from where it streamed in through the glass panes of the window.
Just as he reached for his first file, though, Tom heard the front door open, followed shortly by a commotion from the entrance hallway. His hand instantly going to the holster on his belt, he was up out of his chair immediately to locate the source of the noise.
On full alert, he swung open the one of the double doors that led out to the hall, ready to meet any threat. It was only a temporary relief to find just Betty and Kevin stumbling past the threshold, and then his worry was renewed when he saw that Kevin's arm was slung over Betty's shoulders and leaning on her heavily as he walked.
Reflexively, Tom rushed to take Kevin from her, noting his son's face was drawn and pale, with his cheeks flushed and perspiration beading on his forehead.
"What happened?" he asked, not wasting any time in surveying his son for injuries even as he wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him upright.
"Sick," Kevin rasped, burrowing his head against his father's neck. Tom couldn't hold back a concerned frown as he realized his son's skin was hot to the touch.
"He went to school sick, and then just got worse throughout the day," Betty explained apologetically, as if expecting the blame to be placed on her shoulders. "I found him asleep in the library during lunch, so I brought him home. I didn't think he should stay at school any longer."
In spite of his worry for Kevin, Tom gave her an approving nod and smile. "Thank you, Betty. I can take this from here. You should go back to class now."
"I don't mind helping," Betty offered, already starting toward the kitchen. "Here, I'll find something for Kevin to eat and drink. I bet he needs some water."
Tom hesitated, but, spurred by his worry for Kevin, decided to allow it. "Thank you. I'm going to take Kevin upstairs."
"Sounds good." Betty went on her way, while Tom guided Kevin toward the stairs.
"You think you can make it to your room if I help you?" he asked him softly.
In spite of his weakness, Kevin nodded, and Tom helped him start the climb up the stairs. While Kevin's ascent went without incident, he needed Tom to support him the entire time. His entire body was trembling violently by the time Tom got him to his bedroom and helped him sit down on the mattress.
Heart twisting, Tom quickly took a seat beside him and cupped his chin in his hand. "You all right, sweetheart?"
"Tired," Kevin rasped, even just the single word making it clear he was short on breath.
Tom also noticed that his usually brilliant green eyes were dull and weary. He rubbed Kevin's back soothingly, taking some solace at how his son instinctively leaned into his touch. "Why don't I get out your pajamas so you can be comfortable?"
"All right," Kevin said, closing his eyes. He only opened them again when Tom presented him with a fresh pair of flannel pajamas, the fabric soft and smelling pleasantly of the orange blossom-scented laundry soap they used.
"Thanks." Kevin offered Tom something of a smile, but it was dimmed by the obvious strain on his face. "I don't mean to be rude, but could you, um, leave?" His face colored. "While I change, I mean."
Tom hesitated. He understood Kevin's desire for privacy, but he also didn't think Kevin was in any condition to be left on his own. Eventually, though, he came up with a reluctant compromise.
"How about this," he proposed. "I'll wait outside the room while you change, but we keep the door a little bit open. Okay?"
Kevin gave another tired nod, and Tom set the pajamas on the bed beside him before exiting the room and leaving the door just a crack ajar. While waiting for Kevin to finish, he withdrew his phone and sent off two quick emails, one to his secretary and the other to Theresa Lopez, his chief deputy, letting them know that he was only available during the rest of the day for emergencies. But just as he pressed the "send" button for the second email, a crash from the room brought him racing back inside. He found Kevin sprawled on the floor nearby the open laundry hamper.
"Kevin! Are you okay?" Dropping to his knees beside his son, Tom instantly began examining him to check if he was hurt.
"I'm fine. Just was trying to put away my clothes, and . . . I fell." Kevin was already trying to push himself up off of the floor, but Tom stopped him.
"Just a minute," he told him, steadying him with a strong but gentle hand. "Wait until I've checked you out."
Carefully, he ran his hands down Kevin's chest, putting the just the slightest bit on pressure onto his skin to see if he had any pain in his ribs.
"Can you breathe okay?" Tom questioned anxiously. "Any trouble inhaling or exhaling?"
Kevin shook his head, and Tom let out a relieved breath at having found no sign of injury.
"Good." He gave Kevin's hair a light ruffle, and then moved to help him to his feet. "We need to get you to bed. Here, lean on me."
Lifting Kevin up off of the floor, he wasted no time in guiding him to the bed, pulling back the comforter and helping him sit down before smoothing the covers back into place and sitting next to him.
"Thanks for your help, Dad," Kevin said, a blush tinting his cheeks pink. "I'm sorry you have to do all of this for me."
"It's not a problem." Tom wrapped an arm around Kevin's shoulders, pulling him close. "I'm here to take care of you, Kevin. It's not something you have to apologize for."
Kevin didn't say anything in reply, but he put his arms around Tom in turn, snuggling up against him. Tom could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and felt another rush of sympathy for his son, hating to see him struggling with his illness, and he resolved to be extra attentive and make sure he had everything he could possibly need.
But for now, what Kevin needed was comfort and rest. So for the next few minutes, they just sat together quietly, relaxing in the quiet, with Tom tenderly stroking Kevin's hair.
Not much later, Betty arrived, carrying a tray.
"Sorry for taking so long," she said, setting the tray on the nightstand beside the bed. "I had to wait for the water to boil, and then I didn't want to bring the tea up here while it was too hot to drink. But now it's ready, and I also have peanut butter toast and Gatorade. The tea is the peppermint kind—I've heard that's good for illnesses."
Tom gave the girl a smile. "Thank you for doing all that, Betty. It was very considerate of you."
Betty looked embarrassed but pleased at the praise and chose not to respond to it. Instead, she twisted off the Gatorade cap and handed the bottle to Kevin. "Here you are. You should probably drink it down to past the label—I think you must be pretty dehydrated."
"Thanks, Betty." Kevin sent her a grateful look as he accepted the bottle and began sipping it obediently.
"Do you need anything else?" Betty asked, looking from Kevin to Tom.
"No, you've already been an enormous help," Tom replied sincerely. "I should let you get on your way back to school."
"It might not even be worth the effort. I'll probably just get in trouble if I try to go back now," Betty pointed out. "I'd go to my house, but my mom's home from the office today, and I don't quite feel like trying to explain it to her, either. I think I'll just apologize to her later on."
Realizing she was right, Tom gave a nod. "Well, you're welcome to stay here until school hours are over. Once you get home, I'll call Alice and tell her what happened, and I'll also write a note to the school and let them know." He rose from the bed. "I don't want to forget, so I'll do that now. Would you sit with Kevin?"
"Of course," Betty said with a smile.
"All right." Tom gently kissed Kevin's forehead. "Just a moment, and then I'll be right back."
Betty took the place Tom had just vacated, slipping off her shoes so she could sit comfortably on the bed next to Kevin. Extending an arm, she reached around his shoulders to embrace him. Kevin didn't hesitate to lean into her touch, taking comfort in the contact as well as returning it, and they remained there, holding each other.
Tom smiled as he exited the room, glancing over at the two best friends curled up on the bed together. He wouldn't be gone long, but even if he were going to be, he had the feeling he was leaving Kevin in good hands.