The Yearly 365 Challenge
Prompt #351 (Food) Orange Juice
"Here." Veronica's blurry vision caught sight of the orange juice being set in front of her. She grunted.
"Drink." The distant voice sighed as the hand moved away from the glass.
Veronica didn't move a muscule.
Sighing Jughead sat down next to the girl. "Ronnie you need to drink this. It'll help." He moved closer towards the brunnette. When Veronica didn't even turn her head to look at him; he sighed deeply. "I would hate to have to call Betty and tell her that you refuse to try to get better."
"As if she would even care." Veronica's raw husky voice spoke. Her eyes glared at the glass of juice.
Jughead frowned darkly. "You know that she does." Placing his palm ontop of the table. "You know that she'll always care about you no matter what." He knew this to be a true fact ... the moment that he; Archie and Betty had learned how to log onto the internet ... they came across a picture of Veronica ... and from that moment on he knew that Betty's heart and soul had opened up to Veronica Lodge ... long before Veronica walked into Pop's that wet Saturday August night back in '16.
Veronica's eyes drifted sideways to look into Jughead's open, and honest ones.
"Drink the organge juice." Jughead sighed gently. A lift to the left side of his lips. "There is no way I want to be the one to disappoint Betty."
"Why are you even here Jughead?" Veronica sighed as she rested her left hand against the glass. Not moving it. Just allowing the coolness against her hot skin.
"Betty asked me to look after you." Jughead simply said. "Of course she had no way on knowing that you would decide to have a raging fever this weekend while she's out of the country."
"I could get you sick. Betty would be so angry at me if you got sick due to being around me. Sides Mom and Smithers are here to take care of me." Veronica brought the glass up to her lips; and took a small swallow. "Archie even knows better then to visit me right now."
Jughead remained silent on that note.
"What?" Veronica's hard voice spoke through the raw lump in her throat. She swallowed painful.
Jughead sighed; "Archie isn't good with sickness. If he knows that there is a fever over 102.5 then he freaks." He sighed. "I love that boy like a brother ... he's good in any given emergecy situation ... but for some reason high fevors gets to him." He tilted his head. "I think he was in the room when his great aunt passed away when he was two years old. Her fever was 103."
Veronica felt compassion for the ginger haired teen. "Understandable."
"Betty and I quickly figured out why Archie was so freaked out whenever we got fevors and he wouldn't visit us ... it took a few years for him to feel comfortable to actually call us on the phone." Jughead sighed. "I'm sure once it's his own child ... then Archie will be right there through it all. But anyone else ... and Archie can't get over his childhood fear."
"He was too young to understand." Veronica sighed. She took another sip from her glass. "Archie and I broke up the other day. For good this time." She set the glass on the table.
"Archie told me." Jughead leaned sideways against the table.
"It's better this way." Veronica stood to her feet. "I'm going back to bed. I need to rest."
Jughead silently watched her walk towards the hallway. His forehead winkled in deep thought and concern. He silently nodded as he knew what he had to do. He pulled out his cell and found Betty's number. Placing it against his ear he waited for her to pick up.
"Juggie ..." Betty's tired voice spoke.
"Sorry to wake you up." He spoke in a soft and low voice.
"I know you wouldn't unless it was something improtant. What's wrong?" Concern laced her voice.
"Veronica has a fevor of 104.4." Jughead sighed. "The hospital is filled up so she is home. Hermione and Smithers are on round the clock watch ... and I told dad that I would remain at the Pembroke to help out."
"No word from Archie?" Betty spoke in a knowning voice.
"They broke up for good the other day." Jughead sighed once more. "I told Veroncia about Archie's fear ... so she knows that Archie isn't being a jerk about keeping his distance. But ..."
"It's not good to try to get over a breakup with a high fevor." Betty spoke knowing.
Jughead remained silent.
"What else is going on Juggie?" Betty breathed out.
"Hate to ask you to come back Betty; especially as I know you just got to England. But; I feel that Veronica truly needs to see you. Have you by her side so she can finally fight this fevor." Jughead closed his eyes as he spoke to his girlfriend. His heart sunk as he realized what he was doing. But he was at peace with it ... he couldn't let anyone suffer if he could help.
"I'll be on the earliest plane back home." Betty spoke. "Stay with her Jughead ... don't worry about meeting me at the airport. I'll see you when I get to the Pembroke."
A soft smile lit his lips. "Of course Betty. See you when you get here." He opened his mouth to say something ... instead "Get some rest." He lowered his phone from his ear.