Chapter Four : Moribund
"Pressure dropping, 80 of 50." One of the doctors murmured hurriedly as the monitor began beeping rapidly.
As Polly began to fall into V-Fib, her eyes gave tiny flickers of life before she stopped. Pulse dropping by the seconds, the doctors narrowed their eyes as they performed surgery.
"She's in V-Fib!" Another doctor mumbled as the monitor began to flatline. "We're losing her."
The female doctor, Doctor Gailson, bit her lip as she looked over to of the other doctors. "Get the paddles," she instructed. Then, in a whisper, she added to Polly and herself, "Come on…"
"Mom?" Betty blurted out as she rushed into the hospital waiting room. Jughead followed after her silently.
They had been called about five minutes on their way to the Farm when Alice had called saying Polly was in an ambulance on her way to the ICU. That's all she said before their internet connection had fizzled out and the call had ended. Jughead had turned the bike around the moment Betty told him to.
"Oh, Elizabeth!" Alice gasped and rushed over, enveloping her daughter in a hug.
Dismissing her full name being spoken, Betty returned the hug. Her mother's face was red, making it clear she had been and was still crying. "I'm okay, mom," She murmured before pulling away slightly to get a better look at her mother's face. "What happened?"
"I heard a gunshot, and Dagwood was crying… I ran outside the Farm and Polly was on the ground… someone shot her, Elizabeth…"
"How is she now?"
"I don't know, she's in surgery…"
Betty felt her heart lurch. "Surgery? Where was she shot?" her voice was dry and her face paled. Alice pulled out of the hug and sat down, legs seemingly unable to carry her anymore. Betty related and took a step back to stabilize herself.
Jughead put his arm around Betty and she leaned into him slightly as she awaited her mother's reply.
"Her chest… b-by her heart…" Alice finally whispered.
Betty felt as if someone had knocked the wind from her as her vision flickered away for a moment. Jughead's arm closed around her to keep her from hitting the floor if she passed out.
"Betty?" He whispered when she was dead silent for at least four minutes.
"I'm… fine," She replied, but her voice wavered. "Mom- where are her belongings?" Betty asked quickly, desperate to get her mind off of her sister's condition. She couldn't break down like she did with Chuck. Polly wasn't dead, she was in surgery.
"Right here, everything she was in when she was brought over…" Alice murmured, grabbing the bag that was sitting in one of the chairs. "Why?"
Grabbing the bag and moving to a seat, she rummaged through the bag of belongings. "I need to… find something…" The blood on the outfits made her stomach curl. That's when she found it. Pulling out a watch, she handed it to Jughead.
"Why does she have a watch? The farm does not permit them." Her mother murmured. For once, Betty didn't have time to complain about how ridiculous the farm was.
It's not hers. Just like her necklace wasn't Chuck's.
As Jughead put the watch in his jacket, Betty placed her sister's necklace in the bag. Fighting back tears of frustration and worry, she took a shaking breath before closing the bag up and giving it back to her mother.
"Jughead, I'm staying here… but if you want to go-" Instead of replying, Jughead sat beside her and she smiled softly. Letting out a soft sigh, she leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Not a chance." Her boyfriend answered after a moment, gaze narrowed in something Betty couldn't place. It was distant, troubled… but she wasn't sure what it was exactly.
For the first hour, Alice paced while Betty laid softly against Jughead's chest. While it wasn't the longest wait Betty had ever waited, that first hour really felt like it was.
Veronica arrived towards the second hour, and her pity made Betty want to scream. Jughead didn't say much at all, and while Betty appreciated it, it kind of unnerved it. Alice managed to sleep during this time, a rough, light sleep. But it was sleep all the same.
During the third hour of waiting, Archie arrived. His visit was quick, and seeing as it was past one in the morning, Veronica left with him. Alice woke up around this time and went back to pacing. Jughead fell asleep around this time and Betty slid away from his warm embrace as she went to question one of the nurses. The news she got was a simple "She's still in surgery."
The fourth hour, Betty was asleep alongside Jughead. Alice remained awake, staring at the same book page for over ten minutes. The hours felt like years.
When the fifth hour in surgery and three thirty in the morning rolled around, one of the nurses finally approached Alice.
"For Polly?" The doctor asked, her face masked tiredness.
"Yes, I'm her mother," Alice replied quickly. Betty's eyes flickered open as she listened to the conversation. "Did it go well?" the mother pressed.
The nurse nodded, a thin smile on her face. "She's alive, in recovery and asleep right now… but she should live."
Alice let out a quivering breath, nodding in relief as tears dripped down her cheeks. "Thank goodness…" she whispered. Betty blinked back her own tears and wrapped her arms around Jughead, hugging him tightly. At the hug, Jughead's eyes flickered open.
Before he even had to ask, Betty kissed him softly. "She's alive…"
Alice gave Betty a hug when they both rose to their feet. Sharing a relieved hug, Alice stroked back Betty's loose hair. "Go home and get some rest. I'll stay with Polly," The young woman gave a nod and pulled out of the hug.
"Okay," Betty murmured as the nurse led Alice to the room Polly would be in.
Standing up, Betty ran into Jughead's arms again. While he hugged her back, Betty could see a look of frustration cross his face. Pulling away the Serpent Queen looked him the eye. "What?" She asked, confused.
"I hate this, I'm sorry-" Jughead finally admitted and Betty's gaze softened. Sitting down, she patted the seat next to her for the Southsider to sit.
"What do you hate?"
"That I'm so helpless. You're sister almost died and I couldn't do anything to help. My job is to keep you safe… and I can't do that. I couldn't with the Black Hood, with Chic… you had to suffer all that alone because I couldn't help you-" Shame riddled with face and he kept his eyes on the floor.
Betty offered a small smile, taking his face in her hands, she looked him the eye. "You did help me, you've been there for me, no matter what… you found me. You saved me from Chic…" If only she had known he had felt that way… she would've corrected him sooner.
"But I wasn't fast enough- all that… trauma you went through…"
"Jug," Betty started sternly. Jughead looked at her, his anger for not being able to save her sooner burning in his eyes. "You saved me. Without you, we never would have caught the Black Hood, or Chic, without you, I could've died. But you saved me."
Opening his mouth to protest again, Betty shook her head. "No. Don't deny it. You're my hero, but you can't control everything. What happened to Polly, to me, to everyone who's ever gotten hurt in Riverdale, did not happen because of you. Do you understand?"
Jughead was silent for a moment before he nodded. Offering her a small smile, Jughead kissed Betty's forehead. "Let's find out whodunnit it, shall we?"
"We shall."
The bell letting out a loud ring to signal the end of the second day of school, Kevin sighed in relief and pushed open the classroom doors. Freedom. Kind of.
"Kev," At Josie's voice, Kevin looked over and murmured a 'what?'.
"I was asking if you wanted to come to Pop's with me?" The young woman repeated. "You can invite Moose." She added, holding out Moose's name with extra enthusiasm.
Riverdale needed to remain optimistic, or the town would never make it another seventy-five years. Or even ten. Kevin hated the nicknames that reporters had ruled Riverdale. Some but definitely not all being; The Blood Grounds, The Town with the River of Bodies, and the least creative ones; Deathdale and Horrorville.
"I'd love to, and I'll ask Moose."
"Just… casually asking because I'm your friend and don't want your heart getting broken; are you and Moose serious? Like, do you even refer to yourselves as a couple?" Josie asked, leaning against the lockers as Kevin put away his books and stuff.
"I honestly don't know, I want to say we're a couple… that we're serious… but his dad doesn't even know he's gay. So, he can't give our relationship a title yet…" Kevin replied, a frown crossing his features.
Josie let out a long sigh and threw an arm around Kevin once he finished putting his supplies away. "You gotta tell him that- that you want to be serious and call your relationship something other than 'friends'" She expressed and Kevin shrugged.
"I will, but… I don't want to lose him… or how things are now…"
Face softening, the singer pat Kevin's shoulder. "With everything you guys have been through- everything that this town has been through- you deserve your happiness." She murmured quietly before losing herself in her thoughts.
"You're right," Kevin agreed finally. When Josie smiled lightly and nodded, he narrowed her eyes. "Enough about me, what's on your mind?"
Josie let out a long sigh and opened her mouth to say something before she closed it. "Everything?" She offered feebly and Kevin laughed. "I don't know- mainly Sweet Pea I guess…"
"Oooh, Sweet Pea?" Kevin grinned, glad to talk about anything other than his own drama. "And your summer fling?"
"Yeah, I told him that what we had was just for the summer… so I can focus on my music… but…" Letting out a quiet, dramatic scream she put her head in her hands. "But I love him… and that wasn't what I was planning on."
Stopping and looking Josie in the eye, Kevin narrowed his eyes sternly. "Take your own advice, go do something about it. Tell him, I'm sure he'd only help with your music."
"Ha, right. Sweet Pea helping with music. Now that's something. I don't think he has a musical bone in his body." she grinned and Kevin shrugged.
"I dunno, but musical genius or not. He cares about you, and he's hot. Like, if he wasn't straight and I wasn't 'dating' Moose I'd so date him." The young man joked back and Josie laughed softly.
"Maybe. I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay, now let's find Moose and get over to Pop's. Talking all heartfelt makes me want a Milkshake. Oh, and something at Pop's too," Kevin joked, and Josie gasped, shaking her head. "Kidding," Kevin added and Josie nodded.
"Sure you are."
"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines." - Leroy Satchel Paige
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait... but I hope you liked the Kevin and Josie moment. I'm willing to do anyone's perspectives, so tell me whose you want to see. Thanks so much for reading! Please review.
Question: What do want to see in this book?