I am so happy this is going so well this far! This is so fun to make and I can't stop writing about it. This time, I still have no idea what to do. However, I don't think there's going to be another dream sequence this time. But, I can't make any promises. I hope you guys like this chapter and see what's in store for Jughead!

The night was long. It was about 7:00 in the morning now. 8 hours since Jug had to go to the hospital. Betty had gotten almost no sleep. It was a large transition from the ICU to a regular room. No one was allowed to see it. The nurses said he was open to visitors at 6. Betty and FP had let everyone else go first. First Cheryl, who had apparently told Jughead that "everyone was missing him and that he wouldn't get in the way of Cheryl and Toni professing their love."

"Just kidding." Cheryl added to Betty. They were in the regular waiting room now. It was bigger, and had a TV. The television was playing a dumb sitcom from 50 years ago. Betty had calmed down a lot now, she had some of her old depression and anxiety pills, and she was reading People magazine. After Cheryl visited him, Veronica came all the way from the Pembrooke to visit Jughead. She had just told him "how he was an icon and that it would kill her, Archie, and Betty to lose him." After that, she stayed beside Betty. So did Kevin. He just did the normal thing to say to a person in a coma. "Please wake up." Kevin also explained that Jughead was "a symbol of rebellion that Riverdale High couldn't lose." Betty, Veronica, and Kevin just watched TV after that. Everytime Betty had started to get upset, both of them would try to distract her or tell her stories. The Cooper girl loved that she had two best friends that cared about her, and Jughead, so much.

After Cheryl, Veronica, and Kevin, Archie decided to go in there. He didn't look exactly in tip-top shape. It makes sense, having a run in with the "Black Hood", your father getting shot (again), and losing your best friend to a coma.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Archie?" Veronica had asked. The room was more full then than it is now, and so there was a small crowd looking up at him. Several different families were there for different patients. However, there was a small dozen for Jug. Toni, Sweetpea, Betty (of course), FP (of course), Veronica, Archie, Fred, Kevin, and Tom Keller. Cheryl had left "to take care of business". Fred and Tom claimed they were only there to watch over the hospital in case the Ghoulies wanted to finish the job. The thought of that made Betty sick.

"Of course I'm sure, Ronnie. He's my best friend. I want to be there for him." Archie replied. Veronica nodded. Archie turned to Betty. "And I'm not saying goodbye." Betty nodded, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Veronica rubbed her arm. Archie nodded back, walking to room 220. Jughead was the only one in that room. Ever since Fang's death, it was almost empty except for just a few patients. Archie opened the door, to find his best friend, that's he's known for years asleep.

"Oh, God." He gasped. Jug had a broken left arm, and the other one was covered up by gauze. He had scratches and bruises along his face and entire body. He had several stitches on his forehead. "Um…. Hey Jug." Archie sat along one of the chairs beside the hospital bed. Jughead was obviously on life support, had an apnea mask, about 2 IVs, and so many machines next to him. Archie took a deep breath.

"This crap shouldn't have happened. What happened to Riverdale?" He asked. The only sound was Jughead's heart beating. "You should know…. The turf war is over. Thanks to you getting… you know…. The Bulldogs and the Serpents are kind of on the same side. We're all coming after the Ghoulies now. Reggie, surprisingly is real choked up about you." Archie laughed. "We joke that he has a crush. But, I think it's 'cause he either respects you or something about Betty."

Archie stopped. Jughead Jones' heart had slowed down. It was subtle, but you could definitely tell.

"Whoa. Yeah, that's what me, Moose, and Kevin think. Reggie cares. I know he's been a jerk in this whole situation, but he didn't shoot Fangs. He feels really bad about it, actually."

He stopped again. Archie's voice had cracked a little bit. He coughed to try to cover it up.

"But… you've got to wake up. Just try to, got it? I don't think anyone else is as sarcastic as you are. And no one's as good as you are when it comes to giving death glares." Archie chuckled again, but this time in a much slower and sadder way. He stopped for a second, and caught his breath for a minute or two.

"If this is goodbye…. I want to say thank you. Not for any reason really… Just thank you. And I, uh, I love you man." Archie stood up, wiping several tears off his face and rubbing his forehead. Though Jughead was very asleep, Archie could sense he heard some of what he said.

"Oh, and thanks for taking care of Betty. You were there when I wasn't, and I'm really happy you're with her." He patted Jug's arm. You could hear his heart slowing down a tiny bit again. Archie shook his head and smiled, even though he was crying. He swiftly wiped them away and left the room. The mysteriousness of what had just happened completely skipping his brain. Ronnie and Betty saw him first. Of course they could tell that he had been crying. Ronnie gave him a swift but tender hug, and sat beside Betty again. Archie sat beside Veronica. They, all four of them, sat there in silence as Toni and Sweetpea decided that they were next.

Toni and Sweetpea had been in there for about 5 minutes. The four continued to sit in silence. Veronica, as her usual self, wanted to break the ice.

"So? Archie?" She asked, turning towards him. Betty and Kevin turned towards him too.

"What?" He asked. His voice cracked. Veronica gave him a look of 'you idiot, it's obvious'.

"What did you say?"

"Veronica! That's private." Kevin exclaimed. Veronica waved him off. She took Betty's hand. Betty laced her fingers through, her other hand making herself bleed more and more. Veronica and Kevin had noticed it before, but decided not to mention it. She's been doing it for hours.

"Well? We're waiting." Veronica said. Archie huffed.

"I told him that the turf war is over. That he finished it. And I thanked him and said I loved him. And that was that." The group nodded. Veronica and Betty tearing up. Archie gave a subtle stare at Betty. She noticed.

"What else?" She said. Veronica gave a confused glance at Betty. So did Kevin.

"What?" Archie asked.

"What else did you say?" She demanded. Archie knew there was no giving up on this one, and he gave a deep breath.

"I mentioned you a couple times. How I was thankful how he's taking care of you. I said I was happy you guys are together. And…"

"And what?" Kevin asked. He was on the edge of his seat now. Betty was shedding a few tears, but now her and Veronica were completely entranced by what Archie said.

"Tell us!" Veronica asserted.

"Everytime I mentioned Betty…. His heart monitor… Slowed down. It was steady before but just saying your name, Betty, seemed to slow it down." Archie explained. Veronica and Kevin were smiling, while Betty was crying and smiling. Veronica and Kevin seemed emotional as well.

"Oh my God, swoon! That's amazing. Medically amazing!" Veronica cheered. She squeezed Betty's hand. They all sat in silence once more. Betty lost herself in her train of thought.

"I want to go now. To see him." She blurted out. The group gave her a stare.

"Betty… Are you sure? He's not in exactly good shape." Kevin said, the most gentle way possible. Betty stopped him.

"I have to. He called me. Told me he loved me, that he'll never stop. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. If what Archie said is true, that he can hear us, this is my chance." She said the words in so much hurt, anger, and sadness that they came out roughly. Each word was hard to say. The rest of the three nodded as they got up with her to walk her to room 220.

The door opened showing Toni and Sweetpea when the four were about 10 feet away from it. They kept on walking, on a mission. Toni had definitely been crying. She sped-walked towards Betty and Veronica and hugged them as hard as she could. The two girls accepted it. Archie, Kevin, and Sweetpea standing in silence. After the hug, Toni rubbed the girls' arms. However, Betty couldn't hear it because of the hospital door opened right behind her. Toni and Sweetpea walked back towards the waiting room. Betty stood still.

"Do you want someone to go in with you?" Veronica asked. Betty shook her head.

"I need to do this alone."

"Betty, It's going to be very hard to see him like this. I was so shocked…. I couldn't think of what to say." Archie added. Betty waved him off, the wave had almost no effort put into it.

"I need to do this alone."

"Okay Miss Independent. We'll be right behind the door. Come out if you need us." Kevin said further. Betty nodded, not making eye contact with anyone. Just the door. She took a few steps. Then one more. She was at the doorway. She closed her eyes, shut the door, and then took another bigger step. She opened them.

When she thought of saying goodbye to him before, it was in a sad way. Or a vengeful way. Not a happy, excited way like the one right now. She saw all his injuries. His apnea mask, his IVs. The chunk out of his right arm. She drank it all in. She looked at him. She couldn't think of how much she loved him. She couldn't express it. Her eyes came to tears as she sat down in a chair beside his bed. She scooted the chair over all the way to where her knees touched the bed. She took the beanie in her hands, taking it off her tangled, dirty hair. She held it, and stared at it. Veronica had thought it looked really good with her blonde hair. She also adjusted it, but Betty liked the way she had it before. Archie just kept staring at it, and Kevin had said when Jughead wakes up she shouldn't give it back. When Jughead wakes up. When. He means if he ever wakes up.

She rubbed her thumb against the beanie, then set it down on the bed. Betty was just wondering what to say. With one hand, it looked like she was brushing through his dark hair. Veronica couldn't tell.

"Veronica!" Kevin whispered. "Veronica! This is a total invasion of her privacy!"

"It's nothing!" She whispered back. She was just looking through the crack of the door. "As long as she doesn't see me, it's okay."

"That logic doesn't make any sense, Ronnie. I-" Archie retorted, whispering. Veronica stopped him.

"Wait! She's saying something!"

"Oh my God what? What is she saying?" Kevin pushed Veronica out of the way of the door and peeked in. She was talking. And crying. And brushing through his hair. "I can't hear anything!"

"Kevin let me see now." Archie said. Kevin made a face and got out of the way of Archie.

"What is she doing now? Can you hear?" Veronica asked. Archie shook his head.

"She's not saying anything anymore. She's just brushing through his hair… Wait she just kissed his cheek…. Now she's just sitting there rubbing his face." Archie said. Veronica put her hands together, smiling.

Betty stayed in the room. Kevin and Archie guessed it was an hour before she came out. Veronica said it was more like 90 minutes. They didn't know because they fell asleep outside the door. Betty did come out eventually. They all woke up shocked. Veronica got up first, holding Betty's hands. Betty had put the beanie back on her head, and her mascara was running all down her face.

"Betty are you okay?" She asked, caringly.

"I'm going to kill Penny Peabody."

There we go! Longest chapter yet! I wanted to focus on something other than Betty, because I feel like we've seen a lot of her and FP. You will eventually find out what Betty said, and maybe how Jughead reacted! Hopefully I'm going to finish this by tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and leave a review.