Chapter 2

3x02

Warning of suicidal content at the end, but it will be skipable, I will warn you in bold later in the chapter when the part is upcoming.

Betty entered the house already in tears. Archie was gone, Jughead was yet again a threat for her. She decided she was going to tell her Mom, ask for help with the nightmares, the sadness, the constant hunger less feeling.

"Mom!" Betty shouted, still relatively timidly. She looked around her front room and noticed the back foot was open. Her heart immediately began to race, had something happened to her Mom, Polly, the twins. Was her Dad back, the black hood. Images of the masked figure flooded her mind as she took a deep breath and stepped into the garden. To her relief she saw her Mom and Polly safely gathered around some sort of fire, surrounded by other people she guessed were neigbours. But just as Betty was catching her lost breath, she saw her mother do something unthinkable.

Her Mom, who was holding one of the twins, raised up the baby and held them above the fire, which was replicated by Polly who held the other twin. Betty started screaming for her family to stop, but they ignored her and suddenly let go of the baby's who dropped a few feet towards the fire but then stopped and started to float upwards. The children were hovering above a raging fire and the adults surrounding them had monotonous expressions etched on their faces, completely oblivious to the unnatural scene.

Betty's eyes felt more and more weighted every second and suddenly her chest started to pain, begging for the breath Betty had lost and never found. She toppled over to the ground and lost all consciousness.

oooooooooo

Betty woke up three days later in a strange bed in a strange room. She had a lingering pain on the back of her head and a dizziness as she moved to sit up.

"Betty, you're awake!"

Opening her eyes further she noticed a dark figure in the corner of her room on a chair. Immediately she expected the worst.

"Jughead... stay away from me!" She pleaded with the dark figure.

"Betty, it's ok! It's me, Kevin!" The figure stepped into the light and sure enough it was Kevin. He carried on towards Betty and sat on the end of her bed.

"Betty, you're in the hospital, you have been for the past few days. Apparently you had a seizure, but as you fell over you hit your head on the patio, knocking you unconscious. Betty, we were all so worried!" Kevin explained grabbing Betty's slightly shakey hands.

The door opened and 3 more people stepped inside. One was dressed in a white pinifore type uniform with a blue undercoat. She also had a name tag which read 'Dr. Staton'. Beside her were two woman, the first dressed respectfully in a black blazer and white blouse. The second wore a more pastel toned dress and blue cardigan. Betty recognised the pair as her Mom and sister, Polly. But after just a few seconds she remembered the sight she saw before having her seizure.

"Are Juniper and Dagwood ok?" Betty blurted ignoring the doctor who had already opened her mouth to speak.

Betty's Mom and sister shared a confuse glance before her mom replied "They're fine Elizabeth why wouldn't they be?"

"Because I saw you both drop them into a bonfire! And then they just floated above it like some creepy magic show instead of falling into it!" Betty cried.

"Betty, Juniper and Dagwood are absolutely fine! I left them with a friend at the farm, I wanted to be here for when you woke up. I would never drop my own children into a bonfire!" Polly retorted, crossing her arms and clearly showing she took offence. Betty's Mom placed her hand on Polly's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, "Betty, you know we would never hurt the twins, right? You must have just imagined it! We were just having a cookout at with a few friends from the farm, that was all!"

Betty rested her head back down on her pillow, and knew in her heart that Polly would never hurt the twins. Maybe it was like her hallucinations of the black hood, or Jughead. Maybe she was to weak and letting her imagination get the better of her.

After a little while, the doctor in the corner of the room who had once been sat down on the chair Kevin had been stood up and addressed the room.

"Now that you know Elizabeth is ok, may I speak with her privately?" The rest of the room nodded, leaving Betty alone with Dr. Staton.

"Betty, from the results we have acquired it seems the spot on your head you hit a few days ago was not the only injury you had on your body. We found cuts and bruises and a few unhealed broken bones. We fixed them whilst you were asleep but for our records we need to know how you got them."

Betty looked up at the doctor in front of her. She knew exactly where she had got those specific injuries from. Jughead. She couldn't count the times he had flung her across the room, banged her head against the wall. Punched her all over her body. Left her lying lump on the floor. Betty couldn't stop the tears falling down her cheeks.

But as always, Betty lied, "I must have just walked into a lamppost or something." She muttered quietly.

The doctor stared at her in disbelief, "Are you sure, because according to our assumptions, you appear to be showing symptoms of PTSD and... rape."

Betty's heart skipped a beat. She looked at the doctor and pulled the fakest smile she could handle, "I'm fine!" Betty cried slightly too loudly. The doctor shook her head subtly and went to go and open the door to leave, "Just press the button on your side table if you 'remember' something." She finished before opening the door and letting Betty's family back in.

ooooooooo

"Where did your shoes go Archiekins?" The girl in front of him asked strangely chirpily. Archie gulped and looked down at his old worn sandals. The truth was he had been beaten up by a gang of goodies and they had them torn of his feet. In the process punching him, bruising and cutting him all over his body, but just not his face, as to hide the fact he had gone through any beating. But the thing was he didn't trust Veronica with the truth, so he lied like he was so used to doing.

"The... warden...um... took them when I arrived here, along with my other clothes." Archie replied looking down at his slip on sandals in order to avoid Veronica's eye contact, for a few moments there was an awkward silence until Archie opened his mouth to speak, "What's it like being class president in my place?"

Then it was Veronica's turn to sigh awkwardly and nervously shuffle around in her chair. Her truth was she had completely forgotten about her promise to Archie, of keeping his seat warm as the class president. She had been distracted, by her colleague, Reggie Mantle...

Reggie had been there the night after Archie was , the night she realised she didn't love him anymore. They had clicked and slipped up, after drinking slightly too much. The last thing the two could remember was making out on the counter , after they closed for the night. The next morning they woke up together, naked, tucked in a booth.

Even though both their heads were pounding, Reggie and Veronica both knew their night felt right. But Veronica decided to wait until Archie was settled to break up with him, she was obstinate and sometimes cruel, but she did have adleast some remains of a heart. Plus she didn't know how long her 'fling' with Reggie would last and although she knew she didn't love Archie anymore she still wanted a safety blanket to make Reggie jealous if he did end it with her.

"Yes... it's ok."

The two sat for a few more minutes of silence before Archie asked another question, the one he had been worrying about.

"So, where's Betty? She promised me she'd visit the first day, but she never came," Archie then started to worry even more, "has Jughead been talking to her?!"

"Archie! Calm down! I haven't seen her since your sentencing, but we're not really friends anymore, you already knew that."

Archie's thoughts raced madly in his mind. Echoing around his brain he stood up and walked towards the door back into the prison, only stopping to shout back angrily, "Veronica, don't come and visit me again. I realised a while ago we stopped loving each other, so all I ask is that you make sure Betty is safe. Please don't wait for me, go and live an amazing life with your family. That's where your loyalty should lie."

Veronica could only nod in response as she watched the boy she used to love walk away. She knew exactly what Archie meant.

Archie carried on down the hall, about to head back to his room. But instead he remembered a phone he had passed his first day there, whilst being escorted to his room. He decided he would take care of his worries and call Elizabeth Cooper himself. He was extremely angry at Veronica for not noticing Betty anywhere, even though it wasn't anything to do with Veronica anymore.

He immediately noticed one phone was unoccupied and made his way to it. Archie dialed Betty's number, of which he had memorised, and waited 3 rings before someone picked up the phone on the other side.

ooooooooooo

Betty sat in her hospital room bored out of her mind. She was not allowed to leave as the Doctors had deemed her underweight and her status 'unstable'. The doctor questioning her earlier had kept coming back, and Betty was sure she would crack if Dr. Staton questioned her one more time.

Apparently the next day, if she continued following the doctors orders she would be allowed to walk around the hospital a bit to cure her lingering boredom. According to her mother one of her fellow classmates, 'Ben Button' had been emmitted to hospital the day before for some sort of sickness regarding food poison. If Betty was to be allowed to stretch her legs she would go to see Ben, Betty was tired of being lonely all day long and her and Ben used to be part of the book club together a while ago.

Betty was sat reading 'The Secret Garden' when she heard her phone buzz beside her. Turning it over she saw an unknown number, sending her back to the time when the black hood tourtured her daily. Behind Betty she could hear the beats of her heart rate monitor quickening, so she attempted to calm herself in order to not alert any nurses ebefore accepting the call.

"Betty!" The voice on the other sidecried in relief, "It's Archie! Are you Ok?"

Betty sighed in relief, "Oh my god! Archie! I've been so worried about you!"

"Betty I've been so much more worried about you! You said you'd visit! Where are you?!"

Betty stayed silent for for a few moments before telling the truth, "I'm in hospital at the moment, I had um... another seizure, I'm not allowed to leave, probably until I tell them the truth about Jughead and they get my weight more stable."

Archie didn't speak, but Betty knew exactly what he was thinking on the other side of the phone call. Betty gulped and decided to change the subject, "How are you holding up? Are they treating you right?"

It was Archie's turn to gulp, but he knew he could trust Betty with the truth, "Betty, do you remember when I called the cops on that race between Jug and the goolies?"

"Yes of course. You did what you had to, Arch. Why?"

"Because the Goolies that were arrested were transferred here, they... um... cornered me, took my shoes."

"Oh my god Arch are you ok?" Betty gasped at the story.

"I'm fine." He replied blatantly, "I broke up with Veronica too, told her to stick with her family, that's where her loyalties should lie."

"Arch! Her Dad framed you for murder. The Lodges are definitely not where an innocent girls' loyalties should lie."

"I don't think Veronica is that 'innocent'" Archie responded launching the two into silence.

"Betty... can I ask you, had Jughead bothered you at all, because I sware to God if he has I will kill him." Archie shouted a bit too loud attracting the attention of watching guards.

"No Arch, I've been in a coma for the past 4 days, apparently when I had my seizure I hit my head when I fell over."

"This is all my fault!" Archie gasped, "Betty, stay safe, please tell someone about Jughead or..." Archie took a deep breath, "...I will."

"Archie, what the hell?! How could you possibly threaten me? I never expected my best friend to do that!" Betty shouted at the phone her built up emotions seeping out of her seams.

"Betty, it's the only way I know you'll be safe! Please! I can't protect you from inside a cell."

"Bye Archie." Betty said monotonously. It was only after she ended the call she broke. She cried herself to sleep that night, knowing she was alone in the world.

ooooooooo

After Betty hung up on him Archie was raging. He slammed the phone back into the box. Unsatisfied he then proceeded to punch the wall behind it, kicking it in fury. Guards began to corner him but he kept punching until one guard, armed with a baton, smacked him in the face knocking the boy unconscious.

When Archie awoke he was slumped in some sort of chair.

"You caused quite a commotion in my phone booth Andrews, that wall is going to need some fixing." A stern voice from in front of him said. As he looked up he recognised the man in front of him. The Warden.

"What am I doing here?" Archie asked, still slightly dazed.

"Andrews, you impressed me tonight, you do have some skills on you," The Warden continued, "... in the fighting area."

Archie struggled and attempted to stand up, but was too weak to do it. A few officers approached but the Warden waved them away.

"I propose a deal, you be my new star, and I get you rewards. If you refuse my deal, I can put you in solitary confinement for as long as I want." The Warden snarled, "So Andrews, what do you say? Be my new star?"

*Description of suicidal thoughts and commitment for this last part, in the next chapter I will write an undetailed summary if this sort of event triggers you*

ooooooooooo

Betty woke up the next morning, or possibly afternoon still impossibly tired. She was so incredibly upset over Archie's betrayal, and she didn't know why. Betty guessed she thought she could trust Archie, but hearing him 'blackmail' her- even if it was for her safety- broke her heart.

"Miss Cooper?" There was a knock on the door and then it opened to reveal Dr Staton. Betty sat up, and looked at the doctor as she spoke.

"Yes."

"I have your results, and even though your weight is too unstable to allow you to leave the premises, I can grant you permission to walk around the corridors, I myself have experienced being alone in a hospital room for hours on end too, the boredom can really get to you" Dr Staton continued smiling. Betty stood up for the first time in days and hugged the Doctor.

About 20 minutes later, Betty was knocking on the door of Ben Button's hospital room, in desperate need for company. She opened it and looked at the teenage boy sat reading a book on the hospital bed in front of her.

"Ben?"

"Betty? What are you doing here? I haven't talked to you in ages, why would you come and visit me?"

"I had... a seizure, I'm fine but I'm not allowed to leave, something about my weight. Why are you here?" Betty replied sitting on his bed.

"I... um... I was with Dilton, Dilton Doyley, when he... when he died..." the boy's eyes were littered with tears, and Betty was sat in shock, "I'm sorry, what? Dilton's dead!?" She asked, to which the pained boy nodded in response.

He then told Betty the whole story, the one she could tell he had been cooping up for way too long.

"It all started in this bunker, me and Dilton discovered it. We were heading to Sweetwater Swimming-hole, when I tripped on this metal thing. There was a wheel, so we turned it and pulled the door thing open, we found it was the entrance to a bunker. That was where we spent our summer. But a few days before labour day, we found some jingle jangle by a tree in the woods... we thought it'd be fun if we took some. But whilst we were high, we had an argument in the bunker, he pushed me, I smacked my head off a table in the corner. That's why I'm here. But the worst thing is, I somehow managed to get up and push him back." Ben was crying now, "Betty, he... he cracked his head on the wall whilst I must have fainted after my last burst of anger because I woke in the morning to find blood everywhere and Dilton's body- lifeless... I killed him Betty, I killed him."

Betty didn't know what to do but hug him, "Ben, I inspired my own father to become a serial killer! You are nowhere near as bad as me." Betty opened her closed eyes and her gaze landed on the window behind the two, "What do you think it would feel like? To jump I mean."

Ben pulled out of their hug and wiped his eyes on his hospital gown, "I don't know. Refreshing, I guess...? Why? Are you thinking about it? Is this because of your Dad?"

"And a few other things. Archie Andrews, he promised me he would keep something a secret, but then yesterday, he said he would tell someone if I didn't..." Betty took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about Archie. If you did jump out the window, I would go too, I've got other secrets too, secrets I don't think I can live with much longer." Ben replied, getting out of his bed and walking towards the slightly open window. He gently pushed and the glass opened fully, revealing the beckoning cool air and blue sky. Ben's room was about 10 metres in the air, four stories high. Slowly he sat on the window sill and called Betty to look at the peaceful world outside.

Betty took in the midday scene. The last thing she could very well see. It was beautiful, the clear blue sky with strokes of white painted around it, the green grass at the front of the hospital, the unpopulated roads. How perfect would it be to die, so happy, knowing if you lived your life would be so painful.

"I want to jump Ben, my 'boyfriend', Jughead, he... does stuff to me, stuff I don't want. I want you to know that. If I'm going to die with you."

"Betty, my Dad, he hits me sometimes. Sometimes enough so I have to come to hospital. I lie every time though. He says he sorry every time, but then he does it again. However I know, that if I jump, with you, it's going to be ok." Ben grabbed Betty's hand and the two looked out the window together.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, positively. This way I'll know I'm going to die peacefully, predictabley."

Ben smiled at Betty one last time, before finally sitting on the window sill, dangling their feet outside and leaning forward, feeling themselves slip of the window sill, and fall into the depths below.