The Other Side of the Mirror

Chapter 6: A Dangerous Quest and a Life Altering Change pt.2

My body drops a little and I realize it's the weight of another person. Archie clipped his umbrella onto my climbing hook. I exhale. "You good?"

"Better now." he chuckles. Henry smiles at me. Then they pull us up.

Never before have I been more excited to see Sheriff Graham as he pulls us through the tiniest hole. I hand Henry to him before he is quickly pulled into Regina's arms. She smiles and beams at him. Graham starts to detach me once Archie has climbed up and is hugging Marco.

"Well aren't you quite the little hero." Graham smiles. I send him a look that says 'don't even.'

Suddenly a ball of red and pushing her ways into my arms. "Oh thank goodness. You're alright. I was so worried." I smile at Ruby.

Graham looks at my leg. "Oi, you're hurt." I look down too and groan. "Oh crap."

"Yeah, she needs a doctor!" Archie insists. I shake my head. "I think I'll be fine." "She fell like 30 feet!" I shake my head. "He's exaggerating."

Regina walks over to us. "Thank you Jules. Thank you Dr. Hopper." she beams.

"I have something I want to say to you." Archie says. Graham, Ruby and I all get tense.

"We were just..."

"We'll be...over there"

"...not listening..." we all chime simultaneously.

Graham helps me limp over to the back of the fire truck and starts to inspect my leg. I can't help but laugh as Ruby wanders off to flirt with Billy.

I don't know exactly what Archie said, but he definitely tried to be a better version of himself....and succeeded.

Graham guides me to the front seat of his car so I know I am not getting arrested. "Oh Graham. Come on. I do not need a hospital." Graham flashed a light in my eye. I immediately flinch. "You are also concussed. I won't have you broken and going back to your uncle like that."

I say nothing as Graham takes me to see Dr. Whale who indeed diagnosed me with a concussion and a nasty laceration that...did need stitches. I beg him not to have to spend the night  (because I can't pay for that) but Dr. Whale insists I be observed.

My night in the hospital was anything but peaceful. Nurses woke me up every couple hours. I also felt like they changed the IV more times than needed.

The morning after I opened my eyes and saw Archie at the foot of my bed. I groan at the sunlight coming in behind him.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." he jokes. "Or for a sore body." I slowly sit up. "Easy there." Archie says as he tries to help me.

"What are you doing here? Keeping tabs on me?" I joke. Archie's eyes dart outside the glass doors where Dr. Whale seems to be explaining something to Graham.

"Archie. What's wrong?" I ask.

Before Archie can answer Graham and Dr. Whale walk in. "Jules, I want to talk to you about something." Whale says. My heart is pounding.

"When was the last time you ate something?" he asks. I look from Whale to Graham with confused eyes. "Uhh, kinda random but I guess before I was trapped in a mine?"

Graham looks at me. "Be serious, Jules." "We took a whole scan of your body to look for internal injuries and saw no digested food in your stomach, which is highly abnormal. You are also severely dehydrated." Whale explains.

I looked at Graham. "Well I guess a few days."

"This is serious." Whale says.

I sigh. "Listen to me, very closely. If I was in a crisis and thought I was going to be the next Ghandi or I was having body image issues I would be honest about it. I would, I really would. Because it's sweet that you all care." I say.