Blue Bell ⸕ Jughead Jones

━ i.

"Help," Archie begged loudly. "Hey! Someone help me and my dad!"

Nurses and doctors rushed forwards, taking Fred quickly out of the arms of the teens as they asked what happened. Archie gave sparse and shaky responses as Rosemary stayed silent, her eyes wide as she watched Fred Andrews, bloody and nearly unconscious, get placed on a stretcher as he was pulled away. Archie and Rosemary followed quickly behind, Archie giving the nurses his fathers name and information through tears as they walked.

As Fred was pushed through two doors leading to the emergency room, Archie and Rosemary were told to stay out in the lobby of the hospital. Through the window of the door, Archie and Rosemary watched Fred Andrews get hooked up to machines as the doctors began to work on him.

"I'm right here, dad" Archie assured his father through the door. "I'm right here. Okay. I'm right here."

Eventually, Archie and Rosemary began making calls out to their friends. Archie rang up Betty Cooper while Rosemary quickly pulled up Jughead Jones' contact in her phone and called him. She stared at the screen, which has bloody finger prints of the picture she had for Jughead's contact. A simple picture she took from one of their times at Pop's diner. He was eating a burger and was nearly shoving it down his throat, which left for a very unflattering look that Rosemary captured at the perfect moment. The picture made her lips tug to a ghost of a smile as she pulled the phone to her ear. After a few rings his voice echoed to her through the phone.

"Hey, Ro, what's up? Aren't you working?"

Rosemary let out a sigh of relief. Jughead's voice sent a blanket of comfort over her.

"Jug," Rosemary stammered into the phone. "Can you come to the hospital? Like now?"

"What's wrong? Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jug," Rosemary assures Jughead, smiling softly at his concern. "T-There was a man with a gun. He came into Pop's and shot Archie's dad. We're at the hospital now but-"

"I'm on my way," Jughead cut Rosemary off. "Do you want me to stay on the phone or-"

"No," Rosemary cut Jughead off as well. "I-I have to call a few people. Just... Get here. Please."

"On my way."

"Oh, Jug," Rosemary called out into the phone before he hung up. "Drive save."

After the phone call was over, Rosemary looked over at Archie to see him shakily end the call with Betty. When Archie looked over at Rosemary, the two embraced each other tightly with tears in their eyes. Archie's entire body shook in Rosemary's arms and she held him tightly, as if to assure him that everything would be alright.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting in the lobby, the two shaken teenagers heard the hectic steps of a group and turned to see Betty and her parents, Veronica and her mom, and Jughead. The appearance of Archie and Rosemary left the group with sunken stomachs and broken hearts.

Archie's Riverdale varsity jacket covered in blood smears and his hands stained red. His red hair that was usually combed nicely was sticking up from his running his hands through his hair and dragging the blood through. His cast from punch the ice only days ago was completely red instead of white, his friend's signatures barely visible. Rosemary's waitress uniform looked more red than yellow, her apron missing and her white tennis shoes splattered with blood. Her hair, face, and hands were also covered in blood, making her look like a scene from a horror film.

Veronica, Betty, and Jughead rushed to Archie and Rosemary, pulling the two shaken teens into a large group embrace. Archie leaned against his friends for support and all of them held him tightly. Yes, Rosemary was shaken up but she wasn't going to take any support or attention away from Archie.