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Heartbeats in the Dark	By : Erinlindsay97 Category: M through R > Riverdale Views: 524 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Riverdale or it's characters I only own the plot and my ocs

Chapter List
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The speedometer needle trembled as Archie pushed the SUV to its limit. The world outside blurred into streaks of neon and shadow. In the back seat, Hiram Lodge cradled his daughter, Veronica's head resting on his lap. Her usually vibrant, dark hair was now plastered to her forehead, damp with a clammy sweat.
"Hurry, Archie," Hiram's voice was a low, guttural command, laced with an undisguised terror. He ran a shaking hand through Veronica's hair.
"We're almost there," Archie replied, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat urging him to go faster. He'd texted Betty and Jughead, a frantic message relaying their status: Got Veronica. ETA Riverdale General. Tell everyone.
Hiram nodded, his gaze fixed on his daughter's face, which was disturbingly pale. "Hang in there, Mija," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. A burning rage simmered beneath the surface, a white-hot fury directed at Nick St. Clair. Kidnapping, drugging... Hiram's mind recoiled from the possibilities. He suspected Nick had done more, something far more sinister, and the thought alone made his stomach churn with a primal protectiveness.
Archie tightened his grip on the expensive leather wheel, the fine grain digging into his skin. He’d make sure Veronica was okay. He would. And then, he'd go straight to the police station. After that… well, let's just say that Nick St. Clair would be wishing he'd never set foot in Riverdale. He knew Hiram and JP had already gotten to him, but it wouldn’t be enough. Not nearly.
Betty and Jughead had confirmed they were already at the hospital, a makeshift support team assembled in the waiting room: Cheryl, Josie, Toni, Kevin, even Reggie. The thought of them waiting, offering solace and strength, gave Archie a sliver of hope amidst the swirling panic.
He slammed on the brakes, the SUV screeching to a halt in the emergency bay of Riverdale General Hospital, pointedly ignoring the stern, red-lettered sign that declared: AMBULANCES ONLY. He killed the engine and threw open his door, the urgency a tangible force radiating from him.
He wrenched open the back door, allowing Hiram to carefully extricate himself, Veronica cradled gently in his arms. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open, revealing eyes clouded with confusion and pain. Her body trembled, a fragile and terrifying tremor.
"Daddy?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, a thread of sound in the chaos of the emergency bay. The single word, filled with vulnerability and dependence, twisted in Archie's gut, fueling his determination to make everything right. Even if it meant tearing the world apart to do it.
The sterile scent of antiseptic hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the chaos that had preceded it. "It's okay, Mija, we're going to get you help," Hiram said, his voice thick with a forced calm that belied the tremor in his hands. Doctors and nurses, a flurry of white coats and efficient movements, swirled around Veronica, maneuvering her onto a gurney and then, with a speed that left Archie breathless, whisked her through the double doors marked "Emergency Room Only."
Archie stood, frozen, beside Hiram in the waiting room, the faces of Betty, Jughead, and the others a blurry tableau of concern. The silence, punctuated only by the distant hum of machinery, pressed down on him like a physical weight.
Jughead, ever observant, broke the spell. "Go ahead," Hiram said, barely audible, his gaze fixed on the closed doors. "Anything to keep occupied."
Jughead nodded and moved towards the door. Hiram, his movements stiff and unnatural, turned and walked into the waiting room. The sight that greeted him was a painful reminder of his own helplessness. Hermione, usually a portrait of composed elegance, was a trembling mess, clinging to Mary Andrews for support. Fred stood beside them, his face etched with worry.
"Hiram?" Hermione whispered, her voice raw with unshed tears. She lurched forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
"She'll be okay," Hiram promised, the words feeling hollow even to his own ears. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing comfort from her presence even as he felt himself crumbling inside.
Archie, his shoulders slumped, met his parents halfway. Mary’s face was a mask of maternal concern.
"Are you okay, Archie?" she asked, pulling him into a tight embrace.
Archie wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her hair. "I will be once Veronica is," he mumbled, his voice muffled. Fred patted his back gently, his touch a familiar comfort.
"She will be okay, Archie," Fred said, his voice firm despite the worry lines etched around his eyes. "Veronica is a Lodge, and this won't keep her down."
Betty, her expression a mixture of concern and steely resolve, walked over and hugged Archie. "She'll be okay. She has you, and us, to help her through this," she whispered, her words a fragile promise in the face of the unknown.
The tension in the room was palpable. Reggie, his hands clenched into fists, stepped forward, his jaw tight. "What happened to St. Clair?" he asked, the question laced with barely suppressed fury.
Archie looked at the football captain and shook his head. The image of the scene at the club, the sheer rage that had consumed Hiram, flashed before his eyes. "JP took him to the police station," he said, his voice flat. "Hiram and JP... they beat him to a bloody pulp."
A stunned silence followed his words. The air crackled with unspoken emotions: shock, anger, and a simmering desire for retribution. Archie knew that St. Clair deserved what he got, but the brutal reality of the situation, the knowledge of the violence that had been unleashed, hung heavy in the air like a shroud. Now, though, none of that mattered. All that mattered was Veronica, and hoping that she would be okay.
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Heartbeats in the Dark