The Rock

Betty had some intra-abdominal bleeding from the beatings she suffered. Jason Blossom was a very strong young man, especially when he was in a rage.

Along with the broken nose, Betty’s body was badly bruised where Jason had hit her. Betty had multiple lacerations, and a concussion and hair line skull fracture. Both her eyes were completely shut now.

She had to undergo tests to be sure she did not have any bleeding in her brain.

Betty had been heavily sedated and would not be able to stay awake much longer. She held on to Reggie for dear life.

No one could mistake her meaning. Betty needed Reggie near her. Reggie was with Betty, holding her hand,  unashamed as tears  were copiously rolling down his face.

Reggie  placed her hand against his face, raising it to his lips, kissing it. Over and over.

“Babe, you have to make it. Please hold on”

 When they arrived at the hospital, Reggie was in the emergency room, getting on the nurses and doctors’ nerves.

Yelling instructions and demanding they use his doctor.

"Be careful, you dipshit. You're being too rough with her. Where did you get you degree. Online?"

Reggie was being a pain in the ass.

Reggie didn’t trust ‘the quacks they had here’. He didn’t know these people.

The staff didn’t like Reggie very much either. He didn’t care.  Reggie begged his father to have their family physician come and take care of Betty. Ricky Mantle tried to get their doctor, but he  did not have affiliation with the Centervile Hospital.

Hiram Lodge made sure that Betty had the best doctors flown in. Hey, the Lodges were richer then the mantle's were.

The hospital staff  threatened to throw  Reggie out. He threatened to sue if they did.

The doctor in charge, Dr. Wayne, was very happy when Richard and Vicky Mantle came and took their son into the waiting room. They were able to leash their son. For a little while, anyway.

 The doctor let Reggie see Betty for a few minutes at a time to quiet him down, forcing him out when they had to examine her.

They all held each other, praying to God she would be alright.

 They all feared for Betty’s life. And Reggie’s sanity.

Betty was having surgery and they had to wait to see if she had any brain damage.

“Oh babe, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there! This is all my fault! I knew that guy wasn’t right!”

This was during the precious moments Reggie had by her bedside. He talked to Betty even when she was asleep.

Reggie was crying openly.

Betty’s  parents were there and saw this. They could see how much Reggie loved Betty.

Reggie  didn’t care who saw him cry. What if he had lost her forever?

Reggie didn’t think he could live without her.

Betty just kept shaking her head. Her face hurt so much. She tried writing, but it took too much effort. The doctors were keeping her kept heavily sedated but Betty still felt extreme  pain. She moaned a lot even when asleep.

Betty didn’t blame Reggie. This was all her fault. They all tried to tell her about Jason.

She just didn’t listen.

 Betty was trying to let Reggie know this.

But she was so very tired.

Betty drifted off to a drugged sleep.

Her  hand was firmly in Reggie's. She never let it go, even in sleep.

They both drew comfort from the closeness.

All Reggie could do was hold her, and he held on for dear life.

Reggie felt so helpless and very guilty. He should have protected her better.

He let Betty down,, in his mind. Now she may die because of his failure.

 It turned out this was not the first time Jason did this to anyone.

He had been expelled from several private schools for beating up and raping other girls who rejected him, or just pissed him off.

His parents paid had always the victims huge sums of cash to keep them quiet and to keep Jason out of jail.

 No one in Riverdale knew about this except for the Blossoms.

They tried to pay off the Coopers, but the Coopers weren’t going for it.

They are going to sue the Blossoms for damages and aiding and abetting a criminal.

The Mantles and the Lodges offered the Coopers  their best lawyers to assist them with their lawsuit.

They wanted all of the Blossom’s asses for allowing this maniac to walk free.

He hurt their baby girl.

The Blossoms had to pay for their crimes of omission.

Only the US government could keep Chick Cooper from killing Jason Blossom. They knew him well at the CIA and was ready to stop him from getting in trouble. As Betty’s big brother, Chick felt it was his duty to eliminate Jason Blossom.  They couldn’t have their best man in jail.

The government made a deal with Chick. They  would  help make sure Reggie Mantle didn’t do time for attempted murder.

Chick better not commit murder, or he would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Damn! Chick wanted Blossom’s ass!

So, Chick helped pull strings to keep Reggie out of jail.

 Reggie did a lot of damage to Jason. Chick was thankful for that.

 Chick would be sure that Blossom remained in jail a long time. And had a very hard time while he was incarcerated.

Chick couldn’t have done a better job at kicking Blossom’s ass though.

Chick  was proud of Reggie. The kid was alright with him.

Betty’s  older sister Polly and her husband came from Australia to be by Betty’s side.

They all prayed for her quick recovery.

 Reggie  lived in the hospital during the time Betty was there. He had to be forced to leave, in order go to school, eat, or  take a shower.

Reggie was the only one, outside of her family that Betty allowed to see her.

She refused visits from everyone else.

The shame she felt was so overwhelming, that if Reggie wasn’t there, she would have gone crazy.

 Then finally, Betty began to rally. She would be ok.

 After  one month in the hospital, Betty finally went home.