Forever And Always

Chapter 24

Archie and Callie helped their dad into the car as fast as possible, Callie sat in the passenger seat with her dad leaning on her, she was trying her best to stop the bleeding with her hand. Archie got on the driver's side and drove as fast as he can to outrace death. Their dad was groaning really bad.

"Hold on, Dad," Callie encouraged as she tried not to cry. " Hold on."

" Hold on, Dad. We're almost there," Archie added as their dad placed a bloody handprint on the window. " We're almost there. They're gonna fix you up. Stay with us dad, stay with us." When they got to the hospital both kids helped their dad inside.

"Help, please," Callie pleaded. " Help, hey! Someone help us and our dad."

" Gurney!" a nurse shouted rushing towards them with other staff members.

"What happened to him?" a doctor asked.

" He was...He was shot," Archie managed out.

" Sir, can you hear me?" a nurse asked as their dad was placed on the gurney. " Can you tell me your name?"

" His name's Fred Andrews," Callie answered. They started to roll him into the emergency room.

"He's not responding," the nurse said. " Massive blood loss, it looks... Let's go. He's in shock." Both kids tried to go past the door.

" Sir, Ma'am, I'm sorry, I need you to stay here," the doctor told them. They then stood behind the closed door as they watched the medical staff rush into a room, to try to save their father. Callie and Archie both looked at each other, before hugging each other in tears. Both covered in their father's blood.

*****

" Dad take the picture," Callie smiled. Her, Veronica, Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Reggie, all stood with each other in cap and gown. Their dad and mom stood across from them with a phone.

" The ceremony starts in the gym in ten minutes," their mom reminded him.

"Yeah, Dad, what's taking so long?" Archie asked.

" I..." their dad sighed. " Just can't believe we're here, Archie and Callie. We're at your graduation. I..." He begins to laugh. " I didn't think I'd live to see this very day."

"Yeah, except you didn't, Mr. A," Jughead reminded him.

"What?" Fred Andrews asked looking at him.

" You didn't live to see this day," Betty said.

" Don't you remember?" Reggie questioned.

" At Pop's?" Veronica questioned him. There was a bell sound. their dad looked to see the black hood guy look at him from outside, walking inside. 

"Everybody down!" Fred shouted as the man opened the door and the man fired his gun. The two went into the waiting room and made a call to some people. While later their friends showed up. They paced around the room as they waited.

"Arch? Cal?" a familiar voice asked. They looked over to see Betty, her parents, Veronica, her mom, Reggie, his mom, and Jughead.

"God," Veronica breathed as she hugged him, Reggie did the same to Callie. All the kids formed a comforting group hug. Afterward, they all sat down.

"This man entered a shop wearing this black hood," Callie began to explain.

" At pop's, he had a gun, he pointed it at Callie, then at our dad and he fired," Archie added.

" Oh, my God, Archie and Callie," Veronica breathed.

"And then he..." Callie began.

"And then he what?" Reggie asked.