An Act of God
By
Chapter 1
Hazzard County , Georgia . On the surface, it appeared to be just another little southern town in the middle of the Bible Belt. However, below the surface, you could find corruption, fraud, bribery, dishonest public officials, rigged elections, and more scams than you could shake a stick at. The Duke family had called Hazzard County home for over a hundred and fifty years. Five generations of Dukes had lived in the farmhouse on Old Mill Road approximately 20 miles outside the town of Hazzard . The Duke family presently living on the farm consisted of Jesse Duke, his niece Daisy Duke, and his two nephews Bo and Luke Duke.
Jesse, the Duke patriarch, was in his early sixties but had the strength and the stamina of a much younger man. He had shaggy white hair, a full white beard and a deeply lined face from his years of struggling to support his family. But his deep blue eyes still sparkled with life. For over forty years, Jesse had supplemented the meager income from the farm by making and selling the best moonshine in the state using the secret Duke family recipe that had been passed down from father to son for generations.
But when Bo and Luke were caught making a moonshine run two years ago, Jesse had swallowed his pride and made a deal with the government agreeing to stop making and selling his homemade whiskey if the boys were given probation instead of being sent to prison for five years. Anxious to put the elder Duke out of business since nobody had ever been able to catch him before, everyone involved had readily agreed and the deal was made. With a substantial amount of their income depleted, the farm became even more important to their livelihood.
His niece, Daisy, was considered the prettiest girl in Hazzard County and the most popular. With her sparkling blue eyes, long chestnut colored hair and angelic face she had every boy in the county fighting to go out with her. A natural tomboy, Daisy could drive like Richard Petty, shoot like Annie Oakley and knew the words to every Dolly Parton song. As the only girl in a houseful of men, she had learned at an early age to hold her own with the boys. Daisy divided her time between caring for her Uncle and two cousins with her job as a waitress at the local honky-tonk, the Boars Nest. She used most of her income to help support the family except for a small amount that Jesse insisted she use for herself.
Luke was the oldest of the two boys and of the three cousins. With his dark brown curly hair and ruggedly handsome features, he was popular with all the ladies in Hazzard County . His most striking feature were the sapphire blue eyes that sparkled with laughter and spirit. Six feet tall, he had a lean muscular build from his years of working on the farm and doing the hard physical labor that went along with running a farm. Luke was the only one of the three cousins who had spent anytime away from Hazzard. He had spent four years in the Marines and served in Viet Nam . He was more reserved than his other two cousins and as the oldest considered it his responsibility to care for them and watch out for them.
The youngest of the three cousins was Bo. He had boyish good looks with blonde hair that he wore feathered back on the sides and baby blue eyes. Six foot three, he had a slender build that was as firmly muscled as his cousin. He was just as popular with the ladies and had broken more than his share of hearts in the past few years. He was by far the most impetuous and impulsive of the three cousins. He was the one who often got the boys into trouble and then depended on Luke to think of a way to get them out of it. He was also the most affectionate one in the family and always had been even as a baby.
Life was good for the Duke family. They didn't have much in the way of material possessions but they had more enough love between them to make up for what they didn't have otherwise. The family unit was cemented together with a fierce loyalty and pride in the Duke name. They were proud of their heritage and their bloodline.
The powerful stock car raced along the dirt road leading to the back of the Duke property. The General Lee was a local legend in Hazzard County , almost as famous as the Duke boys themselves were. With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in white on each door, the rebel flag painted on the roof and the name General Lee above each doorframe, it was a hard car to miss and one that wasn't easily forgotten. It was the fastest car in three counties, maybe even the entire state. The boys had built it themselves and it was their pride and joy. Bo was behind the wheel with Luke riding shotgun beside him. Some folks claimed the General Lee was half-human some of the things the boys could make that car do when either one of them was behind the wheel. Both boys were excellent drivers having been taught by Uncle Jesse who was considered the best ridge runner around. However, Bo had perfected his driving skills to an art form. He had dreams of driving on the NASCAR Circuit someday and anybody who knew him had no doubt that he would make it if he ever got the chance.
The boys had spent most of the afternoon fixing a section of fence in the back forty that needed mending. They were hot and tried and looking forward to one of Daisy's good home cooked meals. The boys were talking between themselves as they headed back for the house, laughing and joking the way they always did. A few minutes later, Bo pulled into the barnyard, scattering the chickens that were wandering around pecking at the dirt. Bo parked next to Uncle Jesse's battered old white pickup and the two boys climbed out of the General, using the windows to exit since the doors were welded shut to keep them from flying open during a race.
They walked to the back steps that led up to the screened-in back porch. Bo opened the back door that opened into the kitchen of the old farmhouse. Daisy was standing at the stove finishing supper and Uncle Jesse was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. He smiled at the boys and said, “You two best get washed up. Supper's almost ready.”
“Yes, sir.” They answered simultaneously, as they continued through the archway into the living room. They climbed the stairs to the second floor and went into the bathroom to wash up before eating their evening meal. When they were finished, they went back downstairs and took their usual seats, side by side, to Jesse's right. Daisy quickly placed their meal on the table. Pork chops with white gravy, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and homemade biscuits. She finished by sitting two pitchers on the table, one of milk and one of lemonade. Bo tried to sneak a biscuit to his plate, earning a stern look from Jesse and a warning shake of his finger.
“Sorry…” Bo said sheepishly, quickly withdrawing his hand. He knew that Jesse did not allow anyone to take anything to eat until after Jesse had said grace but he still tried to snitch something in advance at almost every meal.
Daisy took her seat on Jesse's left and the three cousins dutifully lowered their heads while Jesse said grace, a ritual that he insisted on before each and every meal. When Jesse had finished the prayer, Bo was the first one to start filling his plate. In spite of his slender build, Bo could eat twice as much as Luke. There were seldom any leftovers with Bo around. Luke poured himself a glass of milk before starting to help himself to the food on the table. As they ate, the family talked about their plans for the following day. Since it was planting season, the boys would be spending most of their day in the fields helping Uncle Jesse plant the corn and cotton that were their main cash crops for the season. After supper, Jesse helped Daisy to clear the table while the boys went outside to do their evening chores.
Since so many of the regular chores around the farm involved heavy labor, the boys did most of the outside work and left the housework to Daisy. And since they all pitched in around the house to keep things orderly and in the proper place, that didn't really involve that much work. Most of her day was spent cooking, doing laundry, sweeping and mopping the floors, and working in the garden behind the barn that supplied the family with most of their vegetables. In the evenings, she often spent her time mending clothes that needed fixing. It seemed as if Bo or Luke always had a shirt or a pair of jeans with a new rip or tear that needed sewed. They could be hard on clothes especially if they'd been in a fight at the Boars Nest, which happened more regularly than they ever let on to Jesse.
After they had finished their chores, the boys came back into the house. They spent the rest of the evening playing a few games of checkers until Bo got tired of being beat by Luke. Both boys were highly competitive, although not usually with one another. Bo was generally a good loser, taking it in stride when he lost. Although the family had a TV, they spent very little time watching it. The boys always watched the NASCAR races when they were on while Jesse always watched the evening news at eleven before he went to bed. The boys went upstairs shortly before ten that evening, each of them taking a quick shower before going to bed.
Luke took his shower last. After changing into a pair of sweat pants, he walked across the hall to the room that he had shared with Bo since they were children. Bo was already lying in his bed on the far side of the room. Luke sank down on his bed, which was the closest one to the door. When they were children, Bo had always felt safer with Luke between him and the door to protect him from any unexpected intruders during the night. Even as an adult, he still felt safer that way.
“Night, Bo.” Luke said as he leaned over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand between the two beds.
“Night, Luke.” Bo said, snuggling down into his pillow and getting comfortable. He was asleep within minutes and Luke knew nothing would wake him up again until morning. Luke stretched out on his bed, relaxing. He was a lighter sleeper than Bo was and sometimes it took him a bit longer to fall sleep but soon he was joining Bo in a deep slumber.
A storm came in during the night. A flash of lightening and a loud crash of thunder just outside of the bedroom window awakened Luke. Remembering that Daisy's jeep and the General Lee were parked out in the open, he shoved himself to his feet and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans. It would only take a few minutes to run outside and move the vehicles into the barn and out of the rain. Pulling on his boots as he stumbled out of his room, he ran down the steps, pausing by the back door just long enough to grab Daisy's keys from the pegboard hanging on the wall.
Outside, the rain was starting to pour down. Luke ran over to Daisy's jeep and climbed beneath the wheel. Starting the engine, he skillfully pulled the jeep into the barn and parked it. Running back outside, he expertly slid into the General Lee and turned the key. Within minutes, the stock car was safely parked in the barn too. As Luke slid out of the General and walked to the barn door, he noticed that the rain was coming down harder and the wind had picked up. Ducking his head, he made a run for the house. He was almost to the back steps when there was another loud clap of thunder and a bright flash of lightening. Suddenly Luke felt like his body was on fire. His chest tightened as his body went stiff. He felt himself being thrown backwards and falling, finding that he couldn't stop his descent or call for help. As Luke hit the ground, he lost consciousness.
Chapter 2
The storm was still going strong when Bo's need to relieve himself pulled him out of a sound sleep.Yawning, he frowned when he realized that Luke wasn't in his bed. He made his way to the bathroom and then went downstairs, expecting to find his older cousin in the kitchen. He was puzzled when he found the kitchen empty but then he realized that Luke had probably heard the storm and gone outside to move the cars into the barn. Bo opened the back door and peered into the darkness. His heart started pounding frantically when he saw the still form of his older cousin laying on the ground several feet from the back steps.
“LUKE!” Bo yelled in fear as he ran down the back steps and over to where Luke was laying. He knelt beside his cousin and carefully rolled him over. His eyes widened in alarm as he saw the how pale Luke looked and his blue lips. Wasting no time, he picked Luke up in his arms and carried him into the house, yelling “UNCLE JESSE! LUKE'S BEEN HURT!”
Jesse was jolted out of a sound sleep by Bo's cry of alarm. He shoved himself to his feet and hurried down the hall towards the stairs. As he reached the bottom of the steps, he saw Bo gently laying Luke's unconscious body down on the sofa in the living room. “What happened?” he asked in an alarmed voice, noticing that Luke wasn't wearing anything except his boots and jeans and they were both soaking wet.
“I don't know.” Bo said, sounding close to tears. “I got up to go to the bathroom and saw Luke wasn't in his bed. I figured he must have heard the storm and went out to move the cars into the barn. When I looked outside, I saw him lying on the ground.”
Jesse hurried over to the sofa and started looking Luke over as he tried to determine what could have happened to his oldest nephew. His color wasn't good and there was a blue tinge around his mouth. Jesse quickly checked for a pulse. He found one but it was much too fact, Luke's heart was racing. Jesse frowned as he turned Luke's head to the side and saw his right upper shoulder. The area was badly burned. Quickly easing Luke onto his side, Jesse saw that the burn extended down the back of Luke's shoulder. “Oh, no…” Jesse said softly as he realized what must have happened.
“What's wrong, Uncle Jesse?” Bo asked fearfully, the tone of his Uncle's voice alerting him that something serious could be wrong with his injured cousin. “What happened to Luke?”
“I think he got hit by lightening.” Jesse said “Call Doc Applebee. Tell him what happened and get him out here right away!” When Jesse moved Luke to his side, he gave a slight cough and his color started to improve but Luke himself remained unresponsive. While Bo was on the phone calling the doctor, Jesse gently covered Luke with the afghan from the back of the sofa. Also awakened by Bo's yell, Daisy came down the steps, belting a robe around her waist. She took in the scene in front of her, her eyes widening with alarm.
“What happened to Luke?” she asked, hurrying to her uncle's side.
“He must have went out to move the cars into the barn out of the rain.” Jesse told her “I think he got struck by lightening.”
“Oh, no…” Daisy exclaimed, remembering all the horror stories she had ever heard about people who were struck by lightening.
“Doc's on his way.” Bo said, hanging up the phone and joining his Uncle and Daisy at Luke's side. “He said to keep him warm and quiet till he gets here.”
Doc Applebee arrived at the farm in record time. The other three Dukes stepped aside so he could examine Luke. Doc Applebee gently examined the burn on Luke's shoulder. Glancing at Jesse and Bo, he said “Can one of you lift him up so I can examine his back?”
Jesse carefully slid his hands underneath Luke's shoulders and lifted him. Luke didn't respond or move on his own. Doc carefully examined the burn, leaning down to get a better look. The top of Luke's shoulder was badly burned with a less serious burn that went down the back of his right shoulder and across his back. Doc carefully felt the burned area and found it was supple and didn't peel off when he touched it. “Lay him back down, Jess.” Doc turned his attention back to Luke. His face was still pale but he still showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Doc opened his bag and took out his stethoscope. Placing the tips in his eyes, he listened to Luke's chest. His breathing was slow and deep but he didn't hear any wheezing sounds. His heart was beating strongly which indicated there had been no damage to the organ.
Doc leaned back and gently took Luke's wrist in his hand, finding that his pulse was strong but faster than it should have been. In spite of the faster than usual pulse, both his breathing and heartbeat were positive signs indicating that the lightening had damaged neither organ. He replaced the stethoscope and removed the instrument he used to test eye reaction. Leaning forward, he carefully lifted Luke's right eyelid and then his left, looking deeply into the younger man's eyes. The pupils reacted to the slight change in lighting, another positive sign. Next he tested Luke's muscle reflexes and found his reactions slow and sluggish. He had expected that. It was a normal reaction to lightening. Next, he carefully checked both of Luke's ears, finding that the right eardrum was ruptured. Taking a tube of ointment out of his bag, he motioned for Jesse to lift Luke up again so he could rub the ointment on the burns. When he had finished applying the salve, he carefully wrapped Luke's shoulder with gauze. He nodded for Jesse to lay Luke back on the sofa. Rising to his feet, he glanced at the three worried faces looking at him anxiously and said quietly, “Let's step into the kitchen so we can talk.”
“How bad is it, Homer?” Jesse asked as soon as they were all gathered in the kitchen.
“Well, it's not good….but that's to be expected with this kind of injury.” Doc said, choosing his words with care. He had known the Duke family for too long to lie to them. “He has a severe second degree burn on his right shoulder which was obviously the site where he was struck by the lightening. The other burns are mostly severe first degree burns….all very painful but they don't require any medical intervention as long as they don't get infected. His right eardrum is ruptured…..again very painful but it will heal on its own in about two months. I can give you some prescriptions for the pain, the burns and to help make sure nothing gets infected. Now, he may have some temporary hearing loss in his right ear due to the ruptured eardrum but that should clear up as the eardrum heals.” He saw the relieved expressions on their faces at his news so far, knowing that his next words would erase those hopeful expressions. “Unfortunately, I can't determine if there's any nerve damage or brain damage until he regains consciousness and even then, it might be a few days or even a few weeks before we can make a final diagnosis concerning any temporary or permanent damage.”
“What kind of damage are we talking about?” Jesse asked, keeping his voice level and calm even as the fear turned his stomach into knots.
“A lightening strike is an electrical injury. A tremendous amount of voltage went through Luke's body when he was struck. That amount of voltage wreaks havoc with the central nervous system and in essence short circuits the brain. When he wakes up he will probably be very confused and disoriented, he may not be able to talk at first, he may not even understand you or know who you are. That's all normal and should be temporary…it could last a few days or a few weeks….maybe even a few months. He won't remember what happened and probably never will. His brain will essentially have to reboot itself and that could take some time. He'll probably have severe headaches, depression, maybe some tremors in his hands. And he will probably experience what's called Keraunoparalysis…….”
“Paralysis?” Bo said in an alarmed voice “You mean he's gonna be paralyzed?”
Doc held up his hand to stop anymore questions as he quickly explained ‘It's a specific type of paralysis that is directly related to a lightening strike. It affects the legs and it is only temporary.” He stressed the word temporary “His legs will be numb and you might notice some mottling of the skin….that's normal……it should go away in 24 to 48 hours. He will be unsteady on his feet for a few days and should have somebody help if he needs to stand up or walk.”
“Does he need to go to the hospital?” Jesse asked in a worried voice after hearing everything Doc had to say about what they could expect.
“Not at this time….most of his injuries can be monitored and treated here at home and I'm sure he'd be more comfortable and get better care here than he would in the hospital. I will stop by and check on him every day to see how he's doing and if there isn't any significant improvement in the next few days or if anything unexpected comes up….then he may have to be admitted to the hospital for some additional tests.” He pulled his prescription pad out of his bag and quickly wrote out three prescriptions, handing them to Jesse when he had finished. “There are three prescriptions there. One is for antibiotics to help make sure his eardrum and the burns don't become infected, one is for an ointment to put on the burns twice a day, and one is for the pain. And the pain pills are relatively strong, they'll probably make him pretty drowsy but he needs as much rest as possible for the next few days.”
“How soon will he wake up?” Daisy asked
“It's hard to say….it may be a few hours yet….”
“Thank you, Homer.” Jesse said gratefully, reaching out to shake his old friend's hand.
“You're welcome, Jesse. I'd better be going. I'll stop by in the morning to check on Luke and see how he's doing.”
Jesse walked the doctor to the door. After Doc Applebee had left, Jesse and Daisy decided to go back to bed to try to get a couple more hours sleep before morning while Bo elected to sit up with Luke.
Chapter 3
Sunrise found Bo sitting by the sofa, holding Luke's left hand between his hands as he watched the morning sunlight filtering through the window. It had been a long night. Luke had not moved or made a sound the whole time and Bo was worried. Bo brought Luke's hand up to his lips and lightly kissed it, hoping to get a response from his older cousin but Luke just laid there. Bo was not surprised since he hadn't really expected any reaction. He sighed, glancing up as Jesse came the steps.
“Morning, Uncle Jesse.” Bo said quietly
“How is he?” Jesse asked, glancing at his oldest nephew with concern showing clearly in his eyes. “Any change?”
“No. He's still about the same.” He looked at his uncle “I'm scared. What if he doesn't wake up?”
“He will.” Jesse said soothingly. He walked over to the sofa and bent down, gently pushing a strand of hair back from his oldest eyes. Then bending down, he gave Luke a quick kiss on the forehead before heading into the kitchen to put on some coffee.
Bo stood up and stretched to work the kinks out of his cramped muscles. Slowly, he walked over to the window and gazed out into the barnyard. It was a beautiful day with the sun shine brightly. The leaves on the old oak tree glistened in the sunlight, as the light reflected off the damp leaves.
Luke slowly floated up to awareness. He didn't want to open his eyes, afraid of what he might find. But his need to know finally overcame his fear and he slowly opened his eyes. Slowly, he took stock of himself and discovered that he couldn't move, couldn't talk, and couldn't seem to get his mind to focus on anything. Then Bo's face moved into his line of vision and he knew Bo was saying something to him but he could not understand what Bo was saying. His confusion deepened as he realized he didn't even know what had happened to him.
When Bo walked back over to the sofa, he was overjoyed to see that Luke's eyes were open. Leaning forward into Luke's line of vision, Bo said “Luke? Luke, can you hear me?” Luke looked at him but gave no noticeable response. Hearing Bo's words, Jesse hurried from the kitchen and went to Luke's side, taking the younger man's hand in his own. Smiling gently, he said “Luke? It's Uncle Jesse. Can you hear me, son?” Luke simply stared at Jesse still without responding.
Luke continued to stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out what it was. He could hear talking and he knew they were talking about him but he could not understand what they were saying. Then his attention was drawn elsewhere as he felt a pressure building inside of him. It slowly got worse and he wondered what the pressure meant. Before he could decided, the pressure eased and slowly went away, to be replaced by a wet, uncomfortable feeling.
Jesse was the first one to notice that the afghan was suddenly damp. Pulling it back, it didn't take him long to figure out that his suspicion was correct. Looking at Bo, he said quietly “Bo, why don't you help me get Luke upstairs where he can be more comfortable and we can get him out of them wet clothes?”
“Yes, sir.” Bo said obediently, as he shoved back the afghan and reached down to lift Luke into his arms. He glanced at his Uncle with a startled look on his face when he realized the same thing his Uncle already knew.
“We'll get him cleaned up and comfortable.” Jesse said “Then you can eat breakfast and do your chores while I sit with him for awhile.”
When they got Luke upstairs to their bedroom, Bo held his cousin upright, while Jesse peeled off his wet clothes and then Bo gently laid Luke down on his bed while Jesse got a wash basin and washcloth out of the bathroom. Luke was aware of the sudden chill as someone pulled something off him. Then he felt something wet being rubbed against his skin. He didn't like it very much. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. The wetness didn't last long as something dry was quickly rubbed against him and then something warm was pulled up over his legs and hips. As someone tucked the blankets around him, Luke took a deep breath, closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Jesse sighed softly as he looked down at his oldest nephew. He prayed that Doc was right and that all of this was just temporary. Once he was sure that Luke was sleeping and not unconscious again, he slipped downstairs to eat his own breakfast. After Bo had eaten and gone outside to take care of the morning chores, Jesse went back upstairs to sit with Luke. Doc stopped by later that morning. Daisy greeted him at the door. She told him that Luke had woke up that morning but didn't seem to be responding to anyone. She showed him upstairs to the bedroom that the boys shared. Jesse told Doc the same information that Daisy had already given him and informed him that Luke had been sleeping for the last two hours.
“It's pretty normal behavior for what he's been through. He should be more alert and probably more oriented when he wakes up. In meantime, just keep him quiet and let him rest for now. Try to get him to eat something later if he will but watch that he doesn't get sick.”
The sound of their voices awakened Luke but he kept his eyes closed, concentrating on the sound of the voices. He was frustrated because he couldn't understand what was being said. What had happened to him that caused this? Slowly, some of the fog seemed to lift from his brain and as it did, he felt the pain in his shoulder and the throbbing, shooting pain in his right ear. He moaned softly and turned his head, trying to ease the pain in his ear.
“Luke?” Jesse said in a concerned voice when he heard Luke moan and saw him moving his head restlessly on the pillow. “What is it, son?”
“Hurts….” Luke whimpered in a barely audible voice, speaking for the first time since he'd first regained consciousness..
“I'll give him something for the pain.” Doc said, opening his bag and taking out a small bottle of pills. He opened the cap and shook two pills out into his hand. Jesse went into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water. Gently slipping his arm beneath Luke's shoulders, he helped him to sit up so he could take the pills. Jesse gently slipped the pills into Luke's mouth and held the glass to his lips so he could take a drink of water to wash them down. Luke managed to swallow them without gagging and drank half of the water. Jesse smiled as he gently eased him back onto the pillow.
“Luke….” Doc said quietly, touching the young man to get his attention. “Do you remember what happened?” Luke looked at Doc blankly and shook his head. Doc nodded he wasn't surprised, he hadn't expected Luke to remember anything about being hit by the lightening, that was a common reaction. “All right….can you tell me where it hurts?” Doc asked
“Shoulder…. and ear….back…” Luke whispered, still trying to fight through the fog in his mind. He felt so confused and disoriented. Nothing was making any sense. Doc nodded, noting that Luke seemed to be getting more alert. His speech was slightly slurred and it took him longer than usual to answer but that was to be expected.
“Your shoulder and back are burned….and your eardrum is ruptured. Do you understand?” Doc asked the younger man gently. Luke looked at the doctor and his uncle, his confused mind trying to process what the doctor had just said. Finally, after several long minutes Luke nodded his head slowly. He still couldn't remember how he got hurt but somehow that didn't seem important right now. He was so tired, he could barely keep his eyes open. He finally gave up trying and closed his eyes, falling back to sleep.
“Doc?” Jesse asked looking at his old friend for some kind of reassurance.
“He's seems to be alert but it's still too soon to tell much. Just let him rest and I'll stop back by tomorrow morning to check on him.” Doc advised him.
Chapter 4
Luke slept off and on the rest of the day. When he was awake, he still seemed confused and disoriented. He was slow to respond to questions and often stared blankly at Jesse or Bo when they talked to him. Later that afternoon, Bo noticed the violent twitching in Luke's muscles, especially in his legs and arms. He moaned softly in pain from the contractions of his muscles. To try and relieve Luke's discomfort, Bo gently massaged the muscles, working out the cramps in the knotted muscles.
“Hurts…” Luke whimpered, tossing his head from side to side on the pillow.
“I know, cuz…” Bo said soothingly, massaging a particularly hard knot in the muscle in the back of Luke's left leg. Finally, he felt the muscle starting to relax and Luke calmed down as the cramp lessoned in intensity. He glanced up as Daisy came in with two plates of food, one for Bo and one for Luke. She smiled as she sat them down on the nightstand.
“Hey, Luke…” she said, leaning down and gently kissing his forehead. “I brought y'all some supper.” She glanced at her youngest cousin and said “Uncle Jesse said to make sure he eats something.”
“I will.” Bo told her
“After supper, I'll sit with him for a while so you can take a break.” Daisy said as she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
“You hungry?” Bo asked his oldest cousin, reaching out to help him to sit up in the bed. Luke shoved his hands away irritably. He didn't want to set up, it made him dizzy and he didn't like it. “Luke, if you wanna eat then you gotta sit up. You'll choke otherwise.” Bo told him.
“No.” Luke said clearly and firmly, shaking his head.
“No you don't wanna sit up or no you're not hungry?”
“Both…”
“Okay.” Bo said with a shrug of his shoulders “But I'm starving…..so I'm gonna eat even if you aren't.” He picked up the plate and started eating the chicken casserole that Daisy had made for supper. Glancing at Luke, he saw that his older cousin had closed his eyes again and seemed to be asleep. Bo finished eating and sat his plate back on the nightstand. Making sure that Luke was still resting comfortably, he picked up his empty dishes and carried them downstairs. Daisy smiled as he rinsed them off and put them in the sink.
“I'll go sit with Luke for a while.” She told him “You take a break.”
Bo nodded as Daisy left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to the bedroom. Bo yawned, tired from doing nothing but sitting with Luke all day. He was used to being more active. He went outside to do the evening chores, relieved to be outside in the fresh air instead of penned up in the house.
Inside the bedroom, Daisy sat down in the chair Bo had sitting by the bed and gently reached out to brush a strand of hair back out of Luke's face. Luke's eyes fluttered open and he focused his gaze on Daisy's face, rewarding her with that crooked smile that she loved.
“Hey, sugar…” she said softly “How ya doing?”
“Where's B..B..Bo?” he asked with a pronounced stutter.
“Out doing chores. Do you need something?”
“Ba..a..throom.” he whispered
“Hang on and I'll go get Uncle Jesse.” Daisy said, gracefully rising to her feet. She went back downstairs to where her Uncle was sitting in his favorite chair reading the paper. “Uncle Jesse,” she told him “Luke needs to go to the bathroom and Bo's outside doing chores.”
“Thank you, darling.” Jesse told her, lying down his paper and shoving himself to his feet “I'll take care of it.” He climbed the steps to the bedroom and smiled as he went into the room. “Luke, do you need to go to the bathroom?” he asked the young man. Luke nodded slowly, a flush creeping into his face. Jesse gently slipped one arm under his shoulders to help him to sit up and his other arm under his legs to swing him around so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Luke reached out and wrapped his arms around his Uncle's neck as the room started spinning wildly.
“Wa..i..i..t.” he stammered “Dizzy….” Jesse paused to give Luke's body time to adjust to the change in positions. Then he wrapped his arms around Luke's waist and pulled him to his feet. Once he was positive that Luke had his balance, Jesse slid one arm around his nephew's waist and said “Let go of my neck, Luke and put one arm around my waist.” Slowly, Luke did as Jesse instructed and Jesse helped him to walk to the door. Luke stumbled as he tried to get his feet to obey the commands from his scrambled brain but with Jesse's help, he finally made it to the bathroom across the hall. Jesse let Luke lean heavily against him while he unfastened the younger man's jeans. Luke flushed with embarrassment as his uncle helped him use the bathroom. He hated being so helpless that he couldn't even go to the bathroom by himself. He still felt as weak as a kitten, barely able to even stand up by himself. As Jesse helped to fasten his clothes back, Luke stammered,
“Wh.a..a.t hap..p..pened to me?”
Jesse debated his answer and then decided to tell Luke the truth. “You got hit by lightening.”
“Lightening?” Luke said in alarm “The sttt..orm?”
“That's right. It'll take a few weeks but Doc says you'll be okay.” Jesse said “Let's get you back to bed.”
Luke nodded and let Jesse help him back to his bedroom. Jesse gently eased him down onto the edge his bed and picked up the bottle of pills sitting on the nightstand. He gave Luke one of the pain pills and one of the antibiotics, gently slipping them into his mouth and then handing him a glass of water to wash them down. When Luke had swallowed them and handed the glass back to Jesse, the older man helped him to lay back down, covering him with a light blanket. “Need anything else?” Jesse asked him. When Luke shook his head and closed his eyes, Jesse gently kissed him on the forehead and quietly let himself out of the room, leaving Luke alone to rest until Bo finished his chores.
As the door closed behind his Uncle, Luke opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were racing through his head making it ache even more than it already did. Even with the pain pills, his ear still throbbed and he could barely move his shoulder without it hurting. The worst part was the feeling that something was crawling just beneath his skin and the violent cramps in his legs that made him cry out with the intensity of the contractions. He wondered how long he would be like this. He was still confused and had trouble concentrating on much of anything. And he knew that his reaction times were slower than they should be. Instinctively, he was trying to keep anyone else from finding out just how messed up his head was right now. The confusion and disorientation scared him.
Chapter 5
The next day, Luke seemed to be a little more alert. He was still dizzy and his muscles still kept cramping up. Bo massaged his legs and arms, easing the pain of the cramped muscles. When Doc stopped by that morning, he told Jesse that the cramps were normal. It was Luke's bodies natural reaction to the electrical shock that he had experienced and the cramping could continue for a few more days before it finally stopped. Quite painful but unavoidable. He was also still in a lot of pain from the burns on his shoulder and back and the ruptured eardrum but he would recover in time from the physical injuries. The mental and emotional side effects would take longer to heal and may not even show up for a while yet. It was apparent to everyone that Luke was still somewhat confused and disoriented and his reaction times were still sluggish. He seemed to understand what people were saying to him and he knew who they were it just took him several minutes sometimes to respond to them. Doc explained as best he could that Luke's mind was having trouble processing his thoughts and making sense out of things, which may or may not be temporary. Although they did their best to understand, it still hurt the rest of the family to see Luke in his present condition.
After lunch, Luke felt strong enough to get up and come downstairs with the rest of the family. He never had liked being stuck in bed for long and this was no exception. He still couldn't walk very well on his own and had trouble with his balance but Bo was there to help him and between the two of them they finally made it downstairs where Bo helped him to sit on the sofa. He managed to eat a little lunch but not much, the smell of the food nauseated him. He found himself feeling left out as his family continued with their usual routines around the house and he didn't much like the feeling.
He moaned softly as a cramp bunched up the thick muscle in the back of his left leg. Sensing his pain, Jesse moved to his side and knelt down in front of him. Their eyes met for a moment as the older man gently massaged the cramp in his leg until the muscle started to relax. Jesse could see the fear in his oldest nephew's eyes but he also saw the anger, anger at being so helpless and needing the others to take care of him. Luke had always hated the feeling of being helpless, while Bo doted on the attention when he was sick or hurt. When the cramp had lessoned it's grip, Jessie smiled faintly and gently patted his nephew's knee as he shoved himself to his feet. In a quiet voice he told the younger man, “It's gonna be okay, Luke….you'll see. You'll be as good as new in no time.” Jesse hoped that his words would be true and not just wishful thinking. Luke bowed his head to keep Jesse from seeing the angry tears that gathered in his sapphire eyes.
Since Luke couldn't be left alone, Daisy elected to stay in the house with him while Jesse and Bo went to work in the fields. Without Luke's help it would take them twice as long to get the crops in. Cooter had volunteered to help but with the garage, he could only help in the evenings or on the weekends and Jesse refused to work on Sundays. When Jesse's only surviving brother, Raymond, found out what had happened to Luke, he told Jesse that he would send his son, Jeb Stuart, over to help on the farm for as long as Jesse's needed him. But, Jeb wouldn't be there for a couple of days since he had some work he needed to finish for Raymond first. So until Jeb arrived, Jesse and Bo would just have to make do and finish what they could.
“Luke, can I get you anything?” Daisy asked her oldest cousin “Maybe something to eat? You didn't eat much lunch.”
“No….juice.” Luke told her, his speech still slightly slurred and slow.
Daisy nodded and opened the refrigerator, taking out a pitcher of orange juice. She poured a glass for Luke and took it back to him, handing it to him carefully. She watched as he slowly took a sip. He had a slight tremor in his hands but managed to keep hold of the glass well enough to drink the juice. Satisfied that he wasn't going to spill it and not wanting to embarrass Luke by watching him, Daisy went back into the kitchen to wash the dishes. She was as worried as the rest of her family about her oldest cousin. Luke had always been the strong one, the one Daisy and Bo both considered their big brother and it hurt to see him like this. Hoping to tempt his appetite, Daisy decided to make his favorite meal for supper, fried chicken with peach pie for dessert. She also decided to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, also one of Luke's favorites.
Finishing his juice, Luke sat the glass on the edge of the coffee table and then leaned his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes wearily. Soon he drifted into a light, uneasy sleep only to be awakened by a violent cramp in his leg. Daisy heard him cry out in pain and rushed to his side. “What's wrong, sugar?” she asked anxiously
“Cramp….leg…” Luke gasped, clenching his teeth against the pain.
“Which one?”
“The right one….”
Daisy knelt down on the floor in front of him and gently ran her fingers against the muscle in his leg until she found the knotted up muscle. She began to massage the knot, slowly working it out. She felt Luke relax, his breathing evening out, as the pain from the cramp went away. She glanced up at Luke with a smile, seeing the gratitude in his eyes as the pain eased. Standing up, she impulsively leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. “I love you, Luke…” she said as she turned and went back into the kitchen.
As he sat there, Luke felt the pressure building up deep inside of him and knew he needed to go to the bathroom. He hated to ask Daisy for help but he knew he couldn't get upstairs to the bathroom by himself. And he knew it would be a couple of hours before Bo and Jesse came in from the fields. He had no choice unless he wanted to have an embarrassing accident. Reluctantly, he said “Uh….Daisy?”
“What is it, darling?” Daisy asked as she came back over to where he was sitting.
“I…uh…need to go upstairs…” Luke said, a flush creeping up his neck and into his face.
“Oh…” Daisy said with a slight blush of her own as she realized what Luke needed. “Okay…”
Bending forward, she let Luke wrap his arms around her neck while she slipped her arms around his waist, putting one foot in front of his to keep him from slipping, she gently pulled him to his feet. He leaned against her heavily. Once she was sure that he had his balance, she turned so that Luke had one arm draped over her shoulders and she had one arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Slowly she helped him up the stairs. Since she wasn't as tall or as strong as Jesse or Bo, it took a little longer and by the time she got him to the bathroom, Luke could feel his legs shaking with the effort of walking. He leaned forward, bracing his left hand against the wall behind the toilet to keep his balance.
“Uh….are you okay now, Luke?” Daisy asked, blushing furiously even as she asked the question.
“I'm okay, Daisy.” Luke told her with a faint smile knowing that she was as embarrassed as he was “I think I can handle it from here….just wait outside okay?” Daisy nodded gratefully and stepped outside closing the door behind her but standing in the hallway so she could hear Luke if he needed help after tall. Luke was glad he was wearing a pair of sweat pants instead of jeans, at least he didn't have to fumble with his belt and a zipper. He managed to do what he needed to and rearranged his clothes. By the time he finished, he knew he needed to lay down before he fell on his face. “Okay, Daisy.” He said “I'm done.”
Daisy came back into the bathroom and slipped her arm back around his waist, waiting as he shifted positions so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. “You wanna go back downstairs or would you rather lay down for awhile?” she asked as she started guiding him out of the bathroom.
“I think I need to lay down for now…” he told her with a smile
“You got it.” Daisy said answering his smile with one of her own. She helped him across the hallway to his room and inside. Easing him down onto the bed, she helped him settle in then said “I'll have Bo come and get you when supper's ready.” She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and quietly left the room so he could rest.