by
Chapter 1
Luke Duke yawned as he sat up in bed and ran is fingers through his dark curly hair. Morning starts early on a farm, sometimes a little too early when you were out too late the night before. Luke knew he would pay for his late hours today but last night had been worth it. He'd had a date with Julie Montgomery and they'd had a real good time, especially when they went to the lake. Luke smiled faintly at the memory as he shoved himself to his feet and stretched to work the kinks out of his muscles. He had a lean muscular build that was well developed from his years of working on the farm. Julie had definitely seemed to appreciate his body last night.
Luke quickly pulled on his jeans and socks before crossing to the second single bed in the room and shaking his cousin Bo's shoulder firmly. “Time to get up, cuz…” he said. Bo was a sounder sleeper than Luke and harder to get up in the mornings. That's why Uncle Jesse usually made sure that Luke was awake and then left it up to him to wake up Bo. Bo muttered something under his breath and burrowed deeper underneath his blanket. But Luke wasn't to be deterred. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it off the bed, pulling Bo to the floor with it.
“Hey!” Bo yelped as his head hit the hardwood floor with a thud.
“I done told ya it was time to get up.” Luke told him offhandedly as he walked over to grab a shirt out of the closet.
“You didn't have to throw me out of bed.” Bo complained as he shoved himself to his feet and glared at his older cousin sullenly. Luke ignored his cousin's hateful look and started pulling on his blue plaid shirt.
“Then git up the next time I tell ya to.” Luke told him as he finished dressing. He crossed back over to his bed and sat down to pull on his favorite pair of brown boots. They went through the same routine every morning. Luke's tricks to get Bo up varied. Sometimes he pulled him out of bed, sometimes he tickled him, and sometimes he flicked water in his face.
The two cousins had been raised by their Uncle Jesse since they were small. Luke had only been four when he came to live on the farm and Bo, who was three years younger than Luke, had only been a little over a year old. Neither of them could remember their parents, Uncle Jesse had been the other father either of them could remember. Jesse's wife, Martha, had died almost 10 years ago when Luke was 16 and Bo was 13. The boys had shared a bedroom every since coming to live on the farm and continued to share one through mutual agreement even though a spare bedroom had been added on years ago. The boys were closer than brothers and shared a unique, almost psychic bond. They always seemed to know when one or the other was hurt or in trouble even if they weren't together. They were so close that sometimes it seemed as if they were opposites of the same coin.
Luke left his bedroom and went down the stairway to the first floor of the old farmhouse. In the kitchen he found his cousin, Daisy, fixing breakfast. Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County with big blue eyes and long chestnut colored hair that swung loose around her shoulders. As the only female in a houseful of men, she had grown up learning to shoot, drive and fish right along with the boys. When Aunt Martha was alive, she had made sure that Daisy learned how to sew, cook and take care of a house but Daisy had always preferred spending time with the boys.
As the oldest of the three cousins, Luke was also the protector. He watched out for his younger cousins and would fight at the drop of a hat to protect either one of them. Daisy worked as a waitress at the local hangout, a rowdy honky-tonk called the Boars Nest and more than one overly amorous drunk had fought himself on the receiving end of one of Luke's punches when he tried to get too fresh with Daisy. Luke and Daisy were as close as brother and sister, but she didn't share the special closeness that the two boys did.
She smiled as Luke sat down at the kitchen table and poured him a cup of coffee sitting it down in front of him. Luke smiled his thanks as he carefully took a sip. A few moments later, Uncle Jesse shuffled through the archway between the kitchen and living room and took his place at the head of the table. Jesse was in his late sixties with a full head of white hair and a full white beard. His weather-beaten face was deeply lined but his bright blue eyes still sparkled with life. Daisy smiled as she poured her Uncle a cup of coffee.
“Is Bo up yet?” Jesse asked
“He's working on it.” Luke said with a grin, his sapphire blue eyes dancing with laughter.
“I heard him hitting the floor.” Daisy said with a giggle as she sat a skillet on the stove to start frying bacon.
“No wonder that boy's brain is addled” Jesse said in a mildly teasing tone “As many times as he's cracked it on that floor.” They all laughed just as Bo came stumbling through the archway.
“What's so funny?” he mumbled as he slumped down in the chair between Luke and his Uncle. His comment only made them all laugh again. He scowled at them and absent-mindedly reached for a blueberry muffin sitting in a basket in the middle of the table, earning himself a stern look from his Uncle. Bo withdrew his hand and smiled sheepishly. He was constantly trying to sneak something to eat before anyone else even though he knew that nobody could start eating or get any food that was sitting on the table until after Jesse had said grace. Food was one of the driving forces in Bo's life and he could eat more than any of them.
Daisy finished breakfast and prepared plates for the boys and Jesse. She sat a plate with bacon, eggs and pancakes in front of each of them and then sat one the table for herself. As she took her usual seat to Uncle Jesse's right, Jesse bowed his head and gave the blessing. After they had all said amen, they started to eat.
“I need you boys to help me in the fields today.” Jesse told the boys “We need to finish the planting.”
“Yes, sir” both boys answered automatically. Uncle Jesse's word was law and always obeyed, out of love and respect for the man but obeyed never the less. For over two hundred years the Duke family had made the best moonshine in three counties. But when the boys were caught making a run two years ago, Jesse had made a deal with the U.S.of A. government. He had agreed to never make another drop of moonshine or sell it if the boys could be given probation instead of sent to prison. The government had agreed. They had been trying to put the Duke family out of the moonshine business for years and finally saw their chance to do it by agreeing to Jesse's deal. Without the moonshine trade to help support the family, their income had been reduced drastically and they became totally dependent on the farm to make a living. Bo and Luke helped as much as they could by entering races with their stock car The General Lee and they hadn't been beat yet. They were best drivers in three counties having learned from Jesse who had been one of the best ridge runners around. Daisy also contributed most of her paycheck from the Boars Nest to the family income except for a little that Jesse insisted that she use on herself.
After finishing with breakfast, the boys went outside to do their morning chores while Daisy started her chores inside the house. Jesse grabbed the basket sitting by the back door so he could gather the eggs. Another typical day had started on the Duke farm. Little did any of them realize that before the next morning dawned a tragedy would occur that would threaten to tear their family apart.
Chapter 2
The boys spent the day working in the fields with Jesse. By the time they stopped and returned to the house for supper, they were bone tired. It was always that way during planting season, then they would have a little break from the backbreaking work in the fields at least until harvest time. Shortly after supper a terrible thunderstorm came in with bright flashes of lightening that lit up the entire sky followed by loud bursts of thunder that sounded like cannon shots. The rain poured down in sheets, pounding against the old tin roof of the farmhouse.
Daisy had gone into the kitchen intending to make some popcorn when she happened to glance out of the window above the kitchen sink that overlooked the barnyard. What she saw made her blood run cold. “The barn's on fire!” she yelled frantically in a panic filled voice “Lightening must have hit it!”
The boys and Jesse immediately raced towards the back door, with Daisy right behind them. Jesse grabbed Daisy's arm to keep her from getting too close to the barn while the two boys ran into the burning structure to free the livestock from their stalls. Within minutes, Daisy and Jesse were socked by the pouring rain but they didn't move under the cover of the screened in back porch.
Maudine the mule came running out of the barn, followed closely by their draft horse, Charlie, and the two cows the family raised each year for meat. The cows were followed closely by the two pigs they also raised for meat each year and the 3 goats they kept for milk. With the last of the animals freed from their stalls and out of danger, Jesse and Daisy both watched the entrance to the barn anxiously waiting for Bo and Luke to appear. Moments later, Luke came stumbling out of the barn but there was no sign of Bo.
“Where's Bo?” Jesse yelled as Luke staggered across the barnyard towards them.
Luke looked at his Uncle with a startled expression on his smoke streaked face. “He was right behind me!” Luke yelled back in a panic filled voice “He must still be inside!” Before Jesse could stop him, Luke turned and ran back into the burning barn.
Luke coughed as the dense smoke inside the barn filling his lungs, choking him. The fire was still contained to the loft area but the heat was fierce. “Bo!” he yelled frantically unable to see much because of the smoke which stung his eyes making them water “Bo!” he yelled again “Where are you?”
“Over here!” Bo's voice yelled back, following by a deep racking cough. Luke made his way in the direction of the sound of Bo's voice. He found Bo lying on the ground in front of one of the stalls, his foot caught beneath a rafter that had fallen from the ceiling. Ignoring the heat emanating from the rafter, Luke lifted one end and held it up so Bo could pull his foot free “Get out of here, Bo!” Luke yelled as Bo scrambled free. Bo stumbled to his feet and ran towards the front door to the barn. Luke let the rafter fall to the ground and started running after Bo. He coughed violently barely able to breathe in the dense smoke.
A sudden explosion rocked the barn. Luke felt himself being flung backwards, his body burning as the flames surrounded him. He felt himself hit the ground and then his world went black.
“Bo” Daisy screamed when she saw her youngest cousin stumble out of the barn. He was halfway across the barnyard when they heard the explosion and saw the fire engulf the barn. “Luke!” Daisy screamed frantically “Luke!”
Bo stumbled up to where they stood and fell to his knees coughing violently from the smoke he had inhaled. He heard Daisy screaming Luke's name and it took him a few moments to realize that Luke wasn't beside him. His eyes filled with terror as he stumbled to his feet. “Luke!” he screamed as he took a step towards the burning barn.
Jesse reached out and grabbed his arm to keep him from going back into the barn. “You can't go back in there!” Jesse growled, his voice strained and filled with pain. “It's too late…..it's too late….”
“No!” Bo screamed, dropping to his knees on the ground at Jesse's feet, tears streaming down his face as he watched the fire burning out of control. Daisy let out a wretched scream and buried her face against Jesse's shoulder, sobbing. Jesse tried to comfort his two younger charges as he looked at the fire that had just claimed the life of his oldest nephew. None of them seemed to notice that the rain had slowed down to a drizzle as they stood there in shock, lost in their grief and pain.
Cars and trucks started pulling into the driveway as neighbors who had seen the fire or had been alerted by CB started arriving at the farm. Men and women started climbing out of the vehicles, some of them rushing over to comfort the family, while others started grabbing buckets and shovels from their trucks and cars to help fight the fire.
Suddenly someone started yelling frantically but there was too much noise to hear what was being said. Jesse raised his tear dimmed eyes and saw two men come from around behind the barn carrying something. At first Jesse thought that it was one of the animals that had got caught in the fire but as they got closer, he realized that it was Luke's body.
“He's still alive!” George Madison, one of Jesse's neighbors, yelled as he ran across the barnyard towards Jesse and the rest of the family. “But he's burned really bad….We have to get him to the hospital right now!” It took a moment for the neighbor's words to sink into Jesse's mind.
“Put him in the back of my truck!” Jesse barked “Daisy, go get some blankets and pillows and hurry!”
As Daisy ran inside the house, Bo stumbled to his feet and ran towards the men carrying Luke's body while Jesse ran to his pickup truck. Bo scrambled into the back of the truck and sat down with his back against the cab. The two men gently laid Luke down in the bed of the truck with his head resting in Bo's lap. Daisy came running out of the house with two blankets and a pillow which she quickly handed over to Bo, who covered Luke's body with the blankets and slipped the pillow beneath his head. Daisy climbed into the cab beside Jesse who wasted no time in backing up and racing out of the driveway, leaving his neighbors and friends to fight the fire.
Because it was dark, Bo couldn't tell how badly Luke was burned. The only thing Bo could tell for sure was that Luke's face wasn't burned, just covered with streaks of smoke. “Hang on, Luke…” Bo cried, fighting back the tears that flooded his eyes. “Please god….just hang on…don't die on me….please don't die on me….” He started rocking back and forth, trying to control his fear as he held his injured cousin in his arms. He could hear Luke's labored breathing as he struggled with each breath which only increased Bo's fear. He was terrified that Luke was going to die in his arms before they made it to the nearest hospital which was almost thirty miles away in Capital City . It was a trip that normally would have taken almost forty five minutes especially in Jesse's old truck but Jesse made it in just fewer than thirty.
He screeched to a halt in front of the emergency entrance and Daisy jumped out of the truck, running through the double glass doors to get help. Jesse climbed out of the cab and peered into the back of the truck at his two nephews just as two orderlies came running out through the glass doors pushing a gurney between them. They gently took Luke from the back of the truck and laid him down on the gurney, rapidly disappearing back into the hospital with him as Jesse helped Bo out of the truck. The two Duke men walked through the glass doors into the lobby of the emergency room, where they found Daisy standing by the desk, looking scared and alone. She immediately ran to her Uncle and threw herself into his arms seeking the comfort of his embrace.
“Are you with the young man who was burned?” a nurse asked briskly
“Yes…I'm Jesse Duke. The injured boy is my nephew, Luke.”
“I need some information for our records.” She told him “Would you have a seat at the desk please?”
“Bo, take care of Daisy.” Jesse said, turning Daisy's care over to his youngest nephew. Bo put his arm around Daisy's waist and led her over to one of the plastic couches sitting along the wall and they sat down side by side.
Jesse walked over to the small desk in the corner and sat down. The nurse settled herself down into the chair across from him and pulled up a program on her computer. Reading her questions from the computer screen, she said,
“The patient's name?”
“Lucas Kristopher Duke…..He prefers to be called Luke…” Jesse replied
“His age?”
“Twenty-six”
“His birthday?”
“ September 9 th , 1955 ”
“Address?”
“ # 9 Old Mill Pond Road . Hazzard County .”
“Phone number”
“555-0371” Jesse told her with a sigh. He couldn't help wondering if Luke was going to be alright. He'd gone from thinking that Luke was dead to being terrified that he was going to die from his injuries.
“Is he allergic to anything medications that you aware?”
“He's hypersensitive to anesthesia. It makes him sick.”
“Any other allergies that you are aware of?”
“Penicillin.”
“Is he is on drugs or medication at this time?”
“No”
“Does he have any medical insurance?”
“He's covered under my policy. He's also in the Marine Reserves so he has some medical coverage from there. ” Jesse strained to keep his voice level and polite. He was getting tired of her questions. He knew she was only doing her job and he knew the information was important but he had enough on his mind right now.
“I'll need to make copy of your insurance card.”
Jesse pulled his wallet out of his bib overalls and dug out his insurance card and handed it to her. “I'll be right back.” The nurse told him “If you'll have a seat a doctor will let you know about your nephew's condition as soon as he can.”
“Ma'am,” Jesse said “My other nephew, Bo, inhaled a lot of smoke. I'd like for someone to check him out too if you don't mind.”
“I'll let someone know.” The nurse told him as she walked away to get a copy of his insurance card.
Jesse shoved himself to his feet and slowly walked over to join Bo and Daisy on the sofa. They both looked at him, their eyes filled with tears and with fear. He gently patted Daisy's hand and clasped Bo's shoulder, squeezing gently, as he slowly eased himself down onto the sofa beside Daisy. She immediately leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Uncle Jesse, is Luke going to be okay?” Bo asked in a ragged voice that was hoarse from the smoke he had inhaled. He tried to keep the fear from showing in his voice but he was only partially successful.
“I hope so…” Jesse said somberly “I hope so…”
They settled back to wait for news praying each time a doctor came into the waiting room that he wasn't coming to tell them that Luke was gone.
Chapter 3
Daisy huddled on the sofa beside Jesse struggling to keep her emotions under control as they sat there waiting on news about Luke. Unable to sit still, Bo was pacing back and forth across the waiting room, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. Whenever the swinging doors to the emergency unit swung open, he stopped his pacing long enough to look up, praying that it was someone with news about Luke but it never was.
A young nurse came over to where they were sitting and said, “Did one of you need to be checked out for smoke inhalation?” she asked, glancing at the three Dukes questioning.
“Yes, Ma'am…my nephew here.” Jesse told her, nodding his head at Bo.
“Uncle Jesse, I'm alright.” Bo said not wanting to leave the waiting room even to be examined. He needed to be there when they heard any news about Luke.
“Bo,” Jesse said in a voice that told Bo that he expected to be obeyed. “I want you to go with the nurse and let the doctor check you out.”
“All right.” Bo said reluctantly giving in. He turned and followed the nurse down the hallway. As Bo disappeared down the hallway, Daisy glanced over Jesse's shoulder towards the front entrance and saw Cooter Davenport entering the hospital. Cooter was the local mechanic in Hazzard and a close friend of the Duke family. His last name might be Davenport but he was a Duke at heart. Spotting Jesse and Daisy, he hurried across the room towards them.
“I just heard about what happened.” Cooter said anxiously “Is there any news about Luke yet?”
“No. Not yet.” Jesse told him with a somber shake of his head.
“Where's Bo?” Cooter asked looking around for the youngest Duke boy and not seeing him. “He wasn't hurt too was he?”
“They just took him back to check him out for smoke inhalation.” Jesse told him.
Cooter slumped down in the chair beside the sofa and stretched out his legs in front of him. “Well, if ya don't mind Uncle Jesse, I think I'll just wait here with ya to see how Lucas is.”
“I ain't your Uncle Jesse.” Jesse said automatically. Cooter smiled not taking offense at Jesse's comment. Only those friends closest to the family could get away with calling Jesse “Uncle” and even though he acted like it annoyed him he really didn't mind that much.
They continued to wait. Bo rejoined them after being gone for an hour. He told Uncle Jesse that the Doctor had given him some oxygen to help clear the smoke out of his lungs and told him that he would be okay. Jesse was relieved to hear that. It was one less thing for him to have to worry about. Bo started pacing the floor again, too full of nervous energy and anxiety to sit down. None of them wanted to voice their greatest fear that they were going to lose Luke.
It was almost two more hours before the swinging doors to the emergency unit swung open and a doctor stepped into the waiting room. Glancing around the room, he said loudly “Is there someone here for Luke Duke?”
“Yes, right here.” Jesse said, bouncing to his feet. As the doctor walked across the room towards them, Daisy, Bo and Cooter all gathered around Jesse. They could all feel their hearts pounding in their chests in a combination of fear and anticipation.
“I'm Doctor Keller.” The doctor told them as he joined them introducing himself to the family.
“I'm Jesse Duke, Luke's Uncle.” Jesse said “How's my boy? How's Luke?”
“We're still trying to stabilize him.” The doctor told him solemnly “His condition is critical. And we are not equipped here to treat his burns. As soon as we can get him stabilized we will be transferring him to the burn unit at the V.A, hospital in Atlanta . All of the arrangements have already been made to admit him.”
“How soon will that be?” Jesse asked trying to keep his voice level and calm.
“I don't know yet. He's having trouble breathing and we have to get that stabilized before we can move him.”
“How bad is it?” Jesse asked. It was not a question he wanted to ask but it was a question he had to know the answer to.
“To be honest with you, his chances aren't very good.” The doctor said. This was the part of his job he hated the most. It was never easy to tell a family that someone they loved could die. “I'm surprised he's survived this long. Now, if you will excuse me I need to get back. I will have someone let you know when we are ready to transport him.”
Jesse nodded barely registering the doctor's words. Cooter put a comforting arm around Jesse's shoulders and helped him to sit back down. Daisy sat down beside him and started crying softly, leaning her head against his shoulder and clutching at his hands. Bo stood there looking at his uncle and cousin helplessly with tears glistening in his eyes.
To distract the younger Duke boy, Cooter walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulders “Let's step outside and get us some air.” He suggested gently. Bo nodded slightly and let Cooter lead him towards the front entrance.
Jesse's pickup was still parked in front of the emergency entrance totally forgotten in their haste. “I guess I should move Uncle Jesse's truck…” Bo said flatly.
“I'll do it.” Cooter volunteered “You wait here.” Bo nodded. Cooter was grateful that the younger man didn't argue with him. He was in no condition to be driving right now. Cooter walked around to the drivers side of the truck and climbed into the cab. Luckily Jesse had left the keys in the ignition. Cooter turned on the engine and drove the truck away from the breezeway and into the parking lot. He found a spot close to the entrance and parked the truck. Pocketing the keys, he climbed out of the cab and walked back over to where Bo was still standing with a forlorn look on his face.
“Luke's gonna be okay, buddyroe…..” Cooter told Bo as he rejoined him “You just gotta keep believing that.”
“It's all my fault, Cooter…” Bo said in a broken voice struggling to keep his tears from falling “If he hadn't come back into that barn after me then he'd be okay.”
“And then you'd be the one lying in there instead of Luke and he'd be the one out here blaming himself.” Cooter said “It was accident. It wasn't your fault or anybody elses.”
“Cooter, what am I gonna do if he dies?” Bo said, his tears falling unnoticed down his face “How am I suppose to live with myself if that happens?”
“It ain't gonna happen!” Cooter said sharply, grabbing Bo's shoulders and shaking him slightly “You have to keep telling yourself that. You can't give up hope. Luke's gonna need you to get through this….”
“I'm scared, Cooter….I'm so scared.” Bo admitted. He didn't resist as Cooter put his arms around him and gave him a comforting hug. Cooter was trying to remain positive for Bo's sake but he was scared to death himself that he was going to lose one of his best friends. “Come on” he suggested gently “Let's take us a little walk.”
“No…I have to get back in there with Jesse and Daisy.” Bo said shaking his head.
Cooter nodded understanding Bo's need to be with his family right now. Slinging an around his shoulders, the two friends walked back into the hospital to continue their lonely vigil.
Chapter 4
It had been almost seven hours since they had arrived at the hospital and there was still no further news about Luke. The Dukes and Cooter were all tired and restless. Bo had drunk several cups of coffee which had only increased his normal hyperactivity. Finally a young nurse walked up to them “Mr. Duke?” she said addressing Jesse
“Yes.” Jesse said instantly alert, his eyes focusing on the young woman's face anxiously
“The doctor asked me to tell that they have your nephew stabilized enough to transport him to the V.A. hospital in Atlanta . They're getting him ready to transport now and the ambulance should be leaving within the next twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.” Jesse told her gratefully. As she walked away, Jesse glanced at the other anxious faces staring at him. “I guess we best get ready to go to Atlanta .”
“Hey, Uncle Jesse…” Cooter said “I got a cousin who lives just a few blocks from the V.A. Hospital . Why don't I give him a call and tell him what's going on? I'm sure he'd be happy to put you up if one of you decides to stay in Atlanta . And I'll get B.B. and L.B. to help me keep an eye on the farm while you're gone.”
‘Thank you, Cooter. I'd appreciate that.” Jesse said in a grateful voice “We best get moving.”
The Dukes walked out of the hospital and across the parking lot to where Cooter had parked Jesse's pickup. Cooter promised to call them on the CB as soon as he got hold of his cousin in Atlanta . Adding his own heartfelt prayers for Luke, he turned and walked across the parking lot to where he had parked his tow truck.
The Dukes piled into the cab of Jesse's truck and headed back towards Hazzard. They stopped at the farmhouse just long enough for Daisy to call Boss Hogg at the Boars Nest to tell him that she wouldn't be at work for a couple of days. Surprisingly enough, Boss didn't argue. He told her take all the time she needed. While Daisy was on the phone, Bo took time to change his clothes which were streaked with dirt and smelled like smoke from the fire
As they climbed into Daisy's jeep for the trip to Atlanta , they all tried to avoid looking at the pile of rubble where the barn had stood. Jesse noticed that someone had gathered up the animals and put them in the north pasture. He knew the neighbors would pitch in to help in any way they could. That was the best thing about Hazzard. You could always count on the community to pull together when there was a crisis. The Duke clan had lived in Hazzard County for five generations and the family was well liked and respected in the area. Everyone in the county knew that if they needed an extra pair of hands, they could always count on the boys to help out without expecting anything in return. That was the way Jesse had raised them.
Just after they left the farm, Cooter called them on the CB to let them know that his cousin in Atlanta had said the Dukes were more then welcome to stay with him as long as any of them needed to. He gave them his cousin's address and told Jesse that B.B. and L.B. were on their way over to the farm to take of the livestock. Jesse thanked Cooter for his help and hung the CB back on the bracket underneath the dash.
An hour later, Daisy parked her jeep in the parking lot in front of the Veteran's Hospital in downtown Atlanta . It was almost eight A.M. and none of them had had any sleep. They were all exhausted but they knew they wouldn't be able to get any sleep until they knew all the details about Luke's condition. They climbed out of the jeep and walked into the main entrance to the V.A. hospital. Jesse stopped at the main desk and asked for directions to the burn unit. The woman on duty directed them to the elevators and told them that the burn unit was on the fourth floor of the hospital.
When they stepped off the elevators on the designated floor, Jesse walked over to the nurse's station. One of the nurses on duty glanced up with a warm smile.
“May I help you, sir?” she asked graciously
“Yes, ma'am. My name is Jesse Duke from Hazzard. My nephew, Luke Duke, was burned in an accident and is being transferred here from Capital City .”
“Yes, Mr. Duke. Your nephew arrived a few minutes ago and they're admitting him now. If you'd like to have a seat someone will be out to talk to you just soon as possible.” She smiled encouragingly “And if you'd like some coffee or something to eat there's a brunch set up in the nurse's break room just around the corner. Feel free to help yourselves.”
“Thank you.” Jesse told her. The three Dukes walked over to a comfortable couch set up a short distance from the nurse's station and sat down. There was a TV mounted on the wall tuned to a local station and an assortment of magazines arranged on end tables throughout the waiting area. There was also a phone on a nearby table for family and visitors to use if needed. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable. Every effort had been made to make visitors and family members feel at home. But it did little to ease the Dukes minds as they sat down to wait some more.
It was almost two hours before a young woman dressed in a white pants suit walked into the waiting area and said “Are you the Duke family?”
“Yes, Ma'am.” Jesse said, rising to his feet “I'm Jesse Duke and this is my nephew, Bo and my niece, Daisy.”
“It's nice to meet all of you. I'm Doctor Manning and I'll be Luke's primary physician while he's on the unit. Why don't we go back to my office so we can discuss Luke's condition in private?”
The Dukes followed her down a short hallway to the left and went into her office.
She closed the door behind them and motioned for them to sit down. Instead of chairs facing her desk, her office was furnished with a comfortable black leather sofa and two matching armchairs. After the Dukes were comfortably settled on the sofa, she sat down in one of the armchairs and said “I know you're all very concerned and worried about Luke so I will try to explain his condition for you and answer any questions you might have.” She paused briefly and then continued “His condition is very critical. He has third degree burns on his legs and his lower back covering approximately forty percent of his body. That is considered life threatening. The biggest danger with third degree burns is infection. They literally become infected the moment they occur. The skin which is there to protect the body is burned away and dirt and debris automatically gets into the wound. But a burn victim also loses a large amount of fluid through the wounds, again because the skin isn't there to protect the area, so we have to continually replace those fluids. Now, the good news is that we can graft skin to the burned areas but we can't do that for a couple of days because we have to make sure that we clean up the burned areas first.” She paused again to let them absorb what she had told them so far . When none of them appeared to have any questions, she moved on. “He also has second degree burns on his hands and chest. Second degree burns are the ones that blister. Obviously, there is still a danger of infection but it isn't as great as it is with third degree burns. But we do want to keep the blisters from opening as much as possible. Approximately fifteen percent of his body is covered with second degree burns. So the total burned area is approximately fifty five percent of his body.” She told them “He also has some other injuries besides the burns that you need to be aware of. There is some damage to his throat and his lungs from smoke inhalation. That's what is interfering with his breathing. Now these injuries should heal themselves with very little medical intervention but until they do, he will have to be on a ventilator to help him breath. He also has four broken ribs and a broken collarbone. Those are probably the least serious injuries compared to his burns.” She paused waiting for questions.
“What are his chances?” Jesse asked still trying to take in all the doctor had just told them.
“About fifty fifty. And the next seventy two hours are the most critical ones. If he survives that long than he has a fighting chance of making it, barring any complications.”
“You said you could do skin grafts.” Daisy asked “Will that keep the burns from scarring?”
“There will still some scarring but we'll do our best to keep it to a minimum. And since the most serious burns are on his legs and lower back, then not that many people will see the scars anyway.”
“What about his face?” Jesse asked “Was it burned?”
“A few mild first degree burns….nothing to worry about.”
“Can we see him?” Bo asked anxiously
“In about an hour. It will take that long to finish evaluating him and getting him settled on the unit….hook him up to all the machines we need to hook him up to.” She said “I wanna assure you that right now he's not in any pain. He's heavily medicated and sedated and we will keep him that way for several days. So, if you would like to have a seat back out in the waiting room….I'll let you know as soon as you can see him.”
Chapter 5
True to her word, approximately an hour later Dr. Manning came back to the waiting room. “You can see Luke now.” She told the anxious family. “You can stay in the room with him except when the nurses are doing any treatments or any of the other therapists need to work with him. Because of the burns he is in isolation. So that means you will have to scrub up and put on gowns and masks before you can go into the room. But I will show you how to do all that before you go today.”
The family followed her down a long hall to the right of the nurse's station. She paused at a door that read 216 Isolation. She opened the door and went into a small room where two nurses sat at a desk. “This is Susan and Marsha.” Dr. Manning said “They're Luke's primary nurses for this shift. Girls this Jesse Duke, Bo Duke and Daisy Duke. I'm sure you're going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
She opened a door to the left and ushered the Dukes into another small room, this one with a sink, a double hamper, and shelves along one wall. “This is where you'll scrub and gown up before going into Luke's room. There's an antibiotic soap on the back of the sink. You need to gown up first and put on your masks and then wash your hands and put on gloves.” She showed them where the gowns, masks and gloves were and how to find the correct sizes. She used Bo as a model to demonstrate how to put them on. Then she had them wash their hands and put gloves. There were also paper booties they had to slip on over their shoes and caps they had to put over their hair. Before opening the door that opened into the isolation unit where Luke was, she said “When you leave, just put everything in the hamper.”
Finally, she opened the door and allowed them to enter the isolation room. It was a fairly large room with cabinets along one wall and a TV mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed. “A lot of the treatments are done right here in the room. It's simpler for the patient that way.” The doctor explained “So a lot of the supplies and equipment is in the cabinets.”
Luke's bed sat in the middle of the room. It was slightly larger than an ordinary hospital bed and had a specially designed air mattress. There were full side rails that went down both sides of the bed. A large number of machines surrounded the bed, all of them connected to Luke in one way or another. Two large computer screens above the bed gave constant readouts of his vital signs: his heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, respirations.
Luke was lying on the bed, his face looking almost as white as the sheet that covered his body from the waist down. His left arm was wrapped in gauze from his shoulder to his wrist and both hands were also lightly wrapped with gauze. His chest and stomach were similarly bandaged and even though the rest of his body was covered, the family knew that the rest of his body was covered by bandages too. Luke looked so small and vulnerable laying there, not the virile healthy young man they were all used to seeing every day. His eyes were closed and sunken in his face. A breathing tube connected to a ventilator was fitted in his mouth. Since his hands were both bandaged, there was an IV line inserted just below his right elbow. Upset at seeing her oldest cousin laying there in that condition made Daisy start crying softly. Jesse put a comforting arm around her shoulder and held her close, fighting to hold back his own tears. Bo stood beside the bed, absently reaching out to touch his cousin until he realized that he didn't know where to touch him. Finally he settled on gently running his thumb down the side of Luke's face. Bo's own eyes were flooded with tears. The doctor quietly slipped out of the room leaving the family alone with Luke.
“You hang in there, cuz. You hear me?” Bo said in a choked voice “I ain't ready to lose you yet.” Bo found himself thinking about the times he had burned his fingers on a match and how much it hurt when something that simple happened. He couldn't imagine the pain of being burned as badly as Luke had been burned. He prayed that Luke had been unconscious before he got burned so badly. He silently prayed that was the case and that Luke had been spared the agony of being conscious as his body was burned.
Jesse and Daisy moved closer to the bed both to be near Luke and to comfort Bo.
“Uncle Jesse, he looks so pale…” Daisy said. She was used to the deep healthy tan that both boys had from working outside so much not this washed out pallor that made Luke look so strange.
“I know, darlin'…” Jesse said quietly, tightening his arm around her shoulders. “But he's still alive….we have to all be grateful for that.”
“He can't die, Uncle Jesse.” Daisy cried burying her face against his shoulder “He just can't….”
“It's not up to us, baby…..it's up god to do what he sees fit to do.” Jesse said, his own voice cracking with emotion as he looked at his oldest nephew. He loved all of them as if they were his own biological children but Luke was his oldest. The first one to come to the farm to live with him and Martha. He was the one who loved the land the way Jesse did, the one who would become the family patriarch when Jesse was gone. He was already the family protector. The thought of losing him now, especially like this was tearing Jesse apart inside. But he knew that he had to remain strong for Bo and Daisy. Especially Bo. Those boys were so close; Jesse was really worried what would happen to Bo if Luke died. And it would be even worse since Luke had gone back into the barn to rescue Bo and then ended up getting hurt himself. Bo would never be able to live with the guilt if he thought that he was responsible for his cousin's death.
Jesse had endured more than his fair share of grief in his lifetime. His parents, six of his brothers, 2 of his sisters, his darling wife, Martha. But the thought of losing one of his ‘kids' was more than he could bear. That went against the entire scheme of things, he was suppose to go first not one of them.
The door opened quietly and Susan, one of the primary nurses, came in to check the readings on the monitor. Realizing that this was all new to the family, she took the time to explain, “We check the monitors every 15 minutes, that way we catch a problem before it happens. We also have screens at our desk that are hooked into these screens in case something happens when we're not in the room. We change the dressings twice a day, in mornings and in the evening. You will have to leave the room when we do that. We're also giving him morphine every four hours which I will be injecting directly into his IV. You don't have to leave for that.”
“What's in the IV?” Bo asked
“A saline solution to replace the fluids he's losing through the burns, we'll also be adding some nutrients to keep his strength up until he's awake and can eat on his own.” She smiled warmly “And even if the patient is sedated, we encourage the family to still talk to them…you never know when they might be aware enough to understand. There are several different levels of consciousness.”
“But he's not in pain, right?” Daisy asked in a worried voice
“We're doing everything we can to make sure that he's not.”
“Is it okay to touch him” Bo asked
“Sure…as long as you don't disturb any of the leads or the IV. The blisters on his hands are all on his palms so you can still touch the back of his hand.”
“He must have got those when he picked up that rafter that fell on my ankle.” Bo commented more to himself than to anyone else.
“If any of you need anything just let me know. I'll be right outside. We have soft drinks in our refrigerator in case any of you would like anything and there's a pot of coffee too. You're welcome to join us anytime you'd like. It can get pretty boring just sitting in here sometimes. You'd just have to gown back up before you came back in.”
“How long will he have to be in isolation?” Jesse asked
“That depends on how well and how quickly he responds to treatment.” She told the elder Duke. “I have to get back to work. I'll check on y'all in a little while.”
Chapter 6
When the nurse came in at 8 P.M. that evening to change the dressings, Jesse decided that the family should go to Cooter's cousin's house so they could get some rest. They had all been up for over 36 hours and they were exhausted. They left the hospital and climbed into Daisy's jeep. Cooter's cousin, Ben Jones, lived in a quiet neighborhood just a few blocks from the hospital. Jesse had called him before they left the hospital and he was expecting them. Jesse had also made sure that Luke's nurses had the phone number where they could be reached in case something happened while they were gone.
Ben greeted them warmly and introduced them to his wife, Margie. He was only a few years older than Cooter with a strong family resemblance. He offered them something to eat. They started to decline but his wife insisted so they all had a light meal of sandwiches, chips and coffee. After they had eaten, Ben showed them to their rooms so they could get some rest. They all turned in, falling asleep almost immediately.
Jesse was the first one up the next morning. He decided to let Daisy and Bo sleep in. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen where Ben poured him some coffee and his wife gave him a plate loaded with waffles and sausages.
“You and your family are welcome to stay with us as long as you need to.” Ben told him
“Thank you” Jesse said “We're much obliged to ya for your help.”
“Glad to do it. Cooter's told me so much about you and your family that I feel like I already know y'all.” Ben said with a warm smile. His expression turned serious “How is Luke?”
“Not very good I'm afraid” Jesse admitted “And I'm really worried about him.”
“I'm real sorry to hear that. You're good people.” Ben said “Cooter said there was a fire in your barn?”
“Yeah. It got hit by lightening. The boys went in to get the livestock out and a rafter fell on Bo's leg. Luke went back in after him and got caught in an explosion before he could get back out.”
“That's too bad. How's Bo holding up?”
“He's not good either. Them boys are so close, it'll kill him for sure if anything happens to Luke.”
“Well, I hope he's okay. What did they say at the hospital?”
“That the next 72 hours are critical. If he makes it that long he's got a chance.”
“How bad the burns?”
“Forty per cent third degree. His legs and his lower back.”
“Well, they got some of the best doctors around at that there hospital. And I'll be praying for him.”
“Thank you…” Jesse finished his breakfast and thanked Margie for the meal. He went upstairs to wake up Daisy and Bo. They got up and came downstairs where Margie fixed them breakfast too but neither one of them seemed to have much of an appetitie.
After thanking Ben and his wife again for their hospitality, they headed back to the hospital.
When they reached Luke's room, Marsha told them that Luke had made it through the night with just one incident when his blood pressure dropped drastically but they got it back up again without any trouble. Seeing their worried expressions when she gave them her report, she quickly assured that the fluctuations in blood pressure were common with a burned patient.
The Dukes stepped into the tiny room between Luke's room and the Nurse's office and quickly gowned up. They stepped into Luke's room and crossed over to his bed. He still lay there as pale and still as he had been the day before. Even though they knew that his lack of response was due to the fact that he was so heavily medicated and sedated, it still bothered them to see him like that. Bo had to reach out to rub his fingers down Luke's cheek so he could feel the warmth of his skin to reassure himself that his cousin was still alive.
Daisy had brought her tape recorder from home, along with a variety of tapes by Hank Williams Jr., Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. She sat it on the stand beside Luke's bed, right next to his ear, and put in a tape of Waylon Jennings to play for him. She kept the volume turned low so it wouldn't disturb anyone. They hoped that the music would help to soothe Luke and keep him calm if there was a part of him that could hear it. It was also one of the familiar touches from home that they could bring here to this sterile place so Luke wouldn't feel so alone and isolated when they weren't there.
Around noon , one of the physical therapists came in and asked them to step out of the room for an hour so she could do range of motion exercises and reposition Luke's body in the bed. The Dukes decided to go down to the hospital cafeteria to grab a bite to eat while they waited for her to finish.
Jesse was impressed with the gentle caring of the entire staff. They all treated Luke as if he were one of their own family members and talked to him as they worked with him. It was obvious that they all were there because they wanted to be and because they sincerely cared about the patients under their care. Jesse felt secure knowing that Luke was in safe hands when the family couldn't be there with him.
When they returned to Luke's room, he was now lying on his right side, with pillows behind his back to hold him in position. Another pillow was placed between his knees. Since someone in Luke's condition could not voluntarily move themselves or change their position in bed, it had to be done for them to keep them from developing bedsores from lying in one position for too long. Luke's position was changed every four hours, from one side to the other and then onto his back. Jesse was glad that Luke was so heavily sedated when they did some of the things they had to do for him. If he hadn't been, Jesse could only imagine that the pain would have been excruciating for Luke.
Most of the day, the three family members talked among themselves, although they continued to include Luke in their conversations as much as possible, not an easy thing to do with someone who isn't responding to you. Every once in awhile, Daisy leaned over and gently ran her fingers through his hair. It was so thick and soft. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying. Luke was her big brother, her hero, and she didn't want to lose him. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him in it.
Bo kept reaching out to touch Luke as if to continue to reassure himself that Luke was still alive and hadn't died when he wasn't looking. Only the warmth of his skin and the slight rise and fall of his chest as the ventilator helped him to breathe gave mute evidence that he was still hanging on. (and the beeping of the heart monitor beside the bed) Sometimes Bo found himself watching the monitors and trying to figure out what the various numbers meant. He knew that they gave the nurses various information about Luke's vital signs but he had no idea which numbers meant everything was okay and which ones didn't. The only monitor he knew about with any certainty was the one that recorded his heartbeat. He knew that as long as it kept making those jagged lines that Luke's heart was still beating. And as far as Bo was concerned, that was the most important monitor of all.
Chapter 7
There was a scare that afternoon when an alarm on one of the machines started sounding loudly. The nurses came rushing into the room and quickly ushered Bo and the rest of the family out of the room. They stripped off their gowns and stepped into the hallway, biting back their tears, fearing at any moment one of the nurses would walk out of that room and tell them Luke was dead.
The three of them stood in silence for nearly twenty minutes they all were too worried about Luke to really do much talking. When the door finally opened and Susan ushered them back into the nurse's office, they all braced themselves for whatever news she had to tell them.
“It's all right…he's still alive.” She said with a gentle smile when she saw their worried frightened faces. “His lungs are getting stronger. He's fighting the respirator that's what set off the alarm so I adjusted the settings so that it only breathes for him when he doesn't breathe deeply enough on his own. He's a fighter that one…..I have a feeling that he's going to surprise us all.”
“He's a Duke.” Jesse said with a trace of pride in his voice. “Can we go back in?”
“Why don't you let him rest for awhile? Come back in about an hour or so. Y'all look like you could use a break anyway.” Susan told them
The family agreed and walked down the hallway to nurse's break room where they each got a cup of coffee. They found a small courtyard and went outside to sit on the wrought iron benches while they drank their coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day, exactly the kind of days that Luke loved the most. It seemed strange how everything they did or said since the accident seemed to remind them in some way of Luke. Maybe it was because they were so focused on him right now. It was hard to keep their attention on anything else even each other.
They still had to make it through one more day to get past the critical seventy two hours. They decided that if Luke was still doing okay tomorrow at this time, they would go home so that Daisy could go back to work. Bo would get the General and come back to Atlanta where he would stay with Luke, calling the family daily with updated reports on his condition. Daisy and Jesse would still come to the hospital to see Luke every other day. Although they knew the farm was in safe hands and the animals were being taken care of, Jesse didn't feel right putting off that kind of responsibility onto his friends and neighbors for any long period of time. And even though Boss had agreed to Daisy taking a few days off, she couldn't afford to lose her job at the Boars Nest. Bo planned on calling Cooter and asking him and his cousins to continue helping Jesse with the chores and the planting since Bo wasn't going to be there for awhile to help.
They stayed out in the courtyard for a little over an hour and then returned to Luke's room. Susan was in the room with him when they went in, giving him a shot of morphine. Bo turned away as she inserted the needle into the IV line. He couldn't stand the sight of needles even if they were being used on someone else.
“Your family is back, handsome….” She said with smile at Luke's unconscious face. She gently reached down and brushed a lock of hair back from his closed eyes. “I'd better get out of here before they catch us making out.” She chuckled softly as she glanced at Jesse and Daisy. “He's lucky he's got a family as supportive as you. So many of the patients we get here don't have that. And it helps….we can only do so much…and sometimes its love that pulls ‘em through….not anything that we do.” She smiled as she left the room.
“Hey, cuz…” Bo said crossing over to the bed now that Susan was gone with her needle. “What are you trying to do? Flirt with all the pretty girls while we're gone?”
“Of course he is.” Daisy said with a grin “He's a Duke boy, ain't he?”
Jesse smiled as he listened to the familiar teasing between Daisy and Bo. He just wished that Luke could open his eyes and join in. Even if he made it through the critical seventy two hours, Jesse knew that Luke still had a long hard road ahead of him before he recovered and was able to come back home. Every since the accident Jesse had been praying like he had never prayed before. He had seen things happen in his lifetime that could only be described as miracles and he sure needed a miracle right about now.
Just as they had done the previous evening, they left at eight o'clock when the nurse came in to change Luke's dressings. When they arrived back at Ben's house they discovered that their hosts had waited supper on them. Grateful for their hospitality, the Duke family sat down with them to enjoy a home cooked meal consisting of meatloaf, white gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans with apple pie for dessert. As they ate, Jessie told Ben and his wife their plans for the next day. They assured Jesse that there was no problem with Bo continuing to stay with them. Margie reminded Jesse and Daisy that they expected them to stay too if they came back to spend the night.
After supper, Bo slipped out onto the front porch. He needed a few minutes alone. He looked up at the stars and remembered when him and Luke were kids. They used to sneak up to the hayloft and lay on the hay in front of the loft door, looking at the stars and dreaming about the future. That was where they had first come up with their plans to build the General Lee.
He glanced over his shoulder as the screen door squeaked slightly and Daisy joined him on the porch. Stepping up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and said “You okay, Bo?”
“Yeah….just thinking.”
“About Luke?”
“That's all I can think about. He has to be okay, Daisy…..I don't know what I'll do if he ain't.”
“He's hanging on….you just have to believe that he'll keep doing that.” Daisy said “It's all you can do.”
“I just feel so damn guilty….like it's all my fault…if he hadn't come back into the barn after me….” His voice trailed off as he choked back a sob.
“Bo Duke! I don't wanna hear you talking like that!” Daisy scolded him “And ya better be glad that Luke can't hear ya saying something like that….cause he'd pound some sense into ya.”
“I can't help it, Daisy. That's how I feel.”
Daisy sighed and stepped up to her cousin's side so that she could look into his face. “I know ya do, sugar. But you can't blame yourself. If the situation had been reversed and it had been Luke in there, you'd have gone back in there after him. He knows that and so do you.”
“Yeah, I know.” Bo said in a worn out voice “I'm just so scared that's all…”
“We all are, honey.” She reached out to take his arm “Come on....you need some sleep and so do I.” Bo allowed Daisy to guide him back into the house and up the stairs to the room he was using. He paused in the doorway and looked at her with that boyish smile that made the girls in Hazzard fall all over themselves to get close to him “Thanks, Daisy.”
“You're welcome, cousin. I'll see ya in the morning.” Daisy said as she continued on down the hallway to her own room. They both went into their rooms and shut the doors.