Chapter 8

The next morning, Susan reported that Luke had made it through the night without any problems other than spiking a slight fever. For the first time since the accident, the Dukes saw a flicker of hope as the critical seventy two hour deadline approached. Susan went on to tell them that if Luke's condition continued to remain stable, they would gradually start reducing the sedation so that he would start becoming more alert and aware of his surroundings. But they didn't want to rush things and cause him to have a setback. Jesse agreed wholeheartedly with that decision.

When they went into Luke's room, the first thing that all of them noticed was that Luke seemed to have some of his color back, his face wasn't as pale as it had been. All of them took that as an encouraging sign. Daisy put in one of the tapes so that it played softly in the background. Bo pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, gently reaching out to touch Luke's shoulder now and then about the only place he could touch that wasn't bandaged.

Against his will, Bo found himself wondering what Luke's burns looked like under the bandages that covered them. He'd seen second degree burns before but never third degree ones. He shuddered involuntarily as he suddenly remembered a kid he went to school with in the third grade who had gotten burned when he was a baby. The scars on his arm had been all knotted and twisted. He hoped that Luke's scars wouldn't look like that. But if they did then he was lucky that most of the third degree burns were on his legs where his jeans would cover them up.

Later that morning, Doctor Manning stopped by to talk to the family. “Luke's doing very well.” She told them “We're going to start treatment this afternoon to prepare the burns on his legs to be grafted. We'll be removing the dead tissue around the burned area. This will done surgically and under general anesthesia. I know that Luke is hypersensitive to anesthesia so we will be keeping a very close eye on him. After the surgery, temporary grafts will used to cover the wounds until we can harvest Luke's own skin for permanent grafts. This will help protect the wound until the permanent grafts are in place.”

“You're doing this today?” Jesse asked

“Yes, we're taking him to surgery around two o'clock and it will probably take at least two to three hours for the whole procedure. We can't really wait any longer because of the increased danger of infection the longer the wounds are left open.” She smiled encouragingly. “We're also going to start decreasing the amount of sedation he's being given.”

“So he'll wake up?” Daisy asked hopefully

“Not for a few days….we don't wanna rush it. But you will notice signs that he is becoming more alert and more aware of his surroundings. But he's still not out of danger….infection is still a big concern…and we don't know yet how well his body will accept the skin grafts.” Dr Manning told them addressing Daisy's question. “We also won't know until after surgery just how deep the burns are. If the muscles and tendons in the leg are affected then that complicates things because we have to take steps to make sure those tissues don't contract as they heal and interfere with his ability to walk on his own”

“Is there anything else we need to know?” Jesse asked

“Yes….one of the things that makes a burn injury so dangerous besides the damage it does to the body…is that a lot of the procedures we do to treat the wound are invasive procedures that carry with them their own complications.” She sighed softly “Every case is different because every burn is different and every patient is different. So it's hard to make any accurate predictions in these kind of cases.”

“Are you saying that Luke could still die?” Jesse said voicing his greatest fear.

“A massive infection, a problem with the grafts….those are still very real possibilities and those kind of complications could still prove to be fatal. But at this moment, I do believe that he's out of any immediate danger.” She looked at their anxious faces. She didn't want to take away their hope but she didn't want to lie to them either. “I have to go but I will come back after he's out of surgery to let you know how things went.”

“Thank you” Jesse said. As she walked out the door, he glanced at Daisy and said “Looks like we're staying at least one more night.” Daisy nodded. They both knew they couldn't go back to Hazzard until they knew the results of the surgery that afternoon. Jesse walked over to the side of Luke's bed and looked down at his oldest nephew somberly. Gently, he reached out to touch the young man's shoulder. “Keep hanging in there, Luke….” He said softly “We're all right here with you….you're not alone.” Jesse choked back the lump that rose in his throat. He knew that Luke was physically a strong young man he just hoped that he was strong enough to face what still lay ahead. His body had been through a terrible trauma and was in a seriously weakened condition. Jesse hoped that Luke could sense that they were there in spite of his sedation. Family was the bond that held the Dukes together and gave them their strength both individually and as a unit.

Shortly after one thirty that afternoon, they were asked to leave the room so that his nurses could get him ready for surgery. Since it would be a few hours before the surgery was finished, the family decided to leave the hospital for awhile. They went to a nearby Wendy's for lunch and then found a park where they could sit and enjoy their meal, relaxing until it was time to return to the hospital. The strain of the past few days was starting to show on all of them.

Daisy was concerned about Jesse. She knew that this kind of stress wasn't good for him. He wasn't as young as he used to be and he had high blood pressure. She hoped they could go home for at least a couple of days so she could make sure he got some rest. She knew that Luke would be in good hands with the medical staff and Bo would be there with him in case anything unexpected happened.

They finally returned to the hospital around five o'clock that afternoon. The evening nurses, Tammy and Connie, were already on duty. They smiled when the family came into the nurse's station and told them that the doctor was in with Luke but would be out to talk to them in a minute. Within a few minutes, Dr. Manning came into the nurse's office and smiled when she saw the family waiting for her.

“Luke did well during the surgery and he's resting comfortably. We were able to clean the wounds and put on the temporary grafts so all of the burned areas are covered now, except for a small place on his lower back. That's the good news.”

“What's the bad news?” Jesse asked sensing that there was some bad news too.

“The bad news is that the burn on his left leg did burn into the muscles and tendons behind his knee. That means we are going to have to splint that leg and increase the physical therapy sessions so that he will be able to use it normally again….and even then, depending on how well it heals, he could still have a permanent limp.”

“Can we go in now?”

“Of course.”

Chapter 9

The next morning, Jesse and Daisy did decide to go home at least for a couple of days. Bo promised to call them every day with an update on Luke's condition and to call them immediately at any time of the day or night if there were any problems at all. Ben was letting Bo use his car to get around until Daisy and Jesse came back. When they did, they were bringing the General with them for Bo's use while he was in Atlanta .

For the next two days, Luke's condition stayed fairly stable. Doctor Manning started slowly cutting back on the sedation that was keeping Luke unconscious. At first there was no noticeable change but three days after they started cutting back on the sedation Bo noticed a slight twitching in Luke's muscles and a rolling of his eyes beneath his closed lids. It was a hopeful sign and Bo started trying to coax Luke to open his eyes.

Susan, the day nurse, encouraged Bo to keep talking to Luke but she also reminded him that they were still controlling how quickly Luke started responding and not to get discouraged. The closer he got to consciousness, the more likely it was that he could hear Bo even if he couldn't open his eyes yet.

Jesse and Daisy came back to Atlanta that weekend. They were encouraged to when they noticed that Luke did seem to be starting to respond to his surroundings. They kept talking to him wondering if he could hear them. Susan was in the room checking the monitor readings when she noticed a favorable change. Smiling at Bo who had been talking to Luke, she said “Stop talking to him for a minute and look at this monitor.” Bo did as she requested. He saw the numbers on the monitor change. “Now talk to him again.” She said. Bo did as she asked and saw the numbers change again. Smiling brightly, Susan said “That's his blood pressure reading.” She said “It goes up when you stop talking to him but it goes back down when you talk to him again.”

“What's all that mean?” Jesse asked with a puzzled frown.

“It means he can hear you. The sound of your voice lowers his blood pressure because it calms him down.” Susan grinned as she reached out to adjust a control on one of the machines “It shouldn't be long now before he starts trying to open his eyes. And the doctor is planning on taking him off the ventilator this afternoon to see if he can breathe on his own. ”

“That's wonderful.” Daisy said happily

“That's the best news we've had in a week.” Jesse agreed, slipping his arm around Daisy's shoulders and giving her a hug.

“I'll make sure Doctor Manning knows right away. This is a good sign….so take it that way.” Susan told them as she let herself out of the room.

“Hey, cuz…” Bo said with a slight catch in his voice as he gently rubbed Luke's right arm, carefully avoiding the IV site. “Ya hear that? You're gonna be able to wake up soon….and I'm gonna be right here when you do…..”

Jesse stepped up behind Bo and gently clasped his shoulder. Bo turned his head and glanced over his shoulder at his Uncle with a smile, tears glistening in his eyes. Jesse smiled back, relieved to see his youngest in better spirits. He might as well have been in that bed right beside Luke the way he'd been acting since the accident. Jesse just hoped that Luke didn't have any setbacks. Bo was so emotionally connected to Luke that he felt Luke's pain as keenly as if it were his own.

As the day passed, Luke showed more subtle signs that he was able to hear them and was aware that they were there. There was more twitching to his muscles and moving of his eyes beneath the lids. Towards evening, his eyes even opened a tiny slit. Not much but a little. At one point, he even turned his head slightly towards the sound of Bo's voice as he talked to him. Late that afternoon, the doctor did remove the ventilator and Luke seemed to do fine breathing on his own. The doctor assured them that the nurses would continue to monitor his respirations closely to make sure he didn't develop any problems. The family was disappointed when it was time for them to leave for the night but encouraged by the changes in Luke's condition.

The next morning, Susan had good news for them when they arrived at the hospital. Smiling brightly, she said “I need to let you know before you go in there that Luke's eyes are open but he's not completely awake yet, he's still pretty out of it because of the sedation and the pain medication.”

“Will he know that we're there?” Bo asked anxiously “That it's us?”

“He'll know that there's someone there….he may or may not realize who you are. But that should improve throughout the day. Now….he doesn't know how badly he's burned and the doctor would prefer that he not be told right away….she'd like for him to be a little more alert first….so if he does wake enough that he starts talking or asking any questions….just try to keep him calm but don't tell him too much about his condition.”

The Dukes agreed. They didn't like the idea of keeping anything from Luke but they understood the Doctor's concern. They gowned up and went into the room. Luke was lying on his side facing the window. As they walked around to that side of the bed, they saw that although his eyes were open, he gave no indication that he realized they were there until Bo spoke to him.

“Hey, cuz…” Bo said softly, reaching out to gently touch Luke's shoulder. Luke's eyes settled on Bo's face and for the briefest moment, Bo was sure he saw he saw a flicker of recognition in those sapphire depths. It didn't last long but Bo was positive it had been there for a moment. “We're all here….me, Uncle Jesse and Daisy….” Impulsively, he leaned forward and laid his cheek against his cousins's cheek. “Come on back to us, Lucas….” He whispered in Luke's ear. “Don't leave me like that again….”

“Hey, Sugar…” Daisy said, stepping up to the bed and leaning down to give Luke a kiss on the forehead. She felt the tears gathering in her eyes but this time they were tears of happiness as she gazed at her older cousin's face.

Jesse reached out to gently rub Luke's shoulder “We're all right here, son….” He said struggling to keep his voice level and calm. “Stay strong….we'll all get through this together….” Luke's eyes closed and he appeared to drift off into a peaceful sleep instead of a drugged one.

Throughout the remainder of the day, Luke continued to open his eyes periodically. Each time he did, there seemed to be a little bit more awareness in his gaze. By the time the family prepared to leave that evening, they were positive that Luke recognized them even though he still hadn't made any effort to speak. When they arrived the next morning, Susan's morning report wasn't as promising as they had hoped.

“We had to sedate Luke again during the night.” She told them, holding up her hand to silence their questions until she finished her report. “He woke up and became very agitated….we're not really sure why….but we think it may have been because none of you were here. So….the doctor's agreed that if one of you wants to stay with him during the night, she's going to allow it….at least for now.”

“I'm staying then.” Bo said firmly.

Susan smiled. She was not surprised that the younger cousin had volunteered to stay. She had seen how close the two young men were. In her opinion, he was the best choice to stay. “He was also trying to talk last night….so try to encourage him to continue doing that today. Now, his voice is very hoarse because of the respirator and the smoke inhalation so don't let him overdo it or he won't be doing any talking for awhile. He's still pretty groggy from the sedation last night so it will probably be a couple of hours before he's as alert as he was last night before you left.” She finished up her report and smiled at the family encouragingly. “You can go in now.”

Chapter 10

Luke's eyes were closed but he was restless. His head moved slightly from side to side and his eyes were moving rapidly beneath the lids. Going up to the bed beside him, Uncle Jesse gently touched his arm and said “Shhhhh…..it's alright, Luke….we're here now….” Soothed by the sound of his Uncle's voice, Luke slowly calmed down. Jesse continued talking to him quietly and stroking his arm until he was resting quietly.

“That's right, Luke….” Bo said, leaning down so that he was talking in Luke's ear “We're all right here.”

“You bet we are, sugar…” Daisy said, adding her voice to her cousins and her Uncles. She bent forward and gently kissed his cheek and then found herself wondering if Luke could feel her kiss or not.

Luke stayed asleep most of the morning but finally opened his eyes around noon . Bo saw the panicked look that filled those sapphire blue eyes and quickly reached out reassuringly. “Luke, it's okay….you're okay….” Luke turned his head slightly and focused on Bo's face. Slowly the panic faded from his eyes replaced instead by a puzzled confused expression. Silently without making a sound, his lips formed Bo's name. “Yeah, cuz…” Bo told him with a grin “It's me.”

“Luke, it's Uncle Jesse.” Jesse said stepping up to the bed and touching his shoulder reassuringly. Slowly Luke turned his head and struggled to focus his eyes on his Uncle's face “You're okay….you're at the V.A. hospital in Atlanta . There was a fire in the barn and you got hurt. Do you remember?”

Slowly Luke shook his head, his eyes darting around the room frantically until he focused on Bo's face again. Not wanting him to get agitated so that the nurses sedated him again, Jesse gently rubbed Luke's shoulder in an effort to calm him down. He glanced up as the door opened and Susan came into the room. She glanced at the family with an arched eyebrow. “I saw the change in the monitors.” She explained

“It's okay.” Bo told her “Luke was just a little scared when he woke up. He's okay now.”

Susan crossed over to Luke's bed and leaned down so that he could see her face. “Hi, blue eyes.” She said with a warm smile. “I'm Susan and I'm one of your nurses. Are you doing okay?” Luke looked at her blankly for a few seconds and then nodded his head slightly. Satisfied that he was calm and not going to get himself worked up like he had the night before, she smiled and straightened back up. Smiling at Jesse, she said “I just had to make sure he was okay.” She turned and left the room.

“Hey, Darlin'…” Daisy said, gently touching Luke's arm to get his attention. Luke's eyes shifted to focus on her face and he smiled faintly. He silently mouthed her name without speaking bringing tears to her eyes when she realized that he really did recognize her. “Yeah, it's me, honey….” She whispered not trusting her voice to say much more.

Luke drifted in and out all day. When he was awake, he was alert but still somewhat disoriented. He still didn't try to speak, instead simply silently mouthing the words. It was a frustrating way to try and carry on a conversation but none of the family minded. They were just all so relieved that Luke was awake and knew who they were.

They knew that he was still heavily medicated against the pain and that was what was causing his confusion and disorientation. But they preferred to have him confused and disoriented instead of in any kind pain. And they had no doubt that without the morphine in his system the pain would have been unbearable.

Daisy and Jesse left at eight o'clock that evening as usual but Bo hung around in the hallway outside the room until Connie came out to tell him that they were done changing Luke's dressings. He gowned back up and went back into Luke's room.

Luke was sleeping but seemed restless. Bo sat down beside him and gently reached out to touch his arm reassuringly.

_______________________________________

Luke was running through the woods, the woods that were just behind the barn. The trees were on fire, engulfed in flames that towered above him and thick black smoke blocked out the sun. Luke ran through the fire, trying to escape the fire. The heat of the fire blazed all around him and he could feel his skin beginning to burn. He could hear his family calling out to him and he knew they were danger but he couldn't seem to get to them. The smoke was burning his eyes, blinding him, and making him cough. Suddenly, a wall of flames appeared in front of him and he saw Bo standing in the flames.

“Bo!” Luke cried out “Help me!”

“I can't.” Bo replied almost in a whisper “You're too far away…..” Suddenly Bo seemed to vanish into the flames and the wall of fire closed in around Luke burning at his flesh. The smoke started filling his lungs and he began to cough, breathing was getting more and more difficult and he fell to his knees. His heart pounded with fear, this time the fire was going to take his life. He opened his mouth and screamed

  _______________________________

Luke awoke with a start, his body shaking and a cold sweat breaking out on his face. Bo instantly leaned over him, gently soothing him with comforting words. Luke gave a sigh of relief when he realized that it had only been a dream. More alert than he had been all day, Luke tried to read Bo's eyes to see how bad things were but could read nothing in Bo's baby blue eyes.

“How….bad….am….I…..hurt?” Luke managed to say in a hoarse scratchy voice that was barely above a whisper. Bo looked startled when he realized that Luke had actually spoken out loud.

“Don't worry about that right now. You're gonna be okay.” Bo said evasively, even though he hated not telling Luke the truth. Luke looked at him blankly. He had the gut feeling that Bo wasn't exactly being honest with him. His whole body felt numb and detached. Luke could tell that he was heavily medicated with something pretty potent which had to mean that he was hurt pretty bad.

“Be…honest…” Luke said with difficulty. The effort of merely talking was wearing him out rapidly.

“Tomorrow.” Bo told him firmly “We'll talk about it tomorrow.” He gently rubbed Luke's shoulder until Luke finally closed his eyes and let the darkness invade his exhausted mind.

Bo felt the tears burning in his eyes as he watched Luke fall back to sleep. He wished that Uncle Jesse was here. Bo had never been able to lie to Luke, Luke could always see right through him. He could see it in Luke's eyes. Luke knew that he was hurt and hurt badly. But Bo prayed that he wouldn't have to be the one who had to tell him just how badly he was hurt. Selfishly, he wanted Uncle Jesse to be the one to do that. If he tried, Bo knew that he would lose it and start bawling like a baby and that definitely wouldn't help Luke any. Bo prayed that Luke would sleep through the night and not wake up with any more questions that Bo didn't want to have to answer.

Chapter 11

Luke was still sleeping when Daisy and Jesse arrived the next day. Jesse took one look at Bo's anxious face and worried that something had happened during the night. Bo looked at his Uncle and said in a choked up voice “He was awake and talking last night, Uncle Jesse…..and he wanted to know how bad he was hurt……I didn't know what to tell him…..”

“That's alright, son.” Jesse said patting his youngest nephew's shoulder comfortingly. Jesse frowned. He knew what the doctor had said about not telling Luke too much about his condition until he was more alert but if he was alert enough to be asking, then Jesse decided that he was alert enough to be told. Luke would know if they were lying to him and that would only cause him more undue stress and Jesse wasn't going to allow that. Ultimately, Jesse felt that it was his decision to make and not someone else.

Jesse quickly turned his attention to the bed as Luke moaned softly and slowly opened his eyes. It took a few minutes for his eyes to focus on Jesse's face.

“Burned….” Luke said his voice still hoarse and barely audible. It was not a question it was a statement indicating to Jesse that Luke was aware that he had been burned in the fire. Jesse slowly nodded his head.

“That's right you got burned.” Jesse told him leaning over the bed so he could look in the young man's eyes. “Luke, do you remember what happened?”

“Explosion…..” Luke answered correctly “In the barn…”

“That's right. There was an explosion. Bo got out before it happened…..you didn't…..”

“How …bad?” Luke looked at his Uncle, his sapphire blue eyes begging to be told the truth. No matter what it was.

“You have third degree burns on both legs and second degree burns on your chest, back and hands.” Jesse told him, watching his face closely for his reaction. Luke closed his eyes for several minutes and when he opened them again, Jesse could see the tears that were gathered there.

“Numb….” Luke struggled to say “Can't feel….much….”

“They've got you pumped full of morphine.” Jesse told him gently. He saw the knowing look that crept into Luke's eyes. Luke had basic field training as a medic in the Marines. He knew that morphine was only given as a last resort or in cases where the pain would be intolerable without it. Luke had a feeling that in his case the latter was applicable. He closed his eyes again, not to shut his family out, but to simply adjust to what he had been told. “Luke,” he heard Jesse said quietly “You have to stay strong…..we'll get through this together….as a family.” Luke didn't answer and he didn't open his eyes. Suddenly, he found himself longing for the comfort of his Uncle‘s embrace, wanting Jesse to chase away the fear that was twisting his stomach into knots.

Bo and Daisy had been standing silently by as their Uncle told Luke about his condition and how bad it was. Even though Luke showed no outward display of emotion, Bo knew that he was badly shaken and afraid. Bo could sense it. He could feel it through that unique psychic bond that they shared. He would talk about it with Luke later when they were alone.

The door opened and Susan came into the room. She took in the scene before her with a quick practiced glance. “Am I interrupting something?” She asked politely without coming any farther into the room.

“No,” Jesse said, gently reaching out to touch his oldest nephew's cheek. “I was just telling Luke why he's here.”

Susan understood what Jesse was telling her without actually putting it into words. She knew that he had told his nephew how badly he was burned. Now all that remained to be seen was just how strong the young man was and how hard he was willing to fight for his own recovery. Although he was out of immediate danger for the moment that could change drastically at any time during the next couple of weeks until the wounds were permanently grafted with his own skin and the danger of infection passed.

“Good.” She said briskly crossing over to the bed “Because I need to talk to Luke about something then…..Luke, can you hear me?” Luke nodded slightly and opened his eyes to look at the face of his nurse. “Good.” She said with a smile “You've already had temporary grafts put on your legs where they were burned. In a day or two, the doctor will start the permanent skin grafts using your own skin. It will take about a week to see if the grafts take and around two weeks to finish the grafts completely. During that time, you will continue to be very susceptible to infection and you will have to remain in isolation until the grafts are completed. Do you understand so far?” Luke nodded slightly. She smiled at the intelligence and determination that she saw in the young man's eyes in spite of the high level of morphine in his system. “Alright, now here's the tough part….. now that you're awake, the doctor needs to adjust your pain medication. She's changing the order to PRN instead of every four hours like it is now. What that means is you have to let me know when the pain becomes too much for you and then I'll give you something for it. Okay?” When Luke nodded one final time indicating that he understood everything she had told him. She grinned and added in a teasing voice “Spoken like a true Marine, Sergeant Duke.” A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Luke's mouth. “You need to get some rest….I think you've had just about enough for one day.” Susan told him. She smiled at the rest of the family as she turned to leave the room. She had a good feeling about this patient. She had a feeling he was going to be one of their patients that made it and went home intact. There were still some rough spots ahead but she sensed a deep inner strength in the young man that would get him through them, that along with the love and support of his family.

Chapter 12

Luke lingered somewhere between being asleep and being awake. His eyes were closed but he could sense Bo sitting by his side. He wasn't in any pain the truth was he couldn't feel much of anything. But his mind was still working overtime and it wouldn't let him rest. As the sedation slowly worked its way out of his system and his mind cleared, he struggled with the demons in his head. The memories of feeling himself being burned in the explosion before he lost consciousness.

Bo sensed Luke's restlessness and gently began stroking his arm trying to calm him. A Willie Nelson tape was playing softly in the background and the lights in the room were turned down low. Brenda, the third shift nurse, had just come in to check the monitors and record the readings. She reported that Luke was running a fever and told Bo that she would check on him more frequently during the night to make sure the fever didn't get too high. Bo assumed it was the fever that was making Luke so restless. His face was flushed and covered with a thin sheen of sweat, his skin hot to the touch. Bo realized that the fever was from the infection that was trying to take hold in Luke's body.

An infection that could be dangerous in his present condition.

Bo smiled when Luke's eyes slowly opened. They were glazed and feverish and he seemed to have trouble focusing his gaze on Bo's face. And deep in those sapphire depths, Bo could see the fear that Luke was trying to keep hidden. “It's okay, cuz…” Bo told him quietly “Just try to relax…..I'm right here….you ain't alone…” Bo's words seemed to reassure Luke and he started to quiet down.

“Bo…” Luke whispered hoarsely sounding confused and disoriented

“I'm right here…” Bo reassured him once more

“Don't leave…me….scared…don't wanna be ….alone.”

“I ain't going no where.”

“Don't wanna…die…”

“You ain't gonna die!” Bo said firmly “So don't go talking like that, Luke Duke!”

“Scared….” Luke muttered, closing his eyes again. He was tired and it was too much of an effort to stay awake. He could feel the darkness tugging at the edges of his mind.

“I know you're scared but it's gonna be okay….you just gotta hang on a little while longer….ya hear me?” Bo said trying to keep the fear from creeping into his own voice. Bo knew that under normal circumstances Luke would never be talking this way. He seldom shared his fears or innermost feelings with anyone. Luke had the kind of personality where he had to be in control at all times and that included in control of his own emotions and fears. When Luke didn't answer, Bo realized that he had fallen back to sleep.

Bo sighed and leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He was tired too but it was hard to find a comfortable enough position to sleep in a chair. The best he could hope for was to grab a short nap before morning. He finally dozed off but never went into a deep sleep, a part of him stayed alert listening for any sounds that would indicate that Luke might need him.

When Jesse and Daisy arrived the next morning, Jesse insisted that Bo go back to Ben's house for awhile to get some sleep as long as he was going to be spending his nights with Luke at the hospital. Bo reluctantly agreed even though he hated to leave Luke's side. As he left the room, Daisy took his place in the chair beside the bed. She reached out to touch her older cousin's shoulder, shocked at how hot his skin was to her touch. Susan had told them in her morning report that Luke was running a fever but she hadn't told them that it was so high. His fever continued to rise unabated throughout the morning. Finally, Susan paged the doctor who arrived almost immediately and began examining Luke.

Daisy and Jesse anxiously paced the hallway outside the room until Doctor Manning finally stepped out of the room. She looked at them gravely and said “He's got a serious infection. I've put him a stronger antibiotic and ordered the nurses to cover him with a cooling blanket to bring his fever down.”

“Is he gonna be alright?” Daisy asked anxiously, leaning against Jesse for support. The elder Duke slipped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed reassuringly.

“If we can get the fever down…yes, he should be fine.”

“Will this infection interfere with his treatments?” Jesse asked solemnly. Luke had already been through so much, Jesse was concerned as to just how much more his weakened body could take.

“We don't have any choice. We have to continue the treatments in spite of the infection. Until his burns are grafted and the grafts take, he continues to run the risk of getting more infections. We expected this. As I told you in the beginning anyone who gets burned as badly as Luke is bound to develop an infection at some point…it can't be helped. But we didn't expect his fever to get so high so quickly.”

“But you can bring it down, right?” Daisy asked

“Yes and once the antibiotics kick in, it should stay down.”

“What if it doesn't?” Jesse asked voicing a concern of his own

“Then we could have a problem.” Dr Manning said “But let's not worry about that just yet.” She smiled encouragingly “I know this is hard for all of you but we are on top of things and Luke is receiving the best care we can give him.”

“We know that.” Jesse told her “And we appreciate everything you're doing for Luke.”

“Thank you. You can go back in now and I'll be checking on him closely all evening.”

Jesse and Daisy nodded and went back into the isolation unit. Luke was covered with a special blanket that was designed to lower his body temperature and bring down the fever. His eyes were closed and he was restlessly tossing his head from side to side. He calmed down noticeably when Jesse sat down beside him and started rubbing his arm, talking to him comfortingly. Daisy pulled up another chair and sat beside Jesse, watching her cousin's face for any signs of discomfort. She sought her own comfort by leaning against Jesse and resting her head on his shoulder.

Jesse sat there watching his oldest and comforting his niece, lost in his own thoughts. Luke's parents had been killed in a fire when he was three years old and Jesse prayed that fate hadn't stepped in to have Luke die in the same way. Jesse could remember so well the night that three year old Luke had been brought to him and Martha. For four nights Jesse had sat up with Luke, rocking the frightened child as he cried and trying to comfort him. He just wished he knew the best way to comfort him now.

Early that afternoon, Susan told them that although Luke was still running a fever it had come down significantly. They would leave the cooling blanket on for a couple of more hours and then remove it. In the meantime, Luke was resting as comfortably as could be expected. Bo returned to the hospital around five PM and the Dukes went down to the hospital cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.

Chapter 13

Bo was awakened by the sound of Luke's moaning. Instantly alert, Bo leaned over him and gently touched his face. “Luke?” he said softly “I'm right here. What's wrong?”

Luke's eyes flickered open and he forced himself to focus on Bo's worried face. “Hurts….” He whispered with a sharp edge to his voice “Bo, it hurts….” He grimaced involuntarily and bit his lower lip against the fiery pain that seemed to be creeping throughout his whole body “It hurts….” He repeated again as the pain relentlessly pulled at his mind.

“Okay, cuz….hang on.” Bo said, he reached out and pushed the button on wall to summon the nurse. A few minutes later, the door opened and Debbie, one of the third shift nurses came into the room.

“What's wrong, Luke?” she asked immediately crossing over to the bed.

“It hurts….” Luke told her, through clenched teeth as he tried to control the pain with the force of his own will power.

“Okay, darling….just hang on while I go and get something for that.” She told him. She quickly left the room, returning in a few minutes with a syringe which she deftly injected into Luke's IV line. Luke felt the effects of the morphine almost immediately as the pain started to fade away. He breathed a soft sigh of relief and tried to smile his thanks.

She motioned with her eyes for Bo to follow her over to the doorway where they could talk in private without Luke overhearing them. “I'm sorry….his last shot was over four hours ago and my instructions were PRN so I had to wait until he indicated that he was in pain. I'll say something to the doctor and see if we can get that order changed to PRN during the daytime and every 4 hours at nighttime. I hate to see him not getting enough rest because the pain wakes him up.”

“Thank you. I'd appreciate that.” Bo told her with a charming smile “I can't stand to see him hurting like that.”

“I know and there's no reason for it either. I'm sure it was just an oversight on the Doctor's part. I'll make sure it gets corrected immediately.”

Bo thanked her again as she left the room and he returned to Luke's side. Luke was still awake and watching Bo carefully as Bo sat back down beside him. “I'm glad you're here, cuz…” he said. His voice was still slightly hoarse but it was stronger than it had been and almost back to his normal volume. He was also talking more clearly without the halting speech and slurred words he had been using. It was another positive improvement in his condition. A small one but an improvement just the same.

“I ain't got no place else to be.” Bo told him with a lopsided smile. “Besides somebody has to keep an eye on all these pretty nurses that are taking such good care of you.”

Luke chuckled softly, stopping when his broken ribs protested violently. “Remind me not to do that again anytime soon….” He said with a wince. His eyes were starting to get heavy as he struggled to stay awake. With a soft sigh, he let himself drift back into the darkness.

“Get some rest, cuz…” Bo said softly as he watched Luke drift off to sleep. “You need it….” Bo pinched the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted himself. It was hard to believe that it had only been a week since the fire. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Bo stretched out his legs and folded his arms across his chest. Lowering his head to rest his chin on his chest, he tried to get some sleep of his own. The next thing he knew it was morning and Susan was coming into the room to change Luke's dressings. Bo excused himself and left to go and get some coffee until she was finished.

When he returned to the unit, Susan closed the door behind him and gave Bo her morning report. ”First of all, the Doctor did change the morphine order. It is still PRN during the day but back to every four hours from eight P.M. to eight A.M. although she did decrease the nighttime order slightly. The other good news is that we took the bandages off of his left arm, chest and his hands this morning. We also put the splint on his left leg and it will stay on, day and night except when the physical therapist is working with him, until the leg is completely healed. I also told Luke that the doctor was going to start harvesting the permanent grafts tomorrow and he's not looking forward to that.”

“It's because any kind of anesthesia makes him sicker than a dog for about twenty four hours.” Bo said

“We'll be keeping a close eye on him and try to make him as comfortable as possible but unfortunately, there's no way around it.”

“I know” Bo said. He thanked her for her report and went in the other room to gown up. Luke opened his eyes when he heard Bo to come into the room. He hated the dressing changes. In spite of the pain medication, it still hurt when they changed the bandages on his legs. He kept his eyes closed when the nurses were changing the dressings because he had no desire to see for himself the damage done to his legs. He had seen more than his share of third degree burns when he was in Viet Nam, he knew what his legs probably looked like.

“Hey, cuz…” Bo said with a smile as he crossed to Luke's side. Luke looked up at him with a faint smile. His eyes were still feverish but clear and his face was still slightly flushed from the fever he was still carrying. Bo's gaze automatically drifted to Luke's chest. The only physical sign that still remained to show where he had been burned was some redness of the skin in various areas. It was another small improvement but a positive one. Mute evidence that Luke was recovering at least from the more minor burns and injuries.

Luke's fever fluctuated throughout the day, at one point it got high enough again that Susan considered calling the doctor to see if they should use the cooling blanket but then it went back down on it's own before they needed to. The fever combined with the antibiotics and the morphine was making Luke groggy and disoriented. He dozed on and off most of the day. It made for a long stressful day for Bo but he knew that Luke still needed to rest as much as possible to regain his strength and his stamina. Even though Luke was alert and conscious, he still wasn't out of danger. The biggest concern was the infection that raged on within his body.

Late that afternoon, Susan came in carrying a tray of food that she sat down on the bedside table. It contained mostly soft foods: Jell-O, pudding, broth, and 7 up. Grinning at Luke, she said “Now that you are awake, the Doctor wanted to see how well you could tolerate eating on your own instead of getting fed through your IV.” She pushed the control on the bed to raise the head of the bed so that Luke was sitting in an upright position and moved the table so that it was positioned in front of him. “I'll be back in a little while to check on ya.” Luke smiled at her, one of the first genuine smiles he'd given anyone since the accident. “I can see you like that idea.” She joked as she turned to leave the room.

After she had left, Luke slowly started eating. It was harder then he thought it would be. His arms and hands were weak from not being used normally in over a week and his muscles trembled with the effort. And the IV in his right arm made if difficult to use his dominant hand. Bo watched carefully, ready to assist Luke if he needed help. Luke spilled a little because of his poor coordination but most of it he managed to get into his mouth. Even if it was bland and rather tasteless, the simple act of feeding himself had never felt so good. It took him almost an hour to finish it all and by that time he was exhausted from the effort. Bo pushed the table aside and put the head of the bed back down to a more comfortable position. He watched as Luke's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 14

Bo sat beside Luke, gently rubbing his back in a soothing circular motion, as he retched pitifully just like he had been doing all afternoon. The surgery to harvest the first permanent skin grafts to Luke's legs had gone well. But now Luke had to suffer through the violent side effects that he always experienced whenever he had any type of anesthesia. There was nothing in his stomach to vomit but Luke continued to retch anyway. Bo could feel Luke's entire body trembling beneath his touch as he tried to sooth and comfort him. Bo knew that this reaction would last for at least twenty-four hours if not longer and by the time it subsided, Luke would be totally exhausted from his ordeal and sleep for several hours.

Luke's hypersensitivity to anesthesia was an inherited trait that ran in the male side of the Duke family. Luckily it had not been passed on to Bo like it had been to Luke. Uncle Jesse did not have it either, but two other male cousins, Vance and Coy, both did. Bo knew that there was very little he could do at times like this other than just what he was doing right now. Luke had to have someone with him until the symptoms passed for his own safety and for simple reassurance. But it was still hard to watch him suffer so and not be able to stop it. Bo hated being sick, he could only imagine feeling that way for almost twenty four hours along with the dry heaves the whole time. Besides the severe nausea and the dry heaves, Luke also got a terrible headache which only added to his suffering even more.

The usual medications that a doctor would give someone to help with the side effects did not help in Luke's case so he had no choice but suffer through them until the anesthesia was completely out of his system. Susan came in frequently to check on Luke and to monitor his vital signs. She had seen other patients who had similar reactions to anesthesia but none had ever been quite as severe as Luke. She felt sorry for the young man he was already dealing with so much it didn't seem fair that he had to deal with this too in order to recover from his injuries. She noted that his fever was starting to go up again and that worried her. The antibiotics didn't seem to be controlling the infection that raged within him. She left the room and went straight to her desk to call the doctor for further instructions. The doctor told her to continue to monitor Luke's condition and to keep a close eye on his fever. If it continued to rise, she was to call the doctor back immediately.

Finally around six thirty the next morning, the symptoms started tapering off and Luke fell into an exhausted sleep. Bo also fell asleep sitting in his chair, exhausted from caring for Luke until the side effects wore off. Susan smiled when she came on shift that morning and saw the two cousins both sleeping. Bo was leaning against the bed with his arms crossed and his head resting on top of his forearms. Even though it was time for Luke's dressing change, Susan decided to postpone that until later in the day. Both young men needed to sleep for now. She checked Luke's vital signs. They were all within normal range, although his blood pressure was higher than normal and his fever was back up again. If that continued, she would have to call the doctor.

Around noon , the physical therapist arrived to work with Luke. She reluctantly woke up both boys and asked Bo to step out of the room so she could begin her session with Luke. Bo's stomach growled suddenly reminding him that he hadn't eaten since noon the day before so he decided to go down to the cafeteria while the therapist was working with Luke. After he had eaten, he called Uncle Jesse with an update on Luke's condition. Daisy and Jesse had returned home and were only coming to Atlanta on Sundays and Mondays which were Daisy's usual days off work.

Bo generally left the hospital for a few hours in the afternoons and went back to Ben's to take a shower, change clothes and catch a short nap in a real bed before returning to the hospital to be with Luke for the rest of the night. But he decided not to follow his usual routine today. Something told him that he needed to be with Luke.

Bo was on his way back to Luke's room when he heard the call over the intercom “CODE RED! ROOM 216 ISOLATION! CODE RED! ROOM 216 ISOLATION!” Bo instantly broke into a run when he recognized Luke's room number in the code. His heart was pounding frantically in his chest when he reached the hallway outside of Luke's room. He knew he couldn't go inside so he paced frantically in the hall, his eyes darting anxiously towards the door, waiting for someone to tell him what was wrong. Bo fought back the tears that burned in his eyes, fearing that at any moment Dr Manning or one of the nurses would open the door to that room and tell him that Luke was dead.

Chapter 15

It was almost two hours before the door to that room finally opened and Doctor Manning stepped into the hallway. She took one look at Bo's terrified face and gently took his arm leading him over to a nearby sofa. Gently, she helped him to sit down and then sat beside him.

“Luke….” Bo said in a shaky voice “Is he….is he….” Bo's voice broke uncontrollably. He was unable to say the words out loud.

Doctor Manning gently put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “Luke's fever went dangerously high and he went into convulsions. It took us awhile to get them stopped. He's still alive but his condition has been upgraded back to critical. We're going to be running some tests the rest of the day and trying to figure out exactly what's going on.” She paused to let that information sink in and then continued “He's been sedated again for his own safety. You might want to call the rest of your family and get them back here.” Bo nodded and then buried his face in his hands as the tears he'd been holding back burst free. Dr Manning gently slipped one arm around his shoulders and let him cry. She stayed with him until he regained control of himself and wiped the remaining tears from his face with the back of his hand.

“Is Luke going to die?” he asked, finally voicing the question that he needed to know the answer to.

“I don't know.” Doctor Manning told him honestly “His body has already been through one major trauma….he may not be strong enough yet to survive another one so soon.”

“Excuse me…” Bo said in a shaky voice, slowly shoving himself to his feet “I have to call my family…..”

The Doctor sighed as she watched Bo walk down the hallway towards the family phone in the waiting area. She had tried to honest with him about his cousin's condition. She didn't want to take away his hope completely but she had her doubts about his cousin's chances at this point. And even if he did survive, Luke may never be the same young man he had been before. She stood up and slowly walked away to tend to her other patients.

In the family waiting area, Bo walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. He paused before finally dialing the number for the farm. He tried to force down the lump in his throat as he waited for someone to answer the phone. When Jesse's voice came over the line, Bo had to choke back his tears before he could speak. “Uncle Jesse, its Bo.” He said unable to keep the tremble out of his voice

“Bo! What's wrong? Has something happened to Luke?” Jesse asked in a worried voice alarmed by the fear he could hear in Bo's tone.

“He went into convulsions…..” Bo said struggling to get out the words before he started crying “They had to sedate him again.”

“You hang in there, Bo….” Jesse told him reassuringly “Daisy and me will be there just as soon as we can.” Jesse hung up without waiting for Bo's reply. Bo slowly hung the receiver back on the cradle and walked down the hall to the men's room. Stepping inside, he locked himself in one of the stalls and sat down on the commode. Burying his face in his hands, he started sobbing, deep gut wrenching sobs torn from his very soul. It took a long time before he was finally able to get his emotions under control and head back to Luke's room.

Susan glanced up when Bo walked into the nurse's office. She saw the stricken look on the young man's face and his red puffy eyes. Instinctively, she reached out to give him a hug. “We're doing everything we can for Luke.” She whispered “You have to keep the faith and believe that's he's going to pull through this.”

“I'm trying….” Bo said in a quiet voice, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Can I go in now?”

“Of course you can.” Susan told him with an encouraging smile. She tried to maintain her professional composure but it was hard. The entire staff had come to know and like the Duke family and they were all upset with this sudden change in Luke's condition because he had been doing so well.

Bo quickly gowned up and went into Luke's room. Luke lay on the bed with his eyes closed. If Bo didn't know differently, he would have thought that his cousin was simply sleeping. The only noticeable difference was that his face was flushed and covered with a thin sheen of sweat. But at least he was still breathing on his own and not back on the ventilator. He was covered with the cooling blanket in an attempt to bring his body temperature back down. Bo sat down beside the bed and gently took Luke's hand in his, rubbing his thumb across Luke's knuckles. His skin felt hot and dry to the touch. Bo noticed that a second IV had been inserted in Luke's other arm so that fluids could be pushed more rapidly into his severely dehydrated system.

“Come on, cousin….you can't give up now….you gotta keep hanging on.” Bo said “I ain't ready to lose you….” He had no way of knowing if Luke could even hear him but if he could, Bo had to keep trying to get through to him. He knew that Luke wouldn't wake up until they decreased the sedation again. No matter how hard Bo tried to get through to him, Luke showed no signs of responding to Bo's voice or to his touch.

It was only about half an hour after he called them that Daisy and Jesse arrived at the hospital. Bo smiled faintly when they rushed into the room. They must have taken every short cut they knew and broke every speed limit on the way to get there that fast. They both pulled up a chair and sat down with Bo. They were concerned about Luke but equally concerned about Bo. Jesse squeezed Bo's shoulder comfortingly and Daisy gently rubbed her hand up and down his arm trying to soothe him as best she could.

Doctor Manning came into the room later that afternoon to bring them up to date on Luke's condition. She looked at their worried anxious faces and chose her words with care. “Luke has a life threatening infection and that is what caused the convulsions. A lot of what happens now depends on Luke's own will to live…..which from what I've seen up until now that seems to be pretty strong. We have increased the antibiotics and added a second antibiotic to try and get the infection under control. He's running a very high fever again which could lead to more convulsions and we don't want that. That's the main reason we sedated him again and he'll have to remain sedated until we get the fever down and the infection under control.

We also have to keep a close eye on the skin grafts that we just did to make that the convulsions he had earlier today didn't disturb them. The good news is that this will not affect his other treatments. They will continue as scheduled and that includes the remaining skin grafts and the physical therapy. I should have the results of his tests sometime tomorrow and hopefully I can tell you more then.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Jesse said as he did his best to hold his own emotions in check. Things had been looking good and now this. “We appreciate everything you've done.”

“You're welcome. And we'll continue to do everything we can to get Luke through this.” The doctor tried to smile as she turned and left the room but she was just as upset about this setback as the rest of the medical staff.

Chapter 16

Three days passed with no noticeable change in Luke's condition. The fever continued and the infection still raged within him, resistant to the various antibiotics the doctor tried. He remained heavily sedated and showed no signs of responding to his surroundings. Daisy and Jesse had stayed in Atlanta , unable to go back home as long as Luke was in this condition. Bo sat by Luke's side and refused to leave, not even Jesse's threats of a whipping could pull him away from Luke. Somehow Bo sensed that Luke needed Bo with him now more than ever. Bo couldn't really explain it so he just attributed it to that strange bond that the two boys seemed to share. Finally, Jesse gave in and let him stay without arguing.

Luke's other treatments and care continued. The second set of skin grafts were done, completely covering the burns on Luke's legs. The second degree burns on the rest of his body had all healed, so all that remained to be seen was if the skin grafts took and wounds to his legs healed without any permanent damage. Doctor Manning told them that it would take around two weeks before they would know for sure if the skin grafts had been a total success. Hope became harder to hold on to with each passing day as the infection continued to build within Luke's system, threatening his life as it invaded various organs, including his heart and his kidneys. Now the danger of a heart attack or kidney failure became very real possibilities that the family had to face.

Bo struggled to keep his eyes open. It was almost one o'clock in the morning and he was exhausted. It had been three weeks since the fire and the stress was starting to get to Bo and to the rest of the family as well but they continued to present a united front as the family closed ranks to protect one of their own. Finally, unable to stay awake any longer, Bo drifted off to sleep. And as he slept, he dreamt.

___________________________________

Bo was back at the farm in the room he shared with Luke but there was no sign of Luke. All his personal possessions were gone, even his bed was gone. Bo looked around frantically. “LUKE!” he screamed “WHERE ARE YOU? YOU PROMISED NOT TO LEAVE ME!”

“I didn't leave you, Bo…” Luke's voice said quietly. Bo turned around and saw an image of Luke beside him but the image was almost transparent. “I'm still here with you….in spirit anyway.”

“You have to come back….” Bo cried “I can't do this without you….”

“I wanna come back….but it's too hard….I can't find my way….”

“I'll help you! I won't let you go….”

“That's why I'm still here, Bo…..because of you….” Luke told him with a faint smile. “I can't leave you either…..”

“Tell me what to do….and I'll do it. Whatever it takes to help you find your way back…”

“Just keep the faith, cuz….don't give up on me yet…….”

“I won't! I'll never give up on you!” The image of Luke smiled and slowly faded away leaving Bo alone. Throwing back his head, Bo screamed ‘LUKE! COME BACK!”

  ___________________________________

Bo awoke with a start, his heart pounding and sweat pouring down his face. He could remember every single detail of the dream. He reached out and grabbed Luke's hand. He said in a fiercely determined voice “I'm right here, cuz….and I ain't leaving. I'll never give up on you……just come back to me….I need you…..” Bo let the tears fall from his eyes without shame. If the force of his love could bring Luke back then it would. At that moment, he could feel that psychic bond with Luke more strongly than ever before. It was almost as if Luke was inside of Bo's mind and drawing strength from Bo to continue the fight that lay ahead of him and Bo would gladly give every ounce of his own strength if that was what it took to bring Luke back.

_________________________________

Luke tilted his head to one side and looked down at the scene below him. He could see himself lying on the bed with Bo sitting beside him holding his hand. He could hear Bo's pain in his voice and feel it in his heart. But Luke didn't seem to have the energy to do what Bo wanted. He was tired of the pain and as long as he stayed as he was, there was no physical pain.

But something still held him where he was and kept him from moving on. He knew that it was the love of his family that kept reaching out and trying to pull him back to them. And even though he loved them with all of his heart and soul, he seemed to be stuck between here and now, unable to go back and yet unable to go on.

“It's hard decision.” Said a soft gentle voice behind him.

Startled, Luke looked over his shoulder at a young woman close to his age with soft blue eyes and long brown hair. She was dressed in a long flowing dress that seemed to shimmer in the light, changing colors from white to pale blue.

“Who are you?” he whispered. He wasn't afraid. In fact he felt strangely calmed and comforted by the woman's presence.

“I suppose you could call me your guardian angel. I'm here to help you make your decision.”

“What decision?” Luke asked in a puzzled voice

“The decision to either go back or to move on.”

“Why do I have to make a decision either way?”

“Not many people are given that choice. You're one of the lucky ones who can decide what you really want to do.”

“Why am I being given a choice?”

“Because….you saved Bo's life without any regard to your own safetly. There's no greater love than that….”

“He's my cousin…..he's my brother….”

“The two of you are connected by a very special bond. It's a gift from God. And it's the strength of that bond that's keeping you here…that's keeping your body alive for them…..”

“But I still have to decide….”

“Yes, you do….and only you can make that choice.”

“What happens to them if I decide not to go back?

“Are you sure that you really want to know?”

“I have to know….”

“They will each react very differently to your death. Uncle Jesse will lose part of his reason for living. He'll become an old man overnight. And three years from now, he'll go to bed one night and simply never wake up again.

Daisy will stop being the happy, carefree girl she is now. She'll become quiet and withdrawn and she'll never stop missing you…..when Uncle Jesse dies….she will leave Hazzard and nobody will ever hear from her again.

“What about Bo?” Luke asked in a tightly controlled voice “What happens to Bo?”

“He's the one who takes your death the hardest. He blames himself because it was his life you saved. And even with your death, your bond with him is never severed…he feels you…and misses you. Two months from now, he'll drive the General Lee off Widow's Peak and kill himself so that he can be with you again…”

Luke felt the tears running down his cheeks. “I can't let that happen to my family. I have to go back….” He whispered

The woman smiled and stepped forward so that she was standing by his side. She reached out and gently touched his shoulder “I knew that's the choice you would make….and it's the right one for all of you. You'll still have a long road ahead of you before you recover but you will recover…..and someday soon you will find that special girl and fall in love. You'll make a good husband and a good father because you had a good teacher. And you will live a long and happy life….just the way it should be.” The woman leaned over and gently brushed her lips across his cheek. “I'm so proud of you, my son….and the man that you've grown up to be.”

Luke turned to look at her in surprise, sapphire eyes meeting sapphire eyes. In a barely audible voice, he whispered “Mama….”

“Yes, my darling Lucas…..” she whispered “I have always been with you and I always will be….now it's time for you to go back to them where you belong….” She slowly faded from sight as a bright light surrounded Luke and he felt himself falling. Then the darkness reached out and surrounded him.

Chapter 17

Susan checked Luke's vital signs, marking them down on her notepad. His fever was finally starting to come down. Maybe the new antibiotic was finally bringing the stubborn infection under control. She just hoped it wasn't too late. She knew that Dr Manning was concerned with the possibility of kidney damage or damage to Luke's heart from the infection. But his urine output was still good and his heart rate was within a normal range. Susan had a feeling that Luke Duke was more of a fighter than anyone realized.

His family was with him as usual. Susan liked all of the Dukes and she was amazed at how close the two Duke boys were. Bo was almost constantly by his cousin's side, holding his hand and talking to him. She had noticed more than once the calming affect that his cousin's voice and touched seemed to have on the dark haired man. Even when he was heavily sedated, Luke still seemed to respond to his cousin on some deep level.

They would know in a few days if the skin grafts had been successful. If they had been, then all they had to do was wait for the grafts to heal and get Luke back on his feet. That is of course if they could get the infection under control so they could bring him back out from under the sedation. The doctor had cut back on the morphine so that Luke was now only receiving a minimal amount every six hours which he seemed to be tolerating well. With the third degree burns finally grafted with his own skin, he shouldn't be in much pain when he finally woke up.

He was still receiving two IV's, one was a saline solution to keep him from getting dehydrated and the second one contained the nutrients that his body needed to survive since he couldn't eat on his own right now. Susan checked the IV bags, noting that they would need changed in about twenty minutes.

“Everything looks good.” She told the family as she finished recording the monitor readings and other vital signs. “And his fever is starting to come back down so that's a good sign.”

“Does that mean he'll wake up soon?” Bo asked anxiously. It had been almost a week since Luke had suffered the convulsions and been put back into a drugged coma.

“If the new antibiotics are doing their job, then the doctor will probably start cutting back on the sedation.” Susan told him. “I'm sure she'll be in to talk to you about that later when she does her rounds. I know she had a lot of tests ran this morning and she should have the results of those by then.” She smiled at each of the family members warmly “Luke's a fighter…..I'm sure he's gonna make it.”

“He's a Duke.” Jesse said with obvious pride in his voice “And Dukes don't give up.”

“I can see that.” Susan said with a smile as she turned to leave the room. She silently prayed that Luke finished recovering without any further complications. Lord knows, he had already had enough of those.

After Susan left, Daisy glanced at her youngest cousin and said “Come on, Bo. I'll buy you a coke. I need some fresh air anyway.”

Bo hesitated, reluctant to leave Luke's side until Jesse looked at him and said “Go on, Bo. I'll stay with Luke. You need some fresh air too…you haven't left this room in two days.”

Still reluctant to leave, Bo slowly shoved himself to his feet and followed Daisy out of the room. She walked down the hall to the vending machines and put in some coins, getting two cokes. She handed one to Bo and they walked over to the elevators. They went down to the ground floor and went outside to a small courtyard on the east side of the hospital. Bo popped the tab on his coke and took a long swallow. The sun felt good on his skin, he hated being cooped up inside especially on a day like this. He missed not taking the General out for a run but it wouldn't be right unless Luke was sitting there beside him riding shotgun. As if reading his mind, Daisy reached out to touch his arm to get his attention. She smiled warmly and said, “Penny for your thoughts.”

“Just wishing I could take the General out for a run.” He told her

“But it wouldn't be the same without Luke would it?”

“No.” Bo admitted sadly

“Bo, he's gonna be okay. I can feel it…..it's just gonna take a little longer than we thought.”

“He has to be okay, Daisy. I don't know what I'd do without him.”

“Neither do I, sugar. It just wouldn't be the same without Luke there.”

“It's just scary, ya know? How quick something like that can happen. One minute everything's the same as usual and then the next minute…..we're in a place like this….”

“Yeah, I know. It just goes to show ya how vulnerable we all are. Even Luke.”

“Ya know when we was kids….I thought Luke was superman….”

“Yeah, I know…..that's why it's so hard to see him like this. He's always been there for both of us….our hero….our big brother who always took care of us and looked out for us.”

“Guess this our chance to return the favor.”

“Don't ever let Luke hear ya say that.” Daisy said with a grin “You know how he hates when anybody fusses over him.”

“Yeah, well I'd say he's earned some fussing over even if he wants it or not.”

“I have a feeling Uncle Jesse would agree with ya…..and that Luke's gonna get plenty of fussing over when he gets home.”

“How are things back home?” Bo said. He felt guilty about not being able to help out on the farm right now.

“Okay. Cooter, L.B. and B.B. are doing a real good job of taking care of things so we can be here with Luke. And all the neighbors got together and they're rebuilding the barn for us.”

“That's great.”

“Yeah, they're all good people.” Noting Bo's restlessness, Daisy realized that Bo was anxious to get back to Luke's side. Smiling, she said offhandedly “Come on. We better get back up there. Uncle Jesse could probably use some fresh air too.” They finished their soft drinks and tossed the empty cans in the trash as they went back into the hospital and took the elevator back up to the burn unit. Daisy talked Jesse into taking a short break himself to get some coffee and fresh air.

Later that afternoon, Dr Manning did come in to talk to them about Luke's condition. “I do have some good news.” She told them with a smile “And I'm sure you use some good news about now. We have isolated the infection and the antibiotics we have Luke on now seem to be bringing it under control and his fever is starting to break.”

“Thank God…..” Daisy exclaimed in a relieved voice

“I'll second that.” Jesse said with a grin

“Does that mean he's gonna wake up soon?” Bo asked anxiously

“Yes, I will start cutting back on the sedation immediately and hopefully he should wake up within the next twenty four hours. The other good news is that the tests show that there is no permanent damage from the infection to any of his vital organs.”

“That's wonderful!” Daisy cried, tears of relief gathering in her eyes. That was the biggest thing they had all been afraid of.

“It sure is.” Jesse agreed happily. Maybe now Luke could finally get well. Dr Manning smiled happily. She was glad that she finally had some good news to report to the family.

Chapter 18

Bo jumped when he felt Luke's fingers twitch beneath his hand. He stared at Luke's face anxiously. It had been almost twenty four hours since Doctor Manning cut back on the sedation and Luke seemed to be trying to wake up. “Luke, it's Bo…” he said quietly, leaning forward so that he was speaking directly into Luke's ear. “Can you hear me? If you can, please wake up.” He paused but Luke's eyes remained closed. “Dang it, Luke Duke….” Bo said his voice breaking and starting to sound agitated “Will you wake up?”

Hot tears spilled from Bo's eyes when Luke didn't seem to respond. He lowered his head, resting it against his arm which was lying on the bed beside Luke and started to cry. Suddenly, Bo's breath caught in his throat when he felt something gently brush across his hair. He raised his head and looked into his cousin's sapphire eyes. “Luke….” He whispered afraid to believe that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

“I'm here….cuz…” Luke whispered in a tired voice. It seemed to take a concentrated effort for him to speak but his eyes were clear and alert.

“Luke…” Bo repeated, letting the tears fall down his face without shame.

“Don't cry…” Luke whispered with a ghost of a smile. He tried to raise his hand to brush the tears away from Bo's face but couldn't seem to lift his arm high enough. It was too heavy and he was just too tired.

“I knew you'd wake up…” Bo said still crying without even noticing it. “I knew you wouldn't leave me….”

“Never could stand…to see a grown man…cry.” Luke told him with a faint smile tugging at his lips. Bo blushed and wiped the tears off his face with his fist much like a child would do. “S'kay, Bo….” Luke said his voice growing weaker as his eyes grew heavy His eyes closed but Bo sensed that he had simply fallen asleep. Bo knew that he should go and tell the nurse that Luke had woke up but he didn't want to do that just yet. He knew if she came in to check on him it would wake Luke up and he needed to rest for awhile. Bo decided to stay awake so he could keep an eye on Luke and wait until Susan came on duty in the morning and tell her that Luke had woke up during the night. At least that way Luke could get some sleep before they started running all kinds of tests on him again.

Around six-thirty, Bo slipped out of the room just long enough to call Uncle Jesse to tell him that Luke was awake. Jesse promised that he would be there along with Daisy as soon as he could. When he went back to Luke's room, Susan was just arriving for duty so he told her too that Luke had awakened from his coma during the night. Susan said she would page the doctor immediately so she could examine Luke. Susan smiled as Bo went back into Luke's room. She was relieved that the oldest Duke boy had come around.

Luke was awake when Bo went back into the room. He still looked tired and weak but the glint was back in those sapphire blue eyes and the warmth was back in his smile. For the first time since the accident, Luke actually looked like himself again.

“Hey, cuz…” Bo said with a lopsided grin as he quickly crossed to Luke's side and reached out to take his hand.. “How ya feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck…..” Luke told him with a ghost of a smile. “How long have I been here?”

“Almost a month.”

Luke looked startled. He had no idea that it had been that long since the fire. He tried to search the gaps in his memory for the missing days but couldn't find them. He knew that his condition must have been more serious than he realized if he was missing that much time. Before he could ask any more questions, the door opened and Doctor Manning came into the room. She smiled when she saw that Luke was awake. She realized instantly that he was more alert and aware than he'd been in the entire time he'd been her patient. She could see in his eyes and in the expression on his face. She had a feeling that she was going to enjoy getting to finally know the real Luke Duke. She quickly checked out his vital signs and reflexes, relived to find everything within a normal range.

“Looking good.” She told him with a grin “Real good. As a matter of fact, I think we can get rid of that IV and see about getting you outta that bed.”

“Sounds good to me.” Luke told her with a grin

“Well, how does some food sound to ya?”

“Even better.” Luke said with a chuckle. He winced slightly as his barely healed ribs smarted a little in protest.

“Good…then I'll have the kitchen send up a tray….” She glanced at Bo with a smile “For both of you.” She glanced back at Luke “And I'll be back to talk you some more after I finish my rounds.” She grinned and said in a teasing voice “Welcome back, Marine.” She turned and left the room, leaving the two cousins alone.

Daisy and Uncle Jesse arrived just as an aide brought in two breakfast trays, one for Luke and one for Bo. Daisy squealed happily and ran over to her older cousin, giving him a tight hug around his neck.

“It's good to see you too, darling…” Luke told her with a soft chuckle “But watch the ribs okay?”

“Sorry.” Daisy said sheepishly as she gently disentangled herself from Luke “But you scared us all to death….”

“And if you ever scare me like that again, I'll tan your hide.” Jesse said gruffly. He looked at his two nephews fondly. “You two need to eat…..now eat.” Bo never needed any encouragement to eat but Luke had lost weight during his ordeal and he needed to start eating again on his own. Jesse took a seat to watch and make sure that he did just that. Luke smiled faintly and started to eat his breakfast. It was the first time he had eaten solid food in almost a month and it tasted pretty good even if it was hospital food.

After breakfast Susan came in to change the dressings on his legs. She ushered everyone else out the room and smiled at Luke encouragingly. “After we finish this I'll take out those IV's.”

“Okay…” Luke said, turning his gaze to stare at the ceiling, not wanting to see the damage to his legs as she changed the dressings. He felt Susan gently cutting off the old bandages. When she had finished, she said “Luke….I want ya to take a look….” Reluctantly, Luke lowered his eyes to look down at his legs, surprised to see new skin covering the third degree burns that had covered his legs. There was a faint fishnet design imprinted on the surface of the skin where the special netting had held the grafts in place as they healed but the scaring was minimal. He looked at Susan, who smiled at him softly “The grafts took….you're gonna be okay.” She grinned “This also means we terminate the isolate procedures. No more gowns and masks for your family. I'm sure they'll be happy about that.” Luke grinned happily, relieved beyond words. Susan discarded the bandages and then gently removed the two IV's from his arms. “Okay….now you have your work cut out for you. The therapist is gonna get you outta that bed when she gets here.”

“How soon can I go home?”

“Don't rush things. You've been through a lot…you're gonna be here at another week, maybe more.” Susan told him with a laugh “And part of that depends on how well you do in the therapy sessions….” She left the room and went to tell the rest of the family that they could go back in, this time without gowning up.

Chapter 19

After lunch, the physical therapist came in to work with Luke. She asked everyone to leave but Bo. She asked Bo to stay and help her with that day's session. Bo was surprised but readily agreed. Luke was noticeably nervous not sure what the therapist had in mind. Before they got started, she removed the splint from his left leg. The therapist, a pretty little brunette named Carla, said,

“Okay, Luke….today's a big day. We're gonna try and get ya out of that bed at least for a few minutes. And the first thing I'm gonna do is get Bo to help me so we can get you set up on the edge of the bed. Bo, can you come over here by me, please?”

Bo nodded and walked over to stand beside Carla, waiting for her instructions.

“Alright,” she said “I'm gonna get one arm and I want you to get the other arm….just like this…” She leaned over and slid her left arm underneath Luke's left armpit while gently placing her right hand against the back of his left shoulder. She waited as Bo took Luke's right arm the way she instructed. “Now, we're gonna help Luke sit up and turn around so he's sitting on the edge of the bed.” With their assistance, Luke was moved into the position that Carla wanted him in, sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs dangling over the edge. For the first time, Bo saw the grafted skin on Luke's legs, relieved to see that they weren't scared as badly as Bo had feared they would be. You couldn't even tell that he'd been burned the grafted skin looked as good as new. (although it wasn't as tanned as the rest of Luke's body and still had an almost translucent look to it.)

“How ya doing, Luke?” Carla asked gently, watching Luke carefully for any signs of discomfort or pain.

“Dizzy…” Luke admitted, hanging his head forward and taking several slow deep breathes.

“That's normal. It'll pass. You've been flat on your back for almost a month your body needs to adjust to moving around again. That's why we're gonna let you just sit there for a few minutes.” Carla told him. She gently rubbed his back soothingly and smiled at him encouragingly. Luke nodded as he waited for the dizziness to pass. Finally, Carla said “Ready to try standing up?”

Luke nodded, not sure he trusted his voice at the moment. Carla nodded at Bo and they gently helped Luke to his feet, still holding on to him and supporting his weight between them. Luke's knees buckled as another wave of dizziness swept over him. He would have fallen if Carla and Bo hadn't been holding him up. “Okay, Luke…” she said gently “We're gonna take a couple of steps and then sit you back down.” Luke nodded. With Carla and Bo doing most of the work, he took four faltering steps forward. Carla glanced at Bo and nodded and the two of them gently helped Luke to sit back down on the bed. “Good job.” Carla said “That's enough of that for today. How would you like to sit up in a chair for a little while?”

“Okay.”

“Good….I'm gonna leave Bo right here beside you for a minute while I go get a Geri chair to put ya in. I'll be right back.”

As she left the room, Bo looked at his cousin and grinned, saying, “You doing okay, Luke?”

“Yeah….I guess.” Luke told him, still feeling a little dizzy and light headed. He was weaker than he thought and realized that it would take awhile to build his strength back up before he could go home.

Carla came back into the room pushing a Geri Chair, a specially made chair that looked similar to a recliner but had a seat belt on it and heavily padded arms. Shoving the chair over to the bed, she told Bo “Okay, now you're gonna help me get Luke into the chair the same way we stood him up.” Bo nodded his understanding and slipped his arm underneath Luke's the same way he had been shown earlier. They helped Luke to his feet and then settled him down into the chair. Carla put a pillow behind his head and fastened the seat belt around his waist. Then she put another pillow under his feet and put the splint back on his left leg. Finally , she covered him from the waist down with a lap blanket.

“There ya go.” She said with a smile “Now, I'm gonna let you sit up for about an hour today and then I'll be back and we'll put you back to bed. I'll send your family back in to visit with ya.” Luke nodded and smiled. He had to admit, it felt good to be out of that bed and up again even if he wasn't back on his feet yet.

Daisy and Jesse both grinned happily when they came into the room and saw Luke sitting up in the chair. He looked tired but in good spirits. It finally looked like he was getting better and the Dukes couldn't have been happier. After being up for an hour, Luke was more than ready to lie back down when Carla came back into the room. She allowed Daisy and Jesse to stay in the room, while she once more had Bo help her get Luke back into bed.

When Jesse and Daisy left around eight P.M. that evening, Luke insisted that Bo go with them so he could get a good night's sleep. Bo tired to protest but he knew he was fighting a losing battle when Jesse sided with Luke. Finally, he reluctantly agreed. The truth was he was exhausted and a good night's sleep in a real bed sounded pretty danged good.

Over the next week and a half, Luke worked hard at getting better and back on his feet so that he could go home. Finally, Doctor Manning gave him a clean bill of health and released him from the hospital. He would still have to wear the splint on his left leg for another few weeks but Carla was confident that the leg would heal without leaving Luke with a permanent limp. The therapy sessions would also continue for another few weeks with a therapist coming to the farm three mornings a week to work with Luke.

The day he went home, all their neighbors and friends gathered at the farm to welcome him back. Tables loaded with food had been set up inside the new barn the neighbors had built for the family and the party lasted late into the night. Things were back to normal in Hazzard County and the Duke family was whole again.

THE END