Critical Decisions
By
Sunlight filtering through the bedroom window woke Luke up. It took a minute for him to remember where he was. Until he felt the warmth of Kelly's body cradled in his arms. She was still asleep, curled up against him with her head resting on his shoulder. Luke couldn't help smiling as memories from the night before slipped into his mind. He had intended to bring her home and then go home himself, but that didn't happen. A goodnight kiss had ignited the burning passion between them, the passion of their renewed love for each other. Much later, Luke had finally remembered to call home to let Jesse know he wouldn't be home that night. He didn't tell Jesse where he was spending the night but he was sure Jesse had probably already figured that out for himself. (Especially since Luke had left the Boar's nest with Kelly the night before)
Kelly's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, snuggling closer as his arm tightened around her. “I could get used to waking up like this.” She said, tilting her head for his good morning kiss.
“So could I” Luke said with a chuckle, letting his hand wander freely across the body he remembered so well.
“You want some breakfast?” Kelly whispered with a playful gleam in her eyes, as she slid her arms around his neck.
“Later,” he whispered “I got something better in mind right now…” He kissed her deeply, as he shifted positions so that she was lying beneath him. Later, much later, they took a shower together and then got dressed.
As Kelly walked out to the General with him, Luke made a date to pick her up later that night. Even though he'd rather spend the day with her, there were chores that had to be done at home. Stealing one more kiss, he slid into the General and turned on the engine. Kelly watched until he was out of sight before going back into the house. She had never been happier. For the first time in years, she finally felt at peace again.
Daisy was in the back yard hanging clean laundry on the clothesline when Luke pulled up in the General. She grinned broadly as she watched her older cousin climb out the window. “It's about time you decided to come home.” She told him with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “You must have had a good time last night.”
“Yeah, I did.” Luke told her with a huge grin as he went into the house. Jesse was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. He glanced up as Luke came in the back door. Smiling as broadly as Daisy, he couldn't resist teasing his nephew.
“It's about time you got home” he said in a gruff tone “Them chores ain't gonna do themselves, ya know.”
“I'll git to ‘em right away.” Luke said, pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting on the stove. Sitting down at the table, the rumpling of his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet. He helped himself to one of the muffins left over from breakfast that were still sitting on the table.
“No need.” Jesse told him with a chuckle “Bo must've felt sorry for ya cause he did your chores and his both this morning. Then he took off to go fishing.” Jesse finished his coffee and shoved himself to his feet. “Did you ask Kelly to supper tonight?” he asked as he put his cup in the sink.
“No,” Luke said “I thought I'd take her to Capital City for supper and maybe see a movie or something.”
Jesse nodded thoughtfully. “Looks you two got things worked out.”
“Yeah” Luke agreed with a self conscious smile. “I guess we did.”
“Good” Jesse said “Cause you and that little girl belong together….you always have.”
Luke smiled to himself as Jesse walked out the door. Jesse's approval meant more to Luke than he would ever admit. He looked up that old man and admired him more than anybody else he knew. Jesse was a tough old bird and he could be as stubborn as all get out, especially with that Duke pride. But at the same time, he could be gentle and loving
with a deep compassion for his fellow man. The strongest parts of Luke's character came from Uncle Jesse. Whenever Luke had kids of his own, he just hoped he could be as good a father to them as Jesse had been to him.
Luke was still sitting at the table when Daisy came inside from hanging up the laundry. “Hey, cuz.” She said brightly “You hungry?”
“Yeah, how'd you know?”
“I kinda figured maybe you didn't have much time for breakfast this morning.” Daisy told him with a laugh. Luke lowered his head so she wouldn't see the flush that crept into his face. The three cousins teased one another outrageously about their various love affairs, but it was done with love, not spite or vindictiveness. Daisy quickly fixed Luke a hearty breakfast complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and toast.
Daisy sat down at the table, watching Luke as he ate. Leaning her arms on the table, she finally said, “Luke, you know I think it's great about you and Kelly. I hope you're both really happy together.”
“Thanks, Daisy.” Luke said. Finishing his breakfast, he put the plates in the sink and decided to go and find Bo. Checking out their usual fishing spots, he finally found Bo at Miller's pond. Bo was lying on the bank, his cowboy hat tipped over his eyes to keep out the sun. Luke grinned. It didn't look like Bo was getting much fishing done.
Bo jumped, startled, when Luke kicked his foot to wake him up. “Dang it, Luke” he stammered “Ya like to gave me a heart attack or something. I thought you was Roscoe.”
“Why? Did you forget to grab your fishing license again?” Luke asked, as he settled down on the bank beside Bo.
“No,” Bo said “I got it right here in my pocket.” He leaned up on his elbows and looked at his older cousin with a grin. “You spent the night with Kelly, didn't ya?” he asked
“Yeah.” Luke said, picking up a stone and skipping it across the water.
“Well, alright!” Bo exclaimed with a huge grin “I was wondering when the two of you was gonna get back together.”
“Well, I'm glad to know everybody approves.” Luke said dryly.
“Shoot,” Bo told him “Everybody always knew you two would get together someday…heck, you and Kelly would have been married by now with two or three kids by now if she hadn't disappeared.”
“You think so, huh?” Luke said with a laugh.
“I know so.” Bo told him, laughing back. “If you hadn't laid claim to her, I would have.” He grinned again and poked Luke in the ribs “So when's the wedding?”
“Don't ya think you're rushing things a little?” Luke said with a laugh. “She just got back in town.”
“Yeah,” Bo said with a wicked grin “And the two of you sure got a lot of catching up to do.” Before Luke knew what was happening, Bo had bounced to his feet and shoved Luke in the water.
“Dang you, Bo!” Luke yelled as he surfaced, shaking his head to get the water out of his eyes. “I'm gonna get you for that!”
You're gonna have to catch me first, Cuz!” Bo said with a loud laugh, as he ran back to Daisy's jeep and climbed in, roaring away. Luke climbed back onto the bank, cold and wet. His boots squished water and he walked back to the General Lee.
Over the next few weeks, Luke and Kelly spent as much time together as possible. With each passing day, their love grew deeper and stronger. It wasn't long before everyone in Hazzard knew that one of the Duke Boys had been spoken for. More than one girl in Hazzard Country felt the sharp sting of disappointment and envied Kelly, wishing that they were in her place. One girl in particular.
~~~~~
Christy Lane kept stealing glances at Luke and Kelly. It was a disgrace the way he was hanging on every word that little piece of trash said. And the way he kept looking at her. You could just tell they were sleeping together. Christy felt a pang of jealousy so strong she could taste it. She knew just how good Luke was in bed and she missed his loving. She'd do just about anything to keep him from mooning over that little blonde
~~~~~
“I gotta go on in about fifteen minutes.” Kelly told Luke. “I'm gonna sing that new song I wrote.”
“Good, I like that song.” Luke said with a grin. But then he liked everything Kelly wrote. She was one of the best song writers he'd ever known (And Luke knew a couple of guys from Hazzard that had gone to Nashville and became pretty good writers)
Kelly had been singing at the Boar's Nest on the weekends ever since that first weekend when the band had made Luke get up on stage with her. Boss Hogg was in Hogg heaven. She brought in the crowds better than the band ever had before. The crowd always insisted that Luke sing a couple of songs with her, no matter how hard he tried to beg off. The truth was he enjoyed it. He had always loved singing with Kelly and he had missed singing with a live band.
As Kelly left to get ready for the show, Luke saw Christy Lane standing at the bar. She threw a dirty look in his direction then started talking to Billy Ray Collins, one of the local “bad boys”. Luke had been with Christy a few times, but then so had most of the guys in Hazzard County , including Bo and Cooter Davenport. To Luke, Christy had been just a pleasant distraction and nothing more. She wasn't exactly the kind of girl that most guys wanted to take home to meet the family. Luke forgot about Christy as the band began to play.
After her set, Kelly rejoined Luke and they left the Boar's Nest together. They were talking quietly between themselves as they walked across the parking lot towards Kelly's car which was parked next to the General Lee. “Dang it,” Kelly said, noticing that the front tire on her car was flat. “I got a flat.”
“No problem.” Luke said “It'll only take me a couple of minutes to change it for you.” He paused as he walked between the two cars and glanced back at Kelly with a frown, “Your back tire is flat too.” He knelt down and ran his hand around the outside of the tire. With a sigh, he straightened up and looked back at Kelly “Somebody cut your tires.” He told her.
“Who'd wanna do something like that?” Kelly demanded in a frustrated voice “Dang it, I just put new tires on too.”
“Don't worry about. I'll give Cooter a shout on the CB so he can take it back to the garage and fix it for you.” Luke slid into the General “Come on, I'll take you home.”
Kelly climbed into the General. She was still mad about her tires being cut but quickly forgot about it when Luke gave her a kiss before starting the engine. Far more experienced then she had been at fifteen, Kelly had even shown Luke a trick or two when it came making love. Fifteen minutes later, Luke pulled up in front of Kelly's house. They got out and went inside.
~~~~~
Neither of them had noticed the headlights of the car following behind them when they left the Boar's Nest. Christy Lane pulled up to the side of the road at the end of the drive and sat there in her car, watching as Kelly and Luke went into her house. She saw a light come on inside the house, upstairs probably in Kelly's bedroom. A few minutes later, the light went off. Christy scowled. It looked like Luke was there for the night. Stomping down on the accelerator, she pulled away, her tires screaming in protest.
~~~~~
Kelly had to get up early the next morning. She had to go to Nashville for a couple of days to take care of some business with her publishing company. She had asked Luke to go with her but he couldn't. It was harvest time at the farm and he had to be there to help. Bo and Jessie couldn't do all the work by themselves. Kelly promised to call him as soon as she got back. Since her car was at Cooters, Luke drove her into Hazzard to pick it up before he headed back to the farm.
For the next three days, Luke kept busy working on the farm. Harvest time was a hard, back breaking time that started at Dawn and lasted till after dark. Almost too tired to eat, both Bo and Luke would fall into bed after a quick supper, falling into a deep worn out slumber. The boys were in the back fields working when Luke saw Daisy driving towards them in Dixie.
“Luke,” she said as she pulled up beside the boys “Kelly just called” Luke smiled happily but the smile faded from his face as Daisy continued “She said somebody broke into her house while she was gone. I guess they did a lot of damage. Roscoe's on his way there.”
“Let's go, Bo.” Luke said quickly. Since the General was still parked back at the house, Luke motioned for Daisy to scoot over so he could drive Dixie . Bo climbed into the back seat as Luke made a 180 degree turn and headed for the road. Roscoe was just pulling out of Kelly's driveway as Luke turned into it.
Ignoring the sheriff's car, Luke pulled up in front of the house and jumped out of the jeep, leaving Daisy and Bo to follow. He found Kelly in the kitchen, a grim angry look on her face. The downstairs was trashed. Someone had cut long slits in the upholstery on the couch and matching loveseat. There were deep gouges in the paneled walls and eggs had been thrown against the fireplace. CDs and pictures had been thrown on the floor and stepped on, breaking several of them. In the kitchen, dishes had been thrown out of the cabinets and smashed. And the contents of the refrigerator was thrown all over the floor.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked Kelly, pulling her into his arms.
“I'm fine.” She said “Just mad.”
“Oh, my god!” Daisy said as she surveyed the damage “Who on earth would do such a thing?”
“Roscoe blew it off,” Kelly said grimly “He thinks it was just liquored up kids.”
“That sounds like Roscoe.” Bo said dryly
“The upstairs is just as bad.” Kelly said “They broke most of the windows too.”
“One things for sure,” Luke said in a tone that Kelly knew meant that his mind was made up and there was no use arguing. “You're not staying here till we find out who's responsible for this.”
“Luke's right, sugar.” Daisy said “You're coming back to the farm with us.”
“That's right.” Bo said with a firm shake of his head. “You'll be safe there.”
Kelly nodded, knowing she was fighting a losing battle when all three cousins made their minds up to something. Luke followed her upstairs so she could find some clothes to take with her.
Her bedroom was as trashed as the downstairs rooms. The carpet was soaked underneath their feet because someone had cut huge slashes in the waterbed mattress. Similar gashes were in the leather headboard. The words Bitch and Slut had been written on the walls with spray paint. Kelly's clothes had been pulled out of the large walk in closet and thrown on the floor. Most of them had been cut or torn but Kelly managed to find some clothes that weren't destroyed. With the clothes she found, plus what she had taken with her for her trip to Nashville , she should have enough to get her by until she got a change to go shopping. Even if she didn't, she was the same size as Daisy and they had always borrowed each other's clothes anyway.
~~~~~
Christy smiled to herself as she walked into the post office. She had overheard Roscoe talking Enos in front of the courthouse and she knew that Kelly was back in town. Maybe the little bitch would get the hint that she wasn't welcome back in Hazzard after all. If she didn't, then that was just too bad. Christy always got what she wanted and she wanted Luke Duke.
Jesse was as concerned as Luke when he found out what had happened. He assured Kelly that she was welcome to stay at the farm as long as she wanted to. After supper that evening, Kelly and Luke went for a walk. Although Kelly loved being at the farm, it would make it more difficult for her and Luke to find time to be alone. Uncle Jesse might be all for their relationship but he would never let them sleep together in his house without being married. He was more open minded than most adults of his generation but not that open minded.
“Maybe Roscoe's right,” Luke said as they walked along a path that led towards the back pasture. “Maybe it was just a bunch of kids that got into their daddy's shine or something.” From the tone of his voice, Kelly knew that Luke didn't believe that any more then she did. He was just trying to keep her from worrying.
“You don't really believe that and neither do I.” Kelly said, stating the obvious.
“But I haven't been back in town long enough to make anybody mad….at least not yet.”
“Well, you're here now.” Luke said, slipping a protective arm around her waist “And I'm not about to let anything else happen.”
Kelly stopped walking and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her close. “That's what I love about you, Luke Duke. You always make me feel safe.”
“Is that all you love about me?” He whispered, as he bent his head to kiss her. Kelly laughed softly, as she pulled him to the ground to show him what else she loved about him.
That night as they were getting ready for bed, Daisy looked at Kelly and said, “You really love Luke, don't you?”
“Does it show that much?” Kelly asked with a grin
“Honey, it's always showed.” Daisy told her, grinning back. Both girls started laughing. They had spent most of their childhood giggling and talking about the boys they knew right here in this room. Secretly, Daisy had always hoped that Kelly and Luke would get together someday and now that they had, she couldn't be more pleased. She loved them both and after what they had gone through, they deserved to be happy.
Kelly had finally told Daisy the whole story about the night she disappeared. Daisy had been sad and shocked to hear about the baby and Kelly's miscarriage. Daisy couldn't even imagine going through something like that scared and alone. And then to go to a big city like Atlanta and make a life for herself all alone without any friends or family around. But then, Kelly always had been fiercely independent and self reliant, she had to be with her family. But Daisy also knew that Jesse and Martha's love and understanding was what had given Kelly the strength to survive her childhood.
The next day, Luke drove Kelly into town to get a few things. On their way back to the farm, another car came barreling down the road behind them. Luke saw it coming in his rear view mirror but didn't pay much attention, until it rammed into the General's back bumper.
“Hang on!” he yelled at Kelly, who turned her head to see what was going on when she felt the sharp jolt from the two cars colliding. Luke hit the accelerator to pull ahead of the other car. The other car sped up too, pulling up alongside the General. The windows were darkly tinted so Luke could not see who was driving. The wheel jerked in his hands as the other car rammed the front fender, trying to force the General Lee off the road. He fought to keep control as the other vehicle rammed him again.
He felt the tires on the passenger's side leave the pavement and sink into the soft dirt of the ditch. It was only because of Luke's skill as a driver that he was able to keep the car from rolling over as the General plowed into the ditch at a high rate of speed. The other car was disappearing down the road as he finally brought the General to a stop.
“Are you okay?” he asked Kelly anxiously
“Yes,” she told him “Just a little shook that's all. Who the hell was that?”
“I don't know,” Luke told her grimly “I've never seen that car around here before.” He got on the CB and made three calls. One to the farm to let Uncle Jessie and the others know what had happened, one to Cooter so he could bring his tow truck to get the General out of the ditch and see if there was any damage, and one to Roscoe to report the car that had deliberately ran him off the road.
Uncle Jessie, Bo and Daisy arrived a few minutes later in Dixie . Relieved that Kelly and Luke were both alright, they listened as Luke told them about the mysterious driver that had forced Luke off the road. When Roscoe and Cooter showed up shortly after that, Luke repeated what had happened.
“It's probably your own fault, Luke Duke.” Roscoe spluttered “You Dukes attract trouble like a dog attracts fleas.” He looked at Kelly “And you're just as bad young lady. You might as well be a Duke too!”
“Roscoe,” Daisy said a hint of anger in her voice “Does that mean you're not going to do anything?”
“What do you expect me to do?” Roscoe said in an irritated voice “Luke here already said he'd never seen the car around here before and he didn't see the driver. And he didn't get no license plate number.”
“I was a little busy, Roscoe.” Luke said defensively “Trying to keep the General on the road.”
“Don't look like you done a very good job of that either.” Roscoe said
“Roscoe P. Coltrane,” Jesse said sharply “You know Luke wouldn't lie about what happened. Now it's your job to do something about it, so do your job like you're suppose too!”
“Now Jesse,” Roscoe said in a flustered voice (Nobody liked to tangle with a Duke when they were mad) “I done told you there ain't much I can do. I ain't got enough to go on. Just get that car out of there and get on home.”
Jesse continued muttering under his breath as Roscoe walked back to his car and drove away. Cooter pulled the General back onto the road and checked him out. He assured the boys that there were no damages other then the scratches and dents on the front fender where the other car had rammed Luke. Daisy, Jesse and Bo climbed back into the jeep, telling Luke that they would meet him and Kelly back at the farm.
Before climbing back into the General, Luke checked out the car himself. Satisfied that there were no other damages that Cooter might have missed, he climbed into the General beside Kelly. Kelly looked at him with a puzzled expression when he hesitated before starting the engine.
“Is something wrong?” she finally asked him
“I was just thinking,” Luke said, turning sideways to look at her. “Roscoe was right about one thing. Maybe you should be a Duke.”
“I thought I was.” Kelly said with a soft laugh, stopping when she saw the serious look in Luke's eyes.
“Marry me.” Luke said quietly, looking deeply into her eyes. Kelly stared at Luke, too surprised to say anything. (And anyone who knew Kelly knew that was a first for her) Smiling slightly, Luke reached out to pull her into his arms and repeated, almost in a whisper “Will you marry me?”
“Yes” Kelly finally managed to say. She started to cry, tears of happiness and joy, as Luke kissed her deeply and passionately.
Uncle Jesse, Daisy and Bo were all as excited as could be when Kelly and Luke got back to the farm and Luke told them that he had asked Kelly to marry him. Kelly couldn't help but laugh as Daisy immediately started making plans, talking about the church, the cake, and other details.
“Whoa, Daisy” Luke told her with a laugh, holding up his hand to stop her “We haven't even set a date yet.”
“I don't care.” Daisy said, her eyes sparkling with joy. “A wedding takes a lot of time to plan so I just figured we might as well get started, that's all.”
“Now, Daisy” Jesse said with a fond smile at his niece “Give Luke and Kelly some time to catch their breath. There's gonna be time enough for all that.”
“Yee Haw!!” Bo said with a huge grin “Who gits to be your best man? Me or Cooter?”
“You of course.” Luke told him with a grin “I wouldn't have it any other way.”
“And Uncle Jesse's gonna give me away.” Kelly said “Aren't you, Uncle Jesse?”
“I'd be proud to, child.” Jesse said
Kelly looked at Daisy “And Daisy is going to be my maid of honor.” She said, smiling at the girl who was just like a sister to her.
“Well,” Jesse said with a chuckle “Now that that's all settled, let's eat.”
Most of the conversation during supper still centered around the plans for a Duke wedding. After supper, the boys did their chores while the girls cleaned up the kitchen. When Luke came back into the house, he went upstairs to wash up. When he came out of the bathroom, he found Jesse standing in the open doorway to his bedroom.
“Come in here a minute, Luke.” Jesse said somberly.
Luke followed Jessie into his bedroom. Walking over to his dresser, Jessie opened the top drawer and took out a small box that Luke knew contained Jesse's keepsakes from his long marriage to Martha. He sat down on the edge of his bed and opened the box, his eyes softening with memories as he rummaged through the box. Finally, he found what he was looking for.
Standing up, he walked over to Luke and said, “This was your Aunt Martha's wedding ring. It's yours now.” He held out a wide gold band with an intricate design engraved on it.
“Uncle Jesse, I can't take that.” Luke said self consciously.
“Nonsense.” Jesse scoffed “It's a Duke family heirloom. It goes to the oldest son to give to his wife on their wedding day. And you're my oldest.” Jessie said fondly “So it gets passed down to you. Now take it.”
“Thank you.” Luke said, not sure what else to say. He accepted the ring, feeling the weight of the gold band in his hand. Carefully, he slipped the ring into the watch pocket of his jeans.
“I know you're gonna be happy cause I know how much you and Kelly really love each other.” Jesse said, a hint of emotion creeping into his voice. “And that's the most important thing. Love.” He smiled at his oldest nephew “And I know you'll take good care of her. You always did…...” The hint of a tear glistened in the old man's eyes “Now go find her and celebrate. The two of you have earned it.” Luke smiled as he left Jesse's room and went to find Kelly.
When he found her, they decided to go to the Boar's Nest for awhile. Bo and Daisy decided to go with them, so the four young people climbed into the General and headed for the tavern. When they arrived, both Bo and Daisy excitedly told all their friends about Kelly and Luke's engagement. Before they knew it everybody in the bar was congratulating them and buying them all drinks. Everybody that is except Christy.
~~~~~
How could he ask her to marry him? Christy thought to herself bitterly with a cold, unrelenting rage. Well, we'll just have to see about that. It doesn't look like she knows how to take a hint. A thin little smile curved her lips. Maybe she was going about things the wrong way, maybe it was Luke she needed to be concentrating on. Christy had always had a way with men and Luke Duke had been no exception.
~~~~~
Christy sat at the bar watching the happy couple with barely concealed resentment. When Kelly and Daisy went to the bathroom and Bo started dancing with Lorrie Miller, Christy saw her chance. She walked over to the table where Luke was sitting and slid into Kelly's empty chair. Pasting a phony smile on her face, she leaned in close and said, “So, when's the big day, Luke?”
“We haven't decided yet.” Luke told her
“It's too bad,” Christy said, letting her hand drop to the top of Luke's thigh. “We had some good times. I hate to see that end.”
“Everything has to end sooner or later.” Luke said, reaching down and putting his hand on her wrist to prevent her from moving her hand any higher.
“Why?” Christy said, looking deeply into those sapphire eyes that could still make her stomach do flip flops. “What Kelly doesn't know can't hurt her.” When Christy leaned in closer to try and kiss him on the mouth, Luke turned his head so that she kissed his cheek instead.
Turning his head back to look at her, he said quietly but firmly “I love Kelly and we're getting married. It's over Christy. For good.” Unable to restrain herself, Christy suddenly raised her hand and slapped Luke as hard as she could. Luke grabbed her wrist, hard this time, hard enough to hurt. “Don't do that again” he said in a quiet yet deadly voice, his eyes darkening with anger.
Jerking free from his grasp, Christy shoved back her chair and jumped to her feet. “This ain't over, Luke Duke!” she yelled, loud enough for several people sitting nearby to hear her “You're gonna be sorry!” She stomped away from the table as Bo hurried over to see what was going on.
“What was that all about?” Bo asked in a concerned voice as he sat down at the table with his cousin.
“I don't think Christy's too thrilled about me getting married.”
“Why should she care?” Bo said “She's been with a dozen guys since the last time you went out with her.”
“I think she was just trying to see how far she could go.” Luke said, taking a long swallow of his watered down beer. “She was pissed cause I wouldn't let her kiss me….or cop a feel.”
“You gonna tell Kelly?” Bo asked
“Damn it,” Luke muttered “I don't think I'm gonna get a chance to” He glanced towards the bar in time to see Christy step in front of Kelly as she came out of the bathroom with Daisy. Luke couldn't hear what was being said but both boys jumped to their feet when they saw Christy shove Kelly, who immediately shoved her back. By the time they got across the room, the two girls were on the floor. Christy was screaming, biting and scratching, and pulling Kelly's hair. Kelly, on the other hand, was punching with her fist. Luke grabbed Kelly and Bo grabbed Christy, separating the two women. Instantly, Kelly threw back her hand ready to punch Luke until she realized it was him. Meanwhile, Bo was busy trying to fend off Christy who was now biting him and kicking his shins trying to get him to let her go so she could get at Kelly. Even if it was a little mean, Kelly, Luke and Daisy couldn't help laughing at Bo's predicament.
“Alright you Dukes!!” Roscoe's voice yelled “Break it up right now!!!”
“Us?” Bo said in an exasperated tone, as he tried to keep from getting bit or kicked again. “Christy's the one who started it!”
“Is that so?” Roscoe said, obviously not believing Bo. “Well, I want all of you out of here. Right now!” He pulled his gun from his holster, waving it around in the air “And I mean it! So git!!”
“Roscoe, put that thing away before you hurt somebody.” Luke said calmly, eyeing the gun warily. Roscoe was a lousy shot, he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn but in a crowd like this, somebody was bound to get hurt if his gun went off by accident (which had been known to happen)
Cautiously, Bo released Christy, who instantly whirled around and punched him in the eye. With a hateful look at Luke and Kelly, she stomped out of the bar. “You Dukes get out of here too!” Roscoe ordered “Before I throw all of ya in jail!”
“We're going….we're going.” Luke said in a pacifying voice, as the four of them began making their way to the door. He breathed a sigh of relief as Roscoe put his gun back in his holster, looking pleased with himself.
“What happened in there?” Luke asked Kelly as soon as they were all outside.
“You tell me,” Kelly said, her voice still sharp with anger. “That crazy bitch started it. She told me that you and her had a thing going. Then she tried to punch me, so I punched her first.” Luke couldn't help laughing. The boys had taught both Kelly and Daisy how to fight and most of the other girls in Hazzard knew they'd come out on the losing end in a fight with either one of them.
“Honest, Luke. That's what happened.” Daisy said “Christy came up and started running her mouth trying to tell Kelly that you and her still had a thing going.”
Luke looked at Kelly apologetically “Look, I saw her a few times about a year ago but that's all there was to it, I swear.” He admitted. “There was never anything between us except maybe in Christy's mind.”
“Yeah,” Kelly grumbled “I forgot, this is Hazzard County .”
“Hey, what about me?” Bo said innocently “I got the worst end of it. I'm the one who got bit and kicked….and punched in the eye to boot.”
“Come on, Bo” Daisy said in a teasing voice “Let's get you home. Maybe Uncle Jesse will kiss it and make it all better.” They all laughed as they walked across the parking lot, the fight in the bar forgotten.
~~~~~
Christy sat in her car and watched them climb into the General Lee. It wasn't over, not by a long shot. Luke Duke was going to pay big time for this and so was his new girlfriend. Christy made up her mind that she was going to find a way to make them both very very sorry. If she couldn't have Luke Duke, then neither could Kelly.
Jesse was in the barn taking care of the goat when he glanced up and saw Kelly come into the barn. Daisy was at work and the boys were out in one of the fields fixing a fence that needed mending.
“Morning, Honey.” He said, as Kelly sat down on a bale of hay beside the goat. Jesse could tell that she had something on her mind, something important from the expression on her face. He waited patiently for her to tell him what was she wanted to talk about. Pulling up the old wooden stool, he sat down and started milking the goat.
Finally, Kelly said “Uncle Jesse, I need to tell Luke something but I don't know how to do it.”
“Is it something important? Something he needs to know about?”
“Yeah,” Kelly admitted “But I'm scared to tell him. I've already told him so many secrets he didn't know about that I'm not sure if he can handle another one.”
“Well,” Jesse said thoughtfully “If it's that serious and Luke really needs to know about it, then I reckon you'll find a way to tell him when the time is right.” He looked at her closely, then asked in a concerned voice “Is it something that could cause trouble between you and Luke?”
“No, I don't think so.” Kelly said, rising to her feet “At least I hope not.” She sighed softly, almost wistfully “But it is gonna hurt him and I've already hurt him enough since I've been back.” As she started to leave the barn, Jesse said over his shoulder
“Luke loves you. Just remember that. No matter what, that boy loves you.”
As Kelly left the barn without answering, Jesse found himself wondering what more Kelly could have to tell Luke. And how many more secrets she had that none of them knew anything about. Whatever it was, he hoped Luke could handle hearing another secret cause this one sure sounded serious.
Kelly went into the house and called the insurance company. The adjuster had been to the house to survey the damage but it would be a another week or so before the claim was settled. In the meantime, Kelly still could not move back into her own home. As much as she loved the farm, she longed to be back in her own home so her and Luke could have more privacy. They were back to sneaking off to the hayloft whenever they could. Kelly smiled to herself. She had to admit it was fun, she felt like a kid again. Making love to Luke in the hayloft was a definite turn on.
She smiled as she glanced down at the tiny engagement ring she was wearing on her left hand. Luke had surprised her with it the night before. (In the hayloft, where else?)
He had told her about the ring that Jesse had given him and she knew that he was proud that Jesse had passed it on to him to give to her. She knew that she would be proud to wear it. Not that it really mattered, she just wanted to be Luke's wife and spend the rest of her life with him. They had missed out on so much already. They had finally set a date. In just two weeks she would become Mrs. Lukas K. Duke.
But first, she knew that she had to tell Luke something that she had been keeping from him. And she had to tell him before the wedding. She decided that she would tell him tonight before she lost her nerve. She knew that Luke loved her. She just wished that she didn't have to tell him yet another secret. And this was a big one.
She spent the rest of the day running some errands for Uncle Jessie and stopping by Miss Maybelle's Dress shop for a fitting on her wedding gown. Four people stopped her on her way back to her car, to congratulate on her engagement to Luke. Lord, that seemed to be all anybody in town was talking about, the fact that one of the infamous Duke Boys was getting married. And to Kelly Dalton, no less, the girl who had mysteriously disappeared years ago. A girl that everybody assumed was dead until she mysteriously reappeared again a few months ago. Everybody in Hazzard was coming to the wedding. It was going to be the event of a lifetime according to some of them.
Actually, Kelly thought that some of them were just coming to see if Luke really got married or not. She didn't care one way or the other if anyone came or not (except for the immediate family of course) all she cared about was marrying Luke.
After supper that night, Luke and Kelly went for a walk along the creek that ran through the Duke property. Kelly had been unusually quiet through supper and Luke had noticed. When they found a secluded spot, he pulled her down to the ground beside him and took her in his arms. They sat there in silence for a long time, just staring at the moon, until Luke finally broke the silence. “You gonna tell me what's wrong?”
“What makes you think anything's wrong?” Kelly asked, trying to keep her tone light and easy.
“Come on, Kell” Luke said with a soft laugh “ I know you, remember? What do you have on your mind? The wedding?”
“No, it's not that.”
“Good,” Luke said in a relieved voice “I was starting worry that maybe you were having second thoughts.”
“I could never have second thoughts,” Kelly told him “Not about marrying you. That's the one thing I've wanted my whole life.”
“Then what is it?”
“Luke, we've never talked about children……..about a family.”
“I just figured there was time for that later.” Luke told her in a puzzled voice, not sure where she was going with this. “Why? You wanna get started right away on a family? I mean, I'm okay with that if that's what you want.” He smiled and nuzzled the side of her neck with his lips “I'd love to have to have a little girl that looked like you or maybe a son that looked like me…….as long as he doesn't look like Bo.” When Kelly didn't laugh at his joke, Luke's voice turned serious “Kelly, tell me what's wrong. You're starting to scare me.”
“I can't have children, Luke.” She said, the crack in her voice betraying her emotions.
Luke was quiet for several minutes, so long that Kelly started to get anxious. Finally, he said softly “Because of what happened that night?”
“Yes,” she admitted beginning to cry for real. Luke tightened his arms around her waist as she buried her face against his shoulder. He made soft soothing sounds, holding her close and letting her cry. In a muffled voice, she said “A doctor told me when I turned eighteen that there was too much scarring from internal damage for me to ever be able to have children.”
“Why didn't you tell me sooner?”
“Because I was afraid to.” She said, straightening up so she could look in his eyes and drying her tears with the back of her hand. “I know how much family means to you. I didn't know how you would react when you found out that we could never have a family of our own.”
“I guess I never really gave it much thought.” Luke admitted. “I just always figured that someday I'd get married and have a couple of kids.” He reached out to touch her cheek gently “But I love you and it doesn't matter……..all I want is to marry you. We can always adopt somewhere down the line. There's plenty of kids right here that need a good home.” Being an orphan himself, Luke knew what it was like to grow up without your own mother and father in your life.
“Are you sure or are you just saying that?” Kelly asked, the smallest hint of fear still showing in her eyes.
“I'm sure.” Luke whispered, kissing her deeply. “All I want is to be with you for the rest of my life.”
Luke awoke earlier than usual, not sure what had awakened him. Then he remembered. Today was the day. Today he was finally marrying Kelly. Smiling to himself, Luke climbed out of bed and went across the hall to take a shower. When he dressed and went downstairs, he found Uncle Jessie already up and in the kitchen making coffee.
“Morning.” Jessie said, sitting a cup of coffee on the table in front of Luke as he sat down in his usual spot.
“Good Morning.” Luke said with a grin.
“Looks like it's gonna be a nice day for a wedding. You nervous?”
“Maybe a little.” Luke admitted. “I wish it was over with already.”
“It'll pass. As soon as you see that little girl walking down the aisle toward you, you'll forget about being nervous.”
Luke grinned. He wondered if Kelly was as nervous as he was this morning. Daisy had insisted that the two girls spend the night in town with Miz Tidsdale since it was bad luck for Luke to see Kelly before the wedding. Luke glanced at the clock above the kitchen stove. It was almost seven and the ceremony was at Ten. He'd better go get Bo up.
Bo was a sound sleeper. Luke was the light sleeper who woke up more easily. Uncle Jesse generally had Luke get Bo up because Bo tended to argue less with his older cousin than he did with anyone else about getting up in the mornings. As Luke entered the room he had shared with Bo for their whole lives, he suddenly realized that he wouldn't be sharing a room with Bo anymore after today. He grinned to himself. He'd rather share a room with Kelly over Bo any day. The insurance company had finally settled on her claim for the damages to her house and the boys had been working on it, along with some of their friends for the past week so that it would be ready for Kelly and Luke to move back into after the wedding. They still had no idea who had vandalized the house or who had ran Luke off the road, but none of that mattered today. Luke figured they would probably never know.
“Hey, Bo” Luke said loudly, shaking his cousin's shoulder “Time to get up.” Bo groaned and buried his face in the pillow. He mumbled something that sounded like “grow ray” Luke simply grinned, he knew that Bo was saying “Go away” He shook his shoulder a little harder this time and said in a firmer voice “Come on, Bo. It's time to get up or I'm gonna get hitched without you.”
That served to wake Bo up enough that he rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes a crack. “What time is it?” he muttered, still not opening his eyes all the way.
“Time for you to get up.” Luke said, pulling off the blankets and tossing them on the floor.
“Hey!” Bo said, wide awake now. He grinned sheepishly and sat up on the edge of the bed, running his hand through his shaggy hair.
“Get dressed. I already took a shower so the bathroom's all yours. Uncle Jesse already has coffee and breakfast ready.”
“Hey, Luke…” Bo said as Luke turned to leave
“Yeah?” Luke said, glancing back over his shoulder
“I guess I'm gonna have to get myself up from now on, huh?” Bo asked with a silly grin
“I guess so.” Luke said, grinning back.
“I'm gonna miss ya, cuz.”
“Hey, I'm not gonna be that far away.” Luke told him “Not this time.” Luke left the bedroom and went back downstairs to tell Jesse that Bo was up. Two hours later, the three Duke men left for the church in Hazzard. Jessie was already dressed in his good black suit that he normally saved for funerals. Bo and Luke waited until they got to the church to change into their suits. Both boys hated getting dressed up and always waited as long as they could before doing it.
As they waited for the signal that the ceremony was ready to begin, Jessie grinned wickedly and pulled a small silver flash from his inside suit pocket. “Just a little something to calm your nerves.” He said as he handed the flask to Luke. Luke smiled faintly, as he opened the flask and took a sip of Jessie's finest, then passed the flask over to Bo. The moonshine burned like fire going down, exploding in the pit of Luke's stomach, and then spreading out to fill his veins with liquid warmth. Jessie always had made the best sipping shine in three counties and he still could if he wanted to. Both of the boys knew the secret recipe but had made two promises to Jesse. Never to make another drop of shine and never to tell anyone the recipe.
Luke did feel considerably calmer when the preacher came to tell them that the service was ready to begin. Bo and Luke followed the preacher out into the main room, where the pews were filled with all the good folks in Hazzard County it seemed. Even Boss Hogg and his wife Lu Lu were there. Along with Roscoe and his mama. Jesse stayed behind since he would escorting Kelly down the aisle. Luke knew that Kelly, Daisy and the rest of the wedding party was somewhere in the church, waiting for their cue.
Luke and the rest of his family had attended this same church every Sunday since Luke could remember. Uncle Jesse had insisted on it. Daisy taught Sunday school and always helped out with the church socials and picnics. In this part of the south, the church provided most of the social activities for the community's young people (at least the ones who weren't old enough yet to drive or to hang out at the Boar's Nest)
Luke took a deep breath to calm himself as the organ began to play the opening hymn. The four bridesmaids, friends of Kelly's from school, started down the aisle. They were all dressed in long peach colored dresses with cowl necklines and were carrying bouquets of baby's breath. They took their places on the left side of the alter. Karen Whitlock, a pretty redhead with freckles, smiled shyly at Bo, who favored her with a big grin. Luke turned his attention to the main entrance of the church as the organ began the first chords of the wedding march. Daisy came up the aisle first. Her dress was a darker peach color than the bridesmaids and she carried a bouquet of white carnations.
A few moments later, a collective gasp came from the crowd as they caught their first glimpse of the bride. Luke felt his heart jump into his throat. He had never seen Kelly looking more beautiful then she did at that moment. Uncle Jesse stood beside her, a proud smile plastered on his face as he began walking her down the aisle. Luke never took his eyes off of her as she walked down the aisle towards him.
When he reached the alter, Jesse gently took Kelly's hand and put it in Luke's and his bride stepped up beside him. Jesse stepped back to take his place beside Bo. The preacher stepped forward, the music stopped and the ceremony began. There were more then a few wet eyes in the congregation as they watched Luke marry Kelly. Jesse found himself remembering his own wedding to his darling Martha, his first and only love, so many years ago in this same church and in front of many of these same people.
Jesse felt the tears on his face as Kelly and Luke exchanged their vows, and then heard the preacher pronouncing them man and wife and then formally introducing them to the congregation. He had never been prouder than when he watched Luke take his bride by the hand and lead her down the aisle. They were followed by Jesse, Bo and Daisy, and finally the bridesmaids and the preacher. The ceremony concluded and the gathering of friends and family went outside where a receiving line consisting of the wedding party was waiting. The air was filled with laughter and best wishes as everyone congratulated the happy couple. Boss Hogg and Roscoe both made sure that they got their turn to kiss the bride.
After the wedding, there was a reception in the basement of the church. The ladies of the church had provided a buffet table with food prepared by the best cooks in the county. The punch had quickly been spiked from more than a few hidden flasks of shine.
As soon as possible, Kelly and Luke had both changed out of their wedding attire. Luke was more casually dressed in his usual boots, jeans and cotton shirt and Kelly was dressed in blue jeans and a yellow blouse.
The party lasted until late into the afternoon with everyone wanting to dance with the bride. (or the groom) Both Kelly and Luke put up with a lot of good natured teasing about their wedding night. Boss Hogg and Roscoe got pretty tipsy on the punch and Luke had a nice buzz going himself. Bo snuck off early with Karen and Jesse enjoyed the attention of the older ladies who had an eye for the Duke patriarch. It was day that they would all remember. Unfortunately none of them had any idea that they would remember it for a completely different reason than was intended.
Finally, Luke and Kelly began saying their goodbyes to their friends and family. Luke laughed when he saw The General Lee. Bo and some of his friends had decorated the car with balloons and signs and strings of tin cans were tied to the rear bumper. Bo had moved the General after decorating it, parking it across street from the church where everyone would be sure to see it when they left.
Luke had already crossed the street and was leaning against the General Lee waiting for Kelly to join him. She had gotten detoured by some of the ladies from the church who wanted to say goodbye. She glanced across the street at Luke and shrugged her shoulders with a faint smile. Luke grinned back as he watched Jesse and Daisy rescue Kelly or she could have been there all afternoon. Laughing, Kelly gave Daisy and then Jesse a big hug and a kiss. Smiling happily, she started across the street to join Luke.
Luke, Daisy, Uncle Jesse and Enos all saw the car barreling down the street towards Kelly. They all started yelling Kelly's name at the same time, trying to warn her. Confused and not realizing why they had all started yelling at her, Kelly had paused for a moment in the middle of the street, trying to figure out what was wrong. She saw the stricken look on Luke's face and watched as he started running towards her. Then everything went black as the car slammed into her, throwing her onto the hood and into the windshield hard enough to crack the glass, and then down to the pavement.
Jesse and Daisy ran into the street but it was Luke who reached Kelly's crumbled body first. Enos, who didn't drink and was still sober, ran to his squad car and jumped in, squealing away in hot pursuit of the car that he had just watched deliberately ran Kelly down. Luke fell to his knees, gathering Kelly into his arms and screaming her name. She was unconscious, a deep ugly gash on the left side of her forehead bleeding profusely and blood running from the side of her mouth. Her skin was deathly pale and cold to the touch. There were scrapes on her arms and legs from the pavement and one leg was twisted awkwardly beneath her at an odd angle. Instinctively, Luke pressed his fingers against the side of her neck, frantically searching for a pulse. She had one but it was so faint that Luke could barely feel it and her breathing was shallow and labored.
Luke barely noticed as Daisy and Jesse knelt down beside him. Vaguely, he heard Jesse telling him that someone had called an ambulance and that Enos had taken off after the driver of the car who had hit Kelly. Luke cradled her in his arms, refusing to let her go, rocking her back and forth and gently whispering her name. He had never been more terrified in his life. A crowd had quickly gathered, word filtering rapidly through the wedding guests about what had happened.
Part of Luke's mind registered the sound of sirens blaring, then fading away as the ambulance pulled to a stop and two paramedics jumped out of the back. Jesse gently coaxed Luke into letting the paramedics take care of Kelly. He helped nephew to his feet and put his arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him and to keep him calm. He could feel Luke trembling violently. The paramedics rapidly did what they could to stabilize Kelly, and then gently lifted her onto a stretcher. Luke climbed into the back of the ambulance with her for the ride to the Tri County Hospital in Capital City . Jesse and Daisy ran to the jeep, climbing inside so that they could follow them.
At the hospital, Luke got upset when the medical personal refused to let him go into the trauma room with Kelly. If Jesse hadn't been there to keep him from doing something crazy, it was hard to know what Luke might have done. “Its okay, Luke…let the doctors take care of Kelly now.” Jesse said soothingly, leading Luke over to the waiting area where they could sit down. Daisy had walked down the hall to the pay phone to try and find Bo and let him know what had happened. Cooter and some other close friends of the family had also come to the hospital. Luke's shirt was stained with Kelly's blood but he was too upset to even notice. He kept his eyes fixed on the doors that led to the trauma unit, praying like he had never prayed before that Kelly would be alright.
Jesse was seriously concerned, both about Kelly and about Luke. He knew that Luke was in shock from having seen Kelly ran down in front of him, but he also knew that Kelly was seriously injured. He didn't like what he had seen; at best he knew that she had a serious head injury and probably some broken bones. Quietly, he asked Cooter to get him a cup of coffee with plenty of sugar in it for Luke. It would help with the shock. Daisy joined them and told Jesse that she had finally found Bo and that he was on his way to the hospital. She had also called their family doctor, Doc Applebee, and he was on his way too.
Luke hadn't said a word since they had sat down; he just kept staring at the trauma room doors, ignoring everybody around him. There was a part of him that heard Jesse and Daisy's comforting voices, and felt their touch. He knew they were there with him but his mind was totally focused on Kelly. He drank the coffee that Jesse gave him, not even noticing how sweet it was. He just wanted to be with Kelly, to make sure that she was going to be okay.
When Doc Applebee arrived, Jesse quickly filled him in on what had happened. Doc nodded and walked through the doors into the Trauma unit to check on Kelly's condition for himself. All the family could do was to wait. Almost two hours had passed before Doc Applebee came back out into the waiting room. Jesse knew from look on his face that the news wasn't good. Instinctively, Jesse's arm tightened around his oldest nephew's shoulders but Luke didn't seem to notice. Bo had arrived by then and was anxiously waiting with the rest of the family for news on Kelly condition.
“She's in emergency surgery,” Doc told the family gently “They're doing what they can but she does have a severe head injury with a skull fracture. She also has some broken ribs, a broken wrist and her left leg is broken in three places. I'm pretty sure there are some internal injuries too but I don't know how bad they are yet. They did manage to stop the bleeding for now.” Doc tilted his head slightly to one side, indicating that Jesse should join him in a corner of the room so they could talk privately for a moment.
Daisy took Jesse's place at Luke's side as Jesse followed the doctor to a more secluded area of the room. Doc Applebee looked at Jesse sadly, in a soft quiet voice, he said “Jess, you need to be prepared and try to prepare Luke as best you can, it doesn't look good at all. She may not make it.”
“Oh, Lordy,” Jesse muttered, a ragged edge to his voice “I don't know what Luke will do if he loses her again, especially like this.”
“I know, Jess.” Doc said putting a comforting hand on his old friends shoulder. “I wish I had better news for you but I don't. I'm gonna go on back in there now and I'll let you know more when I know more.”
Jesse slowly walked back over to where his nephews and niece were setting. When Daisy and Bo looked at him questioningly, Jesse shook his head slightly, letting them know that the news wasn't good so far. Tears filled Daisy's eyes and Bo looked at Jesse with a stricken expression on his face. The only who didn't even seem to notice what was going on was Luke.
Jesse sat back down beside Luke “They're doing all they can, Luke. All we can do now is wait till they're done.” He rubbed his nephew's back in a slow circular motion but Luke still didn't respond. Jesse knew that Luke was deliberately shutting them all out, too worried and scared to focus on anything but Kelly. Jesse remembered far too well the black depression that Luke had fallen into when he was 17 and Kelly had disappeared from Hazzard. A depression that had come dangerously close to destroying him back then. Jesse was scared that if anything happened to Kelly now, a similar depression would be more than Luke could handle.
Most of the other people that had come to the hospital left when they realized that it could be hours before they had more news about Kelly. The only one who stayed besides the immediate family was Cooter, and basically he was a Duke at heart, so he was family too. As the hours stretched out late into the night, then into the next morning, they all tried to rest, catching quick cat naps as best they could on the uncomfortable chairs and sofas in the waiting room. The only one who didn't sleep, even briefly, was Luke.
It was almost noon the next day, before Doc Applebee finally rejoined them in the waiting room. They all looked at him anxiously, needing to hear what he had to say but terrified of what he as going to tell them at the same time.
“She made it through the surgery and they're moving her into intensive care.” Doc told them in a weary voice “She does has massive internal injuries and some of those injuries are life threatening. The most serious injury is the skull fracture, there's been a lot of bleeding into the brain and some swelling. She's in a deep coma and I can't guarantee that she'll wake up. Right now, she's on complete life support because she's having trouble breathing on her own.”
“Can I see her?” Luke asked in a barely audible voice that was hoarse with emotion and strain.
“Not just yet, they're still getting her settled in. Why don't you all go home and get some rest? You should be able to see her for a few minutes later tonight”
“I'm not going anywhere.” Luke said in a fiercely determined voice. He left the rest of his thoughts unspoken. He couldn't leave he had to be here in case Kelly died.
“Luke,” Jesse said quietly “You need some rest, we all do. The hospital will call us if there's any change. There's nothing you can do here, not right now. I know you're scared, we all are but the doctors know what they're doing and they'll take good care of her till we git back.”
“I can't go, Jesse” Luke said stubbornly, looking at his Uncle, his sapphire eyes pleading for understanding.
“You and Daisy go on, Uncle Jesse.” Bo said “I'll stay here with Luke.” Jesse nodded his consent. He knew that Luke wasn't about to change his mind but at least Jesse wouldn't have to worry so much as long as Bo was with him. And if Luke decided he needed someone to talk to, he would talk to Bo before he would anyone else. Bone weary, he followed Cooter and Daisy to the elevator.
After the family had left, Bo tried getting Luke to go with him down to the hospital cafeteria to get something to eat but Luke refused. Not wanting to go by himself, Bo settled back on the sofa next to his older cousin. “Luke, I know it looks bad but you gotta keep on hoping for the best cause without hope, you ain't got nothing left.” He grinned, trying to boost his cousin's spirits. “Besides, God wouldn't take her away from you, not after everything the two of you have been through,”
“What God?” Luke muttered bitterly, in a tone of voice that Bo had never heard him use before “If there really was a god, Kelly wouldn't be lying in there right now.”
“You don't mean that, cuz.” Bo said “You gotta have faith, that's what Uncle Jesse always says anyway.”
“Just leave me alone, Bo.” Luke said in a testy voice, ignoring the hurt look in Bo's eyes at his harsh words. Luke sighed and let his head fall back against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes. Exhausted, he finally drifted into a restless sleep, his body forcing him to rest even if it was against his will.
Both boys were sleeping when Jesse and Daisy returned later that evening. Letting them sleep, Jesse talked to one of the nurses to find out if they could see Kelly. When she came back a few minutes later and said that they could but only for a few minutes, Jesse gently woke up the boys to let them know. They took the elevator up to the sixth floor where the hospital's intensive care unit was located. Jesse identified himself to the nurse on duty at the desk and told her that they were there to see Kelly. She told him that only two of them could go in at one time. Luke and Jesse went in first.
Kelly was in a private room right beside the nurse's station. There were a smaller number of patients on this floor since most of them required more skilled nursing and some of them, like Kelly, required twenty four hour care and constant monitoring of their condition. Much to the Dukes' surprise, Boss Hogg was the one who had arranged for the private room and was even paying the hospital bill, proving that somewhere underneath that fat little body and greedy nature, he did have a soft spot. At one time, Jesse and Boss had been the best of friends, running shine together in the old days.
When they walked into her room neither Luke nor Jesse was prepared for Kelly's appearance. Bandages or casts covered almost all of her body and her beautiful face was deeply bruised and swollen. Her head was wrapped in bandages, leaving only her eyes, nose and mouth visible. And her beautiful honey blonde hair had been cut.
All kinds of machines surrounded the bed and various leads and wires were connected to different parts of Kelly's body. A machine beside the bed made a soft hissing sound as it forced air in and out of her lungs, breathing for her. A soft steady beep filled the room from another machine that was monitoring her heartbeat and her other vital signs. An IV beside the bed dripped medication into the back of her left hand.
Luke crossed to the bed and gently picked up her right hand in his, careful not to disturb the wires and leads from the various machines. Bending down, he gently kissed her lips. They were warm, but stiff and unyielding. Her skin was warm but she showed no response to his touch. “Please wake up, baby.” He whispered in her ear “Don't leave me, not now. Not like this.”
Jesse watched his nephew, worry lines crossing his face. He didn't know what to say to Luke to comfort him. There wasn't really anything he could say. They all knew that Kelly was badly hurt and that all any of them could do was to wait. Doc Applegate had told them that the next seventy two hours were critical.
They were only allowed to stay for five minutes before they were asked to leave. Luke started to argue, wanting desperately to stay with Kelly, but Jesse was able to convince him to leave and let her rest. But he still refused to leave the hospital and go home with them. Afraid to leave him alone in his present state of mind, Daisy said that she would stay with him while Jesse and Bo went home.
Daisy got a couple of cokes from the vending machine and asked Luke if he wanted to get something to eat but he refused just like he done with Bo. Daisy's heart was breaking, not just for her cousin but for her best friend too. She could feel Luke's pain intensely and she wanted desperately to comfort him, the way he had always been there to comfort her when she was hurt. When she put her arm around him, Luke laid his head against her shoulder and began to cry. Daisy couldn't help but cry too. Luke was the always the strong one. She had never seen him cry except when Aunt Martha died. Gently, she brushed her hand through his hair, making soft soothing sounds, not sure what else to do for him. When he finally quieted, she realized that he had fallen asleep in her arms. Not wanting to wake him, Daisy sat there beside him and let him sleep. After awhile, she finally slept herself.
Sometime later, Luke awoke with a start. He had been dreaming, in his mind watching Kelly getting hit by the car all over again. Carefully and quietly, he moved away from Daisy's side. She was still asleep and he didn't want to disturb her. Needing to stretch his legs, he stood up and walked down the hallway to the men's room. Going inside, he walked over to the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. Bracing his hands against the sink, he looked into the mirror. There were deep dark circles under his eyes and the worry and fear he felt was clearly etched onto his face. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in almost two days but he didn't have the energy to go down to the hospital cafeteria to get any food.
Walking back out to the waiting room, he dug some change out of his jeans and got a coke and a candy bar out of the one of the vending machines. There was a dull ache in his head that he knew was caused by the stress he was under. His mind was a little clearer than it had been but the pain still cut through his chest like a knife through his heart. He took a few drinks of the soda and ate two bites of the candy bar before throwing them both in the trash. He walked over to the nurse's station to see if he could see Kelly again. After checking with the doctor, she told him that he could but only for a few minutes.
Slowly, with heavy steps, Luke entered the intensive care unit and walked over to Kelly's bed. There was no noticeable change in her condition. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his, holding it tightly, trying desperately to will her to come back to him. If he could have, he would have happily changed places with her or given her the last bit of strength in his body if it would help her to get better. Rationally, Luke knew that there was nothing he could and he had never felt more helpless or hopeless in his life.
Or more terrified. He could feel everything he'd had with Kelly slipping through his fingers and he didn't want to lose it. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her again, not this way. Because this time he knew it would be for real and for all eternity. He didn't argue when the nurse told him it was time to leave.
Daisy was still sleeping. Luke glanced at his watch; it was almost one o'clock in the morning. But he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. That was out of the question. He slumped down on the sofa beside to Daisy to wait until he could see Kelly again. He couldn't shake the awful feeling that he was on a death watch, just waiting for a doctor to come out and tell him that Kelly was gone. That she had left him again, this time forever. Nobody is ever prepared for death or to lose someone they love. And Luke was even less prepared to lose Kelly a second time. He wasn't seventeen anymore but he knew that this time it would hurt a lot more then it had back then. This time, she was his wife, even if she had only been Mrs. Luke Duke for a matter of hours.
Luke made his way to the hospital cafeteria. He was hungry but nothing appealed to him. He settled for a cup of coffee and looked around the room for a place to sit. He saw Doc Applebee sitting at a table eating a sandwich. Walking over to his table, Luke said, “Hi, doc. Care if I join ya?”
“Of course not, Luke.” Doc said, looking up from his meal. “Have a seat.”
“Kelly's not going to get better, is she?” Luke asked. No use beating around the bush. Luke needed to know.
Doc sighed, he hated having to give his patients or their families bad news, especially when they were old friends like the Dukes “I wish I could tell you that she was but I'd can't. Right now, it's the machines that are keeping her alive. We're gonna be running some tests this afternoon and hopefully, they'll tell us something more.”
“I wanna stay with her.” Luke said “Can you arrange that? I need to be with her, Doc.”
“I'll take care of it.” Doc assured him. “I'm sorry, Luke. I really am.”
“Thanks.” Luke said, shoving himself to his feet and leaving is untouched coffee sitting on the table. “I appreciate you being honest.” Luke suddenly felt very very old. He knew that life wasn't always fair, and sometimes bad things happened to good people, but this felt like getting kicked in the head by Maudine the mule.
When Luke went back upstairs he found that Bo had taken Daisy home since she had to work that night at the Boar's Nest. Uncle Jesse was the only one in the waiting room. Luke slumped down on the sofa beside him. Jesse could tell that Luke was on the verge of total exhaustion. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the wedding. “Why don't y'all stretch out and get some rest?” Jesse suggested, moving from the sofa to one of the chairs. He was prepared for an argument since Luke could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. He was only mildly surprised when Luke did as he was told, stretching out on the sofa and throwing one arm up over his eyes. From the sound of Luke's breathing, Jesse knew that he wasn't asleep but at least he was resting for now.
“Jess,” Luke said in a barely audible voice
“Hmmm?” Jesse said
“She's gonna die, isn't she?” Luke asked, for the first time putting into words his greatest fear.
“I don't know, son.” Jesse said quietly “The good lord's the only one that knows that for sure.”
He saw Luke swallow hard as he struggled with the emotions that were raging inside of him. “I don't want to lose her, Uncle Jesse. Not again.” Luke's voice had taken on a ragged edge, betraying his inner pain.
“I know,” Jesse said softly, in a gentle voice. He moved closer to the sofa so that he could put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder. “But it's not up to us. It never is.” He paused, choosing his words with care. “I wish I could make it easier for you, Luke, but I can't. All I can do is be here if you need me. I love you, boy. You know that.”
Luke didn't respond. He knew that he had the love of his family, no matter what and that had always been the most important thing in the world to the Dukes. But even their love and their support couldn't help him now. He had to go through this alone. If Kelly died, Luke knew that his own survival and even his sanity would all depend on his own strength and will to live. And without Kelly, he just wasn't sure how much he would have left of either one. Finally he dozed off for a little while.
After taking Daisy home, Bo returned to the hospital. He brought with him some of Daisy's homemade beef stew that she had made especially for Luke. After some coaxing from Jesse, Luke finally managed to eat a few bites. Doc Applebee had stopped by on his way back from the cafeteria and told them that after the tests were done that they were going to do on Kelly, he would come back to let them know the results. All they could do was wait. Funny how everything bad about a hospital always seem to do with waiting.
It was late afternoon when Doc came back into the waiting room. From the look of his face, Luke knew the news wasn't good. So did Jesse and Bo. Luke felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as Doc ushered the three of them into an empty office next to the nurse's station and closed the door. Doc gestured for them to sit down in the three chairs facing him as he sat down heavily behind the desk. He looked almost as exhausted as Luke did.
“We got the results back from most of the tests. We should get the results from the rest of the tests in the next couple of days.” He said in a weary voice
“They aren't good are they?” Luke asked. He suddenly felt like his mouth was stuffed with cotton and he found it hard to take a deep breath. A band of steel had tightened around his chest making it almost impossible to breath.
Doc Applebee shook his head slowly from side to side. “No, I'm afraid they aren't.” He took a deep breathe and looked at Jesse and Bo, signaling them with his eyes that Luke was going to need them more than ever within the next few minutes. He looked back at Luke, a young man that Doc had delivered as a baby. He hated this part of his job because he knew that he was about to destroy Luke's life. “The tests we've done so far, indicate that Kelly isn't going to get any better.” e paused to let his words sink in. He saw the pain that filled Luke's blue eyes and he knew that what he had to say next would only add to that pain. “No matter what we do, she's probably going to die. It's just a matter of time.” Luke felt Jesse's arm around his shoulders and Bo grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly.
“What exactly are you trying to tell us, Doc?” Jesse asked slowly, wanting to make sure they all understood perfectly what Doc was saying. “And keep it simple, none of them fancy medical terms that none of us understand.”
“She's not breathing on her own, her pupils are fixed and dilated, and she's not responding to painful stimulus.” He paused for several long seconds, and then he looked at Luke. “Those are all signs of an injury to the brain stem. The brain stem controls the automatic functions of the brain, like breathing, controlling the blood pressure, our heart rate. That's why Kelly is on the machines right now, her brain isn't doing those things for her like it's supposed to. If the brain stem has been damaged, then she'll never be able to breath on her own again and she will'll never come out of the coma.” Doc paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “As your doctor I have to ask you how you want us to proceed. By law, Luke is considered Kelly's legal next of kin since they are married. I need to know if he wants us to turn off the machines and let her go.”
“No,” Luke said sharply, his eyes filling with pain as he realized just what Doc was asking him to do. He shook his head violently from side to side. “No, don't ask me to do that.” Jesse arm tightened around Luke's shoulders, trying to calm him down.
“It's alright, Luke. Take it easy, nobody's gonna make you do something you don't want to do.” Jesse looked at Doc “Are they, Doc?'
“No, we can't turn off the machines without Luke's permission. I'm just giving you that option based on the preliminary tests and the seriousness of Kelly's injuries.”
“What if Luke doesn't agree to let you turn off the machines?” Bo asked in a carefully controlled voice, voicing the question that Luke was too upset to ask for himself.
“Then she'll probably still die. It could take months, maybe even years. And she'll stay just like she is now. There won't be any improvement.” Doc took a deep breath and exhaled slowly “I can give you a couple of days to decide what you want to do. If you don't turn off the machines, eventually she would have to be moved to a long term care facility where she could be given twenty-four hour care for however long she had left. And it would be very expensive.”
“Thank you, Doc. We'll let you know what Luke decides.” Jesse said, helping Luke to his feet and leading him out of the room as if he were a child. Jesse had never considered this possibly, none of them had. He didn't know how to advise Luke on this because Jesse didn't know what he would do himself if he had to make the same decision involving one of his kids.
Back in the waiting room, Luke slumped down on the sofa and stared at the wall, his eyes unfocused and vacant. Jesse knew that Luke was going to need time to fully understand what Doc had said and to make the decision that only he could make. As long as there was even a glimmer of hope, Luke could go on but now that it looked as if that bit of hope had been taken away from him, he had to face a decision that would not only change his life forever but end Kelly's life. A death that he would hold himself at least partially responsible for if he gave his consent to turn off the machines.
Luke looked at Jesse, his eyes clouded with unspoken pain and said softly “I can't do it, Jesse. I can't tell them that it's okay to pull the plug.”
“I understand.” Jesse told him “I'm not sure I could either if I was in your place. But maybe, you need consider something else. The Kelly you loved, the Kelly we all loved, may never come back to us. She wouldn't want you spending the rest of your life grieving for her and waiting for her to wake up if that ain't never gonna happen.”
“Why can't they just do it?” Bo asked in an exasperated tone “Why does Luke have to tell them it's okay?”
“It's an legal issue, Bo” Jesse explained “The hospital doesn't wanna get sued for doing something against the families wishes.”
“I need to be with Kelly.” Luke said, shoving himself to his feet going through the doors into the intensive care unit. Jesse and Bo stayed where they were. Luke needed to be alone right now to think things out for himself. Whatever decision he made, the rest of the family would support him and be there for him, just like they always had been.
Inside Kelly's room, Luke went to her side and sat down, holding her hand the way he always did. His rational mind accepted what Doc (and Jesse) had said, but his heart was breaking in two. “Tell me what I'm supposed to do, Kell.” He whispered, more to himself than to Kelly. He knew now that she couldn't hear him (at least not on this level of existence) “How am I supposed to let you go? How am I supposed to go on without you?” Tears fell down his face unnoticed and without shame. “We were supposed to have the rest of our lives together. It wasn't supposed to end this way.” He hung his head and began to cry.
The nurses hurrying about the unit, going about their everyday routines, averted their eyes but more then one of them felt the sting of tears. They all knew the tragic story of the young couple and the accident on their wedding day. More than one of them had secretly prayed that the young bride would survive even though they knew from professional experience that it was unlikely to happen. She was just hurt too bad. And it tore at their hearts to see the handsome young husband grieving so badly for the woman he loved. One of the nurses would transfer off the intensive care unit after that night, unable to watch anyone else suffering the way that Luke had suffered.
Daisy, Uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke were all gathered around Kelly's bed, each of them lost in their own thoughts and feeling their own pain. In a few minutes, Doc Applebee would turn off the machines and they would let Kelly go so that she could rest in peace. Earlier that morning, she had suffered a stroke. After conducting further tests, Doc Applebee told the family that she was now brain dead. All hope was gone, she would never wake up. Luke had no choice but to agree to let them turn off the machines but he had insisted on being there when they did. Jesse stood on Luke's left, with Bo on his right side and Daisy was standing slightly in front of Bo. “Do want us to go?” Jesse asked Luke quietly “So you can be alone when it's time?”
Luke shook his head slowly from side to side. “No,” he said in a ragged, broken voice “I need you guys to stay. I don't think I can do this by myself.”
“We're right here with you, Sugar.” Daisy said gently, reaching out to take his right hand and squeezing it tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears. Her heart ached so much for Luke. He and Kelly had been through so much, now it had to end like this. It just wasn't fair. And Kelly had been like a sister to Daisy, the sister she had never had.
“You got that right, cuz.” Bo said, putting a comforting hand on Luke's right shoulder, while Jessie clamped his left. “We're all right here with ya, boy.” Jesse told him. The three of them silently offered up their strength and their love to help Luke get through this. Tears gathered in Luke's eyes as he reached out and took Kelly's hand.
Doc Applebee reached out and turned off the machines one by one, until the only one still operating was the monitor that was registering Kelly's heartbeat. The silence in the room suddenly felt eerie and out of place. Daisy felt Luke grip her hand tightly, squeezing her fingers together painfully, as they waited in silence for the inevitable.
Luke felt his own heart begin to pound painfully in his chest, his heart rate speeding up as the monitor registering Kelly's heartbeat began to slow down. He felt the lump in his throat that seemed to get larger and larger, as the monitor slowed down even more until it suddenly went to a flat line. Doc Applebee reached over to turn off the last machine. Then he took his stethoscope and listened to Kelly's chest for a moment. He glanced up at the Dukes, his own eyes reflecting the sadness he felt at that moment. “She's gone.” He told them.
A strangled cry ripped from Luke's throat and he would have collapsed, if Jesse and Bo hadn't caught him, supporting him between the two of them. Gently, they led him out of the room and away from Kelly's side for the last time. Doc had already given Jesse a prescription for some sedatives to help Luke get through the next few days and the funeral, but Jesse had a jug of shine hidden away at home that he figured would do Luke a lot more good then the sedatives and still have the same effect. Luke didn't say a word on the drive home to Hazzard. He was too lost in his own grief and pain.
Jesse knew that Luke was in no condition to even think about planning Kelly's funeral, so Jesse had already contacted the preacher and made most of the arrangements. There would be the traditional 3 day wake at the house (an old southern custom) The funeral would be that Sunday at the church where Kelly and Luke had gotten married just six short days ago. Then Kelly would be buried in the Duke Family Plot on the hill behind the farmhouse. There, she would rest in peace with Jesse's precious Martha, Bo's parents, Luke's parents, Daisy's parents, Jesse's parents and 3 more generations of Dukes who on gone on to glory. Jesse knew that it was going to be a long and stressful four days. Jesse was hurting too, he had loved Kelly as if she were one of his own kids. Everyone in Hazzard knew what had happened and they were grieving for Kelly too (and for Luke.)
When they got back to the farm, Luke went to his room and did not come out for the rest of the day. He was lying on his bed just staring at the ceiling when Jesse knocked on the door and then came into the room. “Thought maybe you could use this about now.” Jesse said handing him a pint jar filled with a clear liquid. Luke smiled thinly knowing that the jar contained some of Jesse's shine. He accepted it gratefully and took a drink.
“Thanks, Jess.”
“You coming down for supper?”
“No, thanks. I'm not very hungry.”
“You gotta eat even if you don't want to.” Jesse said firmly “I'll have Daisy fix you a plate and Bo can bring it up to ya.”
Luke nodded. He knew there was no point arguing with Jesse. As Jesse turned and left the room, Luke took another long swallow of the moon shine, feeling the welcome warmth that spread out through his body. He knew by the time he finished the jar he would finally be able to sleep.
Cooter was in the kitchen with Daisy and Bo when Jesse came back downstairs. He had been there since the wedding and he would stay there with the family until after the funeral. Luke had been his closest friend since they were kids and Cooter had always been like one of the family. He was worried about Luke too. He knew how devastated he had to be. Nobody felt much like eating but Jessie insisted that they had to keep up as normal a routine as possible, even if none of them felt like it. So Daisy fixed a light supper. Bo took a plate upstairs to Luke then rejoined the family downstairs. While he was upstairs, Enos had arrived and was in the kitchen talking with Jesse, Daisy and Cooter. He stopped in his tracks when he heard what Enos was telling them.
“That's right, Uncle Jessie. We got the man that hit Kelly. His name's Bobby Tayler and he's from Atlanta . He confessed and everything. He's says somebody hired him to do it but won't tell us who.”
“Why in the hell would somebody hire him to run down Kelly?” Bo snapped, stepping into the kitchen. He was too upset to keep his language in check but Uncle Jesse ignored his lack of restraint. Jesse himself felt like using a few choice words right about now. Bo's eyes narrowed dangerously and his hands balled into fists. “You let me in to talk to him! I'll sure as hell find who hired him!”
“Bo!” Jesse said sharply “You settle down now! That wouldn't help any.”
“Jesse's right” Daisy said in a broken voice, putting a gentle hand on her younger cousin's arm. “It won't bring Kelly back even if he does tell us who hired him.”
“Don't you all worry none.” Enos said “He ain't gonna get away with what he done, I'm gonna make sure of that and I'm gonna find out who hired him too if it's the last thing I do. You can count on that.”
“Thank you, Enos.” Jesse said “We appreciate everything you're doing.”
“I just wish I could do more. It ain't right what happened to Kelly and to Luke. How's Luke holding up?”
“Not very good, I'm afraid.” Jesse told him “I'm scared what this is gonna do to him. He loves that girl so much.”
“Well, you tell him I'm praying for him. Everybody is.”
“I'll make sure he knows that.”
“Well, I best git back before Roscoe skins me alive.” Enos said his goodbyes and left, heading back to Hazzard.
“It just don't make sense, Uncle Jesse” Bo said, his voice shaking with anger “Who'd want hurt Kelly like that? Why would anybody do something like that?”
“I don't know, Bo. I just don't know. We may never know unless that feller decides to tell Enos who hired him.”
Upset even further by the news they had just heard from Enos, supper was forgotten. None of them had any appetite anyway. Cooter helped Daisy clear the table and put the food she had prepared in the refrigerator, while Jesse and Bo went to do the evening chores.
For the next three days, the house with filled with family and friends paying their condolences and respect to the grieving family. Luke stayed in his room, refusing to come out. Jesse made sure to keep the shine available to help him get through the next few days. Bo reported that Luke spent most of the time sleeping (with more than a little help from Jesse's shine) or staring out the window. He refused to talk to anyone, even Bo.
The day of the funeral it was cloudy and overcast, a day that fit everyone's mood. Jesse had made sure that Luke had more than one drink that morning before they left for the service at the church. Luke was acting strange and Jesse couldn't help worrying about him. The church was packed with people, several them already crying without shame and they started crying even harder when Luke entered the church surrounded by his family.
Jesse and Bo led Luke to the front pew and the four Dukes sat down. Momentarily, Luke let his eyes drift to the white coffin trimmed in gold that sat in front of him. The lid was closed at his request. His Kelly was lying in that box and Luke wanted nothing more at that moment then to be in there with her. He could hear Daisy crying softly beside him, but his own eyes were dry. He had done his own crying behind the closed door of his bedroom. He counted on the shine he'd drank that morning to get him through this final ritual of death. Jesse had always told him that funerals were for the ones who were left behind, so they could say their final goodbyes to the departed but Luke didn't want to say goodbye to Kelly.
Thankfully, the preacher kept the service short. After it was over, Daisy quickly took Luke outside to wait in the jeep. That way, he wouldn't have to watch Kelly's casket being carried to the hearse. The six pallbearers, Jesse, Cooter, Bo, Enos, Roscoe and Cletus solemnly carried the casket outside and loaded it into the back of the black hearse.
Every car in Hazzard fell in behind the hearse as it pulled away, heading for the farm and the Duke cemetery. The streets of town were quiet and empty everyone had gone to the funeral to pay their last respects. That one of the good things about living in a place like Hazzard, folks stuck together and neighbors were there for each other. And the Dukes were well known and well liked in the County (except by Boss Hogg and Roscoe) Later, Luke would remember very little about that day. It was just as well. What he did remember was bad enough.
Jesse knocked on the door to the room that Luke and Bo shared. When Luke didn't answer, Jesse opened the door and went into the room. Luke was lying on the bed with one arm thrown up over his eyes. Dark shadows filled the room. Luke had pulled the curtains, shutting out the light. Jesse was deeply concerned about his oldest nephew. Luke had not come out of his room, except for the funeral, in almost two weeks. Bo and Jesse took him his meals but he seldom ate more than a few bites at a time. He had fallen into a deep dark depression, a depression that Jesse knew could be dangerous in Luke's present state of mind.
“Luke, we need to talk.” Jesse said, sitting down on the edge of Bo's bed. Luke didn't answer but Jesse knew that he was awake and could hear him. He continued “I know how you're feeling and I know what you're thinking. I know how easy it would be to just take my ole shotgun out to the barn some night and make the hurt go away.” Jesse's voice broke slightly as he struggled to control his emotions “But, damn it, boy…I couldn't stand to lose you too! And I'll do whatever it takes to make damn sure that don't happen!” Jesse's use of profanity was an indication of just how upset he was. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself so that he could get through to Luke. “We all loved Kelly too and we're all hurting. But we should be hurting as a family and helping each other git through this. Keeping it bottled up inside of you ain't gonna make it no better, it'll just make it worse.” He took another deep breath before telling Luke the plan he had come with. He just hoped it wasn't too late to save Luke from himself. “I called Pauline. She said you can come up there and stay for awhile….get away from Hazzard so you won't run into memories of Kelly wherever you go. I ain't gonna make you go if you don't want too…….I just want you to think about it.” Having said his peace, Jesse stood up and left the room.
Even though he hadn't responded, Luke had heard every word Jesse said. He should have known that Jesse knew what he'd been thinking. He wanted to be with Kelly even if he had to die to do it. It just seemed to take too much effort to go on living without her. Unknown to Jesse, Luke had found the prescription that Doc Applebee had given him for sedatives after Kelly died. Luke had the prescription, all he had to do was get the guts to have it filled, then swallow the pills and go sleep forever. The church taught that killing yourself was wrong but Luke didn't care. He was angry at God for taking Kelly away from him, for letting her die the way she did. He was angry at the doctors too for forcing him to have to be the one to give them permission to pull the plug. He felt as if he had killed Kelly himself.
Rationally, there was a part of his mind that knew that wasn't true. The stroke had just been too much on top of her other injuries. Her body was just to weak to fight back. Luke knew he had no choice but to let her die in peace. But, when she died, she took his heart and his will to live with her. He just wished she had taken the rest of him too. All she had left behind was the empty shell of man. Luke reached under the bed for the jug of shine he had hidden there. Tonight, like every other night since the funeral, he would drink until he couldn't drink anymore, until the liquor numbed his body and his mind enough for him to pass out.
When Bo went to bed later that evening, Luke was lying face down across the bed with one arm hanging off the side of the mattress. Bo knew about the jug hidden under Luke's bed. He knew that Luke was passed out, that once more he had drank himself into a stupor just so he forget for awhile, just a little while. Bo was as concerned about Luke as the rest of the family was. Maybe even more. The two cousins were closer than brothers. Luke had always been there for Bo, there to protect him or to comfort him when he was hurt. Luke was always the strong one, until now. When Kelly had disappeared, Luke had gone into the marines to try and forget and get over her. Bo knew that this time it wouldn't be that easy, this time Luke was dangerously close to taking the permanent way out. He knew that Jesse had talked to Luke earlier that day about going to Aunt Pauline's place for awhile. Even though he would hate to see him leave Hazzard again for any length of time, Bo hoped Luke would decide to do that instead of doing something that couldn't be undone.
Luke was still sleeping the next morning when Bo got out of bed. He showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. Jesse was giving Bo a list of jobs to get done before the day was over when they both saw Luke in the doorway. He looked terrible. He hadn't changed clothes or shaved in a couple of days and his eyes were flat and dead, sunken deep into their sockets with dark black circles underneath them. Daisy gasped, trying to hide her shock at Luke's appearance.
“Luke,” Jessie said gently “Why don't you come sit down and let Daisy get you something to eat?”
Slowly, Luke shook his head from side to side. Looking at his uncle, he said in a barely audible voice “I'll go to Pauline's if that's what you want.” There was a strange tone to his voice that Jesse wasn't sure he liked but he decided not to say anything.
“Good, I'll give her a call today.”
As Luke turned and disappeared back into the living room, Bo looked at his uncle and said in a worried voice “You think he's gonna be okay, Uncle Jesse?”
“I hope so, Bo. If anybody can get through to him, maybe Pauline can. You get hold of Cooter. If he's going to Pauline's he's going to need a car to use while he's there. And ask Cooter if he can go along, one of you can drive Luke up there and the other one can follow in the General.” Bo nodded. Pauline and her husband, Jed, had moved to Greenville , Ohio last year when Jed was offered a job that was too good to turn down, even if it did mean leaving Hazzard. It was almost a 12 hour drive, a drive that Luke was in no condition to make.
Jesse called Pauline and told her that Luke was coming. She was Jessie's baby sister and the boys had always been her favorite nephews. Jesse knew that Luke would be in good hands at Pauline's place. He told Bo to tell Cooter that they should leave early the next morning before Luke had a chance to change his mind. Jesse just hoped that Luke wouldn't have to be gone from home too long. But he also knew this was the best thing he could do for Luke right now, even if Luke didn't necessarily see it that way.
Cooter readily agreed to accompany Bo on the trip to Ohio and told him he had a car that Luke could use as long as he needed to. He would be at the farm bright and early the next morning and ready to go.
Bo decided to turn in early so he would be rested for the long drive the next day. He was mildly surprised to find Luke still awake when he went to their shared room. Luke was standing by the window, staring out into the darkness.
“Hey, cuz” Bo said, sitting down on the edge of his bed and pulling off his boots. He glanced at Luke who continued to stare out of the window, ignoring him. Oh well, Bo thought to himself. Even if Luke still wasn't talking to him (Or anybody else for that matter), Bo decided to try anyway. “Why'd you agree to go to Pauline's? I know you don't really want to.” He was surprised when Luke decided to answer.
“Because Jesse wants me to.” Luke in a strangely quiet voice that sent chills up Bo's spine. He didn't sound like Luke at all.
“What do you want, Luke?”
“For it to be over…..”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Bo asked with a puzzled frown.
Luke chose not to answer him. Instead he turned his back on Bo and started undressing, then climbed under the covers on his bed with his back still turned towards his younger cousin. Still puzzling over Luke's cryptic answer, Bo finished undressing himself and went to bed.
Luke was in a quiet mood as the boys prepared to leave the next morning. At least he took a shower, shaved and changed clothes for the trip. Cooter and Bo both ate breakfast but Luke refused. Daisy looked at him worriedly. He had barely eaten anything since the accident and it showed, he had lost at least 15 pounds. She hoped that Pauline could at least get him to start eating again and soon.
Bo and Luke rode in the General, while Cooter followed them in a powder blue Ford Escort that he was letting Luke borrow while he was in Ohio . Cooter and Bo kept in contact with their CBs, while Luke stared out the side window, lost in his own thoughts. They stopped around noon at a truck stop just off the interstate. Bo and Cooter both ate but all Luke did was drink coffee. They were back on the road in an hour. With Bo and Cooter driving, they made good time. They arrived in Greenville around six o'clock that evening.
When they stopped for gas in Dayton , Ohio , Bo had called Pauline to let her know they would soon be there. She had told him that she would have supper waiting for them. Cooter and Bo would be staying overnight, then heading back to Hazzard in the morning. Luke had dozed off just after they got gas and Bo let him sleep. It was the first real sleep Luke had gotten in the past few weeks without drinking himself into a stupor first.
Greenville was a small rural town in western Ohio just a few miles from the Indiana state line. Pauline and Jed lived in a split level ranch house on Ohio Street . As soon as the two cars pulled up in front of the house, the front door opened and Pauline stepped out on the porch, grinning happily. Obviously, she had been watching for them.
Pauline was a very attractive woman in her late forties with the same blue eyes as the rest of the Duke clan and long dark hair. She watched as her two nephews and Cooter climbed out of the two cars. Her eyes clouded when she saw Luke for the first time since the funeral. Pauline hadn't been able to make to Hazzard for the wedding because she'd just gotten out of the hospital after some minor surgery that couldn't be put off any longer. When Jessie called to tell her what happened to Kelly, she had gone back to Hazzard for the funeral even though she was still recovering.
“I'm glad you're here.” She said, greeting each of her nephews with a big hug and a kiss. Bo returned her hug and kiss with one of his own, but Luke simply accepted her hug and kiss without much response at all. One of her seven year old twin daughter's, Kacey, came out of the door behind her. Smiling at Luke, she said to Kacey “Kacey, why don't you show Luke where he'll be sleeping while he's here?”
“Okay.” Kacey said with a grin, grabbing Luke's hand “Come on, Luke.” Luke allowed her to lead him into the house with protest. Once he was safely out of earshot, Pauline turned to Bo and Cooter and said, “My god, he looks terrible! He's hasn't been eating has he?”
“Just a few bites here and there.” Bo told her “Daisy's been doing everything she can to get him to eat but nothing seems to help.”
“I didn't realize he was this bad.”
“Yeah,” Bo told her grimly “He's been like this since the funeral.”
“I think Jesse's right” Pauline said thoughtfully, sighing softly. “Maybe being away from Hazzard right now is the best thing for him.”
“None of us can seem to get through to him. Jesse's hoping you can, that's why he sent him up here.”
“He'll be alright” Pauline said confidently “It's just gonna take some time. He's always been close to the girls and they love you both to death. I'm sure he won't try anything crazy while he's here that might upset them.”
“I hope you're right.” Bo said “We're all real worried about him.”
“Well, let's get inside instead of standing out here. Supper's ready so we better eat before it gets cold.” Pauline ushered her guests into the house and closed the door. Bo and Cooter helped themselves to some coffee while Pauline called everybody to supper.
Luke came into the kitchen with Kacey and her twin sister, Stacey. They were followed by Pauline's husband, Jed, and her oldest daughter, 15 year old Diane. They all sat down at the table and bowed their heads while Jed said grace. Pauline had went all out, fixing southern fried catfish, hush puppies, collard greens, mashed potatoes with brown gravy and fresh peach cobbler for dessert. Pauline noticed that everyone ate, except for Luke, who ate a few bites, then just pushed his food around on his plate. The girls kept up a steady chatter, trying to talk to Bo, Luke and Cooter all at the same time. Luke spoke when someone talked to him but other than that he didn't say anything.
Luke went to the guest room as soon as supper was over and didn't come out for the rest of the evening. Cooter and Bo joined Pauline and the rest of the family in the living room and they all visited until ten o'clock when they all decided to turn in. Pauline told Cooter and Bo that they could sleep downstairs in the basement rec room where there was a sofa that pulled out into a bed.
Bo and Cooter left to go back to Hazzard just after breakfast the next morning, leaving Luke in his Aunt's capable hands. Bo felt a little better once Luke was safely delivered into Pauline's care. He knew that she would watch out for Luke and he felt better knowing that Luke wasn't as likely to try anything while he was with her. Like the rest of the family, Bo hoped that Luke would be back home soon and back to his old self again.
Luke was still sleeping the next morning when a light tapping at the bedroom door awakened him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around, momentarily forgetting where he was, until he heard Diane's voice on the other side of the door.
“Luke, Mom said to tell you it was time to get up. Breakfast is ready, she said you have ten minutes or she'll take a switch to ya.”
“Alright,” Luke called out in a grouchy voice. He didn't feel like getting up but he knew that Pauline wasn't about to let him hole up in his room like he had been doing at the farm. Tossing aside the covers, he sat up on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. Knowing that his aunt would come looking for him if he didn't hurry up and get downstairs, he pulled on his clothes and headed for the bathroom across the hall. Finding it occupied by one of the twins, he went downstairs.
As he sat down at the kitchen table, Pauline sat a cup of coffee, a glass of milk and a plate of pancakes dripping with butter and syrup down in front of him. “You are going to sit in that chair until you eat every bite, even if you have to sit there all day.” She told him sweetly. When Luke threw a resentful glance her way, she smiled at him and said, “Don't give me that look, Luke Duke. You need to eat, something you obviously haven't been doing much of lately.” In a firmer voice, she ordered “Now eat!”
Luke knew when he was outmatched. Pauline had the same stubborn streak that all the Dukes seemed to have and in a battle of wills she wouldn't back down until Luke did. So, he knew from experience, it would be easier to just do what she wanted rather he wanted to or not. Back home Luke knew that everyone had been worried about him but they had been treating him with kid gloves, acting like he might fall apart any minute (which Luke still felt like he might do) but Pauline wouldn't do that. She wouldn't let him withdraw into himself any longer. Luke knew that was why Jessie had sent him here because Pauline wasn't as emotionally involved in the situation as they were.
Luke still felt like he was teetering on some kind of tightrope between decision and indecision and not sure himself which way he would end up going. He still couldn't imagine going on with his life without Kelly in it. He was still seriously depressed but then he'd always been good at hiding his feelings and he didn't think Pauline knew how bad it really was. A faint smile crossed his lips as he thought about the bottle of sedatives in the pocket of his jeans. He had filled the prescription that Doc Applebee had written and given to Jesse for him just after Kelly's death. He found himself wondering how long it would be before he finally decided to take the easy way out.
The next couple weeks passed slowly. Pauline had talked to a friend of hers who owned a garage and he had given Luke a job as a mechanic based solely on Pauline's word as to how he was. She had insisted that Luke take the job even though he didn't really want to. At least it was a way to fill his days and keep his mind busy, but the nights still stretched on forever. Luke often didn't fall asleep at all, or if he did it was when the first rays of sunlight started seeping in through the windows. He was on the verge of total exhaustion and didn't even notice. While some people slept a lot when they were depressed, Luke had always been the exact opposite, staying awake sometimes for days without sleeping until his body finally rebelled and forced him to rest. Luke was still drinking more than he should too but now it was beer instead of shine, since he no longer had access to Jessie's hidden supply.
Jesse called every Friday night at seven so that everybody back home could talk to Luke. They were pleased at what they thought were the signs of an improvement in Luke's attitude. They had no idea how much he was still hiding from them, from Pauline and even from himself. Something had to give but when it finally did, it wasn't in the way that Luke had expected it to.
He had just home from working at the garage and was surprised to find Pauline in the guest bedroom, waiting on him. Automatically, his defenses went up, sensing that something was wrong.
“Come over here and sit down, Luke.” Pauline said, patting the bed beside her “I need to talk to you.” Reluctantly, Luke walked over to the bed and sat down, keeping a careful distance between him and his aunt. He stared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. When he didn't say anything or even look at her, Pauline sighed and reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a small amber colored bottle. Luke's heart began to pound wildly as he realized she had found the bottle of sedatives that he thought he had hidden so well in the closet. “Luke, what are you doing with these?” there was no anger in his Aunt's voice but Luke could hear the disappointment and the sadness.
“Doc Applebee gave them to me after Kelly died.” Luke said evasively.
“That doesn't answer my question, Luke.” His aunt said patiently “What are you still doing with them?”
“I kept them in case I needed them.” Luke told her, still with a tone of evasiveness in his voice. And he still kept his eyes on the floor, refusing to look at her.
“Needed them for what?” Pauline continued to probe refusing to let Luke avoid answering her. When he refused to answer her, a sudden gleam of understanding filled her eyes, along with a heavy sadness. In a quiet voice, she put her thoughts into words “To hurt yourself? Is that it? Is that why you kept them?” Luke still didn't answer her but Pauline saw his body tense up and she knew that she was right. “Oh, Luke” Pauline exclaimed in a pained voice “I know you're hurting right now but that's not the way out, honey.” She put a hand on his shoulder “I know you don't want to but you have to let yourself feel the pain, it's the only way you'll ever start to get better.” She paused “I know that it doesn't seem like it right now but it will get better if you'll just give it some time.”
She could feel the slight trembling of Luke's muscles under her hand but he still refused to talk to her. “Luke, I need for you to promise me that you will not hurt yourself.” She gently cupped his chin and lifted his head, forcing him to look at her. “Promise me.” She saw the stubborn set to Luke's jaw but she also saw the fear and pain in his eyes. He might be fighting her but he was listening to what she said. In a firmer, no nonsense voice (the same voice she had used when he was a child) she repeated “Promise me, on your word as a Duke.”
“I promise.” Luke said flatly
“On your word as a Duke.” Pauline insisted. Luke shifted his gaze uneasily but Pauline persisted “On your word as a Duke.”
“On my word as a Duke.” Luke finally said, giving in.
“Good,” Pauline said with a satisfied smile, letting go of his chin “Because a Duke never goes back on his word.” She repeated the Duke Family motto that meant the most to all of them. That was why she had forced Luke to say it. As long as he gave his word as a Duke, she knew that he would not break it. Sensing that Luke needed to be alone, at least for a little while, Pauline left his bedroom and went downstairs to start supper.
She had just put a roast in the oven to bake when she heard Luke come into the kitchen and sit down at the table. Without a word about their previous conversation, she poured him a cup of coffee and sat it in front of him.
“Thanks.” He told her, remembering his manners. He seemed to have something on his mind he wanted to say but Pauline held her tongue. She knew that Luke would have tell her in his own way when he was ready. Finally, he sighed softly and looked at her “I'm sorry for acting the way I did.”
“That's okay, sweetie. I was just worried about you, that's all. Everybody has been.”
“I know.” Luke said, trying to swallow past the lump that had suddenly came up in his throat “And I know I've been shutting everybody out since Kelly got hurt but I couldn't seem to help it.”
“Honey, we know how much you loved her and how she loved you. What happened to her was wrong, it was terrible but she's gone and you have to accept that.”
“Do you think I could ever forget that?” Luke said, his voice breaking with emotion “It's the first thing I think about every morning when I wake up and it's the last thing I think about at night when I finally fall asleep because I'm too exhausted to stay awake anymore. It's all I think about.” Tears gathered in his eyes “And I think about how easy it would be to just make it go away…..forever. I can't picture living the rest of my life without her in it and I hate myself for feeling this way.”
Feeling her nephew's pain, Pauline quickly went to his side and took him in her arms, holding him close and gently stroking his hair as she had often done when he was a child and was scared or hurt. “It's okay, baby” she told him gently “You can't be strong all the time.”
“What the hell am I suppose to do, Pauline.” Luke said in a muffled face, burying his face against her stomach and wrapping his arms around her like a child “What the hell am I suppose to do now?”
“Darling, you just make a good start without even knowing by just talking about what you feel….and I know that's never been an easy thing for you to do.”
Suddenly, without any warning, as if a damn had burst suddenly flooding the valley, Luke began to cry. Deep, heart wrenching sobs that tore at Pauline's heart. Tears of pain and of grief, but she also knew that they were tears of healing. It would still take time, maybe a lot of time, but Luke would be alright. He would survive and he would learn to go on with his life without Kelly.