Forgiveness
By
Chapter 1
Hazzard County , Georgia . A little southern town right in the middle of the Bible belt. A place where everybody knows everybody else and a neighbor is always ready to lead a helping hand. It was a place where folks raised their kids with old fashioned values and plain old common sense with the teachings from the good book thrown in for good measure. There were two main ways to make a living in Hazzard County : Farming and moonshining. And most of the families in the area had done a little bit of both. It was a good place to live and most people who were born there lived there their whole lives and died there too.
One of the most popular and well-liked families in Hazzard County was the Duke clan. The Duke family had lived on the same farm in Hazzard for five generations. The family consisted of Jesse Duke, the clan patriarch. Jesse was in his mid sixties with a full white beard and headful of white hair along with the energy and the stamina of a much younger man. For over 40 years Jesse had made the best moonshine in three counties using the secret Duke family recipe that had been passed down from father to son for over 200 years. That was until last year when his two nephews were caught making a midnight run with a car load of shine. To keep the boys out of prison, Jesse had made a deal with the U.S. of A. government not to make or sell anymore moonshine as long as his boys could be given probation instead of going to prison for five years. Since everybody who knew Jesse knew that a Duke never went back on his word, a deal was reached and the boys were set free. Jesse was a very religious man who lived his life the best he could within the restraints of the community where he resided.
The rest of the family consisted of Jesse's two nephews, Bo and Luke, and his niece Daisy. All three of them had been orphaned at an early age and had gone live with Jesse and his wife, Martha, who had raised them as if they were their own. To Jesse, they were his kids even if he wasn't their natural father and to them, he was the only father any of them had ever known. Jesse had raised them all with strict discipline and a lot of love. His word was law and always obeyed, mostly out of love, but obeyed just the same. And even though all three of the cousins were adults now, they still obeyed their uncle and showed him the respect he deserved.
Luke Duke was the oldest of the three cousins. He was the first one to come and live with Jesse and Martha when he was only four years old. He was the most reserved of the three cousins and he didn't open up or share his innermost feelings very easily with anyone. He tended to keep things to himself which sometimes made him hard to read and even harder to get to know. Ruggedly handsome with sapphire blue eyes, dark curly hair, he had a lean muscular build from his years of working on the farm. With his killer smile and smooth southern charm, he had more than his share of girlfriends. Along with his cousin, Bo, he was considered one of the best drivers in three counties.
The second oldest of the three cousins was Daisy Duke. She was the last one to come and live on the farm when she was six. Two years younger then Luke, she was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County with big blue eyes and shoulder length chestnut colored hair. With her long legs and a figure that could make any man sit up and pay attention, Daisy had more boyfriends than she could shake a stick at. She worked as a waitress at the local roadhouse, a rowdy honky-tonk called the Boars Nest where half the customers came in just to flirt with her. She could drive like Richard Petty, shot like Annie Oakley and knew the words to every Dolly Parton song.
The last of the three Duke cousins was the youngest, Bo Duke. Four years younger than Luke, Bo had come to live with Jesse and Martha when he was just six months old. He had the same lean muscular build as his older cousin but there the resemblance ended. He had golden blonde hair with long sideburns that was feathered on the sides and baby blue eyes. With his boyish good looks and easy smile, he was as popular as Luke with the ladies. He was more impetuous and impulsive then his older cousin, often acting first and thinking about the consequences later. He was more than likely to be the one to get them into trouble and Luke had to be the one to think of a way to get them out of it. He could drive just as well as his older cousin although he could be a little bit more reckless behind the wheel and tended to take more chances then Luke did. Bo and Luke were closer than brothers and spent almost all of their time together, either working on the farm or just hanging out. It was unusual to see one of the Duke boys without the other one by his side.
There was another member of the Duke clan that wasn't even human but part of the family just the same. And that was the car that the boys had built from scratch just after Luke got home from the Marines. The General Lee. The General was a modified stock car with welded doors that was the fastest car in the entire state of Georgia . With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in black on each door, the rebel flag painted on the roof and the name General Lee written above each door frame, it was a memorable vehicle that was hard to miss. And the boys kept its powerful engine tuned to perfection. Some folks even claimed that the General was half human when it came to some of the things the Duke boys could get that car to do when either one of them was behind the wheel.
The Duke farm was located 18 miles outside of the town of Hazzard on Old Mill Pond Road , one of the old dirt roads that ran through the county. The old three-bedroom farmhouse had weather-beaten shingles and was badly in need of a fresh coat of paint. The yard between the house and the big old barn was hard packed earth with just a few scattered patches of grass. Most folks used the back door whenever they came to visit the Dukes. They knew that they'd always be welcomed with a warm smile, a cup of coffee, and an invitation to dinner. That's just how the Dukes were. They were decent hard working folks and loyal friends.
That day had started out just like any other day. The boys were up at five thirty to eat breakfast and then did their chores. They spent part of the day doing additional chores around the farm that Jesse gave them and then with the rest of the afternoon free, the boys decided to go into town to see their friend, Cooter Davenport, who owned the local garage. Cooter was the best mechanic in the state and had been a friend of the Duke family since childhood. His last name might be Davenport but he was really a Duke at heart.
When they got to the garage, they found Cooter working on one of the sheriff's cars that Deputy Cletus Hogg had wreaked the day before while he was chasing the boys in the General Lee. Bo and Luke sent Cooter half of his business in the form of wreaked police vehicles. As the boys were standing there making small talk with Cooter, Bo glanced up and saw Becky Sue Holland walking down the street towards them. With a big grin on his face, he excused himself and went outside to talk to her.
Luke frowned when he saw Bo talking to Becky Sue. Luke had been dating Becky Sue for the past couple of weeks and Bo knew that. The boys had always had an unspoken agreement not to make a play for a girl that the other one was dating. Nevertheless, from the way Bo was carrying on with Becky Sue to Luke it sure looked like Bo was forgetting about that agreement. Luke felt his temper flare at Bo's blatant disregard for Luke's feelings. Cooter saw the expression on Luke's face and how those sapphire eyes turned as cold as ice and immediately sensed trouble brewing. Bo and Luke seldom argued but when they did, they both had volatile tempers and could easily come to blows and those boys were big enough to hurt each other.
When Becky Sue laughed at something Bo said and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, Luke saw red. Neither of them noticed the angry look on Luke's face as Becky Sue walked away and Bo sauntered back into the garage, looking pleased with himself.
“What the hell was that all about?” Luke demanded with a hard edge to his voice that immediately put Bo on the defensive.
“Nothing. I was just asking Becky Sue if she wanted to go to the dance Friday night.” Bo told him
“She already said she'd go with me.” Luke growled “What are you trying to do, Bo? Steal her behind my back?”
“It ain't like that and you know it, Luke Duke!” Bo said his own temper starting to flare “You said you was breaking up with her!”
“Well I ain't done it yet so that don't give you no call to try and date her!”
“I'm getting tired of you telling me all the time what I can and can't do, Luke!” Bo said sharply “Why don't you just let me alone?”
“Fine! I'll let you alone!” Luke said, stomping out of the garage and heading across the street towards the diner. He heard Bo calling his name but ignored him and kept walking. He never saw the car turning the corner and speeding down the street towards him.
Chapter 2
The screaming of brakes made his blood chill; startled he whipped his head around and saw his cousin lying face down in the middle of the street. The car that had hit him was parked in the street, the front grill smashed in and windshield shattered. The driver was standing beside the car looking at the scene before them with a stunned look on their face. Screaming his name, he ran to his fallen cousin and knelt down beside him not even noticing that he was kneeling in a pool of blood. “CALL AN AMBULANCE!” he yelled to no on in particular, as he gently cradled his cousin's head in his lap.
A crowd was quickly gathering around them, attracted by the sound of the accident and his screams for help. Cooter pushed his way through the horde of bystanders so he could reach his friends. He took in the sight before him at glance, knowing immediately that the Duke boy lying on the ground was severely injured. Gently, he reached out to touch his younger friend's shoulder and said comfortingly, “He' gonna be okay….I know he's gonna be okay. Do you want me to call Uncle Jesse and tell him what happened?”
The young man nodded his head, all of his concentration focused on the injured man in his arms. He barely noticed the noise and activity around him. It was his fault. All his fault. If his cousin died he had nobody to blame but himself. All because of a stupid fight over a dang girl that he didn't really care about anyway. “Come on, cuz…” he whispered desperately “Hang in there…..don't you dare die on me!” Tears glistened in his eyes as he raised his eyes towards heaven and said a silent prayer for his cousin's life.
He knew you weren't suppose to make bargains with God but he'd sell his soul to the devil if it meant saving his cousin's life. He didn't even notice as Cooter ran back to the garage to get Uncle Jesse on the CB and tell him about the accident.
“All right! What in tarnation is going on here?” Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane's voice carried through the air, as he pushed his way through the crowd “What are you Duke boys up to now?” He skidded to a stop when he saw the young man lying on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood with his distraught cousin kneeling by his side and rocking him gently in his arms. The damage to the vehicle that had had hit the young man bore mute evidence to the kind of injuries he had probably sustained. The driver, obviously an out of towner, since Rosco didn't recgonize was a white as a sheet and looked ready to collapse himself. In spite of his run-ins with the Duke boys, Rosco secretly liked the two young men and didn't want to see either one of them hurt. “Has anybody called an ambulance?” Rosco demanded loudly, looking around at the faces of the town folks in the crowd.
“Yes, sir.” Someone said “They're on the way.”
“Uncle Jesse and Daisy are too.” Cooter said as he came up behind Rosco and looked at his two best friends with a worried look on his face. Since Hazzard County didn't have a hospital of its own, the closest ambulance had to come from Tri-County Medical Center in Cedar City which was almost half an hour away. Rosco wasn't sure if the young man lying on the ground would make it that long. It sure didn't look very good to him. And it looked like his uninjured cousin was close to losing it too. All Rosco could do was stand helplessly by and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
In the distance the sound of a siren could be heard rapidly approaching. A few minutes later, the ambulance pulled up at the accident scene and two paramedics jumped out, pushing their way through the crowd to get to the victim. But the young man holding the victim in his arms, refused to let them get too close to the injured man. “DON'T TOUCH HIM!” He yelled “HE'S HURT BAD ENOUGH!”
“Come on now, Buddyroe….” Cooter said, gently reaching out to touch his friend's shoulder “You gotta let ‘em take care of him now….they need to get him to the hospital….” He could feel the other man trembling violently before he jerked away from the mechanic's touch and turned to glare at him, his blue eyes blazing with rage and pain.
Cooter had seen that look before and he knew that nobody was going to force him to let go of his cousin without a fight.
“Let me through! Them's my boys!” a gruff voice said. Cooter breathed a sigh of relief as Uncle Jesse pushed his way through the crowd. The elder Duke knelt beside the two young men, ignoring the pain in his knees. Gently he reached out and put a soothing hand on his nephew's arm “It's okay, boy….let ‘em put him in the ambulance so they can get him to hospital. We'll be right behind them all the way.” The young man looked at his Uncle, his eyes filled with tears of pain and fear. With a strangled sob that caught in his throat, he released his grip on his cousin and leaned against his Uncle for support as the paramedics began tending to him.
With Cooter's help, Jesse helped him to his feet. At first he resisted, still reluctant to leave his cousin's side even for a moment, but then he turned away. Reluctantly, he allowed his Uncle and Cooter to lead him back through the crowd and across the street where Daisy sat behind the wheel of her jeep waiting for them. They got him settled into the back seat and Daisy pulled out behind the ambulance for the drive to Tri County Medical Center . He sat in the back seat, silently staring at his cousin's blood that still stained his clothes and his hands. He found himself thinking that if his cousin died, his blood was literally on his hands. Jesse glanced at his nephew worriedly as they sped along the highway behind the ambulance. He seemed to be in a daze, not completely comprehending what was going on around him. Jesse easily recognized the signs of shock but there was nothing he could do to help the young man right now. If he didn't snap out of it when they got to the hospital, he would ask one of the doctors to take a look at him just to be on the safe side.
They pulled into the driveway in front of the emergency entrance to the hospital right behind the ambulance. The three Dukes climbed out of the jeep and hurried inside the building. A nurse stopped them from going past the registration desk.
“That's my nephew they're bring in right now!” Jesse told her “He got hit by a car!”
“I'm sorry, sir but you're all going to have take a seat in the waiting area. A doctor will be out as soon as possible to advise you of your nephew's condition.” The nurse told them in a gentle but firm voice.
With no other choice but do as she said, the three Dukes walked over to the waiting area. Daisy and Jesse sat down on one of the uncomfortable plastic covered sofas while the younger Duke started pacing the floor anxiously, ignoring the strange glances from other people in the waiting room who couldn't help staring at the blood that stained his shirt and his jeans. But he didn't care, all he cared about was his cousin who was somewhere beyond those doors that separated the waiting room from the emergency room fighting for his life. He could feel the tears that kept stinging at his eyes, tears he refused to let fall even though he had never been more terrified in his life.
Chapter 3
“Boy, will you sit down before you wear a hole in that danged carpet?” Jesse said in a gentle voice, his worried eyes watching his nephew carefully. He ignored Jesse and continued pacing, too upset to sit down. Part of his mind heard what his Uncle had said to him but most of his mind was still focused solely on his cousin's welfare. Three pairs of eyes looked up anxiously each time those doors opened and a doctor came into the waiting room but he always said some other patient's name and not the one they were all waiting so desperately to hear. They had already been waiting for almost three hours and they knew that the longer it took without hearing any news, the more serious the injuries probably were.
He had already memorized every thread in the carpet and the number of steps from one end of the room to the other, when a doctor finally stepped through those doors and looked around, calling out “Duke Family…”
Jesse and Daisy both jumped to their feet and he stopped his pacing so he could join his family to hear the news none of them was really sure they wanted to hear. “I'm Jesse Duke.” Jesse said as the doctor walked across the room towards them “How is he?” he demanded before the doctor had a chance to say anything. “How's my boy?”
“Mr. Duke,” the doctor said solemnly “I'm Doctor Pyle. Your nephew was seriously injured. He had several internal injuries and he lost a tremendous amount of blood. He also has a severe head injury and I'm afraid he's slipped into a coma.”
“But he's gonna be okay, isn't he?” Daisy asked struggling to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“It's really too soon to tell.” The doctor responded “The next forty-eight hours are the critical ones. If he survives that long then he has a fighting chance.”
“Can we see him?” Jesse asked trying to speak past the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. The thought of losing either one of his nephews terrified him. Those boys were like his own sons and not just his nephews. They both meant the world to him.
“It'll be awhile yet. He's still in surgery and then they'll be moving him into the ICU. After the nurses have him settled in, I'll have someone let you know so you can see him,” The doctor told them. He turned and walked away leaving a saddened family behind him. The news had been worse than they had anticipated. Jesse and Daisy returned to their seats to continue waiting while he went back to his restless pacing back and forth.
Time passes slowly when you are waiting in a hospital. You learn where every crack in the floor is and can identify every nurse by her first name. Nothing distracts you from the reason that you're there. The health of someone you love. Pacing the floor becomes second nature as you glance up at the clock to discover that only a few minutes have passed since the last time you looked. And with each minute that passes without anyone telling you anything, your anxiety level rises along with your doubts and your fear.
The concerned family waited for another two hours waiting anxiously for someone to tell them that they could finally see him, even if it was only for a few minutes. Finally, a middle-aged nurse walked over to where they were sitting (or pacing since he still refused to sit down) and smiled sweetly. “The doctor asked me to show you to the ICU.” She said using that quiet voice that people tend to use in a hospital setting.
The family followed her over to the elevators and stepped inside of one of them. She pushed the button for the third floor and smiled at the family as the doors slid shut. When the doors slid open again, they all stepped out at the third floor. Nodding at the woman on duty behind the desk at the nurse's station, she led them to the first room on the left. There was a observation window next to the door through which family members could look into the room even if they could not go inside. The nurse opened the door and the family followed her into the room. “You can only stay for fifteen minutes at a time and after this, only one of you can come in at a time.” She told them as she backed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her and leaving them alone with their injured family member.
Jesse immediately crossed the room and stood beside the bed. He looked down at his nephew, his eyes burning with unshed tears. He looked so small and vulnerable lying there. If it wasn't for the unnatural pallor of his skin and the various machines that were hooked up to him to monitor his condition, you could almost fool yourself into thinking that he was merely sleeping. Careful not to disturb the IV inserted into the back of his left hand, Jesse gently reached down to caress his arm, trying to reassure him and let him know somehow that his family was there with him. Daisy did the same, gently reaching out to rub his shoulder comfortingly. His troubled cousin stood back, unsure what to do. He wanted to comfort him too but he was ashamed. After all, it was his fault that he was here in the first place. Finally, Jesse glanced over at him when he didn't come any closer and saw the fear in his eyes and the distraught look on his handsome face.
Walking to the young man's side, Jesse slipped his arm around his shoulders and said firmly “I know what you're thinking but none of this is your fault. It was just a stupid accident….that's all. Now get over there with him where you belong.”
The young man hesitated but finally obeyed his Uncle, stepping up to his cousin's right side. Reaching down, he gently took his injured cousin's right hand in his hands and held on tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. In a shaky voice he said “I'm sorry, cuz….I'm so sorry….” He bowed his head to avoid looking into Jesse or Daisy's eyes as he felt the guilt washing over him like a tidal wave. He didn't care what Jesse had said. It was his fault and if his cousin died because of him, then he would never be able to forgive himself.
All of their lives Jesse had installed in them love and loyalty to the family. He had taught them that the family was the most important thing and the only thing that really mattered. In the end, even if you lost everything you owned, you still had your family to depend on. And he had forgotten one of the most important lessons that Jesse had always tried to teach them. That Dukes don't fight Dukes. And now because of a stupid fight, the one person who meant more to him than anyone else in the world was lying on the bed in front of him and may never be the same again. The guilt was eating him up inside and he knew that it would continue to do just that until his cousin opened his eyes and told him that he forgave him for what had happened. But he had a bad feeling that might not happen anytime soon.
“We're going to step outside so you two can be alone for a few minutes.” Jesse told him quietly, slipping his arm around Daisy's waist “Take your time and tell him whatever it is you need to say.” As the door closed behind them, he finally let the tears he had been struggling to hold back slip down his face. Leaning in close to his cousin's ear, he whispered “Open your eyes, cuz…please open your eyes…..I never meant for you to get hurt….” When he didn't show any sign of responding, the other man swallowed hard and straightened up. Turning, he slowly walked out of the room and into the hallway to join his Uncle and Daisy. Jesse looked at his tear streaked face and gently pulled him into his arms, patting him gently on the back. In a soft soothing voice he said “It's gonna be okay, Luke…Bo's gonna be alright. You have to keep believing that.”
Chapter 4
Two days. Two days with no change in his condition. The warmth of his skin, the gentle rise and fall of his chest assured them that Bo was still alive but he just wouldn't open his eyes. They all took turns sitting with him and talking to him, trying to get him to wake up but he didn't respond to anyone, not even the cousin he considered his brother and his best friend. Luke didn't want to leave his side, he needed to be there when he opened his eyes. He had to be the first thing Bo saw so he would know that he wasn't alone. He had to make him understand just how sorry Luke was about what had happened. Even when he couldn't be in the room with him, Luke sat in the waiting room or pulled a chair up in the hallway and just watched Bo through the window. The nurses soon learned to work around him when he did that. They didn't really object, it was sweet to see how devoted he seemed to be to his cousin. They were all anxious for the young man to wake up too. It was always more difficult for them to work with someone so young who had been hurt so badly. But it was part of their job and they had to do it more times then they would have liked.
Jesse had tried to get Luke to go home with him and Daisy but he had refused. Until he knew that his cousin would be all right he wasn't about to leave the hospital. He slept when he could, usually sitting up in a chair or sometimes stretched out on one of the couches in the waiting room although neither alternative was very relaxing and hardly made for a good nights sleep. Luke drank so much coffee that he was wired all the time and he ate whatever he could find in the vending machines. One of the nurses felt sorry for him and started bringing him a burger and fries from McDonalds when she came back from her own supper break. Luke's nerves were shot and he was exhausted but he still would not leave.
He glanced up at the clock on the wall behind the nurse's station. It was time to see Bo again. Shoving himself to his feet, he slowly walked down the hall and went into Bo's room. Just like he always did when he sat with him, Luke pulled up a chair on the right side of the bed, and took Bo's hand in both of his, holding on tightly. “Come on, cuz…..you have to wake up sooner or later.” He said in almost a pleading tone. He let his eyes focus on his cousin's face looking for any sign that he even knew that he was there but there was nothing. Almost absentmindedly, he reached out and ran his thumb over the dark circles under Bo's eyes. His face was badly bruised from the accident but the bruises were slowly starting to fade. After being hit by the car, Bo had been thrown into the windshield and then to the pavement. Besides his internal injuries, which included a ruptured spleen and a collapsed lung, he also had three broken ribs and the severe head injury that was keeping him in a coma. Jesse had told Luke that Cooter had seen everything. When Bo saw the car turning the corner and speeding towards Luke, he had yelled Luke's name trying to warn him but Luke had ignored him. So Bo had ran after him but by the time he reached the spot where Luke had been, Luke was already past the point of impact so Bo had been the one who got hit by the car instead. When his fifteen minute time limit was up, Luke slowly walked back out into the waiting room and sat back down staring sightlessly at the TV sitting in the corner of the room.
When Daisy and Jesse arrived at the hospital they found Luke sleeping in a chair in the waiting room. He looked exhausted. Jesse decided that Luke was going home with them at least for the night even if he didn't want to. He needed a decent night's sleep in his own bed. Jesse knew that Luke would argue with him about it but Jesse had his mind made up and he could be just as stubborn as Luke when he got a mind to. Stubbornness ran in the Duke family and both Jesse and Luke had more than their share.
Jesse gently shook Luke's shoulder and said his name. His eyes flew open, a sudden fear flashing through them as he looked into his Uncle's gentle lined face. “Bo?” he said, his first thought automatically being about his cousin.
“Shhhh…” Jesse shushed him soothingly “Bo's just fine. But you ain't…..you need to come home with us tonight so you can get some proper rest.”
“I can't….I have to stay with Bo.” Luke said insistently, straightening himself up his chair and flexing his shoulders to work out the kinks.
“Lucas…” Jesse said in a mildly warning tone and using Luke's given name to show that he was serious “You are coming home with us tonight and I don't wanna hear no more arguing about it. You won't do Bo no good if you wear yourself out and end up in here with him. I'll make sure the nurses know to call us right away if anything happens.”
“Yes, sir….” Luke said in a resigned tone knowing this was one argument he wasn't going to win with Jesse.
“Sugar, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened.” Daisy said as she sat down in the chair beside her oldest cousin and reached out to slip her arm around his shoulders. “It was an accident….nobody blames you…..least of all Bo….”
“It was my fault….” Luke said grimly “If I hadn't been arguing with him and then walked away…..if I hadn't been mad….I would have seen that car…I wouldn't have walked out in front of it…”
“Nobody is saying you did any of that on purpose…..it was an accident.” Daisy said still trying to get through to her cousin who continued to insist on blaming himself for Bo getting hurt. “Why can't you see that, Luke?”
“It should be me lying in that bed, not Bo….I'm the one who was dumb enough to walk out in front of that car….”
“And if Bo had been the one to walk out in that street…..then you would have done exactly the same thing that he did.” Daisy told him
“I shouldn't have gotten mad at him in the first place….not over Becky Sue.” Luke said
“And Bo shouldn't have been flirting with her in front of you.” Daisy said “Not when he knew you were still going out with her.”
“We should never have been fighting over a dang girl in the first place.” Luke said with a hard edge to his voice, still not willing to let go of his guilt over the accident.
Daisy sighed softly. She knew she would never be able to get through to Luke. He wouldn't let go of the guilt until Bo woke up and Luke could tell him that he was sorry for their fight. But Daisy knew it went deeper than that. Luke had always been the one who took care of and protected his younger cousins and she sensed that he felt as if he had failed to protect Bo this time that Bo had gotten hurt because of him. And he was letting that guilt eat him up alive. She hated to see Luke hurting like this but she knew she couldn't fix it. Only Bo could do that. He just had to wake up first.
Jesse knew what Luke was going through and he knew that nobody was going to make Luke stop blaming himself for what had happened. That was just Luke's way. He had always been the one who took the blame when either one of his younger cousins got hurt, holding himself responsible even when he wasn't. It was one of the character traits that made Luke the man he was and made the three cousins so close. But at times like this it could also be a weakness that made Luke more vulnerable than he usually was.
Chapter 5
Luke picked at the food on his plate, playing with it more than actually eating it. He had gone home with Jesse and Daisy only because Jesse had made him but his mind was still back at the hospital with Bo. Jesse noticed that Luke wasn't eating but decided not to say anything. Finally, Luke shoved his plate away and looked at his Uncle “May I be excused?” he asked. When Jesse nodded, Luke stood up and left the table, going upstairs to his room. Daisy looked at her uncle with a worried expression on her face.
“Uncle Jesse, are you sure Luke's gonna be okay?”
“He will be as soon as he can talk to Bo.” Jesse told her quietly.
“I've never seen him like this before.”
“He's afraid and Luke doesn't deal well with fear….he never has.” Jesse said, “Luke's used to keeping his feelings to himself and when something like this happens that makes it hard for him to do that…..he doesn't know how to handle it.”
“Why is like that? I mean….Bo's not like that. You always know how Bo feels.”
“That's just Luke. His dad was the same way so I guess he comes by it natural.”
“But it can't be good for him….not when it makes him hurt like this.”
“I never said it was good for him….that's just his way. And he'll have to work through it on his own unless he decides to talk to one of us…..but we're not the ones he wants to talk too….Bo is.”
“I just worry about him when he gets like this.” Daisy said
“I know, baby….and Luke knows it to. And even if he doesn't show it, he does appreciate your concern.”
Upstairs in his room, Luke pulled off his boots and lay down on his bed still fully clothed. He was exhausted and it felt good to be in his own bed but he still wished he were back at the hospital with Bo. Bo needed him and he wasn't there by his side like he should be. Against his will, his eyes grew heavy and he finally slept a deep dreamless sleep. It was still dark in the room when he opened his eyes. Turning his head, he saw that it was only two A.M. Sighing, he shoved himself up off the bed. He knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. He pulled on his boots and silently made his way down the stairs.
He slipped out the back door and walked over to the General Lee, climbing into the car. He knew Jesse would probably be mad in the morning when he woke up and found Luke gone. However, he had to go back to the hospital to be with Bo where he belonged. It was shortly after three in the morning when he stepped off the elevator and walked past the nurse's desk to Bo's room. Pulling a chair up beside the bed, he sat down and took Bo's hand in his own, holding on tightly. “Come on, little cousin….open your eyes and look at me….” Luke said quietly, a desperate pleading tone creeping into his voice “You have to wake up….I have to know that you're gonna be okay.” However, Bo just lay there, not responding to Luke's touch or the sound of his voice. Luke blinked back the tears that burned at his eyes. The connection between the two boys was so strong that without Bo by his side, Luke felt as if a part of him was missing. He couldn't bear to lose his cousin, his blood brother, his soul mate. Because if he did, he knew that a very big part of him would die too and his life would never be the same. It had always been that way with him and Bo. From the first day, Bo came to the farm when he was just a baby, Luke had made himself Bo's protector, his big brother and through the years, the bond between them had just grown stronger. The only time they'd ever been separated was when Luke was in the Marines and he had missed his cousin terribly.
Luke leaned his head down so that it was resting on the edge of the bed as he said a silent prayer to God to let Bo come back to him where he belonged. He didn't realize that he had dozed off for a minute until he felt a hand on his shoulder, startling him awake. It was the nurse telling him that his time was up. Slowly, he shoved himself to his feet and went back out to the waiting room where he slouched down in a chair and immediately went back to sleep.
In the morning after his rounds Dr Pyle told him that Bo's condition had improved enough that he was being moved out of the intensive care unit. At least he would be in a regular room now so there wouldn't be a restriction on when or how long Luke could stay with him. By the time Jesse and Daisy arrived that afternoon, Bo had already been moved to another room on the second floor and Luke had settled in with him. Luke had called the farm with the news about him being moved out of ICU and had given Jesse the new room number. Jesse started to reprimand Luke for leaving in the middle of the night but then decided against it. Sometimes Jesse had to remind himself that the boys were adults now and capable of making their own choices and their own decisions. And Jesse knew better than anyone the bond between those two. With Bo was where Luke wanted to be and that was where he was going to be and nobody was going to stop him from being there.
Chapter 6
The nurses on the second floor soon became accustomed to the dark haired man being at his cousin's side almost constantly. The only time he left his side was to take a short walk to work the kinks out of his muscles, to go to the restroom or to get some coffee from the vending machines. Otherwise he was right there at the younger man's side, holding his hand and talking to him. The closeness between the two young men was plain to see and so was the dark haired man's worry and concern. Some of the younger nurses made a point of talking to the dark haired man and flirting with him. They loved it when he smiled even if there was always a trace of sadness in that smile and in his eyes.
Luke's nerves were stretched to the limit. It had been almost 5 days since the accident and Bo still showed no signs of waking up. The doctor's tests had shown that his head injury was healing along with his other injuries but he still wasn't waking up. Luke kept talking to him until he was almost hoarse trying to find a way to get through to him and make him open his eyes.
Luke dozed in his chair when he got too tired to keep his eyes open any longer. He was dozing when he heard a soft whimpering sound that instantly awakened him. Anxiously, his eyes darted to his cousin's face. Bo's eyes were still closed but he was slowly tossing his head from side to side. As he leaned closer, Luke could hear the barely audible words that Bo was muttering “Luke…..where's Luke…..I want Luke…”
“Bo, I'm right here, cuz….” Luke said, grasping his hand and holding on tightly “It's Luke…I'm right here with ya….open your eyes.” He held his breath as Bo's eyelids slowly fluttered open and he looked at Luke with those beautiful baby blue eyes.
“Luke?” Bo whispered as if trying to reassure himself that Luke was really there.
“Yeah, it's me…” Luke said, the tears falling freely down his face. Tears of happiness and relief that Bo was finally awake. He reached out to gently stroke Bo's cheek. “How do ya feel?”
“Like I got hit by a truck….” Bo mumbled. He looked at Luke fearfully, his eyes searching his cousin's face anxiously “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine….you're the one that got hit by the car….” Luke told him with a soft chuckle.
“Oh, yeah…” Bo said as his memories of the accident slowly came back, at least what he could remember which wasn't much. “I was afraid you were going to get hit….I couldn't let you get hurt…”
“I'm so sorry, Bo…..it was all my fault.” Luke said, his voice cracking with emotion and pain as he tried to shed himself of his guilt.
“Accident…..not your fault…” Bo said, his voice growing tired and weak. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he tried to reassure his cousin that he wasn't to blame for what happened.
“Yes, it was.” Luke insisted, not willing to let go of his guilt so easily. “I shouldn't have got mad about Becky Sue.”
“I shouldn't have asked her out behind your back….” Bo whispered. A small smile tugged at his lips “I think I learned my lesson on that one….”
“No girl is worth it if they come between us…” Luke said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened again.
“I love you, cuz….” Bo whispered as his eyes closed and he drifted back into a deep sleep.
“I love you too, Bo….” Luke whispered back, not sure if Bo could hear him or not. He smiled as he laid his head on the bed beside Bo and dozed off himself, still clutching his cousin's hand tightly. That was how Uncle Jesse found them when he arrived a short while after that. He smiled faintly at the image. There was nothing that was going to keep those two apart. Gently, he touched Luke's shoulder and said his name.
Luke opened his eyes, blinking at his Uncle for a moment as his mind cleared. Straightening up in his chair, he smiled at his Uncle and said “He woke up, Uncle Jesse. He's gonna be okay.”
“Praise the lord.” Jesse said in a relieved voice. “Are you okay now?”
Luke nodded slightly and looked back at Bo's face. “I am now….” He said quietly. He knew that Bo had forgiven him and that had relieved his guilt. He made a solemn promise to himself that nothing like this would ever happen again. No girl would ever come between them and when Bo got out of here, Luke would take care of him just like he always had. Things were back to normal, at least as normal as they ever got in Hazzard County .