In God's Hands 2

by

Marty Chrisman

Chapter 1

Luke Duke slowly made his way down the stairs to the first floor of the two story farmhouse where he lived with his Uncle Jesse and his cousins, Bo and Daisy. Jesse and Bo had built a handrail for him to use since he still had problems getting up and down the steps. Luke had been critically injured in a car accident almost four months ago. He had come close to dying three times. The doctors had given up and told the family that he was going to die but Luke had proved them all wrong.

But he had not come away from the accident unscathed. He was left with some serious problems to overcome. A stroke and a serious head injury had left him with poor coordination, problems with his balance and a speech defect. But Luke had always been a fighter and for the past of four months he had been involved in the fight of his life. He had come a long way since getting out of the hospital but he still had a long way to go.

When he finally made his way into the kitchen, his cousin Daisy smiled at him and sat a plate on the table for him. Daisy was a pretty girl in her early twenties with long chestnut colored hair and blue eyes. She was one of the prettiest and the healthiest girls in Hazzard County . Luke knew that Bo and Uncle Jesse were out doing the morning chores. If it weren't for his present condition, Luke would have been out there helping them.

As he started to eat, Daisy snuck a glance at her older cousin. Since the accident and his slow recovery from his terrible injuries, Daisy and the rest of the family had become even more attuned than usual to both Luke's moods and any warning signs that he might not be feeling well. Anyone looking at Luke would never have known how badly he'd been hurt just a few months ago. The only noticeable scar on his face was from a deep gash he'd had on his forehead and even that was fading. His sapphire blue eyes were still as alert and as intelligent as they'd ever been. The pallor of his skin from almost 2 months spent in the hospital was finally being replaced by a healthy tan. He still had that slow crooked smile that made every girl in Hazzard go crazy. It was only when he spoke that you could detect a problem. His speech was halting and slow and sometimes he had trouble remembering the words he wanted to use even though his mind was still as alert as it had ever been.

Daisy knew that Luke was frustrated by his limitations. That was understandable. Luke had been active and always doing something. If he wasn't helping out around the farm, he was with Bo tearing around the countryside in their orange stock car, The General Lee. But now he couldn't do either one of those things and Daisy knew that bothered him terribly. In spite of his present condition, Luke still insisted that he be treated as normally as possible. He refused to ask for help even if he needed it sometimes. Daisy noticed that he looked a little tired this morning so she assumed he hadn't slept very well. He'd had nights like that since the accident. But Daisy knew better than to ask him how he felt. He wouldn't tell her anyway. He hated to complain even when he was in pain.

Luke ate some of his eggs then pushed his plate aside. He didn't have much of an appetite this morning. He'd been up most of the night with a headache and this morning his neck felt sore and stiff. He figured he must be coming down with a cold. Wearily, he shoved himself to his feet and went out the back door to the barnyard. He sat down at the old picnic table and let his gaze sweep across the landscape. Life here on the farm was the only life he had ever known or ever wanted.

He saw Uncle Jesse and Bo coming out of the barn. Jesse was in his early sixties with a full white beard and white hair. He was dressed in his usual attire, bib overalls, an old work shirt and a red cap. In spite of his age, Jesse had the spring in his step of a much younger man. Jesse had raised the three Duke cousins from the time they were babies and was the only father any of them had ever known.

Bo was the youngest of the three cousins and the most impulsive. With his tall, lean build, golden blonde hair and baby blue eyes, he was a favorite with the ladies. Bo had been driving the General Lee the day of the accident and had blamed himself for Luke's being so seriously injured even though Bo himself had been hurt pretty bad too. It had taken him a long time to stop blaming himself.

Luke didn't remember anything about the accident and he didn't remember much about the time he was in the hospital in a coma. But he did remember feeling Bo's presence in his mind and how the unique bond that they shared had given him the strength to hold on and to ultimately to survive. Without that bond as his lifeline, Luke had no doubt that he would have died. The doctors couldn't explain it and Jesse just called it a miracle.

“Well, morning.” Jesse told his oldest nephew with a grin “How you feeling this morning?”

“Okay.” Luke told him with a half hearted smile.

As Jesse continued on into the house, Bo sat down at the picnic table across from his cousin and said “Okay, Luke…how are you really feeling? I heard ya tossing and turning all night.”

“Little tired….” Luke admitted “Headache…”

“You want me to get ya some aspirin?”

Luke nodded. Bo stood up and went into the house to get the bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. He knew the headache must be bad. Luke hated to take any kind of medicine, even aspirins, if he didn't have to. He'd always been like that. Going back outside, he opened the bottle and shook three aspirins out in the palm of his hand and handed them to Luke. He sat the glass of water on the picnic table in front of him. Luke popped the pills in his mouth and took a drink of water to wash them down, unconsciously making a face as he did.

“Hey, you wanna go fishing later?” Bo asked

“Don't know….maybe.” Luke said in a listless voice.

“If your head hurts that bad…why don't you lay back down for awhile?” Bo suggested

Luke shook his head stubbornly. “Be okay…” He looked at his younger cousin and smiled “You see…Margie last night?”

“Sure did, cuz.” Bo told him with a huge grin “Had us a real good time…..till her daddy got home…then I had to hightail it out of there.”

“Lucky you didn't get….a load of buckshot…in your hind end.” Luke said in a playful tone.

“Susie Jessup was asking about you. She'd like to come out here and see ya.”

Luke shook his head adamantly. Susie was one of the local girls he'd been seeing before the accident but since he'd gotten home from the hospital, he hadn't wanted to see anyone and he still didn't. The only who had been out to the farm since he'd been home was Cooter and, well, Cooter was just like one of the family so he didn't really count.

Luke didn't want any of his old friends to see him like he was now. Pride was a tough master and Luke had more than his fair share of Duke pride and stubbornness. Bo knew better than to surge with him. Once Luke made up his mind about something there was no point in trying to change it.

Luke squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun, it just made his head hurt even more. Shoving himself to his feet he decided to go back into the house. Bo followed closely behind. Ever watchful, Bo kept an eye on Luke in case he stumbled going into the house. More than once, Bo had been there to keep him from falling when Luke lost his balance.

In the house, Luke went into the living room and lay down on the couch, throwing one arm up over his eyes. Jesse noticed and glanced at Bo questioningly. In a low voice so Luke wouldn't overhear him, Jesse asked Bo “Is he okay?”

“I don't know…he said he's got a headache…and it was bad enough he had me get him some aspirins.” Bo told him “And he didn't sleep very good last night.”

“Well, just let him be….. Maybe he just needs some rest. We'll keep an eye on him. You know he hates to be fussed over.”

“He didn't hardly eat anything this morning either.” Daisy added, glancing worriedly at her cousin lying on the sofa. “Uncle Jesse, do you really think he's okay?”

“I hope so, Daisy girl.” Jesse said. He didn't want to admit to Bo or Daisy that he was worried too. Since the accident any change in Luke's usual behavior worried him. Jesse had come too close to losing him to let Luke take any chances with his health.

Chapter 2

Luke lay on the sofa most of the day. He seemed to be sleeping so Jesse decided to let him alone, although he checked on him frequently. Sometimes Luke turned his head from side to side, mumbling incoherently, as if he were dreaming. When Jesse put a comforting hand on his shoulder, Luke would quiet down, as if sensing Jesse's presence.

Jesse hoped that Luke was just overly tired and needed some extra rest. His accident had been traumatic for all of them and they were all still recovering from the aftermath.

When supper was ready, Jesse told Bo to wake Luke up so that he could eat something. Bo walked over to the sofa and gently shook his cousin's shoulder “Hey, cuz…it's time to eat. Come on to supper.” Slowly, Luke opened his eyes and looked at Bo blankly for a moment. As his vision cleared, he slowly raised himself up from the sofa and stood up. He swayed unsteadily. Bo quickly reached out and grabbed his arm to keep him from falling. “You okay, Luke?” Bo asked in a concerned voice

“Fine…” Luke said with an irritated edge creeping into his voice. The truth was he wasn't fine but he wasn't about to tell Bo that. His head still hurt like hell and he was dizzy. He also felt a little disoriented but he figured that was just because he'd been sleeping most of the day. Slowly, he made his way to the kitchen table.

Jesse's sharp old eyes looked at Luke closely as he sat down at the table. He looked flushed and his eyes seemed a little glassy. But he didn't look ill enough to make a fuss about it, not just yet anyway. “Luke, I want you to eat something.” He said firmly “Daisy said you didn't eat hardly any breakfast.”

“Yes, sir.” Luke said automatically, even though he still didn't have much of an appetite. The smell of Daisy's fried chicken, one of his favorite meals, only made him feel nauseated. But to avoid a lecture from Jesse, he tried to eat something. But Jesse didn't miss much and he noticed that Luke pushed his food around on his plate more than he actually ate. Finally, Luke looked at his uncle and said “May I be excused?”

“Luke, are you sure you're all right?” Jesse asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Luke's flushed face.

“I'm fine…just a headache.” Luke said in an annoyed voice. He wished everyone would quit asking him if he was okay. It was just a bad headache.

“Alright.” Jesse said slowly “Why don't you go on to bed? Bo'll be up to check on you later and see if you need anything.”

Luke nodded slightly and stood up. Slowly, he made his way to the stairs, using one hand against the wall as a guide to keep his balance. By the time he made it up the stairs and to his bedroom, he was exhausted. He threw himself down on his bed, face first, without even bothering to undress. Within minutes, he was sleeping soundly once more.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Daisy looked at her Uncle and said, “Uncle Jesse, I'm worried about Luke. He ain't acting right. I think he's sick.”

“So do I.” Jesse admitted “It's probably that flu that's been going round lately but that's the last thing Luke needs right now.”

“Yeah, he hates to admit it even when he's sicker than a dog.” Bo said “I'll keep a close eye on him tonight.”

“You let me know if he gets any worse.” Jesse said firmly

“Uncle Jesse, you'll have to hog tie Luke to keep him in bed if he's sick.” Daisy said “Ever since the accident and being in the hospital all that time, he don't like being stuck in bed.”

“Well, I know that.” Jesse said gruffly “But he's gotta take of himself if he wants to or not….even if that means staying in bed for a couple of days.”

After they had finished supper, Daisy did the dishes while Jesse retired to the living room to read the evening paper. Bo watched some TV, then decided to turn in early. Luke seemed to be sleeping soundly when Bo went to their room so Bo didn't disturb him. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed.

Sometime during the night, he heard Luke get out of bed and go into the hallway. Worried about him, Bo quietly slipped out of bed and followed him. As he stepped into the hall, he plainly heard the sound of Luke getting sick in the bathroom. Bo knocked lightly on the door to announce himself, then opened the door and went in to check on Luke. He found Luke on his knees, hunched over the commode vomiting. “Hey, cuz…” he said quietly, kneeling by Luke's side. He put his arm around Luke's shoulders trying to comfort him as Luke continued to be sick. Luke stopped vomiting for a moment, only to start up again almost immediately. Worried because Luke seemed to be so sick, Bo yelled “Uncle Jesse!”

A few moments later, Jesse came into the bathroom. He took in the scene in front of him and quickly grabbed a washrag from under the sink. He ran it under the cold water and knelt beside Luke on the opposite side. “It's gonna be alright, boy” he said quietly, gently rubbing Luke's back the way he used to do when he was a child and was sick.

“How long has he been doing this?” Jesse asked Bo

“For a few minutes before I yelled for you.” Bo said in a worried voice.

Finally, Luke appeared to stop retching and slumped to one side, towards Jesse. Jesse gently took him in his arms and helped him to sit on the floor. His face was flushed even more than earlier and beads of sweat covered Luke's face. Quickly, Jesse held the back of his hand against Luke's forehead “He's burning up!” Jesse said, gently wiping Luke's face with the wet washrag.

Suddenly, Luke's eyes rolled back in his head and his back arched sharply. Jesse wrapped both arms around his oldest nephew as Luke went into a convulsion. “We gotta git him to the hospital!” he told Bo sharply “Go wake up Daisy and tell her what's gonna on and get a couple of blankets!” This was something more serious than just a bad case of the flu.

Within minutes, Daisy and Bo both rejoined Jesse in the bathroom. Luke had stopped convulsing but now he was unconscious. “Daisy, get the truck and lay those blankets out in the back!” Jesse said. He looked at Bo “You stay with Luke while I get dressed.”

Bo changed places with Jesse, gently cradling Luke's head in his lap. “Come on, cuz…” he said in a worried voice “Don't do this to me again…” He could feel the heat from Luke's body. Jesse was right, he was burning up.

Jesse appeared back in the bathroom doorway. “Let's go!” he ordered. Bo picked Luke up, easily supporting his cousin's weight in his arms. Luke's head slumped to one side, resting against Bo's shoulder as Bo carried him down the stairs and outside to the pickup. Bo quickly laid Luke in the back of the truck and climbed in beside him. He took the other blanket that Daisy handed him and carefully covered Luke up. Jesse and Daisy climbed into the cab of the truck and Jesse turned on the engine. Bo braced himself against the sudden lurch as the pickup took off, heading for the nearest hospital which was in Capital City . It was normally almost an hour's drive but ole Jesse made it in just over thirty minutes. By time Jesse pulled into the drive in front of the Emergency Room, Luke had already had two more convulsions and gotten sick again.

Daisy ran into the emergency room to alert someone about their arrival. Two orderlies ran outside to the pickup with a stretcher and loaded Luke onto to it, rushing him into the emergency room. Daisy, Jesse and Bo followed closely behind. A nurse barred their way as the orderlies pushed Luke down the hallway to one of examination rooms. “Please have a seat.” She told them gently “Someone will be with you as soon as they can.” The other three Dukes reluctantly found seats in the waiting room.

Chapter 3

Bo paced the floor anxiously. He was starting to get annoyed. They had been sitting in the waiting room for almost two hours and there still wasn't any news about Luke and his condition. Finally, he stopped a nurse as she came out of the emergency room. “Excuse me,” he said trying to remember his manners without losing his temper “But we brought my cousin in here almost two hours ago and we still don't know how he is!”

“I'm sorry, sir. I'm sure the doctor will be out to talk to you as soon as he can.” The nurse said politely, trying to brush past Bo.

“Well, could you at least check on him for us or something? He was real bad off.” Bo said, stepping in her way.

“What was the name?” the nurse asked with an exasperated sigh. She had more important things to do besides deal with irate family members.

“Luke Duke.”

“I'll see what I can find out.” She said, disappearing back into the emergency room

Bo muttered under his breath as he walked back over to Jesse and Daisy. “She said she'll see if she can find anything out for us.” He said in a worried voice.

“Now, Bo” Jesse said reasonably “Pacing a hole in the floor ain't gonna make ‘em tell us anything any quicker. Why don't you sit down for a spell?”

Bo sullenly slumped down in the chair beside Jesse and stretched out his long legs. His eyes kept darting towards the doors that led to the emergency room looking for either the nurse he had talked to or a doctor he recognized. It was almost another hour before Doc Applebee, the Duke family doctor, came out of the emergency room and walked towards them. All three of the Dukes stood up and looked at Doc anxiously.

“I'm sorry, Jesse, that it took so long for me to let you know what was going on with Luke…but to be honest with you…we're not really sure yet.” Doc told Jesse

“What do you think it is?” Jesse asked

“It could be another stroke…we're running some tests right now. Hopefully, we'll know something soon.”

“How is he, Doc?” Bo asked anxiously, clenching his fists at his sides. He wanted to strike out, to punch something. This couldn't be happening to Luke. Not again.

“He's running a dangerously high fever and he's had two more convulsions since you brought him in. That's about all we know right now.”

“Well, how soon will it be before you do know something?” Bo asked in an irritated voice. He struggled to control his temper, if he didn't get some answers soon he was going to start tearing things apart.

“Now, Bo…just settle down.” Jesse ordered firmly. He looked at Doc Applebee “How long will it be, Doc?”

“I don't know. Maybe a couple of more hours.”

“We'll be waiting right here.” Jesse said gruffly, his voice betraying his emotional turmoil “You let us know what's going on with my, boy.”

So once again, the Dukes found themselves waiting in a hospital waiting room for news about Luke. None of them was prepared to go through this again. Luke had seemed to be doing so well, he had made so many improvements in past few weeks, and now this. Bo felt the old guilt nagging at him. He had been driving when the original accident happened. It had taken a long time for him to stop blaming himself for Luke almost dying in the first place. The unique bond between them had helped to keep Luke alive the last time. Bo hoped it could do the same thing this time. Filled with same nervous energy that kept him on the go most of the time, Bo started pacing the floor again.

An hour passed, then two, and then three. It was almost four hours before Doc Applebee finally came back into the waiting room and walked over to where they were sitting. Daisy had dozed off with her head resting on Jesse's shoulder but she woke up as soon as she heard Doc's voice.

“I'm sorry, Jesse….” He said in a tired voice. “We still don't know for sure what's wrong with Luke but he is seriously ill. Right now, his condition is critical and he's in the ICU.”

“What the hell do you mean you'd don't know for sure what's wrong with him?” Bo demanded. His nerves were stretched to the limit and he was in no mood to be polite. “This is a damn hospital! You're supposed to know!”

“Bo Duke!” Jesse said sharply “You watch your language! Now sit down and be quiet!”

“Yes, sir.” Bo snapped angrily, slouching down in a chair. Jesse glared at Bo for a moment, then turned his attention back to the doctor.

“So what now?” he asked trying to stay calm when what he really wanted to do was yell like Bo had done.

“We're running some more tests and we have him on a cooling bed to help keep the fever down. So far he's holding his own but I can't make any guarantees. His body is still recovering from the accident and he not as strong as he should be. All we can do is hope that we find out soon what's going on so we can start treating him. “

“I know you're doing all ya can, John” Jesse said using Doc's first name “And that's we can ask…..you just do whatever you have to do to keep Luke alive. I can't lose him now.”

“I will, Jesse. I promise you that. And I promise you that I will find out what's wrong with him.” Doc told him in a fiercely determined voice.

“Can we see him?”

“In a little while. Not just yet. We're still running some tests.” He motioned for Jesse to join him in a corner of the room where they could talk privately without Bo or Daisy overhearing them. When they were out of earshot, Doc looked at Jesse solemnly and said “I'm not going to lie to you, Jesse…it doesn't look good. The high fever and the convulsions are not good signs. Considering the injuries he received in the accident and all the trauma his body went through…he may not be strong to fight off whatever this is.”

“Thank you, John.” Jesse repeated keeping his voice level and calm, even though inside his heart was pounding frantically “You do whatever you need to do to keep my boy alive….that's all I ask.”

“I will. Are you going to tell Daisy and Bo how bad Luke is?”

“No….they don't need to know. Not right now anyway. I'm not sure they could handle it….especially Bo.”

“How are you holding up, Jesse?”
“I'll be alright.” Jesse said grimly “I can hold up as long as I have to.”

Doc Applebee nodded and turned to walk back into the emergency room to finish tending to Luke. Jesse sighed and took a deep breath before walking back over to where Bo and Daisy were sitting. Bo looked at him and said “What else did Doc tell you? What didn't he want us to hear?”

“I just made sure he knew that I wanted to do whatever he had to keep Luke alive.” Jesse said. He didn't believe in lying to those kids and he had always taught them that Dukes didn't lie. Jesse figured he wasn't exactly lying he just wasn't telling them everything that Doc had told him about Luke's condition.

“How soon can we see him?” Bo asked, apparently satisfied for now with Jesse's answer.

“It's gonna be awhile yet.” Jesse said in a tired voice as he sat back down between Bo and Daisy. Daisy leaned up against him and rested her head on his shoulder once more. They would continue to wait until someone told them they could see Luke.

Chapter 4

It was almost eight o'clock the next morning before Doc Applebee finally came back out to the waiting room where the Dukes were still waiting. They all looked up as Doc walked over to them.

“You can each go in and see Luke for 5 minutes but no longer than that. He's unconscious and he's not going to know you're there.”

“Any news yet on what's wrong with him?” Jesse asked in a worried voice

“Not yet….except I don't think it's a stroke after all. It seems to be some kind of massive infection. We just have find out what's causing it.” Doc Applebee told them

“Well how long is that gonna take?” Bo demanded. He was still in a bad mood and his lack of sleep wasn't helping matters any. He knew he was being rude but he didn't care.

“It's a process of elimination.” Doc said, ignoring Bo's outburst. He knew the youngest Duke well enough to know that it was Bo's concern for his cousin that was causing his behavior. He was well aware of how close the two boys were and the unique bond that they shared. “I've already ordered antibiotics but we still need to identify what is causing the infection so we can treat it more aggressively.”

“How could he get a bad infection like that?” Jesse asked

“His spleen was injured in the accident and removed, that compromised his immune system which basically means it isn't functioning as well as it should.” Doc explained “That and his weakened condition left him wide open for an infection.”

“You go see him first, Uncle Jesse.” Bo said, slipping his arm around Daisy's shoulders “Me and Daisy will wait here.”

Jesse nodded and followed Doc Applebee down the hallway to the ICU unit. He felt as if he were reliving the nightmare of the accident again. Doc showed Jesse to Luke's room and left him there to go in alone. Luke was lying on the bed surrounded once more by all kinds of machines but at least this time he wasn't on life support. But he still had the heart monitor to register his heartbeat and machines to monitor his other vital signs. He was unconscious and there was wheeze to his breathing. When Jesse touched his hand his skin was still hot with fever even though he was on a cooling bed which was supposed to be helping to keep his fever down. Jesse hoped they found out what was wrong soon before his condition got any worse.

“You hang in there, Boy.” Jesse said “You hear me….you hang in there. You did it once, you can do it again.”

Jesse stayed his allotted time and then Daisy went in. She felt the tears fill her eyes when she saw her oldest cousin lying in that bed so sick again when he had been doing so well. She gently rubbed his hand and bent to kiss his forehead. “I love you, Luke.” She whispered “Please get well soon…”

Bo was the last one to go in to see Luke. He grabbed Luke's hand and squeezed it tightly. “Come on, cuz…” he said fiercely “You can beat this thing….I'm gonna be right here with you all the way….” He closed his eyes trying to will Luke to feel his presence so he would know that he wasn't alone.

When he returned to the waiting room, Jesse told him that they were going home to get some rest. Bo insisted on staying at the hospital to be close to Luke. Jesse knew there was no use arguing not when Bo had his mind made up. And he felt better knowing that Bo would be there so Luke wouldn't be alone. Jesse promised to come back later that evening. Daisy had to work so she wouldn't be able to come with him.

Luke remained unconscious and continued to run a high fever which concerned the doctors. They continued to run tests trying to find the cause of the infection invading his body. Bo was in with him later that afternoon when Doc Applebee came into the room. “Well, we've found out the problem.” He told Bo solemnly. The tone of his voice told Bo in advance that the news wasn't good. “He's got bacterial meningitis and he's in septic shock.”

“What's that in English?” Bo asked in a slightly annoyed voice.

“Meningitis is an infection of the spinal fluid that surrounds both the brain and the spinal cord. Luke probably got it because of his weakened immune system but it also could be a direct result of the injuries he suffered in the car accident” Doc Applebee explained patiently “The septic shock is a more than likely a side effect of the meningitis and it can be fatal.”

“But now that you know what's wrong with him you can treat it, right?” Bo asked anxiously.

“The normal treatment is aggressive antibiotic therapy which we have already started. The problem is that Luke has probably had it for awhile and ignored the symptoms so the infection itself has reached a dangerous level. The coma and the seizures both indicate that.”

“Just tell me if he's gonna be alright.” Bo said trying to keep the fear out of his voice “And don't tell me that we just have to wait and see.”

“I'm not going to tell you that. The next 72 hours are critical. If he doesn't start to respond to the treatment by then, he may not make it. Plus we have to keep a close eye on the septic shock because it can cause serious side effects such as multiple organ failure, high blood pressure and hyperventilation. And even if he does respond to the treatment without any other complications, he's still going to be very sick for at least a couple of weeks.”

“Thanks, Doc…” Bo said trying to absorb everything the doctor had just told him. To him it sounded like Luke was still in a whole lot of trouble.

Chapter 5

Bo was walking along the stream that ran through the woods behind the Duke farm. Under the old oak tree, he saw Luke sitting on the ground, skipping rocks across the water. “Hey, cuz…” he said with a grin, sitting down beside him.

Luke turned to look at his younger cousin, with a deep sadness and weariness in his eyes that alarmed Bo. “I should have known you'd find me.”

“Well, ya should know I ain't gonna just let you just leave…”

“Maybe it would be better if you do….I'm tired, Bo….I can't go through this again.”

“Hey, this ain't nothing like the last time…”

“Maybe not….but I don't have enough strength to keep on fighting.”

“Well, I ain't gonna let you give up!” Bo said in a fiercely determined voice “So don't you even try!”

Bo awoke with a start. It took him a minute to realize that he had only been dreaming. He straightened up from his slouched position in the chair in the waiting room and twisted his head trying to work the kinks out of his neck. “Dang it, Luke…I wish you wouldn't do that….” He muttered under his breath without even realizing what he had said or even that he had spoken out loud.

He saw Uncle Jesse coming down the hall towards him. Rising to his feet, he waited for Jesse to join him. When he did, Bo filled him in on what the doctor had told him earlier about Luke's condition. Bo may not have realized how serious Luke's condition really was but Jesse sure did. He'd had a brother who had died from meningitis and septic shock. Finding out what was wrong with Luke did little to ease Jesse's mind.

Bo and Jesse took turns sitting with Luke all evening but his condition remained the same and he was still running a high fever. Jesse stayed until almost ten PM and then left to go home. Bo stayed at the hospital. He was sitting with Luke around midnight when he noticed a change in Luke's condition. He was breathing faster than usual and deeper too. He was also turning his head from side to side as if he were having a bad dream. Gently, Bo reached out to touch his cousin's shoulder. “It's okay, Luke…I'm right here. You're okay….” Unconsciously, he started rubbing Luke's shoulder trying to soothe him. It seemed to work somewhat. Luke stopped turning his head restlessly but his breathing remained the same.

Bo glanced up as a nurse came in to check Luke's vital signs. She walked to the side of Luke's bed, her eyes scanning the various monitors. She frowned as she adjusted some switches, then hurriedly left the room. A few moments later, a doctor came into the room and asked Bo to wait in the hallway while he examined Luke.

Bo paced the hall anxiously waiting for the doctor to come out of Luke's room and tell him what was going on. Finally the door opened and the doctor came out into the hall. “How's Luke?” Bo asked worriedly

“Are you family?” the doctor asked

“Yes. Is Luke okay?”

“He's hyperventilating and his blood pressure is higher than it should be.” The doctor told him ‘But that's normal in cases of septic shock. I've given him some medication to try and bring his blood pressure back down and he seems to be resting comfortably at the moment.”

“Can I go back in there?”

“I'd rather you wait for at least a couple of hours. Give the medication a chance to take effect. Now if you will excuse me, I have other patients to tend to.”

“Thanks, doc…” Bo said as the doctor walked away. Bo's shoulders slumped as he slowly walked back to the waiting room. Sometimes it seemed as if it weren't for bad luck the Dukes wouldn't have no luck at all.

Chapter 6

Luke's mind wavered on the edge of consciousness. He sensed that he was in the hospital again and that he was sick, very sick. His head hurt like hell and his muscles ached, it felt like a really bad case of the flu but somehow Luke knew it was more serious than that. He could hear Bo talking to him. He should have known that he would be there. Come on, Bo. Shut up, will ya? I wanna go back to sleep. It's too much effort to open my eyes right now.

Bo grinned happily when he saw Luke's eyes fluttering. He knew he was trying to wake up. “Come on, cuz…open your eyes.” He coaxed

“If…I do…you…quiet?” Luke said almost in a whisper. Bo laughed when he realized that what Luke was trying to say was “ If I do, will you be quiet?”

“Well, if you wake up I might consider it.” Bo told him. Luke sighed softly and opened his eyes about halfway. “How ya feeling?”

“Cold…” Luke muttered, suddenly realizing that he was cold actually he felt like he was freezing..

“You've been running a pretty high fever…” Bo told him “They got you on some kinda bed that's supposed to keep it down.”

“Give…blanket…”

“The nurse should be coming in anytime and I'll ask her to get ya one.” Bo told him. Bo smiled, grateful that Luke had woke up and seemed to be responding to the antibiotics and other medication he was being pumped full of.

As if on cue, the door opened and the nurse came into the room. She smiled warmly when she saw that Luke was awake. “Well, hello there.” She said “How are you feeling?”

“Cold…” Luke said quietly.

She quickly checked his vital signs and said “Your fever broke….that's good.” She smiled “I'll get you blanket and I can adjust the temperature on the bed.”

“Thanks…”

She knelt down and turned a knob at the bottom of the bed. Straightening up, she walked over to the closet and pulled a blanket off the top shelf. Walking back over to the bed, she spread the blanket over Luke. “You should warm up in a few minutes.” She told him. She glanced at Bo “I'll let the doctor know he's awake.”

Shortly after the nurse left, Daisy and Jesse arrived. They were both relieved and happy to see that Luke was awake and seemed to be alert.

“You had us scared to death, boy.” Jesse told him “You ever get sick like that again and don't tell nobody sooner.... I'll tan your hide!”

“Yes, sir.” Luke said automatically.

“How are you feeling, sugar?” Daisy asked

“Better…head still…hurts”

“Well, you just take it easy.” Jesse said gruffy “Cause you ain't gitting out of here till I know you're strong enough to go home!”

Luke tried to concentrate on their conversation but his eyes were getting heavy and it was hard to stay awake. Noticing that he was tired and drowsy, Jesse suggested that they leave so Luke could get some rest. Bo agreed to go home with them that night so he could change clothes and get a good night's sleep himself.

The next day Jesse tracked down Doc Applebee as soon as they arrived at the hospital and asked him about Luke's condition.

“He's doing better.” Doc told him “But he's still not out of the woods yet. The antibiotics seem to be bringing the meningitis and the septic shock under control. But his blood pressure is still a little high and I'm worried about his urine output. It's not very good. I've ordered more fluids to see if that helps.”

“How long before he can git out of here?” Bo asked

“At least a week. I want to be sure he's completely over the meningitis and the septic shock before I let him leave the hospital. But as long as there are no further complications, he can moved out of ICU in a couple of days.”

“That's good.” Jesse said in a relived voice “Can we go see him now?”

“Of course.”

The Dukes found Luke sitting up in bed. He was in good spirits although it was easy to see that he was still weak and tired. He still looked a little pale and there were dark circles under his eyes but it looked like he was on his way to recovery.

Chapter 7

Luke was sleeping when Jesse and Bo arrived at the hospital the next morning. “Hey, cuz..” Bo said as he gently shook Luke's shoulder to wake him. Slowly Luke opened his eyes. For a moment, he looked confused and disoriented but then he smiled faintly and said, almost in a whisper,

“Hey, Bo…”

“How are you feeling?” Jesse asked, gently rubbing the back of Luke's hand.

“Better….head …hurts.” Luke said. The truth was his head hurt like hell unless he lay perfectly still and the overhead light in the room hurt his eyes.

Jesse frowned slightly, then glanced at Bo. “You stay with Luke.” He said “I'm going to see if I can find Doc and talk to him.” Jesse left Luke's room and walked down the hall to the nurse's station. The young nurse on duty behind the desk looked at him and smiled. Most of the medical staff recognized the Duke family and they all knew about Luke's medical history. Several of the nurses and the aides made a point of taking extra time to see if he needed anything. They all felt sorry for everything he had gone through in the past few months.

“Yes, Mr Duke…May I help you?”

“Yes, is Doctor Applebee around?”

“I can page him.” She said “Why don't you have a seat while I find him for you.”

Jesse nodded but remained standing by the nurse's station. About ten minutes later, he saw Doc walking down the hall towards him. Smiling warmly, he came up to Jesse and said, “Did you need something, Jesse?”

“Luke's still got a real bad headache. I just wanted to know if there was anything you could give him for it. He shouldn't oughta have to suffer like that.”

“I'll make sure he gets something right away. Was there anything else?”

“How's he doing?”

“Well, his urine output still isn't very good, even with the increased fluids. And that has me a little concerned. I've ordered some more tests just to be on the safe side. I'd rather be safe than sorry.”

“You do whatever you need to do. I don't want him having no setbacks when he gets back home.” Jesse said “Is there anything else?”

“Yes, his blood pressure is still rather high but that may just be because he's not completely over the meningitis yet. The antibiotics do seem to be working.”

“You just take care of him and git him better..” Jesse said. He turned and went back down the hallway to Luke's room.

Lunch had been served while Jesse was talking to the doctor. One of the nurses had thoughtfully had a tray sent up for Bo and Jesse too. Luke was on a soft diet so his lunch consisted mainly of jello, broth, pudding and milk. Jesse noticed that he only ate a few bites then stopped.

“You need to eat more than that.” Jesse scolded him

“Not hungry…” Luke said listlessly. He had no appetite (besides that he hated hospital food) He also felt slightly nauseated. The sight of the food on the trays sure wasn't helping that any.

“You still need to eat to keep your strength up.” Jesse lectured him. “So eat.”

“No…” Luke said stubbornly “Not hungry…” Jesse decided not to push the issue.

If Luke didn't want to eat, he wasn't going to eat no matter what Jesse said.

Bo and Jesse tried to keep up a conversation but Luke seemed distracted and drowsy. Finally, Jesse suggested to Bo that they leave for a couple of hours and then come back so he could get some rest. They decided to go to a nearby shopping center to pick up some things for the farm.

When they returned to the hospital two hours later, the nurse at the desk stopped them before they could go back to Luke's room and told them that Doc Applebee wanted to see them before they saw Luke. Bo and Jesse exchanged nervous glances as they waited for her to page Doc to let him know they were back. They both hoped there wasn't more bad news about Luke.

When Doc Applebee finally came down the hall, Jesse said “Is something wrong with Luke?”

“Why don't we step over here into the office where we can talk in private?” Doc suggested. He led the way to a nearby office that was used by visiting physicians. Stepping inside, Doc closed the door behind them and motioned for Jesse and Bo to sit down. After they were seated, Doc sat down behind the desk and opened a folder lying in front of him.

“I ran some more tests like we talked about this morning.” He told Jesse “And I'm afraid that the results show that Luke's remaining kidney is starting to fail.”

“What?” Jesse growled “How did that happen?”

“Unfortunately, it was probably a side effect from a combination of the meningitis and the septic shock…as well as his compromised immune system.”

“So what does all that mean?” Bo demanded sharply

“It means there only two options since Luke only has one functioning kidney. Either he has dialysis for the rest of his life or he's going to need a kidney transplant.”

“Then take one of mine.” Bo said in a determined voice“We're the same blood type.”

“You're right, you are. And a blood relative is always a better choice for a donor.”

“Now, Bo” Jesse said, cutting off the doctor “It ain't been all that long ago that you were hurt pretty bad too.” He looked at the doctor “How long before you'd have to do a transplant?”

“Soon. In Luke's weakened condition if his body goes into complete renal failure, it could be fatal.”

“Then what are we even talking about it for?” Bo said “Test me or whatever you have to do. I wanna give Luke one of my kidneys.”

“Can Luke tolerate another surgery?” Jesse asked worriedly, ignoring his youngest nephews outburst

“Normally, I would like for him to be stronger than he is right now but we really don't have much choice in the matter.”

“What are his chances?”

“None without the surgery and about a 75 percent change with the surgery.”

Doc Applebee sighed softly “I'm sorry, Jesse. I wish I could give you some good news for a chance.”

“Is that why he has the headache and he's so drowsy? “ Jesse asked

“Yes, and without the transplant he will only get worse. He's already retaining fluids, his legs are starting to swell, he's nauseated, he may get confused or agitated, he may get short of breath, he'll have pain in his lower back, and if it gets too bad before we can operate….he could have seizures”

“Uncle Jesse,” Bo said looking at his Uncle, tired of being ignored “I'm gonna do this one way or the other. I don't need your permission. At least this way Luke has a chance to live a normal life with one of my kidneys inside of him.” Bo looked at the doctor “How soon can we do the tests to see if I'm a match.”

“Right now. If you're a match, I'll admit you to the hospital today so we can get your blood work and other tests done before the surgery which I'll schedule for day after tomorrow.”

“Let's do it.” Bo said in a determined voice “Can I be in the same room with Luke?”

“I can arrange that.” The doctor told him

Chapter 8

Bo turned out to be a perfect match to be a donor for Luke. But that didn't surprise him. He knew that he would. The doctor admitted him to the hospital and he was given the extra bed in Luke's room. Luke was awake when Bo came into the room, although he was still drowsy. He looked at Bo curiously as Bo started getting undressed.

“What…are you…doing, Bo?” he asked

“Well, cuz…” Bo told him “According doc you're gonna have to have a kidney transplant….so I'm giving you one of mine.”

“What?” Luke asked in a startled voice, his eyes widening in surprise. The doctor had warned Bo that he hadn't told Luke yet about his present condition. He figured it might be easier for Luke to hear about it from Bo.

Bo finished undressing and put on the hospital gown. He looked at his older cousin solemnly “Doc said that your kidney is going bad because of the meningitis. The only choice you have is to get a new kidney. And I'm perfect donor….so here I am.”

“Can't let…you…do that.”

“I'd like to see you stop me.” Bo told him with a chuckle “Hey, look at it this way….now we'll be even closer than blood brothers…you'll have part of me inside of you helping keep you alive.”

“No…other way?”

“Afraid not.”

Luke sighed and slowly closed his eyes. The thought of having another major surgery scared him. He knew his strength was seriously depleted and he knew how dangerous more surgery could be in his present condition. He also knew that it would set him back in the progress he had made so far from the accident. But he also knew he would die without it or spend the rest of his life depending on a machine to take over the function of his kidneys and that wouldn't be a life at all. He drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Bo climbed into the other bed and tried to get comfortable. Why did they make these dang beds so hard? He glanced over at Luke who seemed to be sleeping. I ain't gonna let you die, cousin. This is the one thing I can do to help you get better and I'm gonna do no matter what anybody says….and no matter how scared I am. Bo had a phobia about needles and he had a sinking feeling he was going to be seeing a lot of needles for the next few days. But saving Luke's life was more important to him than his own silly phobia.

Bo flipped through the channels on the TV but couldn't find anything that looked interesting. So he turned off the set and laid back to try and get some sleep. Usually a deep sleeper, Bo found himself jerking awake at every unfamiliar noise during the night. Luke seemed just as restless. Bo could hear him tossing and turning in the other bed. At one point, Bo heard him cry out as if in pain. Worried, Bo climbed out of bed and crossed to his cousin's side. Luke was still asleep but his face was flushed and he was breathing heavily. When Bo gently put his hand on his shoulder and said his name, Luke quieted and seemed to rest easier. Bo stood there for several minutes to make sure Luke was calm now, then he crawled back into his own bed.

The next morning neither of the boys ate any breakfast. Bo didn't eat because the food didn't look all that appetizing and Luke refused to eat because he had no appetite. Bo stole a worried glance at Luke. His face was still flushed and it looked like he might be running a fever again. When Bo tried talking to him, Luke seemed distracted and his attention wandered. As the morning passed, Luke's confusion and disorientation seemed to get worse. He fell asleep shortly after lunch and was still sleeping when Doc Applebee came into the room early that evening.

“Is Luke okay?” Bo asked in a deeply concerned voice as Doc took Luke's vital signs. The entire time that Doc was examining him, Luke showed no sign of responding and that worried Bo.

“I've scheduled the surgery for first thing tomorrow morning.” Doc told Bo with a sigh. “And it's probably a good thing….I don't like Luke's condition right now.”

“Is he okay?” Bo repeated realizing that Doc hadn't exactly answered the question the first time.

“He's running a fever again and his blood pressure is dangerously high.” Doc told him “He's also showing some signs of jaundice.”

“Why ain't he waking up?”

“He's slipping into a coma again.” Doc said “If his condition gets any worse we may have to do emergency surgery tonight instead of waiting till morning.”

“Come on, Luke…” Bo said anxiously “Hang in there….just a little bit longer…”

Chapter 9

Unable to sleep, Bo lay there stealing worried glances at Luke all night long. Early the next morning, Doc came in and told Bo that he wasn't going to wait any longer, he was taking them both into surgery within the hour. He had already explained that Bo and Luke would both be operated on at the same time and in adjoining rooms. The surgery would take around 3 hours and they would be in the recovery for at least 3-4 hours, then they would be moved to the ICU unit for a couple days, then back to a semi private room. Unfortunately, they would not be able to share a room in the ICU.

A nurse came into the room shortly after the doctor left and gave Bo a shot to make him drowsy before surgery. Bo was anxious and nervous but his main concern was for Luke. He had to pull through this and be okay. He'd been through so much since the accident. Bo prayed that his body was strong enough to handle this. But even if Luke survived this latest assault on his body, Bo knew that it would take Luke a long time to recover from this.

Jesse and Daisy had arrived at the hospital in time to see both boys before they were taken into surgery. They would stay until they knew that both boys came through the surgery okay. By the time Bo was rolled into the operating room, he was already half asleep from the medication he had been given earlier.

Bo and Luke were walking through the woods behind the farm. Luke was quiet, too quiet. “What's wrong with you, Lukas?' Bo asked lightly, turning to look at his cousin somberly.

“I don't wanna go through with this, cousin…” Luke said in soft far away voice “I just wanna sleep….I'm so tired….”

“I know you are but you have to hang on…..just a little bit longer. I ain't gonna let you give up.”

“ And then what?” Luke asked sadly “What kind of life am I gonna have?”

“The same kind of life you always had.” Bo told him in a determined voice “I'll make sure of that if it's the last thing I do.”

Bo slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the deep burning pain in his left side. He tried to shift positions to get more comfortable and regretted that move immediately. That only made the pain worse. For a moment he wondered why he hurt so bad and then he remembered the surgery. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, trying to control the pain. His eyes flew open in alarm when he remembered Luke's condition. He grabbed the call button and pushed it for the nurse.

A few moments later the door opened and a nurse came into the room. She smiled warmly “What can I do for you, Mr. Duke?” she asked

“How's my cousin Luke?” Bo asked anxiously

“He's still in recovery. That's all I know.”

“I wanna talk to the doctor.”

“I see if I can find him for you.” She said, leaving the room.

Several minutes later, Doc Applebee came into the room. Anticipating Bo's question even before he could ask it, he said “Luke's holding his own. He's still in the recovery room because his blood pressure is still a little high.”

“Is he gonna be okay?”

“At the moment I'm optimistic about his chances..…I was more concerned with him making it through the surgery in the first place.”

“So what now?”

“The kidney seems to be functioning so that's a positive sign. And once his blood pressure comes down, we'll be moving him here to the ICU.”

“No complications?”

“He's in a coma and I don't know how soon he'll come out of it.” Doc admitted

“Anything else?” Bo asked, frowning when he thought of Luke being in a coma again. The last time it took forever for him to wake up. But that was just after the accident when they weren't sure if he was even going to live.

“A slight fever and some dehydration. The jaundice was a side effect from one of medications we were giving him to help control the fever. We've discontinued it so the jaundice should clear up.” Doc pulled back the sheet and lifted the edge of Bo's hospital gown to check on his bandages. “Everything looks good here. You should be up and around in a couple of days and out of here by next week.”

“But Luke won't be, will he?”

“That depends on how soon he wakes up and if there are any more complications.” Doc said. He smiled faintly “And with Luke's case, I'm not making any promises or predictions. Every time we do, something else happens. But he's surprised us more than once and I'm sure he's still got a few surprises in store for us.”

Chapter 10

Jesse sat at Luke's side, gently holding his hand. Luke was still unconscious but the doctor had told Jesse that Luke's vital signs were strong and stable. The meningitis was also starting to clear up which was an encouraging sign. Now if he would just wake up.

“Luke, it's your Uncle Jesse….open your eyes, boy.” Jesse said in a quiet soothing voice. “Wake up for me, son.” Luke's eyelids fluttered for a moment and then his eyes slowly opened. “There he is.” Jesse said in a pleased voice “There's my boy.”

“Jes..se” Luke slurred in a barely audible voice. He struggled to focus his eyes on his Uncle's face. “Bo….”

“Bo's just fine…you're the one we've all been worried about.” Jesse said. Luke had been unconscious for almost three days and had to remain in the ICU, while Bo had already been moved to a semi-private room. Although Luke was still weak, he finally seemed to be on his way to recovery. Jesse prayed there wouldn't be any more complications. Luke needed to catch a break soon. The good news was that his new kidney was functioning properly and the incision was healing nicely.

“Thirsty…” Luke whispered. His mouth and throat were dry and his lips were parched. Jesse poured a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on the nightstand and put in one of the flexible hospital straws. He held the straw to Luke's lips so he could take a sip of the water. Jesse let him take a few sips then took the glass away. He didn't want Luke to overdo it and get sick. “Thank…you…” Luke said gratefully. Now that his mouth and throat wasn't so dry, his voice was stronger.

He tried to clear the cobwebs clinging to his mind. Luke knew he'd just had major surgery again and that he had been sick, very sick but he did feel a little better. At least his head wasn't hurting as bad as it had been. There was still a dull throb in the back of his skull but he could tolerate that.

Jesse glanced up as Doc Applebee came into the room. He smiled pleased to see that Luke was finally awake. Quickly he checked his vital signs, equally please to see that they were stable and strong. Pulling up one side of Luke's hospital gown he checked the bandages covering the incision where he had received his new kidney. That looked good too. He smiled broadly. “Well, Luke…it looks like you surprised us all again. You seem to be doing pretty good right now.”

“Home….” Luke said in a hopeful voice even though he knew what the doctor's answer would probably be.

Doc shook his head “Not for at least another week, maybe two. But I think you're ready to get moved out of here and into a room with Bo.”

“I'm sure Bo's gonna be happy about that.” Jesse said with a relieved smile. He rubbed Luke's shoulder reassuringly. “And you're gonna listen to the doctor and do exactly what he says if you want to or not. I want you back home where you belong but I want you healthy first.”

“Me…too…” Luke said with a weak smile. He was definitely tired of hospitals, surgery, and pain. He just wanted to go home to stay and to get back to the way he used to be. (Or at least as close to it as he could given his limitations)

Bo was watching TV when Luke was moved into his room later that morning. He smiled broadly when he saw his older cousin. “Hey, cuz…” he said “It's about time they sprung you out of ICU.”

“Good…to be…out.” Luke said with a grin, as the nurses carefully helped him out of the wheelchair he had been transported in from the ICU and into the other bed in the room. He still had an IV in his right arm but his color was good and his eyes were clear and alert. He looked better than he had in weeks.

After the nurses had left the room, Bo turned to look at Luke and said, “You scared me, Cuz….I thought I'd lost you again.”

“I thought….you'd lost me…too.” Luke said trying to keep his tone light. “But….I knew…you wouldn't let…me give up. Even if….I wanted to.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired…weak…like I got hit…by a truck.” He chuckled softly “But better than…I have for….awhile. You saved my life again.”

“I wasn't gonna let you die not when I could do something about it.” Bo said with a self conscious smile. “Now we really are brothers cause you got a part of me inside you.”

“I don't know…what I'd do without you.”

“Well, I ain't about to let you find out either.” Bo told him with a laugh. Bo grinned, happy to have his cousin back again, alive and on his way to recovering from his latest brush with death.

Epilogue

Luke smiled as he helped Bo throw the bales of hay off the pickup truck. Straightening up, he stretched to work the kinks out of his shoulders. Fondly, he let his gaze sweep across the barnyard. The farm, his home, his family. The most important things in his life. And Luke had learned just fragile life could be and these days he valued every minute he been given with the ones he loved. He had come close to dying too many times in the past year not to value the second change he had been given by god. In the past six months since his last brush with death, he had made great strides in his recovery and was almost back to normal again.

He still spoke with slight slur at times but his speech was no longer slow and halting like it had been for so many months. And his balance and coordination was better too, although he still had to concentrate on it sometimes. His new kidney was functioning perfectly. He hated having to take pills everyday to make sure his body didn't reject it but he could live with that. The biggest difference was in himself and his relationship with God.

Before the accident, he had believed in the things he had been taught from the time he was child but he had never really understood some of it until he came so close to death. Now he knew that all of ours lives are in God's hands and he alone has the power to give life or to take it away. And when he chooses to give someone a second chance at life, then you'd better be grateful for the things you have and for the chance you've been given.