Lost on the Mountain
By
Luke Duke and his cousin, Bo (Better known in Hazzard County as the Duke Boys) were busy unloading bags of feed from the back of Uncle Jesse's pickup truck. Both boys had lean muscular builds developed from years of working on the farm. The Duke family had lived in Hazzard County for over five generations. Most of them were buried in the family cemetery high on a hill behind the barn. Jesse's wife, Martha, was buried there, along with Luke and Bo's parents, and their cousin Daisy's parents.
The three Duke cousins had lived with their Uncle Jesse since they were little. Luke had been five years old when he came to live on the farm with Jesse and Martha. He was the first to arrive. His mother had died when he was born and his father had been killed in mining accident. Bo was the next to arrive, just a few short months after Luke. He had only been a baby at the time. His parents had been killed in a car accident. Daisy had been the last to arrive. She was six years old at the time, two years younger than Luke and two years older then Bo. Her mother had died when she was three in a car accident and her father had died making a moon shine one dark and stormy night. He had lost control of his car on dead man's curve and went over the side of the mountain. Raised together on the farm by Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha, the three cousins were inseparable. Bo and Luke were closer than brothers.
“Come on, Bo” Luke said in his slow southern drawl “Git a move on it or we'll never git to the Boar's Nest.” He grinned as he tossed a bag of feed to his younger cousin.
Bo grunted as he caught the bag in his arms and tossed it on top of the other bags lying just inside the barn door.
“How come I get to catch and you get to throw?” Bo complained good naturedly
“Because you lost the toss.” Luke told him with a grin. Good natured bickering between the boys was common place.
“You two about done?” Jesse said coming out of one of the stalls that he had been cleaning inside the barn. Jesse Duke had a head full of snowy white white and a full white beard. In his early sixties, he was still as spry as a man half his age. On the Duke Farm, Jesse's word was law and was always obeyed, mostly out of love but always obeyed.
“Yes, sir.” Both boys echoed simultaneously. Between the two of them, they did most of the chores around the farm and they knew they had to finish their work before Uncle Jesse would let them leave. They not only loved their Uncle, they respected him. To them, he was the only father either of them had ever known.
Luke climbed into the bed of the truck and grabbed the last bag of feed, tossing it to Bo. “Careful, Luke” Bo teased him “Wouldn't want you to strain anything. Becky Jean might not be too happy if you do.”
Luke laughed as he jumped down out of the truck. “You ain't got no room to talk. I saw you making eyes at Susie Thompson last night.” Two of the best looking boys in Hazzard, Bo and Luke had no problem attracting girls. Like opposite sides of the same coin, Bo (who had just turned 18) had baby blue eyes and blonde hair, while Luke's hair was dark and his eyes a deep sapphire blue. Luke, at twenty three, was the oldest of the Duke cousins. With their easy sexy smiles and southern charm, they could have any girl in the county they wanted. Neither one of them was ready to settle down (sometimes Uncle Jesse wondered if they ever would be) they were having too much fun being single and available. More than one girl in Hazzard had tried to lay claim to one of the boys but none had succeeded yet.
“If you're done you can go but be back in time for supper.” Jesse ordered sternly.
“Yes, sir” Bo called over his shoulder as the boys ran across the barnyard towards their car, The General Lee. Now the General was as well known in Hazzard County as the boys were. A stock car, the boys had built the General themselves and to the Dukes, The General was one of the family. With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in white on each door, the confederate flag painted on the roof and the name The General Lee above each door, the car was a legend in Hazzard County . It was the fastest car around and the boys were the best drivers.
But then the boys had learned how to drive from the best. Uncle Jesse had been the best ridge runner in the county. With his car, Black Tillie, he could outrun the law before they even knew he was around. When the boys got old enough, they had started helping Jesse make his deliveries. But that had ended a few months ago when the boys were busted making a run. To keep the boys from going to prison, Jesse had made a deal with the government. He would stop making his shine if they would let the boys go. The government agreed and let the boys go with two years probation and time served. And with that, Jesse was out of the moonshining business. (Although he still had a few jugs hid away for medicinal purposes.) When Jesse quit making his shine, the Dukes had lost a large chunk of their yearly income and they had depend more on the farm to support themselves. To help out, the boys raced The General every chance they got. (Sometimes for money, sometimes for fun)
Jesse watched fondly as the boys climbed into the General through the windows. (the doors were welded shut to keep them from flying open in case of an accident during a race) Bo slid under the wheel and the powerful engine roared to life. With a spurt of dust, the boys drove away.
Ten minutes, Bo pulled into the dirt parking lot in front of the Boar's Nest, the local honky-tonk where the boys spent a lot of their time when they were working on the farm. It was the local hang out for just about everybody in town. Bo pulled the General in beside a white jeep CJ7 with the name Dixie written on the hood in gold. The jeep belonged to Daisy, who worked at the Boar's Nest as a waitress.
The inside of the bar was dimly lit and smoky. Several voices called out, greeting Bo and Luke as they came in. Daisy, who was working behind the bar, smiled when she saw the boys and quickly filled two mugs with ice cold beer and sat the glasses on the bar. Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County . Five feet seven, she had the same blue eyes as the boys and long chestnut colored hair. She could shoot like Annie Oakley, drive like Richard Petty, and outfight most of the guys in Hazzard. (after all she was a Duke) And she knew the words to every Dolly Parton song. A lethal combination in a very attractive package.
By the time the boys had picked up their beers from the bar and made their way to a table in the back of the room, Connie Anderson had latched onto Bo and Barbie Sanders had latched onto Luke. The boys only had a couple of hours before supper, so they made the best of it since they had to leave sooner than they normally would have.
Since Daisy was working, Jesse was doing the cooking tonight and he didn't tolerate them being late when he was the one making supper.
The boys got back home just as Jesse finished setting the table. He glanced up as they came into the kitchen through the back door and said firmly, “Go get washed up so we can eat.”
The boys went through the living room and up the stairs to the bathroom. After washing up, they came back downstairs and took their usual places at the kitchen table. Jesse sat at the head of the table with Bo on his left and Luke sitting beside Bo. Daisy usually sat on Jesse's right. When Aunt Martha was alive, she had always sat on the other side of Daisy, across from Luke. (That way her and Jesse could both keep a close eye on the boys in case they misbehaved at the table when they were little) The boys bowed their heads as Jesse said the prayer before they ate, a family ritual that Jesse insisted on before every meal.
“You boys going back out tonight?” Jesse asked
“I am” Bo said “I got a date with Connie Anderson.”
“I'm not.” Luke said “I'm leaving to go Boar hunting in the morning.”
“How long are you planning on being gone?”
“Three or four days.”
“Well, you get one and I'll cook it” Jesse glanced at Bo sternly “And you make sure you get in before dawn. You'll have to do your chores and Luke's too while he's gone.”
“Yes, Sir.” Bo said with a grin.
After supper, the boys did the dishes, then Bo left for his date. Luke spent most of the evening getting things ready for his camping trip. He was leaving at five thirty in the morning, so he turned in early. He fell asleep quickly, comforted by the familiar sounds of the night that he had heard all his life.
The house was still dark and everyone was still sleeping when Luke got up the next morning. Gathering his clothes, he went across the hall from the room he had shared with Bo all of his life and went into the bathroom. He took a quick shower to finish waking up, then went downstairs. It was just a few minutes past five in the morning. Going into the kitchen, Luke made himself some eggs and put a pot of coffee on the stove. Daisy had already packed a cooler for him with enough food to last for three days.
After he had eaten, Luke rinsed off his plate at the sink and filled a large thermos with coffee from the fresh pot he had just made. Grabbing the cooler, he went outside. The rest of his gear was already packed in the General's trunk. There was still a slight chill in the air as Luke crossed the barnyard to the General and climbed inside.
Pulling out of the drive, he turned to the left and followed a long winding dirt road high into the mountains that surrounded Hazzard. When the road ended, Luke parked the General and climbed out. Taking his time, he unpacked the General and went about setting up his campsite. He put the cooler and a six pack of beer in the cold mountain stream that ran near his campsite. He would use the natural refrigeration of the water to keep his food from going bad for the next three days. He pitched his tent and then built a fire ring for his camp fire. It got cold in these mountains at night.
Luke picked up his crossbow and arrows, testing the tension of the bow string, before heading for the trail that led higher up into the mountains. Since Bo and Luke were on probation, they weren't allowed to own firearms, so they used the bow and arrows as a substitution. Guns, Shotguns, bows and arrows, it didn't matter. Both boys were excellent marksmen with all of them.
Jesse had taken the boys camping and hunting every since Luke could remember. He had taught them how to mark a trail, how to read the signs when tracking an animal, no matter how small or insignificant, and what kind of wild plants were safe to eat and which ones weren't. He had also taught them how to track each other through the woods, how to find the signs that meant someone else was in the area. Even though Luke was no longer a child, he still felt the same excitement and anticipation as he had then when he went on one of his camping trips.
Luke didn't have any luck that first day. He found some tracks and followed them for a short distance but then lost them in the rocks. No matter, there was always tomorrow. Even if he didn't catch anything, the simple pleasure of camping out and being alone in the mountains was worth the trip. Luke tried to go hunting like this at least two or three times a year.
He returned to his camp site in the late afternoon and relaxed with a couple of beers before getting something to eat. Daisy had fixed him enough fried chicken to last for three days, along with some cold meat sandwiches, some chips, some homemade cookies, and some apples. As the darkness settled into the mountains, Luke build a campfire and sat there just enjoying the solitude and the peace of his surroundings. Since he had gotten up so early that morning, he went to bed early, ready for a good night's sleep before starting out again in the morning. Crawling into his sleeping bag, he was soon sleeping soundly.
The sun was already up when Luke awoke the next morning. Crawling out of his sleeping bag, he stepped outside and disappeared into the bushes for a few minutes to relieve himself. Walking over to the stream, he bent down and splashed some cold water on his face. He walked over to the fire ring and sat down in front of the dying embers from last night's fire. He was in no hurry to start that day's hunt. He ate a couple of apples, then lay back on the ground, just relaxing and enjoying the feel of the sun on his skin. Finally, with some reluctance, he shoved himself to his feet and gathered up his bow and arrows.
Luke didn't know how far he had walked from camp, he was in an unfamiliar area of the mountain, but he had marked his trail so he could find his way back. He paused for a moment to get his bearings. A jackrabbit ran out from behind some rocks, startling him enough that he instinctively took a step sideways. At first he wasn't sure what had happened. A terrible pain shot through his right leg. He couldn't help but cry out from the intensity of it as he fell to the ground, lying there on his back, stunned. Twisting his head so that he could see his right ankle, he realized that he stepped into an animal trap. The steel jaws had clamped shut on his ankle, the clawed teeth biting deeply through his jeans and the leather of his boot.
He felt a sharp pain in his back. It took a moment before he realized that he was lying on a pile of rocks and the sharp edges were digging into his lower back. He tried shifting positions, crying out in pain when he tried moving his injured leg. Luke took several deep breaths and exhaled slowly trying to calm himself. He knew that his ankle was probably broken And he was bleeding, he could feel it soaking through his sock. He was in trouble. Uncle Jesse and Bo weren't expecting him back for at least three days. And even when they did start looking for him, it could take days to find him. He knew he wouldn't be able to last that long. From the sharp pain in his chest when he took a deep breath, he also knew that he had probably broken some ribs when he fell.
. The ground was cold and Luke could already feel the chill seeping into his bones. He felt the nausea churning in his belly and he knew that he was going to be sick. But there was nothing he could do except to turn his head to one side as much as he could so he wouldn't choke on his own vomit. Thankfully, there wasn't much in his stomach except bile, which left a bitter unpleasant aftertaste in his mouth and a burning sensation in his throat. He tried to keep his breathing slow and shallow. It didn't hurt his chest as much that way.
Although he knew it wouldn't do any good to call for help, he couldn't stop himself from trying “Help me!” he tried yelling, his voice echoing eerily. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on something besides the pain that was steadily getting worse.
~~~~~
He thought about the first camping trip he could remember Jesse taking him on. He had probably been seven or eight years old. Bo had been left at home with Aunt Martha since he was still too young to go. The thing that Luke remembered the most about that trip was just being alone with Jesse. Jesse had always made things seem like a game when he was teaching the boys something, most of the time they didn't even realize he was helping them learn how to do new things. The first night, Luke had been afraid of sleeping in the tent, until Jesse told him to crawl into his sleeping bag beside him. Cradled in his Uncle's strong, comforting embrace, he had soon fallen asleep.
~~~~~
Luke must have dozed off or passed out for awhile, he couldn't be sure which. He felt sick to his stomach again but he forced himself to keep from retching. He knew that would only make the pain in his chest worse than it already was. His mouth was dry and he needed a drink badly but he had no way of getting one. He had lost all track of time, no longer sure how long he had been lying there.
He knew it would dark soon and with the darkness, the temperature would drop dramatically. His clothing would offer little protection from the coldness of the night air. Familiar prayers from his childhood drifted through his mind. God, he didn't want to die here! Not like this! Not alone and afraid!
Luke dozed off, only to be awakened by the cold. Involuntarily, he started shivering. His heart began pounding in his chest as he sensed something in the darkness out of his range of vision. He knew there were bears, wolfs and even mountain lions this high up on the mountain. He kept silent, trying not to breathe too heavily, so he wouldn't attract the attention of whatever was lurking in the shadows. He had never felt more helpless in his life.
Luke had known fear while in the Marines but nothing like this. The air was getting colder. He longed to be back home in his own bed, warm and safe. He wondered if he would ever see his family again, ever get the chance to tell them just one more time how much he loved them. Luke cried out in pain as he accidentally moved his injured leg. He could feel the blackness reaching out for him and he went willingly and without question. At least then, he wouldn't feel the pain.
Drops of icy cold rain jarred Luke awake. He blinked against the glare of the early morning sun, instantly wanting to close his eyes and retreat back into the darkness. It was starting to rain. Within minutes, it was pouring, drenching Luke's clothing and chilling him to the bone. His teeth were chattering and he was shivering violently from the cold. Finally, the rain stopped but Luke continued to shiver, his wet clothes keeping him cold and uncomfortable. The storm had also made the air in the mountains cooler than usual which only added to Luke's discomfort.
He found himself getting drowsy. He fought to stay awake. He knew that under the present circumstances, he was in a very real danger of developing hypothermia. He was still cold even though the sun had started to warm things up a little. But, as soaked as his clothes were (as well as the ground where he was lying) he knew that it would take hours for the sun to even start to dry his clothing.
Luke licked his lips. He needed a need badly. His mouth was dry and parched and his throat felt like sandpaper. But there wasn't even any rainwater near enough that he could drink some. He swallowed several times trying to work up some moisture in his mouth. He knew that he could go for a few days without food but he was going to need water soon. He was starting to lose track of time, no longer sure how long he had been lying there. If the rain had washed away the markings he had used to mark his trail so he could find his way back to camp, then it would also make it almost impossible for anyone else to find him. He tried not to think about that.
A dull ache was starting in his head and he just wanted to sleep. Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, he let himself drift into an uneasy, restless sleep. A sleep that was haunted by a nightmare. The nightmare of dying here in this place, slowly and in pain. Waiting for his body to finally just give up, to fall into a sleep from which he would never awaken.
Luke awoke with a start, his heart beating wildly, as the last traces of the dream slowly faded away. Only, he was afraid that it was not just a dream but his reality. It had gotten dark again as nighttime fell, his second night trapped on the mountain. A full moon lit up the area that had become Luke's prison.
Suddenly, another man stepped out of the darkness and into Luke's sight. Tall and lean with dark blonde hair, he looked to be approximately Luke's age. At first, Luke couldn't be sure if the man was real or just a product of his imagination, until the man spoke “Looks like you got yourself a whole lot of trouble.” Luke heard the same slow drawl in the man's voice as his own, so he was obviously from around these parts but Luke knew that he had never seen him before. Luke tried to speak but found that he didn't have the strength to.
“Damn poachers. I thought I got all their traps. I must have missed this one.” The other man said, as he knelt down to examine the trap clamped tightly around Luke's ankle. “You're lucky it wasn't a grizzly trap. That would have taken your leg clean off.” He smiled in a friendly manner “Let's get a fire started and get you warmed up. Then I'll get that thing off for ya.”
It didn't take the other man long to get a fire started. Luke welcomed the warmth. A campfire had never felt better. Gradually, he stopped shivering but he was still cold and his clothes were still wet. He tried not to move since even the slightest movement of his right leg hurt like hell. “My name's Cory Lynn.” The other man introduced himself as he knelt down beside Luke once more.
He gently slipped an arm beneath Luke's shoulders and leaned him up just far enough that he could hold a canteen of water to Luke's lips. Luke tried not to but a soft moan of pain escaped from his lips. His whole body hurt. He drank gratefully, the cool water quenching his raging thirst. Cory only let him have a small amount before taking the canteen away. “Can't give you too much at a time. I don't want you throwing it back up again.”
“Thanks.” Luke finally managed to say, his voice sounding weak and hoarse.
“I'll get this thing off and then come morning, we'll get you out of here.” Cory looked at Luke solemnly “I ain't gonna lie to you, it's gonna hurt like hell but it can't be helped.” Luke tried to brace himself but he still couldn't help screaming in pain as Cory grabbed the jaws of the trap and slowly pried them apart. He could feel the wicked teeth of the trap tearing his flesh as the embedded claws were pulled loose. When Cory had the jaws of the trap pried open wide enough he yelled at Luke to pull his foot out. It took every ounce of strength that Luke had left to pull his mangled foot out of the trap. Cory quickly released the jaws, which clanged shut with a loud snapping sound.
Still in pain from moving his injured leg, Luke was only vaguely aware of Cory wrapping a piece of cord around his leg, well above his boot and tightening it as a tourniquet to control any bleeding from the wound. Cory left Luke's boot on, knowing that it would help control any swelling, at least for the moment. When he was done, he glanced at Luke and saw that his eyes were closed. He had passed out.
It was probably just as well, Cory didn't want him moving around too much and hurting himself even more. It would daylight soon. When it was, he would take Luke to his cabin where his sister could take care of him while Cory went for help. Luke was in no condition to be taken very far, especially on horseback which was how Cory was traveling right now.
Luke slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the glare of the early morning sun. At first he was afraid, convinced that he had only dreamed that someone had found him, that he was still trapped and alone on the mountain. He moaned softly as a jolt of pain shot through his injured leg and into his back. Glancing around, he saw a black horse tethered nearby, grazing on some wild grass that was poking up through the rocks.
“That's Lobo.” Cory said. He was sitting on the ground beside Luke. He opened a thermos and poured out a cup of steaming coffee. He offered the cup to Luke who shook his head. He still felt nauseated and the thought of eating or drinking anything wasn't very appealing. “And we're gonna have to get you up on him to get you outta here.”
“I can't ride with this leg.”
“You don't need to ride all you need to do is just hang on.” Cory told him. He picked up the thermos and walked over to the horse. He put the thermos in the saddlebag and picked up the reins, leading the horse over to where Luke was lying. “Come on, Lobo” he said clucking his tongue “Down boy….down.” The horse bent his front legs and knelt down on his knees, putting the saddle closer to the ground. “You ready?” Cory asked Luke once he had the horse in position.
“Just get it over with.” Luke muttered. He clenched his teeth tightly to keep from screaming as Cory grabbed him under his arms and lifted Luke to his feet. Taller then Luke, Cory was also stronger, easily managing to support Luke's weight. He sat Luke down on the saddle, using the opposite side of the horse than a rider would normally use to mount, knowing it would easier for Luke to get his uninjured leg over the horse's back. Even that was almost impossible for Luke to do. Cory finally had to help. Luke's injured leg was throbbing with pain (Not to mention his ribs) and he suddenly felt dizzy and light headed. He had never been afraid of being on a horse before, not until now.
“Hang on.” Cory ordered once Luke was settled in the saddle. Luke grabbed the saddle horn and held on tightly, as Cory gently eased the horse back on his feet. Luke swayed and would have fallen from the saddle if Cory hadn't noticed and quickly reached out to steady him. “How you doing?” he asked in s concerned voice.
“I've been better.” Luke admitted in a tightly controlled voice, not wanting to show just how much pain he was really in. His right leg was throbbing, the pain extending up into his hip and lower back. He hunched forward in the saddle because of the pain from his broken ribs. It seemed as if he could not remember a time when he hadn't been in pain.
Cory gently patted the horse's neck and fed him a cube of sugar, at the same time eyeing Luke carefully, making sure that he was going to be able to stay in the saddle. It wasn't far to his cabin but he would have to go slow because of Luke's condition. He had considered riding double, but it would easier if he walked and led Lobo so he could try to keep the horse away from the more rugged ground. He knew that the slightest jar of the horse's hoofs would only cause Luke more pain. But it couldn't be helped it was the only way to get him out of here. Once he was certain that Luke would be able to at least stay in the saddle, he started walking Lobo towards home.
It was only two miles to the cabin, but to Luke it seemed like an eternity. By the time they arrived, his whole body was screaming with pain and sweat was pouring down his face. Cory dropped Lobo's reins to the ground. He knew that Lobo would stay where he was until he came back to put him in his stall.
Cory glanced at Luke. His face was deathly pale and covered with sweat. He was obviously in a lot of pain. Walking to the opposite of the horse, he grabbed Luke around the waist and pulled him out of the saddle. Luke moaned, collapsing in Cory's arms and losing consciousness. Shifting positions, Cory easily picked Luke up in his arms and carried him into the house. Inside, he gently laid Luke down on a sofa in the living room and yelled “Hey, Shelby !”
His sister came out of the kitchen, her eyes widening when she saw Luke lying on the sofa. “What happened?” she said. Her voice had a musical lilt to it but with the same slow southern drawl as Cory.
“I found him up on the ridge.” Cory explained “He got himself tangled up in a bear trap.”
“Who is he?”
“I don't know. I didn't get around to asking. I figure he's probably from Hazzard.”
. “What was he doing up on the mountain?”
“Hunting from the looks off. He set up camp down by the road.” Cory grinned and added “He was driving that orange car with a rebel flag on top that you said you saw in Hazzard the last time you were there.”
“Yeah,” Shelby said with a grin, glancing at Luke's face more closely “Now that you mention it, he was the one I saw riding shotgun. How long has he been out?”
“Just since we got here. He passed out when I took him off Lobo.” Cory told her, looking at Luke thoughtfully “Think he's a ridge runner?” he said, using the name commonly used to identify the drivers who delivered the shine in the dead of night.
“Could be.” Shelby said thoughtfully “At least whoever was driving that day knew some old ridge runner tricks. And that car sure could hit it and get it. It was maxed out all the way.”
“Yeah, I noticed that when I saw it. You were right when you said it was one nice piece of machinery.”
“They kept up with me till I hit Pine Creek road and then I lost ‘em on the turn around.” Shelby told him with a grin. Her eyes grew serious “He looks like he's in pretty bad shape, you best get to town. But first help me get his boot off so I can see how bad his leg is. You hold his legs. I don't wanna get kicked if he wakes up while I'm taking his boot off.”
Cory nodded and put his hands on Luke's upper legs just above his knees to keep him from moving his legs when Shelby pulled off his boot. Luke moaned and jerked his head from one side then the other when Shelby pulled on his boot, but didn't wake up. Since boots are made to fit tight, it took some tugging for her to get it off.
Shelby went into the kitchen and returned in a few minutes with a pan of hot soapy water and a pair of scissors. Luke's sock was soaked with blood and most of it had dried causing the sock to stick to his skin. Shelby carefully cut a slit up one side of the sock and then used the water to gently soak it loose from his skin. When she peeled the sock out of the way, she could see that his foot and ankle were both deeply bruised and badly swollen. The teeth of the trap had punctured his leg just above the ankle, causing three deep wounds on either side of his leg. The wounds had ragged edges that had been caused by the teeth being pulled back out of his leg when Cory released the trap. His ankle was definitely broken; Shelby could see a bone sticking through Luke's skin. It was a nasty injury with a serious danger of infection. Using her scissors, she cut a slit in the side of Luke's jeans up to his knee.
She gently unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open to expose his chest, checking for additional injuries. His right side was badly bruised over his ribcage. Even though he was still unconscious, he flinched and tried to move away from her touch when she gently ran her fingers along his ribs. Using her touch to guide her, Shelby estimated that he had at least 2 maybe 3 broken ribs. His vital signs were good, but his pulse was a little higher than it should have been. Under normal circumstances, Shelby would have put a couple of pillows under his feet to elevate them but with his injured foot she didn't want to do that.
“Okay,” she told her brother “Tell the doctor that he some broken ribs and a badly broken ankle. His vital signs are strong and stable at the moment, except for his pulse which is a little fast. Make sure Doc knows that he's gonna need a tetanus shot. There's a total of six deep puncture wounds.” Cory listened carefully, memorizing his sister's assessment of Luke's condition.
“Anything else?” he asked
“Yeah, see if you can find out who he is and if you can find any family for him. I'm sure somebody in Hazzard knows who owns that orange car.”
“Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can.” Cory went outside, leading Lobo to the barn to unsaddle him and put him in his stall before he left for Hazzard.
Luke slowly opened his eyes, letting his gaze sweep around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. A fire was burning brightly in a fireplace directly across from the sofa where he was lying. From the dark shadows in the room, he judged it to be late afternoon or early evening. His leg was still hurting badly but at least he was warm and the sofa was more comfortable than the cold ground. Someone had covered him with a quilt, so between the fire and the blanket, he had finally stopped shivering. He heard a heavy rumble of thunder and the sound of a heavy rain falling on the roof of the cabin.
“Glad to see you're finally awake.” A woman's voice said, startling him. He turned his head as a woman came around from the back of the sofa into his line of vision.
She was very pretty with sun streaked dark blonde hair that hung past her shoulders in soft waves. She was a petite little thing, not much over five feet tall but she had an excellent figure that any women would envy. A pair of jade green eyes looked at Luke and she smiled. “Hi, I'm Shelby . Cory's sister.” She said introducing herself.
“Luke Duke.” Luke said, remembering his manners. His voice was still hoarse but not as much as it had been earlier.
“Cory went into town to get help but with this storm it'll probably be late tomorrow afternoon before he gets back. You can't get up the mountain when it storms like this cause it washes out the road. Do you feel up to eating something?”
Luke shook his head. His stomach still felt queasy and his mouth was dry. “But I could use something cold to drink.”
“I made some stew if you change your mind about eating.” She told him, as she disappeared into the kitchen. She returned with a tall glass of lemonade. Sitting it on the coffee table in front of the sofa, she carefully helped Luke to lean up so she could put some pillows behind his back. Shelby saw the muscles in his jaw tighten in pain when he moved but other than that, he seemed to be doing pretty well considering what he had been through..
He accepted the glass of lemonade gratefully and took a drink. It was icy cold and soothed his parched mouth and throat. When he drank it in one long swallow, Shelby smiled and took the empty glass. She went into the kitchen and returned with another glass which Luke accepted with a grin. “Thanks.”
‘You're lucky that Cory found you or you could have died out there.”
“I know.” Luke admitted “I'm grateful to you and your brother both for all your help.”
“Your welcome.”
“I didn't know that anybody lived this high up on the mountain.”
“Cory and I have lived here all our lives. My father lived here, and his father before that, and his father before that.”
“ Lynn …” Luke said thoughtfully. He knew he had heard that name before. “Was your granddaddy Red Lynn?”
“Yeah.” Shelby told with a puzzled frown “Why?”
“I remember my Uncle Jesse talking about him.” Luke told her “They used to run shine together in the old days.” He smiled faintly “Jesse used to say that Red was the only one who could even come close to making shine as good as his.”
“So you are a ridge runner.” Shelby said in a pleased voice
“I used to be.” Luke admitted
“Used to be?”
“Yeah, my cousin and me got caught running a load of shine a couple of months ago and my Uncle Jesse made a deal with the government, if they'd let me and Bo go, he'd stop making shine.”
“And the feds went for that?”
“Yeah, we had good lawyer and one of the feds was friend of Jesse's. So they let him cut a deal.”
“Who owns the orange car?”
“Me and my cousin Bo each own half of it.” Luke told her with a grin “That's The General Lee.”
“I saw it a couple of months ago when I was in Hazzard. I didn't know who owned it though.” Shelby smiled, a twinkle in her eye “You were riding shotgun that day.”
“Yeah, Bo usually does the driving.”
“He's pretty good. He almost had me till I lost him on the turn around by Miller's Creek.”
Luke's eyes brighten as a memory came to mind. Grinning broadly, he laughed softly. He winced slightly; laughing was not a good idea with broken ribs. “Wait a minute; don't tell me you the one driving the yellow Torino .”
“Yeah, I was.” Shelby admitted
“You're a pretty dang good driver yourself. You gave Bo a real good run that day.
Neither one of us could figure out who the heck was driving that car.” He grinned “Wait till Bo finds out it was a girl.”
Although she was enjoying their conversation, from Luke's body language she could tell that he was tiring out and his pain level was increasing. “You better lay back down.” She told him “You don't wanna overdo it.”
Luke didn't object as she helped him get comfortable. (At least as comfortable as he could get in his present condition) The pain in his leg had moved up into his hip and his lower back again. He still couldn't move his leg without a lot of pain. And the pain in his chest was no picnic either. He couldn't take a deep breath without feeling like his chest was being ripped apart. As long as he took slow, shallow breathes it didn't hurt as much but it still hurt.
Shelby went about her evening chores, all the while keeping a close eye on Luke. He dozed on and off most of the evening. Shelby let him sleep, in his weakened condition, he needed to rest. Just before Shelby turned in for the night, Luke woke up and decided he was hungry enough to eat some stew. Shelby went into the kitchen and heated some up for him. Sitting the bowl of stew on the coffee table, she helped Luke sit up so that he could eat. The food was delicious, realizing that he was hungrier than he thought; Luke ate it, and then asked for more. Shelby was an excellent cook, almost as good as Daisy.
“It's getting late.” Shelby told him after he had finished eating. “I'm gonna turn in. If you need anything just holler, I'll leave my door open.” She went into the kitchen and came back with a glass filled with a colorless liquid. Smiling she sat it on the coffee table and said “Just in case you need something for the pain.” She turned off the living room light, leaving the only light in the room the glow from the fire.
Luke couldn't help smiling as he reached out and picked up the glass of shine. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he needed something to take the edge of the pain. He took a long swallow. His mouth and throat immediately felt as if it were on fire. He felt the warmth spreading out through his body and felt himself relaxing. Jesse was right, the Lynn moonshine was almost as good as Duke moonshine. He drank most of the shine and then lay there watching the fire and listening on the pounding of the rain on the roof until he finally dozed off. At least for a little while, he wasn't in so much pain.
When Shelby got up the next morning, she immediately went to check on Luke. He was sleeping but it was not a peaceful sleep. He was moaning softly and turning his head from side to side, as if he were having a bad dream. His face was covered with sweat and he was pale, too pale. When Shelby reached out to touch is face, she discovered that he was burning up with a high fever.
Suspecting the cause of his fever, she quickly checked his injured leg. She winced when she saw that the area around the wound was red, swollen and warm to the touch. It was obviously infected. She had used some moonshine to disinfect the wound but she apparently hadn't gotten to it in time. All she could do now was to try and keep his fever down and hope that help arrived soon. Real soon.
She went into the bathroom and returned with a cold basin of water and some washcloths. Kneeling beside the couch, she reached out and gently shook Luke's shoulder. “Luke,” she said quietly “Can you hear me?” He moaned but did not respond and did not open his eyes. Shelby tried again raising her voice this time “Luke, wake up.” This time his eyes did open slowly but the pupils were glassy and unfocused. Gently, Shelby wet one of the cloths and used it to bath his face, all the while talking to him in a soft, soothing voice.
“Sick…” Luke muttered in a barely audible voice. Shelby held him as he rolled to one side, retching violently. Since he hadn't eaten, there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. It was several minutes before the retching finally stopped. Gently, Shelby rolled him back onto his back and put another pillow under his head to raise it a little more. Slowly, his eyes seemed to focus on her face.
Suddenly, he grimaced sharply, obviously in pain. “Hurts…” he mumbled, a trace of fear creeping into his voice “Can't breathe….” Shelby saw the panic starting to gather in his eyes. She knew that he had to stay calm.
“Lay still,” Shelby told him in a gentle but firm voice “And try not to panic, it'll just make it worse.” She could see that Luke heard her and was trying to do what she said but he was still scared. “You've got some broken ribs, one of them may have punctured a lung. As long as you don't move around too much, you should be okay until they get here to take you to the hospital.”
“Can't breathe…” he repeated. Luke was only partially coherent, but he was coherent enough to know that he couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs to satisfy his body's demand for oxygen.
“Luke, you're gonna be okay.” Shelby said, carefully pronouncing each word “Just try to lie still.” Finally, he seemed to calm down a little and his eyes seemed to come more in focus. At least he was aware enough of his surroundings to understand her now. Shelby smiled and gently touched his cheek He began to calm down “Is it any better now?”
Luke slowly shook his head “I still can't hardly breathe.”
“Just take slow, easy breathes.” Shelby told him “And try not to panic. I won't let anything happen to you if I can help it.”
Her reassurances helped to comfort Luke, who tried his best to relax. It was terrifying not to be able to breathe properly. His brain kept screaming for him to take a deep breath, to satisfy his body's need for more air, even though he knew that wouldn't do any good. Satisfied that, at least for the moment, Luke was in control, Shelby gently began to bath his face and neck. She still needed to get his fever down. Luke relaxed enough to close his eyes. He felt strangely comforted by her touch and he felt safe in her care. He was in even more pain then before, his right leg felt like it was on fire. And it was hard to stay calm with he was having trouble breathing. He felt Shelby washing his hands and forearms, then gently running the cloth over his exposed chest.
Shelby glanced anxiously at the clock. It was almost nine A.M. She knew that even with the road washed out from the storm, Cory should be back within the next couple of hours. She hoped he hurried. Luke needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. Shelby knew a lot about doctoring the old fashioned way, using the old mountain remedies that had been passed down from generation to generation, but Luke needed some modern medical treatment that she couldn't give him. Luke began drifting in and out of consciousness, not a good sign. He was getting weaker by the minute. Shelby knew that before long his body would start shutting down without immediate medical attention.
Shelby 's head snapped up as she heard a sound in the distance, the sound of a car engine approaching. A feeling of relief swept over her. Help had arrived. She just hoped it wasn't too late. Luke's condition had grown steadily worse in the past hour. He had lost consciousness completely and his breathing was shallow and weak. When she checked his pulse it was weak too.
The door opened and Cory came in, followed by Doc Applebee, and another young man with blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He was just as handsome as Luke. Shelby stepped aside so that Doc Applebee could examine Luke and do whatever was necessary to stabilize him for the trip to the hospital.
“ Shelby ,” Cory said, motioning to the other man with him “This is Bo Duke, Luke's cousin.”
“Nice to meet you, Bo.” Shelby said cordially.
“Is Luke okay?” Bo asked in a worried voice, his concern for his cousin's well being overriding his manners. For the moment, he was so focused on Luke that he even failed to notice just how pretty Shelby was.
“He was until this morning.” Shelby said “Then he started running a fever and having trouble breathing. He's been getting worse ever since then.”
“You did a good job taking care of him.” Doc Applebee said with just a hint of concern in his voice. He straightened up and looked at Cory and Bo. “But we need to get him to the hospital right away or he's not going to make it.”
Shelby watched as Bo walked over to the sofa and carefully picked his cousin up in his arms. Luke didn't make a sound and showed no signs of waking up. Bo straightened up, easily supporting his cousin's weight in his arms. Luke's head rested against Bo's shoulder and Shelby sensed the closeness that the two must share. “Thank you both for everything you did for Luke.” Bo said, finally remembering his manners.
As he walked towards the door, Cory opened it and followed Bo and Doc Appelebee back outside. Shelby steeped onto the porch and watched as Bo gently placed Luke on the back seat of a white jeep CJ7 parked in front of the cabin. Bo covered his cousin with a blanket and then climbed behind the wheel while Doc Applegate climbed into the back seat with Luke. The engine roared to life and dirt flew up from beneath the wheels as Bo stomped on the accelerator, desperate to get his cousin to the hospital in time to save his life.
“Think he'll be okay?” Cory asked, as he watched the jeep rapidly disappearing into the distance.
“I don't know.” Shelby said “I hope so” She glanced at her younger brother “You best get Lobo put away. You still got deliveries to make and I still have to run off that last batch.”
Meanwhile, Bo was maneuvering his way down the mountain. Since the main road was washed out, he was forced to take a back road and that meant it would take him almost twice as long to get down to the main road. “Hang on, Doc!” he yelled, as he twisted the wheel sharply to the left and took Dixie cross country. The shortest distance is a straight line as the crow flies and Bo was about to make Dixie fly.
“How's he doing?” Bo asked. He was too busy concentrating on his driving to look in the back seat
“Just get us to the hospital, Bo!” Doc said sharply, the urgency in his voice telling Bo all he needed to know to answer his question.
Bo made it to the hospital in Capital City in record time. He had radioed Uncle Jesse and Daisy to let them know that he had Luke and was on his way to the hospital. Jesse told Bo that they would meet him there. In the emergency room, Luke was rushed into one of the examining rooms and Bo was ordered to wait in the waiting room. When Jesse and Daisy arrived half an hour later, they found Bo anxiously pacing the floor, a worried look on his face.
“Uncle Jesse,” he said in an agitated voice when he saw his uncle. “They've had Luke in there since we got here and nobody will tell me nothing.”
“Now, Bo, just settle down.” Jesse told him “I'm sure they'll tell us as soon as they know something.”
That was when Doc Applebee came out of the examining room and walked over to the anxious Duke family. “Luke's gonna to be fine. They're taking him to surgery right now to set his ankle. It's broken in four places and we're gonna have to use pins to set it, but it should heal without any problems. He has some broken ribs too.”
“That's good” Jesse said in a relieved voice “Is there anything else?”
“He has a bad infection in the wound that's why he's running such a high fever. Plus he's dehydrated and one lung had collapsed. But now that we have him here in the hospital, we can get those things under control.”
“Can we see him?” Daisy asked anxiously
“He'll be in surgery for a couple of hours and then he'll probably be out of it for the rest of the night. Why don't you come back tomorrow? He should be awake by then.”
Satisfied that Luke was out of danger, the Dukes returned home to get some rest themselves. The next afternoon they arrived at the hospital to find Luke conscious but still a little groggy. Luke told them what he could remember about the accident. Jesse remembered Red Lynn and reminisced briefly about the good ole days when they ran shine together.
Luke had to stay in the hospital for over a week then he was released with strict orders to take it easy for at least 2 weeks. He had a cast on his leg and was on crutches but in he was in good spirits. He had to wear the cast for almost 6 months before it was finally removed. Because of how badly his ankle had been broken and the pins that would permanently remain in the bone, Doc warned him that his right ankle would always be weaker than his left.
After the cast was finally removed, the boys went back up on the mountain. Luke wanted to thank Cory and his sister personally for saving his life. But no matter how they searched, they could never find the Lynn cabin. Luke asked Jesse about it when they returned to the farm but Jesse told him that he had never been there. Red Lynn had always been very secretive about exactly where he lived in the mountains. Luke hoped that someday he would see the Lynns again so he could thank them properly for everything they had done for him.